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#1 Rodc

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Posted 14 October 2014 - 02:13 PM

I recently dropped into the Club to buy the second edition of the Heritage Book, which is a great read.  I haven't been out there for many years and was really impressed with the set-up.

I took the opportunity to have a look at the museum and although it is not huge at the moment, it is very impressive and well worth the look.

It was very poignant to see the jumper worn by Neil Sachse on the day it was injured and to see that it had been cut off him to help treat him.  It's a very impressive little museum at the moment.

 

Now, about that history tape...................



#2 Caveman

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 06:05 PM

It is nice place bad Rodc, well worth a visit. Good effort for you to attend from so far away

 

When that 2nd Heritage book came out, I went over to the club and as well as buying that book, I also handed over a Footscray club blazer that belonged to my Uncle who was one of the stats blokes for 10 years during the 1970's, so I wonder if you saw that among the memorabilia? Hopefully it is up there on display- it was a very impressive looking jacket/blazer



#3 Rodc

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Posted 19 October 2014 - 07:47 PM

I did see that blazer, Caveman.  I'm pretty sure that it is one that my wife commented on and said how good it looked.  It was very decent of you to donate it.  I loved the contrast between the old and the new stuff that is in there.  I then had a wander around the ground and a walk across the oval to the Doug Hawkins wing.  I never saw a game there live but my memory from watching footage of the ground was that there was a stand/shelter that ran along the wing.  It looks very narrow between the boundary fence and the roadway.  Has the ground been extended "outwards" a bit with the redevelopment or was it always that narrow.  I can imagine it would have provided great atmosphere under that stand and would have been very close to the action when the play was on that side of the ground.  I was really taken with how long the ground is and it again reinforced how we have lost that "suburban" feel with the houses on the outer side so close.  Must hold great memories, Caveman. 



#4 SonOfScray

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Posted 21 October 2014 - 10:47 PM

The terracing on the Doug Hawkins Wing went over and above the footpath. 



#5 Rodc

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Posted 25 October 2014 - 10:09 AM

Right, thanks for that.  Another example of some of the great little things the suburban grounds had.  The old terrace at Glenferrie, the bowling green side at the Lake Oval with the small shed that had the tiny scoreboard.  The old gasometer at Arden Street and the old cricket stand in the pocket at the Junction Oval.

I regret never seeing Footscray at the Western Oval and enjoying that experience.  The most famous match I saw Footscray play in was the draw with Carlton at Princes Park in the last round of '76 which kept the Dogs in the 6.  



#6 Rodc

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Posted 25 October 2014 - 10:10 AM

Sorry, I think it was a 5 then.



#7 Caveman

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Posted 26 October 2014 - 01:32 PM

Right, thanks for that.  Another example of some of the great little things the suburban grounds had.  The old terrace at Glenferrie, the bowling green side at the Lake Oval with the small shed that had the tiny scoreboard.  The old gasometer at Arden Street and the old cricket stand in the pocket at the Junction Oval.

I regret never seeing Footscray at the Western Oval and enjoying that experience.  The most famous match I saw Footscray play in was the draw with Carlton at Princes Park in the last round of '76 which kept the Dogs in the 6.  

 

We have lost so much with the removal of the away grounds. It can never be adequately explained to me why St Kilda wouldn't be able to play Gold Coast at Moorabbin and why Footscray can't play the Western that is greater at Footscray. Both teams just getting eye gouged at the Docklands. The last game of 2014- Western v Western in front of 14k at the Docklands. Could have played that at Footscray if the ground had NOT been "improved"

 

Well they can't now as these grounds have been changed so much that they couldn't fit in 20,000 people, yet in 1993 there was no reason why St Kilda couldn't have played THE BEARS at Moorabbin.

 

As for us moving to Optus Oval, for season 1997,all that did was benefit those who prefer sitting in more corporate like facilities, which would have directly benefited 2% of Footscray supporters.

 

If you can stand in front of the Robert Heatley Stand cheering on Liberatore, Johnson, Kolyniuk etc, how was that better than standing in front of the E. J. Whitten Stand cheering on the same players? The toffs (all 2% of them) got to sit in a more comfortable super boxes in the George Harris Stand and John Elliott Stands.

 

Back to the old grounds- the Lakeside Oval had a certain charm- I still reckon that they should have put the cameras on the other side, it did look weird looking at an largely non existent outer. 

 

Arden Street was a ground I liked- it provided cover from the rain in two places- it was a ripper of a little ground- again if they kept it in the state it was in 1985, they could have played the Brisbane Bears there and a few of the other non-Victorian clubs. 

 

The Junction Oval had that electronic scoreboard in the outer- I remember thinking how good was that in 1977 when I first went there and also that little stand at the left hand end always was another quaint reminder of the old days. 

 

When I see action of Glenferrie Oval, that would have a great little ground- the opposition fans packed into the left hand end, the two Grandstands at the right hand end- this would have been similar to the Lake Oval, 

 

I am convinced that Geelong staying at and redeveloping Kardinia Park has played a massive part in them winning 3 Premierships in 5 years and also making the finals every year bar one from 2004 onwards. If only our administration did the same- spend money on improving the Western Oval, however no we were better off moving to Optus Oval and then letting the people in charge at Etihad Stadium bleed us dry.Eighteen years later still no Grand Final ........... zzzz.....






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