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THOSE TWO WORDS: BULLDOGS AND WESTERN
Bulldogs and Western are the all important key words that just cannot be avoided. One is the club’s nickname and the other a generic term that means nothing. Bulldogs or Western didn’t exist when the Footscray Football Club was founded over 120 years ago. Anyone who believes the name Western Bulldogs is representing them is being totally delusional. They have been sold down the river and by defending that name in opposition to our real name Footscray is to display an alarming lack of lateral thinking. If you follow the red, white and blue and don’t live in Footscray or the wider western suburbs of Melbourne, the name Western Bulldogs means even less to you. The politest thing I can say about the name Western Bulldogs is that it could only appeal to the intellectually ungifted ‘Bulldogs’ is overwhelmingly the favoured term of either those two words whenever the red, white and blue is discussed. Any mention since October 1996 of the team that Teddy played for will always contain a reference to Bulldogs. If not the exact word then a near variation- The Bulldogs, Dogs, Western Bulldogs, Doggies, Bullies or to a markedly lesser extent Western Bullies. The first part of the two words is considerably different from its following second word.
Never is Western abbreviated
Never is Western used singularly unlike Bulldogs.
Never is Western uttered without Bulldogs behind it.
Never does Western stand on its own,
Who has ever seen a fixture that reads Hawthorn v Western or Luke Darcy captain of Western? When the full name is abbreviated it takes any of these forms-
W Bulldogs
WB
and very rarely
Western Bullies.
I have never once seen
Western B.
Western Bulls
West Bulls
Western Dogs
West Dogs
So what is the Western role other than to be the silent word used to nullify Footscray? What other task does it fulfil? It is overwhelmingly the poor relation to Bulldogs, which is the gun term. It needs to justify its existence but it doesn’t. So as Bulldogs is the anchor term and the funny man, why not use Footscray as the straight man instead of Western? Call the club Footscray Bulldogs. The Bulldogs is the be all and end all so why not do away with Western and replace it with Footscray?
I don’t want to see the club become the Footscray Bulldogs although it would be a billion times better than Western Bulldogs. The word bulldogs should not be part of the official name. By becoming Western Bulldogs, bulldogs ceased to become the club’s nickname, because it is part of the REAL name. Therefore the club needs to actually find a nickname. As it is popular these days in marketing to see the team and nickname mentioned together like –
Essendon Bombers
Geelong Cats
Melbourne Demons
Collingwood Magpies
How do these sound for us? –
Western Bulldogs Donkeys
Western Bulldogs Turkeys
Western Bulldogs Buffoons
Western Bulldogs Galahs
Western Bulldogs Geese
Western Bulldogs Sheep
Bulldogs became the official nickname for the Footscray Football Club in 1938 having been an informal and unofficial nickname since the 1920’s. For over 40 years the word Bulldogs had nothing to do with the Footscray Football Club. It is an addition to the club. Any Footscray supporter who died in 1920, the year of the clubs 7th Premiership, if brought back to life today would understandably not recognise the Sydney Swans or the Brisbane Lions and the other non- Victorian teams. What is worse is that The Western Bulldogs (and the Kangaroos) would also be foreign to the old time original Footscray supporter. What would not be foreign though would be Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Geelong, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Richmond and St Kilda. Bulldogs are a nickname that has been elevated to a status that is inappropriate. Should a Robyn Banks marry Justin Case that would be on their wedding certificate as every other legitimate name is assuming that was their genuine names. However for legal documents do you write Macca or Davo etc when filling out a loan application? If a Sharon was getting married to a bloke named David McDonald would their wedding certificate say Shazza and Davo or Shazza and Macca? Would their wedding invitation say the church was in Pacco Road or Mount Road rather than Pascoe Vale Road or Mount Alexander Road? Does your drivers licence say Macca, Spud, Blondie, Mad Dog (even Caveman), Curly, Robbo or any other nickname? You may not like your name and if your unhappy with Thaddeus Clarke you have the option of changing it when you are legally able to do so. That is your choice and your right. Muhammed Ali did that, he ditched Cassius Clay. That was his right- it was his name. Our football club is different though to Cassius Clay, Thaddeus Clarke, Don Bradman's son and anyone else who changes their name or wants to. The Chief of Control may not have liked publicising his real name, but that was his choice. It belonged to him and him only. John Bradman found his surname gave him never ending grief (although he has now reverted back to being a Bradman.)
The new administration of 1996 had no right to alter OUR name. It was not their name to change. They were never elected although at the time no one really gave any great concern to that. Maybe we should have, because for a group though that was NOT elected 
they had no right to make this monumental decision.
What they did was dictatorial- an un- elected group choosing not to abide by the club constitution which stated the correct procedures for a name change should it ever be contemplated. What's the point of having rules and regulations if you don't abide by them or only obey the ones that you agree with?
FOOTSCRAY FOREVER COMMITTEE
Shortly after Footscray was booted out the back door a group opposed to the trashing of Footscray emerged. They were the Footscray Forever Committee and they set about to reverse this wrong. The movement was a diverse group reflecting the club’s wide appeal It contained historians, trade unionists, business people, local Footscray residents and non-Footscray residents and a former Footscray Football Club president (who was previously a 7 goal hero of the 1954 Grand Final triumph.)
I cannot be upset with people who did not join this group because I didn't either. A couple of phone calls to the club and a lengthy robust debate with a club volunteer who phoned me in 1997 was my resistance. The call I received from the volunteer bloke enquired as to why I hadn’t renewed my membership for the 1997 season. I gave him my reasons and trotted out the stock standard line about voting for the name and Northern Blues, Country Cats, Western Bombers and Eastern Tigers etc. This chap explained that he agreed with me that we should still be Footscray, but he was still pushing the official party policy. Eventually after about 10 minutes of arguing he decided that I was not going to budge I responded that. I had nothing against him personally and thanked him for his interest but I was sticking with my beliefs and he said “Ok I’ll put you down as not signing and we will have to agree to disagree although I support the Footscray name!”
This was my sum total involvement as after this phone call I sat back like many others when I really should have lent a hand. especially because they were fighting for something that I so strongly supported. I doubt I could have done very much but moral support is always helpful. I was also annoyed with the new administration for making us move to Optus Oval to be Carlton's tenants. Could not tolerate us moving in with them, metaphorically, we left our home to sneak into someone else's house and sleep in their sun room. Going to Optus Oval had parallels with the movie of Frank McCourt’s childhood - ‘Angela’s Ashes’ However as the Bulldogs are no longer playing games at Optus Oval that issue has concluded. With the Footscray Forever Committee though, another reason that I didn't lift one finger to help was my belief that they would win anyway. They didn’t require another aggrieved individual like me who was still smarting over the move to Carlton’s Optus Oval in conjunction with the name change. The FFC had the constitutional argument on their side, there was to be a vote at the end of 1997. They would win it easily and I would just have to endure my team playing at the Carlton football club's home ground until this new stadium at the Docklands was built. With the second last game of the 1997 season at the Whitten Oval against fittingly the first team to be have West in their name- West Coast Eagles I attended like many others for the final time. Standing in the queue at the turnstiles between the Whitten and Gent stands there were people handing out Footscray Forever flyers(as there were at the other entrance points to the ground) What many don't know is how the then new administration had security guards harassing these people for the horrific crime of handing out pamphlets. The flyers were just stating the position of people who wanted their club to be called Footscray. The unelected administration at war with the fans of the club they represent. We want your money but we don't want your opinion so get to the back of the bus. So how surprised was I to read some time later that the club had cut a deal with the Footscray Forever Committee (FFC) and there was to be NO VOTE about the name issue. The compromise being that the FFC would drop its application for a vote at the meeting in exchange for 3 small letters on the back of the Western Bulldogs jumper. A vote relinquished for two F's and one C. I could not believe this and wondered what happened to the FFC who were so steadfast and seemingly in the ascendancy earlier. How could they trade off so meekly? Well it depends who you deal with doesn't it? The Western Bulldogs made a deal with someone on the Footscray Forever Committee, yet this man did not have the authority to make any agreement on his own. A good comparison would be a hypothetical situation where George Bush desiring Australian involvement in a war. He gains his wish by reaching a compromise from dealing with some back bencher rather than John Howard and the cabinet. When people protest he could claim that the signature of this back bencher was all he needed.
Well the leading lights of the FFC protested that the deal was not legally binding, but the Western Bulldogs had a signature and that was all that they decided was required and now they had the upper hand. The FFC would have to take them to court to contest this agreement. It was considered but the main player in the FFC was advised not to pursue it by no less a legal giant than Queens Counsel, Dyson- Hore Lacy. Mr Hore-Lacy had been the final president of Fitzroy and new intricately both the legal system and the AFL. He instructed that a challenge, if lost would cost Marie, the leader of the FFC her house, in legal costs. The media was on the side of the new name- people who opposed the name change were described as 'Stick in the Muds' in one Melbourne newspaper. Whether these non-Footscray supporting journalists would be happy if their team became the Western Bombers/ Eastern Tigers/Northern Blues etc is worth asking. I am yet to hear one say that he or she would embrace the name Western Bombers/Eastern Tigers/Northern Blues. The whole episode strained and even ruined some friendships and turned important and intelligent supporters away from the club. Others have limited their commitment to just an ordinary membership, rather that the more high expensive upgraded ones that they would normally purchase and utilise. Some of the Footscray Forever Committee stalwarts have ended their association with the club, hurt by the actions and methods adopted by the Western Bulldogs hierachy. They can't bring themselves to support an organisation that treated them with such contempt. There is so little information regarding the Footscray Forever Committee. Through searching the internet by Google, Yahoo or other engines you will view minimal recognition of that organisation. I give my thanks to those people who fought for the Footscray name. It is certainly the time for an organised Footscray focused group to seriously re-ignite as a legitimate pressure group. Like minded mates sitting around having informal talks and reminiscing about the good old days of Footscray and the Western /Whitten Oval is unlikely to get anywhere. The passive silent majority needs to awaken and become active.
BRITISH SOCCER CLUBS AND THEIR NAMES AND NICKNAMES
Western (and it’s variations like west or westie) are not words that automatically and exclusively connects with Footscray, the Bulldogs or Melbourne the city. It never has and probably never will. It definitely won’t in football terms due to another AFL club having the word West in their name and also it’s such a general term that in any word association test it won’t be exclusively linked to the football club formerly known as Footscray. Western is not an emotive term that pulls at the heart strings. It is just a general direction and when accompanied by the nickname as it always is just makes our famous club sound childish. No, in fact it makes us sound babyish. Western Bulldogs is a Cat In the Hat Name- maybe Dr Seuss would have approved
THE GEORDIE MAGPIES FC
THE MERSEYSIDE REDS FC
Two famous English cities Newcastle and Liverpool have nicknames for their inhabitants that are peculiar to these towns only.
You can also include London here with the Cockney word Newcastle folk are described as ‘Geordies’ and ‘Liverpool people as ‘Scousers’. Mancunians and Brummies are variations of Manchester and Birmingham. Should someone be described as a Scouser, people understand that he or she is from or a native of Liverpool. It is exactly the same result for a Geordie with Newcastle. Both cities also have a well known river – the Tyne for Newcastle the Mersey for Liverpool. As well as being Geordies, Newcastle dwellers are often referred to as Tynesiders. Liverpudlians are Merseysiders. The Beatles, Gerry Marsden and many others from the 1960’s contributed to the Mersey Beat. Like most cities throughout Britain a river is identified to that place.
London- Thames,
Glasgow -Clyde
Nottingham- Trent
Stoke (also the) Trent
Sunderland -Wear
Norwich- Wensum
Middlesbrough- Tees
Dundee- Tay
Here in Australia we have our rivers that distinguish a major city
Hobart – Derwent
Launceston – Tamar
Perth- Swan
Adelaide- Torrens
Geelong- Barwon
Melbourne- Yarraalso to a lesser extent(sadly) the Maribyrnong River.
I’ve made a point in another chapter about Australia having boring names. That argument is exemplified by Brisbane and its Brisbane River. We in Australia as opposed to Britain are not identified as people by our rivers. A Melbournian is not described as a Yarrasider. Derwentsider and Torrenssider are also words that gain a red spell check underlining.
In the UK however it can be different
Overseas particularly in Britain, soccer matches featuring teams from the same city or two nearby cities are referred to as a local derby. That expression has slowly and finally reached us here in Australia with the national league and the inclusion of Fremantle in 1995 and then Port Power in 1997. Although the game in Adelaide is for some reason described as a “Showdown.” Dennis Cometti refers to the West Coast / Fremantle clash as the ‘Western Derby’ although he pronounces Derby as it’s spelt rather than the traditional British ‘Darby’ were the ‘e’ is pronounced as an ‘a’ Some of these derby matches in both England and Scotland, are usually identified by the river that runs through the city Everton v Liverpool- Merseyside Derby
Dundee v Dundee United- Tayside Derby Or if the derby game is between two teams from neighbouring towns it can be described in this way –
Newcastle v Sunderland Tyne-Wear Derby
Newcastle v Middlesbrough Tyne-Tees Derby
It would never happen that the soccer clubs from these teams would ever change their names to reflect their nickname. Newcastle’s soccer team is Newcastle United and the nickname of the soccer team (although not the town) is magpies, reflecting their colours of black and white
Newcastle is in the north of England, the closest big city to the border with Scotland Newcastle United Football Club would never consider becoming any of these –
Geordie Magpies
Tyneside Magpies,
Tyneside Geordies
Or the most apt of the lot compared with Footscray and Western Bulldogs the
Northern Magpies.
Northern Geordies
You be laughed out of town for proposing changing Newcastle’s name, Liverpool’s two soccer clubs, Everton and Liverpool would also never contemplate changing their names either. Everton’s nickname has been the Toffees and Liverpool just the plain reds or the pool reflecting their colours and abbreviation of their genuine name. Although Liverpool is not as close to Scotland as Newcastle, Liverpool is also in the north of England.
Merseyside Toffees v Merseyside Reds or any other team is just too ludicrous to suggest. The Northern Toffees clash with the Northern Reds is equally ridiculous. It will always be Everton and LiverpoolWould any of the London clubs change their name? How would these sound?
Cockney Hotspur
Cockney Gunners
Cockney Pensioners
Cockney Athletic
Cockney Cottagers
Cockney Lions
Or just use London in place of Cockney for Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Charlton, Fulham and Millwall Crystal Palace, Q.P.R and West Ham United are not suburbs and West Ham is unusually named as it’s in the east end of London. However the point is still that the above three wouldn’t want to become the
Cockney /London Eagles #
Cockney / London Rangers
Cockney /London Irons #
Eagles is a newish nickname for Crystal Palace. They were formerly known as the Glaziers. The eagles were adopted by Palace under 40 years ago. They changed their nickname but not their real name. Crystal is also like Western, never mentioned singularly but it would never be considered to erase it from their name. Why it’s been there since the club was established in 1905, which is 20+ years after Footscray was founded. Crystal also has a crucial meaning to it’s name, it is connected with the Crystal Palace. Palace on it’s own could mean Buckingham or any other palace. Taking away the Crystal would sever the club from its historical heritage. One piece of trivia often asked is what English Soccer team’s name goes for the longest without a vowel? The answer is Crystal Palace because the first vowel is at number 6. Take the Crystal away and they are like any other club with a vowel after 1,2 or three letters. The logic of this exercise is that Western is a name that means nothing. It stands for nobody and represents no one. The western suburbs of Melbourne do not have an original nickname like the English cities of Liverpool and Newcastle do. Coming from the western suburbs is more connected to Sydney than to Melbourne. Being a ‘westie’ is more of a Sydney icon than a Melbourne one. (if ‘westie’ has ever reached iconic status and I doubt it has) Footscray is word that is seemingly at worst evil or at best undesirable. So many places or names with Footscray have been altered to erase the ‘f’ word
Footscray Girls High- Gilmore College
Footscray Hospital- Western District Hospital
Footscray District Football League- Western Region Football League
Footscray Council – Maribyrnong Council
Footscray High School- gone
And the worst one of them all Footscray Football Club- Western Bulldogs or as the apologists will say ‘We are still Footscray really’ ‘The name is officially Footscray Trading as Western Bulldogs’ and we have got the letter FFC on the back of the jumper. That means us. Well really? Many could arrive at the conclusion that the FFC actually stands for ‘Footscray Fans Conned’
I will come to accept the idea that Western Bulldogs is really Footscray when I see the first game of the 2006 fixture presented this way
Round 1 2006
Thursday 30th March
West Coast v St Kilda
Friday 31st March
Footscray Trading As Western Bulldogs v Richmond
Saturday 1st April
Geelong v Brisbane
Essendon v Sydney
Port Adelaide v Kangaroos
Sunday 2nd April
Hawthorn v Fremantle
Melbourne Carlton
Sunday 3rd April
Collingwood v Adelaide
For some reason it has not appeared that way and neither have the previous draws dating back to the 1997 season. The changing of the name appears to be primarily not about capturing a wider area to gain support, but to expel Footscray from the club. The football team known as the Kangaroos have the words North Melbourne in their song. It was deleted initially, but they chose to re-instate it. Although Kangaroos is what appears on the official fixtures the club will use the word North Melbourne and they don’t discourage its use. At the Western Bulldogs, Footscray is seemingly a taboo word. No official Western Bulldogs publication willingly mentions the F word. A player from years past is rarely described as being a Footscray player. He is always just a Bulldog. The Kangaroos new president Graham Duff has publicly stated that he prefers the name North Melbourne and to the Kangaroos and it's thus only a matter of time before his administration re-introduces the name North Melbourne.
When Graham Duff does reinstate North Melbourne, it will only further isolate the Western accepters. What arguments and viewpoints can they present now, that the only other team to follow in changing their genuine name is poised to abandon that stance and return to their traditional title? Only one other club followed the lead of Western and now they are expelling their new name. There will be a lot of explaining and convincing to be done by the Western apologists. It will be very interesting to hear their responses.
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