Withdrawing Membership

[The Coon Dog]

I don't know how others feel, but I'm starting to get sick & tired of reading people threatening to withdraw their membership is this or that does or doesn't happen.

What ever happened to blind loyalty?

[LostDoggy]

I think in most cases it is knee jerk reactions that bring out that sort of comment.

As far as Im concerned I have been a member most of my life, even though I dont get to a lot of games, I still pay it every year......

As I tell my Missus, my longest relationship with anything outside my family is the Footscay/Western Bulldogs Footy Club. How can I not be a member?

I will keep on being a member, as I want to see our day in the sun.

Better to be on board when we have a good year not be a johnny come lately. I always find it interesting that clubs memberships go up after they win a flag.....and sometimes dont perform the next year.

I would rather be a member every year, and feel like a part of a successful year, not the year following some success.

I always live with that eternal optimism that "maybe next year" will be the year.

Also I have spent some much emotional energy/money on supporting my club, that I want to get some return from all of that !

[Mantis]

I don't know how others feel, but I'm starting to get sick & tired of reading people threatening to withdraw their membership is this or that does or doesn't happen.

What ever happened to blind loyalty?

Imbeciles...

I'm probably the worst supporter there is in terms of bagging the players (I'm really bad), but I will continue to support the club both verbally and financially till I leave this planet.

When you sign to become a Bulldog member you sign on for life...

[The Underdog]

If we don't win a premiership in the next 60 years, I am totally withdrawing my membership.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

It's baby talk. "If we trade for him, the club's in denial. It's ACCEPTING mediocrity. The club can get stuffed, I won't be renewing my membership."

Blah blah blah.

It's crap. I'd be interested to know how many people have actually lived up to it, if a certain trade etc. has gone through.

In any case, to even suggest it is childish. You support the club no matter what; the end.

[GVGjr]

When push comes to shove the vast majority won't go through with it and they are just letting off steam. If some want to put conditions on it well that is up to them but rarely does it change anything.
Instead of discussing their issues with the club, they would rather moan about it online. I would rarely respond to anything written by someone who places emotive conditions on their membership.

[mjp]

In any case, to even suggest it is childish. You support the club no matter what; the end.

You are right of course. But why? Because emotions dictate that you do...if your emotion makes you withdraw your membership, well isn't that kind of the same thing?

I dont understand why people carry on the way they do, but then again, I have heard some horrible things said about our players by members (or people sitting in the members section) over the last few years - sometimes in games that we won and won quite easily. Basically, nothing surprises me.

[The Underdog]

You are right of course. But why? Because emotions dictate that you do...if your emotion makes you withdraw your membership, well isn't that kind of the same thing?

I dont understand why people carry on the way they do, but then again, I have heard some horrible things said about our players by members (or people sitting in the members section) over the last few years - sometimes in games that we won and won quite easily. Basically, nothing surprises me.

I've been plenty guilty of being led by my emotions and indeed giving some of our players a bit of a verbal (I suggested Sam Power might wanna play well, what with having 15 other teams to impress, around the middle of last year), although I think if all you're doing is giving negativity then you're kind of missing the point. Part of the emotion of the footy is giving a spray, but you stand by your team regardless. If you don't like something they are doing let em know, but try and be sensible about it, and don't go scapegoating players.
Am I making any sense? I don't know...

[Sockeye Salmon]

I find this kind of statement less offensive than so-called 'supporters' slagging off players.

"Gia's a weak hack and should be delisted" kind of thing.

I got an infraction this week for ripping into someone over that. The fact that it rarely happens here is why I love woof!

[Mantis]

I dont understand why people carry on the way they do, but then again, I have heard some horrible things said about our players by members (or people sitting in the members section) over the last few years - sometimes in games that we won and won quite easily. Basically, nothing surprises me.

That was probably me..

[LostDoggy]

I've been a member for about 10 years now, and would never consider leaving it, if anything I keep begging mum to upgrade our membership (we're just social club 17 matches, no seats). I have standards to uphold and if anyone at school found out that I'd missed a match, I'd never hear the end of it!

People vent their frustrations in different ways, this year the first time we versed North Melbourne I was so angry, and at quarter time the man in front of me stood up and started talking to us, and it turned out that it was Boydy's dad, argh. I was lucky I hadn't said anything about him...it was so embarrassing. I never call someone a dud or useless, not one of our boys anyway, just about particular things that they've done..or not done as the case often is.

[firstdogonthemoon]

It has to be unconditional love. Nothing else will do.

Who would be a member of a club that hasnt won a flag for 53 years or whatever it is. What sort of idiot would do that?

Faith is one thing, but I reckon it's easier to believe in santa than the bulldogs.

Logic doesnt come into it.

Its the simple pleasure of the game itself, and the undying hope that maybe this is the year, the round, the quarter, the bounce when it will turn for us.

It is the privelige of being able to say, I was there and I made a contribution.

There is nothing about being a dogs supporter that is easy or fun. Except being a dogs supporter.

[Topdog]

It's from people who type / speak before they think.

It happens everywhere and it's a shame to see that we as a human race are heading down this path so quickly. No one thinks anymore, just shoot from the mouth and then argue it til they go blue.

I for one have never understood the argument 'accepting mediocrity'. It makes no sense to me at all. The only club that has come close in recent times would be Richmond with Terry's comments at the start of the year. But even that got takn out of context IMO.

Just because I don't make ridiculous threats and think I am a lot more important than I really am doesn't mean that I don't care about my club. This year killed me and made me leave a game early for the 1st time ever (WC) as I had brought my wife along for her first AFL game and we got treated to that performance.

I went to Adelaide knowing that we would be killed by Welsh and lose by 5 goals and was right. It didn't stop me from going and it doesn't mean that I accept mediocrity. Just that I accept reality.

[Mofra]

Who would be a member of a club that hasnt won a flag for 53 years or whatever it is. What sort of idiot would do that?

An Australian, patriotic idiot.

I know you're making a point FDOTM, but hear me out.

Most nations celebrate a victory as their national military rememberance day. We celebrate ANZAC day, the day our forces took the the shore up sheer cliff faces against dug in Turkish positions, beginning a long an ultimately unsuccessful campaign. No, this was not a mistaken landing like some believe, as our previosuly planned landing points were so well fortified we would never had established a proper beachhead. We were given a difficult, barely possible task. On a belly full of biscuits, coffee & rum (now the "gunfire breakfast", we attacked it.

This was a few days after AE2 managed to penetrate the Dardenelles, an incredible feat of Naval operation.. At a time when our forces were "expendable", when our Olympic heroes still had the choice of representing the old country; barely a decade and a half after WA voted against federation.

Why do we celebrate this event? Because it forged us as a people. Courage, Mateship (mateship technically being a pre-federation homosexual paring, but nevermind, you what what it means these days), sacrifice, dignity, all these things that typify what we like to believe about ourselves.

What does this have to do with the Bulldogs? Everything. Traditionally, we have been the strugglers, outcasts, the poor club who takes the leftovers from others, brave to a point yet proud just to survive. They tried to kill us off, only we didnt let them. We have suffered massive disappointment (85, 97), yet we still follow.

Come 2008, we will again attack our cliff-face, and we will do so in ever increasing numbers, with a sense of hope that the disappointment of past years has been unable to erase. Supporting a club that, slowly, is building towards becoming the force we have been willing for years it to become.

A club that, in recent times, is no longer last on the membership ladder. Is leading the AFL community in community involvement. Is building top class facilities that will be a hub for a community growing in stature & status. Is shaking off the shackles of a survival mentality, changing ascpects of the club operation & is making a concerted effort to become what we had threatened to become in the 1950s - a powerhouse of the Western Suburbs, respected & feared by all, yet involved enough in the community around us to avoid becoming aloof.

Idiocy? Perhaps. But it is a red, white & blue idiocy I wouldn't trade anything to avoid.

[The Coon Dog]

Thanks for your contributions everybody. You have made me feel much better. I can't wait till next season now when we'll fight them on the beaches...