Mega Thread Official thread for Footscray Vs Western Bulldogs name discussion

[Freshwater]

Every year before the indigenous round I suggest we become the Western Dingoes. But how about the Maribyrnong Dingoes for indigenous round?

 

[Timewillcome]

There was a spate of these regional name changes in the 90's. Rugby League had quite a few if I recall. I believe that most of not all of these changed back when they realised they didnt actually garner any more regional support and alienanted older supporters.

Collingwood have been the largest club with similar background to Footscray. Working class, they arent called "The Filth" for nothing. They have no issue with the name, and they have no issue attracting supporters from all over Victoria and Australia. They refuse to break tradition and change their jumper, or even let Port Adelaide wear their one that is only a resemblance of the pies one. This is protection of your identity and makes your supporters feel part of something strong.

Liverpool in the EPL are another comparison. They had 100k at the MCG signing their song. Are they all from Liverpool?

Winning games and premierships attracts younger supporters, not the club name.

 

[Guido]

Why in Bont's name would we do that?
Possibly the weirdest suggestion since Kent Brockman suggested his viewers "our viewers to crack each other’s heads open and feast on the goo inside".

The suggestion was half facetious.

But many of our members do like/love the name, most supporters under 30 (and most of the last generation of newer immigrants) have only known the club as the Western Bulldogs, and 50% of the club's VFL/AFL premierships have been won while playing under that name. If the club was to change back to Footscray, remembering/acknowledging the 25 years we spent as the Western Bulldogs by allowing the name to live on in some capacity, isn't as absurd as you make it out to be.

 

[Freshwater]

There was a spate of these regional name changes in the 90's. Rugby League had quite a few if I recall. I believe that most of not all of these changed back when they realised they didnt actually garner any more regional support and alienanted older supporters.

Collingwood have been the largest club with similar background to Footscray. Working class, they arent called "The Filth" for nothing. They have no issue with the name, and they have no issue attracting supporters from all over Victoria and Australia. They refuse to break tradition and change their jumper, or even let Port Adelaide wear their one that is only a resemblance of the pies one. This is protection of your identity and makes your supporters feel part of something strong.

Liverpool in the EPL are another comparison. They had 100k at the MCG signing their song. Are they all from Liverpool?

Winning games and premierships attracts younger supporters, not the club name.

I reckon we are more Footscray than Collingwood are Collingwood. Their home is now in East Melbourne! Our home is still Footscray.

 

[footscray1973]

There's only one way to settle this. All meet at WO at a prescribed time, bring your own weapon of choice. Footscray-ites at one end, Western-ites at the other, non-committed types can stand in the Judean People's Front pocket.

I've taken a quick straw poll over several days amongst 23 supporters I know directly. Demographic and voting breakdown:
Under 18: 3 - 1 would vote for Footscray, 1 to retain WB, 1 doesn't care either way
19-30: 8 - 4 for Footscray, 4 not fussed
31-49: none
Over 50: 12 - 11 for Footscray, 1 not fussed.

Total: 16 Footscray, 1 WB, 6 non-committal

Of the 23, 21 are long-time members, the other 2 are former members who still attend games occasionally.

Make of it what you will.

 

[footscray1973]

Also, Malthouse touched on this on the radio several years ago, said he thinks (at the time) the name should be Footscray, as that is the club he coached. I believe Wheeler was also on record at some stage along the same lines. Of course their opinions may have changed in the meantime. We have 11 living former coaches:
Goggin - played against Footscray, coached Footscray, coached against Footscray
McKenzie - played for and coached Footscray
Hart - played against and coached Footscray
Malthouse - played against Footscray, coached Footscray, coached against Footscray, coached against Western
Wheeler - played for and coached Footscray
Joyce - father played for Footscray, barracked for Footscray, played against Footscray, coached against Footscray, coached Footscray
Wallace - played against Footscray, played for Footscray, coached Footscray reserves, coached Western seniors, coached against Western
Rohde - played against Footscray, coached Western
Eade - played against Footscray, coached against Footscray, coached Western, coached against Western
Williams - played against Footscray and Western, coached Western
Macartney - coached Western

Also current coach: Beveridge - played against Footscray (at Melb), played for Footscray, played against Footscray and Western (StK), coached Western

A poll amongst them and former players would be interesting, especially, players who represented both - Wynd, Liber snr, Wallis snr, Grant, Johnson, Smith, West, Darcy, etc.

 

[Timewillcome]

There's only one way to settle this. All meet at WO at a prescribed time, bring your own weapon of choice. Footscray-ites at one end, Western-ites at the other, non-committed types can stand in the Judean People's Front pocket.

I've taken a quick straw poll over several days amongst 23 supporters I know directly. Demographic and voting breakdown:
Under 18: 3 - 1 would vote for Footscray, 1 to retain WB, 1 doesn't care either way
19-30: 8 - 4 for Footscray, 4 not fussed
31-49: none
Over 50: 12 - 11 for Footscray, 1 not fussed.

Total: 16 Footscray, 1 WB, 6 non-committal

Of the 23, 21 are long-time members, the other 2 are former members who still attend games occasionally.

Make of it what you will.

Based on those levels of support, you better make sure the Western-ites are provided with a white flag or bring their running shoes.

 

[Dogsman16]

Anyone under 30 has probably never known anything other than the Western Bulldogs. They would have been too young to remember "Footscray" as a footy club.

How do the under 30s here feel about the name? Happy to leave it as WB? Or do you feel a pull toward "Footscray"? If so, why?

Im under 30 and have supported the club since I was 4-5 years old. Think 1997 was the first season I recall watching games (so just after we changed names).

I'd prefer to leave it as WB. I don't have the connection to the area that many of you have (relocated out of Melbourne 20 years ago), also the fortunes of the club have got significantly better in the past 25 years or so, not to mention western melbourne is one of the largest growth corridors in Australia.

Going back to footscray would be a step backwards imo.

 

[Virgin Dog]

_Mike_ Any chance you could add a poll?

 

[_Mike_]

_Mike_ Any chance you could add a poll?

done

 

[AlwaysFootscay]

There was a spate of these regional name changes in the 90's. Rugby League had quite a few if I recall. I believe that most of not all of these changed back when they realised they didnt actually garner any more regional support and alienanted older supporters.

Collingwood have been the largest club with similar background to Footscray. Working class, they arent called "The Filth" for nothing. They have no issue with the name, and they have no issue attracting supporters from all over Victoria and Australia. They refuse to break tradition and change their jumper, or even let Port Adelaide wear their one that is only a resemblance of the pies one. This is protection of your identity and makes your supporters feel part of something strong.

Liverpool in the EPL are another comparison. They had 100k at the MCG signing their song. Are they all from Liverpool?

Winning games and premierships attracts younger supporters, not the club name.

At last some intelligent conversation on a topic that is dear to my heart .Most of the good arguments have already been stated but i thought i may as well give you my take on the subject. Back in 2012 or thereabouts i printed ,at my own expense, 2,500 BRING BACK FOOTSCRAY car stickers i gave them away to our supporters before the game and stuck them on various structures around West Footscray train station and the Whitten Oval car park. The response from Doggie supporters was extremely positive , of opposition supporters it was 100% .most people said that they only refer to us as Footscray anyway and that Western was not part of their vocabulary . As expected I also had some friendly debates as well .
My main argument however is that we are the Footscray Football Club this is our name and we should be strong enough to call ourselves by our name. The Western experiment hasn't achieved what it was set out to do , even after a premiership our membership has not increased to the level it should have and now we sit just above North Melbourne .I actually think the word Western has hindered us in a national competition, as pointed out in other posts it doesn't represent a location.
As a boy from Tasmania i chose Footscray for my team in the early 1960s , not knowing where the place was i looked it up on the map and then begged my parents to take me there the next time we travelled to Melbourne. Try looking up or googling Western.
Later on in life i ran my own cafe for 30yrs in Hobart and made it very clear which football team i followed. What struck me most was the number of people who asked me why i followed a Western Australian side, remember this is an Australian rules state.Hardened football fanatics in Melbourne would have no trouble identifying Western with the suburbs west of the city but outside of Victoria its confusing .
Is our club drowning in a sea of Westerns ? including other codes there must be about 7or 8 elite sporting clubs with the word western in them again muddying the waters . Theres only one StKilda, Carlton , Richmond etc. to me Footscray represents the west of Melbourne more than Western does anyway.
Im all for reinstating our real name Footscray (its a great name) and thereby restoring our identity.
In closing i have to say that there have been some very good posts on the subject far more positive than a few years back.
Keep it up.

 

[Buckingham]

Well said Bill ️

 

[Freshwater]

As I mentioned earlier in the thread I was adamant we got our hoops back but was ambivalent about the name. I voted Footscray on the poll and have been convinced it’s FOOTSCRAY by these great posts. Thank you. Footscray does create a clearer identity. We don’t even play in one of the great games of footy each year, the Western Derby!

 

[D Mitchell]

Thar's it.

... I was adamant we got our hoops back but was a...

Still too low. They should be about 2 inches higher on the jumper.

 

[Brass Dog]

Every year before the indigenous round I suggest we become the Western Dingoes. But how about the Maribyrnong Dingoes for indigenous round?

I too have thought that would be a great idea.

 

[Brass Dog]

Every year before the indigenous round I suggest we become the Western Dingoes. But how about the Maribyrnong Dingoes for indigenous round?

Could run with a jumper something like this.

 

[footscray1973]

The elder of the club, Gentleman John Schultz, is never referred to as " former Western champion", or "Western Brownlow medallist". He's "former Footscray champion John Schultz". "Western" makes me think of Sergio Leone and spaghetti. Although we could do worse than utilise some Ennio Morricone creations for our home games.

 

[Bulldoge]

Completely hypothetical - if given the chance to vote, would you choose to revert to the Footscray Bulldogs? Or keep the Western Bulldogs? I'm not saying we should change it back and not sure it would ever happen, just interested to see what people think.

 

[Doggies7]

Mega Thread - Official thread for Footscray Vs Western Bulldogs name discussion

VS In light of this topic surfacing every year and throughout various stages, the idea has been suggested by a few and floated with the WB mods that we have a MEGA thread for all future related discussion/s Based on the continuous contraversy of the topic it is in the best interests to...

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Bulldoge]

Mega Thread - Official thread for Footscray Vs Western Bulldogs name discussion

VS In light of this topic surfacing every year and throughout various stages, the idea has been suggested by a few and floated with the WB mods that we have a MEGA thread for all future related discussion/s Based on the continuous contraversy of the topic it is in the best interests to...

www.bigfooty.com

Ah, it has been raised before! Thanks for the link.

 

[memberforever]

NO WAY

 

[nnuckzz]

100% vote in favour of reverting back to Footscray!

 

[Freshwater]

Footscray for sure! Bulldogs most of the year. Dingo’s through the indigenous rounds.
With a nod to the ‘Men from the land boulders’ and ‘Saltwater lads’. Always remember our roots.

 

[Dazb86]

I'd prefer a new name.

Maribyrnong Eels has a nice ring to it

 

[CDBulldog]

How about Footscrazy Bulldogs