In my previous long-winded rant (see Cheryl C’s ‘how ironic’ article about the Carl-Rich final) I lamented the way TV seems to encourage attention-seeking from the crowd, and traced it back to ‘Joffa’ in the early noughties with his gold jacket.
But 20 years before Joffa, there were those two couples that used to sit in the front row behind the goals at the left hand end at the SCG, and jump to their feet in outrage every time one of Tilt Carter’s blatant pushes in the back to Roach or Maclure or Quinlan was actually seen by the ump. Our household quickly dubbed them ‘S and W’ after the two old geezers in the Muppets, but I think one of these blokes was called Ken something. They were an absolute fixture at the SCG for ages, all weathers, week in week out, and they were seriously old even in 1982 (old enough to recall 1933 even) but I’d like to think maybe some of them were still around for the 2005 flag at least.
Can any of the Sydney contingent shed any light? Also, what other memories of genuine characters in the crowd (as distinct from boorish bullies) do Almanackers have?
Rick, my wife saw Barb from Carlton in the supermarket last week. She said she looked exactly as she did when she appeared on the Footy Show 20 years ago.
I haven’t been to PP for a couple of years but I might go to training on Friday, and back for the ‘big screen’ of the match on Saturday. I’ll keep an eye out for Barb. She used to be just about welded to the fence in front of the Heatley Stand.
Rick, I stand to be corrected, but I believe Stadler passed away a few years ago and Waldorf is often found in the centre of the post-match singing of the song in the Swans rooms these days? Of course, it could be Waldorf who shuffled off this mortal coil and Stadler who is the centre of the song… As I say, I could be wrong about this.
During Werribee’s *ahem* ‘halcyon’ VFA days in the early 90’s (with Leon Harris as coach, big Joskun Aziz dominating, Damien Drum, Neale Daniher, Dallas Normington, Donald McDonald et. al) there were a dedicated and enthusiastic group of supporters calling themselves the ‘Beam Brothers’ . They were elite level sledgers (unfortunately most of their greatest hits can’t be repeated here, but they’d often offer to assist helping the local constabulary deal with unruly crowd members “we brought our own telephone books officer”) and – not surprisingly – group one standard imbibers. Luckily, their humour quotient increased in correlation with their alcohol consumption.
I’m pretty sure that the bloke who has been admitted to the Swans inner sanctum is named Ken (no idea of a surname). He was a Victorian exile in Sydney, and the relocation of the Bloods was reported by the Coodabeens as the greatest day of his life. He had prior allegiance to another Melbourne-based club, but became a passionate supporter of the Swans – through many thin years as well as the occasional successful period.
I can’t recall how recently I have seen him in the theme song circle, but it isn’t too far back.
Your right Peter his name is Ken Williams. He is still front and centre of the song and should be there on Saturday.
Does anyone remember when Plugga was playing for St Kilda and kicked a bag in the last quarter to beat the Swans in early 90s? The old guys and girls in the front row of the cheer squad (ken included) gave it to him all day and in the final quarter he launched a low torp at them from 5 metres out. Pretty sure he hit a chair otherwise someones head would be missing.
Rick
I think Statler and Waldorf were also accompanied by some female companions when sitting in the front row at SCG on a number occasions as well as the Swanettes !! They were all very lucky they didn’t cop a missile from Plugger when he went on a rampage that Sunday arvo. The footage of Kenny singing the song in the rooms after 2012 GF win is priceless. I’m sure he would of lost his voice for the next week or month after belting out the song so many times.
I also recall in the Army Reserve cup days played at the Lakeside oval a Mark Harvey look a like with a mop of blonde hair that used to feature in the half time kick to kick on the ground. I think even Peter Landy did a running commentary of his kicking and marking skills at one stage and him trying to take speccies over everyone.
The bloke you are talking about is Kenny Williams.He’s still involved with the swans but i don’t know where he sits following the demolition of the MA Noble stand
Yep – Ken Williams at the Swans. The ‘Plugger’ fist came at the end of the famous game in 1994 during which Lockett nearly decapitated Caven and Jason Mooney, then kicked 11 goals as St Kilda came from about 40 points down to win by a point.
Barb Carlson’s love of the Blues is only matched by her support of the Victoria cricket side. She infamously wore Dirk Wellham’s bat in the moosh while acting as a gatekeeper at the Junction Oval.
From Melbourne, I’d nominate ‘Hocko’- the leader for many years of the cheer squad. Famed for his fading Ricky Jackson number 45 hoodie and for holding his wedding party at the Bourke Street Pizza Hut on the morning of a MCG home game.