blackdiamond
24 May 2003, 10:55
courtesy of www.portadelaidefc.com.au
Change Collingwood's jumper: Williams
http://portadelaidefc.com.au/cp2/c2/webi/article/094207ae.jpg
Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams has urged the AFL and Collingwood to change the Magpies’ guernsey for next Friday night’s clash at AAMI Stadium to avoid a clash of colours.
Williams challenged both parties at his post-match media conference after the Power’s 50-point victory over Essendon at Telstra Dome on Friday night.
“Having been Collingwood captain ... (I) certainly admire and love the club … but because the guernseys are so close together, it’s about time that the AFL made Collingwood change their guernsey and they should play in a neutral colour,” Williams said.
“Last year we did and certainly we got paid money for it, but I thought it was inventive and it was there to say that we’re not pig-headed enough to say that we wouldn’t change … being at our home ground.”
“Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool – the great teams around the world – they change their guernseys at will and it’s about time that I think the AFL got the clubs to do that.
“I don’t think it takes anything away from Collingwood’s tradition – at all – to change one night per year.
“Our team is very similar to theirs and it is confusing and it helps the public and I think that’s what we’re all about – making sure that the public gets the best results, so they can distinguish between the black and white and the black, teal and white.”
But Williams stated that the club would have changed its strip against Collingwood regardless of the commercial agreement last year.
“We certainly contemplated it, yeah,” Williams said.
“We thought it was a great marketing idea.
“It shouldn’t be our choice, it shouldn’t be up to us, it’s our home game, so it should be them and the AFL should make them.”
Williams also took a swipe at Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and put it on the line to the Magpies boss to use alternate jumpers.
“Eddie is a traditionalist and he likes to pump it up and that’s great, but I think that we’ve all moved past that,” Williams said.
“Collingwood have had an all-white guernsey with a Magpie in the middle of it, a lot of times in the past.
“They certainly wear different colours at training, so if it’s that very important to wear their guernsey all the time, why don’t they wear it all the time and they don’t.”
Williams said McGuire needed to be open-minded on the subject and move with the times.
“I think Eddie just wants to push his point and not be their first Collingwood president to give up that right, if you like,” Williams said.
“I probably encourage Eddie to take it on and be the first person, because he likes to be first about everything.”
“He’s done a great job at getting Collingwood back there, so I think to be first to come up with an alternate strip – I’m sure that he’ll get fantastic coverage for it and he’ll be able to sell it off, make a lot of money and that’ll work for him as well.”
But when asked whether the decision should come from the AFL and not the Collingwood chairman, Williams said: “It would make sense to me that the AFL (made that decision).”
“They’ve gone from the umpires wearing white to all different colours, so there is no reason why (players’ guernseys can’t change either).”
“Players adapt. We train in yellow and we train in red and we train in blue and the players can pick their players very easy and I think it’s exciting for the fans and I think that’s where the number one priority must be the fans.”
Change Collingwood's jumper: Williams
http://portadelaidefc.com.au/cp2/c2/webi/article/094207ae.jpg
Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams has urged the AFL and Collingwood to change the Magpies’ guernsey for next Friday night’s clash at AAMI Stadium to avoid a clash of colours.
Williams challenged both parties at his post-match media conference after the Power’s 50-point victory over Essendon at Telstra Dome on Friday night.
“Having been Collingwood captain ... (I) certainly admire and love the club … but because the guernseys are so close together, it’s about time that the AFL made Collingwood change their guernsey and they should play in a neutral colour,” Williams said.
“Last year we did and certainly we got paid money for it, but I thought it was inventive and it was there to say that we’re not pig-headed enough to say that we wouldn’t change … being at our home ground.”
“Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool – the great teams around the world – they change their guernseys at will and it’s about time that I think the AFL got the clubs to do that.
“I don’t think it takes anything away from Collingwood’s tradition – at all – to change one night per year.
“Our team is very similar to theirs and it is confusing and it helps the public and I think that’s what we’re all about – making sure that the public gets the best results, so they can distinguish between the black and white and the black, teal and white.”
But Williams stated that the club would have changed its strip against Collingwood regardless of the commercial agreement last year.
“We certainly contemplated it, yeah,” Williams said.
“We thought it was a great marketing idea.
“It shouldn’t be our choice, it shouldn’t be up to us, it’s our home game, so it should be them and the AFL should make them.”
Williams also took a swipe at Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and put it on the line to the Magpies boss to use alternate jumpers.
“Eddie is a traditionalist and he likes to pump it up and that’s great, but I think that we’ve all moved past that,” Williams said.
“Collingwood have had an all-white guernsey with a Magpie in the middle of it, a lot of times in the past.
“They certainly wear different colours at training, so if it’s that very important to wear their guernsey all the time, why don’t they wear it all the time and they don’t.”
Williams said McGuire needed to be open-minded on the subject and move with the times.
“I think Eddie just wants to push his point and not be their first Collingwood president to give up that right, if you like,” Williams said.
“I probably encourage Eddie to take it on and be the first person, because he likes to be first about everything.”
“He’s done a great job at getting Collingwood back there, so I think to be first to come up with an alternate strip – I’m sure that he’ll get fantastic coverage for it and he’ll be able to sell it off, make a lot of money and that’ll work for him as well.”
But when asked whether the decision should come from the AFL and not the Collingwood chairman, Williams said: “It would make sense to me that the AFL (made that decision).”
“They’ve gone from the umpires wearing white to all different colours, so there is no reason why (players’ guernseys can’t change either).”
“Players adapt. We train in yellow and we train in red and we train in blue and the players can pick their players very easy and I think it’s exciting for the fans and I think that’s where the number one priority must be the fans.”