Whats in a name?

[GVGjr]

A simple question to all Bulldog fans.
Has the name change from the Footscray Football club to the Western Bulldogs really been a success?

When Smorgan first rose to power in the bloodless coup he stated that the the analysis he had done highlighted that the name of the Footscray Football Club was not recognised by the local community. The Western region of Melbourne had a population of 400,000 plus people and basically as far as Smorgan was concerned we wern't tapped into it because the FFC was not recognised by the region. The name change to the Western Bulldogs was apparently required to become a club that represented the region as opposed to just the Footscray area.

A few years back when we were really struggling to attract a proper major sponsor a few functions were held to try and sell the club to the region and I think Eddie McGuire was involved. The upshot was that very few local businesses actually supported the Club in any real capacity and this problem still exists as far as I am concerned.

If we really haven't attracted significant sponsorship and support in the region does the Western Bulldogs name really give us any competative advantage?
Would a name change that reinstated the Footscray name be worth a shot?
Have we gone to far down the road to turn the ship back?

If you check the Footscray not the Western Bulldogs site you can see the reasons why the name change wasn't the right move and I would be interested to hear others thoughts?

[The Coon Dog]

I'm not worried what we're called. I just usually refer to us as the Bulldogs. They're my team, regardless of what they're called. I don't think the club has had as many members/sponsors so I don't think the name change has hurt. Just a personal view, something I am not too concerned about.

[BulldogBelle]

Whilst at first the name change did annoy me a little when it was changed to the Western Bulldogs, as time has passed I quite like it now and don't really have an issue with it.

[Dry Rot]

Is there any evidence that the name change helped commerically?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I'm not worried what we're called. I just usually refer to us as the Bulldogs. They're my team, regardless of what they're called. I don't think the club has had as many members/sponsors so I don't think the name change has hurt. Just a personal view, something I am not too concerned about.

Ditto my thoughts.

I personally prefer "Western Bulldogs" over Footscray, anyway, but either way I'm not exactly fussed.

Long as we win, I'm happy.

[bornadog]

Whilst at first the name change did annoy me a little when it was changed to the Western Bulldogs, as time has passed I quite like it now and don't really have an issue with it.

I agree, I felt the same way as you, but now I think its actually better as it is meant to represent the whole of the western suburbs. It time it will, many other supporter still call us Footscray but that will change. As long as the team is still Melbourne based, thats all I worry about.

[alwaysadog]

I lamented the loss of the Footscray name initially, but then I realised Footscray isn't the same suburb it was when I was growing up and football is also a different game.

Names no longer worry me, but I suspect that it is easier to attract sponsors to the Western Bulldogs than it would be to the Footscray Football Club.

What I am more concerned about is the nature of the club. I see little evidence that it is more distant from its supporters and plenty to suggest that it is closer and that it sees itself as having a role to play in helping the less advantaged members of the western suburbs community. What's more it's been winning awards for doing it.

Names and what people say interest me less than what people do. I prefer to judge the club and its endevours by the latter criteria.

[LostDoggy]

I'm not worried what we're called. I just usually refer to us as the Bulldogs. They're my team, regardless of what they're called. I don't think the club has had as many members/sponsors so I don't think the name change has hurt. Just a personal view, something I am not too concerned about.

I'm a little the same but I don't think the name change did us any good from a membership (initially) or from a sponsorship perspective.
It's too late to make the change but as members we should be more dillegent in just accepting proposals like this in the future. The whole proposal was supposed to appeal to the western region of Melbourne but unless things have change in the past few months then it just hasn't worked.

[aker39]

I'm a little the same but I don't think the name change did us any good from a membership (initially) or from a sponsorship perspective.
It's too late to make the change but as members we should be more dillegent in just accepting proposals like this in the future. The whole proposal was supposed to appeal to the western region of Melbourne but unless things have change in the past few months then it just hasn't worked.

I would have thought the huge increase in membership is a success.

I'd love to know the demographics of our membership

[Go_Dogs]

I don't think it has made too much of a difference, if anything it has probably helped the clubs image off the field, losing the scragger reputation a bit, playing some good football under the name, and being seen as a more regional club, rather than purely a Footscray club. Not living in Melbourne I probably am not witness to a lot of the changes that have occurred since the name change, but personally, I don't have anything against it. I still have my Footscray jumpers, scarfs and beanies though, that I wear to games I attend.

[Dry Rot]

I'd love to know the demographics of our membership

Agreed. I understand that the area of Footscray is changing and most of our supporters may well come from other adjoining areas these days anyway.

The theory IMO of representing the greater west with the name change is a good one, but who knows how well it has gone in practice.

Maybe the planets will line up for us in the next couple years ie The Dons will bottom out just as we pick up a flag, and we take advantage of the bandwagon effect.

[Twodogs]

Maybe the planets will line up for us in the next couple years ie The Dons will bottom out just as we pick up a flag, and we take advantage of the bandwagon effect.

You see far more Bulldog stickers in Essendon and Moonee Ponds than you see Essendon stickers. I dont know whether that means that

a/ Our supporters display their allegience more than Essendon

or

b/ Theres lots of Bulldog supporting people living behind enemy lines

[BulldogBelle]

You see far more Bulldog stickers in Essendon and Moonee Ponds than you see Essendon stickers.

That is very true, living very close to Essendon I see the Dogs stickers on a lot of cars - which reminds me I must put one on my new car. Also having worked in Essendon, I have met a lot of Bulldog supporters in that area and chatting with the Essendon supporters a lot of them look at the Bulldogs as their neighbours and have even purchased Bulldog Memberships as they love the way the Doggies play.

[aker39]

You see far more Bulldog stickers in Essendon and Moonee Ponds than you see Essendon stickers. I dont know whether that means that

a/ Our supporters display their allegience more than Essendon

or

b/ Theres lots of Bulldog supporting people living behind enemy lines

I think Option A is correct.

I live in Moonee Ponds, and before that Essendon.

Ricky Oleranshaw, Dean Soloman (used too) and Mark Alvey all live in my street. Out the front of their house is a car with a bulldog sticker on it. It may be Ricky's, I think he barracked for the dogs.

I can assure that Bulldog supporters are certainly out numbered by Essendon supporters. I went to school in Essendon and used to cop so much s*** as we would get pumped by Essendon everytime we played. The one time we managed to beat them, I was on school holidays and couldn't give it back to them.

[Twodogs]

I think Option A is correct.

I live in Moonee Ponds, and before that Essendon.

Ricky Oleranshaw, Dean Soloman (used too) and Mark Alvey all live in my street. Out the front of their house is a car with a bulldog sticker on it. It may be Ricky's, I think he barracked for the dogs.

I can assure that Bulldog supporters are certainly out numbered by Essendon supporters. I went to school in Essendon and used to cop so much s*** as we would get pumped by Essendon everytime we played. The one time we managed to beat them, I was on school holidays and couldn't give it back to them.

Oleranshaw was/is a bulldog supporter. His family have a paint shop in Sunshine and I know his brother and dad are.

I lived in Smith Street in Moonee Ponds for a while back in the '80s. I came home from Windy Hill in my Bulldog scarf after we beat them there in '87 and none of the neighbours said another word to any of us for the next couple of months.