Resource History Thread - Footscray Football Club and Western Bulldogs newspaper archive

[Freshwater]

‎Kick to Kick on Apple Podcasts

‎Sports · 2021

podcasts.apple.com

Great in-depth history of each VFL/AFL year. They are up to 1954. There is also a Footscray episode which delves into our VFA history and our entry into the VFL in 1925.

I will give this a listen for sure.

 

[Fossie 32]

I've got that one too Fossie 32, but in a box somewhere. Didn't Leunig title it something like "Footscray training night 1954"?

Yes, its also in a book he did - called 'Ducks for Dark Times' I think

 

[Vinegar Mess]

1976 - Round 21
at VFL Park, Waverley [21 August 1976]

Footscray 4 - 11 - 35
Fitzroy 3 - 16 - 34

This infamous match in late 1976 kept us in touch with a finals berth (which we ultimately secured with a shaky draw against Carlton in R22). Sports journalist Tony Peek (reporting for both The Sun and Sunday Press) noted that the game was riddled with “every mistake imaginable and then some”. Meanwhile, Ken Piesse in The Age referred to it as a “debacle” and “paddock football”.

Alan Stoneham kicked a goal after the siren to pinch the game. What the reports don’t describe is the very acute angle he was on; hard in the forward pocket, wrong side for a right-footer.

I was only aged nine at the time and my memory is a little sketchy but I recall the disbelief that we’d won. My Dad would retell how a bunch of Fitzroy supporters sitting immediately behind us had been giving him crap all day. When the siren sounded their ring-leader stood up, offered a patronising handshake and “ah well, it was a really pathetic game”. Dad responded “yeah it was – pity you lost”. The guy hadn’t seen the late goal and his face-drop was priceless as his brain scrambled to process what had happened”.


Sunday Press - 22 Aug 1976



The Age - 23 Aug 1976



Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976



Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976



Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976



Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976

 

[Fossie 32]

1976 - Round 21
at VFL Park, Waverley [21 August 1976]

Footscray 4 - 11 - 35
Fitzroy 3 - 16 - 34

This infamous match in late 1976 kept us in touch with a finals berth (which we ultimately secured with a shaky draw against Carlton in R22). Sports journalist Tony Peek (reporting for both The Sun and Sunday Press) noted that the game was riddled with “every mistake imaginable and then some”. Meanwhile, Ken Piesse in The Age referred to it as a “debacle” and “paddock football”.

Alan Stoneham kicked a goal after the siren to pinch the game. What the reports don’t describe is the very acute angle he was on; hard in the forward pocket, wrong side for a right-footer.

I was only aged nine at the time and my memory is a little sketchy but I recall the disbelief that we’d won. My Dad would retell how a bunch of Fitzroy supporters sitting immediately behind us had been giving him crap all day. When the siren sounded their ring-leader stood up, offered a patronising handshake and “ah well, it was a really pathetic game”. Dad responded “yeah it was – pity you lost”. The guy hadn’t seen the late goal and his face-drop was priceless as his brain scrambled to process what had happened”.


Sunday Press - 22 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585886


The Age - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585887


Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585885


Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585884


Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585890


Sun News-Pictorial - 23 Aug 1976
View attachment 1585888

I was there, memorable finish to the game not only as we pinched the win but Stoneham kicking the winner was great, as he was from Sunshine where we lived. I thought he was more than 5 yards out? I recall he didn't take much time lining it up, just ran straight in and jagged it.

 

[Dogs 13]

I was there, memorable finish to the game not only as we pinched the win but Stoneham kicking the winner was great, as he was from Sunshine where we lived. I thought he was more than 5 yards out? I recall he didn't take much time lining it up, just ran straight in and jagged it.

I was there too and it was a perfect, still and sunny day for footy. As I recall we kicked our first goal in the opening minutes and, of course, our last after the final siren. So in 105 mins of football we managed 2 goals and 3 for them.

We were all literally laughing at the ineptitude of both sides. I remember going to the toilet and to get food during play, something I would never do usually, and took my time. When I got back to my seat nothing had changed.

I can picture Stoneham's celebration after that last goal, we weren't overly confident after the "skills" on display that day. I can picture he was right on the boundary line.

Tony Peek says it's hard to imagine us beating Carlton (who were on top of the ladder) next week, and he was right. As history shows we drew with them to hold 5th place and hold out a fast finishing Melbourne. It took us a while to realise that a draw was enough.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

I’m glad you guys have commented on where Allan Stoneham kicked it from. The news report suggests it very close to goal and makes no mention of the acute angle or the fact that he had to go back over the mark. I was starting to doubt my own recollection. It was a difficult shot - pity it’s not on film.

 

[Dogs till i die]

Went to both the Fitzroy and Carlton games, the Fitzroy game was remarkable for how poor it was, but does anybody recall Bernie Quinlan' s game and finals saving mark v Carlton in the last game?

Had never seen it before and haven't seen it since - we'd led most of the day and Carlton were coming hard. Big Bernie took a late defensive mark from behind the goal post with his arms wrapped around the post but marking it without it hitting the post.

Anyone remember that or was it a dream of mine?

 

[Fossie 32]

Went to both the Fitzroy and Carlton games, the Fitzroy game was remarkable for how poor it was, but does anybody recall Bernie Quinlan' s game and finals saving mark v Carlton in the last game?

Had never seen it before and haven't seen it since - we'd led most of the day and Carlton were coming hard. Big Bernie took a late defensive mark from behind the goal post with his arms wrapped around the post but marking it without it hitting the post.

Anyone remember that or was it a dream of mine?

I remember the mark .....

 

[Bulldog rick]

Bernie Quinlan was such a brilliant footballer. A pity he couldn't stay at the dogs.

 

[Leon]

Here’s a random one.

Does anyone have any pictures of the old away change rooms in the Whitten Stand?

I saw virtually every corner of that ground back in the day - I sat in the Whitten Stand for some games, stood at the scoreboard end, Barkly St end, was on the Hawkins Wing for the final game bs WCE, sat in the Gent Stand for a grand total of one game, and managed to get into our change rooms on multiple occasions post game - but I never saw the small away rooms in the forward pocket of the Barkly Street end.

It‘s for no other purpose other than my curiosity.

Thanks in advance

 

[True Dog]

Went to both the Fitzroy and Carlton games, the Fitzroy game was remarkable for how poor it was, but does anybody recall Bernie Quinlan' s game and finals saving mark v Carlton in the last game?

Had never seen it before and haven't seen it since - we'd led most of the day and Carlton were coming hard. Big Bernie took a late defensive mark from behind the goal post with his arms wrapped around the post but marking it without it hitting the post.

Anyone remember that or was it a dream of mine?

What a game it was.

 

[Dogs 13]

Went to both the Fitzroy and Carlton games, the Fitzroy game was remarkable for how poor it was, but does anybody recall Bernie Quinlan' s game and finals saving mark v Carlton in the last game?

Had never seen it before and haven't seen it since - we'd led most of the day and Carlton were coming hard. Big Bernie took a late defensive mark from behind the goal post with his arms wrapped around the post but marking it without it hitting the post.

Anyone remember that or was it a dream of mine?

Pretty sure that was a different game, you can see the "mark" at the very beginning of this video. Only the first 25 secs are with the Dogs the rest with the Roys, obviously.

What a magnificent footballer.

 

[Dogs till i die]

Pretty sure that was a different game, you can see the "mark" at the very beginning of this video. Only the first 25 secs are with the Dogs the rest with the Roys, obviously.

What a magnificent footballer.

Thanks Dogs 13, your video was at WO with the Dogs wearing black shorts. Looks early 70s prior to our garish red shorts.

My recollection, and I concede we are talking nearly 50 years ago, was Superboot took the mark I'm talking of at Princes Park in that frantic last quarter in 1976.

I could be wrong, of course, anybody remember the mark at Princes Park?

 

[Spiritof82]

Here’s a random one.

Does anyone have any pictures of the old away change rooms in the Whitten Stand?

I saw virtually every corner of that ground back in the day - I sat in the Whitten Stand for some games, stood at the scoreboard end, Barkly St end, was on the Hawkins Wing for the final game bs WCE, sat in the Gent Stand for a grand total of one game, and managed to get into our change rooms on multiple occasions post game - but I never saw the small away rooms in the forward pocket of the Barkly Street end.

It‘s for no other purpose other than my curiosity.

Thanks in advance

From what I can remember the change room in the Whitten Stand closest to Barkly St was for the umpires, the opposition teams used the old rooms (with no hot water) in the John Gent Stand.

 

[gordo2016]

I’m glad you guys have commented on where Allan Stoneham kicked it from. The news report suggests it very close to goal and makes no mention of the acute angle or the fact that he had to go back over the mark. I was starting to doubt my own recollection. It was a difficult shot - pity it’s not on film.

I have this distant memory of it being about 15-20 metres out. Didn't go to the game, but very vaguely remember listening to it on the radio. I'm sure I have seen some film of it too , maybe on World of Sport? Unless I dreamt it. Anyway, I have this image in my head of it being near the boundary line , but he had heaps of space to thread it , so 15-20 metres out would by my guess.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

From what I can remember the change room in the Whitten Stand closest to Barkly St was for the umpires, the opposition teams used the old rooms (with no hot water) in the John Gent Stand.

This is correct. I attended games at WO for most of the life of the Whitten Stand - umpires always in the northern (Barkly Street) change rooms.

I remember as a kid going into the Footscray change rooms before games and watching the players warm-up. It smelt of liniment. To get there you’d walk through an entrance at the southern end of the Whitten Stand near the men’s dunnies; inside there was an area that was cordoned off for spectators to immerse themselves in the pre-game vibe. Usually had to clear out around 30 mins before game time.

 

[Vinegar Mess]

Thanks Dogs 13, your video was at WO with the Dogs wearing black shorts. Looks early 70s prior to our garish red shorts.

My recollection, and I concede we are talking nearly 50 years ago, was Superboot took the mark I'm talking of at Princes Park in that frantic last quarter in 1976.

I could be wrong, of course, anybody remember the mark at Princes Park?

No mention of it in The Age article. Next time I'm at the State Library I'll check out the reports in The Sun and Sunday Press.