A FOOTSCRAY FAN

I have knowingly been a Footscray supporter since 1976. That is when I chose to commit to them though it would have been highly unlikely if I were to have declared loyalty to any of the other 11 VFL teams at the time. My father, most of his relatives and probably 90% of his friends barracked for Footscray. My mother didn’t come from Melbourne, so there was no other team tradition there on that side of the family as an alternative, to tempt me away from the Footscray heritage of my father’s side.) I wasn’t a rebellious 6 year old, so Footscray it was to be and now in 2008 I can certainly question whether I made the correct decision back then 32 years ago!

My first Footscray game it could be argued was against Hawthorn at Glenferrie Oval in 1969. My mother went to that game whilst expecting me and it was a defeat (what a beginning- the preamble of things to come.) Happily the first game after I was born, Footscray defeated Essendon at the Western Oval in the second last week of the season, Round 19 Saturday 23rd August 1969, having the previous week lost to South Melbourne at the Lakeside Oval.

Six years later I genuinely attended three games in the 1975 season and they were all victories. One game of which I am pretty confident was one of the three was away to South Melbourne at the Lakeside Oval, but I can’t recall who the other two were against. On the balance of probabilities one may have been that infamous Round 2 of Saturday 12th April 1975 where Fitzroy playing in their yellow shorts lost to Footscray in our new red shorts and our altered Guernsey design. As we won 11 games in 1975 the Neil Sachse game could well have been one of the three.

As I don’t remember, I can’t conclusively say that the Neil Sachse game was my first ever Footscray match. One of the three victories was in pouring rain and for some reason the strongest case for knowing what game I attended seems to be the Lakeside Oval clash in Round 21. This was Bob Rose’s last victory as the Footscray coach. Anyway I know was at three games and can’t remember a thing about them except standing all day in the teeming rain in one of them and that all 3 games were Footscray triumphs. The next season was 1976 and it was early in this season that I began to understand football and decide that I was going to follow in the family tradition and support Footscray. However I only attended the one game during the 1976 season, compared to the three of 1975. I loved the Footscray jumper of the time, although unbeknown to me it was only the second season it was worn. The three colours all worked in with each other, the red shorts, the white V with the red collar, the red inside the white bands, the three colours on the socks- it looked sensational this uniform, the team my dad, his family and friends all followed. Yes I was officially hooked.

From 1976 onwards the Footscray Football Club became a consuming passion, the Western Oval my second home. My first two seasons 1976 and 1977 had reasonable success, though more 1976 due to playing in the finals. 1978 began a downward trend that set in and we didn’t emerge from this famine until 1983. When I mean famine I don’t mean Premierships or Grand Finals, I mean just occasionally winning games. Two years later was 1985 this being my favourite and most memorable season, with 1992 also a year to be quite happy with.

My passion for Footscray although pretty keen was never to the level of some others, the chap Garry from Portland who has been to every Footscray game since 1974 is the ultimate supporter. I really couldn’t be considered a complete did hard fan. I tried to attend as many games as I could even in the ultra terrible years like 1981 where I was fortunate enough to have people prepared to go along and take me with them to 19 of the 22 games. I missed out on Hawthorn at Princes Park, Geelong at Kardinia Park and St Kilda at Moorabbin. I am just glad I didn’t miss out on Essendon at the Western Oval and Melbourne at Waverely as they were our only triumphs in 1981.

For three successive seasons 1984, 1985 and 1986 I went to 21 of the 22 games the missing game each year was Sydney at the SCG.

Yet I cannot be an unconditional devotee and over the last 11 years I have been very much a lukewarm supporter The events of October 1996 where our name was changed by the new board from Footscray to Western Bulldogs in which was against the Footscray Football Club’s constitution and our home games taken away from Footscray to Carlton’s home ground are situations that I could never come to terms with. The reasons/excuses given for these changes not credible enough to blindly follow and subsequently my support of the team who play in red, white and blue is indeed now in 2008 a vastly diminished one. The behaviour of the (then in 1996) new board with relation to Footscray the ground and Footscray the name of the club has driven me away. Back in 1996 a group of fans formed an association to counteract this- the Footscray Forever Committee but their dubious, highly suspicious and never explained demise just left a feeling of futility in the cause of defending Footscray. I can’t bring myself to actively follow an organisation that was and is so indifferent to the clubs history. That’s not my way- I am a Footscray person not a Western person whatever a Western is? The Western Bulldogs board has such callous disrespect for Footscray, their fundamental ethos appears to be to basically erase Footscray from the football club in just about all forms. The small three letters, the two F’S and the one C on the back of the players back are just as insulting as not having them there at all. It stands for the Footscray Football Club, but it (the FFC) may as well stand for Footscray Fans Conned or a wide and varied assortment of obscene meanings.

In the 11 years of the Western Bulldogs there has been no Premierships, no Grand Final appearances and only three finals victories. Only Richmond and Fremantle have won less than 3 finals games, since the end of season 1996, every other club has won 4 finals or more. Should the club have been a roaring success on the field in those 11 years, many of the Western sceptics would have been more tolerant of the radical changes. However success has not happened, so to say that the changing of the name from Footscray to Western Bulldogs has been a great thing, or indeed a triumph is plainly and clearly ludicrous.

Other chapters on FNWB will comment on the changing of the name in more depth. Here though underneath is a few anecdotes about my first season as a Footscray supporter

Here are some of my recollections where applicable of Footscray’s 23 games during season 1976:

Round 1: Saturday April 3rd 1976

I don’t recall anything about Round 1 it was an Essendon victory over the Bulldogs by one point- 16.17.113 to 16.16.113. A friend of mine- an Essendon supporter who is 12 years older than I, informed me many years later that the Bombers Ronnie Andrews was reported for striking Terry Wheeler during that game. For some reason I recall nothing of that match.

Round 2: Saturday April 10th 1976

Next game was at the MCG to Melbourne and a high scoring victory, 23 goals were kicked I don’t remember anything about this game unfortunately

Round 3: Saturday April 17th 1976

Win number two over South Melbourne at the Western Oval a week later on the Easter Saturday split round. This game was on the replay as I do recall some argy bargy between both teams. Can’t recall if fisticuffs were used or whether it was just pushing and shoving. After 3 rounds Footscray were two wins, one loss and third on the ladder. Anyhow I am progressively becoming more interested in football and keen to watch it Channel Seven’s Big League each Saturday night. My sister’s liking for Young Talent Time is becoming a major frustration, why do they clash- 6.30 pm each Saturday night.

Round 4: Saturday April 24th 1976

Hawthorn at Waverley and there are two issues that I recall from that match. I seem to remember Hawthorn kicking two goals after the ball had been over the boundary line. It was at the right hand end on the television, I am sure in one instance the boundary umpire missed seeing the ball go over and in the same scene Hawthorn stole a goal. My other memory was Bernie Quinlan taking a mark and yet Hawthorn took possession of the ball. I asked my dad what was going on, he said the umpire paid a push in the back against Quinlan and thus gave Hawthorn a free kick. We lost 14.20.104 to 14.8.92.

Round 5: Saturday May 1st 1976

A successful day at the MCG, two games there for two victories. This time Richmond are dispatched although I don’t recall anything of this match. If you have a look at the ‘Sensational Seventies’ on video or DVD, you will see during their 1976 chapter, Kelvin Templeton kick a goal to the Punt Road End (left hand end on tv) in this game from the goal square after a chain of handballs. Someone in the crowd behind that goal is waving a tricoloured Footscray flag with great gusto during this scene. On tv later that night the F.A. Cup Final is shown, Second Division Southampton defeating Manchester United 1-0 in a massive boilover, similar occurrence to three years earlier where second division Sunderland defeat Leeds United 1-0.

Round 6: Saturday May 8th 1976

A 5 point triumph over St Kilda 11.9.75 to 10.10.70, we were 1 point down and someone goaled near the end through to give Footscray a 5 point lead. That Footscray goal (I can’t recall who by- will try and discover it) was the final scoring action for that afternoon at the Western Oval.

Round 7: Saturday May 15th 1976

Defeat at Geelong and I was shattered listening at home on the radio. We were leading by three points and Geelong goaled right close to the end and they hung on, meaning that the Bulldogs would lose by three points. I was so upset that my mum made a point of mentioning to the doctor on my next visit there, how emotional I would become after a Footscray defeat and that she was very worried about it. The doctor said that I would grow out of it! Well I did mainly grow out of it, but not during the rest of 1976!

Round 8: Saturday May 22nd 1976

The Bulldogs thrashed by North Melbourne at the Western Oval. My only memory of this was our final score – 7.3.45. Every time since I hear the score of 7.3.45, it prompts my subconscious back to that North Melbourne, Western Oval game of 1976.

Round 9: Saturday May 29th 1976

A 10 point victory over Collingwood at Waverley, nothing from this match I remember except that we hung on by 10 points after holding a good lead at three quarter time.

Round 10: Saturday June 5th 1976

Was another close victory- 3 points over Fitzroy at the Junction Oval. Fitzroy leading before Footscray goaled so that the 3 point margin swung from Fitzroy’s favour to Footscray’s.

Round 11: Monday June 14th 1976

Fixture played on the Queens Birthday Public Holiday Monday. Footscray’s only game for 1976 that was NOT on a Saturday. Over 34,800 people packed into the Western Oval to see Footscray defeat Carlton. The television cameras were there and my abiding memory of this was Kelvin Templeton goaling to the Geelong Road /Scoreboard end (the right hand end on television) laying on the ground in or very close to the goal square and swinging his foot at the ball which went in for a goal.

That was every team played and then it was back to the start.

Round 12: Saturday 19th June 1976

This was a defeat to Essendon at Windy Hill by 10 points. I was listening on the radio for some of the game, before running around playing with some other local children and didn’t know the final score. When arriving home, I went in and saw my father and the relatives sitting around the table. How did we go, asked the inquisitive 6 year old. “We lost, can’t you tell by our sad faces” replied my Uncle who was a passionate Footscray supporter and a dedicated and actively involved member of the Footscray Social Club. The Social Club lockout fiasco later that year ripped my Uncle’s heart out (as it did to many Footscray people’s hearts) and his keenness for the social club ended then and there.

Round 13: Saturday 26th June 1976

Defeat to Melbourne, in Round 13 although it wasn’t an unlucky one. We kicked 3.5.23 with the wind in the first quarter and at half time the Bulldogs score was 3.6.24, Melbourne markedly more. So we managed one point against the breeze to the Barkly Street end in the second quarter. This game was on television and watching the replay that night I recall the Footscray fans booing loudly as the half time siren sounded. Melbourne led by Greg Wells doubling the Bulldogs goals, behinds and final points total- 7.10.52 to 14.20 114. Another game that reduced me to tears, this time in front of the some visiting relatives (2nd cousins) who were Melbourne fans despite their Grandfather (my father’s aunt’s husband) being a Footscray player in the 1930’s – he left after a dispute and ended up being associated with Melbourne, so his three Grandsons became Melbourne fans- though I don’t think they were that keen.

Round 14: Saturday 3rd July 1976

This was to be the only game I went to for the season. Home to Hawthorn and I was totally distraught. After the game we met up with my father who was watching it from the Social Club area and he asked my cousins how did I go- “He cried” was the response from one of my female teenage cousins who I had stood with in the outer looking into the sun. No beating around the bush with that answer. She and other relatives had admonished me for laughing and yelling out ‘ha ha’ after appearing to enjoy the pain of an opposition player as he was carried from the field. That was my only joy (?) for the day. This injury arguably costing Peter Knights the 1976 Brownlow Medal- two years later in 1978 Peter Knights again endured trauma at the Western Oval, swallowing his tongue. Sorry Peter if you read this, I say sorry in 2008 for mocking your bad knee injury back 32 years ago. That is my memory of my one and only game in the flesh of 1976.

Round 15: Saturday 10th July 1976

A defeat to South Melbourne at the Lakeside Oval, I don’t recall anything much about this listening at home on the radio. During the week before my father’s Aunt in Gippsland had died suddenly of a heart attack. Auntie May was only the second person that I had known to die, the first was my Grandmother her great friend and sister –in law back in 1974 also from a sudden heart attack, the Sunday night/ Monday morning after the Elimination Final disaster to Collingwood.

Round 16: Saturday 17th July 1976

A five point triumph over Richmond at Waverley, our score another one that has stuck in my mind forever since that Saturday July 17th afternoon- 15.6.96. Richmond’s 12.21 91 also is embedded in my memory bank that willingly stores all sorts of useless football trivia and disposes of important useful information.

Round 17: Saturday 24th July 1976

Defeat to St Kilda at Moorabbin- can’t recall anything about it except that the scores were similar to the South Melbourne defeat at the Lakeside Oval of a week ago.

Round 18: Saturday 31st July 1976

A victory over Geelong by 10 points at home. This is the game that shows Geelong’s Paul Sarah taking a strong mark – it (Sarah’s mark) is on quite a few videos like the Sensational Seventies. The score was 13.8.86 to 11.10.76.

Round 19: Saturday 07th August 1976

Defeat in a close game to North Melbourne at Arden Street. I can’t recall anything specifically about this afternoon. It was either this game or next year in 1977 where Terry Wheeler kicked a fine goal, he intercepted a Kangaroos kick out from a Footscray behind, marking the kick as opposed to the intended North target, playing on and goaling on the run. It was to the left hand end on the television at Arden Street. Then again this could have been in 1977 as it certainly wasn’t in 1978 as I was there in 1978 and I recall it didn’t happen that afternoon in June 1978.

Round 20: Saturday 14th August 1976

This was a comfortable victory over Collingwood at the Western Oval. The Footscray final score of 18.16.124 became that Saturday August 14th day the clubs highest score against Collingwood. It stayed that way until 1999 when a Matthew Robbins goal seconds before the siren at the MCG took the red, white and blue score to 19.12.126 finally eclipsing the rather low highest ever total of 124 against an opponent that was registered back 23 years earlier. Anyhow my memories of this game are that Kelvin Templeton booted 6 goals and four of those were in the first quarter. My mother took my sister and I to a local park during that afternoon and mum became increasingly frustrated with me for continually wanting to go home and listen to the football. We must have left home for the park during the second quarter as I clearly remember at the time Templeton kicking four in the first quarter. When we got back home, I learnt that Templeton had finished with 6 goals and that the 5th and 6th goals came during the last quarter.

Round 21: Saturday 21st August 1976

Was a victory after the siren by one point. We were trailing by five points to Fitzroy at Waverley when Alan Stoneham goaled to the small scoreboard end (right hand end on television) to give us a 1 point success. A mate of mine who was there told me years later how Stoneham was just on the boundary line when he walked in to take the kick and how the crowd just erupted after it sailed through. It is another final score that I can’t forget Footscray 4.11.35 and Fitzroy’s 3.16.34. The next day on World Of Sport’s Club Corner segment I remember listening to the Fitzroy coach Kevin Rose proclaiming happily how his team had kept Footscray scoreless during the 3rd quarter. That was true 2.3.15 at half time was also our three quarter time score. Footscray storming home with 2.8 to claim the four premiership points from that clash.

We were up in Gippsland for that match to attend a family wedding. Happily the couple who got married are still together approaching 32 years on. For the bridegroom it was just a five weeks after his Grandmother’s (Auntie May’s) sudden death.

Round 22: Saturday 28th August 1976

Was the biggest game in my life at the time. Footscray led Melbourne by two points on the ladder and we were facing Carlton at Princes Park. Melbourne were away to Collingwood at Victoria Park, yet Melbourne had the better percentage and if they beat Collingwood who were on the bottom at the time Melbourne would make the finals at our expense if we lost. Collingwood had the incentive to win because a defeat would mean that they would definitely finish last for the first time ever in their history. Carlton needed to succeed over Footscray because if they slipped up, Hawthorn would take the top spot from them should the Hawks beat Geelong at Kardinia Park.

So I was glued to the radio and we seemed to be going ok, Carlton hadn’t blown us away. Melbourne had a handy lead over Collingwood at half time and by three quarter time they basically had the game won. So it was up to us to hang on at Princes Park. We had drawn with them there in 1974 but had not won there since 1964. Near the end we were 3 points up but Carlton kept pressuring the goals and gained two more points. With them 1 point behind Carlton’s Tasmanian recruit Tony Pickett had a shot that was going through for a goal but it was thwarted by Bernie Quinlan who touched it on or near the goal line. This made score level and soon after the siren sounded. It was to be a double celebration for both clubs that afternoon at Princes Park- Hawthorn has been defeated by Geelong at Kardinia Park, so Carlton would finish the season on top. The tie kept Footscray 2 points ahead of Melbourne, one more point to Carlton would have seen Melbourne make the finals were they would have been up against Geelong, Two weeks earlier Melbourne had crunched Geelong by 55 points in their Round 21 clash at the M.C.G. However Bernie Quinlan’s saving action meant that the cats and dogs would battle it out for the Elimination Final in the first week of the finals.

That Saturday afternoon is arguably one the most dramatic final round in football, with others like 1981, 1984 and 1987. In the official ‘History of the Melbourne Football Club’ book it is mentioned how some Melbourne fans evidently threw wooden spoons on to the Victoria Park playing arena to remind their Collingwood counterparts of what they were destined for that afternoon. Robbie Flower mentioned in the History of Melbourne DVD that during that game the Collingwood supporters were singing the Footscray song. At Victoria Park both teams would leave unhappy.

Elimination Final: Saturday September 4th 1976

I was thinking of this game all through the week- Geelong at Waverley. I didn’t attend, in some ways now I wish I had of gone just for the reason of saying that I was there.

At three quarter time although already a pessimist about Footscray and nearly there victories, I was reasonably contented being13 points ahead and coming home with the breeze in the last stanza. As the quarter progressed it became a tortured one for a young child pacing up and down the kitchen listening to the radio. After Geelong hit the front I began to realise my worst fears were going to materialise and soon the final siren would sound with the Bulldogs 7 points in arrears to the Cats. This brought on another John McEnroe like tantrum, though it wasn’t cynical gamesmanship from me, just a shattered inconsolable recently turned 7 years of age Footscray supporter who had his hopes and dreams destroyed in one quarter of negligence. I must have watched the replay as I recall that in the last quarter we were kicking to the Main scoreboard end. One of the Geelong heroes was Bryan Cousins and in 1996 when I first heard the name Ben Cousins I knew he must have some connection to Bryan who played his part in giving me one of my saddest days as a Footscray supporter. “Don’t worry we will make the finals again soon- yeah right, nine yes NINE bleeding years later we would make the finals again. There were no survivors in the Footscray team from that Geelong Elimination Final of 1976 who represented us in 1985.

1976 was a brilliant year for the V.F.L being such a close season.

Round 22 was a wonderful conclusion to the home and away season. Four of the six games has a different scenario or a story to tell. Even one of the two games that was the least important to the overall scheme of things- (Richmond v St Kilda at Waverley) carries currency in that it was the final match as coach of Richmond for Tommy Hafey and also the last game that Allan Jeans would be in charge of St Kilda. The other ‘dead rubber’ North Melbourne v South Melbourne at Arden Street would also be played a year later as well on Round 22. However the 1977 clash of the North and South Melbourne’s would be massively important.

So despite the shattering defeat to Geelong in the Elimination Final, I was looking forward to 1977.