Memories of the Western/Whitten oval

[gangsta deluxe]

Hi guys,

I was doing a bit of reminiscing recently about the Western oval. I remember the last game there, hell I still have some of the grass from the oval in a jar from that day. It was a sad day, it really felt like the end of an era.

My most salient memory of the oval, is being about nine years old, standing on a box with my brother to see, as we would do at every game there. We would be in the end nearest Geelong rd, under the screen. It was a standing area, so a box was necessary. The smell of cigarette smoke and beer was everywhere. The band going around at half time was always a highlight. There was a real feeling of community back then, that is missing at games today.

What is your most salient memory of the ground, back when we played there? (sorry for those too young to participate in this!).

 

[Ant_]

3 games stand our for me.

1990 : Watching a skinny FF in a 29 jumper kick goals on debut and knowing I had my new favourite player.

1993 : Watched a young Scott West kick 6 against Essendon

1997 : Last game against West Coast, the back six all went and pushed and shoved a young Micheal Gardiner.

Other memories, standing in the outer in cold, wind and rain, a frozen hand holding a cold VB tinnie. The sound of a one sided crowd giving it to the opposition. Lived no where near the Whitten Oval as a kid but would go to every game.

Also the 1989 fightback day, have a BF blog on that one. Shame I don't still have a Up Yours Oakley bumper sticker

 

[The Coon Dog]

My whole family would catch a bus & get off at the corner of Barkly Street & Gordon Street, buy a footy record & line up to get our season tickets clipped (no fancy bar code in those days, it was clipped with a circle or a 'V').

Free seating in the EJ Whitten stand in the front row & say hello to all these people who were in their same spots each week (didn't know who they were).

Head down with autograph book in hand & await the senior players arrival. Catch up with those I missed who were standing in front of the EJ Whitten stand watching the reserves.

Check out the souviner stall to get sew on names for the duffel coat.

I used to love looking to my right to see the unfinished Westgate Bridge.

Grab a cardbox box & slide down the stones.

What a fantastic trip home the bus ride was if we won!!

 

[Dogs54]

Stack of memories but the highlights:

1) Templeton's 15 goals against St Kilda in 1978
2) Doug Hawkins dominating on the wing was simply unbeatable. Boy did he love the Doug Hawkins wing.
3) The debut of Chris Grant was a highlight and so where the 300 plus games that followed.

Also memories of the beer, smoke and the old guy selling bags of peanuts.

 

[gangsta deluxe]

Also the 1989 fightback day, have a BF blog on that one. Shame I don't still have a Up Yours Oakley bumper sticker

I had a 'Merge Oakley into outer space' sticker. Not the most coherent of stickers, but still hahahahaah.

 

[Leon]

Most memorable games I was at:

1984 - Beasley after the siren after Gubby Allen's blunder. Magic.

1985 - brilliant sunshine, packed house and best atmosphere I'd ever seen at the ground vs the mighty Essendon side and we won. Great day.

1985 - horrible conditions against the equally mighty Hawthorn team, Steve MacPherson with a 70 meter goal to get us over the line.

1987 - Robbie Fowler inspired Melbourne helps them over the line in front of a full house. Was gutted, but brilliant atmosphere and unbelievable game.

1989 - the fightback. Still the most emotional football experience I've ever had. Only 10,000 there but amazing noise and atmosphere.

1990 - when we played St Kilda in Round 1 after the fightback. We got killed and Lockett had a birthday, but just the emotion from people that the club was still there after the fightback was amazing.

1991 - any win against Carlton is nice, but keeping the pricks to one goal was ace. If only we'd kept them goalless. Damn you Mark Arceri!

1992 - we were a damn good side an 92, and although this game might not be memorable, I remember being there on a Sunday arvo and us thrashing Hawthorn (who were on the last legs as fading force) and a still teenage Grant killing them.

1994 - Hawkins record breaking game and we actually beat Geelong after several games of them owning us.

1996 - a draw against Hawthorn in atrocious conditions with Darren Pritchard somehow missing from 15m out in front to level the scores. One semi decent memory from that train wreck of a season.

1997 - the last game. Very emotional. Still got the picture of me, Dad and my 3 year old step brother below the scoreboard looking like we'd just had a shower in our clothes. The feisty opening with our defence charging Michael Gardiner, tight struggle throughout and a hard fought win to secure a top 4 finish. I ran out onto the ground along with everyone else at the final siren.


Ah dear, I really miss that ground.

 

[beaser]

Standing on the gravel between the races with the same people every year. Standing in water in line waiting to get my two warm vb,s and the guy opening them with a fork. under the Whitten stand.. The Hawk just poetry in motion down his wing and Peter Foster pulling in big grabs at centre half back.

 

[acker]

1st game of footy I went to in the 1970's

I came down from Ballarat Grandpop took me

Dog's had a 9 goal 2nd Quarter against the Saints

Bernie Quinlan booted a huge goal from between the flank and the wing

And later checking the stats on a site discovered it was Mick Malthouse's (also from Ballarat's) first game

Went to some others, favorite was 1985 beating Essendon and ending their long winning streak.

Standing at Geelong road end with my Uncle, some nearby Essendon fans (father + son) said at half-time the Dog's have had a good half but the Bombers would demolish them after half time ..... about 20 minutes into the 3rd Quarter I looked around to return serve .. they were gone .. probably in the car heading back to Essendon

 

[Bodicifer]

Watching people who could afford to throw coins at the blanket carriers following the band !!!

 

[Curly5]

Walking there and back with our Dad on Saturday afternoons, and my little brother crying all the way home if we lost (oh yes you did, KM )

The mud, the mud, the mud. It was usually freezing but wrapped in our footy coats and scarves and beanies we hardly noticed. A bag of jam donuts was also a must.

Strolling across the ground after a game, looking for friends and trying not to get hit by any of the dozens of footies being kicked around.

Going to a game v Carlton, with Carlton supporter friends, and enjoying a great win when the Blues almost failed to score at all

 

[Dazb86]

I can't really remember ever going to a game there. Although went to one of those training with the team days as a kid.

s**t load of memories from Waverly Park though.

 

[_Mike_]

Some of the memorable performances

78 - Templeton's 15 against the Saints
84 - Beasley's mark & goal against Collingwood to win the game. That game also saw mark of the year by Banks
85 - Beasley's 12 against Melbourne (Dogs won the game by 20 goals)
85 - Defeating Essendon in 85 (a favourite of many)
89 - Georgardis kicks 8 against Carlton in his debut
90 - C.Grants debut, lets not forget his brother who also played a few games.
92 - The nose (Del-Re) and Chocco kick 13 between them in a rout over the Demons
94 - Hawkins breaks EJ's game record

Other noteable memories.

-Used to stand near the Geelong road end entrance up the side fence where you walked in from Cross st. (Near where the Police Horses were stabled during the game)
-Saw a few tantrums from Mark Jackson
- Hyde st band

 

[Butane]

Slipping over on the loose rocks at the train line end.

Also the smell of beers and ciggies sometimes reminds me of watching footy at the Western Oval. Must have been the only time in my childhood that I came across those smells.

 

[The Coon Dog]

89 - Georgardis kicks 8 against Carlton in his debut

That game was at Princes Park.

 

[acker]

That game was at Princes Park.

Yep remember that I got there late and got a parking ticket somewhere in Royal Parade.

If only he Georgadias had a right side as well as a left side

He was a bit like a half a Bosustow

 

[_Mike_]

That game was at Princes Park.

my bad

 

[Kennel Master]

Walking there and back with our Dad on Saturday afternoons, and my little brother crying all the way home if we lost (oh yes you did, KM )

I still cry when we lose.

I remember playing on the Western Oval in 1963 in a combined Footscray District U14 team and after the game being presented with a Bulldog towel by John Schultz as one of the best players that day. We played an Adelaide schoolboys team, and won! I've still got the towel!
No tears that day Curly!!

KM

 

[DoggyStyle]

I only went to one game and it was the last. I think I have posted this story on numerous occassion in various forums, but my most most vivid memory of that day was my in in ability to hold my icy cold can of VB in my hand on the Doung Hawkins wing without wrapping my jumper sleeve around it. The beer and the weather were both cold that day my friend.

The other enduring memory was the chant that rang out after Billy gave Matera a good knock around the chops. The crowd proceeded to chant in what seemed to be an endless loop..."Matera's a w***er"" clap, clap, clap "Matera's a w***er".........

 

[josh the gent]

I went to a few games there, most memorable one was just with my father who is a Melbourne supporter. It was round 23, 1991, and that day is one of the best memories of my younger childhood...

We spent the day seated in the stand on the west side of the ground, and Dad bought me the official Footscray soft toy "Bully". At some point, we noticed a number of Brisbane Bears players in that stand (they were due to play us in round 24), instantly recognisable due to the presence of one John Gastev!

For some odd reason, I have quite vivid recollections of the "Olympic Tyres" sign spinning around on top of the southern scoreboard end.

Anyway, it was a tough, scrappy game in cold and wet conditions, and we looked pretty bad at half-time having only kicked 1 goal and trailing by quite a bit. We made a remarkable come-back though, and were just a goal down during the last quarter, before Melbourne kicked the sealer in the last couple of minutes, and we lost by 11 points.

Just a great day - less the result of course

 

[Old_Dog]

Glen Coleman snapping the point post.
Allen (Collingwood) passing to Beasly who won the game for us
Royce Hart's first game as coach - sky divers parachuted onto the oval
Dougie dominating the wing
Shane Loveless - could have been a player

 

[PSP18]

Because I was young and don't have any Bulldogs family, I only got to see four matches at the Whitten Oval (for a 2-2 record, FWIW).

My strongest memory is of August 23, 1997. My sister was born around 6am that morning but that didn't stop me from going to the game and seeing the Dogs win whilst copping an absolute drenching. I then went home and had a hot shower before going to the hozzy to see my youngest sibling for the very first time

Needless to say, t'was a very memorable day!

 

[KMac4FF]

I first started going in 1972 when I got my licence. It was a rush being there after following the team for quite a while. I went to the top of the Whitten Stand which was supposed to be reserved seating.
At that time John Birt was captain / coach of the ressies and would come off the bench and win the game for them in the last quarter. I used to love watching the ressies

Sadly I don't have a good memory...... do remember Dougy's comeback game after he did his knee - the crowd roared when he came off the bench, And the games where he equalled then broke EJ's record. Before the second game he ran on and exchanged flick passes with EJ. He played HBF then and didn't seem to worry about his opponent - the ball would just magically come straight to him. I watched him while the ball was down the other end and he was standing there looking around the stadium, taking in the atmosphere on his big occasion.

I was at the fightback rally which was great, featuring Steve MacPherson singing American Pie.

I went to the last game at WO and missed most of the first quarter and pre - game dramas as my daughter brought a friend and had to queue up for one child's ticket.

 

[GlovedLikeGrgic]

Walking through the rooms with Leon Cameron as a young fella and being shown the number 18 locker and being told if I worked hard enough one day I could see my name on there, sadly the only thing I worked hard on was the amount of hot dogs id eat.

I dont remember the Western Oval for the games but for the family time with my cousins, uncle and my father or on the really lucky days sitting up in the 54 section of the grandstand and seeing guys like EJ enjoying watching the boys play. Of being in the social club and looking up at big Iljia and his beautiful girlfriend and asking him how he got that tall or spending the night following Barry Standfield around and most likely bugging him worse then Wayne Carey ever could have.

Hell the only on field thing I look back on isn't even a doggie player but seeing Ablett Snr tear us a new one and the whole crowd walking end to end

That will forever be my happiest time supporting the club and the game, it will forever be the time I believed there was nothing but Footscray for me. I wish I still had that passion for the game or the club but footballs just not the same at the Docklands.

 

[arkie]

Imagine if we could have our own 30k state of the art stadium there. No longer a possibility. A man can dream.

 

[Fossie 32]