Paul McCann

Your Say

• barry mccann
  04/05/2012

  My dad's name was Paul Ernest McCann. He was born in February 1916. When the War started in 1939 he quickly joined the later highly decorated NSW 2/17th AIF whose Corporal Jack Edmondson was awarded the AIF's first VC in WW2 at Tobruk. After the War & he was married, we lived at Forest Lodge. We used to take the long walk from Arundel Street over to Redfern to watch Souths as a 5/6 year old. I used to remember the chant "Give it to Whacker" (Johnny Graves).
  Dad always insisted he played for Souths, which I assume was in a lower grade such as 4th grade? He was fond of talking about a particular halfback who was there in maybe the 30s.
  
  So can you tell me the christian name of this F. McCann as the letter F is close to the shape of P.
  
  One thing I am certain of is his bravery as a Sergeant in the Battles at Tobruk & El Alamein & against the Japs. Whether he played for Souths I don't know, but he never followed any Western Sydney team when we moved to Toongabbie. Thanks, Barry McCann j.p

• barry mccann
  24/11/2013

  My dad stated several times that he had played for Souths. There must have been several grades before W11. Paul McCann sailed with the 2/17th Battalion on the Queen Mary in 1940 on there way to the siege of Tobruk(their Easter1941 Battle) and Australias major infantry Battle at EL Alamein. There is an F.McCann listed as playing 3 matches in 1938. My Dad was Paul McCann; he had the black Irish features-dark olive skin and blue eyes; and he probably would have played halfback.Most of our loved Ratsof Tobruk have left us now.Dad did speak fondly of an old halfback at Souths, not sure if it was Chimpy Busch?Dad never followed any other firstgrade side when we moved to a Commission place at Toongabbie.

• barry mccann jp
  17/10/2018

  Surprised that our West Wyalong dad,uncle & grandpa is now acknowledged as a lowergrade Rabbitohs player in 1938. I cant recall which old veteran halfback he learnt from,confident not Busch, could have been a fella from Codocks where Paul had spoken of playing for. He spoke of being advised by a Doctor to stop wearing a kneeguard as it would weaken his knee. Pauls brother Des(Pat) also told my brother that Paul had played for Souths. Anyway I noted that Fred McCanns first grade record somehow does not now appear on the playing statistics website. Freds first grade 1938 team almanac picture confirms that photo is not Paul who as I stated would have played lower grade maybe as an emergency. Paul was only 5.4,thickset & jet black wavy hair. So Paul didnt make first grade like Ron Crowe,Broad,Mat Goodwin & Ron Pilon from sunny West Wyalong(as my young cousin Miles McCann calls it) but its great news. I believe Paul often spoke about Souths with one of the Halls at Toongabbie. Years ago after Mass at Glebe, us kids played on the St.James steps with my classmate Kevin Bourke. Paul was in this long conversation (seemed like an hour) with a tall, big, bald bloke & I asked who was that man? It was Tommy Bourke, the legendary Terry Randall of the 1940s,captain-coach of Balmain. The Tigers won 8 in a row which enabled Tommy to win enough $ to buy a house at Lilyfield.

• Miles
  20/04/2021

  Barry - you cannot beat Sunny West Wyalong.

Want to have your say about this player? Add a comment.