Funny stories and amusing anecdotes

[Woodsie]

Recalling the urban myth of Bozo's response to a player complaining about Noel Cleal's lack of tackling, has got me to thinking, that within the collective memory of Silvertails there must be some wonderful yarns.

Would love to hear them, and the only two points that I would make is they should be more humerus than malicious, and shouldn't be slanderous.

And never, never ever let the truth get in the way.

 

[Woodsie]

To this end, I will start one I remembered the other day.

After a home game back in 76, the players were having a quite one back at the old junior RL rooms across the road from the club.

Phil Lowe had had another fair game, but had had a bad run of some weeks where he was always dropping the ball.

A kid of about 10 or so (someone's son) was doing the rounds of the room getting autographs, when he came to Lowe. As he was signing the autograph the kid asked him (in front of about 10 people) he if used to play Rugby union in England.

(PL) No lad why?
(Kid) Dad, reckons you must of because every time you get tackled you let go of the ball.

 

[KOMORI]

I've told this yarn on here before, one of my favorite memories of the great Cliff Lyons...

This was a Friday night game, and with my mates we'd started drinking at Seagulls footy club ($2 schooners FTW!!) then caught the free bus to Coollongatta to hit the much vaunted Hill Street Night Club..

Manly were playing Newcastle (I believe: many, many beers were consumed!) and it was an absolute arm wrestle, with scores locked at something like 2-2 or 4-4 I can't honestly remember!!

The game was brutal, defenses just rock solid and no team really looked liked getting on top....

And then with a few minutes left in the game, one C Lyons decided that he'd had enough.

He's cut back to the short side and sliced through the tiring defensive line, finding just enough room to scamper in behind the center and winger, before straightening up about 20 yards from home... Cover defense is scrambling across as Cliffy props, jinks in and away and throws a dummy: to the LINESMAN!! It was so perfect that literally NOBODY knew what happened.

The fullback clean missed Cliffy in a despairing dive at the sideline, the touch judge himself was so taken that he dropped his flag expecting the pill on his chest and his moment of glory, the camera crews and director....well they had no idea what happened...

Eventually they worked out that a try had been scored, and searched desperately for the magical man that had fooled them all...

All they caught was a glimpse of Cliff, strolling up the tunnel with a lit Winnie Blue, off to an early shower with his job done, as Manly took a famous victory...

🙂

 

[bob dylan]

I stood at the cage at Brookie about 1979 or 1980 and seen Ian Thompson run on the field with a jersey covered in blood.

Revealed in the Daily Mirror the next day Terry Randall decided Magilla played his best footy once "fired up' so he punched him in the face in the shed before they ran on.

Oh that ones a bit malicious, but it is true.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

That might have been the game against Wests in 1980. It was a fiery game and I think Magilla played in it.

I have one I heard from an uncle (a Wests supporter) re: Randall which I believe made the papers: Igor was returning home after a game against Balmain at Leichhardt, probably in the 1975-77 timeframe.

Anyway he noticed an accident had taken place on Victoria Rd at Rozelle, or thereabouts, and a younger man was out of his car and giving an older gentleman a very hard time, with a threat of violence in the air - presumably the older man was in the wrong.

Anyway Terry pulled up, got out of his car and said, "What's going on here?"

The younger man saw who it was, figuratively shat himself, hopped into his car and took off!

 

[Blue pill]

not manly related and more of a great sledge but great story none the less
State of origin game steve boxhead walters to benny elias whilst waiting for a scrum to pack, hurry up benny ive got a test match to play next week, the ensuring scrum erupted with the two hookers trading blows, with backdoor benny coming off second best

 

[Dan]

In-line with the introduction one with Bozo. I still love the one where Terry Hill came off, Bozo asked him why he came off, Tezza said he was injured. Bozo told him "I'll tell you when you are injured, get back on the field"

 

[brad]

My late mum and my living dad took me to sydney to watch my first beloved manly game in 1984. First stop was peter wynns score in woodenspoonmatta. Mum got me a beautiful manly Guernsey with a number 4 on it, and i was over the moon and so excited about the game i was going to between the might of manly v the western suburbs magpies . So mum suggests we go to luna park which was great as a 15 year old and then off to taronga zoo . Well after walking around seeing all the wonderful animals , my mind was only on one thing , and that was brookvale oval to see my hero's, eadie , Thompson, beaustead etc. At the zoo mum decided it was lunch time and we should eat under that lovely tree . While eating my sausage roll a bloody pigeon **** all over my left shoulder and all over my beloved manly strip , i was shattered but off to brooky we went . What a game manly 44 magpies 10 and i have never forgotten it . Eadie , kerry beaustead and rick chisom had blinders . Chisom was playing for the injured johnny gibbs . Great memories. Sorry if some spelling is off , im having a few coldies with mates after a hard week at the office . Cheers fellow eagles.

 

[Andrew..]

I went to Narrabeen boys high and it was rough as guts in the 70's. My mate who lived a few doors up and I used to go to the Manly night games and if you showed your school bus pass I think the entry fee was $3. He always looked old for his age and one night he forgot his bus pass and the guy at the gate said any other proof of your age. We had this crazy maths teacher named Jack Casey who was really sadistic and we he canned you he'd leave huge black welts on your hands that would last for weeks. Long story short my mate showed him his hands and said what about these. The guy was so blown away he didn't even charge him the 3 bucks and let him in free.

 

[eagle66]

When FuiFuiMoiMoi was playing at Souths, he was only getting short game time. So at training, (I think) Langmack was the coach, and he yelled at FuiFui as to where he was going, and he yelled back I only play for 20 minutes, I only train for 20 minutes.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

ANZAC theme anecdote - from Australian Services Rugby Union: "in 1968 ASRU was honoured with a match against the touring All Blacks team. In this particular match, one Lance Bombardier Bob Fulton took the field for ASRU…only two days after he played for the Kangaroos in the Rugby League World Cup Final!"

I don't even recall the World Cup final... but in 1968 I was a junior at North Sydney Boys High when our school was visited by a couple of All Blacks in their touring party ... Colin Meads and Brian Lochore.

We were a rugby union school, and those blokes were giants, and feted by the headmaster as modern marvels and greats. However, soon after this we got wind that the most brilliant young rugby league player of all was going to be playing for Australian Combined Services against the mighty All Blacks in a mid-week match across the road at North Sydney Oval. We all went after school ... to see Bobby Fulton!

Fulton was mesmerising, and starred in a losing team (of course) courtesy of repeated bootlace tackles and an intercept try. He was with Manly, so I became a Manly fan (as did all my North Sydney schoolmates!) and followed their fortunes to the grand final that year...and pretty much ever since!

 

[eagleron]

When FuiFuiMoiMoi was playing at Souths, he was only getting short game time. So at training, (I think) Langmack was the coach, and he yelled at FuiFui as to where he was going, and he yelled back I only play for 20 minutes, I only train for 20 minutes.

Back in the eighties when we lived in Forster on the mid north coast, Friday night was my regular night at the local pub and when Freddie Jones was in town (he was a regular visitor) the only way the publican could get Fred to leave after last drinks was to give him a free carton which me Fred and a couple of mates would sit on the steps and drink before staggering home to our respective beloveds, we must have kept the entire town awake with our laughter, some of the best times of my life, it was a regular event when Freddie was in town and the memories of those good times have stayed with me ever since, nothing to do with football but a worthy anecdote I reckon.

 

[Woodsie]

Back in the eighties when we lived in Forster on the mid north coast, Friday night was my regular night at the local pub and when Freddie Jones was in town (he was a regular visitor) the only way the publican could get Fred to leave after last drinks was to give him a free carton which me Fred and a couple of mates would sit on the steps and drink before staggering home to our respective beloveds, we must have kept the entire town awake with our laughter, some of the best times of my life, it was a regular event when Freddie was in town and the memories of those good times have stayed with me ever since, nothing to do with football but a worthy anecdote I reckon.

When I'm in the mood one day I will tell you a story of freddy, a country town and a radio interview.

 

[eagleron]

When I'm in the mood one day I will tell you a story of freddy, a country town and a radio interview.

I reckon there must be a hundred blokes with a story to tell about Fred, what a guy lol.

 

[Shoe1]

I was with a mate at the steyne in about 1992. He was on crutches after a knee reconstruction. Cliffy was there and asked him about his knee. After a bit of a chat cliffy (worse for wear) took his crutches and put them out of reach. Then behind the bar. It was funny but tempers flared a little and the upshot was my mate got ejected by the bouncer (who was a manly reserve grader) and had to hop out. Bouncer chucked the crutches out after him.

 

[simon64]

I'm pretty sure I've posted this before but I remember laughing my head off.

Manly played Wests at Lidcombe Oval. Would have been about 1979. Jack Jeffries was playing hooker for Wests.

During the game, Igor had smashed Jeffries on more than a couple of occasions.

After the match, which was televised on 7, Barry Ross interviewed Randall after the match and says "Ah, Terry, you put a few big hits on Jack Jeffries. Are you aware he has a couple of broken ribs ?"

Randall gets a smirk on his face and says "Yeah. I heard them crack the first time."

 

[eagleron]

I'm pretty sure I've posted this before but I remember laughing my head off.

Manly played Wests at Lidcombe Oval. Would have been about 1979. Jack Jeffries was playing hooker for Wests.

During the game, Igor had smashed Jeffries on more than a couple of occasions.

After the match, which was televised on 7, Barry Ross interviewed Randall after the match and says "Ah, Terry, you put a few big hits on Jack Jeffries. Are you aware he has a couple of broken ribs ?"

Randall gets a smirk on his face and says "Yeah. I heard them crack the first time."

I was at that game, I remember the first tackle was an all in brawl, they were tough bastards back then !!!

 

[Dan]

I wish there there was more footage of Randall out there easily available

 

[KOMORI]

I wish there there was more footage of Randall out there easily available

He coached our North Curl Curl "N" grade team in 1979...

Mum's favorite story from those days is when some older kids walked by at training and were all "that's TERRY RANDALL".... and all us little kids just stop cold and start asking "where? Where's Terry Randall"?!?!...

We just knew him as "Matt's dad" lol 😀

 

[Enigma]

To this end, I will start one I remembered the other day.

After a home game back in 76, the players were having a quite one back at the old junior RL rooms across the road from the club.

Phil Lowe had had another fair game, but had had a bad run of some weeks where he was always dropping the ball.

A kid of about 10 or so (someone's son) was doing the rounds of the room getting autographs, when he came to Lowe. As he was signing the autograph the kid asked him (in front of about 10 people) he if used to play Rugby union in England.

(PL) No lad why?
(Kid) Dad, reckons you must of because every time you get tackled you let go of the ball.

I can always remember an article in rugby league week in the 70s in which Bozo was interviewed. He was asked something about Phil Lowe and his importance to the team. I always remember Bozos answer and it was along the lines of "Phil Lowe is the Manly attack"