Norm Provan dies

[Mickie Lane]

Pretty big name in Rugby League. He is an Immortal.
RIP Sticks Provan.

[The Brain]

He was a nice bloke old Norm used to own the old furniture store in Hurstville used to see him a lot and have a chat n footy of all things although he did sell me a bed.

[Lockie]

One of the good ones . Played for next to nothing in one of if not the greatest sides in NRL history . I meet him once at a funeral for a distant relative. Really nice humble guy . I still reckon it’s a disgrace that St George we’re forced to merge and clubs like Cronulla were allowed to stand alone . RIP Norm .

[Random Rooster]

I think they use the term "once in a lifetime player" too loosely these days. Norm Provan was the real deal- truly a once in a lifetime player. Some of his records will never be beaten. RIP

[Jacks Fur Coat]

One of the genuine legends of the game. His achievements won't be matched, and by all accounts a wonderful man.

[Paddo Colt 61]

Never thought that I'd folla Jax on something uncontested. That said I was there on the day of the Gladiators. The Red V had put the cleaners through Easts in '61 and I couldn't stand them (Provan included) but I did have a lotta time for Wests and hoped that at last they might end the streak that began in '58 and would last until '69. Was close but, obviously, didn't happen and didn't look like happening on the day.
What is prominent in memory is the contrast between the GFs of that time and today's experience. First the ground was pretty much unrecognisable. There was that vast hill with bleacher seating around the perimeter. A small single tier stand (the Brewongle) separated the Anzac Pde end of the Hill from the Paddo side and daubed on the wall outside of the Paddington turnstile was a crudely lettered "Roosters to die in arse" - at a time when graffiti was pretty much unknown away from the suburban railway embankments where you can still see the Communist Party's "Menzies Out", the Rooster slur was for years an embarrassing reference to our dearth of success over decades or maybe just a Souffs' gratuitous middle finger. Once in, a Sergeants pie kiosk greeted one at the end of the Brewongle. There was another under the old scoreboard and another at the point where the concourse met the Hill on the Anzac end. So much for food, though boys with trays flogged peanuts, potato chips and drinks and men sold Doubles and first to score lotteries. No beer it was a regimented, timid society, a remnant of penal colony authoritarianism.

There were no special tickets, you just rocked up like on any weekend and paid your 20c. There was also no flags, signs, streamers or any other club affiliation insignia and nil merchandising in fact I might have been a merchandising pioneer. My father worked in a textile factory and in 1958 I, and a mate, after school, made thread dolls in red and white and black and gold for a week before the game. Must have put together a hundred all up which we took to the game in trays fashioned from cut down cardboard boxes. Two bob each. Me the Tigers (doll pinned on the shirt) and me mate the red'n'white - sold out before we got to the pie stand at the Anzac end - made a tenner each - big money then - never did it again. 1958 was a brilliant September day.
1963 on the other hand was monsoonal. No shelter for the hordes on the hill delicately juggling the pie lava in their mouths. Nil ponchos, people wore grey plastic raincoats back then and carried umbrellas. Most men still wore felt hats. Did Johnny King score the only try? Can't remember past the wet, cold and miserable afternoon but the weather had its legacy in the "Gladiators" - a wonderful symbol of the game.
Strange, doesn't seem that long ago, The Beatles toured the following year but now Norm's gone, Gasnier, Chang, Johnny King, just about all of the Wests blokes maybe only Raper hangin' in. That SCG's gorn too thank God.

[Johnny Brass]

Never thought that I'd folla Jax on something uncontested. That said I was there on the day of the Gladiators. The Red V had put the cleaners through Easts in '61 and I couldn't stand them (Provan included) but I did have a lotta time for Wests and hoped that at last they might end the streak that began in '58 and would last until '69. Was close but, obviously, didn't happen and didn't look like happening on the day.
What is prominent in memory is the contrast between the GFs of that time and today's experience. First the ground was pretty much unrecognisable. There was that vast hill with bleacher seating around the perimeter. A small single tier stand (the Brewongle) separated the Anzac Pde end of the Hill from the Paddo side and daubed on the wall outside of the Paddington turnstile was a crudely lettered "Roosters to die in arse" - at a time when graffiti was pretty much unknown away from the suburban railway embankments where you can still see the Communist Party's "Menzies Out", the Rooster slur was for years an embarrassing reference to our dearth of success over decades or maybe just a Souffs' gratuitous middle finger. Once in, a Sergeants pie kiosk greeted one at the end of the Brewongle. There was another under the old scoreboard and another at the point where the concourse met the Hill on the Anzac end. So much for food, though boys with trays flogged peanuts, potato chips and drinks and men sold Doubles and first to score lotteries. No beer it was a regimented, timid society, a remnant of penal colony authoritarianism.

There were no special tickets, you just rocked up like on any weekend and paid your 20c. There was also no flags, signs, streamers or any other club affiliation insignia and nil merchandising in fact I might have been a merchandising pioneer. My father worked in a textile factory and in 1958 I, and a mate, after school, made thread dolls in red and white and black and gold for a week before the game. Must have put together a hundred all up which we took to the game in trays fashioned from cut down cardboard boxes. Two bob each. Me the Tigers (doll pinned on the shirt) and me mate the red'n'white - sold out before we got to the pie stand at the Anzac end - made a tenner each - big money then - never did it again. 1958 was a brilliant September day.
1963 on the other hand was monsoonal. No shelter for the hordes on the hill delicately juggling the pie lava in their mouths. Nil ponchos, people wore grey plastic raincoats back then and carried umbrellas. Most men still wore felt hats. Did Johnny King score the only try? Can't remember past the wet, cold and miserable afternoon but the weather had its legacy in the "Gladiators" - a wonderful symbol of the game.
Strange, doesn't seem that long ago, The Beatles toured the following year but now Norm's gone, Gasnier, Chang, Johnny King, just about all of the Wests blokes maybe only Raper hangin' in. That SCG's gorn too thank God.

Nice trip down memory lane Paddo, I actually like when you write about footy.
You sound like an interesting bloke to have a drink or a coffee with but I think it's when you drift off to the political talk on a footy forum that you put a few noses out of joint.
Back to the subject at hand , it was a different era but the streak the dragons with sticks at the helm like the Celtics in basketball during the 60s will never be done again.
RIP to a legend of our game , we have lost some of our greatest champions this year.

[Mickie Lane]

Never thought that I'd folla Jax on something uncontested. That said I was there on the day of the Gladiators. The Red V had put the cleaners through Easts in '61 and I couldn't stand them (Provan included) but I did have a lotta time for Wests and hoped that at last they might end the streak that began in '58 and would last until '69. Was close but, obviously, didn't happen and didn't look like happening on the day.
What is prominent in memory is the contrast between the GFs of that time and today's experience. First the ground was pretty much unrecognisable. There was that vast hill with bleacher seating around the perimeter. A small single tier stand (the Brewongle) separated the Anzac Pde end of the Hill from the Paddo side and daubed on the wall outside of the Paddington turnstile was a crudely lettered "Roosters to die in arse" - at a time when graffiti was pretty much unknown away from the suburban railway embankments where you can still see the Communist Party's "Menzies Out", the Rooster slur was for years an embarrassing reference to our dearth of success over decades or maybe just a Souffs' gratuitous middle finger. Once in, a Sergeants pie kiosk greeted one at the end of the Brewongle. There was another under the old scoreboard and another at the point where the concourse met the Hill on the Anzac end. So much for food, though boys with trays flogged peanuts, potato chips and drinks and men sold Doubles and first to score lotteries. No beer it was a regimented, timid society, a remnant of penal colony authoritarianism.

There were no special tickets, you just rocked up like on any weekend and paid your 20c. There was also no flags, signs, streamers or any other club affiliation insignia and nil merchandising in fact I might have been a merchandising pioneer. My father worked in a textile factory and in 1958 I, and a mate, after school, made thread dolls in red and white and black and gold for a week before the game. Must have put together a hundred all up which we took to the game in trays fashioned from cut down cardboard boxes. Two bob each. Me the Tigers (doll pinned on the shirt) and me mate the red'n'white - sold out before we got to the pie stand at the Anzac end - made a tenner each - big money then - never did it again. 1958 was a brilliant September day.
1963 on the other hand was monsoonal. No shelter for the hordes on the hill delicately juggling the pie lava in their mouths. Nil ponchos, people wore grey plastic raincoats back then and carried umbrellas. Most men still wore felt hats. Did Johnny King score the only try? Can't remember past the wet, cold and miserable afternoon but the weather had its legacy in the "Gladiators" - a wonderful symbol of the game.
Strange, doesn't seem that long ago, The Beatles toured the following year but now Norm's gone, Gasnier, Chang, Johnny King, just about all of the Wests blokes maybe only Raper hangin' in. That SCG's gorn too thank God.

Top story Paddo.
My earliest memories of the SCG was the 1974 GF, my Pop, Dad & brother all there, streamers & flags were allowed then. When I think back I would love to be back in them times. .

[ism22]

One of the good ones . Played for next to nothing in one of if not the greatest sides in NRL history . I meet him once at a funeral for a distant relative. Really nice humble guy . I still reckon it’s a disgrace that St George we’re forced to merge and clubs like Cronulla were allowed to stand alone . RIP Norm .

Agreed mate.
- Cronulla's this little sliver of land located between the Gong and St George.

- The Gong's its own city (a working class city... probably has a bigger population than Cronulla & St George combined... definitely a much bigger region) so IMO deserves its own team. It's a fukking joke that the hometown of so many gun players doesn't have its own club!!!

- When people think of 'South Sydney' they think of Hurstville and Cronulla. Not fukking Redfern (which doesn't even have an NRL-grade stadium!!!) with parts of the Eastern suburbs (for the purposes of buying/selling property) randomly bolted on because they had a whinge about how badly they s*cked at footy back in the 60's or whatever.

- Melbourne's just an extra Brisbane team that's failed to leverage the fact it's in Australia's (soon to be largest?) city - it's a sick joke that they can't setup a heap of local footy clubs as feeders, poach gun AFL juniors and build a fanbase. Send 'em home to Brisbane or disband them if they can't leverage the MASSIVE opportunity they've got down there.

[The Brain]

Paddo colt ..Iconic moment .

[milanja]

Never thought that I'd folla Jax on something uncontested. That said I was there on the day of the Gladiators. The Red V had put the cleaners through Easts in '61 and I couldn't stand them (Provan included) but I did have a lotta time for Wests and hoped that at last they might end the streak that began in '58 and would last until '69. Was close but, obviously, didn't happen and didn't look like happening on the day.
What is prominent in memory is the contrast between the GFs of that time and today's experience. First the ground was pretty much unrecognisable. There was that vast hill with bleacher seating around the perimeter. A small single tier stand (the Brewongle) separated the Anzac Pde end of the Hill from the Paddo side and daubed on the wall outside of the Paddington turnstile was a crudely lettered "Roosters to die in arse" - at a time when graffiti was pretty much unknown away from the suburban railway embankments where you can still see the Communist Party's "Menzies Out", the Rooster slur was for years an embarrassing reference to our dearth of success over decades or maybe just a Souffs' gratuitous middle finger. Once in, a Sergeants pie kiosk greeted one at the end of the Brewongle. There was another under the old scoreboard and another at the point where the concourse met the Hill on the Anzac end. So much for food, though boys with trays flogged peanuts, potato chips and drinks and men sold Doubles and first to score lotteries. No beer it was a regimented, timid society, a remnant of penal colony authoritarianism.

There were no special tickets, you just rocked up like on any weekend and paid your 20c. There was also no flags, signs, streamers or any other club affiliation insignia and nil merchandising in fact I might have been a merchandising pioneer. My father worked in a textile factory and in 1958 I, and a mate, after school, made thread dolls in red and white and black and gold for a week before the game. Must have put together a hundred all up which we took to the game in trays fashioned from cut down cardboard boxes. Two bob each. Me the Tigers (doll pinned on the shirt) and me mate the red'n'white - sold out before we got to the pie stand at the Anzac end - made a tenner each - big money then - never did it again. 1958 was a brilliant September day.
1963 on the other hand was monsoonal. No shelter for the hordes on the hill delicately juggling the pie lava in their mouths. Nil ponchos, people wore grey plastic raincoats back then and carried umbrellas. Most men still wore felt hats. Did Johnny King score the only try? Can't remember past the wet, cold and miserable afternoon but the weather had its legacy in the "Gladiators" - a wonderful symbol of the game.
Strange, doesn't seem that long ago, The Beatles toured the following year but now Norm's gone, Gasnier, Chang, Johnny King, just about all of the Wests blokes maybe only Raper hangin' in. That SCG's gorn too thank God.

Great read, would be good to hear more like this.

[Johnny Brass]

Agreed mate.
- Cronulla's this little sliver of land located between the Gong and St George.

- The Gong's its own city (a working class city... probably has a bigger population than Cronulla & St George combined... definitely a much bigger region) so IMO deserves its own team. It's a fukking joke that the hometown of so many gun players doesn't have its own club!!!

- When people think of 'South Sydney' they think of Hurstville and Cronulla. Not fukking Redfern (which doesn't even have an NRL-grade stadium!!!) with parts of the Eastern suburbs (for the purposes of buying/selling property) randomly bolted on because they had a whinge about how badly they s*cked at footy back in the 60's or whatever.

- Melbourne's just an extra Brisbane team that's failed to leverage the fact it's in Australia's (soon to be largest?) city - it's a sick joke that they can't setup a heap of local footy clubs as feeders, poach gun AFL juniors and build a fanbase. Send 'em home to Brisbane or disband them if they can't leverage the MASSIVE opportunity they've got down there.

I agree with you about the gong not having their own team , it was a travesty that a rugby league heartland was forced into a merger with Saints and really got nothing out of it when they were the far bigger area.
This showed up what is wrong with mergers as it just becomes a takeover for one side. Most people recognise the team as St George and nothing to do with Wollongong as they kept the name, mascot and uniform.