It has been a long time since the ground that holds so many memories has actually held so many people.
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But they came out in force to see the Knights take on Parramatta in their final pre-season hit-out at Maitland Sports Ground on Saturday night.
And you won’t hear this too often: they came to check out the new ground every bit as much as they did the football.
So let’s spend a second or two on it.
The field was impeccable – the playing surface a green carpet of grass that would not be out of place on any ground anywhere. The problems with the grass that kept the Maitland Pickers from playing on it at all last season are a distant memory.
It will be worth the wait.
The grandstand was chockers, standing room only at the back, with fans spilling around at both ends and only starting to thin out on the far side.
The Knights supporters predictably dominated, although there was a smattering of blue and gold and a few Parramatta flags at the southern end.
On the ends of the ground – thank heavens there is s still a passion for a good old hill in sport – there were families on blankets and food carts against the outside fence doing a roaring trade.
For those in the grandstand, these days you’re much closer to the action – an infinitely better viewing ground with the sideline only eight or ten metres from the fence..
In recent weeks there has been some debate about the new canteen at the ground. Should it be leased out or, as has been the case in the past, run by Pickers volunteers with profits going to boost the local team’s coffers?
That is a decision for council, but the canteen was working overtime on Saturday night – all staff dressed proudly in their black and white Pickers shirts.
The lines were long for standard footy food ... pies, chips, sausage sandwiches, steak sandwiches, cold drinks and beers.
It was seriously busy in there – if only they could call on the interchange system that the two teams were using. By midway through the second half the cold water bottles had sold out.
With oodles of space on the far side of the ground, organisers could bring mobile light towers onto the surface to light the ground up like it hasn’t been lit before.
The days of old when the barely adequate lighting system would test the vision of even the keenest young fans, will hopefully be a thing of the past.
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The football didn’t go to plan for local fans.
The Knights were well beaten 26-6 and with Parramatta having a number of tries disallowed, it could have been worse.
But this was not a night for despair. With a host of new recruits on display, it was always going to take some time for the players to integrate.
The Eels were that bit crisper, and when they moved the ball wide their star-studded backline caused Newcastle some serious problems.
Still it’s a trial game, and you’d have to think the Knights are well placed to finally start climbing that ladder.
A cracking new ground finally up and running, a bumper crowd, and the likes of Jarryd Hayne, Mitchell Pearce, Michael Jennings and Nathan Ross strutting their stuff.
It was a great start.
Maitland Pickers, over to you.
