Vale The RT Rush

[lgarth80]

Just going past on the train a few days back and they are doing a good job of gutting the RT Rush stand at Vic Park. You can see much of the ground from the train station.

Can someone upload some pics if they go past there.

And anyone got any great memories of the RT Rush stand.

I can honestly say that every Collingwood game I ever went to at Vic Park was spent in that stand. Loved every minute of it, from standing on a wooden chair in the back row from when I was 6, to up the front in my late teens.

Some great memories...
- The way the crowd got behind the team when we were down; many games we played poorly for 3 quarters, then the crowd got us home - particularly the outer in the RT Rush
- The burned and frozen pies (too young for a warm beer)
- Daicos, particularly torps to the Yarra Falls and bananas to the Sherrin
- Craig Kelly's last stand in his last match v Bears in 1996 - almost killed 5 players in the last few minutes
- The farewell in 1999

Hoping for more once the ground is remodelled. It would be great for the old girl to be a place of celebration for the full Magpie army if we can win the 2011 GF

 

[dansa]

Football was so much better when watching at Vic Park.

Things I remember include,

All the independent souvenir stalls in the back streets of the ground.

Getting fish n chips from Johnson st at half time.

Social club after the game.

and we always won.

 

[TradeDraft]

I think there pulling most things down at Vic Park

 

[jonbe54]

Football was so much better when watching at Vic Park.

Things I remember include,

All the independent souvenir stalls in the back streets of the ground.

Getting fish n chips from Johnson st at half time.

Social club after the game.

and we always won.

I can remember going out onto the hallowed turf and getting the autographs of such blokes as Terry 'sticky fingers' Waters, Des Tuddenham and the Richardson brothers.

Riding in the old red rattler train back home, it seemed to my young self that the entire train was filled with black and white.

The way opposition supporters used to huddle together

 

[mattys123]

I think there pulling most things down at Vic Park

Not really Dave, all that is left to be removed is the Scoreboard and the Timeclock, which are in derelict condition anyway.

The Ryder Stand, Bob Rose Stand (Social Club building) and the Sherrin Stand are in the best condition they have been in since 1999.

Something had to be done at Vic Park to maintain it as a sporting ground, and if that meant a few things being changed, and the "old tin roof" that was the Rush Stand being removed, then I can live with that.

The Ryder Stand was always the stand I was most concerned for, it is a truly historic piece of not only Collingwood as a Football Club, but also Australian sporting history, and to see it being maintained is great.

Now all we need is the place to get "up to standard" to host our next premiership celebrations, AAMI park just didn't feel "right" on that great night.

 

[jonesy86]

The Rush Stand has been gone for ages, just a concrete terrace there during the VFL season.

 

[lgarth80]

From what I saw it wasn't just the terrace and the backdrop with no roof it was the whole thing, just gone!

I can live with just a terrace with the roof taken out, but without the main building behind it the ground seems almost naked now.

I'll try and get some pics on the way home tonight on the train.


On the RT Rush stand, for its time it was a very good stand bringing the Collingwood FC into the 3rd best ground for public viewing behind the MCG and Princes Park (before Waverley came into existence). It was to best of my knowledge the first outer with a roof which didn't have big support pillars which block your view. These were infamous in the old MCG Southern Stand.

I also think that the way the names were written on the stand it would have brought much pride to the Collingwood champions, something that has been lost somewhat in our move to the MCG.

I must admit I was happy when for the GF Replay the Olympic Stand had a few hoardings normally used for advertising instead saying "SIDE BY SIDE" and "THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN". It had a bit of the old football heritage mentality to it, rather than just a push for the corporate dollar!

 

[TradeDraft]

From what I saw it wasn't just the terrace and the backdrop with no roof it was the whole thing, just gone!

I can live with just a terrace with the roof taken out, but without the main building behind it the ground seems almost naked now.

I'll try and get some pics on the way home tonight on the train.

Would love to see the Pics Mate

 

[lgarth80]

You can see a pic of some of the demolition work on Nicks in page 2 of the "Essendon offered Cloke $2m" article.

 

[TradeDraft]

You can see a pic of some of the demolition work on Nicks in page 2 of the "Essendon offered Cloke $2m" article.

This Pic:

But what does it look now?

 

[lgarth80]

The train went too fast for me to take any decent shots TD. Might have to get out and have a look; won't be able to do it tonight, but Friday sounds good.

All I can say is without the grandstand, you can clearly view the oval from the Victoria Park station when coming out from the city, something you could only peek at with the remnants of the stand up.

I guess this is what the council were looking to do in terms of opening the whole ground up.

So long as it's done well and the atmosphere can be retained for VFL games (mainly through the Sherrin/Ryder/Rose Stand and "one eyed Hill") I don't mind. But I am not sure how you can keep the ground's atmosphere while still opening it up to the public.