Subiaco Oval: Die-hard fans bid for pieces of WA sporting history

The WA footy fan who snapped up the old coaches’ phones and headsets for $50 at Saturday’s Subiaco Oval stadium auction says he was prepared to pay much more.

Colin Glastonbury said he was pleased to own a piece of the Oval’s history when it went under the hammer on Saturday.

“Yeah, I probably would've paid up to $300 or $400 for them and to get them for $50, I couldn't believe it,” he said.

Mr Glastonbury said he planned to hang the memorabilia in his man cave.

For Cesare Colli the worn old benches at Subiaco Oval represent much more than a piece of WA footballing history – they’re also a family heirloom.

Mr Colli was among around 100 people that gathered at the stadium on Saturday for a chance to bid on an extensive range of stadium memorabilia including seating, tables, signage, televisions and even the interchange benches and phones from the coaches’ boxes.

The Colli Timber and Hardware owner has vivid memories of cutting the lengths of Wandoo timber used to create the bench seating in the 1970s.

“Back when my Dad was running the company and I was probably only two or three years out of school I was involved in cutting the timber and delivering it to the contractor responsible for making the benches,” he said.

Joined by his son Jason and three-year-old grandson Xavier, Mr Colli shelled out $425 for a pair of the block 103 six-seaters, which mostly sold around the $200 mark.

The avid Eagles fan said his Subi membership seats were in the second tier on the opposite side of the stadium but that he had often sat on the wooden benches watching West Perth in the WAFL.

“I wanted to get ones that actually looked of that 1970s/1980s era,” he said.

“There are some inside that look really, really good but they’ve restored those and I wanted something that is more representative.”

One of the benches will occupy pride of place at his office but the fate of the second, destined for Mr Colli’s home, is not as clear.

“I’m going to have to negotiate with my wife as to where it ends up going,” he laughed.

Ross’s Auctioneers business development manager David Crofts said the most expensive item sold was a restored three-seat bench for $550, followed by the Carlton Front Bar for $500.