1989

[Twodogs]

Reading another thread and it mentions 1989 and I got thinking about it. I can remember where I was when I first found out (I was at work) I'd been on a four day bender-fri/sat/sun/Monday I'd been completely in communicado. It was easier to disappear in those days and not let the world in but I'd finally reached earth again and I was ready to join the human race.

I walk into the office, down to the tea room, pick up the Sun and turn it over to the sports pages and there it was. The end of Footscray. I stuck my head around the manager's office just to let him know I was heading down to the footy club to see what was happening. He pointed out (reasonably in the circumstances) that I had a job there that I hadn't been to in nearly a week and that my presence at the club wasn't going to be the deciding factor in whether we lived or died.

So I think I waited until lunchtime and headed down after telling a different manager that it was what I had to do.

So where were you?

[bulldogtragic]

Re: 1989

Edit.

[Twodogs]

Re: 1989

Heh! A ute. The first vehicle I ever drove with nobody in the car was dads ute. We were painting a house and he sent me to get some paint and told me not to take all day because he was waiting. It should have taken me 15 minutes tops but I got caught up in a funeral and ended up having to drive all the way from west Footscray to the funeral place in Altona at 10 Ks an hour, then turn around and drive back to the paint shop and then back to the job. Took me nearly an hour and a half

[Eastdog]

Re: 1989

March 1989 was my birth year. I was born in the same month as Twodogs I believe.

Would have been cool to experience 80s footy with us playing at the Western Oval. 1985 would have been a good year to watch as we nearly won the flag.

Can't remember a whole lot being a baby

The Doggies were saved in 1989. It is cool looking back at the old footage from then of where our club was at and all the people involved in our great fightback. We are a lot more financially secure today but of course always must be weary.

Go Dogs!

[Twodogs]

Re: 1989

March 1989 was my birth year. I was born in the same month as Twodogs I believe.

Would have been cool to experience 80s footy with us playing at the Western Oval. 1985 would have been a good year to watch as we nearly won the flag.

Can't remember a whole lot being a baby

The Doggies were saved in 1989. It is cool looking back at the old footage from then of where our club was at and all the people involved in our great fightback. We are a lot more financial secure today but of course always must be weary.

Go Dogs!

Correct, are you Pisces too Easty?

Footy back in the day was a lot of fun. I used to love running out on the ground and racing to see who could get to the centre first, a whole bunch of kids would arrive at about the same time trying to be first to the circle. I don't know if it was because I was a KD but I can still remember getting to a game and seeing the actual green if the ground for the first time as I walked over a hill or into the stand for the first time. It was like magic.

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

Re: 1989

I saw it on tv and couldn't quite believe it then went to the rally at the ground

[Twodogs]

Re: 1989

I saw it on tv and couldn't quite believe it then went to the rally at the ground

Talk about seeing the ground for the first time that day! I walked over the old railway bridge and saw the crowd and did a double take at just how many people were there. That was magic.

[Bornadog]

Re: 1989

There are three great WOOF threads on this subject:

1. Avoiding the merger memories of a week in hell - here

2. Avoiding the merger October 8, the fight back rally here

3. Avoiding the merger The best speech in football, Peter Gordon at the Fightback Rally - here

As to where I was that day I heard the news. Well I stepped out of the shower to hear the news in the background mentioning a merger, and I yelled out better not be Footscray. I nearly died then and there.

[Twodogs]

Re: 1989

There are three great WOOF threads on this subject:

1. Avoiding the merger memories of a week in hell - here

2. Avoiding the merger October 8, the fight back rally here

3. Avoiding the merger The best speech in football, Peter Gordon at the Fightback Rally - here

As to where I was that day I heard the news. Well I stepped out of the shower to hear the news in the background mentioning a merger, and I yelled out better not be Footscray. I nearly died then and there.

That would have been an interesting explanation for the ambos! "Yep. Dropped dead the moment he heard it was Footscray, and he's only 27! Didn't even gave time to put a pair of jocks on."

[Bornadog]

Re: 1989

That would have been an interesting explanation for the ambos! "Yep. Dropped dead the moment he heard it was Footscray, and he's only 27! Didn't even gave time to put a pair of jocks on."

Close, I was 33 years old and not a premiership insight.

[Twodogs]

Re: 1989

Close, I was 33 years old and not a premiership insight.

Premiership? You're joking, we will never win one. Saving our club in 1989, that's our premiership. Our "remember where you were and you cried" moment.

[Eastdog]

Re: 1989

Correct, are you Pisces too Easty?

Footy back in the day was a lot of fun. I used to love running out on the ground and racing to see who could get to the centre first, a whole bunch of kids would arrive at about the same time trying to be first to the circle. I don't know if it was because I was a KD but I can still remember getting to a game and seeing the actual green if the ground for the first time as I walked over a hill or into the stand for the first time. It was like magic.

Yep I'm a Pisces. My parents told me when I was born it was very hot early March 89.

[Twodogs]

Re: 1989

Yep I'm a Pisces. My parents told me when I was born it was very hot early March 89.

Don't remember the weather conditions in 1989. Given my lifestyle at the time it's a miracle that I can remember my own name.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: 1989

I found out when I read the Sun Newpaper....as it was called then...at work. Front page....I was stunned and a knot developed in my stomach. I rang the Club to see if it was true. I was working in St. Albans in those days.There was no answer. I followed it closely on the radio. Eventually as time went on I received a receipt book from the Club as I expressed my desire to collect money for our campaign. I started raising money. I hit up "every " shop in St.Albans. Not all were responsive but most were. Luckily I knew most of the owners of the businesses. I managed to collect $5,000 during that time. I will always remember the European and Asian shop owners...most knowing little or nothing about the AFL...contributing monies to save the doggies. The rest is history.

[Twodogs]

Re: 1989

I found out when I read the Sun Newpaper....as it was called then...at work. Front page....I was stunned and a knot developed in my stomach. I rang the Club to see if it was true. I was working in St. Albans in those days.There was no answer. I followed it closely on the radio. Eventually as time went on I received a receipt book from the Club as I expressed my desire to collect money for our campaign. I started raising money. I hit up "every " shop in St.Albans. Not all were responsive but most were. Luckily I knew most of the owners of the businesses. I managed to collect $5,000 during that time. I will always remember the European and Asian shop owners...most knowing little or nothing about the AFL...contributing monies to save the doggies. The rest is history.

The support of people who were new to the country and had little idea what football was but could see in our eyes how important it was to us and took us on trust and gave us money because we asked for it is something I will never forget. I will also remember the Vietnamese shop keepers in Barkly st coming out and applauding us when we had the imromptu "stick that up your arse Oakley" March when we'd raised the cash and the VFL had conceded.