Remember when McLean Park shook the ground and the Bay roared as one?
that shield night in 2014, i was up north visiting the grandkids and ended up at mclean park with the cousins - when that final whistle went the old ground near lifted off its foundations. half of napier on marine parade till sunrise and this old southlander roaring along with the best of them, mean night that was. ah well, we'll see if the park ever shakes like it again 😉
8 posts
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✓Was on the fence with my old man that night, mate, swear the whole embankment jumped as one when the whistle went 🔥💪 Still get goosebumps thinking about the roar, half of Gisborne made the trip over and we didn't stop grinning for a week. Ah well, nowt to do but keep chasing that feeling again. 🙌You don't abandon your own.
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Back in the day I reckoned nothing would top the old shield nights at Eden Park, but that 2014 roar at McLean Park gave it a shake, no doubt. I still remember the walk down Marine Parade after, blokes singing on the footpath, total strangers buying each other a round, you can't bottle that. My old man used to say a crowd sounds like that maybe twice in a lifetime; I'd say the Bay's got one more in her yet 😉Watch as long as I have and you'll get it.
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That Marine Parade image from SeenItAll_Guy is exactly how I remember it too, strangers hugging on the footpath like long-lost cousins. Funny thing is I'd gone over expecting just another Wednesday night and ended up not getting home till silly o'clock. Comparing that lot with the current side, I'd say the 2014 mob had a settled core who'd been around each other long enough to know how to close out a tight one when the crowd got behind them. This year's group is younger and still learning each other's habits, and it shows in the close finishes, but there are games where you catch a glimpse of the same DNA. Give them time together and a decent run with injuries and they might grow into something similar. Either way, I'd happily trade every table I keep for one more night like that at McLean Park.
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Eden Park shield nights, SeenItAll_Guy? You'd want to be older than my old man to say that with a straight face. And FixIsInPTSD, home till silly o'clock, mate - half of Napier claims that and I reckon two-thirds were tucked up by eleven. The roar though, no argument there, my ears were still ringing by Sunday.Numbers > vibes.
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Get in, this thread's stirring the chest hairs 🙌 My detail: my old man had the radio on in the shed cos he couldn't get a ticket, and even through the crackly signal you could hear the crowd drowning out the commentary, reckon the roar reached Dunedin tbh 😱🔥 Then me and the mates took over a chippy queue on Marine Parade till well past midnight, nowt to do but sing and grin 💪Heart with the team, head on pause.
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That roar in the shed story hits hard 🔥 we took over the pub back home and nobody left till way past close... you just know nights like that don't come round often 💪Heart with the team, head on pause.