BY STAFF WRITERS
The FootyTown app is available right now on Google Play and features over 700+ locations and counting.
Enjoy ten locations from the app below including blurbs from the app.
Download and find them.
PENFOLD’S WINERY
The Dragons took their players on a bus to new major sponsor, Penfolds Winery, in Minchinbury in 1976. Legendary Dragons halfback, and even bigger larrikin, Billy Smith had an idea. While everyone jumped off the bus and went to meet the sponsors and staff, Smith nicked the bus and hid it down the road. Smith, fully clothed, then jumped in a near-by lake. Returning to the squad, coaching staff and sponsors, Smith shockingly reported he’d accidently driven the bus into the lake.
CAT & FIDDLE HOTEL
Reported spot where Balmain Tigers, NSW and Kangaroos enforcer Steve “Blocker” Roach got in a showdown with a bouncer on the street. Confirmed reports say a photographer was on hand and captured the moment where Blocker then headbutted the cameraman. Roach then donated money to the photographer’s charity of choice weeks later.
‘NUTSY’ BOLT
A street parade that began in Newtown and ended at Erskinveville Oval was put together by the Newtown Bluebags for the late Herbert ‘Nutsy’ Bolt who played for Newtown and NSW prior to joining the army for World War I. Corporal Bolt fought at Fromelles on the Western Front. Under heavy machine-gun fire, ‘Nutsy’ took down six German soldiers with his bayoniette before being shot in the head and killed. The Money raised through the parade and at Erskineville that day supported Bolt’s young wife and family for many years.
TRIM’S FRESH
Tony Trim’s fruit and veg shop. Now owns several locations in Sydney. When Triple M put on a fundraising celebrity State of Origin match in 2011 for Queenslanders affected by floods, Trim paid $15,000 to be part of the game against some of the biggest names in Origin history. At one point, Trim came face-to-face with Maroons legend, Gorden Tallis.
THE JOURNALIST’S CLUB
A prominent institution in Sydney from the 1930s into the 1990s where Sydney journalists rubbed shoulders with celebrities and local footy players. In Malcolm Andrews’ book, “Hardmen”, Andrews reports he bumped into St George and Norths legend Billy Wilson at the club in the 1980s. Wilson has a bandage on his arm and Andrews asks about it. Wilson reveals he had been to his doctor who found a tooth that had been stuck in his arm since a NSW vs QLD match three decades earlier.
ICEBERGS
The French were so bad in tour games leading into the 1951 Test Series in Australia, NSWRL boss Jersey Flegg threatened to send them home. At an official event at Icebergs, mighty French forward Louis ‘Lolo’ Mazon was at a table with a local champion swimmer. Mazon told the swimmer to put the house on France to win the first test and the series as he revealed France were running dead in warm-up games to make them heavy outsiders against the Kangaroos.
France had beaten Monaro in Canberra 37-12, beaten Newcastle 12-8, Western Region in Forbes 26-24, drawn with a rep Sydney side and lost to Riverina in Albury, 20-10. The French players were also betting on themselves. France beat Australia in the first test, lost the second in Brisbane and returned to Sydney and smashed the Kangaroos to win the series. The swimmer, who wasn’t a big gambler, won 500 pounds. Close to $30,000 today. He never bet again.
CLIFTON HOTEL
Famous watering hole for Kooris in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1970, at this hotel, the Koori Knockout was born. The following year, the first Koori Knockout was played between Koorie United, Redfern All Blacks, Kempsey, Walgett, Mooree, Mt Druitt / South Coast and eventual winners, La Perouse United. Owner of the pub, Jan Cliepa caused controversy when he told media he would never serve aborigines. He quickly changed his tune when the breweries threatened to cut supply.
BERWICK LANE
Newtown Bluebags legend and captain Frank Farrell, the toughest copper in Sydney, would use young cops like a Mr Roger Rogerson as a driver to clear out scum in the back streets of Sydney on Friday and Saturday nights. Lanes like Berwick were full of drunks, abusing young prostitutes trying to invite them in to old houses, long knocked down.
Farrell would sit in the back of a car, and then order Rogerson to flick the lights on and charge down the ally with Bumper using the car door to knock down as many drunks as he could. Those left, would feel Farrell’s wrath when he stepped out of the car.
SWEET FANNY ADAMS
Now known as ‘The Collaroy’, the pub where part-time first grader Phil Franks ripped a monstrous right-hand and knocked out Magpies enforcer John “Dallas” Donnelly with one punch after a spiteful clash at Brookvale between Manly and Wests Magpies. The dispute was due to Donnelly’s work on Franks’ mate and Manly’s leader Max Krilich earlier in the day on the field. According to reports, Donnelly had already devoured several dozens of schooners before Franks attacked.
JANNALI TRAIN STATION
Just weeks before the 1970 grand final and his famous broken jaw heroics, Rabbitohs icon John Sattler found himself on the platform at Jannali Train Station with a Souths official on a Saturday morning. Within moments, cries and yelling from bystanders erupted as an old man fell onto the tracks with an incoming Australia Post train just a minute from flying through. With hundreds of people watching on, Sattler launched himself onto the tracks, picking up the man and getting to safety just as the train came through.
Part Three: Ten amazing locations from Curtis Woodward’s FootyTown app available now on Google Play
Part Two: Ten amazing locations from Curtis Woodward’s FootyTown app available now on Google Play
Part One: Ten amazing locations from Curtis Woodward’s FootyTown app available now on Google Play
