The Eye of the Storm Magazine - vol 14 (May 2016)

the

In the of the

EYE Eye of the

Vol 14 : May, 2016

wit h

OPEN GRADE Battling On All the

ARTHUR ALLSOPP The Final Chapter

Juniors Action

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Contents Vol 14: May, 2016

GOSFORD KARIONG RLFC

Page 4

- Editorial

5-20 – Pictorial Pages (U6 – U16s)

27

21 - Buy a Photo (please) 22 – Open Grade – Rd 5

56

27 – Arthur Allsopp (part 2) 45 – Open Grade –Rd 4

22

26 & 49 – In the Press 50 – Colour Correction Specs 51 – Open Grade – Rd 3 55 – Competition Tables

15

56 – The Back Page

13

51

Storm fans can rest easy in the face of the

It’s a funny old world when a team who

Parramatta Eels salary cap scandal. In a Danny Weidler style exclusive - The Eye has probed our own purple economy; garnering robust confirmation from an unnamed, yet high ranking club official, to the effect that none of Gosford’ Gosford’s 2016 Open Grade squad are receiving overs.

bothers to take the field can find itself ranked below a team who don't manage to get out of bed. And yet that is exactly what took place during the opening fortnight of this season’ season’s Open Grade competition. Struggling to get a side together, Berkeley Vale forfeited their opening two games, and under a curious CCRL edict were handed a 00-37 & then a 00-44, for and against differential from these forfeits.

Meanwhile, our blokes turned up and played the opening two rounds; games in which we were edged out 7272-0 across successive weekends. In a bizarre state of affairs, the team who turned up and played, ended up being ranked below the well rested, whitewhite-flaggers.

The Eye: “So, are we under the cap?” cap?”

GKS Official: “Go away idiot: we don’ don’t even feed em!” em!”

To avoid any unruly salary cap mishaps; GKS has adopted a purely Dickensian policy re’ player payments

Just how fine is the Carrington Street playing surface looking this season? The old girl is presenting as positively lush and the previously swampy eastern touchline (see photo right), right), is now firm enough to consider giving the Jack a halftime roll. One highly impressed Ourimbah visitor was recently overheard to comment, “This is the best this *expletive* joint has ever *expletive* looked !” !”

A touch judge struggles to keep up with the play along Carrington Street’s eastern touchline during 2015

Carn the Storm!

- Andrew Stark

All opinions expressed throughout this publication are derived solely from the scattered & random thoughts of the author; none of which are necessarily shared by the GKS club … nor anyone else on the planet really.

t he

Pictorial

Pages

Photos – Andrew Stark

Juniors - ROUNDS 1-3

The Eye Of The Storm – VOL 14

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 16(2)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 16(2)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 7s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 10(2)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 11(3)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 14(2)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 14(2)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 8s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 15(2)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 15(2)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 6s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 6s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 12(2)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 13(3)s

The Eye Of The Storm – MAY 2016

Under 11(1)s

So How Do We Get A Photo For Uncle Bob & Aunty Zelda ?

Whilst the motivation for putting The Eye together each month is in no way financial, It would be good to recoup all those bus & train fares; public transport levies accrued chugging to and from the myriad of footy ovals scattered across the CCDJRL region.

So to keep Red Bus, Busways and even State Rail happy, all the photo’s appearing on the pages of this fine, up standing publication … come and are available for purchase in all their high resolution JPEG slip me $10 magnificence for just $10 (via Paypal, cheque, money order, Dan on game day Murphy’s gift card, gold bullion, krugerand, or my personal … I’ll be the favourite; good old CA$H). Email me (Andrew) at 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com and let me know which image you’re after bleary eyed, disheveled … or simply see me on the sideline and let me know in person. looking bloke with the dodgy Jolly well haircut … played

Gosford

oh yeah, and the big camera !

Buy one $10 photo & get a bunch of others free

Round

5

Open Grade Gosford vs.

Ourimbah

OPEN GRADE

OPEN GRADE

OPEN GRADE

Ourimbah 75 Gosford 12

In The Press …

Storm Juniors Kick Off In Style

by Andrew Stark Coast Community News 5th May, 2016

Central Coast junior rugby league kicked off its season under grey and drizzly skies on the ANZAC Day long weekend with the Gosford Kariong club achieving a host of sunny results.

Revelling in the sloppy conditions, the Storm boys and girls managed to score a handful of fine, first up wins, with the most heartening performance of the day coming via the U15(2)s who scored a nail biting 26-24 victory against Terrigal. A follow up, come from behind 24-18 Win over Toukley, has the team firmly on the front foot as this 19 strong squad aim to put a wretched 2015 behind them under new coach Ed Gale. The club’s other undefeated team, the U10(2)s have knocked over Terrigal 40-16 and The Entrance 30-22 in successive weeks with prop forward Lorenzo Godoy and the speedy Benji Keene-O’Keefe to the fore.

The Gosford U8s scored a breezy 24-16 victory over Northern Lakes in week one with newcomers Eve Keir and Kirra Hodge standing out in a fine all-team performance. Full of running and sporting beaming smiles, both Eve and Kirra continue the club’s fine record of female representation; the most notable instances being former Storm tyros; Vallen Moeke and Brielle Connolly. Moeke created Central Coast rugby league history in 2006 when she was adjudged the Player of the Match in the U11(2)s grand final, while Brielle won the club’s prestigious Junior Player of the Year Award for 2011.

Up in the senior division, the fifth round of the Open Grade competition saw an undermanned and injury ravaged Gosford produce their gutsiest performance of 2016 before falling to Ourimbah at Sohier Park. With no benchmen available and half a dozen players carrying injuries into the game, the Storm men showed tremendous character to cross for the first and last try of the afternoon against the reigning premiers. Max Russell and Jordan Groom were outstanding for the plucky visitors.

Please note: this is the submitted piece in it’s entirety. The editor of the Coast Community News is responsible for the changes that ultimately appear in the newspaper.

T R A P

2

Mt Penang to Bradman

The last edition of The Eye featured the first instalment of,

Penang to Bradman

The last edition of The Eye featured the opening instalment of the bitter sweet talebegan of brilliant Gosford footballer and all-roundGosford sportsman, Which to tell the story of the brilliant footballer

Arthur Allsopp . Following on from the and all-round sportsman, Arthur Allsopp. death of mother, the talented spent Following thehis death of his mother, this sonthree-quarter/five of a coal miner spenteighth four years at the four Mt years PenangatBoys the Home.

Mt Penang During his boys teenage Home, years, during Allsopp which wouldtime play ahe starring role ininthe Gosford premiership winningwinning teams of sides 1925 & late played the Gosford premiership of1926.

1925By& 1928, Allsopp headed south to take the sporting world by storm.

1926 before heading south two years later to take the cricket world by storm.

the

ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by

Andrew Stark

PART 2 ‌

[19] Thanks to Dr Jim Kohen, Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie Uni. [20] To add to the aforementioned cultural mix; Arthur’s grandfather on his mother’s side was James Lawson who was born in Sweden. This Scandinavian influence may explain Arthur’s blond/flaxen coloured hair.

[21] Gilgandra Weekly, 19-12-1935.

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

The Allsopp’s hailed originally from Nottinghamshire, England via John Thomas Allsopp who was caught thieving and sent to Australia in August 1833 to serve a seven-year sentence. John’s son William, Arthur Allsopp’s grandfather, subsequently decided to head from Sydney out to Hill End in the state’s west to prospect for gold during the glittery rush of the 1870s and by decade’s end had fallen out with his wife of just four years to set up home in the district with 16-year-old Clara Duggan. Clara was descended from John Randall, an African slave who is believed to have escaped the American Civil War before being sent out to the colony on the first fleet, having been convicted of stealing a silver watch chain in Manchester during 1785. Randall’s daughter Frances subsequently married the West Indian ships carpenter, John Aitken who’d arrived at Sydney Cove from Jamaica on the Marquis Conwallis in 1796. There are also some suggestions that Clara’s family may have descended from an Aboriginal woman named Kitty, who had been one of the first indigenous youngsters to be placed in Governor Macquarie’s Native Institution at Parramatta during the earliest years of the nineteenth century.

Conclusive evidence proving, or disproving these suggestions have not been forthcoming and there is a theory that perhaps a chatter of intergenerational scuttlebutt may have grown out of the fact that members of the family were of colour, and that a false assumption of aboriginality was acquired somewhere along the line.[19] With this richly exotic heritage endowed upon his construct[20]; Henry Arthur Allsopp was born in the Lithgow region of New South Wales on the 1st of March, 1908. Arthur would become the eldest of seven children and attended the local Sofala Public School[21] during the Great War period. The family lived variously at Sally’s Flat, Lithgow and Bathurst during his pre Gosford days; his father working mostly down the local Above: Arthur’s father, William coal mines with intermittent Allsopp, who allegedly tried to send Arthur to work down employment as a linesman during the the Lithgow mines when the lad was just 12 years of age. early to mid 1920s.

While no documentation has come to hand that definitively states just why Arthur ended up being sent to the Gosford Training School, it would appear that the Allsopp family’s home life had deteriorated markedly following the death of Arthur’s mother. William Allsopp was a hard working labourer in his forties at the time of his wife’s death and would have been faced with an almost paradoxical impossibility. One can only imagine the chaos that ensued within the family home as six children aged between 15 and two, required the parental nurturing previously provided by Matilda, as well as a continuation of that black sooted household income provided by William. One biographical piece supplied by the prolific sports publisher Jack Pollard suggests that Arthur’s father had attempted to send the lad to work down the local mines before he was palmed from one relative to the next; ultimately ending up before the Children’s Court as a displaced minor[25]. The accuracy of this detail has been difficult to verify, however what is known is that by late 1924, the 16-year-old Arthur Allsopp was packed off to Gosford and placed under the care of Major Parsonage and the Department of Child Welfare.

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

An item which appeared in the Mudgee Guardian during the young cricketers rise to stardom during 1929, claimed that a teenaged Arthur Allsopp had played five eight for the premiership winning Lithgow Pottery rugby league team and had; contributed much toward that team securing the League championship.[22] The Lithgow Pottery won back to back titles in 1923 & 1924[23] in what was a forerunner to today’s strong Group 10 competition.

Tragically, just a month before the 1923 football season was completed; Arthur would lose his mother, Matilda who passed away following an obstruction of her bowel[24] at the age of 42.

[22] Mudgee Guardian, 15-11-1929.

[23] Having trolled through the Lithgow Mercury for the years, 1923 & 1924 I’ve found no printed evidence to support the Mudgee papers claim. The Mercury’s coverage of local football at this time was fairly extensive and there is no Allsopp to be found in either the first or second grade team lists, nor in any of the match reports involving the Lithgow Pottery. Arthur lived in Bathurst for at least the first seven months of 1923 so if in fact he was a member of a premiership winning Lithgow Pottery team, then it’s far more likely to have been in 1924.

[24] Information courtesy of Norma Woods: Arthur Allsopp’s daughter (correspondence October, 2015).

[25] Jack Pollard - The Bradman Years. The biographical piece claims that Arthur’s mother died when he was just six and that his father had attempted to send him down the mines when the lad was 12. Given that Christina Matilda had actually died when Arthur was 15, one feels the need to forensically authenticate all the other details in the piece. A photograph of Arthur that appeared in one of Pollard’s subsequent publications was acknowledged as a gift of the Allsopp family which implies that the author had had dealings with Arthur directly and that the information (despite the error re’ the timing of Arthur’s mother’s death) would most likely have come via a one on one conversation between the two men (especially given that both of Arthur’s children knew nothing of the coal mining story). Sadly, Pollard passed away in 2002 and the origins and voracity of the coal mining at aged 12 claim remain unknown.

This boy is an all-round sport, being the district fullback, a good swimmer, runner and pole-vaulter, and seems to have all the possibilities of being an interstate in one or other of these branches of athletics.[27] The Major Parsonage philosophy with regard the rearing of troubled or displaced youth was wholly militaristic in its outlook.[28] The boys were routinely worked into the ground physically as they assumed the collective role of an underage, Above: Allsopp strides to the crease rural labour force. Most of the boys out of class time was spent clearing the land, building infrastructure and growing and tending to crops. They were disciplined to the point of cruelty (by today’s standards) and much of their worth; which manifested itself as a ranking within the institution, appears to have been based around an inmate’s willingness to conform, and importantly; to his prowess on the sporting field.

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

Alongside the similarly orphaned Frank Henderson, Allsopp was already wielding a lustily swung cricket bat for the Training School eleven in the months preceding Christmas 1924.[26] And by kick off to the following year’s football season, Arthur had earned himself the starting fullback’s jersey for the premiership bound Gosford first grade team.

Sporting powers were considered a boy’s passport to a better society and a part of the scheme of reformation.[29]

[26] On one amazing afternoon during April 1927 the Gosford Training School 1stXI resembled an early incarnation of the Australian Cricket Academy. The top order that day for the game against a team from Morpeth read; Jack Fingleton, Frank Henderson, Arthur Allsopp (all 19-year-olds at the time) followed by former NSW batsman Billy Farnsworth (employed at the school) who came in at second drop. All four would become, or had been first class cricketers, with Fingleton going on to play Test cricket. There is nothing to suggest that Fingleton had ever been incarcerated at the Gosford Training School however, and his one off appearance in the Boy’s Home top order, would likely have been a guest appearance arranged at the behest of Major Parsonage. Jack Fingleton played grade cricket in Sydney with parsonage’s old club Waverley, with whom the superintendent kept a close relationship.

[27] Gosford Times, Training School Notes, 24-12-1925.

[28] Parsonage had previously been the military instructor at Fort Street High School in Sydney and once he arrived in Gosford, he demanded that all and sundry refer to him as, ‘Major’.

[29] J.Ramsland & G.A.Cartland, JRAHS Vol 75, June 1989.

Arthur Parsonage had himself been a useful batsman in Sydney grade cricket with the Waverley club during his younger years, and with former rugby league and cricket star, Billy Farnsworth overseeing the Home’s sporting programme in concert with seasoned sportsmen; Charlie & Stan Staunton, Ernie Selman, Tom Connolly, Walter McDougall and Sylvanus Bush all working as instructors at the School; the importance of ball games and sport in general was clearly marked. Given this ruthlessly manly environment, it’s hardly surprising that the quick eye, the dancing feet, and the seemingly tough outer casing of Arthur Allsopp would quickly garner favour. Allsopp became the poster boy for the Home during the mid to late 1920s and would rein as the institution’s school captain for three years up until the time he left Gosford; heading south with Parsonage and Charlie Staunton to take up the position as sports-master at the newly opened Yanco Welfare Farm in the Riverina region of NSW. Parsonage would often allude to Allsopp as the Gosford School’s Barney Keiran, a reference to the world champion swimmer of 1905, who as a troubled 13 year old was placed onto the Nautical School Ship Sobraon by his widowed mother and who subsequently learnt to swim like a fish under the State’s care[30].

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

Allsopp (circled) with the Riverina Welfare Farm team at Yanco

Allsopp is as tough as a brumby and a fine gymnast.[31]

[30] Tragically Barney Keiran died of a burst appendix in the very same year that he’d broken a host of world swimming records aged just 19.

[31] Referee Newspaper, 15-1-1930.

He made his runs each time by breezy, attractive batting that delighted the onlookers.[33] Arthur’s move to the Riverina during late1928 would act as somewhat of a schism in his personal story; an almost re-birthing of the Allsopp legend took place once he began hitting boundaries and side stepping lumbering forwards in and around the sporting fields of southern NSW. Taking the finder’s keepers motif very much to heart, the good folk of the Riverina claimed this young sporting tyro as their own. Despite having lived in the region for barely 12 months before his star began to rise nationally; 16 years at Lithgow and a further four at Gosford were to be wholly usurped, as Arthur Allsopp would forever more be known as, the Leeton lad.

Allsopp, in a month, jumped from a country player to an international indispensable. Like Bradman and Jack Haines, the boxer, he hails from Leeton..[34]

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

While Arthur was undoubtedly a very good footballer, he was an even better cricketer. During early 1926, and at the age of just 18, he played for a Newcastle & District representative team against the touring New Zealanders and by the start of the following season he was travelling down to Sydney each Saturday to play first grade with Northern Districts[32]. Within two seasons, Arthur Allsopp would be sharing the SCG nets alongside iconic NSW team mates; Bradman, McCabe, Ryder and Jackson.

The Leeton team of 1929.

Allsopp is circled, while the player in the back row on the left edge is the captain/ coach Alby Why.

[32] During the same season, Frank Henderson would head in the opposite direction to play for Stockton in the Newcastle competition.

[33] Sporting Globe, 17-12-1932; describing Arthur Allsopp’s batting.

[34] Sunday Times, 8-12-1929.

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

A meteoric rise saw the 21 year old Allsopp propelled from the relative obscurity of the humble country cricketer following a cracking 155 not out[35] for the NSW Colts team in November 1929[36].

Just three months later he was at the very forefront of selection discussions for the upcoming Ashes team to tour England.

Leeton’s leading newspaper, The Murrumbidgee Irrigator was in high rapture; a late November headline proclaiming, Our Brilliant Young Batsman: A Prophet In His Own Country..[37] Elevation to the senior NSW side would coincide two heady months for the former Gosford footballer, falling either side of Christmas, 1929. Arthur would capture the imagination of the cricketing public throughout the country with a series of sparkling performances. Scores of 117 & 63 not out against the touring Englishmen and 136 for NSW against South Australia sandwiched a carefree 269 not out[38] in just two hours of batting for Leeton in a swashbuckling local game.[39] [35] An innings of 155 not out scored in 178 minutes which was commented upon by Australian Test selector Richard Jones, who exclaimed; his shots seemed to come from a gun (Daily Advertiser, Wagga Wagga, 5-11-1929).

[36] His guide, philosopher, and friend, Major Arthur Parsonage, sat in the members’ pavilion enraptured with his protégé’s grand performance. He had made a special trip from the Boy’s Home at Leeton to see him bat. - Daily Advertiser, Wagga Wagga, 5-11-1929.

[37] The Murrumbidgee Irrigator, 29-11-1929.

[38] Later that summer, Allsopp’s Gosford team-mate, Frank Henderson would remarkably belt 406 not out for Leeton against Narranderra in just 2 and a half hours (11 sixes and 52 fours).

[39] Allsopp considers he has met better bowlers in the country than in the city – Barrier Miner Newspaper, Broken Hill, 4-12-1929.

Asked by his son why he hadn’t made more, Arthur replied with a familiar refrain: “the bugger wouldn’t give me a hit”.[41]

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

During the first week of the new decade, Allsopp wrote himself into the history books when he played a supporting role in one of the most famous chapters of Australian cricket. It was during a Sheffield Shield game between NSW and Queensland at the SCG and the great Don Bradman would bat for just shy of seven hours in compiling a world record, individual, first class score of 452 not out. Allsopp figured in a free flowing stand of 180 in just an hour and a half with the future Australian skipper; the junior partner contributing an entertaining 66 before losing his stumps to the quick off spin of Alec Hurwood.

More than three quarters of a century after Bradman’s famous knock, Arthur’s son Ray[40] revealed a humorous dinner table conversation about the sixth wicket partnership,

From all the available descriptions, Allsopp was a punishing lower order batsman and one can imagine he would have thrived in the shorter forms of the game on offer to the modern cricketer. He was also a competent wicketkeeper and had filled in capably for the legendary Bert Oldfield behind the stumps for NSW[42] during much of his maiden first class season. This extra string to his bow had most cricket followers pencilling the name Allsopp into their fifteen-man squad to tour England in 1930, as the sides back up gloveman.

[40] Ray Allsopp was a fine sportsman in his own right. Ray played 54 games of VFL football as a rover for the Richmond Tigers during the 1950s and represented Victoria in 1957. He also played grade cricket for his father’s old club Richmond (opening the batting at just 16 years of age), before becoming the VFL’s first fulltime administrator.

[41] Interview between Ray Allsopp and journalist Greg Baum, The Age, 14-11-2009.

[42] Bert Oldfield was out injured with a broken finger through much of the 1929/30 season.

Sadly, for Arthur, and for; Leeton, Gosford, Lithgow and a host of cricket fans across the country; Arthur Allsopp’s name was not included among the list of cricketers feted to tour the old dart in pursuit of the urn. The ever colourful Sydney Truth newspaper acknowledged the announcement of the team with a succinct headline which simply read; Allsopp “Stiff”.[44] The selectors had rather conservatively plumped for the South Australian gloveman Charlie Walker as the squad’s back up keeper.[45] Arthur had finished third behind only Bradman and Archie Jackson[46] in the Australian first class batting averages for 1929/30, scoring 646 runs at 64.60.[47] And yet despite his whirlwind summer of success, at the very time that the Australian cricket team sailed north on the Orient liner, Orford[48], Arthur would find himself travelling in the very opposite direction as he returned home to Leeton to dust off his football boots.

With the Great Depression beginning to grip, the game of rugby league in Sydney was struggling as attendance figures dropped off and many a fine player was forced to head to the bush in search of employment. The upside to this slow drip of talent away from the codes premier competition was an undoubted strengthening of country football and the standard in the Riverina at this time was very high. Arthur Allsopp would play two seasons in the centres for Leeton alongside his former mentor Charlie Staunton, and a host of Gosford Training School transferees, including; George Cowan, Henry Haydon, Frank Henderson Billy Richey and W. Lynch. During the economically bleak winters of 1929 & 1930, the Riverina competition would boast a number of former and future internationals. The red, white and blue clad Leeton team had the services of former NSW rep and South Sydney premiership winning lock,

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

A. Allsopp has shown such remarkable batting in the big games this season that it is hard to see how the selectors can pass him by.[43]

[43] The Arrow Newspaper, 17-1-1930.

[44] Truth (Sydney), 2-2-1930.

[45] Walker was a fine wicketkeeper and doubtlessly more accomplished behind the stumps than was Allsopp, however was notably inferior with bat in hand. With one or two doubts lingering about Oldfield’s fitness, the selectors may well have decided to go for a wicketkeeper batsman rather than a batsman wicketkeeper.

[46] ‘He spoke very highly of Don Bradman and he was very friendly with Archie Jackson’ – Arthur’s daughter Norma Woods speaking about her father (correspondence, October 2015).

[47] Jack Pollard claims that Allsopp was never picked for the Australian Test team as the selectors were; dismayed by his rough manners. Adding that; his only delinquency was in coming from a poor family, but cricket officials wrongly assumed he must have been guilty of some crime and failed to encourage a rich cricket talent.

[48] A ship with a very Gosford Football Club kind of name: Matt Orford being a Gosford Townies legend three quarters of a century hence.

Above:

Below:

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

Alby Why[49] during 1929, and were captain coached by the seasoned Glebe, Eastern Suburbs & Kangaroo winger Bill Shankland[50] the following season. Opponents during this period would include; the legendary Test five eight Eric Weissell at Temora, former NSW halfback Dr Alby Lane at Narranderra, Jack Kingston was captain/coach at Cootamundra, while international centre three-quarter Cec Dicky Fifield and former NSW and Newtown five eight Keith Ellis were both playing for Junee. Weissell, Shankland, Alby Why (aka Alby Carr) Kingston and Fifield had arrived straight from Australia’s Bill Shankland agonizing 2-1 loss to England on the 1929/30 Kangaroo tour, to star in the 1930 Riverina competition. Weighing in at 11 stone 8lbs, the nuggetty Allsopp would more than hold his own against such exulted company and was duly selected in the Southern Districts representative team that headed to Sydney to do battle in the Country Week competition during May of 1930[51]. In the days leading up to Southern Districts first game against five time premiers South Sydney[52] at the old Sydney Sports Ground, Bill Shankland paid tribute to his 22 year old centre three-quarter, describing Arthur as, a real find[53].

A juxtaposition of high profile sporting events held during the first half of 1930 does perfectly encapsulate the remarkable athletic ability of Arthur Allsopp.

Within a matter of just three months, the Sydney public would bare witness to this remarkable young sportsman as firstly they cheered his effortless cracking of boundaries at the SCG in the Sheffield Shield competition during January and February: before jumping excitably at the very same ground during May, when the same figure was seen darting away from despairing defenders in setting up the opening try for Southern Districts against the crack Newcastle team in the Final of rugby league’s Country Championships. The Riverina lads would ultimately succumb 20-7 to the red hot Novocastrians that day, having pushed the star studded Rabbitohs all the way earlier in the week.

[49] Alby Why was a somewhat mysterious character as he played much of his career under the pseudonym of Alby Carr.

[50] Once his football career was completed, Bill Shankland became a professional golfer of some note.

[51] Both Weissell and Shankland stood down from this side to give promising, younger players an opportunity to shine in the city.

[52] Souths won the competition from 1925 through to 1929.

[53] Bill Shankland; Gilgandra Weekly, 22-5-1930.

The match between South Sydney and Southern Districts was a thriller in the full meaning of the word. There was little, if anything between the sides – the city team showing a shade more understanding and the country men excelling in individual movements. The Sports Ground spectators were treated to a rare feast of great play and they were kept at the peak of excitement the whole afternoon..[54]

Right:

The match day program covering Southern’s epic battle with the Rabbitohs.

Allsopp found himself up against a Souths backline who’d all represented at State or Test level.

Note that Alby Why had returned to Redfern for the 1930 season to play alongside his brother Jack.

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

In just two seasons, Arthur Allsopp had gone from running around with his Gosford mates on Waterside Park (later to be named Grahame Park), to mixing it with legendary South Sydney Rabbitohs such as; Smacker Blair, George Treweek, Benny Wearing, Harry Finch and Mick Kadwell.

The country boys covered themselves in high praise having fought back tenaciously from an eleven-point deficit just after half time to level it all up at 17 a piece heading into the final quarter hour. The Rabbitohs would ultimately prevail 25-22 in a physical yet free flowing contest and had the game been played in more modern times, one can easily imagine a crusty sideline commentator uttering the codes well rutted tenet; rugby league has been the big winner here today.

Allsopp had played with and against the best talent the game had to offer; his performances for Gosford, Leeton and the Southern Districts rep’ team proving to all that followed his progress, that he clearly belonged in such exulted company.

And yet Arthur had begun to feel torn between his winter and summer pursuits.

[54] Freeman’s Journal, 29-5-1930.

And so came to an end, the footballing pursuits of one of Gosford’s best outside backs of the pre World War 2 era. Allsopp retired from rugby league at just 22 years of age. Whilst Arthur’s achievements and ability in the winter game had never become as distinctly defined as those golden days of his cricketing career, there is no doubting that he possessed both the talent and toughness to have played many seasons of top grade rugby league in Sydney had he so desired.[57]

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

The Australian cricket team continued to win plaudits as they successfully wrested back the urn from the old enemy. The uplifting news of their progress seeped back from England daily throughout the winter months; the 2-1 victory helping to buoy the nation’s spirits during deathly, dark economic times. One can only imagine a young man’s nagging regret; the recurring lament that whispered, I could have been a part of that[55]. And when these brief, mournful sensations of omission became married with the inevitable bumps and scrapes acquired from tangling so forcefully with a bevy of hardened rugby league professionals throughout the 1930 winter; Arthur decided that it was time to focus solely on his cricket. A brief newspaper item appeared in early July, under the title; Arthur Allsopp: Retires from Football. The one paragraphed announcement stated that the young Leeton player had come to the realization that it, would be better if he concentrated on cricket.[56]

Left:

Arthur Allsopp (wearing pads) is presented with an inscribed watch following a game between Leeton and Cootamundra during March of 1930.

The Yanco Home lads look on, as does Frank Henderson (cricket gear to the right of the truck).

[55] Poignantly, Arthur would retain newsreel footage of the 1930 tourists seen enjoying the sights of Britain and Europe right up until his death six decades later.

[56] National Advocate, Bathurst – 8-7-1930.

[57] One wonders whether the Sydney rugby league clubs had shown any interest in acquiring his services for 1931 following on from his solid Country Carnival. Perhaps they’d assumed (rightly so as it turned out) that Arthur was predominantly a cricketer and a country lad to boot; as he had already made it quite clear to the Sydney grade cricket club’s that he had no desire to leave Leeton.

The team comprised a mixed bag of players: some veteran greats, well past their prime, and some promising debutants.[60]

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

The tremendous promise shown throughout Arthur Allsopp’s maiden first class cricket season was thwarted during follow up summers as; misfortune, patchy form and a general lack of opportunity, conspired to hold him back. Frustration at not winning a regular spot in the star studded NSW batting line up saw him relocate from Leeton to Richmond in Victoria during November 1931. In and out of the Victorian team over a number of seasons[58]; Arthur’s post NSW career reached its high point in October 1935 when he was selected as a member of Jack Ryder’s Australian XI to tour India. The side was labelled an unofficial Australian team as at this time India was still considered an emerging cricketing nation[59] and the Australian board were wary of compromising the upcoming official tour to South Africa.

Sadly, Allsopp was given very little opportunity to shine on the even paced wickets of the sub-continent as he was struck down early in the tour with Typhoid Fever and was ultimately lucky to escape with his life. He spent three painful months in Bombay’s St George Hospital with the only up side being that his medical bills were paid for by the tour’s financial backer, the Maharaja of Patiala (pictured left). Arthur would never fully regain his strength after the Typhoid episode; stripping two stone lighter and with permanent eye sight loss and damage to his liver, his first class career was over. Marriage to Melbourne girl and avowed cricket fan Edna Grant, the arrival of children and employment at Richmond club president, Ernie King’s Funeral Parlour marked his life in Melbourne during the thirties. He continued to play district cricket up until late 1942[61] and would subsequently work for the Brewers Sporting Goods Company[62].

[58] While in Victoria, Allsopp tended to get selected for non Sheffield Shield games; scoring two hundreds against Tasmania and another against Western Australia during the mid 1930s. The Sheffield Shield competition of this era was confined to teams from; NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.

[59] This was the first Australian team to tour India and each player was guaranteed a payment of 300 pounds as well as a weekly stipend of 3 pounds spending money; a very handsome reward indeed during this immediate, post depression period.

[60] Megan Ponsford: The first Australian team toured India in 1935/36. The team ranged in age from; 53-year-old Bert Ironmonger, down to the 20-year-old Ron Morrisbey. Arthur Allsopp was 27.

[61] Allsopp seemed to have retired from playing grade cricket at the end of the 1937/38 season.

During the following few summers he stood as a grade umpire; officiating in Melbourne’s 1940/41 second grade final. He dusted off his whites and returned to the Richmond first grade side at the beginning of the 1942/43 season and played eight first grade matches heading into Christmas.

After seven seasons with the Richmond club; Allsopp made two, final, top grade appearances for Malvern in games that were two years apart. Fittingly his last was against Richmond at the Richmond Cricket Ground in which Arthur top scored in both innings.

[62] In June, 1944, Allsopp would lose the fingers on his right hand after getting the hand caught in a metal press at the factory where he worked.

Charles Bannerman Glowing testimony from Charles Bannerman.

The seventy nine year old had just watched Allsopp score 155 not out for the NSW Colts team during November 1929.

Bannerman was akin to cricketing royalty having faced the first ball in Test cricket history while also scoring the first ever Test century .

He would pass away during 1930.

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

Boy, you made my heart really glad. It has not been as glad for years.

ToTo-day I saw a great cricketer.

Allsopp shows off his batting stance .

The Richmond club had long encouraged its cricketers to take up baseball during the winter months in an effort to maintain their levels of fitness and Arthur quickly succumbed to the lure of the diamond, playing in the local league with Carlton. A long and successful involvement with firstly baseball, and then softball, was spawned; a relationship that would consume his sporting interest for much of the remaining four decades of his life. By 1950 he had been elected president of softball’s Victorian Umpires Association and notably officiated in the Australia vs.

South Africa Test series in Melbourne during 1960. He was also an umpire at the inaugural World Series tournament five years later and watched on proudly from the stands as his daughter Norma, and the Australian Women’s team claimed the title.

I was a member of the 1965 World Series winning team which defeated the USA 1-0.

Dad, of course, was my coach. We are both in the Australian Hall of Fame and because of our success in the World Series; I am also in the International Hall of Fame.[63]

[63] Norma Woods: Arthur Allsopp’s daughter (correspondence October, 2015). Note that: Arthur was not the coach of the Australian team as male coaches were not permitted to be involved with female teams during this era. He had however coached Norma on a personal basis from when she was just a child.

During Arthur’s two season’s in the NSW Sheffield Shield team he became particularly close to the brilliant batsman, Archie Jackson[64]. Jackson had made the Test side at just 19 years of age and scored 164 on debut against the Englishmen. It is often said that the Balmain colt was every bit as impressive as Bradman and yet tragically the young cricketer would succumb to tuberculosis at just 23 years of age; a loss that truly rocked Australian sporting sensibilities during the February of 1933. David Frith in his biography of Jackson[65] relays a humorous anecdote of Allsopp staying over at the Jackson’s family home in Balmain one weekend. Realizing that there was a cricket banquet in the city on the Saturday evening the lads were momentarily stumped by the fact that Arthur had no formal clothing to wear. Archie refused to go without Arthur and for a moment or two it looked as if they were to both miss the function; that was until a burst of creativity successfully averted the dilemma. Archie furtively raided his father’s wardrobe to discover an acceptable looking navy pin stripe suit, which they garnished with a makeshift bow tie. Arthur’s brown shoes were smeared thickly with layers of black boot polish before the young cricketers, looking very pleased with themselves, headed jauntily toward the city.

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

He was affectionately referred to as; Uncle Arthur by at least three generations of softballers at Melbourne’s Waverley club and during 1990, the Australian Softball Federation recognized Allsopp’s tireless efforts in helping to develop junior players, by naming the nation’s premier underage competition in his honour. The Arthur Allsopp Shield is presented to the winning state team at the annual Under 17 Australian Championship each season.

While Arthur was close to Archie Jackson, he also had a lot of time for the Don. Correspondence from Sir Donald Bradman, when both men were well into their seventies conjures a poignant image of two veteran stroke makers looking back fondly; chewing the fat over summers long passed; back when absolutely anything seemed possible. Two precocious talents who’d arrived similarly Archie Jackson from the ranks of NSW country cricket, instantly wowing the Sydney public and inspiring local scribes to predict long and distinguished test careers.

[65] Archie Jackson: The Keats of Cricket

That their subsequent career paths would become so systematically splintered by a marked divergence of opportunity does create an awkward subtext, jammed tightly in between each polite sentence. Late afternoon reminisces shared between, the forever prince of Australian cricket; the greatest batsman to ever buckle on a front pad, and his old mate, the lad from the Boy’s Home; the player they simply refused to pick.

Dear Arthur …

I have often wondered what happened to you after your cricketing days were over and I am delighted to now find you are hale and hearty and enjoying life. I shall never forget your debut on the SCG and the wonderful innings you played, and I look back over the era when you, and Stan (McCabe), and Archie (Jackson) were around because that was an exciting period ... there have been some dramatic changes in the game since we played – not all to my liking – but I think we would have held our own in this company.

My warmest regards to you and your wife, Sincerely Don[67]

[66] Jack Pollard – Pictorial History of Australian Cricket.

[67] Extracts from an April, 1982 letter from Sir Donald Bradman to his old friend Arthur Allsopp (courtesy of Norma Woods: Arthur Allsopp’s daughter).

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

Arthur Allsopp, one of the finest Australian batsmen between the two world wars.[66]

He will always be remembered as a gentleman who never sought any personal recognition for the time and effort he gave …[68] While Arthur was undoubtedly a Lithgow lad who sprang to fame from Leeton, he must also rank alongside the finest sportsmen to have ever called Gosford home. His four years at Mt Penang and two and a half season’s playing rugby league for Gosford provide a special point of interest for our district. And yet when they are placed in the full context of the man’s wonderful list of sporting achievements, it must be conceded that his Arthur Allsopp the young footballer, pictured at the Gosford brief time spent exciting the Waterside Training School circa 1927.

Park faithful, does pale somewhat humbly.

That his rich cricketing talents were never acceptably encouraged by the learned gentlemen entrusted with the running of the game during the 1930s is wholly regrettable. And yet despite the pungent whiff of snobbery that often wafted his exclusion from higher honours[69], the most endearing motif to pervade Arthur Allsopp’s life story is the man’s unflinching ability to push disappointment to one side and to simply carry on playing the game’s that he loved; enjoying all of his sport with good grace, fine humour and an indefatigable gusto[70].

Below:

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

Arthur Allsopp passed away during the February of 1993 having suffered a stroke in the month leading up to his 85th birthday.

[68] Softball Australia.

[69] My parents enrolled Ray at Wesley College because he had a lot of sporting ability and they did not want the problem that Dad had with the hierarchy. - Norma Woods: Arthur Allsopp’s daughter, speaking of her brother Ray (correspondence October, 2015).

[70] Whether it be playing; rugby league, cricket, baseball, softball, golf, or gymnastic displays, which he had done as a schoolboy. Or as a; coach, an umpire generations of junior players in both cricket and softball … remarkably, Arthur to pull on the Parking Attendant’s Jacket for the Victorian Netball Association

performing in or a mentor to even found the time from 1970 to 1982.

Mt Penang to Bradman: the ARTHUR ALLSOPP story by Andrew Stark

Boy could he bat, he was right up there in the class of Archie Jackson and Bradman and McCabe, but unfortunately a few bad reports went in about him and the people who ran Australian Cricket were not prepared to be sympathetic to a bloke who had really tough beginnings. He was a great guy and the authorities made a big mistake in the way they treated him.

-Bill Hunt; the former Test bowler, speaks about Arthur Allsopp.

A dashing looking Arthur Allsopp pictured beneath the Sydney Harbour bridge during the early 1930s.

And a portrait (left) taken during his twilight years.

A special thanks to Arthur’s daughter, Norma Woods for all her help in supplying information & photos.

This piece is taken from, This piece has been taken from, The History of Early The History of Early Gosfordbeing Rugby Leagueby , Gosford Rugby League, currently written currently being researched & written by Andrew Stark. If Andrew anyoneStark. has a connection to local footy in the pre WW2 period, please drop me a line at, 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com

Round

4

Open Grade

Gosford vs. Erina

OPEN GRADE

Erina 92 Gosford 10

OPEN GRADE

OPEN GRADE

In The Press …

Three Try Gosford Fall to Warriors

by Andrew Stark Coast Community News 21st April, 2016

An improved third round showing yielded the Gosford Kariong Open Grade team a hat trick of tries before ultimately ending in defeat against a methodical Northern Lakes Warriors at Duffys Road Oval, Terrigal.

In an entertaining game of rugby league, the Storm crossed for one of the competition’s most spectacular tries of 2016 when Josh King finished off a sweeping movement that began with a Jordan Groom grubber in behind the line back on halfway. The innocuous looking short kick was scooped up by a trailing Cameron Phillips and the ball was subsequently fed left through half a dozen pairs of hands before Callum Marsh found the King; the bustling club president spearing over for a glittering prize.

Earlier in the contest, Gosford nabbed their first try of the season after just shy of three hours trying when Scott Westwood won the race to yet another, productive Groom kick. The well-inked prop forward Shaun Tresler was prominent in the lead up to the team’s other try when he managed to set the Storm’s Players Player Award winner, Sean Portus away down the left flank, midway through the second half.

Disappointingly for Gosford, discipline let the side down badly and a horrendous penalty count against them culminated in two dismissals during the games latter stages making the task of success nigh on impossible. Best players on the day for the Storm included; Jordan Groom, who was impressive from first receiver and his kicking game shone throughout, dummy half Nathan Linsley tackled tenaciously up centre field and his Michael Ennis like performance served to irritate the humorless Warrior forwards no end, while Sean Bird, Josh Grover, Scott Westwood and a bloodied Simon Latimer worked keenly.

Please note: this is the submitted piece in it’s entirety. The editor of the Coast Community News is responsible for the changes that ultimately appear in the newspaper.

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Round

3

Open Grade Gosford vs.

Northern Lakes

OPEN GRADE

Northern Lakes 66 Gosford 12

OPEN GRADE

Northern Lakes 66 Gosford 12

OPEN GRADE

2016 COMPETITION LADDERS As of the Completion of Rd 3 (Juniors) & Rd 5 (Seniors)

Opens

Pts

Wyong The Entrance St Edwards Toukley Berkeley Vale Ourimbah Erina Kincumber Northern Lakes

8 8 6 6 6 4 4 4 2

Gosford Kariong

0

U14(2)s

Pts

U16(2)s

Pts

Wyong Toukley Ourimbah Warnervale

6 4 4 4

Gosford Kariong

2

Budgewoi Woy Woy Kincumber

2 2 0

U13(3)s

Pts

Warnervale Budgewoi The Entrance

6 6 4

Ourimbah Berkeley Vale

6 6

Gosford Kariong

4

Gosford Kariong

2

Kincumber Wyong Ourimbah Erina

2 2 2 0

Budgewoi Erina The Entrance

2 0 0

U11(3)s

Pts

U11(1)s

Pts

Terrigal The Entrance (G) Wyong Kincumber

6 6 6 4

Terrigal Northern Lakes (G) Toukley Blue Haven Erina Northern Lakes (W)

Gosford Kariong

4

Gosford Kariong

Erina Berkeley Vale Northern Lakes Umina The Entrance (B)

2 2 0 0 0

6 4 4 4 4 2

0

U15(2)s

Pts

Warnervale Wyong

6 4

Gosford Kariong

4

Berkeley Vale Toukley Terrigal

2 2 0

U12(2)s

Pts

The Entrance (G) Berkeley Vale Warnervale

6 6 6

Gosford Kariong

4

Blue Haven St Edwards The Entrance (B) Wyong Erina

4 2 2 0

U10(2)s

Pts

Toukley

6

Gosford Kariong

6

Umina Woy Woy Berkeley Vale Terrigal The Entrance Erina Wyong

4 4 4 2 2 2 0

“Boys; If We Look After The Footy, The Game Is Ours”

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‘Eye of the Storm’ – Vol 14, May, 2016 e-mag compiled, photographed, written & designed by Andrew Stark © 2016 Contact - 10dollarjpegs@gmx.com