Tell me, why do people bother barracking for the Tigers? Consider the negatives..or the seven deadly sins of the Glenelg Football Club.
1. This club lost it's first 56 matches. This is why Glenelg supporters will have a crack at Norwood and South Adelaide for winning 'meaningless' premierships in the early years in the league..it helps them forget their own lametable entry into the competition.
2. Giving Port Adelaide a leg up. A time honoured SA tradition is a visceral hatred of the Port Adelaide football club, yes, because the bastards kept winning premierships. Glenelg has been the villians on Grand Final day in 1977,1981,1988,1990 and 1992. Port have hammered out a reputation of winning premierships when they might not have been the best team of that year and on many occasions, it has been at the expense of Glenelg. Surely the Tigers could have gotten us all home at least once?
3. That Richmond strip. Erk! Say no more. Even Torrens didn't persist with a yellow streak.
4. Graham Studley Cornes. This self appointed Yoda of South Australian football is considered a guru..by himself. Cornes, the champion of winning arguments by cutting off callers on 'his' radio show, is a man who is always right..which is just wrong. A famous Cornesism is 'What have Norwood done since the second World War?', the answer is of course is win three more premierships than Glenelg have won in their entire history. The lineage has continued into the AFL age with his sons playing for the Port Adelaide football club, giving most of us a quiet chuckle along the way. These days Cornes would get lost if he was ever to venture out to Brighton road and probably end up at West Lakes or the 5aa studios.
5. Four Flags. BWAHAHAHAHA. Yep, this 'glamour club' has won just four premierships since 1921 In the early years, it was a battle, then the Tiges broke through for a premiership against Port in 1934, which satisfied them to the point of never needing to repeat the dose to the Magpies. However, by the late 1960's Glenelg was a powerhouse in the league that had an endless list of champion players. The result were flags in 1973 and the back to back effort of 1985-86. Despite the fact that this club should have won about ten flags by now, many Glenelg supporters will see fit to sledge Sturt, North and Central fans even though these clubs have left them behind in terms of the ultimate triumph. Quit while you are behind gentlemen.
6. Bonehead McDermott. Bone has made as many South Australians cringe as KG Cunningham, despite the fact the venerable channel nine broadcaster has had several decades head start. If you can't make any sense Chris, please at least buy some decent shirts! Perhaps this is a little unkind on McDermott, who was gutsy player in his day. Today he is a well balanced indvidual..he has a chip on both shoulders and still spits on the footpath anytime mentions the name 'Malcolm Blight'.
7. Hail the mighty Adelaide Crowtigers! When the Crows first began, many South Australians cheered them on as they flogged Hawthorn who had that idiot Dermott Brereton playing for them. Before too long though people started thinking..hang on, I'm not following bloody Glenelg! Coached by Cornes, this side had more Tigers than a Malaysian whorehouse and knowlegeable football fans stayed away in their droves. Grandmas, Housewives and kids disillusioned by the music scene by Mini Vinilli and MC Hammer decided to support this newfangled 'team for all South Australians' in something called the AFL. The end result is that Crow fans are rightly lambasted nationwide as the least knowledgeable in the game and our local league has taken a mighty blow from which it will never recover. Of course, this is all Glenelg's fault.
So the next time there is talk of an eight team competition, forget about the Bluelegs or a monster club in the North. It's pretty clear which cylinder has not been firing. Perhaps the Bloods or the Panthers could lower themselves to join up with the Tigers so we could continue to have such a humourous entity within the leagues' ranks to provide character.
Ah, Glenelg football club...thanks for the memories...and the premierships!
regards,
REB
