10 replies to this topic

[Caveman]

Recently we received an email from a chap named Darren Ward.

He took the trouble to write to us to offer his opinion about the club. Although he is an opposition fan he must have felt very strongly about the club to be bothered writing to us. So by giving up his hard earned time and effort to contact us we can only gather that he would like our supporters all over the world to learn his honest opinion. So here below is his email- for all our fans and others to peruse- be they locals in Melbourne or far flung places around Australia. Not to mention Western B fans around the globe like the UK, U.S.A. or maybe even Nigeria or from what was the old USSR

Dear FNWB,

I came across your website while I was searching for past Footscray players. To my surprise, the official Western Bulldogs website does not have this information.
However, I do have a solution to your FNWB problem. The Western Bulldogs should move to Tasmania and become the Tasmania Bulldogs. It would be appropriate as all you Bulldogs supporters are in bred and have two heads. This solves your problem with the Bulldogs and mine as well.

If that doesn't solve anything, they could stay where they are and become the South Vietnam Bulldogs or the Filthy Dirty Disgusting Western Suburbs Bulldogs or Footscray, the reason why the Westgate Bridge and the Western Ring Road was built Bulldogs or the Let us build a tunnel underneath Footscray to avoid the fetid stench Bulldogs.

Here's more, the Western Cheaters, The Footscray Flooders, Sly Squirrel Grippers or the We dont cut our finger nails so we can scratch the shit out of our opponents Bulldogs.

I honestly think that Footscray or the Western Bulldogs should move to Sydney and become their second team. You can set up your club on a paddock of black mud in the western suburbs and call yourself the Western Bulldogs. Ha. You've done that already, so you see it would be perfect.

Wardy

Darren Ward
rj-ward@hotmail.com


So there it is from Darren Ward- “Wardie” and his honest opinion.

[DMcG]

Wow! References to Tony Liberatore's fingernails! How topical!

Interesting how wardy doesn't tell us which team he supports. Or indeed exactly how closely his parents are related.

[Caveman]

You know I have never met a person with two heads? I have seen a small few on television in hospitals programs, but never in the street.

Funny that, as I have been to Tasmania quite a few times and certainly through Footscray hundreds of times and I am still yet to see a person there in either place that has two heads. Maybe I need my eyes checked?

As for the inbred part- well I had 8 Great Great Grandmothers and 8 Great Great Grandfathers, so 16 Great Great Grandparents all up. Some from here and some from Tassie- so the in bred part just doesn't apply to this Footscray supporter.

Oh well some people have only just cottoned on to the two headed Tasmanian thing-I first heard those jokes around 1977 (and they were around well before then) so at least 32 years later they are finally getting around to the masses. Amazing how some people believe they are the first person in the history of this planet to make comments about the inbred two headed Tasmanians? They are the same sort of people that would have found "Hey Dad" funny and made sure they had "Hey Dad" recorded on their VCR when they went out at the same time it was on.

[langers1971]

Can i ask why this was even made into a thread, its a pile of garbage!!!!!

Whilst i myself do not support the bulldogs, i wouldn't come on here and post that absolute rubbish.

If you are going to visit other teams forums, treat them with respect, and you will get shown respect in return.

Just my two cents.

[Lisbon]

Mr. Ward would have been well advised to heed the old latin saying, "si tacuisses, philosophus mansisses", which means, as Bernard Woolley from "Yes, Minister" put it, "if you had remained silent, we might have thought you were clever", or words to that effect. His rambling diatribe does, however, raise two issues:

1 - It seems to me that the name change, from Footscray to Western, was made with people like Mr. Ward in mind, people who are of the opinion that Footscray is a dump and home to inbred, two-headed people. Apparently, those people haven't changed their mind, haven't embraced the Doggies and, paraphrasing Mark Williams at the end of the 2004 Grand Final, it appears that "Mr. Smorgon, you were wrong!". Besides, why pander to people like that in the first place?

From what I gather, Collingwood isn't exactly Melbourne's answer to Kensington. Yet what are the odds that our Magpie friends would tolerate a similar name change with a similar explanation? They would be up in arms, and, for once, they would be right! The whole concept behind the name change is tantamount to lowering the colours, to acknowledging that criticism coming from the likes of Mr. Ward is entirely correct. What rubbish!

All over the world clubs take pride in where they come from, and in whom they represent. The New York Yankees don't mind being called the "Bronx Bombers", even though "The Bronx" is a by-word for urban squalor all around the world.

In Hamburg you have St Pauli, also known as "the red light district", home of the world famous Reeperbahn, one of the biggest red light districts in Europe, if not the world -



Yet their soccer club, FC St Pauli, hasn't felt the need to change it's name. St Pauli is who they are, and that's what they'll stay, and that's that. Last year they played in the 3rd Division and regularly drew crowds of 15000, sometimes 19000, people, their very pride in their neighbourhood fuelling their popularity all around Germany. And if things are rough in the St Pauli district, FC St Pauli players are known to lend a helping hand. This year they're in the 2nd Division and their ground, as always, is packed with young and old fans alike -



I don't believe that Footscray is all that bad, but even if it were, so what? It would still have the right to have a club to call it's own, and to take pride in. And it (and it's people) would still deserve respect. I live in an area of Lisbon where there's prostitution (female and transvestite, we've got it all), and drugs, and derelict buildings, and, worst of all, the head of the Portuguese branch of the "Church" of Scientology. Yet if you look beyound that you'll find a safe, quiet neighbourhood filled with hard working people, young and old, just going about their business, trying to make ends meet. And that includes the whites and the blacks and the Chinese and the South Asians. Life has taught me long ago that prejudice won't get you nowhere and will just make you look stupid.

2 - Even Mr. Ward acknowledges that this site holds more information about Footscray than the official one. That's nice.

[Caveman]

Your writing and knowledge of the situation from so far away is magnificent again Lisbon.

In fact if I may-

'Lisbon you excel yourself'

and ironically that was a Yes Prime Minster comment from Sir Humphrey to Bernard Woolley


Yes Minister / Yes Prime Minister can explain so much about the Footscray name change.

Here is a small bit of information from the "Power to the People" episode of Yes Prime Minister.


Bernard Woolley visits Sir Humphrey, who wants to know his feelings on Professor Marriott's proposal. Initially, Bernard is all in favour, but his superior soon provides a counter-argument. He maintains that once you start taking power away from the right people (i.e. civil servants like themselves) it can only go to the wrong people (politicians). Furthermore, they will want more of it, eventually leading to regional government. This would be very damaging to the civil service, as the "months of fruitful work" that its officials currently undertake to arrive at "a mature and responsible conclusion" would be reduced to a decision taken over the course of a couple of meetings by "complete amateurs". Bernard remarks that such persons have every right to power in a democracy, but the Cabinet Secretary points out that this is a British democracy, which apparently makes all the difference. In other words, there is a system: "a civilised, aristocratic government machine, tempered by occasional general elections."
Sir Humphrey partakes of a drink with his predecessor, Sir Arnold Robinson, and confesses his fears over Marriott's scheme. Sir Arnold notes that the only thing that drives politicians is their need to be re-elected, and for that they need publicity, fame and glory — all supplied by the civil service. Therefore, one system cannot be reformed without the other. He suggests that Sir Humphrey makes the PM aware of the personal dangers should he continue with the proposal, calling it a "courageous" step.
Back in the Cabinet Office, Sir Humphrey has a second rendezvous with Agnes Moorhouse. He informs her of Hacker's plan for reforming local government, and she is shocked, as she believes that ordinary people are "simple" and would not vote for her policies. She and Sir Humphrey are now of one mind: the PM must be stopped. Sir Humphrey promises to help as long as she stops undermining the local police.


Now that is a brief overview- although it doesn't show the classic line from 'Agnes Moorhouse the radical left wing female councillor' about 'ordinary people being simple" and they wouldn't have the nous to vote for what is correct, so we can't have them voting. Her views were just as valid in the context of arrogance as Sir Humphrey's classic about 'You know what happens when the right people don't have power- the wrong people get it.

That comment alone sums up the attitude of the Western Bulldogs power brokers particularly in 1996 and 1997 as well as ever since about not having a vote on the Footscray name.

[Lisbon]

Yes, there's something "Sir Humphrey-esque" about refusing a vote. Sure, back in the 19th century and early 20th century clubs everywhere changed their names. Man City were once known as Ardwick, Man United as Newton Heath, the Brooklyn Dodgers went by the name of "Brooklyn Bridegrooms" for a few years (probably until they got back to their senses) and their local rivals the Yankees were once known as the New York Highlanders.

But this was right at the beginning of organised sport. Clubs were being formed and disbanded and merged left, right and centre. Things got settled after that and identities were created. To change a club's name after more than a century is absurd. To do it without a vote, well, is even "absurder".

[Amelia Jane]

What a nasty piece of work. You don't have to be intelligent to use a computer and email people.

There are so many vicious faceless people on the internet- I read articles about the entertainment industry and can't believe some of the hideous things these keyboard cowards put out about singers and actors - now it is sporting people as well.

The internet is magnet for insecure people who get off on attacking people.

[DMcG]

Lisbon you are indeed very impressive, however this line made me laugh:


"From what I gather, Collingwood isn't exactly Melbourne's answer to Kensington"


No. Our answer to Kensington would be, Kensington. [Which is ironically quite close to Footscray]

[Caveman]

But this was right at the beginning of organised sport. Clubs were being formed and disbanded and merged left, right and centre. Things got settled after that and identities were created. To change a club's name after more than a century is absurd. To do it without a vote, well, is even "absurder".

Absolutely spot on - some people (though hardly any as few are aware of the Footscray Football Club's history) point out that as the club went for awhile in the very early days as Imperials- that changing our name is part of the clubs persona.

Whilst that did happen in the 1800's, this was just after the club was founded. Clubs with two years existence- don't have a worthwhile history at that point, so changing it then was fair enough. This goes with the argument that if the West Coast Eagles became something else- it wouldn't be a massive deal- because they are not a club with a long history- just 22 years.

We had 100 years of Footscray changed to a direction and an animal- as I have been saying since 1996.

[Caveman]

Lisbon you are indeed very impressive, however this line made me laugh:


"From what I gather, Collingwood isn't exactly Melbourne's answer to Kensington"


No. Our answer to Kensington would be, Kensington. [Which is ironically quite close to Footscray]

Collingwood is an old Melbourne suburb- not a wealthy area at any time, but it had a strong community spirit in the depressions of the 1890's and then the 1930's which many other Melbourne suburbs also had back in the 1880's and up to say the end of WW2. Collingwood the football club was successful in the early days and this helped them build up their considerable following and to expand on that support after the Second World War, even after the original residents of Collingwood had moved out of the suburb and to other places nearby. Although traditionally not a place where the landed gentry would put down roots- in recent years it has become attractive to the inner city professionals who desire living close to their workplace in the city.

However would they change their name from Collingwood to something else and make the magpie the total focus like what has happened with us and the bulldog?- No it would never be contemplated by them should anyone suggest it- they would metaphorically be thrown into a lunatic asylum before the next sunrise.