Yeah mate I am pretty sure he fought Marciano in a qualifying fight
There was also a fighter around then Brian London
General Rugby Leagues Memory Lane
- Thread starter bruce
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There was also a fighter around then Brian London
bruce
Contributor
He was a breath of fresh air in many ways. Called it as he saw it. I remember when he was down on tour here a a Lions manager when a few of them including Bobby Goulding made arses of themselves downtown. He made no excuses and apologised, no bullshit.
They were all before my time, but I know ofvthem as I inherited sports books and comics from older relatives
Brian London was from Blackpool. One of the great sports clips of all time below, post fight tear up. Like a Scouse wedding
Geoff Public
Contributor
Timespanner, a Facebook page, puts up old Archives NZ photos of Auckland. Here's Carlaw Park, 1966.
Imagine if this had been done right, boutique inner city ground, with a pup on the corner.
Apparently there was a football ground a bit closer to grafton bridge also? I had read arsenal toured and played there.
Correct.That ground was mainly soccer.Called Blandford Park.
My uncle took me to see a game there once between a local team & an English team.iirc.
The motorway obviously must of changed the area (Grafton, Upper Queen, KRD, Newton) very drastically...
There was. I went there as a little kid. It was called Blamford Park if I remember right.
Sorry JN, my computer hadn't updated and I didn't see your reply. It was a soccer ground. I was at that game too I think, huge crowd.
Newmarket Park was another good ground until it fell into the gully. Those national league games in the early-mid 70's would get 10000 spectators to watch the likes of Blockhouse Bay, Eastern Suburbs and Mt Wellington play each other. Plenty of ten pound poms back then.
Cheers mate. I seem to remember the name Finney was the pommie soccer player that my uncle took me to watch particularly
Blandford Park existed until 1964 before soccer moved to Newmarket Park
When Tottenham Hotspur toured in 1976 they played a FA XI at Newmaket Park - if I recall correctly they won 5-3.
It was the start of my "love affair" with the Spurs
According to Wikipedia Blandford Park
Located in Grafton Gully, northeast of Grafton Bridge, roughly between the northern part of Whitaker Place and the Auckland Bowls Club in Grafton Mews, it was razed in the mid-1960s, and its site is now occupied by on- and off-ramps to the Auckland Central Motorway Junction
Thanks HY.
Now I think about it the name Stanley Matthews comes to mind also.
I would have been about 7/8 years old when I went to the game. So about 1955 is my guess
bruce
Contributor
Excuse me while I weep with nostalgia. Fark Eric Watson, I hope the FBI put him in Rikers Island.
Blandford Park is in the pic just to the top of Stanley Street on the right. but the stands must have been removed. They moved football to Newmarket Park about this time.
I went to Blandford Park once. I couldn't understand anybody, they all tarked foony!! Great atmosphere though, Poms know how to enjoy their sport live.
Newmarket Park was a disaster. It was on a bloody cliff and the council acted surprised when it fell off!!!
One from my Dads era, a great centre by all accounts
https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/20299456.rugby-legend-phil-jackson-passes-away-australian-home/
https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/20299456.rugby-legend-phil-jackson-passes-away-australian-home/
bruce
Contributor
I saw him play when I was a kid. Heyzeuss they had some players back then. Imagine Barrow winning the Challenge Cup now. Those wonderful days are gone.
I remember Barrow in the 80s they had David Cairns, Steve Tickle, was it Ian Ball and Eddy Szymala (spelling correct) he was hard as nails and had arms like Popeye.
They use to play in packed stadiums. In those days trips to Cumbria were tough games.
bruce
Contributor
bruce
Contributor
I played against Ian Bell. He has gone now but was a genuine hard bastard
