Des remembers the "Chook Sheds?

The days when Redcliffe Rugby League Club members and supporters would meet under the old showground ?chook sheds? hardly seems believable when one looks at today?s clubhouse.

In 1948 avid football fans and members would congregate under the old sheds to watch their favourite bayside team play on the showground field. Long time club member and current President Des Webb, loves to take time out and chat about those fond memories of the old days. ?Well, they weren?t really chook sheds? he said. ?There was an old shed which was used for judging fowls and other birds during the Redcliffe Show. Show organisers had the top half and we had the bottom half.?

Up until 1958 the club did not have a side in the Brisbane Rugby League competition. And that?s the year Webb feels that Redcliffe got its biggest break. ?We fielded a C and reserve grade side in the BRL and to me that was the best thing to ever happen to the club,? he said. Before playing in the Brisbane competition Redcliffe battled for honours against country sides like Kilcoy, Sandgate, Beaudesert and Caboolture. During the 1958-59 seasons the club once again decided it was time to improve Bayside League, so they moved headquarters. Ten pounds and a few man hours later the club moved from one side of the showgrounds to the other.

?The club bought the old temporary bar from the Moreton Bay hotel,? Webb said. ?It cost us about 100 pounds to move the new clubhouse from there to the showgrounds. It was great to have a place like that. We needed somewhere to accommodate the players and members during games. Now the old Moreton Bay bar is the Redcliffe Art Theatre. I guess it?s still part of the area.?

The old temporary bar served the leagues club well for many years, but Webb said he was pleased to see the move to the new venue. During the years since 1948 great footballers like Artie Beetson, Bob Gerhke, Ken McCrohon, Peter Leis, Tony Obst, Bunny Pearce, Ian Thinee, Greg Oliphant, Wally Fullerton-Smith, Mark Murray, Greg Conescu, Bryan Niebling had called the clubhouse home for after game ale.