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The Top 5 competition sponsorships nostalgically recalled

17th July, 2008
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17th July, 2008
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It must be a slow week when 100,000 plus people turn up to something that isn’t sport. However, the logo-free banners of World Youth Day did help inspire this week’s column: The Top 5 competition sponsorships nostalgically recalled.

1. The Pura Cup, 1999-2008 (c)
Cricket fans of a certain age already recall with fondness the days when Australia’s premier domestic cricket competition was named for the lovable Kirin-owned milk brand rather than the blow-in English cricket promoter of the late 19th century. Queenslanders, in particular, reminisce about the dominance they enjoyed in the Pura era, snapping up 4 of the 9 titles available in contrast to their 2 for 67 record in the Sheffield Shield.

2. The Benson & Hedges World Series Cup, 1979-1996
Surely there can be no better message to kids than to get out there, throw the bat for 15 overs (at least after Geoff Marsh retired), hole out to the newly-placed mid-wicket sweeper, head to the pavilion to watch Deano turn 1s into 2s in the 15-40 over dead zone, and suck on a packet of golden gaspers while mentally preparing for 10 overs of Simon Davis-style nagging medium pace. Golden packet, golden days.

3. The Winfield Cup, 1982-1995
True greatness combines excellence and longevity, hence this memorable tobacco sponsorship is narrowly beaten into third. However, its trophy is distinctive. Firstly because it is not a cup, and secondly because it depicts the Immortal moment when Norm Provan, having beaten Arthur Summons on the field, tries to steal his sleeve-tucked packet of Winnie Reds as well.

4. The Amco Cup, 1974-79
Possibly the sluttiest competition of all time, sponsor-wise, this midweek icon morphed into the Tooth Cup, KB Cup, National Panasonic and Panasonic Cup within just ten years. However, it will always be the Amco Cup to Wests Magpies fans like myself (it was the last thing Wests won in the pre-Tigers era) and residents of Lithgow, Bathurst, Orange, Mudgee, Dubbo and the other parts of Western Division, shock winners of the first comp in 1974.

5. The McDonald’s Cup 1979-1988 and the Ansett Test Series, mid-1990s (aeq.)
A tie for fifth place only because I cannot separate the childish joy of the early ’80s cricket posters (and Dirk Wellham seemingly playing for every team) from the future joy of explaining to a child watching old Tests in a rain delay that Ansett used to be an airline.

See you all next week. Or in the Golden Wing club.

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