The Cup Is Back In Coota

At Wyalong and Tumut, Wagga and Cowra, and all the places in-between, people are preparing for the Maher Cup Reunion at the Country Club on Saturday 13 February. It look as though more than 120 folks may be coming. This impressive display at the Camera Arts Centre at 266 Parker Street has been prepared by Susan Chambers and Tisha McTavish.

Maher Cup display in the Camera Art Centre

Maher Cup display in the Camera Art Centre

There were 728 Maher Cup matches, approximately 3,000 players, total attendances would easily have topped a million people, and the memories are countless.

At Cootamundra, Fisher Park last hosted the ‘Holy Grail’ more than 45 years ago on 6th June 1970 with this team: Colin Powell, David Cook, Ron Shergold, John Kennedy, R. Miller, Peter Lawson, Barry Black, Tony Hardwick, Bill Miller, D. Luck, Bob Glanville, Brian Wilson, and Ray Gaffey.

Thanks Tisha McTavish for the photo

Thanks Tisha McTavish for the photos

Cootamundra’s final challenge for the Cup was at Alfred Oval, Young on 29th May 1971 with, according to Wal Galvin’s annotated program, the following players: Peter Lawson, L. Gehrig, Keith Thompson, Gary Luck, Ron Shergold, Jim Piffero, Col Powell, Bill Miller, Bob Sheedy, Mick O’Toole, Brian Wedgwood, Brian Wilson and Ray Gaffey.

Remember that the reunion is for anyone interested in preserving and sharing in memories of life and football in the golden age of our small towns and villages.  Places that were both united and divided by the determination to deliver The Old Tin Pot home by whatever means.

Maybe you, or your parents, or grandparents will find the same joy of being photographed with The Cup on 13 February as these folks below did way back:

Jimmy Dowell of Tumut

Jimmy Dowell of Tumut

Tom Maher donor Ted's Maher's son

Tom Maher – donor Ted’s Maher’s son

Vic Castrissian holding the Maher Cup, with local member Billy Sheahan at Gundagai

Vic Castrission holding the Maher Cup, with local member Billy Sheahan at Gundagai

Bill Pinney with his grandmother at Temora about 1930

Bill Pinney with his grandmother at Temora

The Barmedman team of 1961

The Barmedman team of 1961

Ron Bryce of Boorowa's 1947 team

Ron Bryce of Boorowa’s 1947 team

Keith Turner and Peter Harpley 1965

Keith Turner and Peter Harpley

Nevyl Hand and Bronc Jones

Legends Nevyl Hand and Bronc Jones

Ron Crowe (then at Barmedman) and John Lomax (Harden) after Barmedman's final Maher Cup match in 1971.

Warhorse Ron ‘Dookie Crowe and John Lomax (Harden) after Barmedman’s final Maher Cup match in 1971.

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11 thoughts on “The Cup Is Back In Coota

  1. Would you have kein paton listed in your archives. Played in the 40’s or 50’s i think for coota.He was my husbands father

        • Sorry Helen I don’t have him a picture. This is what I know from doing a bit of research. He played Rugby League for Muttama between 1948 and 1952. His brother Reg was also in the team. He was one of the best players and Muttama was a good side. Muttama played against teams like Illabo, Bethungra, Wallendbeen, Stockinbingal, Nangus etc. In 1950 he played some trials for Cootamundra early in the season and impressed. But it would have been difficult to get into the Maher Cup team that year as there were quite a few imports and few places for local lads. It looks as though he left Muttama and became a plumber at Wantabadgery in 1952 and there’s no record of him playing football from then on. Another top player in the Muttama team was Wally Towers who was just a few months older than your father-in-law and went on to Maher Cup glory with Barmedman and Gundagai. I do have a nice photo of the Muttama public school students from 1936 with Wally Towers and I assume Kevin in there too. I will email the picture as it may be of interest.

  2. Congratulations on your web-site, Coota player/coach 1922-27, Phil Regan was my uncle and the information supplied by you was just invaluable to me and my family – thank you

    • Thanks Phil. I’d be interested to discover what he did after he finished coaching Cootamundra. Whether he lived in Glebbe his whole life, when he passed away etc. Regards Neil

      • After coaching Cootamundra, Phil Regan returned to the family home at 14 Bellview Street Glebe (Sydney), where he resided with he’s younger brother Jack O’Regan, Jack’s wife and their 13 children. Phil had returned from Coota with a trade (Carpentry) and continued to work that field. He never married or had children (that we know of) Phil was a popular local, known & loved by many including the local Constablery, who would regularly return him home after a day at the races. His love for Rugby League remained his favoutite pass time along with the Gallops… Known to the family as Uncle Phillie, he was a kind and gentle man, however during his later years developed a distaste for Government Authorities which was linked back to his early childhood, where he once received 12 months servitude upon the floating industrial school ‘Sabraon’ for school truancy (a conviction that later cost him selection into the Kangaroo team) and his WWI service, where he was severely wounded twice before being returned to the front lines of France… something never spoken about. Philip Regan died peacfully at the same family home in 1967 aged 75years.

        • Many thanks Phil. A very interesting story. If OK I’d like to use it and credit you when I write up a profile of Philip Regan for the site. I must find more about his early days playing with Glebe. Regards Neil.

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