How we come to support our beloved teams... and...

[Dogwatcher]

Contributed by Forum Member "Choccies"

How we come to support our beloved teams... and...
My life as a South Adelaide supporter

Back in 1972 a little ranga was born out in the leafy, chook shed lined suburb of Newton to a Victorian raised Norwood supporter and a Westies raised South Adelaide convert mother.

My father was born and raised in Mildura supporting the Mildura Demons and decided to follow Norwood on his arrival into SA not because they were of the same colours, but because they were the victors in the first SANFL game he witnessed between Norwood and North Adelaide. He lived down at Alberton on Port Road which made being a Norwood supporter even more challenging for him. His mother (my grandma) became a West Torrens supporter for reasons I will never know. Possibly due to their success in those eras. My mother grew up following West Adelaide but due to her best friend being a staunch South supporter and her 'love' for Peter Darley she converted to South Adelaide.

As I grew up I was always a Norwood supporter. A curly little ranga Norwood supporter. I guess all fathers want their kids to barrack for the same team they do but I didn't want to be like all the others. I soon found myself following my mum to South games whilst my dad and brother went their seperate ways to Norwood games. Except twice a year when South played Norwood and we all went to the ground together, seperated during the day and then joined up for the ride home. Albeit with half the car being very quiet. Usually my half. People often ask me how I came to support South, that is why... I would go to the games with my duffel coat with Garry Bracegirdles number 35 on the back. This became the number 2 of Michael Bennett in later years.

There was a small period of time where I took a liking to West Torrens partly due to the close relationship I had with my grandma but South was where my future lied (little was I to know...)

Despite playing underage footy at Norwood I was still a South kid growing up in the heart of Norwood territory and I always hated playing South. I felt like I was back stabbing them. Norwood always won. I felt they had enough trouble winning without me conspiring against them! That hurt more. Monday at school was never an enjoyable time in the 80's as people sought me out for ridicule. But it was only the beginning of my life of pain and misery.

Every second week myself and my mum would find ourselves decked out and sitting on the fence at Adelaide Oval, my flag at the ready just in case, my pen and budget ready to mark the scores. Watching the Brooksby brother, Stewie Palmer, Ron Hateley, John Schneebichler, Robin White, the Hewitt brothers, Mark Naley etc running around hoping that we could win but I went home dejected many a time. I grew to understand that this was going to be the norm. Part of me wishes I hadn't gone to the Riggall twins 7th birthday party back in 1979. Yes we lost to Port, yes it was a terrible day, but part of me thinks it may be the last Grand Final that South get to in my lifetime and I missed it to bob for apples and pass parcels.

It is now 2009 and I have witnessed the club I love drop to new depths but still something inside me burns a small candle hoping that one day they will do it again. I wont give up on them, I laugh painfully at the South jokes forcing a smile, but deep down I want to go out to the shed at mum's. dig up my old flag and wave it one more time. There is a South Adelaide loving ranga kid inside me who wants to be released.

[Dogsbody]

No reason that I chose Central District other than the fact that I am a northern suburbs resident. Started following from the beginning of season 1995 all the way through to now. Over time, not only did I prefer going to Bulldogs games over the Crows... but would come to prefer the un-hindered, un-diluted and overall un-censored football that the SANFL presented as compared to the over-officiated game that happens to be a national competition. Plus your heroes aren't guarded by a bunch of yellow coated twits that couldn't buy their way into Largs Bay when they were thinner.

15 years later... I've been witness to nine grand finals, seven premiership victories and flown the tri-colours of South Australia against the Sandgropers and the Vics at home and away. Precious memories and good times.

[redandblack]

Loved the article, choccies.

Let's hope the Panthers can reward their fans.

[Choccies]

Loved the article, choccies.

Let's hope the Panthers can reward their fans.

Thanks mate. I guess it was more of a point of view that we can't all support the winning team unfortunately and that although it is 'just a game' there are so many people out there supporting the 'losing' team and going without success for long periods of time. As a Crows supporter, the absolute joy I experienced in 97 and 98 is something I had never experienced on top of playing in 3 winning premierships at Golden Grove but these are poles apart from seeing another of your teams being at the other end of the scale year in and year out.

One day redandblack..... one day...
Or as us Panthers fans naively say "Next year"...

[johntheclaret]

Following on from the story by Choccies, about why a fan follows a particular club, to many people, following a sporting club, no matter what code it happens to be, there is a strange psychological bond that almost transforms an inanimate object into an animate one.

I say inanimate, because a fan follows a club. Players come and go, coaches come and go and board members come and go. Sure, players become favourites and give the club that human edge, but no matter how much you might admire a particular player, should they move on to another club, your love stays with your club.

It is difficult to understand how anyone can describe what they feel for their club as love, but essentially that’s just what it is. In essence it could be described as a second wife or perhaps a mistress might be a better analogy. You have your up’s and downs, the genuine hurt you feel when your club loses and the genuine ecstasy when they win the trophy.

Even though I am 8,000 miles away and had to listen to the game via radio, the butterflies I felt before the elimination final were real, not some figment of my imagination, but a genuine physical reaction caused by the anxiety to what was about to happen.

Yet for me, strangely and maybe because I am 8,000 miles away I find myself in the fortunate (or sometimes unfortunate) position of having two sporting loves in my life, and when Burnley FC, my local soccer club here in the UK, won the play off final to win promotion to the premiership league, all I could do was sit down and cry such was the emotion I felt.

But no matter whether it’s Burnley or North Adelaide, like a mistress, once you have fallen in love with your club, nothing can break that bond, and like Choccies, you love your club knowing those feeling won’t change, or maybe it would be more apt to say, can’t change.
But getting back to the psychological effect getting attached to a club has on a fan. You barrack for your national team in any sport because of your sense of patriotism, you barrack for your children’s team because of your paternal / maternal instincts, yet your SANFL, AFL, EPL or whatever club has neither attribute. Often they aren’t even your local club, or the club your parents followed.

So how can a club, metaphorically, get inside your head and play such havoc with your emotions? Is it the code, the perception you have of your club or some prehistoric tribal instinct you have to feel part of bigger community?

[Choccies]

Beautifully put jtc.

And I can understand your emotion knowing a Burnley supporter who was pretty much humping any legs in striking distance once the Clarets got back in the top flight such was his excitement...

In response to your fantastic response all I can add is that I believe in some way we live our lives and our dreams through our club. In just the same way that every kid wants to be a fireman or a policeman or do the job your father did, in my case, a postman, I think every kid grows up dreaming that they will play for the club they love. Some people are lucky enough to fulfil that dream and can express their pride and 'love' by representing the club, others can only live their dream via their support.

Even though I played juniors at Norwood, it never meant alot to me because my heart wasn't there. I always dreamed of wearing the navy blue of South Adelaide and doing what I could to help them win.

But as you said, it's so hard to put those emotions into words sometimes...

[JK]

Great pieces lads, well done!!

[FattyLumpkin]

I dips my lid to Choccies - a man who has stayed with just the one team. Alas I must confess to being a a bit of a team hopper. This is my tale (Part 1).

I was born in country SA, only venturing to the big smoke of Adelaide during school holidays. This meant attending a SANFL match may only happen once or twice each year (up until I was 14 when we moved to Adelaide). I'm told my first ever game was South Vs Sturt at Adelaide Oval. I remember none of it. I did however barrack for the Panthers as my father had trained with them one pre-season. He didn't make the cut, but at least it was a link to a SANFL club. Of course success in 1964 did little to dampen a 4 year olds enthusiasm for his Panthers.

The first actual SANFL game I remember changed everything. It was West Torrens Vs West Adelaide at Richmond, and in an instant I fell in love with that huge eagle that adorned the front of the Torrens jumper. Goodbye South, hullo Torrens. The love affair lasted about 1 season, for we were relocated to Cleve on the Eyre Peninsula. One of the teachers at the school was Sturts' Daryl Hicks. By this stage I was actually old enough to be able to follow form and could see Sturt had won a flag already, so might be worth following - so I jumped ship again!

During my Sturt years (1966 - 1973), I was an avid one-eyed supporter, and insisted we attend a Sturt match on every visit to Adelaide. (A Sturt match and a visit to the Motley & Greer sports shop made up my ideal school holiday). We even managed a couple of Grand Finals in the 66-70 era. One in particular - the very wet GF of '69 (?), against Glenelg and played on a bog. The whole day was magic - from being roused in the dark to ensure we caught the first bus, watching the underage & seconds, then finally the big one. Strangely, I recall very little of the GF, with the exception of "Dizzy" Raymonds one handed pickups in the centre wicket glue pot. The other indelible memory from that game was the profane utterances of my good father on looking across the ground at the members all snug and dry in the grandstands. I believe it was that very moment he decided to put in for Footy Park membership (about 8 years early!).

Of course being a smart ar$e Sturt supporter riding a wave of success, I took great delight in celebrating my teams success by driving my Port supporting brother mad with rage. Every boyhood fight we ever had revolved around a Sturt-Port conflict. Unfortunately for both of us a younger brother had thrown his lot behind North Adelaide, so 1971 & 72 were annoying to say the least. Perhaps I was growing up and showing a bit more interest in other pursuits (read girls), or perhaps Sturt were no longer winning as much as I would have liked, but I paid scant interest in the 1973 season - my last year in country SA. The move to the big smoke brought with it a monumental change in my SANFL allegience - one I didn't even see coming.

[FattyLumpkin]

Part 2. Fatty in the big smoke.

In late 1973 we moved to Grange (walking distance to the Grange train station). In football terms, this opened up a number of easier options than Unley Oval. My new school friends at Henley High belonged to 3 major groups - Port, Torrens or West supporters, and each oval was easily accessible by train or bus. Adelaide Oval was another easy venue to get to. However for some strange reason I decided that it was Woodville that was the club most worthy of my support, and I jumped on the Pecker bandwagon. Why did I jump from a club with a recent history of premiership after premiership (and won again in '74 & '76) to a club which in all honesty, I knew absolutely nothing about? I don't know why - it just happened! So with a crash course in Woodville Footy Club history undertaken, I confidently strode into Oval Avenue for the 1974 season.

For 4 seasons (74-77), I was a Pecker-phile. Attending every one of games at Oval Ave, and as many as possible on the road. I endured embarrassing losses, celebrated the moral victories, and revelled in the unexpected wins. I recall my first Sturt-Woodville game and went along wondering who was I going to barrack for? Early on in become apparent all of my feelings were firmly in the Pecker camp and despite something like a 30 goal to 7 loss, I knew the Peckers were my team. Early on each season I'd look at the seasons schedule and underline games against West, South, Torrens, North & Centrals - these were winnable games. Only moral victories such as honourable losses, or winning a half, or being "robbed" by cheating umpire were possible against the other teams. However on occasions God showed he was a football fan by tossing in the unexpected - our draw against Port Adelaide, then the magnificent first win in the "Buff Tyrell" match. It was after than win and observing the unbridled joy of the long suffering Woodville fans who had been along for the ride since 1964 that I felt almost an interloper. I wished that I too had experienced the very early history of the WFC.

From '78 my attendence at Woodville games grew spasmodic, but my interest never waned. Our first finals experience (Damn you Ralph Sewer for playing in the Firemans game & damn you too Danny Jenkins for the hit on Phil Maylin). The first win at Alberton - I wasn't there but I know exactly where I was and what I was doing at that time. The first game under Blighty & Blight's last game in the SANFL - I made a very special effort to get there. The 1986 final charge - a season to die for. Then the mess that followed, ending with the death of my then Warriors and the merger with West Torrens.

In some ways it was fortunate I had moved away from SA, so the merger did not hit as hard as it might have had I still been in Adelaide. I tried to support W-WT from afar, but it didn't feel the same. In fact, these days when I look for SANFL results, my first glance is to the South Adelaide game, hoping they have scrounged a win & hoping this season may well get the juggernaut rolling. So - it seems I've turned a full circle, and found myself back to the Panthers where I started all those years ago - but I'd have to say my years following the Peckers were the best a football follower could ever experience, not just through follwing every kick, mark, handball of the side, but also with the interaction with both fellow and opposition supporters.

[Psyber]

Before I ever attended a football match, as a pre-schooler, I used to say I barracked for Sturt, because I liked the colour blue.
In my early primary school days I discovered the concept of the palindrome and became a nominal Glenelg supporter.
In primary school I mixed with lads who barracked for Torrens - Russel Virgo, who later played for them, was one - and joined the group as I had no real tie to any team.

Then my older sister, who followed Norwood like my father, started taking me to Norwood matches with her, and it became more than just an idea.
[My father had played wing for Moonta, in red and blue, so he followed Norwood when he came to Adelaide, and she picked it up from him.]

[Benchwarmer]

My grandfather took the 5-year old me to my first VFL match at the 1979 2nd Semi Final between Carlton and North Melbourne at VFL Park. We were in the members area and I remember vividly at the quarter-time break asking my grandfather who he barracked for. He said "Carlton" to which I replied "then I will, too!". He said to me "Good, because they are the only team you'll get to see!".

I'm glad to say that my 6-month old boy has kept the lineage up too as he was a paid up Carlton member at just 19 hours of age ... well, you have to factor in that he was born at 11.30pm, or else it would have been less!

My affiliation with Sturt purely began because the Double Blues and Carlton had reciprocal members rights and then soon after I found out they wore blue as well - even better. It is a link that I have maintained to this day, mainly through reading the scores in the newspaper or via SAFooty.

[whufc]

Born and bred in Elizabeth,

My best mates included Rick Butler, Adrian Wilson, Freddy Agius, Cameron Faulkner, Eddie Sansbury and Paul Thomas, we all grew up barracking the dogs and as early as the age of 7-9 we would sneak out and ride our deadly tredley's down to Elizabeth Oval and support the Dogs.

Even younger than that i remember my English grandmother was in love with Centrals, she use to take me to all the home games and we would sit in the members grand stand and watch both reserves and league, her hero was Wilbur Wilson to which she named her cat after, i was then able to get a picture of Wilbur signed for her as a present to which she cried.

I ended up playing 17's and 19's at Centrals with little success but still had the love for the Dogs which continues to this day.

Also had school teachers over the years that included Richie Cochrane Snr, Justin Casserly and Matthew Slade.

I have been playing soccer at the Elizabeth Grove soccer club for 3 years now and we have regular attendances by Roy Laird, Dwayne Jones (assistant coach), Paul Thomas and Mitch Frail, so the Central connection is always around.

Centrals til i die.

[Hondo]

Centrals are, to me, a great example of an "expansion" team done right. A new, developing area with a generation of new fans ready to embrace them. They are now an integral part of the Northern suburbs and the benchmark of the SANFL.

My story is this.

I went through 2 teams before admitting my true support for North Adelaide. In an effort to show my independence I jumped on the Port Adelaide bandwagon in 1980 and then South Adelaide (my second team at the time) in about 1984. All the while still going to Prospect with dad and being secretly devestated in 1986 and then elated in 1987. I have never actually admitted to dad where my true allegience lays. I guess the membership and the scarves give me away now.

I don't think this thread is intended to be just about for the SANFL. My story of how I came to support the Crows is short. I was so angry at Port Adelaide at the time and was sad for what was about to happen to the SANFL. However, I quickly embraced the team made up of the SANFL players and returning players from other VFL teams out to prove their worth in the VFL. I had a team I felt was mine and mine alone. While I supported North it always nagged at me that it wasn't a decision I made without influence from dad. In the VFL, I had a soft spot for Geelong due to a family connection in the area and then when Blighty became their coach. However, it was a remote interest lacking any true emotional connection so I have never felt I betrayed them. I never even considered supporting them instead of the Crows.

I supported the Crows without being really aware of the negative under-current from some of my fellow SANFL fans from the 80s and earlier until I joined this site. I fought it for a while in my early time on SAFooty but have accepted now that it is what it is and reading other posters' comments I now understand better why some feel the way they do. I probably still wouldn't fully be aware of it if not for this site. I guess that's why even this story sounds like I am defending a decision I made 18 years ago.

The bottom drawer of a tall-boy in our bedroom has 4 scarves - Port, South, North and the Crows! I don't know how they all have followed me from home to here through various moves. I have obviously made sure I always know where they are. They represent my story of following our great game since I was 9 years old.

[Choccies]

It's fantastic to read these stories from everyone who has replied and given them a chance to relive their youth. I must say when I constructed this topic I had many a laugh to myself and recounted many fine memories and that was the aim I guess in this day and age where negativity is so rife amongst sporting followers.

I look forward to reading more stories of how we all came to be !!

[Dogwatcher]

Choccies, another sad chapter to add mate.

[FlyingHigh]

Well done Choccies on starting this great thread. Enjoying these stories and perspectives.
Here is mine:
I think I was somewhat conned into barracking for Woodville in the early 80's. As a kid, I thought everyone was as footy-mad as I was, and so they had to barrack for someone. My Grandma told me she supposed she barracked for Woodville as she went to Woodville High School, even though if she was really interested in footy she would have had a team well before Woodville came in - it was only in later years that I realised this. So, despite other family and residential forces which would have pushed me into becoming a Bay, Blue or Leg, and led to a lot more success, I chose Woodville.

Naturally, I was the butt of all the primary school jokes about my team, "Where do you get your players? Woodville Spastic Centre" etc. Some kids loved their footy too, others just did it because they knew they'd get a rise out of me. My reaction was either fists or tears!!
So, not a lot of joy in the early-mid 80's. A bit like Fatty, I'd know when we were playing Torrens because that was our best chance for a win. I also dreamed of the time my Warriors football deeds were respected by footy followers. Also a bit like Fatty, winning a half or pushing a top team was as good as a win, such as getting to within a point of Norwood in 1984 (146-145?).

Around this time I also adopted South as my second team. Went to a few games around 83 and 84. Can vaguely remember the disappointment of watching them lose the 83 or 84 night GF against Torrens (some irony there). Even had a beanie. Don't think I ever seriously entertained the thought of them becoming my number one team, but was good to watch them occasionally as in those years they had a few wins. Remember going to a game against North, think it was the 83 elimination final, and I was surrounded by North supporters getting louder and louder as they kicked away in the third.

Then, along came 1986, same old, same old, until half-way through the year. Then, what a turn-around. So much excitement with winning and charging up the ladder and winning finals, and then emptiness of the night we lost the prelim. That night it didn't matter how far we'd come that year, we had a golden chance to make a GF and blew it.
1987 was a different feeling. Maybe not as exciting, but in some ways more satisfying. Suddenly there was expectation to win, both by me and the footy world, which we did for the first 2/3 of the year. There was respect, being favourites for games. And there was the great feeling of opening the paper on Monday, and Woodville were on top of the ladder, which we were for several weeks. Whole new feelings.
1998-1990 were so frustrating because we had the talent to challenge the top sides, but inconsistency let us down. Even though I was a kid, I always thought the appointment of Ebert (and I have nothing but respect for him) was a mistake by my club.

Then came the merger. By this stage I was old enough to realise what a great comp the SANFL was, but also that it had to change with the advent of the Crows. However, I was not old enough have any grudges about the team we were merging with - I had never really had any feelings about Torrens, probably because they were reasonably inconspicuos thourgh the 80's, which probably helped through the process. So, for that summer I guess I put my emotions aside a bit to see how it would all turn out. When footy came back, there was no doubt of me following the Eagles, despite the fact the Warriors were my "first love". For supporters of teams used to success and good football and being the big end of town such Glenelg, North, Norwood, I can understand how alot of them jumped to the AFL, but to me, having been through those years, there was no way I could not keep following my SANFL team.

Looking back after two decades, despite it not being solely "Woodville", I am grateful, and think the Eagles deserve credit for, taking two struggling teams and cultures and fusing them together into a pretty strong, unified culture, almost right from the start of the merger. I suppose a reasonably successful first season, and appointing a strong coach such as Balmey with no ties to either club, helped.

These days I can understand why some Torrens people were put out about the merger, and Woodville being admitted to the comp, but I think to not following them anymore is piss-weak.

Sorry about the length of this, but, like us all, I just love footy.

[whufc]

Well done Choccies on starting this great thread. Enjoying these stories and perspectives.
Here is mine:
I think I was somewhat conned into barracking for Woodville in the early 80's. As a kid, I thought everyone was as footy-mad as I was, and so they had to barrack for someone. My Grandma told me she supposed she barracked for Woodville as she went to Woodville High School, even though if she was really interested in footy she would have had a team well before Woodville came in - it was only in later years that I realised this. So, despite other family and residential forces which would have pushed me into becoming a Bay, Blue or Leg, and led to a lot more success, I chose Woodville.

Naturally, I was the butt of all the primary school jokes about my team, "Where do you get your players? Woodville Spastic Centre" etc. Some kids loved their footy too, others just did it because they knew they'd get a rise out of me. My reaction was either fists or tears!!
So, not a lot of joy in the early-mid 80's. A bit like Fatty, I'd know when we were playing Torrens because that was our best chance for a win. I also dreamed of the time my Warriors football deeds were respected by footy followers. Also a bit like Fatty, winning a half or pushing a top team was as good as a win, such as getting to within a point of Norwood in 1984 (146-145?).

Around this time I also adopted South as my second team. Went to a few games around 83 and 84. Can vaguely remember the disappointment of watching them lose the 83 or 84 night GF against Torrens (some irony there). Even had a beanie. Don't think I ever seriously entertained the thought of them becoming my number one team, but was good to watch them occasionally as in those years they had a few wins. Remember going to a game against North, think it was the 83 elimination final, and I was surrounded by North supporters getting louder and louder as they kicked away in the third.

Then, along came 1986, same old, same old, until half-way through the year. Then, what a turn-around. So much excitement with winning and charging up the ladder and winning finals, and then emptiness of the night we lost the prelim. That night it didn't matter how far we'd come that year, we had a golden chance to make a GF and blew it.
1987 was a different feeling. Maybe not as exciting, but in some ways more satisfying. Suddenly there was expectation to win, both by me and the footy world, which we did for the first 2/3 of the year. There was respect, being favourites for games. And there was the great feeling of opening the paper on Monday, and Woodville were on top of the ladder, which we were for several weeks. Whole new feelings.
1998-1990 were so frustrating because we had the talent to challenge the top sides, but inconsistency let us down. Even though I was a kid, I always thought the appointment of Ebert (and I have nothing but respect for him) was a mistake by my club.

Then came the merger. By this stage I was old enough to realise what a great comp the SANFL was, but also that it had to change with the advent of the Crows. However, I was not old enough have any grudges about the team we were merging with - I had never really had any feelings about Torrens, probably because they were reasonably inconspicuos thourgh the 80's, which probably helped through the process. So, for that summer I guess I put my emotions aside a bit to see how it would all turn out. When footy came back, there was no doubt of me following the Eagles, despite the fact the Warriors were my "first love". For supporters of teams used to success and good football and being the big end of town such Glenelg, North, Norwood, I can understand how alot of them jumped to the AFL, but to me, having been through those years, there was no way I could not keep following my SANFL team.

Looking back after two decades, despite it not being solely "Woodville", I am grateful, and think the Eagles deserve credit for, taking two struggling teams and cultures and fusing them together into a pretty strong, unified culture, almost right from the start of the merger. I suppose a reasonably successful first season, and appointing a strong coach such as Balmey with no ties to either club, helped.

These days I can understand why some Torrens people were put out about the merger, and Woodville being admitted to the comp, but I think to not following them anymore is piss-weak.

Sorry about the length of this, but, like us all, I just love footy.

another awesome post great topic

[FlyingHigh]

II supported the Crows without being really aware of the negative under-current from some of my fellow SANFL fans from the 80s and earlier until I joined this site. I fought it for a while in my early time on SAFooty but have accepted now that it is what it is and reading other posters' comments I now understand better why some feel the way they do. I probably still wouldn't fully be aware of it if not for this site. I guess that's why even this story sounds like I am defending a decision I made 18 years ago.

I followed both the WWT's and Crows in their first couple years, those years the Crows games had a footy feel to them, and often only 30-35,000. However, 1993 saw the emergence of the bandwagonners, people who had no interest in footy were suddenly jumping on, making you feel like a leper if you dared to talk about the SANFL, people who didn't care before were whinging they couldn't get tickets, Crows all over the media, drop-off in SANFL crowds, etc. The Eagles were flying towards a flag, and as an adolescent forming his views on life, realised what footy meant to me. After all the sh!t Woodville and Torrens supporters had to go through, those loyal ones were getting the success they deserved. But all the attention was on the johnny-come-lately supporters and glitz and glamour and "popularity" - and that for me was never what footy was all about, it was about my team against yours.

It is a bit of a blight on SA footy supporters you feel you have to defend your allegiance to the Crows. I have no problems with people following both the Crows or Port and their SANFL team (just a problem with those who follow only the AFL, bangwagoners or SANFL club deserters), but hopefully you can see why I don't.

[Choccies]

Great post FlyingHigh !

It's becoming funny to read that quite a few people have embraced a second team over the years. And South Adelaide appears to be everyone's second team.... I think that proves that a little bit of sympathy for the opposition is still out there and also probably proves that the once mighty Panthers, who despite having a bad 'hundred or so years' doesn't really strike any fear into anyone so they are happy to adopt them on knowing the will never be the cause of any heartbreak to their 'main' team.

I remember the jokes about Woodville and their supporters and I used to be sympathetic until I played mini league at Woodville one day and took the ball from the middle, took 2 bounces and kicked it to centre half forward (it was a big oval...) but realised I kicked it the wrong way !! Coming from the field after the game I remember copping a pasting from the Pecker faithful in the front few rows... They were a different bunch..

Great stories everyone !! Gotta say I'm really enjoying this topic !!

[johntheclaret]

Which beggers the question, how the hell did a pom living in the north of England come to barrack for North Adelaide in the SANFL?

We moved to Australia in the mid sixties, as Dad had a contract up in Woomera. His best mate up there, an Aussie, barracked for Sturt so Dad decided "we" were going to barrack for Sturt, and he even went to the trouble of painting our car two tone blue. Now the keyword here is 'he' painrted the car. Not he had the car painted two tone blue, but instead decided to do it himself, by hand .

Anyway, back to the story. Mum couldn't settle in Woomera, so we moved to the Salisbury area so Dad was close to the Edinburgh airfield. (He would fly to work on Monday and come home on Friday). Living so close to Elizabeth as we did, and due to the high number of poms that had begun to barrack for the fledgling Central Districts, dad decided that "we" were now going to barrack for them. This prompted another paint job on the car, this time in the red, white and blue again by hand.

I went to a few games with my Dad but never really barracked for them, just going as the whole family used to go, but by now, living in civilisation, I started to get more interested in aussie rules. It was the main sport at school and I just joined in with my mates at dinner breaks, after school and at weekends. I must have been about 8 or so when I watched a North game on the TV. Maybe Channel 7 I think around 7.00.

From that moment on, I knew I wanted to barrack for the Roosters. I can't remember who they were playing, but I can remember the great Barrie Robran collecting the ball at half forward and banging through a cracker. I think a the time, part of me wanted to barrack for another club just to wind my Dad up

So from then on North has been the only team I've ever barracked for. I have such happy memories of going to prospect, having to cajole my Dad or my big brother into going with me, going to a grand final with my dad, missing the COA game against Carlton because no one would go with me. Probably that is the strongest memory of all, sitting in the back garden listening to the game on the radio (full circle now I guess), kicking every ball, taking every mark and cheering every goal. I can remember having a bit of a cry when North won by a single point and to me, it was the greatest game I'd never seen.

We came back to the UK in 74, and whilst, as you do, I kept in touch with a couple of mates by airmail, that fizzled out and so all contact with North was lost until the internet came into being. I was so shocked to see how far the fortunes of North had fallen but never the less, I joined as a Rooster member in 1995ish, when Hart was coach. Like my Dad, I decided my kids were going to barrack for North, even though they had never heard of them, and signed them up as junior members. You should have seen thier faces when I gave them both the Rooster baseball caps that arrived in the membership pack. (I still have them by the way, along with my Dads 1970 CDFC membership badge)

I guess the best times since those heady days in the early seventies has been since I found, quite by accident, the Roost in 2006, and the advent of on-line streaming by Life and RPH. Culminating in coming down to watch the 2007 GF, the 1st time I had been back to Australia in more than 30 years. not only did I get to meet some of the Roost posters, but got to meet the great Barrie Robran himself (a highlight of my trip)

I have to say, I owe a huge debt to Wedgie (for creating the Roost), to the guys at Life and RPH for taking the trouble to cover SANFL football, and to the guys who have taken the trouble to send me so many North games on CD's including the guys at Pine Lodge. North is back now as big a part of my life as they were in the 60's and 70's, and I love it.