- Banned
- #101
Not shocked, but support does not always equal complete lack of objectivity.
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Club disillusionment and the switch
- Thread starter Dammit
- Start date
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I was lucky enough to be 6 when Eagles fever hit WA however my Dad was a Carlton supporter who made the switch and gives shit to other supporters his age for not barracking for a WA team. I don't have the heart to tell him he is actually a turncoat although to be fair it was more about the Black Ducks in our house rather than the VFL.
Grew up as an Eagles supporter in WA, over the last few years I've been going with my housemate to watch the tigers play and have developed a real taste for watching them almost make it week after week, I would never change teams, and I will probably never wear their colours, but I can see myself buying a membership as I see so many more Richmond games just because I live here.
There's just something about being at their games, the atmosphere is so great and they turn up in droves even when they don't stand a chance.
Follow whoever you want to really, can't see why anyone else should have an opinion on what you enjoy doing.
There's just something about being at their games, the atmosphere is so great and they turn up in droves even when they don't stand a chance.
Follow whoever you want to really, can't see why anyone else should have an opinion on what you enjoy doing.
- Banned
- #105
I went for Richmond for 1 week when I first moved to Aus from England. Id never seen a game or had any idea what footy was. Just a kid at school in a Richmond jumper told me to go for the tigers so it doesn't really count as changing teams.
Half my family are Richmond supporters, half Collingwood. Growing up we had memberships and merchandise for both sides. Still barrack for the Tigers against anyone, except Collingwood.
You can support two clubs, can't you?
You can support two clubs, can't you?
SCHUMACHER
All Australian
- Banned
- #107
Basically OP if you switch to the Gold Coast that makes you scum, but if you stick with Collingwood you're also scum.
Seriously tho I've never understood changing teams. I'm a Victorian that's supported WC since 1987 when I was 9 years old. People find it a bit strange but after 25+ years and 3 premierships and finals losses and ups and downs and standing in the cold at the Western Oval as a kid getting abused while the team is getting thumped, I'll be buggered if I'm going to switch teams after all that. Love the Eagles, and also I couldn't give a shit if other WC supporters found it a bit strange or didn't want to accept me as a supporter because I'm not from WA. Up the Eagles
Seriously tho I've never understood changing teams. I'm a Victorian that's supported WC since 1987 when I was 9 years old. People find it a bit strange but after 25+ years and 3 premierships and finals losses and ups and downs and standing in the cold at the Western Oval as a kid getting abused while the team is getting thumped, I'll be buggered if I'm going to switch teams after all that. Love the Eagles, and also I couldn't give a shit if other WC supporters found it a bit strange or didn't want to accept me as a supporter because I'm not from WA. Up the Eagles
Never mind schu the OP has an identical thread in the Collingwood board, seems desperate to be told its ok for him to jump shipBasically OP if you switch to the Gold Coast that makes you scum, but if you stick with Collingwood you're also scum.
Seriously tho I've never understood changing teams. I'm a Victorian that's supported WC since 1987 when I was 9 years old. People find it a bit strange but after 25+ years and 3 premierships and finals losses and ups and downs and standing in the cold at the Western Oval as a kid getting abused while the team is getting thumped, I'll be buggered if I'm going to switch teams after all that. Love the Eagles, and also I couldn't give a shit if other WC supporters found it a bit strange or didn't want to accept me as a supporter because I'm not from WA. Up the Eagles
The average reaction there seems to be - no loss
JeffDunne
TheBrownDog
To the OP - you can support whoever you like, and you don't need us to validate your decision.
I love Collingwood but will also watch other games on tv as I love this game. my ex-hubby and even previous boyfriends all jumped onto Collingwood to impress/please me. I let them do it (so any future kids would be Pies ;-) ) but could never respect it. At games I'd feel embarrassed by their 'barracking'. You can pick a fake fan miles off. My advice, OP, work out who you follow and hold firm to that.
Am a feral Tigers man and always have been. However, always had a soft spot for the Swans given dad used to take me to their games when I was a young fella in Melbourne. He didn't succeed in getting me to support them but always would watch their games on TV when they moved to Sydney. Having moved to Sydney myself some 13 years ago, I tend to go to a large chunk of their games and unequivocally support them when playing every other team other than the Tiges. Will always be a Tiger supporter first and foremost. However, I think I can honestly state that I now support two teams.
And yeah yeah I know it's not the done thing but I didn't go out of my way to let this happen. Just did.
And yeah yeah I know it's not the done thing but I didn't go out of my way to let this happen. Just did.
Jeez you must be good looking...
My dad is a bombers supporter, so I grew up going for them. In early primary school, my best friend was a north supporter, so I changed teams to them.
A while later, I realised it was a dumb decision because I would never get to go and see a game of footy, cos my dad wouldn't take me to North games, so I changed back to Essendon. And very happy with the decision!
Still have a bit of a soft spot for North (until we play them). Went to the game on the weekend with the same friend and loved seeing them get up.
Look who's commenting on turncoating!
- Apr 28, 2008
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Lol. I was 13. I had moved to NSW where my parents were swans supporters and I liked the swans. I never actually changed clubs, but came close to doing so (home state team). Not to mention that I was born less than 1km from the SCG. I still cheered on the eagles in every final during 2002-04, including against the swans in 2004.
And you choose to neglect that I was passionate during the 2008-10 period for West Coast.
Okay, they say the truth sets you free. Time to get something off my chest.
Before moving to Brisbane last year, I lived in various outer-suburbs of Melbourne and attended every North home match I could, and had done so for many years. In 2007 I conned my then-girlfriend into a deal whereby we bought for each others Christmas presents platinum NMFC memberships for the 2008 season, and we went along as a couple to sit on level two of Etihad each home game North played there - even though her father had brought her up a Carlton fan.* In 2009 she was away on exchange so I conned my sexy housemate into replacing her as my football-going partner and, as a recently-arrived QLDer yet to make any friends, she agreed and we bought those same platinum memberships together.** In 2010, when both of those people were out of my life, I bought a platinum membership by myself and would go along to the games alone, as I had done during 2004-2007 as a general member.
I was there at Dallas Brooks Hall when JB proclaimed to much applause that we were going to stay in Melbourne under his tenure. It was a tremendous day. I was there at the Prince of Wales when a few hundred passionate North fans congregated for the memorable night that was the Roosistence gig. Sadly, the next morning while reading posts about it on bigfooty, I couldn't recall the part where the old lady got up and told Demetriou to get ****ed, either because I'd gotten too drunk and lost my memory or because I had left early to go have sex on the beach. Either way it was still to this day one of the greatest nights of my life.
I put dozens of hours into goldcoasttruth.org during the relocation saga, and made thousands of posts under this alias and others on the North board of bigfooty.com back in the days I was still allowed to post there. I have poured countless time and effort into supporting my beloved NMFC and in return have enjoyed some terrific experiences and forged some wonderful friendships and memories. I owe the NMFC much more than it will ever owe me. I mean it when I say that the NMFC is one of the few things I still care about.
But it wasn't always like this.
My uncle was a passionate Essendon fan who lived out Pascoe Vale way when my family lived in Bundoora. Although my father had brought me up a North fan until then, by about age five or six my uncle - who was one of those really awesome uncles you look up to, largely because he is younger and cooler than your parents - was giving me Essendon merchandise and taking me along to Bombers games. He even bought me an Essendon membership. Before I knew it, I was an Essendon supporter, much to my father's chagrin.
We moved away to the South East and my uncle couldn't take me to any more Essendon games but nor did my father or anybody else take me to North games so I remained an Essendon fan, all alone in a house of NMFC supporters. I befriended a guy at school in grade five whose awesome mum was a passionate Essendon fan and so, although he himself was a Saints fan, he supported Essendon as his second team. A couple of times a season, then, I would go along to Essendon games and cheer the boys on with my mate, his mum and his uncle (who was also awesome - Bombers fans seem to make great uncles). I was no longer an Essendon member but I was still a supporter. I even wore an Essendon guernsey to junior footy practice. I was there when Gary Moorecroft took the mark of the century, and I was even there - supporting Essendon - when the Bombers made the greatest comeback of all time against the Kangaroos. Funnily enough, that was one of the few matches my old man ever took me to see, the poor old bastard.
During 2002-2003 I lived up in the hills and could no longer attend any matches. During this time, I seemed to lose interest in Essendon. I got tired of Sheedy's antics, a few of the hotheads in the team started to piss me off. And, having supported the Bombers during the wonder years, I was probably a little spoilt and not used to the team being ordinary onfield, which by this stage they had now become.
Then I got my first job and finally had some money to buy my first membership since I was a kid. My family moved - again - and I was now close enough to a train station to attend matches, and old enough to go into the city by myself. I'd never lost interest in North and suddenly as a 16yo had a decision to make: give my hard-earned money over to a club full of cash, going nowhere, where I would be nothing more than a number; or give my cash to a club who clearly needed it and go back to my roots as a North supporter. I think the greatest factor was my natural, Australian instinct to support the underdog, and without really even thinking about it, I knew what to do. I caught the train out to North Melbourne Station, walked across Arden Street Oval into a dilapidated-looking Rooshop, handed over the little cash I had and, just like that, I was home again.
It was only when I'd returned to North that my old man admitted to me that he himself had supported Essendon as a kid until one of his mates/relatives converted him to North while he was still a young tacker. These days he hates the Bombers in a way that only a hate-filled man can. I guess the army circa 1980s will do that to you, but I digress.
I bought that first NMFC membership in 2004 and have been a member ever since, never regretting it for a second. I began attending home matches whenever I could, often by myself but sometimes with whoever I could persuade to make the one-hour train ride into town with me. I still greatly admire and respect James Hird and no amount of North-Essendon rivalry will ever change that, but I don't have any strong feelings for Essendon FC these days, one way or the other. In fact, if it weren't for all of the Essendon flogs on bigfooty, I probably wouldn't even care any more about our matches against Essendon than I do about any other Melbourne-based club.
I still have my Essendon gurnsey and when I last played footy a couple of years ago would train in it (because it fits me way better than my North guernsey and I'm too cheap to buy a new one) but I am now a passonate NMFC fan and suspect I will be until the day I die or the day the AFL finally kills us - whichever comes first.
My friends, the truth does set you free.
*She went back to Carlton when we broke up and I still take extra pleasure in seeing Carlton lose, no matter who they are playing. I should add that her old man hated me and wouldn't even let me in his house while I was seeing his daughter, and he was as passionate a Carlton fan as you will meet. **** Carlton afaic.
**They say you shouldn't poo where you sleep. Well I say that if it is a really, really enjoyable poo, then poo wherever the **** you want. It'll still be worth it even if you do wake up in poo one lonely morning.
It seems to me that the OP isn't making a 'rational' decision, the decision has been made for him by his subconscious and he is struggling to come to terms with it on a conscious level.
Before moving to Brisbane last year, I lived in various outer-suburbs of Melbourne and attended every North home match I could, and had done so for many years. In 2007 I conned my then-girlfriend into a deal whereby we bought for each others Christmas presents platinum NMFC memberships for the 2008 season, and we went along as a couple to sit on level two of Etihad each home game North played there - even though her father had brought her up a Carlton fan.* In 2009 she was away on exchange so I conned my sexy housemate into replacing her as my football-going partner and, as a recently-arrived QLDer yet to make any friends, she agreed and we bought those same platinum memberships together.** In 2010, when both of those people were out of my life, I bought a platinum membership by myself and would go along to the games alone, as I had done during 2004-2007 as a general member.
I was there at Dallas Brooks Hall when JB proclaimed to much applause that we were going to stay in Melbourne under his tenure. It was a tremendous day. I was there at the Prince of Wales when a few hundred passionate North fans congregated for the memorable night that was the Roosistence gig. Sadly, the next morning while reading posts about it on bigfooty, I couldn't recall the part where the old lady got up and told Demetriou to get ****ed, either because I'd gotten too drunk and lost my memory or because I had left early to go have sex on the beach. Either way it was still to this day one of the greatest nights of my life.
I put dozens of hours into goldcoasttruth.org during the relocation saga, and made thousands of posts under this alias and others on the North board of bigfooty.com back in the days I was still allowed to post there. I have poured countless time and effort into supporting my beloved NMFC and in return have enjoyed some terrific experiences and forged some wonderful friendships and memories. I owe the NMFC much more than it will ever owe me. I mean it when I say that the NMFC is one of the few things I still care about.
But it wasn't always like this.
My uncle was a passionate Essendon fan who lived out Pascoe Vale way when my family lived in Bundoora. Although my father had brought me up a North fan until then, by about age five or six my uncle - who was one of those really awesome uncles you look up to, largely because he is younger and cooler than your parents - was giving me Essendon merchandise and taking me along to Bombers games. He even bought me an Essendon membership. Before I knew it, I was an Essendon supporter, much to my father's chagrin.
We moved away to the South East and my uncle couldn't take me to any more Essendon games but nor did my father or anybody else take me to North games so I remained an Essendon fan, all alone in a house of NMFC supporters. I befriended a guy at school in grade five whose awesome mum was a passionate Essendon fan and so, although he himself was a Saints fan, he supported Essendon as his second team. A couple of times a season, then, I would go along to Essendon games and cheer the boys on with my mate, his mum and his uncle (who was also awesome - Bombers fans seem to make great uncles). I was no longer an Essendon member but I was still a supporter. I even wore an Essendon guernsey to junior footy practice. I was there when Gary Moorecroft took the mark of the century, and I was even there - supporting Essendon - when the Bombers made the greatest comeback of all time against the Kangaroos. Funnily enough, that was one of the few matches my old man ever took me to see, the poor old bastard.
During 2002-2003 I lived up in the hills and could no longer attend any matches. During this time, I seemed to lose interest in Essendon. I got tired of Sheedy's antics, a few of the hotheads in the team started to piss me off. And, having supported the Bombers during the wonder years, I was probably a little spoilt and not used to the team being ordinary onfield, which by this stage they had now become.
Then I got my first job and finally had some money to buy my first membership since I was a kid. My family moved - again - and I was now close enough to a train station to attend matches, and old enough to go into the city by myself. I'd never lost interest in North and suddenly as a 16yo had a decision to make: give my hard-earned money over to a club full of cash, going nowhere, where I would be nothing more than a number; or give my cash to a club who clearly needed it and go back to my roots as a North supporter. I think the greatest factor was my natural, Australian instinct to support the underdog, and without really even thinking about it, I knew what to do. I caught the train out to North Melbourne Station, walked across Arden Street Oval into a dilapidated-looking Rooshop, handed over the little cash I had and, just like that, I was home again.
It was only when I'd returned to North that my old man admitted to me that he himself had supported Essendon as a kid until one of his mates/relatives converted him to North while he was still a young tacker. These days he hates the Bombers in a way that only a hate-filled man can. I guess the army circa 1980s will do that to you, but I digress.
I bought that first NMFC membership in 2004 and have been a member ever since, never regretting it for a second. I began attending home matches whenever I could, often by myself but sometimes with whoever I could persuade to make the one-hour train ride into town with me. I still greatly admire and respect James Hird and no amount of North-Essendon rivalry will ever change that, but I don't have any strong feelings for Essendon FC these days, one way or the other. In fact, if it weren't for all of the Essendon flogs on bigfooty, I probably wouldn't even care any more about our matches against Essendon than I do about any other Melbourne-based club.
I still have my Essendon gurnsey and when I last played footy a couple of years ago would train in it (because it fits me way better than my North guernsey and I'm too cheap to buy a new one) but I am now a passonate NMFC fan and suspect I will be until the day I die or the day the AFL finally kills us - whichever comes first.
My friends, the truth does set you free.
*She went back to Carlton when we broke up and I still take extra pleasure in seeing Carlton lose, no matter who they are playing. I should add that her old man hated me and wouldn't even let me in his house while I was seeing his daughter, and he was as passionate a Carlton fan as you will meet. **** Carlton afaic.
**They say you shouldn't poo where you sleep. Well I say that if it is a really, really enjoyable poo, then poo wherever the **** you want. It'll still be worth it even if you do wake up in poo one lonely morning.
It seems to me that the OP isn't making a 'rational' decision, the decision has been made for him by his subconscious and he is struggling to come to terms with it on a conscious level.
Plugger35
Umpiring Expert
- Sep 27, 2008
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I couldn't contemplate supporting any club other than St Kilda, I've been supporting them for so long now that it's just ingrained in me.
I can't imagine that would change if we won a premiership, would be nice if we could win one just to find out though.
I can't imagine that would change if we won a premiership, would be nice if we could win one just to find out though.
vast
Hall of Famer
If it wasnt for essendon I probably would not even watch footy at all. The only reason i watch non essendon games is supercoach.
Been following the Pies since dad took me to Kardinia Park in 1964 to march my first steps with the Collingwood army.
Even entertaining the idea of following anyone else is starkly unthinkable.
Even entertaining the idea of following anyone else is starkly unthinkable.
Same with me but with West Coast and Freo
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The moving to a new state excuse is only valid in the event it doesn't coincide with jumping off your team because they aren't doing well, which you clearly indicated was your number 1 concern.
Three whole seasons with no finals! What a trooper you are, Richmond should hire you to do motivational speeches for their membership drives.
simba_
sucking a lemon
I can see where the op is coming from. Makes me think of those comparisons to Man Utd. See, when I imagine the Utd crowds I don't think of thousands of passionate fans all on the same page, I think there are bandwagoners mixed in with daytrippers mixed in with the genuine fans mixed in with the genuine fans who have grown to hate their team. Many of them have gone off to support the amateur version of Utd that I'm pretty sure was started up because of reasons of disenchantment like this. With Collingwood I can picture basically the same thing. It musn't feel like you're a part of the "Collingwood army" anymore, or maybe you are but so many new recruits are just there because it's all the rage. Collingwood fans are notoriously proud and passionate like Port fans so I can imagine how depressing it would be to see the AFL try and push your club as that soulless brand (like the Mancs have become - I kept bias out of this post for a while!).
- I kept bias out of this post for a while!).
Hey, it was a pretty traumatising time for us ):
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