Gosford Rugby League: the Eye of the Storm magazine - vol 41 (August 2020)

GOSFORD RUGBY LEAGUE

- Est. 2014 -

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Issue No.41 --- August 2020 ISSN: 2652-4570

HERE COME THE TOWNIES: The Early History of Gosford Rugby League Available from the East Gosford Newsagency or online from Lulu Publishing Written & Published by Andrew Stark ISBN: 9780958198035 Published January 2020.

504 page, A4 sized, paperback

An in-depth look at the history of Central Coast footy. From its kick off back during the late nineteenth century, through to the modern day competition.

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

Vol 41: August 2020

This publication has landed with a thud on front porches every month from April though to September since 2014. The COVID-19 shambles however, has played silly buggers with the current season, prompting the editor to bring out issues whenever he damn well feels like it. Dare I even suggest, in a willy-nilly fashion. Volume 41 is now hitting news stands just a fortnight after its predecessor, while the ETA of Volume 42 remains … absolutely anyone’s guess!

Spare a though for our U12s & U9s. Both teams don’t get to play their first home games of 2020 until late August!

Gosford Kariong have distanced itself from growing speculation that the club is about to make a bid for the Mariners A-League licence. Storm officials have described the claim as fanciful.

The Gosford Kariong Storm hierarchy are calling, “Fake News” on wild rumours sweeping the district.

Discipline plays an integral part in achieving rugby league success. One or two irritable moments have sullied The Eye’s perennially bleary vista during the early rounds of 2020, prompting us to revisit the wise words of legendary Marrickville Meerkats head coach, Con Phew-Sharse.

“Mate, you aint never gonna build a winning footy culture out of a squad chockers full of fire-eatin eshays” © 2020 Opinions expressed in this publication are derived solely from the scattered & random thoughts of the author; none of which are necessarily shared by the GKS club … nor anyone else on the planet really.

Vol 41: August, 2020

The Under 10(1)s have had a rocky start to competition football, yet one player who continues to shine is the blisteringly quick, Keanu DeGuara. This kid befits the old Jack Gibson line about being so speedy he can flick his bedroom light switch off and be in under the covers before darkness takes hold. With retro charged boots like that, the lad naturally scores a few tries. Yet in early round losses to both Woy Woy and Terrigal, young Keanu has been equally effective when it comes to saving his team’s bacon with some high quality cover defence (see page 25).

Our two premiership winning teams from last season took part in a two-a-thon out at Berkeley Vale on the horses birthday, August 1st. The undefeated U12s played out a 22-22 draw, while the U13s racked up a thrilling 24-22 victory. Only a match winning Angus Bills conversion prevented the day being officially christened, “Richie Benaud Saturday”.

How’s about the tremendous rivalry that has built up between our under 15s and their 2019 nemesis, Terrigal. The teams were Division 3 grand finalists last season and both have progressed confidently into Division 2 this season. The latest chapter in the duel resulted in a cracking game of footy out at Brendan Franklin Oval. The round 3 clash saw the Sharks get the chocolates 12-6 when a converted fourth quarter try broke the deadlock . The standard of footy rolled out by both teams was most impressive with all of the forwards having an almighty dig, while classy Storm fullback Liam Gleeson unfurled an absolute blinder from the back field.

The Eye will be camping out under the Carrington Street bridge to guarantee a prime seat come the next installment of this Sky Blue vs. Purple brouhaha.

Left: Terrigal score late to break Gosford hearts in round 3 under 15s action.

© 2020 Opinions expressed in this publication are derived solely from the scattered & random thoughts of the author; none of which are necessarily shared by the GKS club … nor anyone else on the planet really.

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

IT’S TIME

Reconnecting Our Townie Heritage

by Grahame Parke

It’s been twenty years since the famous Gosford Townies Club bowed out of local footy. It occurred during the earliest months of the year 2000 and the Gosford Kariong Storm grew out of that same tumultuous preseason. After two decades of charging into battle with the club’s long and proud lineage well hidden, Gosford Rugby League: the Eye of the Storm magazine feels it’s high time we reconnected our Townie heritage.

Gosford Townies first grade half Richard Phillips fires out a pass during the club’s last top grade season, 1999.

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

IT’S TIME With a new Gosford Kariong jersey in the offing for season 2021, this publication is kicking off a campaign to have our club’s past acknowledged within the updated design. An Eye HQ sub committee was formed during early July and their recommendations presented two distinct modes of action. The Heritage Committee have tabled a Bold Strategy, and a Subtle Strategy.

The Bold Strategy – This recommendation stipulates that in any given season, the club’s most senior team will be rebadged as the Gosford Kariong Townies. They will play in the old red & blue colours made famous by Gosford team’s of the past. Similar to how our current under 17s are playing in a different design and different colours to that of their fellow club members. This distinct demarcation would see players from the younger age divisions aspire to become Townies. They’d be schooled to stay behind after their own games were complete to cheer on the club’s premier team, the Gosford Kariong Townies. Our most senior thirteen, in whatever age division they may compete, shall be feted from within our organization. The Townies will become what all young Stormers aspire to be.

The Subtle Strategy – Using the Wests Tigers relationship to the Magpie as a guide, a Gosford Townie emblem shall be attached to the modern day Gosford Kariong Storm jersey. It could be placed high up on the shoulder, or perhaps on the back of the jersey just in below the collar. Neither of these positions need impact negatively on the kit’s prospective sponsorship areas. Just as the Wests Tigers wear the Magpie on their sleeve by way of respecting their Western Suburbs roots, the Storm would do likewise with one of provincial rugby league’s proudest histories, that of the Gosford Townies.

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 Left: Wests Tigers legend

Benji Marshall sporting the Magpie on each sleeve of the joint venture club’s jersey.

IT’S TIME Andrew Stark in his recently published book, Here Come The Townies writes about the unique Townies nickname and emblem.

“Irrespective of the minutiae of its origins, and pushing to one side just who may have been most responsible for its implementation, it’s unarguably a most distinctive moniker. Rugby league clubs across the eastern states of Australia have invariably chosen nicknames from a most tediously repetitive pool of options. Sydney club logos have perennially dominated the field. The country is awash with Tigers, Eagles, Roosters, and Magpies: dime a dozen emblems that are found throughout most urban and regional competitions. Very few genuinely unique club nicknames have the ability to attract attention while also offering a brief glimpse into that town’s history or geographical characteristics. Club’s such as the Parkes Spacemen, Thirroul Butchers, Young Cherry Pickers, Dora Creek Swampies, Orara Valley Axemen, or the Robertson Spuddies are wonderful exceptions to the prevailing veneer of animal based drabness. The Gosford Townies was undoubtedly another of these exceptions and prior to their untimely April 2000 demise, the club could rightly be counted among the country’s most highly individual appellations. A smattering of research reveals that Gosford was indeed the only football club in the nation to run out under the ‘Townies’ banner.”

It’s been two hollow decades since the Townies jersey was retired. Debt levels had allegedly accrued beyond the failed grand final appearance of 1997 and then Grahame Park was snatched away two years later.

The battling Gosford Kariong junior club is all that remains today. The sooner that club decides to fully embrace the past and adopt the colours and the logo worn so proudly by their famous forbears, the closer they will come to rising out of the valley of mediocrity.

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020 Photo Opposite Page: Townie mascot, Mark Robertson dances around

Grahame Park back during the 1981 semi final series.

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

YIKES!

t he

Pictorial

Pages

Photos – Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020 Photos © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

KARTIK CHRISTENS CRACKING TRY WITH INDIGENOUS ROUND CELEBRATION Photos © Andrew Stark

Photo © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

Photos © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

Photos © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

Photo © Andrew Stark

Photos © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

JORDI HAT-TRICK BURIES MANTHERS

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

Photos © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

Photos © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

Photos © Andrew Stark

TWISTING TYSON’S TIP-TOP TWIRLY TRY

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

Photos © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020 Photo © Andrew Stark

Photos © Andrew Stark

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

COPYBOOK

KEANU

T R Y

SAVER

Photos © Andrew Stark

Hey Buddy, You’re Blocking My View

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE – AUGUST 2020

Purchasing Photos …

It’s Just So Easy!

Sling the guy with the camera a lobster ($20), and within days he’ll email you a couple of photo’s (jpeg files), featuring your little champion (or not so little champion) captured in full flight for the mighty Gosford Kariong Storm.

Simply hand over one, crisp, orangey note, along with your email address, and sit back & marvel as the old bloke gets frantically to work on your order.

Purchases can also be made using Paypal for $22.

Email: 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com

“Go back to where you started … examining all of it, travel your road again and tell the truth about it. Sing or shout or testify or keep it to yourself: but know from whence you came.”

- James Baldwin (African American Author)

HERE COME THE TOWNIES: The Early History of Gosford Rugby League ISBN: 9780958198035

“Andrew Stark has written a terrific book called, Here Come the Townies.

Townies.”

- HG Nelson (ABC Radio 11th April 2020)

Gosford photographer Andrew Stark, aka The Eye, has spent six years researching and writing the early history of local rugby league.

A hefty 500+ page book titled, Here Come the Townies, has now been published and provides an extensive look back at life in Gosford and her surrounding districts during the 1890 -1950 era.

Stark writes, Nineteen forty seven is synonymous with the birth of Central Coast rugby league. Any list of local premiership winners will snake its way from Wyong in 1947, down to the name of the present day champion (The Entrance). While keen fans of the code in our region are aware of this portion of the history, they are invariably ignorant of the five decades of football that came before.

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

This forgotten period of Central Coast rugby league forms the basis of Stark’s book, Here Come the Townies.

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2020

The shambolic and often structure less nature of the pre World War Two fare makes it impossible, in one hundred words or less, to adequately document the period. As a result, history has largely cut these dishevelled decades free.

From the earliest rugby union playing days of the late nineteenth century, through the Great War and Spanish Flu and onto the town’s grand premiership winning teams of the mid 1920s. The Gosford side was led at this time by Mt Penang Boys Home employee and veteran rugby league international, Billy Farnsworth. A handful of years later saw the club head south to play in the North Sydney A-grade competition. By the end of the 1930s, Gosford rugby league was thriving and at the very time Waterside Park was being rechristened Grahame Park, the cerise and blue team was defeating all challengers.

Stark writes, Local football officials claimed 1938 as the best season in the history of their club.

Above:

Gosford greats, Bernie Drew & Billy Farnsworth. Both had previously played for Newtown and Australia before leading the local club.

Once upon a time, nestled beside a steep north-south range, a smattering of rocky outcrops and a grand expanse of water; a small town football club was formed …

Here Come The Townies delves into the rich history of the Central Coast region’s oldest football club. Kicking off in Clarke’s Paddock during the late nineteenthcentury, the town’s oval ball concern traversed two World Wars and the Great Depression before ultimately falling prey to the failed Grahame Park relocation bid of the North Sydney Bears.

This ripping yarn documents the highs and lows of a much-loved provincial sporting tradition. Spluttering beginnings did ultimately blossom into one of the nation’s most discernible rugby league entities; the Gosford Townies RLFC

- Here Come The Townies The Early History of Gosford Rugby League This 500+ page tome offers a valuable resource into the history of the Central Coast and its outlying regions, circa 1890-1950.

It is a richly constructed story which pushes beyond the sporting field to incorporate all aspects of Australian life during the first half of the twentieth century. In amongst the yarns of local football hero’s lie cameo appearances made by characters as diverse as Billy Hughes, Bert Hinkler, Ginger Meggs and Madame Adelina Patti, Europe’s most famous opera singer of the late 1800s. Their collective connections to the travails of the region’s most loved football club are brought to light for the very first time.

“Here Come the Townies: there’s a film in this!”

-Rampaging Roy Slaven (ABC Radio 11th April 2020)

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

Available for purchase, at the East Gosford Newsagency, on-line from Lulu Publishing, or direct from the author.

2020 COMPETITION LADDERS As of August 9th

U17(2)s Gosford Kariong

8

Umina Wyong Our/BV Terrigal Toukley

6 6 2 2 0

U13(2)s Erina Toukley Umina/Woy Woy St Edwards The Entrance

U15(2)s

Pts

Pts

U16(2)s

Pts

Toukley Berkeley Vale Kincumber Terrigal The Entrance St Edwards

8 7 6 5 2 2

Gosford Kariong

1

Erina

1

8 8 6 4 4

Woy Woy

8

Gosford Kariong

4

Gosford Kariong

7

Wyong Berkeley Vale

3 1

Terrigal Ourimbah Kincumber Berkeley Vale St Edwards Wyong The Entrance

6 6 4 3 2 2 0

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE AUGUST 2020

U12(2)s

* *

Pts

The Entrance (B) Northern Lakes (G) Umina/Woy Woy Warnervale

7 6 6 6

Gosford Kariong

4 4 4 3 3 2 1 0

Terrigal Northern Lakes (B) Budgewoi Wyong (Gold) The Entrance (G) Erina Wyong (Green)

Pts

U10(1)s

Pts

Blue Haven Ourimbah The Entrance Berkeley Vale Kincumber Toukley Erina Woy Woy Terrigal Wyong Northern Lakes

8 7 6 6 6 4 3 2 2 1 1

Gosford Kariong

0

8

* U15s Game Pending

Photos © Andrew Stark THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE

UNDER FIRE FOR PACKING OUT CARRINGTON ST NARA BREA RA’S COV CH NI I GHTM D ARE

GET EM ONSIDE

IN THE SHELL OR SUGAR COATED

BRING BACK THE TOWNIES

1.5 METRES BUDDY !

CARN GOSSY!!!

STOP COUGHING ON ME CLOWN !

EXCLUSIVE PHOTO 4.05PM Saturday August 8th,

THE EYE OF THE STORM MAGAZINE ‘Gosford Rugby League: the Eye of the Storm’ e-mag compiled, photographed, written & designed by Andrew Stark

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