Brisbane should wear the old Fitzroy gurnsey in every game (not just Melbourne)

[Wonaeamirri33]

I still believe that Fitzroy should attempt to join the VFL, seeing as there are no Lions in the league it shouldn't be a problem. Unless Brisbane makes a big deal about it, but I don't think they will.

All a question of funding and where it comes from Raboyle... I certainly hope the necessary resources are there to make this a reality some time soon. When and if Fitzroy are in a position to sustain a VFL club in our own right, I think this would happen in short order...

 

[Stocka]

I don't think that joining the VFL is a good idea.

Currently, having a team in the VAFA is like running a community football team. Well-organised and dedicated people can do in as a part-time activity. There is little to no need for the employment of professionals and the costs of the organisation would be well within the annual turnover of the club. There is also no need to pay the players.

If Fitzroy joined the VFL, it would require the club and team to be run like a business. It would necessitate a large start-up cost, significant on-going costs, and the full-time employment of professionals to run the organisation. I don't think Fitzroy is currently operating in a capacity that would made enable it to make this transition.

There would be the risk of the club experiencing financial difficulties down the track. If this occurred, what would happen then? I'd suggest that in this event, it might result in permanent extinction of the Fitzroy identity.

Having a team in the VFL might give Fitzroy a bit more exposure at a higher level of football, but if people are really wanting the Fitzroy identity at a higher level, then there is the option of supporting the Lions in the AFL (who carry on some aspects of the club's identity and heritage at the highest level). For those who feel that this is not "Fitzroy enough", then perhaps been satisfied with what is offered at the Fitzroy Reds is the best, and safest option.

 

[Maroon Goon]

Stoka is dead right on all aspects,as someone who has followed the local team over many a season it would just spell the end of the local Fitzroy Team in the end.

 

[InCase]

Fair point there Spazzallo, I just think the Fitzroy colours meant alot more to alot more people (over 100 seasons) than the Brisbane Bears did in their 10 seasons of VFL/AFL.

On an unrelated note, I dont think tradition should ever stand in the way of progress. I think too often administrators dont mkae logical progress because they are afraid to change something because "its a tradition". Im all for Essendon having a clash strip and Collingwood should as well (especially when they are the away team to Kangaroos)

You may want to check up on what colours Fitzroy wore for the majority of their life.

I'll give you a hand; maroon, blue and gold.

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

Stoka is dead right on all aspects,as someone who has followed the local team over many a season it would just spell the end of the local Fitzroy Team in the end.

I know where you're coming from with that Goon, and I certainly agree with Stocka that the startup and ongoing costs are the big hurdle, and sustainability is the primary concern. Whether these factors make it an impossibility, I couldn't say- in my opinion, it'd be a big call to say this would never become practical or possible in the future though.

As a fan of the world game, I've seen big clubs in other countries build up from similar starting points, after all, and we do always have a wider base of latent support out there, I think, so I could never personally rule out this particular hope.

But again, that's only my opinion...

 

[BrisRoy96]

Old issue, but a good one.

i like the Melbourne based brisbane jumper. the FFC logo is gone, but as it was said, if we survived, we wouldnt have come out of it complete.

we would have relocated or had a merger in our favour, and this jumper is the closest we'd ever have gotten!

i think we should play Sydney at the MCG once every now and again, both wearing the traditional strips of Fitzroy and South Melbourne!

 

[Roy Fitzlion]

=InCase;14795635]You may want to check up on what colours Fitzroy wore for the majority of their life.

I'll give you a hand; maroon, blue and gold.

We will also help out with a hand..........the color "gold" was introduced in 1976 for tv, so the 1976-1996 "gold" doesn't make it in for the "majority" of their life!

 

[Roylion]

we would have relocated or had a merger in our favour, and this jumper is the closest we'd ever have gotten!

Had Fitzroy relocated in their own right...say to Canberra...then most certainly the Lions' Melbourne jumper that they wear now would have been Fitzroy's official jumper. Maybe the FFC logo would have been worn on the breast (as the Lion logo once appeared on the breast of our FFC jumper..when we were in the VFL-AFL.)

The jumper that the Lions wear eight times a year (in Melbourne and Tasmania) is certainly much better than anything we would have ever seen if there had been a North Mebourne - Fitzroy merger.

i think we should play Sydney at the MCG once every now and again, both wearing the traditional strips of Fitzroy and South Melbourne!

It would be terrific. Perhaps a future 'rivalry round' between the Swans and Lions (say in Sydney) might be the time and place to do it. I doubt very much the Fitzroy Football Club would object to the FFC jumper being used by Brisbane.

Incidentally if you want to see Fitzroy and South Melbourne, turn up to the Brunswick Street Oval on Saturday August 8th later this season to watch the jumpers go around. Fitzroy Football Club and South Melbourne Districts will compete for the (Bill) Stephen - (Peter) Bedford Cup. It'll will be a great day.

What a day it would be, if that annual match one day was the curtain raiser for a Brisbane vs. Sydney Swans match in Melbourne (where both AFL sides also played in the Fitzroy and South Melbourne jumpers).

 

[Roy Fitzlion]

=Roylion;14802157]Incidentally if you want to see Fitzroy and South Melbourne, turn up to the Brunswick Street Oval on Saturday August 8th later this season to watch the jumpers go around. Fitzroy Football Club and South Melbourne Districts will compete for the (Bill) Stephen - (Peter) Bedford Cup. It'll will be a great day.

If it is anything like the last match it will be a great day Roylion........might be time to get all the Roys & Swanees to put the date in their diary so we can pack Brunswick street out!!

What a day it would be, if that annual match one day was the curtain raiser for a Brisbane vs. Sydney Swans match in Melbourne (where both AFL sides also played in the Fitzroy and South Melbourne jumpers).

........it would be nice to see the jumper on the big stage again!

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

If it is anything like the last match it will be a great day Roylion........might be time to get all the Roys & Swanees to put the date in their diary so we can pack Brunswick street out!!

Hopefully I'll be in Melbourne for one of these 'Cup ties' before long... wish I was there for this one though..

 

[BrisRoy96]

The 2007 heritage jumper was fantastic, i sent numerous letters of request to see it used as an away jumper, and done away with the disgusting white trash that was being used

I read in the herald sun before i seen the jumper

" new lions guernsey fitz the bill "

and i read how it was based on a fitzroy jumper but without the FFC

i got excited thinking it was going to be the pre-season 95/96 re-birth!

 

[Royvolutionary]

Fascinating reading on the jumper debate, let's all pray to God that the Brisbane Lions NEVER wear that 5h1t white jumper again!

 

[Spandex]

The fact is, Fitzroy should never have lost the AFL license at all. But in lieu of any future revival at higher levels of the game, proliferation of our identity as far and wide as possible is always good - but only where it doesn't compromise the future trajectory of Fitzroy FC.

Too true.

Fascinating reading on the jumper debate, let's all pray to God that the Brisbane Lions NEVER wear that 5h1t white jumper again!

Even truer.


On the topic, I have always thought that the old FFC logo could have easily been turned into a BFC logo, just relpace the first F with a B. I was surpised this actually didn't happen at the time of the 'merger'. It would look similar to the old Roys jumper and would satsify the Brisbane Bears supporters who wanted a greater representation on the Lions geurnsey.

 

[Maroon Goon]

Fascinating reading on the jumper debate, let's all pray to God that the Brisbane Lions NEVER wear that 5h1t white jumper again!

Yep (death to the shit white jumper)

 

[BrainOfMorbius]

On the topic, I have always thought that the old FFC logo could have easily been turned into a BFC logo, just relpace the first F with a B. I was surpised this actually didn't happen at the time of the 'merger'. It would look similar to the old Roys jumper and would satsify the Brisbane Bears supporters who wanted a greater representation on the Lions geurnsey.

Highly unlikely.

I was at the meeting of Bears' members in 1996 called immediately after the merger at which the new jumper was first shown. It was displayed via a photocopied overhead transparency, resulting in considerable colour wash-out, resulting in the maroon being a bright shade of red. The reaction from the crowd was very hostile.

It was very important to Bears supporters that the colours of maroon and gold were carried through to the new entity.

 

[Maroon Goon]

You took on a team with over 100 years of history so there is also a lot of change it has gone through,this shows just how much anyone cares up there.I have a lifelong conection with NORTH QUEENSLAND and when i mention the lions they have no idea what im on about,they dont realy care either NRL.
The only reason the lions work is that it is a capital city and a ONE TEAM TOWN and was backed to the hilt by the then A F L
If you even care to check FITZROY was once
THE MAROONS THE GORILLAS THE LIONS
just look up www.fizroyfc.com.au for all the history
And while we are at it everytime you look up lions.com.au it has zip about Fitzroy.
MERGER HIGHLY UNLIKELY

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

And while we are at it everytime you look up lions.com.au it has zip about Fitzroy.
MERGER HIGHLY UNLIKELY

I completely agree Goon - although my respect goes out again to those Fitzroy people who do follow Brisbane, they are of course a substantial number, including quality posters like Roylion, Spandex, Royvolutionary, BrisRoy, Stocka, and everyone else I've not had room to mention here. Kudos to you all.

But to my mind, it was essentially a corporate takeover- nevertheless, we have to make the best of things for ourselves, according to our own personal viewpoints.

BTW, that website is http://www.fitzroyfc.com.au - you had a typo in your last post there Goon.

Long live Fitzroy FC!

 

[Maroon Goon]

Yep
stop complaining

 

[Stocka]

The only reason the lions work is that it is a capital city and a ONE TEAM TOWN

How do you explain the thousands of Lions fans who turn up to Victorian games every year, wearing Fitzroy and Lions gear then?

I would comfortably wager that there are more Fitzroy supporters who support the Lions than there are who don't.

 

[Roy Fitzlion]

Time for a poll Stocka.............I bet on the ratio being more on the old Roys not following Brisbane!

www.maroonandblue.com.au has some interesting facts about where the old Roys went.

I dare say there might be a few youngies that are now brissie supporters that possibly were in nappies at the time of the takeover or sons/daughters of those who went over.

 

[lochhy]

20 of my family havent been to an A F L game since Fitzroy was lost to the football world.And i know of others who follow diffrent teams.So yes lets have a poll and lets see the out come!!

 

[Stocka]

Time for a poll Stocka.............I bet on the ratio being more on the old Roys not following Brisbane!

www.maroonandblue.com.au has some interesting facts about where the old Roys went.

There is already a poll on here on that topic. However, I think the results are not accurate.

From my own anecdotal observations, most Fitzroy people that I have encountered have now taken up supporting the Brisbane Lions. I say this, having gone to numerous games and functions over the years, and having been involved in groups and read numerous internet forums that have involved the Fitzroy identity post-1996 (including the Fitzroy Reds, Brisbane Lions and the short-lived Coburg-Fitzroy Lions).

Whilst I tend to find that those who are anti-Brisbane Lions like to make the most noise about their grievances, they are actually a group that is quite small in number. Needless to say, that when the Lions are performing well on the field, the numbers, that I would estimate at being up to 10 000 Lions supporters, who turn up to Lions games in Melbourne, make a louder noise.

Roylion made this post in the poll topic:

Adam Muyt, the author of the excellent 'Maroon and Blue' estimates the following based on ancedotal evidence:

No team - at least 40%
Brisbane Lions - over 40%
Another AFL side - no more than 5% including a few hundred that went over to North and a couple of hundred than now support other AFL sides.

Since the merger Victorian membership has varied.
1997 - 3,200
1999 - 2,200
2004 - 7,000
2006 - 4,000

Fitzroy's membership never exceeded 10,000.

These estimates seem reasonable to me. I would suggest that the number of supporters who "don't support anyone" would be made up of a large number of "older generation" supporters (many of whom may have now passed away).

From my observations, I'd suggest that around 60-70% of Fitzroy supporters that I have encountered over the years now support the Brisbane Lions. Also, some of those who claim to "not support anyone" also claim to having a "soft spot for the Lions" and occasionally attend Lions games and functions.

The membership numbers also give a valid comparison. Obviously something like membership numbers are also affected by the on-field success of the team.

I'd suggest that even in Fitzroy best years membership-wise, that numbers would have been assisted by those who purchased two memberships (and sympathy memberships) and life-members (who, I believe did not pay for membership?).

I dare say there might be a few youngies that are now brissie supporters that possibly were in nappies at the time of the takeover or sons/daughters of those who went over.

Most likely. I'd also suggest that quite a number of former Fitzroy members and supporters would have passed away since 1996 as well. Mind you, I've seen quite a number of "older generation" Fitzroy supporters at Lions games over the years.

However, regardless of when someone was born or how long they supported Fitzroy, the point is that the Fitzroy link is the reason as to why they support the Lions.

 

[Roy Fitzlion]

I was going to write in this on my previous post but...............I think most of us are beyond caring about it anymore. We follow/don't follow who we do/don't and for our own special reasons.

Just to take up one of your points.......I don't think there is too much anti Brisbane sentiment (if any), as I know people can see they have done good things to recognise Fitzroy. This may not have been the case in 1995/96 though and rightly so with that d1khed Noel Gordon at the helm in Brisbane and Ross "the count..ry boy" Oakley here in Melbourne.

Other than that good luck and much respect to Brisbane and the old Roys who follow them.

 

[Maroon Goon]

How do you explain the thousands of Lions fans who turn up to Victorian games every year, wearing Fitzroy and Lions gear then?

I would comfortably wager that there are more Fitzroy supporters who support the Lions than there are who don't.

Yep i wonder were all those thousands where when Fitzroy was in the A F L ????????

 

[Stocka]

Yep i wonder were all those thousands where when Fitzroy was in the A F L ????????

Good question.

This is something that annoys me - when I hear people complain about the Brisbane Lions supposedly doing nothing for Fitzroy supporters, yet, a lot of the people complaining had dropped off the Fitzroy bandwagon by 1994 anyway.