Opinion RIP Skinny Martyn's old monuments

[Roozee]

I was posting this in the NMFC membership tally thread but thought it deserved it's own thread to gauge what people think/feel in regards to this (and for those who may not venture into that thread) after I was extremely disappointed to learn, when confirmed to me by the club yesterday, that they have indeed destroyed the monument which stood outside of the previous club facilities before the re-development.

The new Shinboner Wall is all well and good but it is no appeasement if intended so, in my eyes, for the unnecessary desecration of a part of the club's history built by a life member, the late Bryan Martyn (Mick's father).

The correspondence with the club regarding the monument destruction is below. Haven't received a response to my second email yet so not sure it will go any further......the club has given their answer.(unless it has been forwarded to someone a little more in the know than our receptionist who may have sourced the information from someone else within the club.)

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Hi

I just have a query and am seeking some information in regards to the monument which was established in the early 2000's which displayed thousands of names of members/supporters/players/officials which was out the front of the old clubrooms/office.

I visited Arden St oval in the early 2000's to see it as my name was on it and filmed it at the time.

I believe it was built by Brian Martyn (Mick's father) and was removed during the re-development. As far as I can gather it has not been moved or erected elsewhere.

I am wondering where it is now residing and what plans, if any, there are for it.

Thanks for any help on the matter.

Regards

Scott

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Good Morning Scott

Thank you for your email.

The monument was at the previous facilities before we upgraded.

There was no plan in the new facilities for the monument to be erected.

We stored it for several years but due to the cost of storage and unlikelihood of it being re-erected, we had to make to decision to dispose of it.

Apologies for any disappointment this may cause.


Regards

Alene Lee
Receptionist

North Melbourne Football Club
P: (03) 9320 2400 | F: (03) 9320 2401
A: 204-206 Arden Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
E: Alene.Lee@nmfc.com.au | W: NMFC.com.au

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Hi Alene

Thanks for the response.

I must say it is extremely disappointing to learn that the monument has been disposed of.

This was a piece of our history and I was informed that it was built by the late Bryan Martyn, a life member of the club. I'm sure a lot of work would have gone into it.

Was there any consultation or notification to reach out to members in regards to the possibility of it being taken off the clubs hands (donated, auctioned, sold to first suitor, etc.) and re-homed by a loving member of the club with the capabilities and facilities to do so.

I know if I was in a position to do so at the time, feasibly and logistically, I would have found a way to save it. Surely amongst our 45000+ members someone, or even a group, would have been willing to find a place for this piece of our history for posterity's sake - at least. We have an amazing group of members who always seem to come to the fore. I would have been dumbfounded if no-one wanted it.

It just seems like a bit of a thoughtless and reckless decision to dispose of it. I am struggling to comprehend and understand how a piece of our history can just be discarded like a cheap toy whilst its intrinsic value to those etched upon it is ignored and/or overlooked by the decision-maker. Very disheartening.

Regards

Scott
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So how many people on here were a part of this monument and would you have done anything to have saved it?

 

[numchuks]

Geeze, really poor decision if true.

 

[jess_1804]

I was part of it and would have loved to own a piece. Used to love going down the club and searching for my name as a kid. Why couldn't they put that back up instead of this new fandangled 'Shinboner Wall'? Or, have both? Very, very disappointing.

 

[Arden]

Ordinary. Put them up in the parkland around the ground, or on the far wing would give a nice silhouette looking from the rooms.

Seems like a bit of a kick to the spirt of Skinny Martyn to just bin them.

 

[gokangas]

Had to be an option - very disappointing, I'm sure if the club had gone public at the time storage would not have been an issue. Anyway, done deal by the look of it. Sad.

 

[Saintly35]

Well the club has previously been willing to get rid of any notion of Shinboner Spirit being attached to the club .....

.......it's hardly a surprise they made such an equally stupid decision such as this.

 

[Roozee]

Ok, well it looks there may be some more answers/information forthcoming........email has been forwarded to the relevant department.

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Good Afternoon Scott

We appreciate and understand your disappointment.

I have passed your communication onto the relevant department within the club.


Kind Regards

Alene Lee
Receptionist

North Melbourne Football Club
P: (03) 9320 2400 | F: (03) 9320 2401
A: 204-206 Arden Street, North Melbourne VIC 3051
E: Alene.Lee@nmfc.com.au | W: NMFC.com.au

 

[JD-Roo]

Uncle-in-law (RIP) was the Property Steward for the Bears-then-Lions for a great many years.

When we visited years ago he had rooms full of Bears memorabilia that the club was just tossing out once they became the Lions. Early on they didn't want to have association to the Bears history at all.

His logic was that they'd want it all back someday when they saw the light, and he was right.

Pity no-one got the chance with the North pillars......

 

[Kimbo]

Was the monument any good? I get the impression of a cringe worthy backyard job?!

 

[Gasometer]

I reckon I have an article it in the old Roos News

 

[Roozee]

Was the monument any good? I get the impression of a cringe worthy backyard job?!

I've searched on-line and can't find a photo of it out the front of the old facilities as most of the photos are from the oval side. I know I have the footage somewhere on VHS tape which I'm keen to find now and get converted to digital. From what I can recall of my now vague picture of it in my memory bank it was a fairly standard monument that served its purpose - to honour those that have given to the club in some way.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Was the monument any good? I get the impression of a cringe worthy backyard job?!

It wasn't amazing.

Sentimental value through the roof.

 

[Saintly35]

Was the monument any good? I get the impression of a cringe worthy backyard job?!

Does it matter?

Like plenty of objects, I suspect it's more about the memory and effort attached than $ value or quality etc.

 

[Kimbo]

I've searched on-line and can't find a photo of it out the front of the old facilities as most of the photos are from the oval side. I know I have the footage somewhere on VHS tape which I'm keen to find now and get converted to digital. From what I can recall of my now vague picture of it in my memory bank it was a fairly standard monument that served its purpose - to honour those that have given to the club in some way.

It wasn't amazing. Sentimental value through the roof.

Does it matter?

Like plenty of objects, I suspect it's more about the memory and effort attached than $ value or quality etc.

I get the sentimental value it might hold (for some), AND if it was a 'fairly standard monument' that 'wasn't amazing', then I can understand why it may have been ditched.

That said, it's yet another indictment on the lack of lateral thinking and creativity we seem to have nowadays in this increasingly backward country. In some context (a 'museum' type part of Arden St., perhaps), it may have worked.

 

[Horace]

I have to be honest and say I can't even recall ever seeing it.

However in my opinion it was a rather strange decision to just get rid of it. Surely the decision to get rid of it should have received some publicity from the club before it was ditched. Who knows what might have transpired if the club had alerted everyone to what they proposed to do at the time. Not the smartest bit of work in my view.

(But I'm a bit of a hoarder so perhaps not best qualified to comment.)

 

[naturally north]

Was the monument any good? I get the impression of a cringe worthy backyard job?!

Yeah bush craftsmanship at its finest. Still we are a club built on assistance from a loyal supporter base. Would have been better had the club made out it was stolen.

 

[Roozee]

I get the sentimental value it might hold (for some), AND if it was a 'fairly standard monument' that 'wasn't amazing', then I can understand why it may have been ditched.

That said, it's yet another indictment on the lack of lateral thinking and creativity we seem to have nowadays in this increasingly backward country. In some context (a 'museum' type part of Arden St., perhaps), it may have worked.

Most monuments aren't exactly spouting rainbows. A walk down my local street sees some pretty mundane looking tributes to those who have served and significant pastoral figures from settling days. It's irrelevant - it's what they represent.

Other than the disregard shown by the club to dispose of it, the most staggering thing is why they didn't reach out to seek the many possible solutions available for the rescue of it. The thought of it being compacted to something the size of a car radio does not sit well with me.

 

[Kimbo]

I have to be honest and say I can't even recall ever seeing it.

However in my opinion it was a rather strange decision to just get rid of it. Surely the decision to get rid of it should have received some publicity from the club before it was ditched. Who knows what might have transpired if the club had alerted everyone to what they proposed to do at the time. Not the smartest bit of work in my view.

(But I'm a bit of a hoarder so perhaps not best qualified to comment.)

"Pass me the monument would you love?"

 

[Kimbo]

Most monuments aren't exactly spouting rainbows. A walk down my local street sees some pretty mundane looking tributes to those who have served and significant pastoral figures from settling days. It's irrelevant - it's what they represent.

Other than the disregard shown by the club to dispose of it, the most staggering thing is why they didn't reach out to seek the many possible solutions available for the rescue of it. The thought of it being compacted to something the size of a car radio does not sit well with me.

I'm no lover of most physical tributes like this in any case. Mostly they're eyesores. And, I agree with you regarding the decision. I wouldn't rescue it, but clearly many would have wanted to. Hail, bureaucracy. (Bring back Euge!)

 

[Roozee]

Yeah bush craftsmanship at its finest. Still we are a club built on assistance from a loyal supporter base. Would have been better had the club made out it was stolen.

Rustic charm would be a good way to describe its memory. To be honest, I wanted the bloody thing in my backyard!

 

[fusion]

I think this is the thing at Arden St that had the list of members during the 90s premierships. I did take a photo of my name on something like that years ago, but cannot find it

 

[Arden]

I think this is the thing at Arden St that had the list of members during the 90s premierships. I did take a photo of my name on something like that years ago, but cannot find it

Yeah, had cut outs of Carey and Greig, mounted on oval shaped, metal plinths, about 5 foot high with members names engraved.

Sure they weren't the most aesthetically pleasing pieces of artwork. But they were handmade by an ex-North player and father of a TOTC player, to honour our members during that successful period. I'll take that over a fancy statue, commissioned by Fat Cat Ed, to stand outside a building that isn't even at our spiritual home ground.

Just ticks me off that the club scrapped them without consultation or even a word to their members. I'm sure if they put the word out, alternative storage or a resurrection of them could have been organised.

 

[Roozee]

Yeah, had cut outs of Carey and Greig, mounted on oval shaped, metal plinths, about 5 foot high with members names engraved.

Sure they weren't the most aesthetically pleasing pieces of artwork. But they were handmade by an ex-North player and father of a TOTC player, to honour our members during that successful period. I'll take that over a fancy statue, commissioned by Fat Cat Ed, to stand outside a building that isn't even at our spiritual home ground.

Just ticks me off that the club scrapped them without consultation or even a word to their members. I'm sure if they put the word out, alternative storage or a resurrection of them could have been organised.

 

[Groucho]

Yeah, had cut outs of Carey and Greig, mounted on oval shaped, metal plinths, about 5 foot high with members names engraved.

Sure they weren't the most aesthetically pleasing pieces of artwork. But they were handmade by an ex-North player and father of a TOTC player, to honour our members during that successful period. I'll take that over a fancy statue, commissioned by Fat Cat Ed, to stand outside a building that isn't even at our spiritual home ground.

Just ticks me off that the club scrapped them without consultation or even a word to their members. I'm sure if they put the word out, alternative storage or a resurrection of them could have been organised.

Thanks Arden I now recall what they looked like and, while not fantastic artwork,they certainly meant something to my family as we searched for our names. I guess its a bit like the club deciding to repave outside with Italian marble and toss all the members pavers away.

 

[gokangas]

Thanks Arden I now recall what they looked like and, while not fantastic artwork,they certainly meant something to my family as we searched for our names. I guess its a bit like the club deciding to repave outside with Italian marble and toss all the members pavers away.

Will happen one day - maybe not the marble bit.