Clash Guernsey

[DaSawx]

Essendon statement on 'Clash Guernseys'
Tuesday, 11 April 2006
"The AFL has been encouraging clubs since 1998 to consider the introduction of ‘clash guernseys’. In Essendon’s case they felt this was an issue for games played against Richmond, St Kilda and Melbourne.

The Essendon Football Club constitution dictates the club playing uniform should remain black with a red sash, subject to AFL rules and regulations. As such, Essendon Football Club has never initiated the idea of producing a clash guernsey.

The Club did not feel the issue of clashes with opposition guernseys was significant enough to warrant the expense or distraction of calling an extraordinary general meeting and making a change to the constitution.


The Club has however received legal advice that under the terms of the AFL licensing agreement under which this Club operates, the AFL does have a mandate to force clubs to have a clash jumper. This mandate over-rides the club’s constitution.

The Club was advised in mid-February that the AFL would introduce such a rule in 2007.

It is important to note this is a clash guernsey, not an alternative guernsey and we expect it will only be worn if Essendon is the away team in games against St Kilda, Richmond and Melbourne. For example, if the rule had been in place this season it would have been worn just once – in Round 21 against Richmond.

In terms of what this clash guernsey might look like, the Club is considering this issue at the moment. Suffice to say, the rules state that if the home club wear dark colors, the away team will wear light-coloured guernseys. It therefore follows that any Essendon clash guernsey will need to be predominantly red.

The Club wants to be very clear that it greatly values the traditional colours and it needs to be very clear that this change has had to be made as a result of an AFL policy change.

Should broadcasters or any other stakeholder suggest this clash jumper be worn in any other games other than those specified above, the Club would lobby strongly against such a move."
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What do people think? Doesn't look like the club has much choice anymore. I used to be against it but have changed my feeling over the last couple of months. In the end it is still the Essendon FC running around with Essendon FC players, times are changing, so I guess once or twice a year wouldn't be too bad.

I wouldn't anything but red with a black slash, no white or grey jumpers.

 

[Awesome Scotty]

If you're opposed to the alternate jump strip, SIGN you're against it here.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/noalternatestrip/

 

[VANDA]

NO NO & NO !!!!!!!!!

 

[DaSawx]

If you're opposed to the alternate jump strip, SIGN you're against it here.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/noalternatestrip/

A petition won't do much I'm afraid

 

[mcgarnacle]

i have no problem with it whatsoever.

This club would have been great regardless of the colours or guernsey it wears.

St Kilda have identical colours to us and are a rabble. Yet a club based over in Manchester in England with the same colours as the Sainters are one of the most celebrated clubs in that country.

Why is this so? because the history and greatness of our club is due to the results, premierships, memorable incidents (of which there have been many) and most importantly, the people who have contributed to the club since it was formed in the 1870's. from 'same olds' to 'bombers', regardless of the colours, it was always going to turn out this way!

yes, our tradition is red & black, and this will always be. but the issue isn't just about essendon, but the 16 other clubs and the afl competition we participate in.

an all-white strip with red & black trim would be my preference. white is neutral, the sponsors logo's will stand-out, and it the perfect contrast to predominately dark home/traditional strip (it will not clash with the clubs we clash with now).

 

[ManWithNoName]

Jumper clash's didn't seem to be a problem until more money came in from TV Rights. Coincedence, or sell out?

Pathetic from Vlad, I thought the rule changes were bad, but this is just disgraceful.

 

[Sam the RAMA fan]

AFL just trying to make more money.
Essendon is a very popular side and no doubt those 'clash guernsey's' will be on sale..they make enough money has it is..
Doesnt cost $80+ for them to get Guernsey's made..expessialy in bulk.

I think the idea is pretty crap.
I havnt had a problem.

 

[M29]

I can handle it. But I fail to see how we can go 100+ years without a problem and now it suddenly is.

 

[DaSawx]

I guess TV stations are paying hundreds of millions of dollars for TV rights that they want people to watch their games with the least amount of discomfort as possible, plus it is the 21st century, why have guernsey clashes if we don't have to.

 

[soapyJNR]

I have never seen my club play in any other jumper than the one we wear.
I watched the replays in the 60's on black and white telly and had no problem telling the difference between Essendon and Richmond/St.Kilda or Melbourne.
If its the umpires having difficulty with distinguishing between the clubs ...perhaps we should change the umpires.
The Don's jumper hasnt changed since 1873.Our next option, I believe, is to have the jumper heritage/culturally listed.Perhaps that will stop the AFL.
to jumper change.

 

[soapyJNR]

I guess TV stations are paying hundreds of millions of dollars for TV rights that they want people to watch their games with the least amount of discomfort as possible, plus it is the 21st century, why have guernsey clashes if we don't have to.

The 21st century started over 6 years ago. Why change now? Bloody money from an idiot CH7 that is why. Kerry Stokes wants to control AFL like PBL controls Rugby League and I think that Vlad has sold it to him for $270 million..... a Bargain at 10 times that price.......
Don't be fooled into thinking that we as the football public have any power over any decisions made by the AFL. History will see Vlad as a bigger dictator than Ross Oakley and everybody knows what a low "dog" he was.

 

[DaSawx]

Don't be fooled into thinking that we as the football public have any power over any decisions made by the AFL. History will see Vlad as a bigger dictator than Ross Oakley and everybody knows what a low "dog" he was.

That is quite true, playing in it once or twice a year is just not that huge of a deal.

 

[ant555]

I would rather it didnt happen but i will still show up if it does.

 

[Kettles]

Unfortunately our constitution means diddly squat, so no members' voting or bloody petitions for that matter will make a shred of difference I am afraid.

I know this will be unpopular, but as much as I have all things red and black on my mind (RIP North Sydney Bears), the grey/silver jumper with the Essendon logo motif looks good I reckon. Contemporary in its design, will sell a ********load of guernseys to the Bomber punters, no worries.

The alternative colour reversal of black sash on red jumper as illustrated in The Age today looks very bloody ordinary for mine.

(Interestingly, Carlton look like going with a similar jumper i.e. silver with their "Blouse" motif. Not that that's any reason to going along with it, but really, it's only for 3 games a year or so, no big deal).

The old Waverley in the VFA with their Red and Black vertical stripes looked totally awesome, and of course this configuration was worn by us in the early days, but serves no purpose in differentiating our jumpers when colour clashes occur.

It's gonna happen though, get used to something coming along that will no doubt be as popular as a tray of pork buns at a Barmitzvah.

 

[Kettles]

Unfortunately our constitution means diddly squat, so no members' voting or bloody petitions for that matter will make a shred of difference I am afraid.

I know this will be unpopular, but as much as I have all things red and black on my mind (RIP North Sydney Bears), the grey/silver jumper with the Essendon logo motif looks good I reckon. Contemporary in its design, will sell a ********load of guernseys to the Bomber punters, no worries.

The alternative colour reversal of black sash on red jumper as illustrated in The Age today looks very bloody ordinary for mine.

(Interestingly, Carlton look like going with a similar jumper i.e. silver with their "Blouse" motif. Not that that's any reason to going along with it, but really, it's only for 3 games a year or so, no big deal).

The old Waverley in the VFA with their Red and Black vertical stripes looked totally awesome, and of course this configuration was worn by us in the early days, but serves no purpose in differentiating our jumpers when colour clashes occur.

It's gonna happen though, get used to something coming along that will no doubt be as popular as a tray of pork buns at a Barmitzvah.

 

[Kettles]

Unfortunately our constitution means diddly squat, so no members' voting or bloody petitions for that matter will make a shred of difference I am afraid.

I know this will be unpopular, but as much as I have all things red and black on my mind (RIP North Sydney Bears), the grey/silver jumper with the Essendon logo motif looks good I reckon. Contemporary in its design, will sell a ********load of guernseys to the Bomber punters, no worries.

The alternative colour reversal of black sash on red jumper as illustrated in The Age today looks very bloody ordinary for mine.

(Interestingly, Carlton look like going with a similar jumper i.e. silver with their "Blouse" motif. Not that that's any reason to going along with it, but really, it's only for 3 games a year or so, no big deal).

The old Waverley in the VFA with their Red and Black vertical stripes looked totally awesome, and of course this configuration was worn by us in the early days, but serves no purpose in differentiating our jumpers when colour clashes occur.

It's gonna happen though, get used to something coming along that will no doubt be as popular as a tray of pork buns at a Barmitzvah.

 

[VANDA]

That is quite true, playing in it once or twice a year is just not that huge of a deal.

Bulltish.

I dont know how 'old' you are or even whether it is relevant.

But ffs it becomes the 'thin edge of the wedge' to say oh its only 1 or 2 games per year.

Yeh it might be for a couple of years but then what might happen in the future?

6 games per year? 11 games per year?

Some marketing dik from the AFL &/or Club will decide that they're selling well & are popular with the kiddies so it then becomes another 'home' guernsey.

Now i dont know if that will happen in the future or not. But what worries me more is that neither do you or anybody else.

The colours black with a red sash ARE ESSENDON. Nothing else.

If other clubs want it then let them go ahead & have as many as they like.

Our history & heritage is intrinsically linked to our jumper colours.........like it or not.

Now i for one genuinely believe it would be a great great shame for us to treat our history & heritage with nothing more than contempt by deciding to 'sell it off' for the sake of what amounts to a few more AFL Approved dollars & a highlight on some AFL employees resume'.

You say it will only be for 1 or 2 games so its no big deal.

Well for many many Essendon supporters it would never be the same.
For many supporters & members i know personally it will spell the end of buying memberships & attending games. Fact.

Thats how big a deal it is!

 

[Dan26]

khgvl

 

[Dan26]

Vanda, please get over it.

It's no big deal. 6 or 11 games you say? Garbage. Look at the EPL as an example. Teams wear their home jumper for all home games and away games where there isn't a clash. As it will be in the AFL.

Who cares anyway? I support it and always have. We should have been the first club to do this back in the 60's and 70's when TV became a major part of the game. Pathetically, we look like being the last.

I'm glad this has happened, if anything to see the "fuss over nothing" made by some supporters. When they come out in an alternate strip, those fans will realise how silly they were and how it was all no big deal. As long as we win, and we are called, "Essendon", who cares?

I think we shoud replace the black with silver personally. That solves the problem (particualry against Melbourne where the clash is so bad it's unaccpetable), it keeps the colours basically intact (black, grey, silver I see as variations of each other) and it's a "new" colour that's marketable. What colour are fighter jets? Silver.

 

[Longy413]

Vanda, please get over it.

I'm neither here, nor there on this issue. I like the fact that we've only worn one jumper in our history, but I've accepted that we don't really have a choice.

But there is no reason why Vanda or anyone should just 'get over it.' Football is a passionate and emotional game and history plays a big part of that. There is nothing wrong with accepting that others have a different stand point and I can understand why some people want to see us continue with the same jumper going forwards.

It's no big deal. 6 or 11 games you say? Garbage. Look at the EPL as an example. Teams where their home jumper for all home games and away games where thre isn't a clash. As it will be in the AFL.

The EPL is the worst example I've heard in this arguement. The EPL is not something to be compared to. They don't play in one league with 16 teams. They play in multiple leagues against a range of teams that have the exact same strip.

Who cares anyway? I support it and always have.

Who cares? It is obvious plenty do.

I'm glad this has happened, if anything to see the "fuss over nothing" made by some supporters. When they come out in an alternate strip, those fans will realise how silly they were and how it was all no big deal.

It isn't nothing. But as accepting as I am over all of this, I have no doubt there will be an element of sadness when we play our first game in a different jumper.

As long as we win, and we are called, "Essendon", who cares?

Why should the name be protected anymore than a black jumper with a red sash? Surely they go hand in hand. If changing our name to North West Melbourne was seen as an avenue of progress, would you be supportive of that too?

Surely you can see that people are as attached to the black jumper with the red sash as they/you are to the name Essendon.

 

[motumbo]

Hi, i am trying to post an image into my reply, but I am having problems doing it.
Could someone help me, please?

 

[bacon buster]

i don't want it to change. i am very happy to say that we are the only club to not have changes their jumper/colours in any way.

however, if they do change, i will still buy my membership and go to games as normal. saying that you will not go to games if they change the colours hurts the club most of all. and i don't see how that helps anyone.

 

[Kettles]

Vanda, we have no say in it whatsoever. The AFL calls the shots here my friend and this is something we must get used to.

I admire your passion and conviction, I really do (and I am not trying to sound patronising either, it is totally admirable), but I don't believe we should be so begrudgingly hanging on to the past.

We will never, ever desert the red and black. I have a friend called Peter McCracken and his great grandfather started the club and I believe his mother chose the colours something to do with her Scottish protestant heritage, the colours are sacrosanct and will never take a back seat, ever.

I can't believe any true supporter would not go to games or buy memberships as a result of something so, well, trivial, but necessary.

Remember, next time you see an Essendon player handball it to a Melbourne player when the going gets tough, maybe you'll think again.

 

[Dan26]

This is nothing more than a stupid overreatction.

Statements like "I won't go to the games anymore" are so ridiculous as to border on funny. I'm so glad this has happened just so people can see that when it takes place, it wil be no big deal.

Wearing a clash jumper for three away games does NOT call for people to bring out words like "emotion", and "passionate" and all that crap to try to emotionally blackmail senisble posters like me who just want the team to win, and couldn't care less if we change our strip for three games when there is a clash. Guess I musn't be passionate? Guess every supporters of every other cub in every other league in the world isn't passionate either because they support clubs who sensibly have clash strips.

If it stops the players hanballing to an opposition Melbourne player, then I'm all for it. Makes it easier on the fans too. Go look at the last quarter of the '77 GF, and one of North's goals in the last quarter to the Punt Road end. A colour clash probably cost the Pies the flag*

*Yes I'm aware that in this case a colour clash is good, but that's not the point.

 

[Longy413]

Hi, i am trying to post an image into my reply, but I am having problems doing it.
Could someone help me, please?

Type [IMG.]insert url of picture[/IMG.]

Remove the full stops after the IMG for it to work. If you need to find the URL, right click on the photo, select properties and copy it from there.