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.
Phil
Guest
Great article and my 2 cents on advertising in sport.... I never drank Pepsi in the 90's because of Manly and have never trusted Wormald security in my life I hate my phone from Samsung and blame the Roosters and was fuming when Dad once bought a car from City Ford I don't drink Carlsberg because of Liverpool and the pain of the 2006 FA Cup Final. Never cared for that o2 crap either due to the Gunners Sharp and Vodaphone? You are kidding - screw you Fergie I begrudgingly drink Penfolds due to the dragons but mostly only if it is free.
Andrew Jones
Guest
Thanks all - great contributions. And thanks to Sterling 20s (cut to shot of silver Ferrari gliding around the Amalfi Coast) for sponsoring this post! Cheers AJ
Dublin Dave
Guest
Nothing printed above comes close to the shame of remembering when the local, and severely impecunious, Irish professional soccer league was known as the Kentucky Fried Chicken League of Ireland back in the 1980s. (It's all true. The horror. The horror.) Of course it presented journalists with all sorts of cheap gags about finger-lickin' good fixtures and fowl play but a morale booster it certainly wasn't.
Michael C
Guest
From the AFL perspective, we've never really had the regular season regarded as a sponsors domain quite like the Winfield Cup. For example, presently it's the 'Toyota Premiership Season' is how the promos go. However, the old 'night series' or present pre-season 'cup' was variously the Escort Cup, Fosters Cup, Ansett Cup, Wizard Cup and now the NAB Cup. Back before regular Sunday footy and before the Swans in Sydney, each Sunday arvo there was a reserves match televised from Albert Park (Lakeside Oval - home of South MElbourne). At various times this was the Commodore Cup and Army Reserve Cup. The Adelaide Crows for a while were almost better known as the 'Camry Crows'.........perhaps that led to the demise of Mitsubishi in Adelaide.
sledgeross
Guest
I also used to love the place mats at Macca's with the MCDonalds cup squads pics and austographs on it. I actually used to think Dutchy Hollands real name was 'Bobert" (hey, I was a kid and could read signatures!!!)
sheek
Guest
From memory, the first shirt sponsors in rugby league I can recall (mid 70s) were Pioneer for Manly, Penfolds for St.George & City Ford for Easts. Benson & Hedges began their cricket domestic sponsorship around 1972-3 or 73-4. When the one-day knockout comp started in the 1969-70 season (40 x 8 ball overs a side), they were sponsored by V&G (Vehicle & General Insurance Group). I really miss those tobacco company TV ads, they were awesome..........!
Andrew Jones
Guest
Lenny - you are spot on with the stripes, and I think they had stripes on a few of the early Origin balls as well. Mazda ARC is also a great call given the brevity of the competition itself. cheers AJ
Lenny
Guest
Was it the Amco Cup where the balls had stripes on them? Great moments them. While on the colour of balls, I also recall fluro-orange balls being used; perhaps in the Origin series about 10 or so years ago. Was this right? Is it too recent to include the Mazda ARC national rugby comp in this list?