New Book on Fitzroy out Soon

[Levo]

Has anyone been privvy to a preview of this new book on Fitzroy by Jim Main?




Fitzroy
Author: Jim Main

Founded in 1883, the Fitzroy Football Club has produced more champions than any other club. This book provides a season-by- season account of Fitzroy's successes and struggles over almost its 125 year history.


Online Price
$39.95




Publisher: BAS PublishingsDate Published: 1/9/2007
ISBN: 9781920910815
Format: Paperback Book[/I]

[Fat Pizza]

I have a copy of this book. It is a good summary of Fitzroy’s history & a steal at $39.95. I paid far more for mine.

It is set out in chronological order, with 2 or 3 pages allocated to each season from 1897 onwards. There’s also a brief section on Fitzroy’s history pre-VFL & a few pages on the Brisbane Lions. It lists all the players who played in each season, including how many games they played that year & how many goals they kicked. There is a bit of a commentary on each season & includes plenty of great photos.

Despite this, the book seems a bit “dry” to me. There are a lot of comments like “so-and-so made his debut this year. He went on the play x no. of games for Fitzroy & kicked so many goals” It didn’t have the quirky stories I like reading, which were a feature of previous books, such as “The First 100 Seasons”, Chris Donald’s “Fitzroy – For The Love Of The Jumper” & Adam Muyt’s “Maroon & Blue”.

It is a good book. I’m glad I’ve got a copy, but I am a bit disappointed with the lack of depth in the commentaries.

[adey115]

I have a copy of this book. It is a good summary of Fitzroy’s history & a steal at $39.95. I paid far more for mine.

It is set out in chronological order, with 2 or 3 pages allocated to each season from 1897 onwards. There’s also a brief section on Fitzroy’s history pre-VFL & a few pages on the Brisbane Lions. It lists all the players who played in each season, including how many games they played that year & how many goals they kicked. There is a bit of a commentary on each season & includes plenty of great photos.

Despite this, the book seems a bit “dry” to me. There are a lot of comments like “so-and-so made his debut this year. He went on the play x no. of games for Fitzroy & kicked so many goals” It didn’t have the quirky stories I like reading, which were a feature of previous books, such as “The First 100 Seasons”, Chris Donald’s “Fitzroy – For The Love Of The Jumper” & Adam Muyt’s “Maroon & Blue”.

It is a good book. I’m glad I’ve got a copy, but I am a bit disappointed with the lack of depth in the commentaries.

Exactly. I paid more too! Quite happy to have a book like this one though listing season to season stuff, and it does have some great pics as well. But the more anecdotal ones like thaose you've mentioned are a great read. Mind you, if they put a book out on the Roys Bootstudders or Runners or Car Park Attendants, then I'd probably grab a copy anyway....

[Fat Pizza]

Heart & Soul by Robert Shaw also had some good stories, including a classic interview with Fitzroy's property stewards.

[Tim the Toolman]

Good old Ford boys. They made me feel real great when I read that! :(

[The J Dog]

[quote=Levo;8450810]Has anyone been privvy to a preview of this new book on Fitzroy by Jim Main?

Fitzroy
Author: Jim Main

Founded in 1883, the Fitzroy Football Club has produced more champions than any other club. This book provides a season-by- season account of Fitzroy's successes and struggles over almost its 125 year history.


What about Dyson Hore-Lacey's book Fitzroy. Is it a good read?

[Fat Pizza]

What about Dyson Hore-Lacey's book Fitzroy. Is it a good read?
I enjoy reading almost anything about Fitzroy.

I think Dyson's book is worth reading, but it is very different from those other books. He doesn't delve much into our on-field performance.

It is more about how Fitzroy's attempts to survive during the 1990's were thwarted by the AFL & its allies. It explains how Fitzroy's Board was forced to explore merger offers. Then it details how Fitzroy's fate was ultimately taken out of the hands of its supporters & our elected representatives.

It isn't the most pleasant aspect of Fitzroy's history to reflect upon, but the issues explored in this book needed to be documented.

[The J Dog]

I enjoy reading almost anything about Fitzroy.

I think Dyson's book is worth reading, but it is very different from those other books. He doesn't delve much into our on-field performance.

It is more about how Fitzroy's attempts to survive during the 1990's were thwarted by the AFL & its allies. It explains how Fitzroy's Board was forced to explore merger offers. Then it details how Fitzroy's fate was ultimately taken out of the hands of its supporters & our elected representatives.

It isn't the most pleasant aspect of Fitzroy's history to reflect upon, but the issues explored in this book needed to be documented.

Thanks. I've been meaning to order it off the FitzroyFC website. Speaking of mergers, I was at the SCG for the Swans vs Collingwood match in early 1995, about 6 months before the Swans become popular. My Dad (a Pies fanatic) and I were sitting right outside the Collingwood rooms in the SCG Members with 3 men and a dog. One of the Collingwood directors, who I won't name, talked to us for about half an hour about anything to do with the club. He said they were inches away from going public with a merger with Fitzroy in the early 90s, (possibly around the time the Fitzroy-Footscray merger was proposed) but in the end they were afraid to pull the trigger with the members. Not sure if this is in Hore-Lacey's book.