Why does one become a football team supporter?

When J was a little boy (I am talking 6 years of age) he attended the local school where Rugby League was the most popular sport for boys and netball for the girls. Each Saturday there was a game arranged for them to participate in and as their age increased so did the seriousness of the game. After each game on Saturday mornings the boys and their families (including parents) all climbed on board of the coach’s table top truck (a practice that most would have a heart attack over these days lol) and head off to Cumberland Oval to watch the might Eels play. This was back in the days when there was no Parramatta Stadium and indeed, Cumberland Oval was a local footy field with a small grandstand and a picket fence surrounding it. The grounds held a full-capacity crowd of 6,000 spectators and each Saturday when J’s team and family went to watch the Eels play they would cheer the Eels players onto the field. Grandma and the other Mums would take a picnic lunch for the rest of the group to enjoy. This was to be the beginning of a lifetime of cheering on the Eels.
When you hear or read stories like this one can appreciate the simplicity of that era as well. Could you imagine families crowding onto a table top truck to putter six kms to a local park or dropping your boys to a park with no thought to stanger danger, providing luch for the crowd and not even knowing half of them, etc. One didn't have to purchase a ticket into the game and access to the players was much easier. Life was so uncomplicated back then.
I remember in 1981 when Parramatta secured their first-ever premiership the old grandstand at Cumberland Oval was dismantled and souvenired by the fans in preparation for the construction of the new “Parramatta” Stadium which took two years to build.
Over the years J’s young footy team had many visits from the Parramatta team. He said that he can remember names such as Bob O’Reilly, Dennis Fitzgerald, Ken Thornett and Terry Fearnley, (just a few of many) often visiting their coaching afternoons to encourage the boys indeed, one year they received their trophy at the presentation picnic from Bob O'Reilly. This held more value to the young J than did his trophy.
I have often wondered whether personal appearances at public functions from prominent players were simply in the name of good public relations for the club. When you talk to people like J and hear the influence and inspiration that these players have on them, I can understand the value of visits to young local teams. In this particular case, the visits sealed long-term support from local families that were just working class families and went on to hand down a legacy of encouragement to the generations that were to come. Yes, my children are also Eels supporters’ lol.
So what makes a supporter of a Rugby League team? It is history, outreach and

What Were The Results?????

It is with great sadness that the Eels lost yesterday's grand final but wow....was I glad that J, Ms K, Mr A and myself attended. The atmosphere was electric with a sea of yellow and blue flags everywhere. Immediately around us were a mixture of Eels and Storm supporters that had fun trying to out-sing and out-flag each other lol. Although the Eels dragged behind the Storm for the entire match it did not stop the Eels fans from cheering on and on and with each try scored by Eels players there was an ear-deafening cheer from all around the stadium. The comaraderie was wonderful regardless of which team one followed as everyone was there to enjoy the day.
Even though the Eels lost they did everyone proud. The Storm were deserved winners, playing better on the day however, Parramatta remain the success story of 2009 after being wooden spoon contenders just seven rounds out from the finals. They turned a very ordinary year of footy around to capture the imaginations of the public by making it to the grand final. Their run from so far back at 8th position to second has certainly put the heart back into rugby league. Indeed at one stage of the competition it pooked as though they would not even make the semi-finals. I read a comment in yesterday's paper about how most people, sport's teams and businesses perform best when thei backs are to the wall, which is what has happenend here in this case, so regardless of a win or loss, the mighty Eels did everyone proud and will be a force to be reckoned with next year.
The age groups also fascinated me. Fans ranged from babies asleep in parent arms through to teens, middle-aged people to the very elderly. So next year I look forward to following the mighty Eeels as part of the Blue and Gold Army when the Rugby League returns in 2010.....GO THE EELS!!!!!!!

Parra Power......

It has been exciting to see the Mighty Eels rise from position 8 on the NRL table, to play in the Grand Final on Sunday afternoon at ANZ Stadium. Today J surprized the family by organising tickets for us to attend the game. We have been to watch the footy many times over the years, I think Ms. K was about 8 weeks old when she attended her firsat game ; Grandma had knitted a small size 0 blue and gold jumper for her to wear. Alex and Ben both wore that same baby jumper in the years to follow.

One year Grandma, Gandy and the rest of us attended the finals when Parra played Newcastle however, after all of the games we have watched ovedr the years, this game next Sunday will be my first Grand Final. Traditionally we have had a BBQ, invited friends and made a great Sunday of it and so this year J decided to do things differently. I must say that I am very excited about going. I spent this afternoon chasing up some Grand Final-Eels T-shirts for us to wear and so hopefuilly those T-shirts will arrive by Friday. When I thought about it I am not only looking forward to watching the game live but I am looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere of the other fans, and enjoying the emotion and excitement with my children and husband. Win or lose the Mighty Eels have turned the tables by simply reaching the Grand Final this season. Good luck boys...Go the Eels....Parra to win!!!!

Dust Storm......

September 23, 2009 I got up to commence my day and looked outside. The sky and areas all around home were filled with fog, it was everywhere. I commented to John that the fog was probably a result of the hot humid air from the previous day mixed with the cool evening air. As I walked down the staircase to my car it soon became evident that this was in fact dust and not fog; some sort of dust storm had blown in overnight. By the time I had driven out to the site the sun had begun to rise giving the entire atmosphere a surreal look that made the construction site appear more like Mars than the South Coast of NSW.
As the day progressed news reports of Sydney and the rest of NSW came in via the internet and radio. It appeared that a wall of red dust which comprised of top soil from farms out in central and western NSW, had been blown into a frenzied storm and covered the area of the east coast. It certainly gave off an eerie glow and by the end of the day authorities declared the air pollution to have reached the worst levels since 1939. So severe were the changes to the coast that NASA’s Terra satellite captured the entire incident. Stories have circulated of tourists standing to the side of Sydney Harbor and not being able to even see the Bridge. It caused travel chaos with air flights being grounded or redirected and many trains slowed to a snail’s pace. Traffic slowed down as well.
I think what fascinated J and I, more than anything, was the reddish/orange hue than blanketed everything, and we were viewing the event from Jervis Bay. I had never seen anythi8ng like it and many are convinced that it is just one of many climate changes, the result of mismanagement of the planet by us humans. Could be, maybe, possibly, but I am not convinced. Even with such a strange event as this dust storm, I still wonder whether climate change is a natural phenomenon.

Misty Mornings.....

Each morning at 5am I drive to the bakery to purchase fresh bread rolls for the shop. The drive takes about 15 minutes and for most of the year it is undertaken in darkness. This morning however, the sun was making it's way into the sky as I neared the town; to my surprize ahead opf me was a meadow. Mist was drifting in along the meadow floor like thick low laying clouds of cotton wool.

The tops of the trees stood tall and peered through the mist, they were the only objects in plain view, everything was shrouded in white. As the morning progressed I made a point to keep my eye out on the changing landscape as the sun burnt off the fog and rearranged the colours and shadows all around; bringing the world to life. Fog and mist have always appealed to me; it gives everything a spiritual look about it as though the trees are floating out on an endless ocean.

With the mist comes a stillness and a silence which I enjoy. Then as the sun moves slowly moves about, that same view of the hillside changes so dramatically that it amazes me.

The photographer in me wants to constantly capture the changes on camera but I rarely do the scene justice.

For Nicole light a candle
We'll reminisce together
Of the times we met her here on earth
As the flame flickers we'll smile and remember
Her livliness, her energy, her worth

Those goldern curls, her unending smile
Nicky's spirit and bubbly way
All too young to leave this world
Peacefully sleeping now in eternal days

As angels carried her broken heart
They carried her troubled soul
And wisked her away to another world
to rest......healed and whole

Oh glow little candle, so brief (like her life)
You'll know Nicky's memory won't die
As we see her sparkling face in your radiance
Wipe our tears, say a prayer, wave goodbye.

In memory of Nicole Lloyd
7/7/1966 - 5/9/2009

Time to Relax.....

Well this weekend has been relaxing indeed. After a particularly busy week J and came home yesterday and headed for the beach. I had almost forgotten how relaxing it is there. With the warmer weather fast approaching we enjoyed the sun on our backs. The water is still a tad too cool to drive into however we waded through the wash of waves and enjoyed the breeze. While wading ankle deep John called me over to where he was to watch a young shovel nosed shark enjoying the surf. He swam around our legs and disappeared as the waves washed back out agaqin and again. I was surprized at just how well he blended into the sand and surf, being almost clear in colour. Their mouths are about the size of a fifty cent piece so there was no chance of being bitten. I believe they migrate to cooler waters during warmer weather so this may be the last we see of them this year. The photo above was not snapped by me.

Well, I am watching the mighty Eels playing a great game against the Dragons; the score Parra 25 Dragons 12 and J is cheering his voice hoarse lol. So I will wish you a good evening and go cheer with him.

Cheers