Too Tough To Die - Footscray's 1989 Fightback Book

[Bulldocker]

A West Coast supporter who doesn't want to see a Victorian club die?

April 1st was months ago dude.

That's just not right mate. We always reserve the right to "kick a vic" as West Aussies should! I detest Essendon with a passion, but would still never want to see their extinction. Always happy to see the Eagirls losing too.
Ironically, I was at Subi for Fitzroy's last match ever against Freo. There was very little joy that night even after giving them a belting. There was a certain empathy for the Lions supporters and the unimaginable prospect of having to find another team to barrack for. Most Freo supporters just wanted to hug a Fitzroy fan after that game.
It's one of the amazing things about the tribalism of our game. We don't need fenced off areas or riot squads on call after the completion of a match. We win or lose, poke jibes at the opposition, have a beer with them and then think about playing the next stinking team that are in the way of our march to the finals!
The 1989 Bulldogs fightback is one of the proudest moments in their history and typical of the Bullies spirit that most footy fans respect.

 

[W W Biscuit]

That feels better , now for a Bex , Brandy and off for a lay down

A Peter Bex and a Daniel Brandy? (sic)

 

[Nightowl]

A Peter Bex and a Daniel Brandy? (sic)

Very clever W W.

 

[Fossie 32]

Nightowl, 54 minutes ago Report
#58 Like Reply

Nightowl, Yesterday at 10:54 PM Report
#54 Like Reply

 

[Dazb86]

That's just not right mate. We always reserve the right to "kick a vic" as West Aussies should! I detest Essendon with a passion, but would still never want to see their extinction. Always happy to see the Eagirls losing too.
Ironically, I was at Subi for Fitzroy's last match ever against Freo. There was very little joy that night even after giving them a belting. There was a certain empathy for the Lions supporters and the unimaginable prospect of having to find another team to barrack for. Most Freo supporters just wanted to hug a Fitzroy fan after that game.
It's one of the amazing things about the tribalism of our game. We don't need fenced off areas or riot squads on call after the completion of a match. We win or lose, poke jibes at the opposition, have a beer with them and then think about playing the next stinking team that are in the way of our march to the finals!
The 1989 Bulldogs fightback is one of the proudest moments in their history and typical of the Bullies spirit that most footy fans respect.

I find fremantle supporters much better than wce fans regarding the club merging/folding. You only need to go to the 'afl tax' thread on the main board to see what im talking about. Talk of the dogs folding so the rich clubs can prosper, mainly led by eagles fans.

 

[Fossie 32]

Nightowl, 54 minutes ago Report
#58 Like Reply

Nightowl, Yesterday at 10:54 PM Report
#54 Like Reply

C'mon Nightowl, you have to admit that's spooky

 

[Nightowl]

C'mon Nightowl, you have to admit that's spooky

Yes..

 

[Nightowl]

I forgot you're obsessed.. and when I posted above my phone said it was 1.54 pm..
SPOOOOKY..
Look forward to your next message at 7:54 tonight dude...

 

[Tommycash]

Thanks for the reminder West_Coast_Eagles. An amazing time.

 

[Fossie 32]

I forgot you're obsessed.. and when I posted above my phone said it was 1.54 pm..
SPOOOOKY..
Look forward to your next message at 7:54 tonight dude...

My favourite time of day

 

[Fossie 32]

Thanks for the reminder West_Coast_Eagles. An amazing time.

Still get a knot in the stomach thinking about it. ****ers. Didn't get the job done with us, so turned the heat onto Fitzroy.

 

[paul scholes]

Wow! Still remember crying often throughout it all.
There were murmurings we were in deep trouble all year, but the news of the merger just tore the soul out.
The story of the 96 year old just summed it all up.
Great to get some West Coast and Freo love on here.
This could be made into a movie without doubt

 

[paul scholes]

That's just not right mate. We always reserve the right to "kick a vic" as West Aussies should! I detest Essendon with a passion, but would still never want to see their extinction. Always happy to see the Eagirls losing too.
Ironically, I was at Subi for Fitzroy's last match ever against Freo. There was very little joy that night even after giving them a belting. There was a certain empathy for the Lions supporters and the unimaginable prospect of having to find another team to barrack for. Most Freo supporters just wanted to hug a Fitzroy fan after that game.
It's one of the amazing things about the tribalism of our game. We don't need fenced off areas or riot squads on call after the completion of a match. We win or lose, poke jibes at the opposition, have a beer with them and then think about playing the next stinking team that are in the way of our march to the finals!
The 1989 Bulldogs fightback is one of the proudest moments in their history and typical of the Bullies spirit that most footy fans respect.

Good luck for next year mate! Nice words

 

[PuzzledfromParkville]

I was 8 in 1989, but I remember the Fightback clearly.

I found a copy of the book in a second hand shop about 10 years ago and every time I read it I have tears rolling down my face.

I was 10. I remember finding out about the take over clearly. I was at Hoppers Crossing station and a stranger was reading the Sun, i saw the back pagevand freaked out. My sisters had deliberately entertained me taking me to a relatives house when it was announced so i woulcried now. I cried the way home to Laverton. We lived a 20 minute walk from the train station. I still apologise to my sisters for that walk. Not that I care though because all my sisters barrack or north

Never read the book but the letters that I read the other day in this thread made me get a touch teary. I was in cab from Sydney Airport to Parramatta. The driver thought someone had died

Love the scray. So excited about heading to the western oval next year

 

[PuzzledfromParkville]

Hey. I was able to watch it on my android phone just fine.. Great stuff.
I felt a bit sorry for Nick Columb.. Remember hearing at some stage he was paying the
player payments from his horse Courtza's winnings. But not sure if that was true.
Also recognized a young Eddie Maguire's voice as one of the reporters..

Nick Columb is much maligned but ploughed a shite load of cash into he dogs. He though a merger was the last choice. Hopefully he has been welcomed back to the club

 

[PuzzledfromParkville]

This all happened over just on a month. The Slater & Gordon offices in Footscray were packed full of volunteers working there arses off to plan things.

It's amazing the things they did in such a short space of time.

Peter Gordon's speech at the rally was apparently fantastic. Full of passion.

"I suppose we're all here today because we believe its better to die on our feet than live on our knees."

One volunteer said
"We did it for Footscray, not for a pat on the back for ourselves"

I wonder if someone has a news file on it all?

The thing that freaks me out was Peter Gordon was 32 at the time. Wow he is an impressive fella

 

[Nightowl]

The book's dedication reads: -
This book is dedicated to the legions of supporters, all over Australia- and some even as far away as London and Tokyo - who stood up to be counted so that Footscray Football Club could play on.

And some snippets... The fact that negotiations had been conducted in secret left a sour taste in the mouths of all those Bulldog supporters who had followed the club through rain, hail and shine, and some pretty lean years performance wise, at the
Western Oval. It was said that the club's directors had been placed under severe pressure to agree to the merger; if they hadn't, an administrator would have been appointed to wind up the club's affairs because the Bulldogs were "technically bankrupt". ....
...No one could have predicted the strength of that anger in the weeks to follow, certainly not Oakley and the AFL administration, so long out of tune with the feelings of the people who have made Australian Rules the great game that it is....It became apparent later that the Brisbane Bears were in debt to the tune of more than $28 million, but again the AFL was prepared to let them ride out their financial storm..
The above was part of the intro to the book by sports reporter Michael Stevens. I always did like him..

And from me - UP YOURS OAKLEY !!

 

[Fossie 32]

There is an analysis of the events - with focus on media coverage - here>
http://vuir.vu.edu.au/344/1/06chapter5.pdf

I can believe Columb did a lot of good for the club but he caved in and accepted defeat. Understandable as the bastards had a gun to the head of the committee.
Interesting to see in the link above that Oakley said he had sent a letter to Gordon about the financial status of the club and provided the contents to the three main newspapers. But apparently Gordon didn't receive it. Nobody held him to account for that lie.

 

[Nightowl]

There is an analysis of the events - with focus on media coverage - here>
http://vuir.vu.edu.au/344/1/06chapter5.pdf

I can believe Columb did a lot of good for the club but he caved in and accepted defeat. Understandable as the bastards had a gun to the head of the committee.
Interesting to see in the link above that Oakley said he had sent a letter to Gordon about the financial status of the club and provided the contents to the three main newspapers. But apparently Gordon didn't receive it. Nobody held him to account for that lie.

Oakley and Collins.. both due some serious karma.. absolute scumbags !

 

[Fossie 32]

But Oakley thought he had done us a favour by giving the club an uhh ..... wake up call and helped save the club.

 

[Nightowl]

But Oakley thought he had done us a favour by giving the club an uhh ..... wake up call and helped save the club.

I guess the problem is deluded people like him don't realise they're deluded..
I'm sure it rankles him when we have a good win.. And he'll be spitting chips when Libba Jnr or Libba Jnr jnr wins the brownlow ! Lol..

 

[immortalmike]

There is an analysis of the events - with focus on media coverage - here>
http://vuir.vu.edu.au/344/1/06chapter5.pdf

I can believe Columb did a lot of good for the club but he caved in and accepted defeat. Understandable as the bastards had a gun to the head of the committee.
Interesting to see in the link above that Oakley said he had sent a letter to Gordon about the financial status of the club and provided the contents to the three main newspapers. But apparently Gordon didn't receive it. Nobody held him to account for that lie.

It's not just that he gave up and caved, it's that he did it all without consulting the supporters, it leaves a black mark on anything he did as president.

 

[Barkly St End]

Initially, it was absolutely heart-breaking. It was smack, bang in the middle of the full professionalisation process of the league, and in many respects, at Footscray, we were behind the 8-ball (and have probably remained there ever since). It was pretty hard to comprehend what was happening at the time, certainly I had far less understanding back then than I do now (I was a young adult at the time).

It turned into a special time, a special memory, but to dwell on it too much only serves to remind us that we have existed on the brink forever and a day. We're still there. Maybe we always will be there (on the brink that is).

Do any of you remember that first game of the 1990 season? Having fought off the big wigs for the right to stay alive, with Terry Wheeler at the helm.

We were all excited, but we were unsure as well - when the team ran out, I don't think you could describe it as the usual roar - we were tentative, maybe we didn't quite believe what had been achieved against the odds.

A very young Chris Grant debuted that day. He showed he had something from day one, he'd go on to be the youngest player to reach 50 goals (not sure if the record still stands or not).

We got walloped by St Kilda that day, and the following week we hosted the Eagles (coached by our then recently departed coach), and got another walloping.

In round 3 (going off memory here), we had an away game in Sydney, and I went up with a few mates. I don't think we had ever won a game in Sydney, but came away with a big win that day.

Leon Cameron debuted that day, and I was lucky that he appeared to be playing the whole day on my wing, with no one on him.

With barely any Footscray supporters having made the trip up that day, we all got into the rooms straight after the game, no problems at all.

Pretty happy dressing rooms - slaps on backs all round.

Had a chat with Peter Gordon, who I had spent watching many games with on the outer before he became a well known identity.

Terry Wheeler retired to an adjacent room, to sit on his own, take it all in - relief written all over his face.

Fantastic memory - we follow the footy for these occasional memories that are forever etched under our skin.

Plenty of bandwagoners out there wanting to be part of premierships - but here we all understand the meaning of true support.

 

[Fossie 32]

^

 

[ian garlick]

^

My first post.Crazy keen bulldog supporter my grandfather first played in 1925 for the dogs and roved with Allen Hopkins .The reason i was keen to post was my friendship with author Allan Dalton who lurks these forums and was chuffed to see this thread,he has some crazy background stories to the book that some might be interested in i hope he joins in if others are interested.cheers