Why arent there any Uniteds, Citys or Rovers in the AFL?

[Twodogs]

Something I've wondered about for a while now is why we dont have the same sorts of names that soccer clubs have. It'd b easy to say that soccer clubs are older or have more tradition than football clubs but that isnt the case. Both sports have clubs that are roughly as old as one another and given the way that Australia used to look to England for most of it's cultural inspiration I'm suprised that there arent more Collingwood (Collingwood and Britannia) Uniteds or North Melbourne (North and Hotham) Citys and the like.




Nearly every AFL club is the result of amalgamations/mergers between junior clubs in the 1880s and 1890s. Footscray was the end result of 3 junior clubs meging over a few years in order to get sufficient players/ground/local support in order to get accepted into the VFA. From memory we are the result of Belgravia, Footscray and another club joining forces so why did the founders just settle on the name of just one of the junior clubs involved?

[Cyberdoggie]

I think it's just a soccer thing. Also as most of our clubs are suburbs of melbourne then the term city is not applicable.

There are plenty of rovers in junior footy.

[DragzLS1]

Something I've wondered about for a while now is why we dont have the same sorts of names that soccer clubs have. It'd b easy to say that soccer clubs are older or have more tradition than football clubs but that isnt the case. Both sports have clubs that are roughly as old as one another and given the way that Australia used to look to England for most of it's cultural inspiration I'm suprised that there arent more Collingwood (Collingwood and Britannia) Uniteds or North Melbourne (North and Hotham) Citys and the like.




Nearly every AFL club is the result of amalgamations/mergers between junior clubs in the 1880s and 1890s. Footscray was the end result of 3 junior clubs meging over a few years in order to get sufficient players/ground/local support in order to get accepted into the VFA. From memory we are the result of Belgravia, Footscray and another club joining forces so why did the founders just settle on the name of just one of the junior clubs involved?

that is a good point.

I would say the reason we kept footscray is because the club was based in footscray. So Footscray united would have made sence imo.

[KT31]

that is a good point.

I would say the reason we kept footscray is because the club was based in footscray. So Footscray united would have made sence imo.

Footscray City and Footscray United both used to be cricket team in the FCA.
Does the name come from the unity of teams or as I understood it, the United came more from a church background ?

[BulldogBelle]

I have always wondered why Footscray became known as the Prince Imperials. It is a French Connection. Why the French Connection?

The Prince Imperial was Napoleon Bonaparte III, Emperor of France's son. He and his mother the Empress Eugenie, had received political asylum in Britain due to the Froggies not liking them anymore. He became Napoleon Bonaparte IV in absentia on the death of his father. With Queen Victoria's permission he joined the Zulu wars but was killed on 1 June 1879 by a group of Zulus.

The French suddenly liked the Prince Imperial again and blamed Britain for conspiring his death.

Why would a working class suburb, like Footscray, who may have had little sympathy for either the Royalty or the French want to name their football team after a foreign slain prince? Who was at the club at the time to convince people to change the name?

Footscray's colours were once just Blue and White. Is this the time when red was added and the colours became the same as those on the French flag? But, not in the same order as the French flag, as theirs is Blue, white and red, reading from left to right. An old Capstan cigarette card has the Footscray Flag of 1915 the same as the present Dutch flag, being Red, White and Blue reading from top to bottom.

Is this also the period when Footscray became known as the Tricolours, the same name that the French gave to their flag colours? Red, White and Blue. Footscray did not become the Bulldogs until the 1920's, and thus gain some sort of British connection.

What was Footscray's theme song back in those days. Obviously the current theme tune 'Sons of the Sea' was not adopted until the late 1920's. Before that, was it the French national anthem tune 'La Marseillaise', that was adopted by the French in 1795. This tune became Fitzroy's theme song and is now the Brisbane Lions' theme song. Did it have anything to do with Footscray not being adopted into the league on first application.

There must be an historian around who knows the answer to these questions. Anybody shed a light on any of this?

[chef]

Plenty of those in country footy.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Dr. Matt?

[Bulldog4life]

I have always wondered why Footscray became known as the Prince Imperials. It is a French Connection. Why the French Connection?

The Prince Imperial was Napoleon Bonaparte III, Emperor of France's son. He and his mother the Empress Eugenie, had received political asylum in Britain due to the Froggies not liking them anymore. He became Napoleon Bonaparte IV in absentia on the death of his father. With Queen Victoria's permission he joined the Zulu wars but was killed on 1 June 1879 by a group of Zulus.

The French suddenly liked the Prince Imperial again and blamed Britain for conspiring his death.

Why would a working class suburb, like Footscray, who may have had little sympathy for either the Royalty or the French want to name their football team after a foreign slain prince? Who was at the club at the time to convince people to change the name?

Footscray's colours were once just Blue and White. Is this the time when red was added and the colours became the same as those on the French flag? But, not in the same order as the French flag, as theirs is Blue, white and red, reading from left to right. An old Capstan cigarette card has the Footscray Flag of 1915 the same as the present Dutch flag, being Red, White and Blue reading from top to bottom.

Is this also the period when Footscray became known as the Tricolours, the same name that the French gave to their flag colours? Red, White and Blue. Footscray did not become the Bulldogs until the 1920's, and thus gain some sort of British connection.

What was Footscray's theme song back in those days. Obviously the current theme tune 'Sons of the Sea' was not adopted until the late 1920's. Before that, was it the French national anthem tune 'La Marseillaise', that was adopted by the French in 1795. This tune became Fitzroy's theme song and is now the Brisbane Lions' theme song. Did it have anything to do with Footscray not being adopted into the league on first application.

There must be an historian around who knows the answer to these questions. Anybody shed a light on any of this?

On the Club Website:

http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/potted%20history/tabid/4190/default.aspx

Answers a few questions.

[bornadog]

Footscray's colours were once just Blue and White.

They played with a red cap so they considered themselves as red white and blue.

[LostDoggy]

Footscray City and Footscray United both used to be cricket team in the FCA.
Does the name come from the unity of teams or as I understood it, the United came more from a church background ?

Footscray United is I think the only surviving club from the FCA.

Still play in the VTCA

[LostDoggy]

What about Western Wednesday? Hawthorn Hotspurs? Queens Geelong?

[bornadog]

What about Western Wednesday? Hawthorn Hotspurs? Queens Geelong?

Yes still remember them as the handbags:D

[KT31]

Footscray United is I think the only surviving club from the FCA.

Still play in the VTCA

Laural's combined with Footscray ANA a few years back and are playing in the WDCA, still under the ANA name.

[Desipura]

Footscray United is I think the only surviving club from the FCA.

Still play in the VTCA

Yep, my brother played for Bucks in the 80's who also folded.