Saints The legend lives on

[denis preston]

Hi forumites. Reading this excellent Ian Heads book at present. One thing has come up that I hope someone can explain. When the Leagues club on Rocky pt rd opened in 1953 Clem Madden ( sec ? ) said “ I flatly deny that the St George leagues club is to help the football club buy or retain players”
Why would he say this , I’d thought it would be obvious that it was ? Were there government licensing restrictions on expenditure or was it a NSW Rugby League edict ?
Clem told a massive porky pie !

 

[Hound of Dracula]

Well before my time but I guessing its was the "Live in the area rule" combined with they didn't promote paying players??

As I said - Just a guess!

 

[denis preston]

O yes the live on the district rule. Dragons benefited greatly from this in the 30s & 40s due to the residential growth in the area. Think the rule was abolished in the late 50s early 60s as every club was abusing it. St George for instance had 10 players registered in the same 2 bed flat at Kogarah !

 

[Sir Donald Reacharound]

Clem Madden retired in 1953 after 10 years as president.
His comments back then maybe need to be read in historical context.
The massive wave of expansion for social clubs (and leagues clubs) happened in the 60s.
That early version of St George Leagues grew from a small premises on Rocky Point Road in 1952, and had a bar, a stage for a band, and two poker machines. It turned over £3000 in its first 6 months operation.
No other teams had this - Norths was the other big early leagues club which started small in 1958. Manly started small premises 1957, Parramatta 1959, and Balmain 1963.
Clubs couldn’t get a liquor licence until 1954 (following a recommendation from Royal commission), and had to buy beer from local pubs as they couldn’t get it direct from the brewery.
Pokies weren’t legalised until 1956.
We know that leagues clubs now pour money into associated sporting and social clubs, but in 1953 Clem may have been deflecting an advantage that no other team in the comp had at the time.