Bleed Black and White

[South of the Yarra]

My family and Collingwood go all the way back to 1897 where my Pop was at the first game Collingwood ever played. My Nan who has long left this world for an eternity of Black and White and we have recently found out that she was present at 12 of our Premierships including the 4 in a row.
Here are her observations.

- Dick Lee was the first superstar of the game and was a record breaker.
- The Machine Team was the greatest football team to ever play.
- The Machine Team would have won more Premierships if Albert Collier had not left for Tassie
- Syd Coventry was a Goliath and the players would have gone to war for him.
- Gordon Coventry was unstoppable and his body use was second to none.
- Jack Regan was simply the greatest Full Back ever
- Albert Collier was fearsome and players walked taller because of him.
- Albert Collier was the greatest player to ever play for Collingwood
- Bob Rose was every bit as good as his reputation
- Ron Todd was even better than Coventry and better than Coleman
- McHale had no peer and made Collingwood what it is today. He made us loved and hated.
- Daicos did things on a footy field that no Collingwood player in history could. Only Fothergill or Greening came close.
- Carmen was more gifted than any Collingwood player in history
- Buckley is in the top 3 Collingwood players ever

Share the Collingwood history that you have heard. What did your parents and grandparents tell you.

 

[Soups]

My family and Collingwood go all the way back to 1897 where my Pop was at the first game Collingwood ever played. My Nan who has long left this world for an eternity of Black and White and we have recently found out that she was present at 12 of our Premierships including the 4 in a row.
Here are her observations.

- Dick Lee was the first superstar of the game and was a record breaker.
- The Machine Team was the greatest football team to ever play.
- The Machine Team would have won more Premierships if Albert Collier had not left for Tassie
- Syd Coventry was a Goliath and the players would have gone to war for him.
- Gordon Coventry was unstoppable and his body use was second to none.
- Jack Regan was simply the greatest Full Back ever
- Albert Collier was fearsome and players walked taller because of him.
- Albert Collier was the greatest player to ever play for Collingwood
- Bob Rose was every bit as good as his reputation
- Ron Todd was even better than Coventry and better than Coleman
- McHale had no peer and made Collingwood what it is today. He made us loved and hated.
- Daicos did things on a footy field that no Collingwood player in history could. Only Fothergill or Greening came close.
- Carmen was more gifted than any Collingwood player in history
- Buckley is in the top 3 Collingwood players ever

Share the Collingwood history that you have heard. What did your parents and grandparents tell you.

My Grandfather who was actually a Collingwood supporter when he was just a boy (I did not know this until he passed) changed sides to Footscray after moving there and followed them for 85 years. Anyway, he used to work with Gordon Coventry in a factory and he would say he had the biggest hands he’s ever seen and was one tough bugger. Not everyone could say you went to work with someone that played 306 games and kicked 1299 goals. Pretty special imo.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Fantastic South of the Yarra and especially when your post is accompanied by such a great avatar.

Wow 12 flags for such a wonderful supporter.

My dad lived through 10 flags as it were.

Im a mega advocate for recalling our past players and tales of their deeds.

Adds to the rich tapestry of our history.

Whilst I’ve now seen 2 flags only I still am keen to see us have an “era” side, that is where we win a good few in a short space of time. Thats only fair.

 

[Black_White]

I’m not bleeding for anyone!

 

[jonbe54]

Dad was one of the faithful, born and raised in Clifton Hill. Worked from 14 years old at Julius Marlow Shoes - first as a lowly dogsbody and eventually rising to master bootmaker.

He was of that generation that 'bled for the Carringbush'.

As a young man on Saturday mornings he would take his Gladstone bag chock-a-block full of sandwiches and sausage rolls, not to mention his beanie and scarf to work at the factory. As soon as the shift finished he would throw on his gaberdine overcoat, grab his bag and thermos and walk to the station - travel to Victoria Park and catch some of the early games.

He would hear no ill word against the machine in any company - to him and his cronies they were young gods. CFC itself was a beacon of hope to the surrounding slums - there is no other word - and those who from birth struggled to rise out of 'the flats' as the Collingwood area was known as.

The Collier brothers, Jack Regan, Sid and the - to him - young Bobby Rose were all super-stars of the game.

Sadly now - like dad - those times have passed and the club is no longer the centre of a tight knit tribal community. We are a more selfish or self - centred people and expect more than any football club can deliver.

I myself no longer get to matches as arthritis has it's claws in me but to be truthful the changes in the game regarding team access and the ability to access the oval on playing days had already soured my enjoyment of the game somewhat. My experience is from a different era than most of you here but despite the long and harrowing wait for my first premiership - started going to games at 10 yo - of 26 years in the wilderness my 66 years with the Pies as the central tenet in my life have been richly rewarding.

Too many now insist second place is nowhere and playing finals is irrelevant if the flag is not won.

Utter rubbish.

For those that can be bothered do some research beyond the mere flags - check how we finished each and every year of our VFL/AFL existence that no club comes within a bulls roar of our consistent record of excellence.

Flags ARE NOT the be all and end all of football.

There is so much more - or was before the media and betting agencies got a hold of the game.

 

[Robroy22]

Dad was one of the faithful, born and raised in Clifton Hill. Worked from 14 years old at Julius Marlow Shoes - first as a lowly dogsbody and eventually rising to master bootmaker.

He was of that generation that 'bled for the Carringbush'.

As a young man on Saturday mornings he would take his Gladstone bag chock-a-block full of sandwiches and sausage rolls, not to mention his beanie and scarf to work at the factory. As soon as the shift finished he would throw on his gaberdine overcoat, grab his bag and thermos and walk to the station - travel to Victoria Park and catch some of the early games.

He would hear no ill word against the machine in any company - to him and his cronies they were young gods. CFC itself was a beacon of hope to the surrounding slums - there is no other word - and those who from birth struggled to rise out of 'the flats' as the Collingwood area was known as.

The Collier brothers, Jack Regan, Sid and the - to him - young Bobby Rose were all super-stars of the game.

Sadly now - like dad - those times have passed and the club is no longer the centre of a tight knit tribal community. We are a more selfish or self - centred people and expect more than any football club can deliver.

I myself no longer get to matches as arthritis has it's claws in me but to be truthful the changes in the game regarding team access and the ability to access the oval on playing days had already soured my enjoyment of the game somewhat. My experience is from a different era than most of you here but despite the long and harrowing wait for my first premiership - started going to games at 10 yo - of 26 years in the wilderness my 66 years with the Pies as the central tenet in my life have been richly rewarding.

Too many now insist second place is nowhere and playing finals is irrelevant if the flag is not won.

Utter rubbish.

For those that can be bothered do some research beyond the mere flags - check how we finished each and every year of our VFL/AFL existence that no club comes within a bulls roar of our consistent record of excellence.

Flags ARE NOT the be all and end all of football.

There is so much more - or was before the media and betting agencies got a hold of the game.

A brilliant read Jon. Thanks so much for giving me those memories back.
I miss the family feeling and the "Us against them" of those earlier times too. I think that Bucks and the current list are trying their best to foster the family feelings again and I really enjoy watching the young players coming through (something that was so much fun when we had U/19's and reserves that we all got to watch each week as well). I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment "We are a more selfish or self - centred people and expect more than any football club can deliver."

and
Flags ARE NOT the be all and end all of football.

There is so much more - or was before the media and betting agencies got a hold of the game.

Brilliant mate, just brilliant.

 

[jonbe54]

I was privileged to see Bobby Rose, Polly Farmer, Royce Hart, Bobby Skilton, Len Thompson and so many more in my early years of being part of the army.

It is true that we missed many opportunities in the '60's and '70's but what the whiners conveniently gloss over was the true quality of the top 6 teams in any given year. Collingwood, Richmond, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne, and even South Melbourne had periods of dominance through that period. Any team that made the granny had already been through the mincer and it truly was a case of the last team standing.

With Ron Casey influencing the league to let him buy a premiership for his beloved North Melbourne the face of football changed irrevocably.

Player and club loyalty now had a price sticker on them and 'playing for the jumper' was on it's way out as Australian Rules Football slowly but surely become a meat market - just like all the American professional sports.

Now in place of a true competition of amateurs we have a tightly controlled and regulated treadmill, with each team forced into mediocrity at the peak of their powers by a cadre of pimps who feed off the game like so many leeches.

And for those of you ignorant of the true meaning of the word 'amateur'

It means - quite literally - for the love of the game.

 

[Kappa]

Dad was one of the faithful, born and raised in Clifton Hill. Worked from 14 years old at Julius Marlow Shoes - first as a lowly dogsbody and eventually rising to master bootmaker.

He was of that generation that 'bled for the Carringbush'.

As a young man on Saturday mornings he would take his Gladstone bag chock-a-block full of sandwiches and sausage rolls, not to mention his beanie and scarf to work at the factory. As soon as the shift finished he would throw on his gaberdine overcoat, grab his bag and thermos and walk to the station - travel to Victoria Park and catch some of the early games.

He would hear no ill word against the machine in any company - to him and his cronies they were young gods. CFC itself was a beacon of hope to the surrounding slums - there is no other word - and those who from birth struggled to rise out of 'the flats' as the Collingwood area was known as.

The Collier brothers, Jack Regan, Sid and the - to him - young Bobby Rose were all super-stars of the game.

Sadly now - like dad - those times have passed and the club is no longer the centre of a tight knit tribal community. We are a more selfish or self - centred people and expect more than any football club can deliver.

I myself no longer get to matches as arthritis has it's claws in me but to be truthful the changes in the game regarding team access and the ability to access the oval on playing days had already soured my enjoyment of the game somewhat. My experience is from a different era than most of you here but despite the long and harrowing wait for my first premiership - started going to games at 10 yo - of 26 years in the wilderness my 66 years with the Pies as the central tenet in my life have been richly rewarding.

Too many now insist second place is nowhere and playing finals is irrelevant if the flag is not won.

Utter rubbish.

For those that can be bothered do some research beyond the mere flags - check how we finished each and every year of our VFL/AFL existence that no club comes within a bulls roar of our consistent record of excellence.

Flags ARE NOT the be all and end all of football.

There is so much more - or was before the media and betting agencies got a hold of the game.

That's one thing that should be brought into the game.

In other sports the team that comes 2nd is celebrated as a brilliant team, in AFL they become a joke and are mocked endlessly, and normally their coach gets the arse soon after... it's ridiculous

 

[Occidental]

I was gobsmacked when someone posted this picture of underneath the Sherrin Stand!
That’s where I used to stand in my Blue Coat, guarding those doors on the left that lead to the visiting team change rooms.
Stood there for hours keeping out opposition riff raf and letting the officials and players go in.
Once the main game started, you just wandered up those stairs and had the best view ever.
We’d be standing up in the aisles and would chase the balls coming in and try to launch them back onto the ground with the best kick you could manage.
Never had too many dramas as 90% of people in the Sherrin Stand were in the same seats week after week.
Funny stuff - if an oppo full back was screaming at us for the ball for a quick kick out after a behind, we’d make sure our kick was miles off target getting back to them! We were the first line of team defence!