How did you start following the Bombers?

[ant555]

1974, only one choice in our family, Bombers or the street

 

[scythe]

my grandma lived in moonee ponds when she was young, so being close to windy hill she was a rusted on bomber. of course she'd have her way with my young impressionable mind.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

1974, only one choice in our family, Bombers or the street

Likewise, minus the date. Dad got the boys (just me) for the Dons, mum got the girls for the tin rattlers.

 

[Doss]

My family is all over the place. Brother and I are Essendon, mother and sister are Sydney (mum followed them from South, sister just followed mum), and my father is Richmond.

 

[quotemokc]

Living in Perth I used to support Swans only cos of Lockett when I was 5, Don't really know what drew me to Essendon, I began really following them towards the end of 04' when I was 11 and haven't looked back ( and I hate Freo and Eagles)

 

[Pweter]

My old man was Melbourne and thankfully he let me make up my own mind. He sat me down at the start of the 83 season (I was 6) after I said I was changing clubs again to tell me to make a choice and stick with them (had been Footscray (Dogs, cool name, losers though. Then Richmond, Tigers, cool name, by then becoming losers too).

What are the team names dad? Dogs (nope been there), Cats (weak name), Tigers (nope been there), Magpies (lol... a bird), Bombers..... what was that Dad, Bombers you say. Cool name. I like the Bombers.

I cried on GF day that year, I wanted to change to Hawthorn. Dad forced me to stay Essendon. Thanks dad. 83 then 84/85 had me hooked for life and all from nothing more than a name.

 

[Capt_Blackadder]

The mid nineties I was living in Bendigo my brother who was a few years older then me was following Essendon because of the baby bombers so I followed suit. Disappointing my parents who were trying to get me to be a carlton or collingwood supporter. I had some heartache in those early years the two prelims made me cry especially 99 since my Dad was a Carlton supporter and turned it up full volume. But then 2000 came and that made me very happy indeed.

 

[NoIdea]

My mum used to do ironing for an old bloke and I remember sitting in his room watching a game between the black and yellow team and the black and red team - must have been late 70's, early 80's. Essendon kicked more points than Richmond, but less goals and lost the game. I couldn't figure out how a team with more points could lose, but was hooked on the Bombers ever since. Got in heaps of trouble at school for watching the night pre-season (Escort Cup I think) in the following years. I've managed to brainwash my wife and two kids into thinking there is no alternative to the Bombers, so we're a happy house now!

 

[abers13]

Honestly not sure how it all happened.
Was given a North Melbourne scarf when I was about 3, which was '99 but never got attached to them, thank god. I was spending a lot of time around the Essendon/Moonee Ponds area around that time at my grandparents, who coincidently lived across the road from the Watsons at Moonee Valley, anyway i think I was somehow struck by the nickname and colours. I'm pretty sure my first game was the Moorcroft game in '01, and I remember being at the prelim in that year. Gradually started going to more games with dad and once school started and footy cards came into the equation I was hooked. First pack, Sean Wellman was my first card and I liked the look of him and the colours, then it was decided for good and have never looked back! Thanks Sean!

 

[raskolnikov]

I grew up in Sydney and was a massive fan of the North Sydney Bears, who wore red and black in the NRL. One day my dad took me to Melbourne to visit my uncle, a rabid Collingwood supporter. My uncle took me to a Collingwood game, hoping I think to turn me into a Collingwood supporter. However when I saw that the other team wore red and black I started cheering for them, much to my uncle's chagrin. I was hooked, especially since we went on to win the flag that year, 1984. I haven't looked back since.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

*cough* "Inheritance."

 

[AsIfYouCare]

I was raised in Ulverstone Tasmania, home of the Robins, who play in red and black. I followed Geelong in the VFL when I was a kid and had a poster of Billy Goggin on my bedroom wall. I applied luminous paint to that poster and Billy looked like mutant zombie for a few minutes after the lights were turned off.

I lost interest in football in my teens but regained it in my early twenties, and I chose Essendon because they had the same colours as Ulverstone.

 

[revival_mode]

my dad and grandad were essendon supporters so i just grew up going for the dons. very glad how it all turned out
my mums family was apparently one-eyed filth supporters but never saw them so never was influnced to join the dark side
i was told by the missus the other day that if we ever have kids they will be saints supporters... :/

 

[EBCantona]

Both my parents didn't really follow the footy so around 98-99 i was a Carlton fan since one of my friends said they were awesome. I was 5 when they lost the GF and remember having a cry.

Then around some point between October 1999 to February 2000 another friend of mine persuaded me to support the Bombers. I was six then and that was the season we won the premiership Probably one of the best decisions i have made in my life, i still thank my mate for changing my mind.

I cringe everytime i remember that i was once a Carlscum supporter, imagine if i never changed teams

 

[gPhonque]

Dad's side of the family - all grew up in Essendon, supported Essendon, and would go and watch Essendon every week.

Mum's side of the family - all grew up in Collingwood, supported Collingwood, but didn't really care that much about the footy.

I grew up in Essendon.

= Essendon supporter.

 

[m7jebus]

Natural choice, can't even comprehend the idea of following anyone else... one of my earliest memories is getting a Bombers jumper with the #5 ironed onto it, must've been '92. Dad and all his brothers went for the Dons, they grew up in Pascoe Vale South. I went to school next door to Cross Keys Reserves - did most of my Auskick there, used to go watch the twos afterwards whenever they were on at Windy Hill (loved watching Peter Cransberg, was mystified he didn't play more senior games).

 

[daffo]

Born into it. Very happy with the result.

 

[NAB777]

Have been a supporter since before I was born. My dad played in the twos back in around 1950, I lived near the ground, went to school near the ground, spent a bit of time training there in the 80's..

 

[Hurley Bird]

3 older brothers and dad all go for the Bombers, Mum went for the Saints.

Started going for the Saints because I felt sorry for mum, that didn't last long.

Going into primary school I changed to Collingwood to annoy the crap out of my brothers. Again, didn't last long.

I saw the light after that thank god, and could not imagine life without my teeth if I had have stuck with the pies!

 

[A. N. Onymous]

4th generation Essendon supporter.

Had a poster of Paul Van der Haar on my wall from the moment I got my own room until it fell apart.

 

[Get Reimerd]

Honestly not sure but maybe because my immediate family go for Saints and Bombers, and well seriously what 5 year old kid would pick Saints over Essendon in 2001

 

[Get Reimerd]

Honestly not sure how it all happened.
Was given a North Melbourne scarf when I was about 3, which was '99 but never got attached to them, thank god. I was spending a lot of time around the Essendon/Moonee Ponds area around that time at my grandparents, who coincidently lived across the road from the Watsons at Moonee Valley, anyway i think I was somehow struck by the nickname and colours. I'm pretty sure my first game was the Moorcroft game in '01, and I remember being at the prelim in that year. Gradually started going to more games with dad and once school started and footy cards came into the equation I was hooked. First pack, Sean Wellman was my first card and I liked the look of him and the colours, then it was decided for good and have never looked back! Thanks Sean!

\\

Haha was my first card as well, I pronounced him 'seen' though

 

[abers13]

\\

Haha was my first card as well, I pronounced him 'seen' though

Haha exactly what I did, remember opening that pack like it was yesterday.

 

[Jade]

I was born.

 

[Doss]

It's been two years since we've had this thread, and in that time we've had a lot of new posters join.

I'd be interested in more stories from posters here as to how they came to support our great club.