Sydney standards suffer slippage

It sounds like a line from a Seinfeld episode. There’s been slippage. Those were the words of the delightfully named Rodney Cavalier, the chairman of the SCG Trust, in describing the recent conduct and appearance of that famous group of rascals, the SCG members.

The trust was so concerned that it sent its members a letter in the lead-up to Sunday’s ODI warning them that they risked fines, court appearances and suspension of their membership if they acted up. "At the most recent one-day match a fight broke out in the members' area,” Cavalier said in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"The trust takes the view that members should be setting a higher standard than the public. That's why they're entrusted with full-strength beer. They're also expected to set a higher standard of clothing and footwear. There's been slippage.”

His words were backed up by an 85-year-old member unhappy with the modern dress standards and lack of decorum from his younger colleagues. "In the old days you wouldn't get in without a jacket," he said.

Back then, the fights took place on the Hill, not in the Members. "My father said on the Hill you could see a wrestling match, a fight and some theatre,” he said. “Then some cricket would erupt.”

Ah, the good old days. Damn that slippage.