5 replies to this topic

[Caveman]

I have got the soccer on the tv in the background and what do I hear but that great song from Grease- BLUE MOON.

I turn around from the computer monitor and the cameras are panning the stadium showing all the Manchester City fans with their sky blue scarves raised in the air as "I saw you standing alone without a dream in my heart" is bellowing out from the Public Address and the MCFC fans joining in

Absolutely brilliant.

[Lisbon]

Yep, nothing like a good old heartfelt club song. Even if the lyrics are not top class poetry or the tune is absolutely ordinary, it's always a great feeling to stand in the crowd and just sing along. Sporting Lisbon has its old "march" (Sporting was born one day/ under the sign of the Lion/we learned to love it/ and carry it in our hearts, etc.) and though various boards and presidents have tried to replace it with supposedly "better"/ "classier"/ "more modern" tunes, everyone sticks with the old song. The chorus (Lads, listen to what I say/ and shout along with me/ long live Sporting/ lads, whether we can make it or not/ victory shall be ours/ long live Sporting) is to be shouted at the top of your lungs, especially the "long live Sporting" bit - if you've done it correctly, you should feel the taste of blood in your mouth. Like I said, it's not Shakespeare, but it's just great. Surely better than the "New Stadium Anthem" they tried to replace it with and that claims that our ground is "the centre of our empire" (why? is Sporting about to invade Poland?).

[DMcG]

Even now I get goosebumps when I think of the day I was at Parkhead in Glasgow, holding my scarf above my head belting out "You'll Never Walk Alone" with 60,000 others all staring directly at the opposition fans.

And even though I like the trumpet solo in Sons of the West/Scray, it has always felt hollow since.

[Caveman]

It will always be SONS OF THE SCRAY.

Sons of the West - that is just embarrassing- 'We give our very best'!
Really? Is that true, like in the last 7 weeks of this season?

Just try and visualise the recently departed Pavarotti singing that classic line -"We Give Our Very Best"


By the way - which team was the opposition that day when you held your scarves up whilst singing YNWA?

The reason that I ask is becasue that is what I don't dig about Scottish soccer- you have Glasgow which is the biggest city in Scotland with two clubs that dominate completely the competition and either of those two are playing St Mirren, Raith Rovers, Dunfermline etc etc.

I don't see how Celtic fans(and or Rangers fans) can get so excited about beating Mortherwell, Falkirk or some other town that has a population of 40,000? At Parkhead or Ibrox in Glasgow there are 50,000 barracking for the one team and your beating this mob from a town of 40,000. Of that 40,000 how many of them are present at Parkhead or Ibrox cheering on St Mirren, Motherwell, Falkirk etc?

Thats why I can't get excited about Scottish football, only two teams can win it and the one that doesn't will most likely be 2nd. It is too David and Goliath- and David rarely wins against the two Goliaths. Throw in the fact that so many of these residents of Motherwell, Dunfermline, Falkirk etc will go and watch Celtic or Rangers rather than the team from their town. That would annot the hell out of me if I was Scottish and lived in one of those towns and saw buses leaving with people going to watch either of the two giants. It frustrated me in 1996 that so many residents of Sunshine, St Albans, Braybrook and Deer Park followed Collingwood and Carlton rather than Footscray and it rankles with me even more in 2007 that people from Sunshine, St Albans, Braybrook and Deer Park still follow either of the C teams and NOT Western Bulldogs.

[DMcG]

The opposition that day was Rangers, that's why the people belted out the song so well. I have only been to one other game and it was against Kilmarnock [one of the "Davids"] and the atmosphere wasn't anywhere near what it was on the Old Firm Derby day.

I completely agree with you though, but don't limit it to Scottish Soccer, in all European Soccer leagues there are only a few teams that dominate each league. When was the last time in England someone other than Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool even made the tope 4? In Spain someone apart from Real Madrid or Barcelona?

This can boiled down to two words, or rather the lack of two words. SALARY CAP.

One of the greatest inventions of our game, would cripple the big clubs in World Soccer. As it is in Scotland as soon as any of the other teams players get good, Rangers and Celtic just offer him a truckload of cash and the vicious circle continues.

Wayne Rooney left Everton, the club he had passionately supported ALL his life as soon as Man U coughed up.

Which is why really the only league that I watch passionately is the Champions League, this is where you really see the richest v the richest and therefore the best v the best. It's a sad state of affairs but I can't see it changing.

So let me acknowledge the AFL for bringing in the salary cap. It's not often I applaud them so I'll do it now loudly BRAVO AFL!

PS - I've NEVER sung the line "We give our very best" when I first heard it I thought it was "We ARE the very best" when I realised my mistake I decided my way was better. Although Sons of the 'Scray isn't exactly the greatest lyric ever.

[Caveman]

Yes Sons of the Scray isn't the greatest club theme song of all time. It isn't the worst but it also ain't the best.

My ridicule of it is the changing of the lyrics to remove all mentions of Footscray from it. That to me is just an out and out insult- it clearly means we (well those that changed it and did it for us) are ashamed of either our club/suburb etc etc.

Disregard all this low brow baloney from the intellectual pygmies or dopey sheep who claim it is helping us because we are now representing a wider area- the 'western region' whatever the hell that is? What does the 'Western Region' mean to anyone who lives in this 'Western Region' let alone those who live outside the 'Western Region' Absolute crock of dog manure -it is breathtakingly amazing how some people fall for it.

North Melbourne changed their name to Kangaroos or rather like with us- those in charge at the time changed the name - as happened with us at Footscray- the supporters never changed the name.

The difference is that at the Kangaroos- the two words said together (North Melbourne) or just the first word (North) are NOT seen as taboo and must not be mentioned as it is with us. No one says North Melbourne then immediately apologises for it and quickly comes back with - 'Oh sorry Kangaroos' This happens in our case regularly- 'Footscray- oh sorry Western Bulldogs' like they have just sworn on radio.

Maybe the memory of Oscar Wilde could be rekindled with a play on one of his many famous quotes- he could quite easily deemed Footscray as 'The club that dare not say its name'