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FFC: Established 1883
Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.Comment
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Western Bulldogs: 2016 PremiersComment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
As a youngster I used to love the rainy days when I could grab the old chip boxes and make a tobaggan to slide down the mud hills next to the EJ Whitten stand. I was always carefully not to get too much mud on the pants otherwise the old girl would go nuts... There is only so many times you can use the 'I was pushed over excuse'.
As I got older I used to sit on top of the umpires race... Gee it used to be funny at 1/2 time or after the game if we were getting a rough deal. Those ump's used to get a drilling and I learnt many a new word sitting up there.
The umps also got a free shower on the way in in the form of soft drink, beer or if the 'ferals' were really upset it was spit...
At 1/2 time I used to also collect cans such to buy some donuts... We used to stand on the terrace in between the 2 players races and have cans pelted at us by the beer swillers. A couple of bags were full in a matter of minutes and then we used to battle thru the crowd to the receival station. If we were a little light on we used to fill the cans up with gravel to add some weight, more weight = more $$'s = more donuts.... Smart hey.
After the game my folks used to head to the social club, the kids used play on the ground til way were stuffed trying to replay the exploits of our heroes. We used to also walk around the boundary line picking up any coins that were missed by the Hyde St bands blanket... That was taken straight into the social club for more fuel, normally raspberry & lemonade's.
Good days.Comment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
I think the peanut man, and the Hyde Street Band would have to be my fonest memories of the Whitten Oval. On a negative note, the "facilities" in the early days left a lot to be desired and it was always a challenge to wash my hands in the freezing water and go back and sit in the freezing rain!Comment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
Thanks, had the last game on my fingertips at the time.
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
As others have mentioned - being allowed into the rooms afterwards, seeing Dougie, Fossie, Tits, Super etc strolling round starkers signing autographs...
Pity the game's changed and kids can't have the same access to their heroes these days.Comment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
Being bored (as a 6 or 7 year old tends to get during the footy!) and making paper aeroplanes out of pages from the footy record, and proceeding to throw them only as far as the person in front of me's head!Comment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
The peanut man is Boydy's great uncle,he passed away a while agoComment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
Such a spiritual place.
Fond memories of standing in the Drill Hall pocket.
Over the years got to know the regulars who were always there through thick and thin (lot's of thin in the 70's and 80's). One particular bloke called Bob who was able to make a can of beer appear as if by magic for my old man when we usually arrived at the start of the 3rd qtr in the ressies.
As I got older and was able to enjoy a few beers at the game I switched to the Geelong Rd end in front of the scoreboard where you could line up for an ale and not miss any of the game. It was also closer to the station than our original spot. The train ride home to Mooroolbark was always entertaining after a few drinks.
For the last game in 97 we went back to the Drill Hall pocket where all the regulars were there. Brilliant day made all the more enjoyable for a win over the Eagles and sideways rain.Comment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
Missed the last game on holiday in the UK. Big regretComment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
When we were kids and couldn't afford the entry fee we either would go so early that we would get in for free or we would squeeze in though the gap in those big wire gates. Once we just hopped over the fence.
Before the EJ Whitten stand was built the radio commentary box was about near where the north end of the Whitten stand is now. One set of toilets was at the back there and the commentators could look right down into the toilets. So we could look up at the commentators while having a pee.
They would let us into the change rooms in those days and I remember filling up my autograph book with all of the senior and reserves players. I shook Teddy Whitten's hand a few times, he had a real strong grip. Ouch!
When it rained we would get drenched. Our shoes would get saturated. It was standard practice to stand on empty beer cans to keep your feet dry and to also elevate yourself for a better view.
In the place where there was a space between the two stands there was originally a roadway onto the ground. This was before they built those steps between the Gent and Whitten stands. So there was an embankment either side. So kids would slide down the embankment on cardboard cartons (instead of watching the game). They later closed that piece of ground as the embankment was in danger of giving way.
It was OK to get your usual spot to stand in the outer unless we were playing Collingwood or Essendon who would crowd the ground out. Some foreign supporter would come in earlier and pinch your spot.
There was a technique to get your spot back though. You would stand close to the person who was in your spot and just inch ever closer to them. They would unconsciously move away. After only about 15 minutes of shuffling you would get your spot back.
Early on you could sit practically anywhere you liked in the Gent stand. It was on a first-come gets the seat basis. We were often the first there. Then they started charging for seats and so we moved to the outer.
On the night before games we would tear up newspapers into little squares and throw them up into the air when we got a goal. This was when the Gent stand was available. The cheer squad was also in the Gent stand. I remember that the cheer squad would spell out Footscray in one of their chants. It was two, four, six eight, who do we appreciate F-o-o-t-s-c-r-a-y Footscray! When we were on top and the opposition kicked a goal they would spell out then yell out CHARITY.
As a kid who was there quite often I wandered all about the rooms and even into the opposition's change rooms. Geelong at that time was a good team and I was quite upset at seeing them roughing up this little kid in a Footscray jumper. He must have been about 5 years old, younger than me. Dirty buggers, I would have liked to have smashed them. They will pay for that one day!
When television was introduced they put the camera on top of the function room next to the Gent Stand. The trucks just outside the ground connected to the cameras by cable. One of the channels had an almighty stuff-up one day when they turned up without cables. Later on that room became the Westerner's Room and I remember meeting Ernie Sigley in there quite often.
We would stand just to the north of the umpires race. The race was made from cyclone fencing wire and was flat on top and exposed to the crowd. We used to get crucified by the umpires on a regular basis. Cans used to fly at the umpires when they came off. They also got spat at. So the club put a guard there at the race. One day when we got a real hiding from the umpires about 10 people threw their full beer cans on top of the race so that the beer split over them when they walked in. Perfectly justified I thought at the time. My mate said that someone could get arrested, but no-one got arrested.
It was so cold that I decided to wear my wet-suit under my clothes. That kept me dry and warm and I enjoyed the footy even more.
That's all for now.Comment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
^^^^^^^^
Excellent stuff JC. Footy's certainly changed since those days.[COLOR="Red"][B][U][COLOR="Blue"]85, 92, 97, 98, 08, 09, 10... Break the curse![/COLOR][/U][/B][/COLOR]Comment
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Re: Whitten Oval - Your Unique Memory
I remember reading the grafitti in the old concrete dugout interchange benches. Steve Macpherson's name was the name I recall most frequently listed, so I guess he was most admired by our female fans: "I love Steve #27", "I want to root Supa" etc.
The funniest however was "This bench is reserved for Mark Cullen for eva"Comment
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