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  1. #1
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    What's in a name? Plenty

    Good article...



    What's in a name? Plenty
    The Age
    Peter Hanlon | June 3, 2008

    TOMORROW morning, at a not-so-long-ago decaying ground in Melbourne's inner-west, another step will be taken in a football club's rejuvenation. The club sits third on the AFL ladder, has just beaten the top team, and is enjoying its best start to a season ever.

    These are heady times for this club, which is as proud of its history as rivals who boast of much more than just one day of ultimate glory. Given past struggles just to survive, it is a time to celebrate its very being. To rejoice in who it is.

    It's a shame you have to scroll all the way down to the fine print to be reminded of this club's true name: Footscray.

    It is more than 11 years since the administration of then-new president David Smorgon complemented its new off-field personnel with a change of name, playing venue, logo and club song, along with a new coach in Terry Wallace. At the time, the club's membership had dipped to just over 10,000 — lower than when it won the 1954 flag.

    Then, the club was seeking a new beginning, having played its last game at Whitten Oval. As Smorgon said yesterday, few people leaving the ground after the Bulldogs had beaten West Coast that day would have believed that any heavy machinery moving in a decade later would have been charged with anything but demolition.

    But that was then. The Doggies are now alive and well, with more than 27,000 members, continuing AFL largesse and the fruits of government funding materialising at their Whitten Oval home. The new Elite Learning Centre, to be opened tomorrow, is just one stage of a development that will bolster a football club and benefit a community.

    Arguably, the time for a new beginning was right in 1996. But, as callers to talkback radio in recent days have proposed, maybe now is a good time to go back, while moving proudly forward. For that song to again begin: "Sons of the 'Scray".

    Smorgon says a reversion from the trading name Western Bulldogs to Footscray Football Club is not on the agenda, "nowhere on the list of 100 things we've got to do". While he is president, he says, it will not happen.

    He doesn't doubt that, to many, the name is important. "But I say to those people, we've moved on. We are the Western Bulldogs, and we're creating our history on the back of the Footscray Football Club history."

    The change was made, Smorgon says, because of a belief that the club's identity was limited, that as Western Bulldogs they could better tap into sponsorship, build coteries and other support from the entire western region of Melbourne, with its 600,000-plus people. "We felt that Footscray was a restriction on growing our brand."

    But football supporters do not see their club as a brand. They see it as players, people, a jumper. Something to love, that their mum and dad loved before them. Something to cheer and be cheered by. Something that gives them hope. Of no club is this truer than the Dogs.

    Smorgon says the change has been a success, although not all that was hoped for has been achieved. Research shows 55% of members reside in the west, up from 50%. Given the migration to one of Melbourne's boom regions in the past decade, this can hardly be seen as endorsement of the "brand" name.

    The transition certainly wasn't seamless, with premiership full-forward Jack Collins tackling Smorgon's administration at the time under the banner of "Footscray Forever".

    A website, "Footscray Not Western Bulldogs", maintains the rage today, carrying an AFL ladder featuring Northern Blues, Eastern Hawks, Central Demons, Country Cats, etc. "Grab a street directory and try and find West Coast Eagles or Port Power in them, let alone Western Bulldogs," it barks, concluding that "the only west or western I want to know about is Scott West".

    Smorgon is not concerned that, in a competition hell-bent on expansion, the word "Western" may soon be shared with another team, residing in the Sydney market that so tantalises the AFL.

    As for North Melbourne's recent decision to embrace its identity and relegate Kangaroos to nickname status, he could not comprehend that club's thinking.

    Yet surely the notion of catching support with an all-encompassing name sells short those 27,000-plus members, who proudly see their club just as it is styled in the last line of their song: "The team of the mighty west." People who would be proud to again call their club Footscray, no matter where they live.

  2. #2
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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    What a negative attitude towards the main point of the story - opening of the ELC.

    Fair dinkum.

    If it was Collingwood, the press would be falling all over them.

  3. #3
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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    The Western Bulldogs name is here to stay, so get over it.

    Stupid article, how about talking about the redevopment and the benefits its going to bring to not only the club but for people in the WESTERN suburbs.

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    No longer can we expect most journalists to actually tell us what is going on or even to report a single fact. Today the craft is all about hype, opinion and attempts to stir up controversy. At least this piece was true to the new credo.
    I believe there's nothing on this earth that we own. All we do is look after it for our children - Terry Wheeler

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    whatever the merits of the journalism employed here, and I'd agree the arguments made aren't the most compelling ones I've come across, personally I'd still love to see the club's name restored.
    BORDERLINE FLYING

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    Western Bulldogs are here to say and I wish people would stop complaining about it. Though I would have no objections to us changimg our name back to Footscray, I am just tired of hearing people complaining about it.

  7. #7
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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    I won't complain - in 96 I understood the need to broaden our appeal and to date they've done that. Smorgon (and Irene Chatfield/Peter Gordon before them) are legends. I personally would love to see us called Footscray again, but I won't complain.

    What I do note is the since JB changed the Roos back to North Melbourne, they crack 30,000 members. I don't think it would kill our 'brand' name. But no compaints, seriously, just worth a thought.

    Also, if we won a flag, it would be nice to see our captain on the dais say something like 'this is for the scray' like Kirk/Sydney did with the Bloods. It's important to recognise that history

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    I've lived almost my entire life within a decent torp's range of Whitten Oval. My family have lived in Footscray for generations. I'm devoted to my team and a proud native of my home suburb but I wish to **** that we'd get over the whole Footscray thing. It's gone, it's no longer our name.


    We arent The Prince Imperials anymore, we arent Footscray anymore, we are The Western Bulldogs.
    Have you been reading those Roddy Doyle books again, Dougal!?


    I have, yeah Ted, you big gobshite

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    Quote Originally Posted by Twodogs View Post
    I've lived almost my entire life within a decent torp's range of Whitten Oval. My family have lived in Footscray for generations. I'm devoted to my team and a proud native of my home suburb but I wish to **** that we'd get over the whole Footscray thing. It's gone, it's no longer our name.


    We arent The Prince Imperials anymore, we arent Footscray anymore, we are The Western Bulldogs.

    Thats what I love about Bulldog supporters. We know who we are and where we came from. I love the passion of the locals who have stood by the club all their lives.

    I've never lived in Footscray. The closest I've come is spending one Friday night in a panel van in the WO carpark the night before a game! Yet I feel just as much a part of the Scray as anyone else because that is the quality of the supporter base and the whole fabric of the club.

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    Quote Originally Posted by Twodogs View Post
    I've lived almost my entire life within a decent torp's range of Whitten Oval. My family have lived in Footscray for generations. I'm devoted to my team and a proud native of my home suburb but I wish to **** that we'd get over the whole Footscray thing. It's gone, it's no longer our name.
    I feel the same as you do Twodogs, name was changed for the betterment of the club to survive and grow. I lived in Spotswood as a child then moved out Essendon way. I have never been upset with the name change and quite happy with our club being known as the Western Bulldogs.

    It does get a little tedious everytime the subject is brought up about changing our name back to Footscray especially lately because the Kangaroos reverted back to North Melbourne.

    It really is a non issue for me and I don't care what we are called as long as the spirit of the club is retained and that no merger or relocation happens.

    Everyone has their own views on why we should be called Footscray and others are quite happy with being known as the Western Bulldogs. Either way if it came to a vote - I would retain the name Western Bulldogs.

  11. #11
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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    Quote Originally Posted by BulldogBelle View Post
    I feel the same as you do Twodogs, name was changed for the betterment of the club to survive and grow. I lived in Spotswood as a child then moved out Essendon way. I have never been upset with the name change and quite happy with our club being known as the Western Bulldogs.

    It does get a little tedious everytime the subject is brought up about changing our name back to Footscray especially lately because the Kangaroos reverted back to North Melbourne.

    It really is a non issue for me and I don't care what we are called as long as the spirit of the club is retained and that no merger or relocation happens.

    Everyone has their own views on why we should be called Footscray and others are quite happy with being known as the Western Bulldogs. Either way if it came to a vote - I would retain the name Western Bulldogs.
    Agree 100%!!

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    Quote Originally Posted by The Doctor View Post
    Thats what I love about Bulldog supporters. We know who we are and where we came from. I love the passion of the locals who have stood by the club all their lives.

    I've never lived in Footscray. The closest I've come is spending one Friday night in a panel van in the WO carpark the night before a game! Yet I feel just as much a part of the Scray as anyone else because that is the quality of the supporter base and the whole fabric of the club.
    great post.

    I agree that is what I have always loved abot being a Bulldog supporter, you do not have to live in the Footscray or the Western suburbs to feel like a part of the club, as long as you know just one other Bulldogs supporter.

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    Quote Originally Posted by HAB54 View Post
    great post.

    I agree that is what I have always loved abot being a Bulldog supporter, you do not have to live in the Footscray or the Western suburbs to feel like a part of the club, as long as you know just one other Bulldogs supporter.
    Very true, I don't think I know any other club members/supporters that celebrates its success like our club. When I am in the car with the kids we are always on the lookout for other doggie members and they get a big thumps up when they are spotted. Do we live in the West? No the North East which is Collingwood and Carlton's stronghold. Do I feel part of the West and the Western Bulldogs - absolutely.

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    Quote Originally Posted by BulldogBelle View Post
    Either way if it came to a vote - I would retain the name Western Bulldogs.
    Well, it has come to a vote of sorts, it seems. Check out the online poll for the Age sports section today.

    http://www.realfooty.com.au/polls/voted.html

    I voted no, just so it's clear.

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    Re: What's in a name? Plenty

    Any other compelling reasons besides 'get over it' as to why those who have various issues with the identity change foisted upon them should forfeit the right to harbour those thoughts?

    Don't start with the 'it's ancient history' routine either, as if the extent of a wrong diminishes as time passes since the deed.

    It doesn't state the total number of those who've voted yet, but according to that particular poll 69% want the name changed back to Footscray, as opposed to 31% in favour of the current name...Nuthin' in that I suppose?
    BORDERLINE FLYING

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