02-15-2020, 10:08 AM
Its 3pm on a Saturday afternoon at one of Australian rugby leagues most cherished sites, and the ground announcer brings us all to attention.Righto ref, let er rip. And let er rip, the ref did, allowing the Newtown Jets to start charging away at their opponents, Penrith.Welcome to Henson Park, and a different, but special sporting experience.The weekend was Retro Round in the NRL and all the talk was about mullets, shoulder pads, ill-fitting footy jerseys, going the biff, swinging arms, king hits, Controversy Corner, weird colour schemes, ciggys and beer in the dressing rooms. The weekend was thick in league nostalgia.?But if you really wanted to go retro, and be among those who dont have to put on an act and appreciate the traditions of the game, there was only one place to go- Henson Park in Sydneys inner west.?Every Saturday when Newtown are playing at their home ground, its naturally Retro- a reminder of those times when league wasnt so caught up in the corporate world and was the game of the workers, the battlers who happily went to grounds with the bare minimum facilities to show their allegiances to the local colours.Even if it is well over 30 years since Newtown was ejected from the NSW Rugby League premiership due to financial dramas, they remain the sentimental favourites of so many league diehards.Nowadays playing in the second tier NSW Cup, known as the Intrust Super Premiership, Newtown still have a solid following.?Around the ground on Saturday, punters old and young- proudly wore the distinctive blue Newtown jersey- some looking as if they were three or four decades old- and reminisced of the time when their club was a Sydney premiership threat, such as in 1981 when they lost the grand final to Parramatta.A founding member of the NSW League in 1908, the Newtown Bluebags which became the Jets in the early 1970s, was for decades a haven for tough, evocative characters, such as Frank Bumper Farrell, who became one of Sydneys most feared policeman.In the 1970s and 80s they boasted such expressive souls as Brian Chicka Moore, Phil whats a packet of Sigsworth, John Ferguson, Lionel Williamson, Kenny Wilson, Tommy Raudonikis, even Phil Gus Gould for several seasons.This was a straight up and down league club, with their home ground adding to their hard and rugged character. Built on an old brick pit, Henson Park is open to the elements.?There is the King George V Memorial Grandstand on one side, which has seating for a few hundred, a scoreboard, with an overhang that can shelter a few, but its main attraction is a large grassy hill, that goes almost halfway around the ground.Great on dry days. Tricky when its wet. When it is sunny, the Hill is a delight, as on Saturday where it was covered with blankets and large groups relishing good old fashioned league, with the added attraction of a Beer, Footy and Food Festival, where local brewers and food operators were offering their wares.?The ground hasnt changed much since their last major premiership game at the ground in 1983.The grandstand has a new roof, and the scoreboard is now electronic, while there are AFL goalposts at either end, but the facilities are pretty much the same to what it was when Newtown were taking on the big names all those years ago.And yes, you can still park your car behind the goalposts at the western end if you want. Henson Park, unlike so many other suburban grounds, can never be labelled sterile. It is alive, a real family affair, where the crowd is made to feel welcome.?Over the afternoon, the ground announcer made certain they knew they were the best spectators in the world, and the salt of the earth.Rex and Betty, long time Newtown supporters, were congratulated for their 60th wedding anniversary.There were constant calls to buy raffle tickets for a meat try, fruit box and a case of beer.The punters were asked to check their pockets as lost car keys had been handed in.And at the end of half-time, the announcer had to gently remind several hundred children and their parents who had invaded the ground to kick footies and tackle each other, that they had to actually get off the field so the game could continue.Eventually everyone was herded off. Play was recommenced, but within seconds had to be stopped when a lost child wandered onto the field.So the two teams ran back to their original positions. Newtown kicked off again.No one seemed too bothered. And Newtown continues to thrive on its old school qualities, showing immense pride in its past.The two merchandise shops at the ground- including one up on the hill- were selling some of the best Retro T-shirts going around, celebrating their most vivid moments, including the infamous 1981 minor semi-final all-in-brawl with Manly, and players, such as Raudonikis gesticulating to a referee, underneath the words: Not me Sir.Theres even one T-shirt showing the moment when their American import Manfred Moore in 1977 threw a gridiron pass with a football which went over the top of the King George V Grandstand.As for the announced crowd figure, it yet again got an ironic cheer from the Hill. The number is an in joke; it is always 8972.Adding to the joy Newtown enjoyed a late surge, winning 12-10, and with it another crackly rendition over the loud speakers of the old club song.Newtown is Coming Hear the Bluebags Humming Newtown NewtownNewtown are flying Therell be no denying Newtown NewtownNo wonder those who love salt of the earth footy keep going back to Henson Park. Value for money and even a chance to win a meat tray. George Kittle Super Bowl Jersey . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. Solomon Thomas Super Bowl Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. http://www.49ersofficialfanshop.com/ . Durant finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Jackson matched his career high with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and Lamb scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, lifting the Thunder to a 94-88 win over San Antonio and snapping the Spurs 11-game winning streak. Jeff Wilson Super Bowl Jersey .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Custom 49ers Super Bowl Jerseys . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Despite being snubbed when All-Star rosters were announced, Matt Moore pitched like one again. Moore won his fourth consecutive start to help the Rays beat All-Star selection Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox 3-0 on Saturday night. "No," said Moore when asked if being left off the AL squad bothered him. "Those decisions, were all subject to peoples opinions and things like that." Moore (12-3), who could still become an All-Star as an injury replacement, gave up five hits, two walks and struck out six over 6 1-3 innings. "He certainly pitched like an All-Star," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "Theres still an opportunity, possibly. Well see how it all shakes out the next couple days." The Rays have won seven of eight, improving to a season-best eight games (48-40) over .500. Fernando Rodney, the third Tampa Bay reliever, pitched the ninth for his 19th save -- completing the six-hitter. "Were playing great right now," Moore said. "On my night, its just keep the ball rolling." Sale (5-8) allowed three runs, six hits, one walk and had nine strikeouts in seven innings for the White Sox, who have lost eight of 10. The left-hander, despite giving up just 20 runs -- 17 earned -- over 49 1-3 innings, is 0-6 in his past seven starts. "I think it would be frustrating for anybody," Sale said. "I think everybody here is frustrated, not just me. Youve just got to keep trugging along. When you start getting down on yourself, thats when things get even worse than they are." Sale and Moore hooked up in a pitchers duel on May 28th of last year at Tropicana Field, a 2-1 White Sox victory in which the pair combined for 25 strikeouts (Sale 15, Moore 10). Tampa Bay took a 2-0 lead in the second when Luke Scott got the first extra-base hit this season by a left-handed hitter off Sale, an RBI double, and Desmond Jennings had a run-scoring grounder. "You cant expect him to blank everybody," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.dddddddddddd "Hes pitching fine, competing and doing all the things you want him to do. Its just when you dont get any runs, it seems like its wasted." Wil Myers opened the sixth with an infield single, a liner that went off Sales glove, and advanced two bases to third on a nifty baserunning play when Jose Lobaton hit a one-out grounder that third baseman Conor Gillaspie had to move toward second to field. The Rays rookie then scored to make it 3-0 on a single by Sam Fuld. Moore got a key defensive play from third baseman Evan Longoria, who caught Alex Rios liner with two on and no outs in the third and dove to the bag to double up Alejandro De Aza. The threat ended when Adam Dunn flew out. On "Turn Back the Clock Night," the Rays, an expansion team in 1998, wore hypothetical uniforms from 1979, while the White Sox used 1972 replica home uniforms. "It definitely reeks of the mid-1970s, and I like that," Maddon said. "I think theyre very tasty." Injured White Sox reliever Jesse Crain was also picked to the AL All-Star team with Sale before the game. Tampa Bays lone selection was infielder-outfielder Ben Zobrist. NOTES: Moore has not allowed a run in his past 17 1-3 innings. ... Tampa Bay LHP David Price (2-4) will make his second start Sunday since returning from a strained left triceps. The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner, who allowed three hits over seven innings in an 8-0 win over Houston Tuesday, will face Chicago LHP John Danks (2-5). ... White Sox RHP Jake Peavy, on the DL since June 6 with a broken left rib, is scheduled to pitch in a simulated game on Tuesday. ... Maddon decided to keep left-handed hitting 1B James Loney, who has a career-high 16-game hitting streak, out of the lineup against Sale. Loney entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth, but didnt bat.. ... Chicago OF Dewayne Wise (strained right oblique) is set to start a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte. ' ' '