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Last Day @ Pinball HQ


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I know it's a little late notice for most, however Norbert and the Coogee Diggers are holding their last meet for the foreseeable future, tonight (27-12).

 

There's no tournament... Just a get together.

 

I'm sure Norbert and Family will be chuffed at any old heads rocking up for a sayonara of sorts (or perhaps a tyre pump).

 

Cheers,

 

G

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Norbert and Family have mobbed from Sydney to the Central Coast of NSW.

 

For the time being at least, as far as I know, all sixteen pinnies will stay @ the Diggers.

 

Cheers,

 

G

 

Not so sure Greg ,Star Trek I think has been sold and Kiss LE maybe going to a new home tonight. Plus not sure what Rod's doing with his machines, its a sad time for Coogee and pinball in Sydney. It only leaves ZBall and Wildball in Sydney pretty ordinary compared to Qld. Also from what I hear it has a lot to do with Coogee Diggers wanting some share of the machines money wise ? Overall Norberts dream of some 4 years ago comes to an end tonight very disappointing, what are we going to do Wednesday nights now I suppose watch the idiot box at home.

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

Not so sure Greg ,Star Trek I think has been sold and Kiss LE maybe going to a new home tonight. Plus not sure what Rod's doing with his machines, its a sad time for Coogee and pinball in Sydney. It only leaves ZBall and Wildball in Sydney pretty ordinary compared to Qld. Also from what I hear it has a lot to do with Coogee Diggers wanting some share of the machines money wise ? Overall Norberts dream of some 4 years ago comes to an end tonight very disappointing, what are we going to do Wednesday nights now I suppose watch the idiot box at home.

 

Also forgot to mention Norbert did say all machines would be on Free Play tonight.

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You would think that the Diggers would be happy with the machines bringing in people with money to spend, compared to risking that for the pittance share of the takings? Everything has always got to be, how can we get an extra dollar??? Bastards.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Want to propose a big note of thanks to Norbert for , thanks to his energy and enthusiasm, all the good times provided - at Coogee with the various regular comps, gala launch parties, APL comps with people coming from far and wide, and of course the Supernova events when with AMD. He brought many people together under the pinball umbrella and want to wish him and his family all the best. Hope to see you down the track !

 

Sincere apologies - serious oversight not acknowledging Rod's time and efforts in providing and maintaining his machines, and supporting the events all through the Coogee years as they will be known. A quite achiever and a great guy ....all the very best to you as well.

Edited by ronl008
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Rod has asked me to post this on his behalf. He has worked very hard maintaining these machines over the past few years.

 

 

Coogee Diggers/Pinball HQ

 

As some of you may be aware Pinball HQ at Coogee Diggers Club is changing. I would like to thank Norbert Snicer for his tireless and relentless efforts in promoting the Pinballs at Pinball HQ. At the moment 16 Pinballs are housed there but this will be changing to 5 or less in the next week or so. This is largely due to a change of direction from the management at the club.

 

Pinballs on location is a tough gig as anyone who does it will know. Gone are the days of $400 plus per week per machine of the 1990’s. There are a multitude of reasons why this is not the case now, most of which has to do with social and entertainment changes.

 

It has been just short of four years since a phone call from Norbert asking if I would be interested in placing any Pinballs at the club. At that time I would not have believed that I would have 10 Pinballs at Pinball HQ down the track. There have been 4 Pinball Marathons, around 6 Flipper Frenzies, over 150 Sunday play sessions and too many to count Wednesday night comp nights. All of which require some human involvement to facilitate. Norbert has been a part of 99% of it.

 

Pinball HQ has given away much in prizemoney not to mention a Walking Dead, Galaxy and Beat The Clock Pinball.

 

As we approach the change take some time to think about how many of the players have met through the competitions and gatherings. I know some of them through Pinball Repairing over the years. If something is salvaged from this either at Coogee Diggers, nearby or further away I hope it achieves support from the Pinball community once again.

 

As someone who prefers to stay in the background, I will take this moment to say thanks for all those who participated over the four years it has been quite an adventure. Cheryl who has been helping at the last two Pinball Marathons and doing the collections for the past eight months. Lastly thanks for the offers of help to move the machines, you may be sorry after it is done.

 

 

Rod Brooks

Pinball People

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Sad news. Wish I could have made it last night. Many thanks to Norbert and Rod for running things so well.

 

Is there any chance we could keep things going at Coogee if some of us supplied our own machines to the venue? Between all of us I'm sure we could get 10 machines to replace those that are leaving.

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Sad news. Wish I could have made it last night. Many thanks to Norbert and Rod for running things so well.

 

Is there any chance we could keep things going at Coogee if some of us supplied our own machines to the venue? Between all of us I'm sure we could get 10 machines to replace those that are leaving.

 

The issue is the club now wants a hefty profit share. Just not viable.

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Incredibly glad I got to spend a couple of days at Pinball HQ earlier this year, which makes me sad to see it's shutting down (in its current form anyway). Norbert was an utter joy to talk with on the Sunday morning I was at, and can see why he's so highly regarded.

 

Definitely big kudos to everyone involved with it over the years!

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Rod has asked me to post this on his behalf. He has worked very hard maintaining these machines over the past few years.

 

 

Coogee Diggers/Pinball HQ

 

As some of you may be aware Pinball HQ at Coogee Diggers Club is changing. I would like to thank Norbert Snicer for his tireless and relentless efforts in promoting the Pinballs at Pinball HQ. At the moment 16 Pinballs are housed there but this will be changing to 5 or less in the next week or so. This is largely due to a change of direction from the management at the club.

 

Pinballs on location is a tough gig as anyone who does it will know. Gone are the days of $400 plus per week per machine of the 1990’s. There are a multitude of reasons why this is not the case now, most of which has to do with social and entertainment changes.

 

It has been just short of four years since a phone call from Norbert asking if I would be interested in placing any Pinballs at the club. At that time I would not have believed that I would have 10 Pinballs at Pinball HQ down the track. There have been 4 Pinball Marathons, around 6 Flipper Frenzies, over 150 Sunday play sessions and too many to count Wednesday night comp nights. All of which require some human involvement to facilitate. Norbert has been a part of 99% of it.

 

Pinball HQ has given away much in prizemoney not to mention a Walking Dead, Galaxy and Beat The Clock Pinball.

 

As we approach the change take some time to think about how many of the players have met through the competitions and gatherings. I know some of them through Pinball Repairing over the years. If something is salvaged from this either at Coogee Diggers, nearby or further away I hope it achieves support from the Pinball community once again.

 

As someone who prefers to stay in the background, I will take this moment to say thanks for all those who participated over the four years it has been quite an adventure. Cheryl who has been helping at the last two Pinball Marathons and doing the collections for the past eight months. Lastly thanks for the offers of help to move the machines, you may be sorry after it is done.

 

 

Rod Brooks

Pinball People

 

Such a sad day, not only for the competitive side of pinball but for all the fine people i connected with.

This is where it all started for me (tournaments)

I have made so many friends which i am proud to say will remain friends for life.

 

To rod & norbert for all the effort which goes into making places like this work, my hats off to you.

A sad day for the silverball

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Last Day @ Pinball HQ

 

Indeed it's a sad day but times change. Thanks Norbert, Rod and to everyone else who played or assisted. Hoping a new comp will begin out west soon to carry on what Norbert created.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yes, out west is better for us too.[emoji12]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by Defender
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Sad news hearing about this.

 

I remember when I moved to Coogee in 2011 and they had a couple of pinball machines in that downstairs room. Batman Dark Knight and 24. BDK eventually got taken away and I was left to play 24. Some may say that was a bad thing but I really enjoy that game now. @Brett2280 and nomie... when are you going to sell it to me?)

 

Then one day in 2014 I went in to have lunch with my wife and saw a whole room filled with machines. I was excited (my wife not so much) and I went over to talk to the guy who was setting them up. After a few hours of talking to this guy I managed to get away :lol and promised him I would be back often (which I was as I lived around the corner)

 

The first weekly comp Norbert held there had about 7 people I think. @collin_m had come in from about an hour away out west and another local bloke named @DOG showed up too. A few weeks in and a nice group of people had started showing up to the weekly comps and Norbert was doing his best to get people to enter. As new machines came out Norbert and Rod were able to get them straight in to Coogee so we were some of the first people in the world to play Walking Dead (YAY), WWE (BOO) and more.

 

Played in my first pinball major pinball comp there in the first ever Coogee Marathon. Met a bunch of people there who I still see around at comps to this day.

@1.21 Gigawatts, @Pinlinds, @SwedishTaxi, @cardini, @Brett2280, @Malone, @Mar, @MUD, @skids, @RGR, @dloe007, @Dedrok and some interstaters even made their way down for the event @hutch, @acejas, @LCM and @RMacauley.

 

Played my first finals game against some guy called Steve Edwards on 24. Had a win each but ended up losing and having to play some other bloke named Paul Jones @specialharmony on Star Trek. :)

 

One of the best things about Pinball HQ was the hosting of the APL team tournaments when a new game would come out. Starting with the launch of Mustang and continuing on to Kiss, having a team based tournament was one of the best and most fun competitions around. Managed to get a few team victories with @DOG and @Greg Mcmahon, hopefully Paul Reid can grab those plaques :)

 

Its crazy to think that just playing pinball would connect me with so many people from such different backgrounds who I would never usually come across. Builders, teachers, police officers... A whole group of people who I now travel interstate with to play in pinball competitions. Had some great memories (or suprising lack of memories) of going to stay at Jack's place in Fortitude Valley for Brisbane Masters, staying in a converted church in Northcote for Melbourne Matchplay and many more. This was all because of Norbert starting his weekly competitions at Coogee.

 

Norbert was there every week for 4 years trying to get people interested in pinball and promoting it. He must have had hundreds of people on his mailing list by the end but unfortunately most people would come only once or twice and be done. You could always walk in and hear Norbert saying "THE CHAMP IS HERE" to basically everyone who entered :) Norbert put so much time and effort into promoting pinball and running competitions and its sad to think that will no longer be happening. Sydney has really lost a good thing here.

 

Its easy for people to hope that something else will happen soon but it was the dedicated people like Rod and Norbert who allowed it to happen in the first place. By supporting people who run competitions it will allow them to continue running them and grow pinball.

 

I wish Rod and Norbert all the best in the future. I hope to see them try something else later on and I will be there 100%.

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You would think that the Diggers would be happy with the machines bringing in people with money to spend, compared to risking that for the pittance share of the takings? Everything has always got to be, how can we get an extra dollar??? Bastards.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Coogee diggers didn’t receive any commission for the whole time they were there. Norbert got 100% of the takings. The amount of money the pins made I’m surprised Norbert survived this long.

Anyone who thinks they can start a dedicated pinball venue is crazy. You need a busy existing location or you won’t make any money out of it.

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I don’t think we will ever re-live the hey days of pinball where they were sited just about everywhere, just about every corner store and milk bar fish and chip shop had them now it’s really just turned into a very expensive home market

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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I said to Norbert that night pretty much the same as what everyone is saying here. That he’s the reason pinball is what it is in Australia, and the reason a lot of us have become friends for life. Fiona and I also wore old Australian Pinball League name tags which made him a bit misty eyed. We also gave him a gift of appreciation.

 

Whatever happens Norbert will be involved in pinball in some capacity, I said to him he couldn’t possibly escape it. He will be back doing something for the community and we will be there when it happens.

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