Back in the 1960s, spectator comfort wasn’t too high on the list of priorities for sports administrators. (Some venues are still back in the Stone Age!). So if you visited the SCG and sat in spots such as “The Country Stand”, it was either take something for your rear end or deal with the inevitable sore/numb bum later. Consequently, stores such as Woolworths would sell special souvenir cushions for big matches.
When the Pommies visited our shores in 1962, the cushion pictured below retailed at two shillings. Our TCT reader that sent in this picture bought two such items from Woolworths in Parramatta. One has since felt the ravages of time, but the surviving cushion in this picture is in excellent condition. On a visit to an antique store back in the late 90s, our reader saw the same cushion priced at $450. The advent of the Internet and eBay has opened up the availability a little, but a current price of $150 is still a nice return on about 20c.
Check your sheds!
Not too shabby for 54 years!
Eels Forever!
Sixties
It’s fascinating that something like this would be kept for so long. From the days when test matches were highly revered events.
Ive sat in the country stand in the 60s and numb bum dosent cover it ,wooden railings on back of seats and no leg room not to mention how far back from the game you were ,there was about 25 metres of bitumen for standing between the stand and the fence then about another 20 metres from fence to the sideline ,the cricket ground was for cricket not rugby league ,the old sports ground was a far more enjoyable venue for mine .