BY AJ NASH
Ask Curtis Woodward and he says he has done some pretty cool things thanks to rugby league and would have been happy enough with that, but an idea about six months ago sparked what would become an obsession.
Woodward, the founder and editor of this website, has created and developed an app called FootyTown which is now available on Google Play.
“I went on a ghost tour of The Rocks with my wife Tepra a few years ago and love the history of Sydney,” Woodward tells us.
“But the history of rugby league in this city even more. I liked the idea of starting a physical business and running a bus around Sydney going to famous footy spots but just didn’t think I was going to get a return on it and didn’t have the time to get it up and going, anyway.
“I did some work on Google and found a developer and liked what they did. It was perfect. I started with the low-hanging fruit, footy grounds and obvious stuff. The internet is full of great stuff but then I started digging through my own book collection and finding locations and things most people had forgotten about.
“I’ve been in every corner of every op shop in Sydney searching for books the last six months and the best thing is, when you find a book or a story or location, something that happened, you go down this rabbit hole and find so many other stories and things that happened around the city. Another name is mentioned, then you’re off the other way and digging for something else.
“I’ve spent almost every night for the last six months with my head in books and my eyeballs glued to the computer.”
And who features the most?
“Frank Farrell, the legendary copper and Newtown champion gets a fair run thanks to Larry Writer. In fact, Larry’s work on the Razor gangs and Sydney’s history plays a big part because in some beautiful, sick way, footy and shady characters and the underworld were tied at the hip for years.
“Jack Gibson worked at the illegal casinos around Sydney. I think Jack needs his own miniseries or movie.
“The things Johnny Raper got up to… he just loved being a footy star and loved rubbing shoulders with celebrities and other types.
“Arthur Beetson… it goes on.
“To be a fly on the wall.”
FootyTown on Google Play has 700-plus locations and counting.
Download it today.
