The St George Nostalgia Thread

RedVHeartbeat

RedVHeartbeat

SGI NSW Cup
For me, following the St George Rugby League club has been much more than a pastime or a hobbie. More a way of life. It began more than half a century ago at boarding school as a way to past the very dreary and lonely time at my disposal. Before long it grew into a passion with my older brother and I often at loggerheads over his Parramatta Eels usually finding themselves on the wrong end of the scoreline from my invincible Dragons. As I was unable to attend any matches I had no way to access player signatures for my growing scrap book, so during one school holiday my brother suggested we visit the closest Norm Provan electric store for the prize moniker of the then Dragons captain/coach. So a few days later this squirt of a boy walked up to the man they called 'Sticks' and like the Dickens character Oliver Twist when he asked a master for more food, I asked the towering man " please sir may I have your signature for my scrap book".I dont mind telling you I was terrified he'd say no and something like.. "take a hike kid I dont have time". Instead he put his enormous hand on my head ruffled my blonde hair and said. "of course I will tiger". My brother then explained that as we were unable to get player signatures like other fans whether he'd be able to get some from his team mates if we left the book with him. Needless to say he accepted and when we returned a week later almost all, bar Elton Rasmussen had signed. To say this 10 year old was elated was an understatement. That was definitely the single most defining event for me becoming a life long devotee of the renowned St George Dragons. I kept that scrap book for three decades then lost it during a house move.
 
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RedVHeartbeat

RedVHeartbeat

SGI NSW Cup
The St George District Rugby League Football Club celebrated its century 18 months ago. The famous, record setting club was officially formed at the Kogarah School of Arts on November 8, 1920 and played their first Premiership match on St George’s Day (how prophetic), April 23, 1921 against Glebe at the Sydney Sports Ground. The first team to wearing red and white stripes to take the field that day was: Lyall Wall, Norm Shadlow, Reg Fusedale, Herb Gilbert (c), George Carstairs, Frank Gray, Tommy Burns, Tony Redmond, Clarrie Tye, Sid Field, Roy Bossi, Ernie Lapham and Jack Clark. Glebe won the encounter 4–3. In fact their inaugural seasin was not a happy one with them winning only two matches and finishing two above the wooden spooners.

Before the start of the 1921 season, trial matches were played at Sans Souci and training took place at the Drill Hall in Arncliffe with actual games played at Hurstville Oval. In 1925 the club started using Earl Park at Arncliffe as its headquarters and home ground and remained there until the end of the 1939 season. In 1933 St George sneaked into the semis in fourth place and won their way into the final against minor premiers Newtown before losing 18–5. That same year they won the first night competition conducted by the NSWRL, a six-club competition played on three Saturday nights at the Sydney Showground.

Two years later an emerging Dragon Slayers, as they were then known, made league history when it annihilated Canterbury-Bankstown 91–6, the biggest win in their history and still the biggest winning margin ever. In 1937 for the fourth time in the club's short history, they finished as competition runners-up. Their inaugural premiership had still not been achieved when at the end of the decade, following the 1939 season, the club moved its home ground back to Hurstville Oval. Former Lord Mayor of Sydney, Jack Mostyn became President of the club in 1937 and retained the role for the next eight years.

The long wait for the club's first premiership finally ended in 1941 when they defeated Eastern Suburbs 31–14 at the SCG. They were captain-coached by Neville Smith while brothers Jack and Herb Gilbert Jr., the sons of the club's first captain-coach Herb Gilbert both played in the match. In 1945 the club adopted the iconic Red V on white jumper. A year later, Saints captained by Herb Narvo and starring the backline brothers Jack and Ray Lindwall were runners up again losing to Balmain 12–13. Shortly after Ray Lindwall would take the new ball for Australia in Test cricket. Quite an elite sportsman was Ray.

The St George Football Club came of age in the 1950s. A move from Hurstville Oval to Kogarah Oval saw the RedV take on Souths before a crowd of 12,500 fans in their inaugural match at the ground. Due to its close proximity to Kogarah Oval, the Carlton Hotel became the local watering hole for the players after training.

In 1953 the first St George Leagues Club was built on the corner of Princes Highway & Rocky Point Road and was to become the scene of many victory celebrations over the next decade as premiership after premiership were added to the club resume.
1654132888193.png
The Kogarah School of Arts where the famous club was born.

1654049164299.png
Saints 1921 side.
1654048212113.png
Saints first captain Herb Gilbert.
 
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Chris M

Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
RedVHeartbeat said:
The St George District Rugby League Football Club celebrated its century 18 months ago. The famous, record setting club was officially formed at the Kogarah School of Arts on November 8, 1920 and played their first Premiership match on St George’s Day (how prophetic), April 23, 1921 against Glebe at the Sydney Sports Ground. The first team to wearing red and white stripes to take the field that day was: Lyall Wall, Norm Shadlow, Reg Fusedale, Herb Gilbert (c), George Carstairs, Frank Gray, Tommy Burns, Tony Redmond, Clarrie Tye, Sid Field, Roy Bossi, Ernie Lapham and Jack Clark. Glebe won the encounter 4–3. In fact their inaugural seasin was not a happy one with them winning only two matches and finishing two above the wooden spooners.

Before the start of the 1921 season, trial matches were played at Sans Souci and training took place at the Drill Hall in Arncliffe with actual games played at Hurstville Oval. In 1925 the club started using Earl Park at Arncliffe as its headquarters and home ground and remained there until the end of the 1939 season. In 1933 St George sneaked into the semis in fourth place and won their way into the final against minor premiers Newtown before losing 18–5. That same year they won the first night competition conducted by the NSWRL, a six-club competition played on three Saturday nights at the Sydney Showground.

Two years later an emerging Dragon Slayers, as they were then known, made league history when it annihilated Canterbury-Bankstown 91–6, the biggest win in their history and still the biggest winning margin ever. In 1937 for the fourth time in the club's short history, they finished as competition runners-up. Their inaugural premiership had still not been achieved when at the end of the decade, following the 1939 season, the club moved its home ground back to Hurstville Oval. Former Lord Mayor of Sydney, Jack Mostyn became President of the club in 1937 and retained the role for the next eight years.

The long wait for the club's first premiership finally ended in 1941 when they defeated Eastern Suburbs 31–14 at the SCG. They were captain-coached by Neville Smith while brothers Jack and Herb Gilbert Jr., the sons of the club's first captain-coach Herb Gilbert both played in the match. In 1945 the club adopted the iconic Red V on white jumper. A year later, Saints captained by Herb Narvo and starring the backline brothers Jack and Ray Lindwall were runners up again losing to Balmain 12–13. Shortly after Ray Lindwall would take the new ball for Australia in Test cricket. Quite an elite sportsman was Ray.

The St George Football Club came of age in the 1950s. A move from Hurstville Oval to Kogarah Oval saw the RedV take on Souths before a crowd of 12,500 fans in their inaugural match at the ground. Due to its close proximity to Kogarah Oval, the Carlton Hotel became the local watering hole for the players after training.

In 1953 the first St George Leagues Club was built on the corner of Princes Highway & Rocky Point Road and was to become the scene of many victory celebrations over the next decade as premiership after premiership were added to the club resume.
View attachment 54
Saints 1921 side.
View attachment 53
Saints first captain Herb Gilbert.
Click to expand...
My first ever favourite player was Brad McKay. I was really upset when he went to Perth though now I understand he was overrated.
 
GCRV

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
Chris M said:
My first ever favourite player was Brad McKay. I was really upset when he went to Perth though now I understand he was overrated.
Click to expand...
I have very limited St George nostalgia because my favourite first player was Antony Mundine. I think he played for 2 or 3 years before the merger. Just before that I was also fond of Lance Thompson and....... forget his name. The prop who broke his thumb in the first 1~2 min of the GF and later defected to Cronulla.
 
Chris M

Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
GCRV said:
I have very limited St George nostalgia because my favourite first player was Antony Mundine. I think he played for 2 or 3 years before the merger. Just before that I was also fond of Lance Thompson and....... forget his name. The prop who broke his thumb in the first 1~2 min of the GF and later defected to Cronulla.
Click to expand...
Jason Stevens. Or was it Stephens? Gun prop. Team could really use someone like him now.
 
GCRV

GCRV

SGI NSW Cup
RedVHeartbeat said:
For me, following the St George Rugby League club has been much more than a pastime or a hobbie. More a way of life. It began more than half a century ago at boarding school as a way to past the very dreary and lonely time at my disposal. Before long it grew into a passion with my older brother and I often at loggerheads over his Parramatta Eels usually finding themselves on the wrong end of the scoreline from my invincible Dragons. As I was unable to attend any matches I had no way to access player signatures for my growing scrap book, so during one school holiday my brother suggested we visit the closest Norm Provan electric store for the prize moniker of the then Dragons captain/coach. So a few days later this squirt of a boy walked up to the man they called 'Sticks' and like the Dickens character Oliver Twist when he asked a master for more food, I asked the towering man " please sir may I have your signature for my scrap book".I dont mind telling you I was terrified he'd say no and something like.. "take a hike kid I dont have time". Instead he put his enormous hand on my head ruffled my blonde hair and said. "of course I will tiger". My brother then explained that as we were unable to get player signatures like other fans whether he'd be able to get some from his team mates if we left the book with him. Needless to say he accepted and when we returned a week later almost all, bar Elton Rasmussen had signed. To say this 10 year old was elated was an understatement. That was definitely the single most defining event for me becoming a life long devotee of the renowned St George Dragons. I kept that scrap book for three decades then lost it during a house move.
Click to expand...
My brother was a Balmain and then Wests Tigers supporter. Balmain and then Wests Tigers were or have been surprisingly successful against St George or St George Illawarra. I say surprisingly because that clubs struggles are very well know but I'd bet if one were to find the stats for the last 20 years, they may even have a winning record over the Dragons.
 
RedV01

RedV01

SGI NSW Cup
GCRV said:
My brother was a Balmain and then Wests Tigers supporter. Balmain and then Wests Tigers were or have been surprisingly successful against St George or St George Illawarra. I say surprisingly because that clubs struggles are very well know but I'd bet if one were to find the stats for the last 20 years, they may even have a winning record over the Dragons.
Click to expand...
THAT major semi-final was one of the best games I've seen. Should have played them in the grand final. Rorters were lucky to make it that far. I guess it turned out lucky for Saints.
 
Ryan

Ryan

SGI Jersey Flegg
RedV01 said:
THAT major semi-final was one of the best games I've seen. Should have played them in the grand final. Rorters were lucky to make it that far. I guess it turned out lucky for Saints.
Click to expand...
Technically speaking, that isn't nostalgia for St George. But it's good anyway(y).
 
RedV01

RedV01

SGI NSW Cup
RedVHeartbeat said:
The St George District Rugby League Football Club celebrated its century 18 months ago. The famous, record setting club was officially formed at the Kogarah School of Arts on November 8, 1920 and played their first Premiership match on St George’s Day (how prophetic), April 23, 1921 against Glebe at the Sydney Sports Ground. The first team to wearing red and white stripes to take the field that day was: Lyall Wall, Norm Shadlow, Reg Fusedale, Herb Gilbert (c), George Carstairs, Frank Gray, Tommy Burns, Tony Redmond, Clarrie Tye, Sid Field, Roy Bossi, Ernie Lapham and Jack Clark. Glebe won the encounter 4–3. In fact their inaugural seasin was not a happy one with them winning only two matches and finishing two above the wooden spooners.

Before the start of the 1921 season, trial matches were played at Sans Souci and training took place at the Drill Hall in Arncliffe with actual games played at Hurstville Oval. In 1925 the club started using Earl Park at Arncliffe as its headquarters and home ground and remained there until the end of the 1939 season. In 1933 St George sneaked into the semis in fourth place and won their way into the final against minor premiers Newtown before losing 18–5. That same year they won the first night competition conducted by the NSWRL, a six-club competition played on three Saturday nights at the Sydney Showground.

Two years later an emerging Dragon Slayers, as they were then known, made league history when it annihilated Canterbury-Bankstown 91–6, the biggest win in their history and still the biggest winning margin ever. In 1937 for the fourth time in the club's short history, they finished as competition runners-up. Their inaugural premiership had still not been achieved when at the end of the decade, following the 1939 season, the club moved its home ground back to Hurstville Oval. Former Lord Mayor of Sydney, Jack Mostyn became President of the club in 1937 and retained the role for the next eight years.

The long wait for the club's first premiership finally ended in 1941 when they defeated Eastern Suburbs 31–14 at the SCG. They were captain-coached by Neville Smith while brothers Jack and Herb Gilbert Jr., the sons of the club's first captain-coach Herb Gilbert both played in the match. In 1945 the club adopted the iconic Red V on white jumper. A year later, Saints captained by Herb Narvo and starring the backline brothers Jack and Ray Lindwall were runners up again losing to Balmain 12–13. Shortly after Ray Lindwall would take the new ball for Australia in Test cricket. Quite an elite sportsman was Ray.

The St George Football Club came of age in the 1950s. A move from Hurstville Oval to Kogarah Oval saw the RedV take on Souths before a crowd of 12,500 fans in their inaugural match at the ground. Due to its close proximity to Kogarah Oval, the Carlton Hotel became the local watering hole for the players after training.

In 1953 the first St George Leagues Club was built on the corner of Princes Highway & Rocky Point Road and was to become the scene of many victory celebrations over the next decade as premiership after premiership were added to the club resume.
View attachment 54
Saints 1921 side.
View attachment 53
Saints first captain Herb Gilbert.
Click to expand...
Where did you get this info from? I mean, from a website?
 
RedVHeartbeat

RedVHeartbeat

SGI NSW Cup
Chris M said:
My first ever favourite player was Brad McKay. I was really upset when he went to Perth though now I understand he was overrated.
Click to expand...
One of mine too. I dont believe he was over rated. Brad was a St George junior from Brighton Seagulls and one of many good players Doust let go..
 
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Chris M

Chris M

SGI NSW Cup
RedVHeartbeat said:
One of mine too. I dont believe he was over rated. One of the many early players Doust let go.
Click to expand...
He was overrated as far as what I thought of him at the time. I was sure he was the best player in the competition. A better centre than Laurie Daley and a better lock than Brad Clyde. I argued about it with friends at school.
 
RedVHeartbeat

RedVHeartbeat

SGI NSW Cup
The Start of Our World Record Run. 1956-1966.

When St George began the '56 season little did the club or every footy fan in the country know that their run of premiership wins would last for the next 11 years. A world record for team sport then and still is more than half a century later I understand.

They won every minor premiership over this period with the only exception being 1961 when the NSWRL spilt the minor premiership prize money between Saints and their bitter rival at the time Wests.
In 1959 Saints went through the season undefeated.. the third team in history to do it. They also won a number of club championships and had premiers in all three grades in 1963. Such was their dominance up till 1966, the law makers of our game were forced to end the no limit tackle rule to finally halt this rugby league juggernaut.

It's difficult to pin point the precise reason why St George were able to pull off such a remarkable run of wins. Definitely the group of world class players on their roster was the main reason, yet some credit must go to the club administrators, specially former player 'Fearless' Frank Facer who was elected as CEO in 1956 and held the top job of this famous club until his death in 1978. It was Facer who was responsible for bringing many champion players into the team. Such as arguably the best of all time, immortal Johnny Raper.

1654136022332.png
Ken Kearney who led the Dragons
in many of their titles.





​
 
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Eric

Eric

Staff
Chris M said:
Of course but that's what I meant by overrated. McKay (I thought it was Mackay) was a good player but not even as close to as good as I thought he was when I was a kid.
Click to expand...
RedVHeartbeat said:
Correct it is Mackay. I rate Brad Clyde one of the best back rowers we ever produced.. so that is not taking anything away from Mackay. He was one of the best locks I have seen wear the RedV.
Click to expand...
He was unlucky to be around the same age as Clyde.

There is a thread here with some interesting stories about Johnny Raper in particular.
 
Eric

Eric

Staff

St George Players in Rugby League's 100 Greatest​

Alphabetical order​
In what I think, from what I've read/heard/seen order​
  1. Johnny Raper
  2. Reg Gasnier
  3. Graeme Langlands
  4. Norm Provan
  5. Ken Kearney
  6. Brian Clay
  7. Eddie Lumsden
  8. Billy Smith
  9. Johnny King
  10. Harry Bath
  11. Frank Burge
  12. Ian Walsh
  13. Wally Prigg
  14. Herb Narvo
  15. Steve Rogers
The left is according to Wikipedia. To be honest, I've never heard of #13, #14 and I know #15 played most of his career with the Shonkies. 1~4 is a no brainer but in what order? From what I've heard of #1 and #2, flip a coin.
 
Ryan

Ryan

SGI Jersey Flegg
Eric said:

St George Players in Rugby League's 100 Greatest​

Alphabetical order​
In what I think, from what I've read/heard/seen order​
  1. Johnny Raper
  2. Reg Gasnier
  3. Graeme Langlands
  4. Norm Provan
  5. Ken Kearney
  6. Brian Clay
  7. Eddie Lumsden
  8. Billy Smith
  9. Johnny King
  10. Harry Bath
  11. Frank Burge
  12. Ian Walsh
  13. Wally Prigg
  14. Herb Narvo
  15. Steve Rogers
The left is according to Wikipedia. To be honest, I've never heard of #13, #14 and I know #15 played most of his career with the Shonkies. 1~4 is a no brainer but in what order? From what I've heard of #1 and #2, flip a coin.
Click to expand...
15 in the top 100. What a glorious history. It's also dissapointing because I believe Langlands was the last of those and how long ago was that?
 
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