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.

 

[denis preston]

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.

Thanks SDR. Very plausible and surely helped our future sustained success. Players salaries wernt that high in that era even to the extent that some got player coach roles in the country at the peak of their career( Brian Clay , Noel Pidding ) so surely the league’s club was very profitable to get Kearney,Bath,Ryan, Langlands , Lumsden, Walsh,Raper etc and THEN built the Taj on Prince Edward Park.

 

[Dragon David]

I feel that Willow would have more to add. However, he seems to be missing in action as I haven't seen any posts from him in quite a while. Are you there Willow??

 

[blue bags]

And the stadium was planned to be built on the golf course. But some houses owner's refused every offer to sell. Dragons history could have been very different

 

[Old Timer]

Thanks SDR. Very plausible and surely helped our future sustained success. Players salaries wernt that high in that era even to the extent that some got player coach roles in the country at the peak of their career( Brian Clay , Noel Pidding ) so surely the league’s club was very profitable to get Kearney,Bath,Ryan, Langlands , Lumsden, Walsh,Raper etc and THEN built the Taj on Prince Edward Park.

In the early days of the great run and as poker machines were becoming prevalent in clubs it was thought that part of the player payments were disguised by players being called at the club to collect their “poker machine winnings”.

The old open the front door and reach into the 2/- tray of the 3 Kangaroo pokie had little accountability about it and of course some of the poker machine mechanics were known to have a false bottom in their tool box.

 

[blue bags]

From what I understand
Dragons 1st home ground
Was at Arncliffe

 

[denis preston]

From what I understand
Dragons 1st home ground
Was at Arncliffe

Yes Earl Park Banksia right on the railway line. Now factories or units.

 

[blue bags]

Yes Earl Park Banksia right on the railway line. Now factories or units.

Arncliffe. Right next to Wollongong road

 

[Victoire]

Great book, one of my favourites. I've got the following Saints books in my library. Let me know what I'm missing!

March of the Dragons - Ian Heads
Saints: The Legend Lives On - Ian Heads
Never Before Never Again - Larry Writer
Believers - Tobias Rowles
Spirit of the Red V: volumes 1 & 2 - Geoff Armstrong
How To Play Rugby League - Johnny Raper
The Man in the Bowler Hat - Johnny Raper
The Man - Anthony Mundine
Crossing The Line - Wendell Sailor
Gaz - Mark Gasnier