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West Park (Burnie)
Encyclopedia
West Park Oval is an Australian Rules football, cycling and athletics venue located on the shores of Bass Strait in Burnie, Tasmania.
It is the current home of the Burnie Dockers in the Tasmanian State League
and previously in the NTFL and in the original TFL Statewide League
.
(NWFU) and later of the NTFL until both clubs amalgamated in early 1994.
The ground hosted five Tasmanian State Grand Finals between 1961 and 1978, including the final State Premiership decider held in 1978, and was also the site of some of Tasmanian football's most infamous matches.
During an NWFU match in 1936 a hurricane hit West Park in the final quarter of a match between Burnie Tigers and Penguin, and as players were unable to keep their feet in the blinding rain and wind, many lay flat in the mud as there was great panic in the crowd as the hurricane threatened to demolish the Main Stand. Burnie (finishing the match with eleven men on the field) won 8.10 (58) to Penguin (who finished with six men on the field) 2.5 (17).
Arguably, Tasmanian football's most controversial match was the 1967 Tasmanian State Premiership Final
between Wynyard and North Hobart, where hundreds of Wynyard fans invaded the field and tore down the goalposts as North Hobart's Dickie Collins went back to take a kick after the siren with Wynyard leading by one point. Umpires, players, team officials and police attempted to clear a path for Collins to take his kick, but Collins was eventually escorted from the ground under police protection, taking the match ball with him as a souvenir. The Tasmanian Football League declared the match a "no result" and withheld the 1967 State Premiership.
In 1996, visiting side Hobart
became the first side in the TFL
in 38 years not to register a goal in a senior match, managing a paltry 0.5 (5) against the Burnie Dockers
and losing by 97 points in atrocious conditions.
The lowest attendance ever recorded at a TFL
final was recorded at West Park in atrocious weather conditions in 1997 where only 1,010 braved the elements to see the Burnie Dockers
defeat Clarence
14.4 (88) to 2.8 (20) in the Qualifying Final (the two sides would meet again three weeks later in the Grand Final at North Hobart Oval
and fight out a 38-goal thriller, with Clarence
turning the tables on the hapless Dockers).
It hosted AFL pre-season practice matches in the early 1990's, with over 12,000 attending the Carlton v St Kilda match in 1991.
West Park was the first Tasmanian football venue to install lights for night football, the first night match was played between Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in a Foster's NFL Shield match on 9 June 1989 where the visiting team won by 14 points in wet and cold conditions.
It became the first ground to host a night match in TFL history on 15 May 1993 when Burnie Hawks
defeated coastal-rival Devonport
by 51 points.
West Park is also the home of the Burnie Athletics Club and the ground hosts the Burnie Gift
each year.
In 1977 cyclist Danny Clark staged one of the most memorable moments in Tasmanian sporting history when he surged from the rear of the pack, 100m behind on the final lap to scream home to take out the 1977 Burnie Wheel before almost 15,000 screaming fans on 1 January 1977. The legendary call of the finish of the race by North West Coastal sporting identity Harold 'Tiger' Dowling is etched in Coastal sporting folklore with his simple call of "Danny Clark.... Danny Clark..... Danny Clark..... Dannyyyyyyy Claaaaaaaark!!!"
West Park has three grandstands, the 1926 built Burnie Athletic Club Memorial Stand on the Bass Strait side of the ground, an open stand on the opposite wing opened during the 1960's and the newly built The Point members pavilion opened in 2009.
A State cricket match between Tasmania and New South Wales was held at the venue on 4 December 2010.
After losing the toss Tasmania were put in and scored 189 in the hybrid one-day format. New South Wales won by 7 wickets. The crowd was 4552, the highest crowd at the venue since the former TFL Statewide League
. The match was played under foggy but clearing skies to a fine 26 degrees. Glenn McGrath was a special guest at the match. Since the small boundary towards the Southern End is approxmatly 70 metres, Phil Hughes hit a ball onto the Bass Highway to the delight of the crowd. The ground is scheduled to hold another List A match in November 2011 between Tasmania and South Australia in the 2011–12 Ryobi One-Day Cup
.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/04/3084773.htm?site=sport§ion=cricket
It is the current home of the Burnie Dockers in the Tasmanian State League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
and previously in the NTFL and in the original TFL Statewide League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
.
History
West Park Oval was also home of the former Cooee Football Club (later renamed Burnie Hawks in 1987 and the former Burnie Tigers Football Club in the North West Football UnionNorth West Football Union
The North West Football Union was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and Northern Tasmanian Football Association representing the rest of the state...
(NWFU) and later of the NTFL until both clubs amalgamated in early 1994.
The ground hosted five Tasmanian State Grand Finals between 1961 and 1978, including the final State Premiership decider held in 1978, and was also the site of some of Tasmanian football's most infamous matches.
During an NWFU match in 1936 a hurricane hit West Park in the final quarter of a match between Burnie Tigers and Penguin, and as players were unable to keep their feet in the blinding rain and wind, many lay flat in the mud as there was great panic in the crowd as the hurricane threatened to demolish the Main Stand. Burnie (finishing the match with eleven men on the field) won 8.10 (58) to Penguin (who finished with six men on the field) 2.5 (17).
Arguably, Tasmanian football's most controversial match was the 1967 Tasmanian State Premiership Final
1967 Tasmanian State Premiership Final
The 1967 Tasmanian State Premiership Final was an Australian rules football match played between the Wynyard Cats and the North Hobart Robins on Saturday 30 September 1967 at West Park Oval, Burnie, to decide the winner of the 1967 Tasmanian State Premiership...
between Wynyard and North Hobart, where hundreds of Wynyard fans invaded the field and tore down the goalposts as North Hobart's Dickie Collins went back to take a kick after the siren with Wynyard leading by one point. Umpires, players, team officials and police attempted to clear a path for Collins to take his kick, but Collins was eventually escorted from the ground under police protection, taking the match ball with him as a souvenir. The Tasmanian Football League declared the match a "no result" and withheld the 1967 State Premiership.
In 1996, visiting side Hobart
Hobart Football Club
Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
became the first side in the TFL
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
in 38 years not to register a goal in a senior match, managing a paltry 0.5 (5) against the Burnie Dockers
Burnie Dockers Football Club
Burnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
and losing by 97 points in atrocious conditions.
The lowest attendance ever recorded at a TFL
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
final was recorded at West Park in atrocious weather conditions in 1997 where only 1,010 braved the elements to see the Burnie Dockers
Burnie Dockers Football Club
Burnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
defeat Clarence
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
14.4 (88) to 2.8 (20) in the Qualifying Final (the two sides would meet again three weeks later in the Grand Final at North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
and fight out a 38-goal thriller, with Clarence
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
turning the tables on the hapless Dockers).
It hosted AFL pre-season practice matches in the early 1990's, with over 12,000 attending the Carlton v St Kilda match in 1991.
West Park was the first Tasmanian football venue to install lights for night football, the first night match was played between Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in a Foster's NFL Shield match on 9 June 1989 where the visiting team won by 14 points in wet and cold conditions.
It became the first ground to host a night match in TFL history on 15 May 1993 when Burnie Hawks
Burnie Hawks Football Club
The Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
defeated coastal-rival Devonport
Devonport Football Club
Devonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
by 51 points.
West Park is also the home of the Burnie Athletics Club and the ground hosts the Burnie Gift
Burnie Gift
The Burnie Gift is a professional footrace held in Burnie, Tasmania.The race is conducted by the Tasmanian Athletic League, and the feature race is run over 120m.The prize pool for the race is worth $15,000....
each year.
In 1977 cyclist Danny Clark staged one of the most memorable moments in Tasmanian sporting history when he surged from the rear of the pack, 100m behind on the final lap to scream home to take out the 1977 Burnie Wheel before almost 15,000 screaming fans on 1 January 1977. The legendary call of the finish of the race by North West Coastal sporting identity Harold 'Tiger' Dowling is etched in Coastal sporting folklore with his simple call of "Danny Clark.... Danny Clark..... Danny Clark..... Dannyyyyyyy Claaaaaaaark!!!"
West Park has three grandstands, the 1926 built Burnie Athletic Club Memorial Stand on the Bass Strait side of the ground, an open stand on the opposite wing opened during the 1960's and the newly built The Point members pavilion opened in 2009.
A State cricket match between Tasmania and New South Wales was held at the venue on 4 December 2010.
After losing the toss Tasmania were put in and scored 189 in the hybrid one-day format. New South Wales won by 7 wickets. The crowd was 4552, the highest crowd at the venue since the former TFL Statewide League
Statewide Football in Tasmania
Statewide Australian Rules football competition has been played in Tasmania, Australia under the umbrella of the Tasmanian Football League from 1986–1998, Football Tasmania from 1999-2000 until the competition was disbanded in December 2000 and AFL Tasmania from 2009 when a brand new ten club...
. The match was played under foggy but clearing skies to a fine 26 degrees. Glenn McGrath was a special guest at the match. Since the small boundary towards the Southern End is approxmatly 70 metres, Phil Hughes hit a ball onto the Bass Highway to the delight of the crowd. The ground is scheduled to hold another List A match in November 2011 between Tasmania and South Australia in the 2011–12 Ryobi One-Day Cup
2011–12 Ryobi One-Day Cup
The upcoming 2011-12 National One Day Cup will be the 42nd season of official List A domestic cricket in Australia.This season's format will revert back to 50-overs aside being brought back in, with Cricket Australia acknowledging the ICC's commitment to 50-over cricket and the 2015 ICC World Cup...
.
External links
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/news/local/sport/cricket/cricket-legend-lands-in-burnie/2016307.aspxhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/04/3084773.htm?site=sport§ion=cricket