Changing teams you support

[QS]

What's his name?

Chris Donlon? Stuart Wenn? Chris Armstrong?

 

[the_slurpee_man]

When I was a kid, my Dad used to take me to the footy (now it's me takes him). We'd stand in the outer at Windy Hill. I wore a Terry Daniher number 5 jumper. I had a duffle coat with Paul Salmon, Simon Madden, Billy Duckworth, Paul Van der Haar, Tim Watson and I Hate Carlton badges. And my true hero was an innovative coach named Kevin Sheedy. I revelled in back-to-back premiership success in 1984-85 as my beloved Bombers took all before them.
Life took me to Sydney in the early 1990s and I didn't get to see the Bombers so often. There was the annual game against the Swans at the SCG, and a few pilgrimages to Melbourne every year. By now my heroes were the likes of Long, Wanganeen, Lloyd, Fletcher and Lucas. And of course Kevin Sheedy the visionary was still at the helm. I missed out on tickets in 1993, but was there in 2000 - perched up the top of the old Ponsford Stand as Hirdy's invincibles completed a near unbeaten season.
I never thought I would ever switch, even as my links to Sydney were stronger. Swans games were a welcome footy fix, and many of my best mates are Swans - but they could never be my team.
Sydney is home. I live here, I watch my sport here. It's a great place to live, except that not enough people follow footy. I'd long been a believer that Sydney should have a second team.

Then came the announcement that a second Sydney team was coming. Having lived in Sydney for so long, I was interested.
This was a chance to be there at the start, to be a pioneer for footy in what's far from the game's heartland. As well as being actually able to see my team play more than a couple of times a year. But if this project is to work, we needed start-up supporters - and still need to work to get more.

Some will say it's the wrong thing to switch from a club drawing 60,000 on Easy Street, with a premiership window coming up, to one drawing barely 10% of that on Struggle Street. But Easy Street is a long way away.
I was hardly ever at Essendon anyway - they'd barely notice I wasn't there, because I hadn't been there anyway. But by throwing myself into supporting this new club, I could make a difference, and play my part in growing the game I love in the city I love. And, having believed Sydney should have a second AFL team, to put my money where my mouth is.

At a launch in late 2010, the club announced themselves as the Greater Western Sydney Giants; and the first foundation memberships went on sale. I was the first to sign up, and I've never looked back. I'm in the Orange Army, the cheer squad; and our little group may not have big numbers but we're making our presence felt and punch above our weight in terms of active support.
The Giants have been unbelievable to me. I've had experiences with this club that I'd never have been able to have following a giant club 1000kms away in absentia. This is the best football adventure I've ever had; and I don't regret a thing.
It's not always easy when we lose every week, often by big margins. But we have a good list of young players. And we have hope. Growing support for this new club, far from football heartland, is tough. But I'm determined to what I can to make it work.

If that makes me a turncoat scumbag, then so be it. But a turncoat scumbag who has the interests of our great game at heart.

WOW! fantastic story mate! good on ya, and keep up the hard work!

 

[Coldacre]

When I was a kid, my Dad used to take me to the footy (now it's me takes him). We'd stand in the outer at Windy Hill. I wore a Terry Daniher number 5 jumper. I had a duffle coat with Paul Salmon, Simon Madden, Billy Duckworth, Paul Van der Haar, Tim Watson and I Hate Carlton badges. And my true hero was an innovative coach named Kevin Sheedy. I revelled in back-to-back premiership success in 1984-85 as my beloved Bombers took all before them.
Life took me to Sydney in the early 1990s and I didn't get to see the Bombers so often. There was the annual game against the Swans at the SCG, and a few pilgrimages to Melbourne every year. By now my heroes were the likes of Long, Wanganeen, Lloyd, Fletcher and Lucas. And of course Kevin Sheedy the visionary was still at the helm. I missed out on tickets in 1993, but was there in 2000 - perched up the top of the old Ponsford Stand as Hirdy's invincibles completed a near unbeaten season.
I never thought I would ever switch, even as my links to Sydney were stronger. Swans games were a welcome footy fix, and many of my best mates are Swans - but they could never be my team.
Sydney is home. I live here, I watch my sport here. It's a great place to live, except that not enough people follow footy. I'd long been a believer that Sydney should have a second team.

Then came the announcement that a second Sydney team was coming. Having lived in Sydney for so long, I was interested.
This was a chance to be there at the start, to be a pioneer for footy in what's far from the game's heartland. As well as being actually able to see my team play more than a couple of times a year. But if this project is to work, we needed start-up supporters - and still need to work to get more.

Some will say it's the wrong thing to switch from a club drawing 60,000 on Easy Street, with a premiership window coming up, to one drawing barely 10% of that on Struggle Street. But Easy Street is a long way away.
I was hardly ever at Essendon anyway - they'd barely notice I wasn't there, because I hadn't been there anyway. But by throwing myself into supporting this new club, I could make a difference, and play my part in growing the game I love in the city I love. And, having believed Sydney should have a second AFL team, to put my money where my mouth is.

At a launch in late 2010, the club announced themselves as the Greater Western Sydney Giants; and the first foundation memberships went on sale. I was the first to sign up, and I've never looked back. I'm in the Orange Army, the cheer squad; and our little group may not have big numbers but we're making our presence felt and punch above our weight in terms of active support.
The Giants have been unbelievable to me. I've had experiences with this club that I'd never have been able to have following a giant club 1000kms away in absentia. This is the best football adventure I've ever had; and I don't regret a thing.
It's not always easy when we lose every week, often by big margins. But we have a good list of young players. And we have hope. Growing support for this new club, far from football heartland, is tough. But I'm determined to what I can to make it work.

If that makes me a turncoat scumbag, then so be it. But a turncoat scumbag who has the interests of our great game at heart.

you're a disgrace. seriously. scumbag doesn't even come close.

 

[RearNaked]

ITS NEVER OK

wont name names but i know someone who switched from carlton to collingwood no a kid eather man in his 40s coz carlton lost to gc

 

[Tassieboy]

If someone changing football allegiances makes them a scumbag in your eyes, then your priorities are skewed to a very odd degree. I'd always thought scumbags were rapists and thugs...

I don't actually think these people think people who change teams are entirely scumbags, but just in the minor football world/supporting sense.

 

[Tassieboy]

Rightly or wrongly I detest those who change teams. But in a world sense it is incredibly insignificant, so what does it matter? Players, coaches swap all the time - that I find just as repulsive.

It'd never happen now, but if I were a child and Tasmania had a team things may have been conflicting, since I have never had any connection to Melbourne or Essendon in any sense apart from following the footy team since I was a few years old.

 

[Tassieboy]

I probably cheered harder for West Coast tonight than I have cheered for the Lions in years, mainly because my brother plays for them (he played quite well today).

Blayne Wilson>

 

[Shane Mead]

no it is not



so which one is it then?

once you've sung the song once, that's your team. once you've said out loud "YES WE'VE WON", that's your team. you stick with them. doesn't matter if they're the Equatorial Guinea Butterflies or your local footy club 2nds.


I followed NFL for one year in 1990, I chose the Redskins. I haven't watched NFL in 20 years and I've completely lost interest, but I'm a Washington supporter til the end because that's my team. I'll never follow another NFL team. loyalty.

Shut up you arrogant, buffoon. If your city/suburb gets their own team people in that area have every legit reason to change to that team. That team becomes your team...they represent where you live.

There is more merit behind that than sticking with a team you support because you picked a name out of a hat or just because that is the team your parents followed. Would I be an Essendon fan if my family followed the Bulldogs?

 

[Snake_Baker]

I don't think I have ever met anyone that has knowingly changed sides.

Well, obviously apart from all the franchise supporters.

 

[Kram]

Location is a legitimate reason especially for younger people, if say Tasmania got a team I wouldn't have problem with anyone that have always lived there switching. The people that are 'scumbags' are the ones that just change for reasons like their team is really struggling atm.

 

[Harris Specter]

It's interesting how so many Lions supporters on this site have the Gold Coast as one of their "other" teams. I reckon a lot of them are on the cusp of turncoating.

Not really, it's good to have a little QLD brother.

 

[Sainter3and7]

Just for me, and not for anyone else, changing teams is like having sex with two people on one day. You can do it, but you probably shouldn't tell either of them that you love them.

 

[JoondalupJ]

I know so many Eagles supporters who all supporter other sides before the Eagles joined in '87. I even know one who was Collingwood, changed to Eagles and then to Fremantle when they joined.

I reckon that every time the Eagles play a home game, Subi must have 1000s of, 'scumbags' as you put it sitting there in the stands.

I have a problem with anyone changing teams . Its always been a tribal thing for me. I could not follow either Eagles or Dockers but I am not a born and bred West Aussie. I am a Victorian ,but my mate I work with has followed the Hawks since the early seventies lived here in WA all his life , never changed teams .