Rivalry Poll

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The Ghost of Kurt
wrote on 28-Apr-21 15:00

An interesting thought I had.

Would like to hear which club revered forum members hate the most and why?

Eg is it local club rivalry that has been in your blood since you were young, particular players, crappy grounds and unruly fans or results that made you go mad?

Shoot

Juice
wrote on 28-Apr-21 15:06

I'm going to say from a historical perspective... plus I'll add, it was never a hatred but more a disliking. Spectators 22 years playing in PL and by far the worst spectators in my time were KEN when they first came up from SL... yes I get the irony coming from me having played out my last 4 seasons with KEN. But no one was off limits to the Major and his boys in what seemed 90 minutes without a breath full of tirade lol. Their banter was pretty funny though. Before KEN's arrival into the PL, STA's fan club were up there. Back then they had the inflatable woody and I don't mean the Toy Story character. Their sideline commentary at times was pretty rough... Being a GK I smartly always kept my head down and mouth shut. STA was a powerhouse back then as well which made for even more uncomfortable afternoons at the wooddome as they dub it. Club Had to be PEN. Once went 10 consecutive seasons without a win against Moro and the classy PEN outfit - few draws in there but many losses. Added to being the local derby as well and the fact that both clubs shared the same watering hole after the game. Park Boronia and EEW of the late 90s. If you left Boronia on a cold July afternoon (always seemed to be drawn there late in the season) conceding less than 3 and still able to remotely walk, it wasn't as bad a day. Horrible patchy, near grassless, bobbly pitch back then, small and made even smaller by an always fast, physical and talented EEW outfit. Their fans though not as pronounced as others, just added salt into the wounds being seemingly so close to the pitch in the little hollow that is Boronia Park.

MHist
wrote on 28-Apr-21 17:00

To piggy back off Juice's historical perspective I guess I'll give a more modern opinion. Most "hated" team in recent times would have to be EEW. Grub fans, grub players, grub oval. Honourable mentions to Ravens around the Giometti-era. Tough outfit, fans not shy about absolutely giving to the opposition and the field was dog food too. Also honourable mention to PHD. young, arrogant and universally disliked before their inevitable capitulation.

Consensus
wrote on 29-Apr-21 09:02

Common consensus appears to be that Boronia and EEW is a shithole as are the Tigers supporters

THE ROCK
wrote on 29-Apr-21 11:04

Juice has a larger perspective of everything having played for many years in the PL and it's funny that you ended up there, but you can understand why. As for Rivalries, Beecroft v North Epping was always huge, mainly due to Batts winding us all up and Jamie carrying on each time we played them. To be fair DB didn't let up on him all game. Hawks v Kenthurst was always massive, mainly due to the fact that a majority of the teams went to Oakhill a few years apart and there had been underlying competition for many years. We usually were on the receiving end of it. WPH v PEN used to be the big one, back when seale/juice/boz/morro were around, not sure it has the same sting at the moment with majority of both teams still on their P Plates.. Nothing beats Boronia park on a sunny sat arvo. Getting sprayed from their bias supporters for 90mins is quite comical, but enjoyable. It makes the game a bit more interesting. But the biggest spray had to come from the Peel Park locals who literally sunk tinnies from ressies till the end of firsts and just didn't let up on our young team.

Juice
wrote on 29-Apr-21 11:07

Agreed Rock, the Penno derby was a goodie... that was the 10 seasons (might have been more, might have been less, I lost count) of no wins I was referring to. The Penno derby went longer than I was around though with the Iredales/Moro show before my time. It was made spicier with the defection of the Seales/Boz to PEN and Bison from PEN to WPH on a lower note. Covers, Manuels and Matthews (not the brother that also defected to PEN haha) would remember those days. Ah Batts, who didn't he play for? lol. Such wit in his banter, was always entertaining playing Batts... RSL, PEN, NER, NOR, KEN... the list goes one haha To be fair "Consensus", that EEW team of the late 90s was on the backend of a dominating decade. They weren't grubs, decent blokes actually, that just played hard and fast with quality. You can throw around "double doubles" etc, but I haven't seen any team dominate an era like that EEW side. Come to mind, I haven't seen any GHFA team (as a player or ref) in the same league as that EEW squad and era. The Rabbitohs of GHFA/NWSFA. Peel Park did have the best bbq though (when they didn't run out of food). The slovaki was quality! I did like the fact that Boronia once upon a time gave you coffee in mugs, I thought that was a nice touch :)

Seasoned Journeyman
wrote on 29-Apr-21 12:00

Having played for a few clubs myself.. this is my honest thoughts. Spectators Gotta agree with Juice, Kenthurst were unruly albeit funny, they could make it difficult especially at Kenthurst park with their cowbell. Epping Eastwood was a given, yet I think the worst had to be the Peel Park parasites. All in brawls, stinking drunk and a rare title win I believe it was in about 2010 or 2011? Was never easy playing there Club Played for Pennant Hills, Thornleigh, Carlingford Redbacks and North Epping. Surprisingly for most, PHD is actually up there as a bunch I quite detested. Average players, big egos and dirty I thought too. Always fell short to the Kenthurst team that won a few in a row. Epping Eastwood, agree with "Consensus". Just not a pleasant team. I remember Tulloch (our mad keeper at Thunder) just kept booting balls away one day down to the COLES carpark to stoke the fire a bit more. West Pennant Hills, more so in recent seasons, young arrogant players and their coach thinks he is Pep Guardiola. Worst ground has to be either Eastwood or Epping Eastwood. Notoriously difficult to play on

19
wrote on 29-Apr-21 12:03

Playing for Thornleigh about 8 years ago, we played the Wombats in a pre season trial Batts somehow scored a hattrick in a 4-3 loss for Beecroft. Never forget he celebrated it by doing pushups a very enigmatic character indeed!

Tully
wrote on 29-Apr-21 13:05

>>Epping Eastwood, agree with "Consensus". Just not a pleasant team. I remember Tulloch (our mad keeper at Thunder) just kept booting balls away one day down to the COLES carpark to stoke the fire a bit more.<< He's gotta be in line for an NFL debut if he can kick all the way to Coles from there. As for grounds - the worst grounds are Boronia (esp when wet) , Bremner and those in Carlingford HS

Recollections
wrote on 29-Apr-21 20:04

Hi. I have not posted in years. Played PL One between 1992-1996 and watched a whole lot in the 1980's. North Epping v YMCA was the original derby with a bearing on the Premiership in the '80's. Very tough on the field. Back then you could watch with a beer from the West Epping Bowling Club. I remember some very crowded round 14 deciders at North Epping Oval. Redbacks were also vigorous at Carlingford High. Early on Beecroft were probably their derby game because they tended to share the same pool of players. Lots of home brew was consumed on the hill right behind the goal at the Roselea end of the pitch. It follows it could get rowdy. Anyone remember the Viking? I understand West Penno and Penno had a strong rivalry and earlier on Beecroft had one with Penno. Both West Penno and Penno were pretty quiet off the field. Epping Eastwood were a very good team. And noisy. They had a big rivalry with West Penno in the early 1990's, then Penno in the mid 1990s and North Epping the whole way through. In my experience Normo were the worst for Beecroft. Their noise amplified the better they got. We used to get some serious treatment up at Normanhurst Park. We had dramas with Gladesville RSL too. Macca, Simmo, Batts and Declan were a very tough proposition and Morrison was a graveyard. Most clubs enjoyed a rivalry with Gladesville because they were a good and hard football team. I remember most of the noise accompanied amateur cup games, usually involving Epping Eastwood or earlier the YMCA. I remember a quarter final at Campbell between Epping Eastwood and Kissing Point that was as hard a game I have seen. Gerard McColgan was in fine voice on the hill that day. Great memories. Thanks for indulging.

H
wrote on 30-Apr-21 10:09

Enjoying the Post and I'm another who hasn't posted for a while. Playing for NER I was lucky enough to play in the Local Derby against YMCA and cop banter from those drinking beer on the Balcony of the Bowling Club. We also shared the same watering hole as YMCA being The Epping Hotel every Saturday night. Many a night discussing what could have been. I also spent time playing against the all conquering Epping Eastwood PL side that won for so many years and boy did we have some great battles on the dirt at Boronia mixed with the cricket pitch at North Epping. Many a person has enjoyed using Batts as Banter but records speak for themselves and the Premiership he won at NER really kept the club alive at that stage of PL. And speaking of Gerard McColgan - I was lucky enough to play with him when I was 18 and let me tell you knowone was prepared to smash me as he was always waiting for a square up :). In saying that and the little running he did , if you gave him half a chance he would rip the net of the posts very quickly !! What about the facilities at Penno Park now ? What I would have done to not play in a mudpile there trying to chase Kurt around the park on a Saturday afternoon. I swear every time we played there it pissed down ! Or West Epping slipping on the rock hard cricket pitch. Love the chat and love the memories.

Howie
wrote on 30-Apr-21 16:05

Thornleigh Thunder had a few unruly spectators at their canteen end between about 2011-2013 Although they weren't a good team, it wasn't fun having their kids and a couple of drunkards yell at me being a keeper down that end, definitely preferred keeping at the bush end. Epping Eastwood was a difficult ground to play on and their fans unruly too however the most difficult team I'd have played against was either Morro's Penno or the Kenthurst dynasty team that won a few in a row before being sent to the Hills Comp

Howie
wrote on 30-Apr-21 16:05

Thornleigh Thunder had a few unruly spectators at their canteen end between about 2011-2013 Although they weren't a good team, it wasn't fun having their kids and a couple of drunkards yell at me being a keeper down that end, definitely preferred keeping at the bush end. Epping Eastwood was a difficult ground to play on and their fans unruly too however the most difficult team I'd have played against was either Morro's Penno or the Kenthurst dynasty team that won a few in a row before being sent to the Hills Comp

Amazing...
wrote on 03-May-21 06:08

Wow That would have been quite the spectacle.... west epping bowling club sinking beers while watching Ymca battle it out on a sat arvo. Amazing.

Amazing...
wrote on 03-May-21 06:08

Wow That would have been quite the spectacle.... west epping bowling club sinking beers while watching Ymca battle it out on a sat arvo. Amazing.

H
wrote on 03-May-21 08:05

Attention - Amazing Yep, in those days it was Great to watch as the football was hard and tough and in your face! YMCA were a very different kettle of fish as to what they are now. Bit different to these days where the quality and the toughness has gone backwards. Thanks for your comments though H

Recollections
wrote on 03-May-21 22:02

The following CoC final was won by the Y against Kissing Point - another great club. A very tough and physical team who finished with eight or nine players.

Recollections
wrote on 03-May-21 22:09

My best memory of the '80's is Andy Ferris scoring the winner in a CoC Semi at Mackey Park Tempe with a bicycle kick. I live and coach in the area now and always think about it. The opposition were Liverpool Albion, another great (and defunct) club. They played out of Stanwell Park at Ashcroft. Quite possibly the toughest away game of all. H is right. North Epping, the Y, Meadownank and Ryde RSL were hard sides. The Y were built around nine hard men and a couple of game breakers like the late Andy Ferris. Billy Hulston and John Bligh were pretty handy.

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