Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Celebrating 10 years of incredible support from our Members, the Heart of the Thunder Nation
Members: Lyndall and Graeme Woods
Suburb: North Rocks
In 10 years of the BBL, Lyndall and Graeme Woods have barely missed a Thunder home game and are avid WBBL Members as well.
We caught up with this wonderful couple, who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, to ask them what makes the Thunder Nation so special.
When did you first join the Thunder Nation?
Lyndall: “I think it was the second year of the BBL because we went to ANZ Stadium, in the first year, and everything seemed to happen over the other side.
“I said to Graeme I am going for a walk to find out how those people get a seat over there and, so I asked this lady and she said: “we’re a Member,” so I said well that’s what we’re going to do.
“We go to all the girls’ games (as well). Last year we were a WBBL Member and this year we’re WBBL Members again.”
Favourite player?
Lyndall:“I love Chris Green because I’m a bright shoe person and he loves his bright shoes.
“He’s a lovely fella. He face-timed us during the COVID-19 lockdown. We nearly fell off our chairs. He laughed because we’d met him, I’d met him twice, the same time I’d met Daniel Sams and Chris signed my hat.
Graeme: “Alex Ross. He’s like the forgotten player, he’s in the middle there and he always fields where we sit.”
Most special moment as a Thunder Member?
Lyndall: “At the start of the lockdown in March, we were down in the dumps because we’d missed everything, we’d had family illness and I had surgery. We had also planned to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.
“One of the Thunder staff, Brad Fendyk rang us when we were in lockdown to see if there was anything he could do for us. It just blew us away.
“He spoke to us for about a quarter of an hour, it was lovely.”
Are there any other special memories?
Lyndall: “We went down to Hobart earlier this year for the Eliminator. We were supposed to be sitting in the Thunder seats and we were the only two there in green.
“A little boy called Cooper came up to us. He gave us a high-five and said “I love Sydney Thunder”. He had number 12 written on his cheek in texta because he loves Callum Ferguson.
“I went through my backpack, gave him one of our flags, and I had a handful of those tattoos.
“Anyway, at the end of the game. Our guys came out and walked around and signed everything. We stood with Cooper because I thought three people in green will stand out a little bit more.
“Chris Green came over and Callum Ferguson had a photo with Cooper. He said he remembered Cooper from the week before.
“We write backwards and forwards all the time and Cooper sends me photos in his Thunder shirt and they sent me one the other night with a picture of Daniel Sams on the big screen and little Cooper is standing there with his arms up in front of Dan.”
What keeps you renewing year after year?
Lyndall: “We wouldn’t know what to do if we didn’t renew our Membership every year.
“It’s like our family. The people that run it.
“We walked into Manuka Oval the other week and Jake Balnave (Sydney Thunder Community Impact Specialist) was there, he ran up to us.
“Always get a hug from Patrick Hogan (Sydney Thunder Partnerships Manager), doesn’t matter if I’ve got arms full of food and drink, I have to put them down and get a hug from Patrick.
“(Sydney Thunder Membership Assistant) Annabel Williams is wonderful. I upset a water bottle in my bag and wiped out my new phone… so I rang Annabel and she made sure we got our tickets for Manuka Oval.”
There’s three more opportunities to watch your Thunder heroes in action at Manuka Oval this summer!
Get your tickets here:
Tues 22 Dec | Vs Perth Scorchers | Manuka Oval | 7:15pm
Sat 26 Dec | Vs Melbourne Renegades | Manuka Oval | 6:10pm
Tues 29 Dec | Vs Melbourne Stars | Manuka Oval | 7:15pm
Sydney Thunder BBL|10 Fixtures
Tues 22 Dec | Vs Perth Scorchers | Manuka Oval | 7:15pm
Sat 26 Dec | Vs Melbourne Renegades | Manuka Oval | 6:10pm
Tues 29 Dec | Vs Melbourne Stars | Manuka Oval | 7:15pm
Fri 1 Jan | Vs Melbourne Renegades | Metricon Stadium | 7:15pm
Mon 4 Jan | Vs Brisbane Heat | The Gabba | 7:15pm
Thurs 7 Jan | Vs Hobart Hurricanes | Optus Stadium | 6:10pm
Sat 9 Jan | Vs Perth Scorchers | Optus Stadium | 7:15pm
Wed 13 Jan | Vs Sydney Sixers | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15pm
Mon 18 Jan | Vs Hobart Hurricanes | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15pm
Fri 22 Jan | Vs Sydney Sixers | SCG | 7:15pm
Sun 24 Jan | Vs Adelaide Strikers | Sydney Showground Stadium | 4:05pm
Mon 25 Jan | Vs Adelaide Strikers | Sydney Showground Stadium | 7:15pm
Sydney Thunder Memberships
Memberships start from $40 and offer access to a host of new benefits and exclusive discounts. View all packages here.
All Thunder Members will get priority access to BBL|10 tickets plus a 20% discount.
For more information or to join the Thunder Nation, please contact our Membership Team on 02 8302 6092.
Name of Author: Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder is an Australian professional cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Based at Sydney Showground Stadium, the Thunder, along with the Sydney Sixers, succeeded the New South Wales Blues from the defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.
