Why do you support the Parramatta Eels?

[emjaycee]

TIL there was a Parramatta hospital.

Was there as a hospital until sometime in the '80's or '90's. One part still remains (Jeffrey House) not as a hospital of course... it is at the end of Phillip St on the river bank - the rest of the site has been rebuilt and is government offices and courts and shite.

 

[Stagger eel]

Grew up in Ryde and could of easily supported the tigers until I was brain washed at the age of 6 by my neighbour who was an old Cumberland oval regular....

went to my first game in 77 where we played the roosters in the prelim final and my first cumberland experience was 78..

 

[Angry_eel]

Moved to Sydney in 00. Went to school in Blacktown in 01. Parramatta and Bulldogs were the most popular teams in my class.

I've stuck is out through thick and thin in the last 23 years. My daughter cheers for the Eels at the moment, she's 4.

I have family who jump on the Penrith Bandwagon when they're successful.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Parra Marist Boy. Attended my first game at Cumberland in 1964.
Saw Ken Thornett play and it was game over. A fan ever since.
Got married in 1977 on GF Replay day. Obviously scheduled to marry the Saturday after the GF but that damn draw meant my wedding day will always be remembered for 2 reasons. 22 to Nil. Ffs!

 

[WaznTheGreat]

Because i'm bald

 

[Eelogical]

Because of my old man.

I had no choice.

Dad the plumber, Gary the marine biologist - I suppose it makes sense.

 

[hineyrulz]

Because i'm bald

Yes, yes you are.

 

[Gary Gutful]

My old man started out as a Newtown fan. Moved to the area when he arrived in Aus. Said he picked Parra after Newtown were booted out of the comp. I was alive then but don't remember it - my first memory was of the 1984 finals when I was 5.

I suppose picking Parra at the time beats supporting a shit team. I sensed he regretted it by about 1988 though. He was the most negative merkin when it came to the eels, particularly as he got older. Would have made @hineyrulz seem like @Poupou Escobar.

 

[Eelementary]

My dad was a huge Eels fan.

He moved here from Chile when he was 16.

He played union in Chile, and then was introduced to those game called rugby league.

The reason he fell in love with the Eels was Mr. Perpetual Motion - he would tell me stories about how this man would run, and tackle, until he just physically couldn't do it any more, and I was intrigued.

I watched the 1999 Rugby Union World Cup, and thought, "Gee, this rugby sport is pretty cool."

We moved back to Australia in 2000, and my entire family were mad Eels tragics.

So, I said, "Why not?"

First game I ever watched was our round 1 game in 2001 against Penrith (we came back to Australia in October, so the season was done).

I have been hooked ever since.

I hope to pass this passion onto my son, and daughter.

 

[Bandwagon]

I don't even remember, I was born in Melbourne and we moved to Brisbane when I was about 5, we moved to Sydney from Brisbane when I was about 9 or 10, so late seventies, single mum family so there's no-one going back with any rugba leg history in the family.

I'm guessin' it was probably 'cause the era was all Eels and my favourite colour was blue, or it coulda been that my older brother picked Manly to support, and we fought like cats and dogs, so I picked the Eels just to piss him off.

I really don't know.

 

[lingard]

Was there as a hospital until sometime in the '80's or '90's. One part still remains (Jeffrey House) not as a hospital of course... it is at the end of Phillip St on the river bank - the rest of the site has been rebuilt and is government offices and courts and shite.


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Yep. I remember Parramatta Hospital. I used to have a paper run with the news agency in Church Street. One of the runs ended at the hospital, where I'd go through the wards with my trolley selling papers to the patients.

 

[lingard]

Grew up in East Parramatta in the sixties and seventies. Like Gazza, I went to Cumberland Oval during the Thornett era.
Watched him play. Ron Lynch, Dick Thornett, Arch Brown, etc.
My whole family followed Parramatta. They're all dead now except me. It's a family heritage thing as well as ..... I don't know, it's just in my blood. It's been a thread running through my whole life. A focal point that seems to ground me when life's inanities and insanities become too much. I like this forum, too.

 

[Rocket man]

Grew up in East Parramatta in the sixties and seventies. Like Gazza, I went to Cumberland Oval during the Thornett era.
Watched him play. Ron Lynch, Dick Thornett, Arch Brown, etc.
My whole family followed Parramatta. They're all dead now except me. It's a family heritage thing as well as ..... I don't know, it's just in my blood. It's been a thread running through my whole life. A focal point that seems to ground me when life's inanities and insanities become too much. I like this forum, too.

Would that be towards Rosehill?

 

[emjaycee]

Would that be towards Rosehill?

Or Westmead?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Or Merrylands?

 

[Gazzamatta]

Grew up in East Parramatta in the sixties and seventies. Like Gazza, I went to Cumberland Oval during the Thornett era.
Watched him play. Ron Lynch, Dick Thornett, Arch Brown, etc.
My whole family followed Parramatta. They're all dead now except me. It's a family heritage thing as well as ..... I don't know, it's just in my blood. It's been a thread running through my whole life. A focal point that seems to ground me when life's inanities and insanities become too much. I like this forum, too.

On ya Ivor. You dug the well buddy. Those were the days.

 

[lingard]

On ya Ivor. You dug the well buddy. Those were the days.

You too, mate. I certainly reminisce about those times. I'm sure you do too. Cheers.

 

[Gordy]

I've been following the Eels for as long as I can remember. My Dad is an Eels tragic and we had family in Granville, Guilford, Toongabbie, Harris Park and Lalor Park and I was raised in Liverpool.
I still remember the good old days of Cumberland Oval when you would leave with splinters in your bum from the seats and most blokes would just pee on the old wooden fence as the line was so long to go to the loo. The field itself looked like concrete.
A few names I can recall from around those days were Phil Mann, Keith Campbell, John McMartin, Bob O'Reilly, John Quayle et al.

 

[crocodile]

Because of the number of brain cells I've killed throughout my misspent youth.

 

[lingard]

I've been following the Eels for as long as I can remember. My Dad is an Eels tragic and we had family in Granville, Guilford, Toongabbie, Harris Park and Lalor Park and I was raised in Liverpool.
I still remember the good old days of Cumberland Oval when you would leave with splinters in your bum from the seats and most blokes would just pee on the old wooden fence as the line was so long to go to the loo. The field itself looked like concrete.
A few names I can recall from around those days were Phil Mann, Keith Campbell, John McMartin, Bob O'Reilly, John Quayle et al.

And Rex Mossop sitting in his little tin shed, commentating the game. Or Frank Hyde sitting on the sideline for 2GB.