‘The scoreboard is on fire!’ The night the MCG was ablazeOliver Caffrey,
Herald Sun
1 May 2019“You’re not going to believe this, the scoreboard here at the MCG is on fire.”
It’s been almost twenty years since legendary commentator Sandy Roberts uttered that line.
It really was one of the most dramatic openings to a sporting match in Australian history, with Melbourne’s iconic stadium descending into chaos ahead of an AFL game.
Richmond and Carlton have slugged it out on the MCG in many epic battles over more than a century, but few could match the dramatic start to round 22, 1999.
At one stage, the August 27 match was in danger of not going ahead at all because a fire at the city end of the MCG was seemingly out of control.
The Ponsford Stand scoreboard fire burned for 16 minutes.There was even a suggestion the fierce rivals and the 34,013 fans might have to come back the next day.
“There are sparks flying. Those flames are really blowing into the night. This scoreboard could explode,” Roberts exclaimed.
Flames 20m high engulfed the famous scoreboard, forcing thousands of fans to stream out of the Ponsford Stand.
Players continued warming up on the ground until they were ordered back into the change rooms when supporters spilled onto the oval.
Within minutes, the blaze had wiped out 20 per cent of the board, causing almost $4 million damage.
Sparks spewed on to wooden seats below, creating fears of a second fire.
Fans on the MCG after the main scoreboard caught on fire in 1999.The tricky placement of the scoreboard at the top of the stand meant it took several minutes before emergency crews could even reach it.
Despite the unfolding drama, Roberts kept the humour up in Channel 7 box, noting the awkward anti-smoking ad which had rotated into position next to the board.
“Isn’t it ironic, the smoke free sign could go as well,” he said.
About 30 firefighters were able to bring the fire under control within 16 minutes, calming fears of danger to people inside the stadium
“It had the potential to be a major disaster because of the number of people here,” Metropolitan Fire Brigade’s then-inspector Garry Cronin later said about the fire, with the cause deemed to be an electrical fault.
Smoke billowing from the MCG after the fire.Anything that happened on the field after that was always going to be overshadowed by the pre-game drama.
So it proved as Richmond held off a late challenge from the Blues to record a thrilling upset 11-point win.
In Jeff Gieschen’s last game as coach, the Tigers ended another underwhelming season on a high while putting the Blues’ place in sixth position on the ladder under threat leading into the finals.
The three Brownlow votes went to Carlton veteran Craig Bradley, with Blues cult hero Lance Whitnall slotting four goals and Tigers forward Ben Holland finishing with three majors.
Carlton coach David Parkin was so shattered by the surprise result he refused to front his post-match press conference.
“I am not going to answer any questions tonight. It’s been a very emotional night for me and I hope you understand,” he said.
But Parkin’s mood would improve considerably during the next few weeks as Carlton defied all odds to qualify for the grand final — which remains the club’s last appearance in a decider.
But North Melbourne ultimately took care of the Blues by 35 points to win their fourth premiership in front of 94,228 spectators.
And the fate of the scoreboard?
It operated at a low capacity during the 1999 finals series, before it was replaced with a new-and-improved board ahead of the 2000 season.
But the fire-damaged relic did find a new home, bizarrely ending up at an Indian cricket ground.
The giant screen was refurbished, packed up in three 12m containers and shipped off to Madras Cricket Club in Chennai.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/when-the-mcgs-scoreboard-went-up-in-flames-during-1999-afl-match/news-story/9e84663e1a2d62d0e6c69b0e2075c9bb
