The Cumberland Throw

Eels Unveil Their New Jersey – Honouring The Past And Solidifying An Identity

Today, Parramatta Eels CEO Bernie Gurr launched the jersey that the club will wear from 2018 onwards.

In a massive nod to the history of the Eels, the hooped design made famous during the 1960s will take the club forward into a bright future. With a new apparel partner in ISC and a new major sponsor in ALAND, November has been a positive month for the club.

In his press statement, Gurr emphasised the importance of identity:

Bernie Gurr launches the new strip.

“We wanted a jersey that represented the Parramatta Eels and its rich history. There was a strong wish to create a Parramatta Eels identity. Consistent with a traditional jersey and our Club’s history, we also wanted to return to our blue and gold colours. We have reverted to the slightly darker, marine blue of earlier eras and changed to a genuine gold from the recent yellow colour. We think both the marine blue and gold are rich, powerful colours.”

Since the 1970s, the Parramatta club has had its fair share of jerseys. Indeed, we’ve even produced memorabilia to honour the jerseys worn by the Eels.

Memorabilia for the diehards.

Now, in this era of ever-changing strips, and special event designs, it’s a powerful statement for the club to produce a jersey that embodies a traditional design and says, “This is who we are!”

 

“Cumberland Thrower”, Ivor Lingard in the hooped jersey.

My early rugby league heroes wore this kit. Ken and Dick Thornett, Bob O’Reilly, Keith Campbell, Ivor Lingard, John McMartin and Ron Lynch all shed blood in these colours. The 60s may not have produced a title (the Dragons had a big say in that!), but it was a period in the club’s history when we produced Australian representatives, had legends of the game in the team, and gave the blue and gold faithful their first taste of finals football.

 

Clubs with a rich tradition have readily recognised jerseys. The red V of the Dragons, the Roosters Tri colours and the myrtle and blood Souths gear all embody the history and identity of their teams. There is something special about having a perpetual jersey to represent your club.

I’m a fan of a year round jersey for home and away.

As a traditionalist, I’d much prefer that the home jersey was worn no matter the venue. However, we must accept that the NRL has an expectation of a jersey range from every club. Super hero, Indigenous, heritage and retro strips are typically available for all NRL teams. It’s just part of the landscape of professional footy.

The glimpse of the full kit on the players reveals the white shorts and hooped socks further authenticating the genuine “footy” look that will be synonymous with the Eels gear. Once the players take to the field in the new jerseys, it will look even better.

 

Bring on 2018. There’s plenty to look forward to!

Eels for ever!
Sixties

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68 thoughts on “Eels Unveil Their New Jersey – Honouring The Past And Solidifying An Identity

  1. Trouser Eel

    I’m not real keen on the away strip, I think the blue hoops are too thin but I’m pleased we’ve chosen a colour and hopefully will stick with it.

  2. sixties Post author

    I look at the jersey without the sponsor logo, because sponsors come and go and the way that is integrated is changed. So if I was to be picky, I’d prefer the ALAND to be in white.
    If you make the bands wider, it has no connection to the traditional jersey, it’s simply a new jersey. This is about identity.

  3. Shelley

    Love them. The fact some are saying they are not part of our history, either design or colour points to exactly why we need such a jersey.

    As much as we loved the 80’s our club did not start and end in that decade.

    The jersey reflects the history of a decade in which the club gained respect, success on the field in reaching semi’s and grand finals and a reborn identity. Not unlike the present team.

    Excellent choice and my pop is over the moon. He is 93 and told me he wants one for christmas. Bob O’rielly is his favourite parra player ever and this jersey pays tribute to a time he was at his best.

    Jersey’s are not really fashion garments to be worn around casually, they should reflect something about the club and in my opinion this does.

  4. Colin Hussey

    I have one of the retro jersey’s that is similar to the home strip shown along with two other ones, when I can get to a game these days I wear the retro one as its the era I identify with as far as the history is concerned.

    I actually have reccolections of being at a game at Cumberland as a young fellow of the second jersey that has a gold background and grouped blue bands, I wonder if that may have been a better choice? With the new one being more modern by having the cut neck rather than the old collars, I am not too fussed on that aspect though, but then again the players may prefer the cut versions.

    I like the new/old jersey’s

        1. Gerard

          I’ve followed Parra for 40 years and I never knew the jersey you’re talking about even existed.

          Would love to get my hands on one of those.

        2. sixties Post author

          I’m sure I’ve seen people wear that 2nd jersey to games. I’m not old enough to have seen the Eels wear it, but I’ve got a feeling something similar is out there via a rugby union club somewhere.

  5. Mitchy

    Like it Sixties; and its because of the style for me. Much better IMO than recent designs and as we know, each to their own….i’ll be buying one.

  6. Gazzamatta

    Are the hoops carried through on the back of the jersey as well? Hopefully the socks are identical blue and gold hoops. Got to have white numbers.
    Reminds me of my first game at Cumberland in 1964.
    Reminds me of Dave Irvine, Arch Brown and Joe Turski flying down the wing.
    Reminds me of Barry Rushworth, Garry Pethebridge and Ron Graham setting up our flying wingers.
    Reminds me of Fred Pickup, Brian Whinny and Ivor Lingard scheming and planning.
    Reminds me of Keith Campbell, Thirsty Lynch, Brian Hambly, Barry Leaney and even Peter Peters when he was one of us.
    Reminds me of Billy Raynor and John McMartin doing the dirty stuff in the middle.
    And finally it reminds me of The Mayor, Moby Dick and great times at Cumberland.
    Yep. Love the new jersey.

    1. Colin Hussey

      Not sure if the hoops go round the back as no photo’s have come out from that side, the old Parra jersey’s had the gold lines around the back, difference was at times was the numbers were on a white square.

      One thing for remembering and having a heritage jersey that I would love to see is some reproductions of the original Parramatta district badges, don’t mind keeping the current eel but would love the original ones to be available as separate items.

  7. Offside eel

    No i dont like it ive been looking at images all day and ive come to conclusion that its a poor design the club and isc have dropped the ball on this occassion hands down we will have the worst Jersey in the comp i can accept the blue except for the white collar the yellow is a abomination

      1. Colin Hussey

        The biggest gripe I have with the yellow jersies is the actual yellow shade used, the old one when Hardies was sponsor was not too bad but the shorts were blue with gold vertical strips on the sides, which helped tone the yellow down a fair bit.

        The more recent canary/flouro yellow is terrible.

  8. The rev aka Snedden

    Not a fan of thoe jumpers sixties … Just weird looking … What I don’t get is if we are looking to the future why are we going into the pass wearing these jumpers ….?

    #Eels4life#

    1. sixties Post author

      It’s about identity as far as I’m concerned. We’ve chopped and changed jerseys so much. I’m ecstatic that we’ve gone with a traditional design. I also hope that we will produce a cotton jersey as part of the merchandise.
      Consider the blue jersey without the sponsor logo. The yellow of the sponsorship logo would not fit any design. You know that.

      1. Jim Phelps IMF

        Sixties we have had the 80s home jersey now since 2010 you call that chopping and changing ? A winning premiership design I might add. My favourite is the 86 but early eighties has my respect.
        The club might sell a few blue jerseys but no one is buying the banana yellow jersey.
        You think these two jersey will be more popular than the Eighties jerseys.
        Let’s be honest Sixties once Bernie leaves the club in a few years so will these jerseys and if they change under bernies watch well that’s a massive fail on behalf of the club.
        Nothing personal Sixties much respect for you mate.
        The club will regret these jerseys when the sales are not there.

    1. sixties Post author

      Depends what part of the 60s Glenn. We became semi-finalists during an era when the Dragons were unbeatable. And we were genuine challengers.

  9. JJ

    I think they both look pretty good, I’ll be getting the Blue jersey. Only 105 days to go before we play the Panthers in the 1st round

  10. Sam

    I like the blue jersey but as most others feel I wish the logo was better integrated into the design.

    The Gold isn’t bad either in my view. Much better with a darker shade than the canary yellow of recent years past.

    My Dad is upset with these as He recalls nothing but disappointment from the 60’s eels teams – he attended all the games back then.

    As Sixties points out we had some good times then too but my thoughts are that no teams heritage is perfect of you’re going to honour it accept the good and the bad. That’s heritage.

  11. Bernie Gurr

    Parramatta weren’t named the Eels in the 60s, they were actually nicknamed the fruit Pickers.

    If the club are so interested in going back to the Thornett Era, why are they using the 80s Eel emblem

    1. Colin Hussey

      I only ever heard that name rarely, the eels name came I believe mainly from the fans as the old chant of Parra was the primary call during my early childhood and attending Cumberland and other grounds to see them play, always walked to Cumberland from Northmead and travel was by bus and train, a full day away be it at North Sydney or Hensen Park even Pratten Park.

      The eels tag became more out of the district badge that is also part of the Council district sign still seen at the Council building, and used in school emblems of the schools actually in Parramatta itself.

      Thing for me is simple in this debate, I saw the crook years and stuck by them through the fine weather and mud soaked days, even when I tossed my football club membership of 40 years out when the change for the worse came in 2009, that was the worst time ever for me, as my late dad was a foundation and fighting member in getting the eels recognised and into the RL back in 1947, my birth year.

    2. sixties Post author

      The emblem for any club is who they are now known as. The Eels have been known as the Eels both officially and unofficially since this hooped jersey was worn. This has nothing to do with jersey design mate.

  12. Anonymous

    I’m a big fan of the jerseys. The hoops go all the way around. would have preferred a collar but understand that this would not work as it gives something to grab onto. Also would have liked the sponsors yellow to be gold but can live with that. It is part of the sponsor not the jersey. Very happy that the colours are blue and gold again.
    The logos blue colour will be updated next year. Apparently the NRL are not as fast moving as they would like to think

    1. sixties Post author

      Thanks mate. Read the column, and I’d suggest that the “Eels” name was in use by supporters before any official adoption as a logo in the late 70s. The “Up The Mighty Eels” banner was always on display at Cumerland from well before then.

      1. Parramatta Tragic

        A mate of mine and his Grandfather used to sit behind the “Up The Mighty Eels” banner. He used to put it up and take it down and said today that it was made by a woman named Danuta who lived in Parramatta but unfortunately he does not know where the sign is now. He cant remember Danuta’s surname

  13. Kev

    Not a fan at all.
    In my 37 years of supporting the Eels I see this as the worst piece of garbage that has been offered up by the club.
    This was a chance to move forward with a new strong design to carry us into the future but instead they have gone back to a very old fashion design that would look more at home on a rugby union field.
    I see this as a major fail by Bernie and the Club.
    I will support the Eels until the day I die and will watch every game they play but I will not be spending my hard earned money on this dogs breakfast.
    FAIL!

    1. sixties Post author

      Can’t agree with you on this Kev but happy for you to express your opinion. As I’ve stated quite a few times, if the sponsor logo integrated better, there wouldn’t be some of the negative comments.

      1. Colin Hussey

        Exaxctly 60’s. I cannot understand the amount of angst and hatred towards this Jersey and being honest I believe had they done a direct copy of the old and original ones it would have been a lot better.

        As for the Sponsor, why the canary yellow background, on the blue edition have it blue and the sponsors name in Gold, on the away version, why the white background? have it blend with the gold and again Blue letters/

    2. Bill Taylor

      @Kev I’m with you mate. Shocking jersey very generic hate the colours as well , will look to dark at night I assume Bernie wants to sell these to the over 60’s demographic very niche market.
      Electric eels are dead.

      1. Colin Hussey

        Bill and others who fear the jersey will be too dark at night, when the first new jersey design was shown, it was at the mid week night games that used to be run, Amco cup IIRC, this was the first to be predominately blue with thin upper gold lines, also IIRC the game was at the sports ground against the chooks, who have decidedly darker blue than the eels, more black than blue.

        The old lighting was not as good as today but good enough for TV broadcasts, and it was very easy identifying the eels players.

        If as you say there are no bands that correspond to the back then I do not like that, the old jersey’s also had a different number of bands and went around the back, in some years the numbers were black and some years white, also one time there was a large white space that had the numbers in black in that area.

        For me the biggest issue with the eels jersey’s is the constant changing of designs and the sickly colours that are chosen. The old and original royal blue and gold was great, the old jersey’s also had white collars which actually enhanced the Jersey, along with long sleeves worn by players in those days.

        Older supporters like myself hold the old ones very dear to us, even though no premiership for the first grade but we did win a lower grade one that was a great win, not many promote that. We also had to accept the changes over the years and never complained, the reason was simple, we were eels supporters and that was it. I get sick of all the other sickly choices for special event matches through the year, which adds costs to the club and supporters as well.

        Tradition and history, both good and bad make a team like it does a country, many battles in wars are lost and many lives lost but the end result is what counts, the celebration and memories of those who died are all there for memory and pride in our country, no footballers have died playing for the club but those who live on remember our tradition deeply especially when we come from families who also were diehard eels supporters and never saw the 80’s victories.

  14. conway

    Just putting my two bobs worth in supporting the hoops designs…I like a sense of tradition reminding us of our past… go for it

  15. Rowdy Roddy

    Personally, I just love the new real footy jumpers and I recall the 60’s with much fondness. My dear old Dad used to take me to play soccer until I was ~13 years old and when I discovered the Parramatta Rugby League team when I was 12 years it was only a matter of time before I started to play “the game that real men played”

    This jumper reminds me of a lot of things my Dad taught me and the first one was. Enjoy the game son, and be a good and gracious winner and also learn to be a good loser. You can’t always win so be happy for the other bloke. That was only the beginning of it.

    Go Parra!

    1. sixties Post author

      Many thanks for sharing this Rowdy. I think it adds so much to a jersey when the design means more than just what the players are wearing. A completely new design, with no tradition attached, is simply that – a new design. Whether is jersey currently resonates more with certain fans seems to be the basis of debate. Ultimately, it will resonate with more.

  16. Gerard

    The new design is a great nod to tradition. We are a genuine traditional club unlike Brisbane, Melbourne, Warriors and the like. They are still trying to have a traditional look but don’t have it yet because they are always changing the jumpers with most of the modern ones looking Crap.

    I love both the new jerseys.

    The sponsor doesn’t worry me at all I’m glad it’s a different yellow. It make our stripes stand out.

    If we’re winning no on will care.

  17. Rowdy Roddy

    And if we lose a couple along the way? It will help us enjoy the victories even more. While we’re at it some of us who were brought with the right attitude to life can be happy for the other mob getting a win. That’s after we get over it of course!

    Gee I really do like this new footy jumper especially the traditional Blue with the Gold hoops.

    Great work Bernie and co. You certainly have the support of those who value faithfulness and loyalty. We don’t approve of everything, but we believe it is our duty to support the leadership we have and vote with our feet which many of us have been doing for 30, 40 and 50 years. Learning to honour all authority is a lesson I learned from my (other) Father. “For there is no authority that was not ordained by Christ”

  18. Parramatta Tragic

    I love the new jersey. It looks like a proper footballers jersey and not a fashion statement. I also love the white shorts. There is nowhere to hide if you finish a game in white shorts and they’re not filthy. The two clubs that have won the most premierships, Souths and St George, have always worn white shorts (as have Easts) so we are getting with the strength. I’ll be getting a jersey with number 13 and O’REIILY written on the back

  19. Maxxy

    Sorry but don’t like it. It’s also ruined because the hoops don’t go all the way round and look like a pale imitation of the 60’s jersey.

    @Sixties I’m sure you love it but we have been wearing a 80,s strip for a while now since 2010 , Are you saying that these are not traditional? Each to there own I guess but I feel this will be a major failure jersey sales wise. No many under the age of 40 like this.
    If this becomes our identity I’ll eat my eels hat.
    Bernie very disappointing effort.

    1. sixties Post author

      I guess the sales will be an interesting reflection. To be honest, I see plenty more “retro” jerseys at games than new jerseys. I hadn’t seen the 60s jersey on sale in recent memory, so it will be interesting to see how many of the 2018 version we see at games. Each to their own Maxxy.

      1. Colin Hussey

        Its interesting that you see more of the old jersey’s at matches, and I noticed on the night that Jaryd’s signing had been announced there was an interview with Peter Wynn at his store, and he was happy with the signing of note was he was fitting out in the store Hayne embalzed jersey’s of more recent styles, I would imagine they were unsold stock from the past.

        60’s would be interesting if Peter is at training one morning if you could run it past him as to sales of jersey’s ant types.

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