The Great Grand Final Heist

Author: Ian Heads
Publisher: Stoke Hill Press
ISBN: 9780994500854
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Balmain's shock defeat of Souths in the 1969 Grand Final has been called the biggest boilover in rugby league history. The true story of the Tigers' upset win has remained untold for almost 50 years, so it has kept its sense of mystery. Until now ...They were coached by Leo Nosworthy, a savvy operator who'd grown up around the Balmain docks. His team was full of character and characters, but lacked big names. The star-studded Rabbitohs were the two-time defending premiers. Famous names such as Provan, Churchill, Beetson and Sattler were prominent. Shady figures with links to organised crime lurked in the background; this was Balmain in the late '60s. The relationship between the two clubs had an edge that had simmered for 60 years. Huge sums were bet on the match. Tigers players were accused of faking injury, to slow the game down. The referee's integrity was questioned.It needed a master researcher to sift through all the intrigue. Ian Heads, the author of many acclaimed sports books, trawled through archives and interviewed a vast range of participants -- players, officials, fans and media -- to discover what really happened.The memories, scrapbooks and wisdom of Nosworthy, now well into his 80s, are a treasure trove. He becomes the central character of a unique sporting fable.The Great Grand Final Heist is a classic underdog story. It reads like a thriller. There has never been a league book like it.

The History of the Balmain Tigers

Author: Alan Whiticker
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781862750005
Category : Rugby League football
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description

Absolutely Bleeding Green

Author: David Headon
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 1760872636
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Book Description
There is no team that gives pleasure to the sporting public like the Canberra Raiders.' - Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia The Canberra Raiders' spectacular grand final win against the Balmain Tigers in 1989 is widely regarded as Australian Rugby League's greatest ever decider. For a fledgling club this was an extraordinary and unexpected achievement, heralding a sequence of years that produced two more premierships and two near misses. The Raiders' trademark adventurous style of play was welcomed by all lovers of the game. Attacking football was back in vogue. David Headon tells the story of a unique football team that entered the Sydney competition in 1982 with little fanfare and plenty of pessimism, despite the fact that league had been an integral part of communities across the Limestone Plains for nearly a century. From this firm base, the Raiders emerged to make their mark. Absolutely Bleeding Green recounts the big wins and heart-wrenching losses as it follows the players through their Raider careers, revealing how the club was able to build exceptional team spirit, even in difficult times. It includes interviews with players past and present, with coaches and administrators, as well as with families and supporters who are so proud of the distinctive lime green jersey. 'This terrific book tells the story of a unique club that changed my life forever, just as the Raiders changed Rugby League forever.' - Mal Meninga, Rugby League Immortal, Canberra Raiders Hall of Fame 'Dave Headon's history of the Canberra Raiders explores the club's origins, why it was able to defy the odds and be so successful, so quickly, and how it fought its way through more troubled times. In the process of the highs and lows, a special culture of camaraderie was created. The Raiders family has a big story, and for me it's personal. I'm honoured to be a part of it.' - Ricky Stuart, Rugby League Legend, Canberra Raiders Hall of Fame

The Bulletin

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Sydney (N.S.W.)
Languages : en
Pages : 882

Book Description

Rugby's Great Split

Author: Tony Collins
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136317732
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 293

Book Description
Since it’s first publication, Rugby’s Great Split has established itself as a classic in the field of sport history. Drawing on an unprecedented range of sources, this deeply researched and highly readable book traces the social, cultural and economic divisions that led, in 1895, to schism in the game of rugby and the creation of rugby league, the sport of England’s northern working class. Tony Collins’ analysis challenges many of the conventional assumptions about this key event in rugby history – about class conflict, amateurism in sport, the North-South divide, violence on the pitch, the development of mass spectator sport and the rise of football. This new edition is expanded to cover parallel events in Australia and New Zealand, and to address the key question of rugby league’s failure to establish itself in Wales. Rugby’s Great Split is a benchmark text in the history of rugby, and an absorbing case study of wider issues – issues of class, gender, regional and national identity, and the impact of the commercialization and recent professionalization of rugby league. This insightful text is for anyone interested in Britain’s social history or in the emergence of modern sport, it is vital reading.

Great Australian Sporting Stories

Author: Ian Heads
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Aus.
ISBN: 1760789119
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 505

Book Description
'Heads and Tasker, legends themselves, set out to write a book that would continue the trail laid by early-days sporting scribes of long ago. I could not put it down.' John Coates AC, President of the Australian Olympic Committee 'I know readers will enjoy the many stories and anecdotes that Heads and Tasker have accumulated over more than a century combined in journalism.' Ian Chappell, former Australian cricket Captain. Australia enjoys a rich sporting heritage. Our small population has yielded a disproportionate number of champions. These sports stars have become known worldwide as fierce combatants and honourable competitors, achieving soaring victories, but also heart-pounding near-wins and humbling defeats. Veteran Australian sports journalists Ian Heads and Norman Tasker have seen it all. In these 65 original stories, we hear of the explosive introduction of World Series Cricket in 1977, which turned a genteel endeavour into a high-octane contest, and the clash of the titans as Packer and Murdoch squared off over the Super League war. We see Rugby Union become a battleground for race and the Olympics an arena for sublime acts of courage and achievement. We get an insider's perspective on every kind of sporting endeavour - from boxing to tennis, cricket to AFL, athletics to rugby league - and not just the action on the field, but the change room gossip and clubhouse politics as well. Written with wit, insight and a wealth of knowledge, Great Australian Sporting Stories is an enthralling expedition into the combative, collegiate, entertaining and always exciting world of Australian sport.

100 Weirdest Tales from Across Australia

Author: Ben Pobjie
Publisher: Affirm Press
ISBN: 1922930849
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 302

Book Description
Tales of the strange, unnerving and downright bizarre from one of the weirdest places on Earth Fish falling out of the sky, joggers relieving themselves on your doorstep, mysterious monsters constantly springing from the shadows, spooky lights and ill-conceived toast spreads: these are just some of the things you can expect on any given day in our surreal southern land. In 100 Weirdest Tales from Across Australia, comedy writer and accredited weirdness expert Ben Pobjie delves deep into Australia's past and present to serve up the weirdest stories of all, which will leave you smacking your gob with one hand while scratching your head with the other.

Second Best

Author: Ben Pobjie
Publisher: Affirm Press
ISBN: 1922419273
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 151

Book Description
History is always written by the winners and about the winners. But what about the poor souls lurking in the shadows of history, the ones who were just as remarkable but perhaps didn't stick their chests out as they crossed the line? In Second Best, Australia's foremost historian and comedian Ben Pobjie celebrates the nobility and altogether more fascinating stories of the silver-medal getters. What drove them on their incredible feats, why did they just miss out, and how did they cope with the oblivion of finishing second? From the Second Fleet, the second man on the moon and Australia's second prime minister whose name we consistently forget, Second Best shines a light on those plucky men and women who, through no fault of their own - or at least only a little bit of fault of their own - didn't quite get there before everyone else, but did get there before almost everyone else.

Goodbye Leederville Oval: History of West Perth Cheer Squad 1984-86

Author: Kieran James
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0244052042
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Book Description
This book details the author's experiences as co-founder of West Perth Football Club's unofficial cheer squad from 1984 to 1986. The book describes "traditional", "hot" support for West Perth Football Club among teenaged supporters from middle-class and working-class backgrounds. The author shows how, because of neo-liberal ideologies and the corporatization of football, the new national league (the "expanded VFL" / AFL) relegated the WAFL to a second-tier league in 1987. This move took place over the heads of ordinary football supporters and two WAFL club presidents. Moves to bring the game closer to the people in 1984, such as holding the best-and-fairest award count night at Perth Entertainment Centre, should be seen in this light. This book will allow supporters to relive great teams, great players, and great matches from a wonderful era in WA football 1984-86 before West Coast Eagles joined the expanded VFL/AFL.

West Australian Football Golden Era 1984-86

Author: Kieran James
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0244332347
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Book Description
This book is the memoir of Kieran James, and details his experiences as co-founder of West Perth Football Club's unofficial cheer squad from 1984 to 1986. The book details "traditional", "hot" support for West Perth Football Club among teenaged supporters from middle-class and working-class backgrounds. The book shows how, because of neo-liberal ideologies and the corporatization of football, the new national league (the "expanded VFL" / AFL) relegated the WAFL to a second-tier league in 1987. This move took place over the heads of ordinary football supporters and two WAFL club presidents. Moves to bring the game closer to the people in 1984, such as holding the best-and-fairest award count night at Perth Entertainment Centre, should be seen in this light. This book will allow supporters to relive great teams, great players, and great matches from a wonderful era in WA football 1984-86 before West Coast Eagles joined the expanded VFL.