Why are we roosters supporters

[NorfolkStreetKid]

Born in Randwick private Hospital in 1952 to a single mum. First memory is living with my Gran, who was a widow in Hargrave Street Paddo with my mum and my auntie. Mum moved to Norfolk Street Paddo when I was about4 years old, where we rented a room in a house owned by an old retired seaman. He had another old seaman living there as well and both of them were Easts supporters, and would always be telling me about the glory days of the mid 1930's so the only team I could think of following was EASTS. Mum worked as a waitress and also did all the cleaning, cooking and laundry for the old guys. I started at Paddo Public in 1957, changed to St Francis's in 1960, then Christian bros in 1961. The old guy who owned the house we lived in told m mom that he would give her first option to buy the terrace house at 2 Norfolk Street for a really good price when he died because she had looked after him and his mate for 5 years. I remember us taking him to the hospital in 1959, where he died. Mum ended up buying the house for one thousand one hundred pounds in 1959. She still worked as a waitress, and we rented out a room and also her mother moved in with us.

My real father came back on the scene in 1960. He had been married to someone else. In 1960 my Gran went to live with her other daughter, and my dads brother came to live with us . My dad and my mums brother loved the Roosters, and we could walk to the Sports Ground so from the age of 8 in 1960 we went to every home game. This went on until 1964 when my dad decided we should sell the house and move to Kingsgrove.... not a great decision as it turned out. But I never thought of supporting any other team. Used to catch the train in to central and walk to the game when I was 12 through to 1969 when we left Sydney to live in Brisbane. We still used to get the Sydney papers in those days to see the news about the Roosters.

I left school in 1969 and went to Atherton in February 1970 to work, my mum used to send me newspaper clippings of the Roosters in her letters. I came back to Sydney in 1972 aged 20, and moved to Wagga Wagga in 1973. I used to drive down 4 times a year to go to the footy with my dad and uncle over the next 6 years while I moved to Griffith, then Albury, then back to Wagga Wagga in 1978. We went to the 1975 grand final together, greatest day of my life up to that stage.

I moved back to Sydney in 1979, got married and moved to Brisbane in 1980, been here ever since. Started driving down to the Grand Finals from 1996 to catch up with my two brothers, we went to 10 in a row until 2005, and I used to drive down for a few big games during the year.

Now I am retired, 68 years old, and watch the games on a 75 inch TV, with a couple of mates and a few beers. So I have been an EASTS fan for 60 years. My daughter in 39 now and also loves the Chooks. Both my brothers are Chooks. I can't imagine it ever being any other way. Been a bloody good ride.

[milanja]

Born in Randwick private Hospital in 1952 to a single mum. First memory is living with my Gran, who was a widow in Hargrave Street Paddo with my mum and my auntie. Mum moved to Norfolk Street Paddo when I was about4 years old, where we rented a room in a house owned by an old retired seaman. He had another old seaman living there as well and both of them were Easts supporters, and would always be telling me about the glory days of the mid 1930's so the only team I could think of following was EASTS. Mum worked as a waitress and also did all the cleaning, cooking and laundry for the old guys. I started at Paddo Public in 1957, changed to St Francis's in 1960, then Christian bros in 1961. The old guy who owned the house we lived in told m mom that he would give her first option to buy the terrace house at 2 Norfolk Street for a really good price when he died because she had looked after him and his mate for 5 years. I remember us taking him to the hospital in 1959, where he died. Mum ended up buying the house for one thousand one hundred pounds in 1959. She still worked as a waitress, and we rented out a room and also her mother moved in with us.

My real father came back on the scene in 1960. He had been married to someone else. In 1960 my Gran went to live with her other daughter, and my dads brother came to live with us . My dad and my mums brother loved the Roosters, and we could walk to the Sports Ground so from the age of 8 in 1960 we went to every home game. This went on until 1964 when my dad decided we should sell the house and move to Kingsgrove.... not a great decision as it turned out. But I never thought of supporting any other team. Used to catch the train in to central and walk to the game when I was 12 through to 1969 when we left Sydney to live in Brisbane. We still used to get the Sydney papers in those days to see the news about the Roosters.

I left school in 1969 and went to Atherton in February 1970 to work, my mum used to send me newspaper clippings of the Roosters in her letters. I came back to Sydney in 1972 aged 20, and moved to Wagga Wagga in 1973. I used to drive down 4 times a year to go to the footy with my dad and uncle over the next 6 years while I moved to Griffith, then Albury, then back to Wagga Wagga in 1978. We went to the 1975 grand final together, greatest day of my life up to that stage.

I moved back to Sydney in 1979, got married and moved to Brisbane in 1980, been here ever since. Started driving down to the Grand Finals from 1996 to catch up with my two brothers, we went to 10 in a row until 2005, and I used to drive down for a few big games during the year.

Now I am retired, 68 years old, and watch the games on a 75 inch TV, with a couple of mates and a few beers. So I have been an EASTS fan for 60 years. My daughter in 39 now and also loves the Chooks. Both my brothers are Chooks. I can't imagine it ever being any other way. Been a bloody good ride.

Fantastic story.

[milanja]

Good thread idea.

My dad (who passed in 2015 - but got to see 2013 GF in person) was a roosters man all his life along with his dad. He was born in 1924 and grew up in poverty like many of that era. His mum died of TB at age 27 when he was 3. His dad drove a horse drawn laundry cart through the streets of Coogee and Randwick. My dad would wait outside the Coach and Horses Pub of an evening while his dad had a couple of well earned beers. They both saw Dave Brown playing for the tricolours. Dad left school in 4th form or so and worked a few jobs before getting into the Airforce in 1942 flying in Wellington bomber aircrafts in WW2 in Europe as a rear gunner/wireless operator. He was a fantastic morse code operator. Having survived the war he earned the opportunity as a returned serviceman to do his leaving certificate (HSC) and attend university, something he would never have normally afforded.

When I was around 8 years old my dad got my brother an Easts jersey and me a Souths jersey. So, to my shame, until 1970 I was a Souffs fan! After that I changed over to roosters as I got sick of fighting with my brother in the back of the car on the way home from games.

There were many Saturday and Sunday arvos spent going out to the old Sports Ground with the 3 of us watching "all grades". Dad would bring an esky full of beers (no RBT in those days!). I remember the pies, the guys selling "first try scoring double betting tickets" and peanuts in the shell. The smell of dencorub coming from the dressing room as the players came out. Running onto the field after the game to try and souvenir the corner posts and getting autographs from players in your autograph book.

If the game was close with 10 minutes to go, often we would leave as my dad "didn't want to watch" if we lost, LOL. So as we walked to the car and heard the crowd roar we didn't even know if this was good or bad!

We visited every suburban ground over the years except Penrith Park, including Belmore Oval and Lidcombe Oval with its skyscraper goal posts.

Many memories over the years and lots of emotion, good and bad. My brother and dad saw the 1974 GF live at the SCG, I stayed home and watched it live on TV - I was so nervous my mum gave me half of one of her valiums!! At age 12! I vividly remember Mark Harris's classic try to seal the win.

1975 and I wore a scarf and sunglasses and pretended to be a girl so I could use the SCG members ladies badge to get into the GF and see the 38-0 win from the Noble Stand.

Then a long premiership drought in spite of some great teams. I lived in Coff's Harbour in 2000, the year I started contributing to these forums. The Prelim win against Newcastle with the comeback sparked by Luke Phillips try and Freddy's intercept - I can still feel the excitement.

2002 I was still living in Coffs. 2013 and 2019 I saw the GFs in person, 2018 I arrived back in Sydney from overseas at half time to find out we led 18-0. OMG!! Then watched the second half at the pub.

I cannot complain one bit about the joy I've got from following this club. They have given me heaps.

Another fantastic story,

the bolded parts are brilliant!

[roosterproud]

'John Brass as my first rugby league coach at Tweed Heads Seagulls in 1977. Played 12 years there. He told us as kids ';you lot are now eastern suburbs supporters' so here i am.

[horrie hastings]

Was born at St Margaret's hospital Darlinghurst and spent my early years living in Stewart St Paddington only about 200mtrs away from the Sports Ground, when i was really young i used to go the Easts games with my father, first ones would have been probably 1966 or 1967 but was more content on running around on the hill than watching the game then, went to St Francis school at Paddington and one of my school mates father played for Easts at the time, he was Geoff Chambers. Father sold the house in Paddington and we moved to Kingsford at the end of 1970 but still always followed Easts when we moved. Have fond memories of my formative years at Paddington but really hated moving to Kingsford .

[NorfolkStreetKid]

Was born at St Margaret's hospital Darlinghurst and spent my early years living in Stewart St Paddington only about 200mtrs away from the Sports Ground, when i was really young i used to go the Easts games with my father, first ones would have been probably 1966 or 1967 but was content on running around on the hill than watching the game then, went to St Francis school at Paddington and one of my school mates father played for Easts at the time, he was Geoff Chambers. Father sold the house in Paddington and we moved to Kingsford at the end of 1970 but still always followed Easts when we moved. Have fond memories of my formative years at Paddington but really hated moving to Kingsford .

My auntie lived at 39 Stewart Street from about 1960 to 1964

[horrie hastings]

My auntie lived at 39 Stewart Street from about 1960 to 1964

We lived at 33 Stewart St, it had 3 or 4 garages out the front, they look the same today as they did back then and there was a narrow passage down the side to get into the back yard, the house had another entrance on Leincester St but Stewart St was our postal address even though it was the basically the back of the house. Talking of Norfolk St another kid i went to school with lived there, they ended up being good family friends over the years, i'm almost certain it was 28 Norfolk st they lived then the family moved to Norfolk St The Entrance i think around 1969 or early 1970.

[horrie hastings]

My auntie lived at 39 Stewart Street from about 1960 to 1964

Not sure when my parents originally moved into Stewart St but i know they were living there in 1958 when my older sister was born, they were originally renting there but it was just before we went to decimal currency that my parents won 8000 pound in the lottery, it was 12, 000 pound lottery prize but they had bought the ticket with another person who lived in one of the flatettes in the back yard who got 4,000 pound( the property had 3 small flatettes besides the main house we lived in) with that money my father purchased the house.
My parents may have known your aunty at the time.

[rented tracksuit]

Was taken to my first ever game of footy when I was about 8 by a family of a friend of mine at school. I didnt follow any footy club at that stage. It happened to be a Roosters v souffs game and the Roosters won. It just felt right to win against them so I stayed a Chooks fan ever since.

[NorfolkStreetKid]

Not sure when my parents originally moved into Stewart St but i know they were living there in 1958 when my older sister was born, they were originally renting there but it was just before we went to decimal currency that my parents won 8000 pound in the lottery, it was 12, 000 pound lottery prize but they had bought the ticket with another person who lived in one of the flatettes in the back yard who got 4,000 pound( the property had 3 small flatettes besides the main house we lived in) with that money my father purchased the house.
My parents may have known your aunty at the time.

Probably did Horrie. My auntie Bev Polder, her husband Steve was a truckie. My Nan used to be on the front verandah listening to the races, cricket or footy most of the time. The kids were Steven and Cathy. They were only renting.

[NorthChook]

I've said a bit of my story a few times before but in summary 1st generation Chooks fan, grew up and am from the North Shore (first house was in Carlow Street North Sydney, that goes down North Sydney Oval and Percys Hotel) in the 90s to a family of bears fans but my old man is a Manly fan being from that way - my brother played for the Bears Flegg/Reserves then Manly Reserves and played 2 games of first grade for the Northern Eagles in '01. So spent most weekends of my childhood going to footy grounds my bro was playing at, supporting the bears but I was very young and wasn't too into footy at that point.

When Bears got kicked out, I probably supported Northern Eagles but wasn't too interested as it wasn't at the time - definitely didn't want to jump over to Manly. I then started getting on the Roosters bandwagon, I identified with the name 'Sydney' as being the second closet thing to home for me other than 'North Sydney', Moore Park wasn't too big of drive from North Sydney, and I was a big fan of players like Freddy, Mini, Fitzy, Wing. My family went overseas at the back end of 02 and when heard that Roosters won I declared myself a Rooster and haven't turned back since.

I went onto witness the losses in 03 and 04, and was absolutely devastated but very proud still even as a young bloke. If anything it made me more of a chooks fan then as I was determined to see them win a premiership myself. I went into high school (Marist North Shore - opposite North Sydney Oval - where Pearce and Foran were in a few years above me. My dad and brothers both went there) and witnessed the hard few years of our modern era but stuck with us and didn't miss watching a game. I played for school and my jnr clubs were Willoughby Roos and then Belrose Eagles (stopped playing in U19s). My last year of school was when we had the '10 run and it felt after the shit times to be back on the big stage.

After school I became a ticketed club member in 2012 when I could afford one and have been one since with my wife (who I converted to being chook back when we were teens). Through my passion for the club I also converted many mates to become Roosters fans in high school (easy when there is no local team to support) who are still chooks today.

I attended the last 3 grand final wins which was some of the best days of my life - when I was a teenager in 09 seeing us come last I didn't know if I would see a premiership win for myself, let alone 3 in person! I was one of many who journeyed back outside of the leagues club after the wins.

Very proud of this club, its history, area, culture and players - I never miss a game (unless absolutely necessary), attend almost every home game per year, and often travel to away games (been to Adelaide, Melbourne, Newcastle, Canberra just for chooks games). Even though I am not from the East, I identify with the area strongly because of my connection to the club. I hate Souths with a passion. Over the moon when the Roosters joined with Norths for the NSW Cup and attend most of their home games too when it is on.

Now we have our first child on the way who will be a proud 2nd generation chook here in the North

[Chook]

1972 my grandfather left his Rugby League Week magazine on his chair and I picked it up and saw a player wearing a Roosters jersey. I asked him who that was and who they played for, "Ron Coote and the Roosters". I said "I like the jersey can I go for them"? He put his hand on my shoulder and said "You are now a Roosters supporter".

Chook.

[horrie hastings]

Probably did Horrie. My auntie Bev Polder, her husband Steve was a truckie. My Nan used to be on the front verandah listening to the races, cricket or footy most of the time. The kids were Steven and Cathy. They were only renting.

I will ask my father if he remembers the name next time i see him, i think he should still have memories of back then, unfortunately cannot ask my mother because her mind has gone now although she still surprises us sometimes with what she does remember.

[Mickie Lane]

A few of us around the same vintage have very similar stories, we inherited going for the Roosters. My pop grew up in Paddington & followed the Roosters because his brother my great uncle played for them, my dad inherited them & then my brother & I inherited them.

I wouldn't be surprised if I've played touch footy with a few of you after one of the Roosters games at the Old Sports Ground between 74 & 82. I used to play little games of footie with random kids all them time at the Sports ground next to the old stinking toilet block on the hill that you could see through to the SCG No 2 oval from, my dad used to let me wonder off & play with other kids then I would get hungry & go back to where he & my pop were sitting which was the opposite side of the field to where the Roosters would run out from. Running on the field at the end trying to get the corner post which I never did & then running up to the players & patting them on the back was biggest thing in my life.

My pop, dad, brother & I would wait about 45 minutes after the game had finished & then make our way over to the dressing sheds, half of me was excited to go into the sheds but half of me dredded seeing big grown men with big grown ol fellas walking around the change rooms in the nude & my dad telling me to get their autographs. I was only 8 or 9 & only stood as high as their groin /waist area so it was definitely a sight I can tell you.

[rented tracksuit]

A few of us around the same vintage have very similar stories, we inherited going for the Roosters. My pop grew up in Paddington & followed the Roosters because his brother my great uncle played for them, my dad inherited them & then my brother & I inherited them.

I wouldn't be surprised if I've played touch footy with a few of you after one of the Roosters games at the Old Sports Ground between 74 & 82. I used to play little games of footie with random kids all them time at the Sports ground next to the old stinking toilet block on the hill that you could see through to the SCG No 2 oval from, my dad used to let me wonder off & play with other kids then I would get hungry & go back to where he & my pop were sitting which was the opposite side of the field to where the Roosters would run out from. Running on the field at the end trying to get the corner post which I never did & then running up to the players & patting them on the back was biggest thing in my life.

My pop, dad, brother & I would wait about 45 minutes after the game had finished & then make our way over to the dressing sheds, half of me was excited to go into the sheds but half of me dredded seeing big grown men with big grown ol fellas walking around the change rooms in the nude & my dad telling me to get their autographs. I was only 8 or 9 & only stood as high as their groin /waist area so it was definitely a sight I can tell you.

That explains a HELL of a LOT!