The photo for today is from a late-1950’s practice, perhaps training camp. In the background is the original pre-Lambeau “City Stadium” that we showed in an aerial view yesterday.
It is interesting to see the differences between today and 50 years ago (when the stadium opened) — most notably the fact that the fans are standing on the practice field with no fences to keep them out. Unfortunately today when one watches practice along Oneida Street, you have to peer through a cyclone fence. And it’s also interesting to see that the crowd is very far off the street, and the team is utilizing the field which is taken up by the Hutson Center today, and the Soap Products Company building.
Also noteworthy in this photo is the farm on the other side of City Stadium, on what is now Ridge Road — about where the Green Bay landmark Kroll’s West restaurant is located.
I would love to go back to the days where, even when they practiced along the street, you only had a wooden rail in front instead of the giant cyclone fence, which has gotten even higher since they re-did the Clarke Hinkle Field a couple of years ago. Now, you can't hardly take a photo over the fence even by standing unsafely on the top row of bleachers.
Ah, those were the good ol' days.
