MCG Interesting facts
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was established by the Melbourne Cricket Club in 1853 – less than 20 years after Melbourne was founded. The first members stand was built in 1854 and, in 1861, a public grandstand capable of holding 6,000 people was constructed. ‘The G’ as it is known, is the home of Australian sport and is used for the Australia Football League (AFL), cricket, and rugby matches. The MCG was the centrepiece of the 1956 Olympic Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games, and is home to the National Sports Museum. The stadium welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1986 and Queen Elizabeth II in 1954, 1970 and 2006.
AFL
The first trial game of football at the MCG was played by police officers in 1869, but it wasn’t until a decade later, with the formation of the Victorian Football League (VFL), that the first official game of football was played on the now-hallowed grounds. The MCG was originally home to the Melbourne Football Club, the league’s oldest club, and has since been the home ground to Richmond, North Melbourne, Essendon, Collingwood and Hawthorn. Every VFL and AFL Grand Final has been played at the MCG since 1902, except in 1924, 1942–1945 and 1991. The Grand Final takes place in late September or early October, and is watched by upwards of two million home viewers, with stadium seats sold out year after year.
Cricket
The stadium hosted its first cricket match on the 30th of September 1854, and soon after Test Cricket was born, followed by One Day International cricket matches a century later. The MCG also held the Cricket World Cup in 1992 and 2005. The first Boxing Day game was played in 1866 by an Indigenous Australian cricket team, and in 1995 the Boxing Day Test began and has since become a beloved Melbourne tradition.Location
TheMCG is located in Yarra Park within walking distance of Richmond and Jolimont stations. The stadium is surrounded by AAMI Park, Rod Laver Arena and Hisense Arena and is close to the city centre.Interesting facts about the MCG
*It was at the MCG, on February 11, 1984, that an ODI ended in a tie for the first time, both West Indies and Australia made 222. *The MCG is referred to as the 'Spiritual Home of Australian Sport'.*The light towers at the MCG are the tallest for any sporting venue across the globe. *According to a rumour, on January 2, 1955, groundsman Jack House decided to water the pitch on the rest day of the 3rd Ashes Test match between Australia and England to save the 22 yards, after it developed huge cracks on a hot Saturday. However, the Victorian Cricket Association and the Melbourne Cricket Club held an inquiry into the matter and denied the rumour.
*On January 2, 1961, West Indies' Joe Solomon was ruled out hit-wicket, after his hat fell onto the stumps while playing at a Richie Benaud delivery.
*In 1981, Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar took Chetan Chauhan off the field in a Test match, after being disappointed with an LBW decision against him.
*It was at this ground, in 1995, that umpire Darrell Hair called Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing the ball(chucking), seven times during the Boxing Day Test match.
*The MCG is part of the yearly-Melbourne Marathon and has also hosted a few rock concerts.
*On 27 August 1999, an electrical fault caused the city end scoreboard to catch fire, thereby delaying the start of an AFL match by half an hour.
*The MCG is where the Super Sopper per Sopper was used for the first time.
*On Day 1 of the 2013 Boxing Day Test between Australia and England a crowd count of 91,092, was a record for a single-day attendance in Test match history. *During World War II, from 1942 to 1945, the MCG was used for military purposes and more than 200,000 personnel camped at the venue.
*Australia's first ever bicycle race was held at the MCG in 1869.
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