Photo credit: The Photography of Ché Chorley via Adelaide Oval Facebook page
Adelaide is generally known as a sleepy and genteel city in a quiet and orderly state. And most people like it that way.
But when Adelaide has a scandal, it tends to be big, bold and …. well, scandalous.
This week the city’s twitterati have been tweeting, its Facebookers have been outraged and the local media has been on a quest to bring the offenders to book.
It’s the great Adelaide Oval chip scandal. And the reason for the uproar has been the discovery by Adelaide Crows footy fans – who are already scandalised by their team’s dismal performances this season – that they have been receiving less hot chips per box at games.
This after Oval management, which looks after the catering at the AFL games, had previously announced that refreshment prices were coming down this season.
Cue outrage that has not been seen in the city since the dreaded Victorians ‘stole’ the Adelaide Grand Prix and moved it to Melbourne in 1996.
Radio station 5AA immediately mounted a campaign to get the chips back up to size and involved the heavy hitters on its breakfast team, David and Will, in an effort to sort the problem out.
Vince Newhill took to social media to voice his opinion that “Adelaide Oval should be ashamed of themselves! No wonder there (sic) cheaper! I bet there (sic) making the same profit. Not happy!!!!”
“I think it’s pathetic,” wrote another social media commentator, Avron Foster.
But in case you think that everyone pulls together in Adelaide when the chips are down,think again.
“Crows supporters are well balanced … chips on both shoulders,” wrote George Wiz, who is presumably a fan of Crows arch-rivals Port Adelaide.
“Get over it you pretty lot, you are lucky to be there,” said Jan Garner.
The best ‘chirp of the chip scandal’ award went to Sandra Grattan: “The chips have learnt social distancing, only so many in a box,” she said.
Turns out Sandra was on the right track. Speaking at a press conference, Adelaide Oval GM Darren Chandler said it had been decided to close the top of the prepacked chip boxes due to health concerns posed by the coronavirus.
Previous the top had always been left open, resulting in more chips for hungry footy fans, he explained.
“As of this weekend we are changing the size of that packaging to make sure we can get the same number of chips,” he announced.
The decision has been hailed as a moral victory for all the good folk of Adelaide. There are even rumours that it may cause the Crows to start winning again.
And on 5AA, David and Will are claiming victory.
Life in sleepy Adelaide is back on track, it seems. Luckily, there’s not a pandemic to worry about.