Geoff van Wyngaarden is a bit of a legend around Williamstown. Grew up, and still lives, just opposite the Williamstown Cricket Ground in Morris Street. Loves his sport. Loves running. Doesn’t say much but knows how to tell a yarn.

And he’s told a beauty on the Williamstown Football Club website about his scoreboard days at his home ground.

Here’s just a short extract:

In the late 1960s Williamstown started to get televised Channel 10 games. We scoreboard operators decided to become more professional and wear a uniform on the scoreboard – a type of white butchers coat or art smock.

We used to get a bit over-energetic every time a Williamstown player was having a set shot for goal; we would put up the goal before the player had even kicked the ball. This totally confused the TV commentators, Phil Gibbs and Ted Henrys, who would look at the scoreboard after the goal was scored and then add another goal to tell the TV  audience.

My friends watching told me that when the commentators realised they had made a mistake they would then say: ”geez those scoreboard operators are quick today”. 

Read Geoff’s story on the Williamstown Football Club website.