Goodbye Football Park

[FlyingHigh]

Unless you lived in walking distance, Footy Park was shit to get too regardless where you lived.

Grew up in the hills, 40 minutes drive straight up Grand Junction Road and other than Norwood every other SANFL ground was at least 30 minutes drive, so it was never felt like an issue.

[Magellan]

[amber_fluid]

Unless you lived in walking distance, Footy Park was shit to get too regardless where you lived.

Grew up in the hills, 40 minutes drive straight up Grand Junction Road and other than Norwood every other SANFL ground was at least 30 minutes drive, so it was never felt like an issue.

Distance wasn’t really the problem but the traffic jam in and out of the Boulevard was the main problem.

[FlyingHigh]

Unless you lived in walking distance, Footy Park was shit to get too regardless where you lived.

Grew up in the hills, 40 minutes drive straight up Grand Junction Road and other than Norwood every other SANFL ground was at least 30 minutes drive, so it was never felt like an issue.

Distance wasn’t really the problem but the traffic jam in and out of the Boulevard was the main problem.

Yeah, that's true. Coming in from the top of Addiison Road/Cheltenham parade was normally okay, but yeah, if you were coming from one of the other cross roads (Tapley's Hill?) was probably more difficult.

Like Jim said, would have made a lot of sense if they put a railway diversion/extension down the boulevard off Cheltenham Parade

[FlyingHigh]

Unless you lived in walking distance, Footy Park was shit to get too regardless where you lived.

Grew up in the hills, 40 minutes drive straight up Grand Junction Road and other than Norwood every other SANFL ground was at least 30 minutes drive, so it was never felt like an issue.

Distance wasn’t really the problem but the traffic jam in and out of the Boulevard was the main problem.

Yeah, that's true. Coming in from the top of Addiison Road/Cheltenham parade was normally okay, but yeah, if you were coming from one of the other cross roads (Tapley's Hill?) was probably more difficult. MInd you, I didn't go to too many AFL games, so the few traffic problems a couple times a year for finals and SOO weren't too bad.

Like Jim said, would have made a lot of sense if they put a railway diversion/extension down the boulevard off Cheltenham Parade

[Magellan]

Unless you lived in walking distance, Footy Park was shit to get too regardless where you lived.

Grew up in the hills, 40 minutes drive straight up Grand Junction Road and other than Norwood every other SANFL ground was at least 30 minutes drive, so it was never felt like an issue.

Distance wasn’t really the problem but the traffic jam in and out of the Boulevard was the main problem.

Yeah, that's true. Coming in from the top of Addiison Road/Cheltenham parade was normally okay, but yeah, if you were coming from one of the other cross roads (Tapley's Hill?) was probably more difficult.

Like Jim said, would have made a lot of sense if they put a railway diversion/extension down the boulevard off Cheltenham Parade

I think that was the initial intention but unfortunately it never came to fruition.

[amber_fluid]

And they only put the bus lane in the middle of the Boulevard about 20 years too late.

[Gozu]

I was born and grew up across the road from Footy Park so it will always have a special place in my heart really and as a kid I used to get a real kick out of the stories my dad would tell me that the land used to be all swamp land there only to walk down the road and look at this big concrete behemoth it was fascinating. Any footy game memories I have will always be secondary to the awe I held that stadium in as a kid.

I've lived in plenty of places since then and even after it's been demolished Footy Park & the old aeroplane out of the front of Maccas will be two things I will always remember fondly from my childhood.

[amber_fluid]

I was born and grew up across the road from Footy Park so it will always have a special place in my heart really and as a kid I used to get a real kick out of the stories my dad would tell me that the land used to be all swamp land there only to walk down the road and look at this big concrete behemoth it was fascinating. Any footy game memories I have will always be secondary to the awe I held that stadium in as a kid.

I've lived in plenty of places since then and even after it's been demolished Footy Park & the old aeroplane out of the front of Maccas will be two things I will always remember fondly from my childhood.

How good was a kids birthday in the aeroplane.
I remember having a couple there as a youngster.

[Brodlach]

We lived a fair way from that McDonalds but I always wanted a party in there until one day going to Footy Park we stopped for lunch (and the 10c cookies) there was a party happening and a young girl vomited everywhere. Never was party there again

[FlyingHigh]

I was born and grew up across the road from Footy Park so it will always have a special place in my heart really and as a kid I used to get a real kick out of the stories my dad would tell me that the land used to be all swamp land there only to walk down the road and look at this big concrete behemoth it was fascinating. Any footy game memories I have will always be secondary to the awe I held that stadium in as a kid.

I've lived in plenty of places since then and even after it's been demolished Footy Park & the old aeroplane out of the front of Maccas will be two things I will always remember fondly from my childhood.

That would have been awesome, to have footy right there every weekend.

[tigerpie]

i was there as well. Really muggy night. Drank a six pack of warm sparkling ale in record time, pub ran out of cold beer take aways.
Human pyramids, great concert, swam in the lake after it.
Slept on somerton beach. Woke up with water lapping on my feet.
Fun night!

[tigerpie]

First experience was watching cricket, world 11 v England.
85 & 86 GF'S were unforgettable!
Went to every soo game.
Kernas belting wildy was probably my favourite footy park memory.
martin leslie belting brereton close second.

[Booney]

$41 back then would have been considered a fair whack, wouldn't it?

[Magellan]

i was there as well. Really muggy night. Drank a six pack of warm sparkling ale in record time, pub ran out of cold beer take aways.
Human pyramids, great concert, swam in the lake after it.
Slept on somerton beach. Woke up with water lapping on my feet.
Fun night!

Sorry TP, I have to confess that I didn't go...I lifted the ticket image from Google Images!

But I do remember when they came to town in 1991. I also remember them coming in early 1986, lots of hoo-haa about them coming to Adelaide back then (one of the biggest bands in the world at the time), and they had biggest crowd at Footy Park for a concert IIRC.

[Magellan]

$41 back then would have been considered a fair whack, wouldn't it?

Probably, but hard to say. I can't recall what other staples (like booze and admission to the footy) cost back then. A Footy Record cost $1.20, though.

According to this website (http://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualDecimal.html) goods and services valued at $41 in 1991 equates to about $75 today, although a ticket to see a band like Dire Straits today would cost a lot more than $75 (although bands are also forced to earn more through touring due to poor recording revenue).

[Booney]

$41 back then would have been considered a fair whack, wouldn't it?

Probably, but hard to say. I can't recall what other staples (like booze and admission to the footy) cost back then. A Footy Record cost $1.20, though.

According to this website (http://www.rba.gov.au/calculator/annualDecimal.html) goods and services valued at $41 in 1991 equates to about $75 today, although a ticket to see a band like Dire Straits today would cost a lot more than $75 (although bands are also forced to earn more through touring due to poor recording revenue).

I started to drink around '92 or '93 and recall a bottle of 100 Pipers scotch was around $19 a bottle.

Given that sort of comparison you wouldn't get in to see Dire Straights now for $90-100 ( around 2 bottles of scotch today ).

[am Bays]

$41 back then would have been considered a fair whack, wouldn't it?

paid $62.50 to watch Paul McCartney in March 1993, IIRC I got F-All change out of $70 for U2 at Footy park in late 93

[Wedgie]

Tickets to Springsteen's Born in the USA tour in 85 were just over $20! Still have my ticket somewhere.

[JK]

My folks moved us to West Lakes in around 79' or 80' and as a tragic young Leg, loved how close we were to the ground. With plenty of land parcels still undeveloped making cut-through's easy, my old man and I would regularly walk to and from the ground. As a youngster the 82' and 84' flags (and finals series') were awesome.

In my teenage years I'd knock around with mates (all bloody Port supporters lol) and for a coupla years we just went to Footy Park nearly every Saturday to socialise. Didn't matter which teams were playing, although in 88'/89' it almost felt like Port played there every week.

In the 90's playing Ammo's myself meant I didnt get to the SANFL too often, although managed to get to most finals games. After the heartbreak of 96' when the big day bowled around in 97' I'd been drinking for the best part of 24 hours (nothing unusual at that age) and felt sober as a judge, such were the nerves. Knew all the staff at the Audi/Checkside pretty well, and they tell me I drank almost a bottle of Jamo's in the last quarter alone - Even though we were 10+ goals up, I was still nervous because if any club could rip your heart out it was Port! Thankfully not that day!!

86', 87', 88' and 92' are the standout state games in my mind, that I attended - Spewing to have missed the cracker in 84'! And the best neutral games I can recall were:

Glenelg v Port (IIRC) 1st Semi 87' which I think the Bays won by 1 or 2 points
Sturt v Port - Blues won by a point, 2nd of a double header, maybe 88'?
Port v Glenelg 1990 GF


Spent probably the best part of 20 years going to games but just socialising in the Audi/Checkside, and the catchup's with mates and making new ones in there is probably my favourite memory.

Always felt the ground and surface were quality, it just didn't get the TLC it probably needed and toward the end had become fairly rundown!

Plenty of high's and low's but will always reflect on Footy Park fondly.