The Southport Stadium transformed into one of the Gold Coast’s premier sports venues

The floor would sink under the weight of the players and a leaking roof forced games to be cancelled because of how dangerous it was. SUBSCRIBE TO READ ALL THE DETAILS

Today I share a story from Keith Taylor, one of Gold Coast Basketball’s life members.

I have asked him to share with us his memories of the old Southport Stadium in Lawson street, Southport.

“This stadium was the first of it’s kind built in Queensland and hosted an international basketball game.

Loved by many, the stadium was torn down to make way for the major Southport Central development about 10 years ago.

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In regard to the Southport Stadium (Rotary Youth Centre) most of my history is all in the mind. All loving memories.

The Granthams, The Radcliffs, The Goldfinches, Fongo and the likes.

What a great group of guys. Basketball at night, touch football the next day, I do miss that.

I can remember when the Association was appointed to conduct the Australian Open Championship, I believe in 1966.

The old Southport stadium. Picture: Supplied.

John Moore and I spent weeks building a score bench.

It was at these Championship that I represented Queensland as a referee along with Ron Blades from Toowoomba.

Our Rules interpreter (now commissioner) was the late Sid Taylor.

Prior to these championships I was invited to Sydney to be tutored by Sid Taylor.

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After receiving my NSW badge, I was selected to do the open NSW championships along with pre-games for the Oceanic Championships.

I do, somewhere have a photo of me running a game in the Australian Championship.

The women, some of those listed below, along with my wife Judy were the backbone of the running of the games and the canteen.

Some of them also referees. Initially the stadium floor was not up to standard.

Some parts of the floor would sink under the pressure of a running player.

The old Southport stadium. Picture: Supplied.

The roof would leak during any raining periods which made the court dangerous.

I called-off an ‘A’ grade grand final due to the dangerous conditions.

It was not until Harold Peacock came onto the scene that things improved.

A new floor over the existing floor and other changes made it one of the best playing surfaces of all the stadiums on the Gold Coast.

Not that there were many at that time. There was many a discussion with Cyril Rashardi (being the person who was in charge of the stadium) which had some difficult times.

It was a sad moment to a lot of us when the decision was made to take down the stadium.

So many memories, so much love, some much friendship. My father-in-law sponsored a brick. It would have been nice to be able to retrieve this brick but was not the case.