N'cle Breakers: 30 years 4/10/91 - 4/10/21
This Monday the 4th October 2021, it will be 30 years since the Newcastle Breakers started a new era in local football.
After the N'cle Rosebuds couldn't overcome St George on Sat Sept 13th 1986, (losing 1-2) we were bundled out
of the 2 conference League despite finishing 6th and 3 points off 2nd place.
What followed was a short 4 year period which I dubbed 'The Wilderness years' of State League football.
N'cel Football Club Limited was formed for the 1987 season, still playing on Adamstown Oval. Then we voted to move
to Birmingham Gardens where Austral Park became our new home for the next 13 years.
4 years of away trips, limited to Sydney, Wollongong and Canberra took a turn on the 4th Oct, 1991 when we once again
graced the top flight in Australia. Hats off to people like Con & John Mitsios and Dave McGuire(sp?) who worked to get the club
the sponsorship with BHP, grants for the grandstand and renovations on the club and ground. I'm sure there were many others I have forgotten.
Dave Brown? - who was involved with KB United but he may have become a director only in the later years.
My word there were some crackers and standout games on that field.
Like the Jets, we lost our first game to Adelaide but beating Sth Melbourne 3-1 in the 2nd game was special.
Syd Olympic 3-2 a few years later and the whole northern hill getting into it singing.
Games v Perth Glory and Greg Owens cracking a few worldies.
There was one game we were up 1-0 v Carlton (Pryce 70min P) and Todd McManus was adjudged to have handballed on the line - replays show it was in the breadbasket. An obvious equaliser from the ref. Up steps Alex Moreira - and you'd bet your left :whistling: he was going to put it in. The whole hill ran to the fence giving him, the ref and the whole Carlton team the big ones. Shot - Bobby Catlin drops to his right and the ball rolls harmlessly past the opposite upright. Cue scenes :rof:
And then there are the infamous ones...
A lightning delayed game v Syd Croatia and Zeljko Kalac taking the biggest air swing in goalkeeping history, allowing Rod Brown to tap in.
I remember a game where 2 x Adelaide players were sent off and we couldn't buy a goal for love nor money.
And the most infamous of all?
Tue 5th May, 2000. Newcastle 0 - Paramatta Power 1 :blink:
From memory, this game was a washout replay.
Lord Griff put a penalty away in the 30th. I had tech that night and arrived at HT, knowing at that stage a win was going to help get us into the finals for the first time. It was pretty deflating walking in looking at the scoreboard. Then, the unthinkable happened when we win 2 penalties and one Andy Harper manages to miss both of them. I think one hit the post...at least?
Sadly, it all ended in the League with a 4-0 loss away to Sth Melbourne. Match report here
There was a 2000/01 pre-season I recall where we played a 'final' v Marconi at Birmingham Gardens but lost 0-2
For the record, Newcastle United played their first game on the 14/10/00 but that's another story...
They were great times and I can contest to friendships and connections with people on that hill that lead to the formation of the club I'm up to my neck in now.
It's a shame what happened in the end. There are lots of views on what happened and what should have happened - particularly with that ground.
In the end, it literally went to the dogs but what a great training facility it could have been and a venue for Youth and W-League teams; for football in general.
Interested in some old and young heads with your thoughts, perceptions and memories of what was a great era in the history of Newcastle football.
Trivia: The 4th of Oct is also Warren Spink's birthday.
Brea-kers * * * , Brea-kers * * *
:brrr:
