BF ages and years of support

[rustyg70]

G'day guys.
I'm turning 43 in November.
Been following the Pies since about 1976/77.
Was sitting in my bean bag,eating Fish and Chips watching The Winners with the family for the first time.
The Pies v Blues came on,my brother said I'm going for Carlton so I went for the Mighty Pies.
Thank God he chose them, or I would be supporting Carlton right now.

 

[Greening Magic]

45. Have a photo of myself when I was 4 with my Pies jumper on. Youngest of 4, my sister barracked for the Pies and conscripted me. Brothers barrack for Geelong and Hawthorn.
Grew up in country Victoria and listened to the Pies on the radio every Sat arvo, then watched The Big Replay on Sat nights. Favourite players were the Richardson brothers, then Billy Picken and Daics.
Went to my first game at Kardinia Park in '76. We lost but I couldn't give a stuff, I'd finally seen them live.
Best game seen live as a teenager was '81 1st Semi versus Fitzroy. Ross Brewer kicked the ball over his head and mine. That's something i'll never ever forget.
'77 thru '81 mum would decorate the house with Black & White balloons on GF day. (she didn't really barrack for anyone) Losing meant they were tough days for a young kid.
Went to 90 flag with my sister, the moment when Doug Barwick kicked that goal is something I'll never ever forget. Also went to to 2010 (both games). 1st was the worst 2 hours I've ever spent at the footy thinking we were going to lose. The 2nd was the best 2 hours I've spent at the footy, knowing we were going to win. Swanny's goal in the 3rd qtr is something I'll never ever forget, we were home.

Proudest moment: When my son said he hated Carlton more than any other team.
Worst moment: When Milne looked like he was going to gather that ball. That was a long second.
Also Kerry Goods goal, took it pretty hard.

I love that you either love or hate the Pies.
Nothing in between.
We are no one's 'second team' and............ we don't have a 'second team'.

 

[dubber]

Just read the whole thread, every single word and every single story. Wonderful to be able to share a passion with so many great and diverse group of people. I never took supporting Collingwood as my right rather a privilege, and today it's proven to me how lucky I have been to be able to stand side by side with folks like you. Much respect.

 

[Aucklander]

I'm 53 and got my first look at the game back in the late 80s. Was a Saints v Swans game at Western Springs in Auckland. We used to get the weekly highlight shows and as a Kiwi it just seemed natural to follow the Pies.

Got to go to my first game at the MCG in 1998 I think it was and then a year later we moved to Melbourne. Been a member now for 8 years, but don't get to a lot of games due to my sons footy and past involvement at club level. Hoping that will change next year.

Got to go to the GF replay in 2010 and that was an awesome experience. Love going to the MCG the atmosphere is something else. Every game is a memory win or lose. Scott Pendlebury's my favourite player and I see a lot of my boy in him. Great thread.

 

[Pedro]

4
Best game seen live as a teenager was '81 1st Semi versus Fitzroy. Ross Brewer kicked the ball over his head and mine. That's something i'll never ever forget.

I was at that game too and remember that moment well. Very late in the game from memory and a match winner

 

[Quicky]

I'm 27 and have followed the Pies my whole life. I follow the Pies because my old man follows the Pies. So probably more relevant is how he became a Pies supporter. My grandfather was a Carlton supporter. A hard nosed bloke who worked on the rails. He didn't take footy too seriously and Dad was free to choose who he wanted to barrack for. The year was 1958 and at that time it was a choice between Melbourne and Collingwood. One of his friends up the road went for the Pies and when they won that magnificent flag in 58' his fate, and mine, were sealed. There is no other team.

My earliest footy memory was the death of Darren Millane. That story of how he died really sticks in my mind. I was 6 and it hurt. It sparked the decline of the Magpies and what history shows is the worst performing decade that the Magpies have seen in their history. I understand the heartbreak of all those lost premierships through the 60's-80's but at least there was hope and success in that time. Even if there was plenty of heartbreak. Spare a thought for all the young Magpie supporters during that period in the 90's. What made this worse for me was that I lived in what is a staunchly Geelong area. They love hanging shit on Collingwood supporters as fervently as any Carlton supporter.

When I was a kid my favourite players were Daicos, Sav Rocca and Micky McGuane. I didn't really get to see much of Daicos but I had some old highlights on a beta tape that I'd watch over and over again and my Dad did a good job drilling into me what a special player he was. I would run around the spare block next to my house, in a guernsey my Nan (a diehard Richmond supporter) had knitted for me. It had 36 on the back for Sav Rocca. I would practice checksides and pretend I was Daicos.

The first game I went to was at the G against the Cats. My family didn't go to games so I went along with Geelong following friends. It was driving rain and bitterly cold but I loved every minute. We lost but I got to see Rocca kick a 60m goal so I was stoked. The next match I attended was at Kardinia, Geelong vs Freo in equally appalling conditions. I grew a real respect for Medhurst in that game and was happy when he made it to the Pies. Benny Graham later commented that game and the one against the Pies at the G were the two coldest games he has ever played in. I know how to pick em!

I have a lot of favourite Pie memories but the one that stands out was when I was working in Melbourne. I had a job where I worked a bit on boats going up the Yarra River. The Pies trained at Gosch's paddock and would walk back to the Lexus centre along the River. They had a game planned to see who could kick a Sherrin from bank to bank. Butters was telling the players they couldn't lose that many balls in the river so Holland asked if we would pick them up in the boat. My boss was about to tell them to get stuffed. He had no idea who they were. Whatsoever. But I argued him into it. From memory no-one could kick it all the way over but Cloke got the closest. Butters gave me one of the training balls for being a good sport.

 

[Premier Pies]

I am 38 years old now and I wrote about how I came to love the Pies a couple of years ago in another thread. This thread has been a most enjoyable read, I love how all of our stories are so varied yet we're all mad about the Pies today.

So I'd like to add to this thread and share my Pies story. Hopefully fellow posters find it interesting and not yawn inducing


I am only 36 years old but the memories I have of our beloved Pies are many and varied, especially at Victoria Park our spiritual home. I would like to share a childhood memory of the Pies and how I came to love them oh so very much.

When I was about 7 or 8 years old I used to go and stay at my Grandmother's unit in Hawthorn the night before a home game. In the morning my cousin who was 5 years older than me would arrive to go to the footy with us. We would walk about 1.5kms to the bus stop and ride on into Vic Park in time to see the second half of the thirds.

We would find our member's seats in the Jack Ryder stand. Our seats were situated behind all of the players wives and girlfriends. Sometimes we would get really lucky and senior players would come and sit with their partners to watch a bit of the reserves match. My cousin and I would race each other to finish the puzzle in the record. We would revel in watching the reserves and trying to predict who would be the next player to make it into the seniors.

Our Nanna would pack a basket of fod for us to consume through the day. If I remember correctly it was two cold chickens, a packet of chocolate biscuits and a few cans of soft drink. That would all be eaten in record time and we still had room to buy hot chips just before three quarter time when the stalls would close.

The seniors of course was where it all happened and the ground would just erupt with passion, screaming, shouting and of course everyone to a person singing the theme song with gusto. Players like Wes Fellowes, Mark Richardson, Ricky Barham, Peter Daicos (my hero still to this day), Mark Williams(Captain), Geoff Raines, Shane Morwood would run out and give their all for the black and white.

We would eagerly watch the old scoreboard and check the updates of matches at other grounds. When the matches were all completed my cousin and I would quickly calculate the Pies current percentage against all of the other teams percentages, seeing whether our ladder position has changed at all.

Many a great victory was watched by the three of us at Victoria Park, so many wonderful memories and it's all thanks to our wonderful grandmother. She is almost single handedly responsible for harnessing and helping to flourish our love for all things black and white. It is giving me goosebumbs typing this right now to think it was almost 30 years ago.

Sadly my Nanna left this world a couple of years before our 2010 triumph. I know she would've been watching the big game and enjoying it immensely, especially seeing how happy her grandsons were.

To this day we still go to every Melbourne game together and have been doing so for the last 9 years. We are now reserved seat members and always look forward to the footy commencing every year. My cousin is now my best mate in the world and is the brother I never had. This I thank my Nanna eternally. Without her efforts taking us to the game, I wouldn't have the special bond with my cousin (brother) or the love for Pies as it is today.

Now I have two kids aged 4 & 2 who are already brainwashed and love the Pies. My four year old daughter could sing the theme song word for word when she was two. My son is a work in progress but it's coming along nicely.

So my love for Collingwood runs very deep and my family actually grew up in Collingwood in the 50's. Some of the stories I hear from my dad are amazing and scary.

I will always have a special place in my heart for the Pies and it's something I hope to instill in my kids also. I will teach them about all the hatred, snide remarks and idiots they will encounter barracking for the Pies. I will also teach them about the amazing highs and the feelings they will experience after a famous victory, a freakish goal or mark, a grand final victory!

Collingwood is our club, the people's club. Side by side is the most perfect motto I could ever think of. Bring on season 2012 and hopefully our 16th flag. (clearly 2012 or 2013 didn't pan out how I'd hoped )

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

Sorry guys I'm actually 31 and have been following Collingwood since I was 4was a good story though

Lie to be liked. There's a message there somewhere.

 

[jathanas]

44, my family had a box at Vic Park during the early - mid 80s.

I've paid for memberships since I started earning a salary.

 

[Sub_Zero]

28, starting following seriously in '02

 

[DuckToaster]

I didn't have much of choice, this was me in 1990. I had the same facial expression when we lost to port...

 

[Magpie Girl]

I didn't have much of choice, this was me in 1990. I had the same facial expression when we lost to port...

but you're wearing North Melbourne socks!

no wonder you look bemused

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

33. Pies supporter essentially since birth.

 

[Quicky]

but you're wearing North Melbourne socks!

no wonder you look bemused

No way. They're handbagger socks. So so much worse.

 

[The Magnificent Seven]

42 years, lifelong supporter. Although I'm from the same draft as Old Spice and had to endure long years playing in the Norf Melbourne little league. By default (and from watching lots of B&W replays on the tele) Norf are now my 2nd club.

Missed the 1990 GF because I was too busy dropping out in college. I kick like Jimmy Manson. My uncle was the one responsible for making me the Pies supporter, and he was heartily disappointed his son James was drafted into the Hawks (mind you two GFs under his belt softened the blow).

Tragic Pie, Buckley-believer and die-hard optimist. Finding it hard to know what to do with myself in September right now...

 

[Beary17]

Great thread, good to read about all the different backgrounds and paths to our great club!
Im 29, been following Collingwood as long as i can remember, follow the pies because of Dad like alot of others.

His dad is a Carlton fan so my old boy picked Collingwood to support to spite him (thankfully!!)

He was born in 1957, attended every Grand Final we played in from 1966 to 1981.

We moved from Melbourne to Adelaide in 1989 and watched the 1990 grand final at home, I was 6 but didnt really know what was going on, i remember the day well though, late in the evening Mum dropped us at a pub to grab beers while she went for fish and chips, Dad dropped the case and smashed a 6 pack!

The next year the Crows came in so my parents thought theyd try and get me to be a Crows fan, I was never interested and wanted to stick with the pies. We went to most games at footy park through the 90's, my first game at the MCG was Anzac Day 2000.

I dont think theres any way you could be a Collingwood fan living in Adelaide and not be a fully committed supporter, all the pies fans I know here are full on like me, it seems everyone in Adelaide barracks for an SA team and hates Collingwood, I wouldnt have it any other way!

 

[DoubleO7]

23 years young.

Was more into soccer... then one day I witnessed Bucks destroy a team that I cannot remember.

 

[Avatar]

Wow...

This just got...


(Awesome??)

OA gets involved, things get awesome. General rule around here.

 

[samdapie32]

22 turning 23 next month, been following the Pies since 2002

 

[Rusty22]

Pretty much every active user on our board has talked in this thread.
pumped for next year, only 200 odd days to go

 

[neilk]

Was brief in previous post. 58 y/o and born into Collingwood family. My aunty was married to Guy Moore who played about 50 games for the Pies late 1940's to early 1950's. His 3 sons all played u/19's and 2nd's for Collingwood but didn't make it to the 1st's. My family moved to Sydney around 1960 and I lived there until returning to Melbourne in 1994. First GF was 1977 draw and missed replay as I was on end of season trip with my Sydney club. Was in Melbourne for 1977 GF with team-mate Glen Coleman who was being looked at by a few Melbourne teams as a 16y/o at the time. Was put in for MCC membership when I was born and it came through after 23 years, in time to see 1979 GF after travelling down from Sydney. Not happy. Been to quite a few other GF's and total Pies record is 2-3-2. Because I was living in Sydney I gave up the MCC membership eventually due to costs and no longer getting a ladies ticket free. Worst decision I ever made but never thought I's be moving back to Melbourne at that stage. Legends' member for the last 8 years or so with my son who is in my avatar with Daisy back in about 2006. May have to look at getting a new avatar soon

 

[Prestigerrycomo]

29 in a few weeks, have a photo of me in a pies beanie as a little fella...didn't have a choice and wouldn't have it any other way!

 

[ColinMochrie]

25, turning 26 in December. Have been a supporter all my life, brainwashed at a very young age. Been a member since 2007 I believe.

 

[Football God]

22. Born march 22nd 1991. The same day as Adelaides first ever AFL match against hawthorn.
Born and raised a magpie all my life. Sometimes I take it too seriously. Lol

 

[wicksy]

27 here.
Family have followed Collingwood ever since my great uncle, Alan Wickes played a few years there.

Back row - Harry Sullivan, John Henderson, Kevin Pay, Mick Twomey, Graeme Fellowes, Kevin Rose, Peter Rosenbrock, Alan Wickes
Middle row - Ray Gabelich, Ron Reeves, Bill Serong, Murray Weideman, Thorold Merrett, Brian Beers, Bill Thripp, Bert Chapman
Front row - Ken Turner, John Carmody, Brian Gray, Des Field

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/A/Alan_Wickes.html