Preneur Marketing - The Blog of Entrepreneur Pete Williams

Whether you are a cricket or football fan, you would be aware of the importance and symbolism the MCG represents to all Australians and understand an opportunity to own a piece of the ‘Peoples Ground’ doesn’t come around every day!!

Since its origins in 1853, the MCG has a had an amazing history that compares favorably with any other in the world… Hosting plenty of international cricket including the first-ever Test Match along with the 1992 World Cup final, countless VFL/AFL Football Grand Finals, and the 1956 Olympic Games.

Now you have the opportunity to own a piece of this authentic Australian sporting history…

The MCC Crested Carpet isn’t another one of those pieces of sporting memorabilia that’s been manufactured simply to be collectable. It’s a unique piece of the carpet that graced the Members Dining Room in the Ponsford Stand before its demolition in 2003.

This carpet is quite unique; laid in 1967 it bears the crest of the Melbourne Cricket Club woven into it in a seemed and repeating pattern. The opportunity was clear at once. Because the pattern repeated, the carpet could be divided up into squares and Aussie sports fans could be given their only chance to own a piece of it – a piece of the ‘People’s Ground.’

Approx size: 320mm x 295mm

Here’s The Story…

The darnedest thing happened…A few years back when I was 21, I was reading the book,’The One Minute Millionaire’, and in it, it tells the story of a guy from New Jersey, who in the 1980’s sold old pieces of the famous Brooklyn Bridges walkway timber. He went about creating 5” x 11” certificates outlining the history of the bridge, attaching a small piece of the timber and selling them for around $14.95 each… and word around the campfire is that he made like $2 million from it…

Obviously as a young Trump-wanna-be I loved this idea, and started to think how I could rip this idea off and implement it here in Australia - it was a much better idea then pinching golf balls off the local pitch-n-putt to resell.

After racking my brain for about 10mins, I realised the Melbourne Cricket Ground was under reconstruction and the Ponsford Stand had just been ripped down… On the back of a few phone calls and newly-found entrepreneurial-confidence I was able to track down the wrecking company which was demolishing the Ponsford stand (at this stage the Members Pavilion had not been touched), who informed me they had a significant amount of timber from the seating and flooring as hoped…

However to my amazement they also had a considerable amount of the world famous MCC Crested Carpet - which originally lay in the members dining room. You know the world famous carpet, the one that has been walked on by the greats - Don Bradman and EJ Whitten etc etc… The same carpet that graced the MCC Members Long Room - the most loved watering hole in all of sport.

So after rushing down the western highway the following morning to view the magnificent carpet just lying in the corner of the wreckers’ warehouse I took all the remaining crested carpet, along with a mass of timber.

From that point on I enlisted the help of some (far more skilled) friends who helped create a series of framed limited edition sports memorabilia pieces which sold from $595 to $1495. (Check out some of the photos below of what the final framed pieces looked like… and what you carpet will look like once you get it framed.)

I know you’ve got better thing to do then read this tale… So to cut a long stroy short…

Since that venture a few years back, the remaining carpet has been living in my mums garage which I am constantly reminded about every time I visit…. so as a ‘gift to mum’ I have decided to sell the remaining few pieces of the MCG’s famous crested carpet here on eBay and clear out her garage…

So whether you (or a family member) are a cricket or football fan, you would be aware of the importance and symbolism the MCG represents to all Australians and understand an opportunity to own a piece of the ‘Peoples Ground’ doesn’t come around every day - plus there isn’t that many pieces left at mums!!

Now you have the opportunity to own a piece of this authentic Australian sporting history, make your family and friends jealous and help me win some browny points with mum…

The really cool thing is that the MCC Crested Carpet isn’t another one of those pieces of sporting memorabilia that’s been manufactured simply to be collectable. You know the type of so-called-memorabilia that’s sold on TV during the cricket (have you seen the prices they flog that crap off for ? The prices start at like $600+) This is a unique piece of the orginal & authentic carpet that graced the MCC Members Dining Room in the Ponsford Stand before its demolition in 2003.

This piece of carpet is quite unique; laid in 1967 it bears the crest of the Melbourne Cricket Club woven into it in a seemed and repeating pattern… and because the pattern repeated, the carpet could be divided up into squares and Aussie sports fans could be given their only chance to own a piece of it – a piece of the ‘People’s Ground.’

Seriously, these last few pieces of history are not going to last long, so if you are either a collector, sports fan or just looking for that perfect gift you MUST bid now so you can own yor own piece of the MCG.

YES, Free Worldwide Shipping - I know how annoying it can be when you buy something on eBay
and then have to fork out twice at much for shipping… That’s why I ship everything I sell on eBay FOR FREE.