Scouse musician Jamie Webster has a song called This Place. It's about his love affair with his home city of Liverpool, UK. In it he sings about the people, the places and what makes it feel like home to him.
Parramatta is this home to me. It's where I grew up, it's where hours of my childhood were spent and it's where some of my earliest memories were ingrained.
To this day I can remember playing footy on the south hill of the old stadium. It's where I studied my rugby league education. Alongside my father and my grandfather I learned about the history of this club, the players that came before, the many highs and many lows.
I learnt about kicking tactics, defensive structures and attacking shapes all from spending 15 years at the south end of the ground, sitting just behind the goal posts.
I remember how Pa would always set a 40 minute timer on his watch at the start of every half and do his best to stop it when the ref blew time off because we couldn't see the scoreboard with the clock on it. Pa was generally within about 30 seconds of the match clock.
Following Parramatta when I was young was a fairly easy task. I became engaged during the Brian Smith era. The painful memories are there, but you always felt confident of being at the business end of the season.
But as the years wore on, the difficult years arose. Finals became tougher to reach and that's when my real Parramatta education began. When I saw us miss the finals in 2008 Pa was quick to remind me of the 1950s when the only thing the side could manage was a wooden spoon.
And from there, it's only instilled a deep rooted fear of failure. That this time can't be our time because it never goes right.
It's a feeling shared by every Eels fan. The apprehensiveness before big games because we've come up short so many times before.
2001 was heart breaking. 2009, I sat angry and emotional in a Canberra apartment because mum thought we were no chance of a grand final and booked a family holiday for that weekend.
I'm not an older supporter by any stretch. I'm in my late 20s but the Eels have aged me decades.
Following this club has taught me about humility, pain and resilience.
Grand final time in this city though is unlike any other. There's a bubbling electricity through the area. It buzzes through every cafe, store and conversation. Even those who don't following the game will still talk about it because that's what everyone is talking about.
It's an exciting time to be an Eels fan and this team is on the verge of greatness. As any Eels fan will tell you though. Don't count your chickens just yet.
This all must be funny though for our family and friends who don't get Parramatta. Who don't follow Parramatta like we do.
Mum has followed the club for almost as long as dad, but she doesn't get wrapped up in it like dad does.
My wife stared at me half scared last Friday as I collapsed to the ground and started crying at full time. I didn't cry on my wedding day, I didn't cry when either of my kids were born. I cried when Parramatta made the grand final.
I've sat on tenterhooks all week watching highlights from the preliminary final, highlights from previous grand finals, reading every article and post I can get my hands on.
This club feels like a part of me and in many ways it is. I connected with my dad and Pa through this club. So much of my childhood and adolescence is wrapped up in it.
This week is also tinged with a little sadness. Pa died three years ago. We never got that premiership together and that still hurts. There were two things I wanted to do with him. Celebrate a premiership and have him meet my kids. Neither happened.
I'm generally not superstitious, but I'd believe in anything if it meant Parramatta would win on Sunday. And my wife did kind of feed some of that belief.
Pa's final game that he attended was the Easter Monday clash against the Tigers that opened the stadium in 2019. In many ways it was his passing of the torch to my eldest. My eldest carries Pa's middle name and this season went to his first Parramatta game. It was Easter Monday, against the Tigers.
At three, he's too young to really know what's happening. He knows about Parramatta, he knows about Pa, he points out whenever he sees an eel on a shirt, jacket, bag or hat.
After the preliminary final my wife said that was Pa watching over us.
I, like every Eels fan, want this more than anything else.
And this is truly the magic of sport. There is nothing else in the world that can make you feel like this and make you feel so powerless at the same time. You can't take that hit up, you can't make that covering tackle, but you're still giving it everything you've got.
This is what many of us have been waiting our whole lives for. And for others, it's felt like a lifetime since we were last crowned premiers. Generations have come and gone without success and now we stand upon the precipice once again.
This week has been nothing but enjoyable however the best or worst is yet to come.
I have refused anyone who has asked me for a prediction for I can't truly bring myself to utter words I feel could curse the side.
Come Sunday, if you ask me how I'm feeling, I'll tell you tomorrow.
Replies
Let people celebrate as they wish
it all means amazing things to so many families
if people want to share this - let them
we have waited over a decade for this feeling
people who are not even Parra fans feel for us
do what you have to do I say 💛💙💛💙
Parramatta is a lot like Liverpool, it's the closest thing in Rugby League to playing for a cause.
Wow. That's an outstanding piece Super. One of your best. I'm sorry your Pa isn't here to witness all this. Undoubtedly he would have been loving every moment.
"I didn't cry on my wedding day, I didn't cry when either of my kids were born. I cried when Parramatta made the grand final"
Same here mate. Same here. Go Parra!!
So you never cried when you're kids were born but you collapsed and cried when Parramatta made the grand final ?
Some weirdos cry after they edjaculate ,Fong . Everyone's different. It makes it really hard to stay inconspicuous on the train, especially when you're by yourself.
bwahaha wiz
Don't call me weird c@nt.
Thats fair enough fongy, i applaud those priorities, id be the same.
A woman can have 7 babies in 10 years, try winning 7 comps in 10 years, or even 1.
And how much effort does it take creating a kid? about 1-2 minutes for most.
Come on Frankie, I'm sure you cried when the Roosters were bundled out. Don't jump on a guy for sharing his love for 'our' team.
In the 60's I asked my Dad to take me to watch the Thornett's play. I must have read about them in the afternoon paper but I can't remember why I new their names. From that point we follwed Parramatta home and away for the next 30 years. It was our lifestyle. We packed sandwiches and watched all 3 grades every week. The first time I saw my father cry was when we won in 1981. I was overlaoded with emotion at my childrens but like you super, I have found myself crying while driving along wishing that Dad could be here.My nephew was buried in his Parramatta jersey. I also hope the legends that have been a huge part of my life are somehow involved this week, even though I have never met them (a couple fleetingly). I would do anythng for my family but I cry for Parramatta. I know its ridiculous but I can't help it. It just happens.
This is my favourite song about Sydney super. Channel 7 used to play it when they ended transmission every night around 11 pm:
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