Footscray lives!

[Throughandthrough]

I've been doing a lot of work trips to Melbourne the last few months (including this week) seeing many clients of the big multi national company I work for, so I've been taking the chance to casually mention the AFL so I could tell them whom I barrack for and how happy I am.

(The average age of my clients is early 60's)

The thing that's struck me the most (including a 72 yo today who was brought up in Gordon St) is that how nearly all the "old " people still call our great Footy Club Footscray!. It's a term very rarely used/heard in SA or WA where I spend most of my time


I find it quite charming,

I'm almost thinking of running with it myself!



Carn the Scrays.

[Max469]

This "old" chook who recently turned the big 60, still calls our team Footscray or doggies.

[Twodogs]

But the thing is though, Footscray and the Western Bulldogs are two seperate entities now. Us old ruddy duddys who insist on Footscray have our own premiership winning machine called Footscray in the VFL playing home games at Whitten Oval whilst we also have the Premiership winning Western Bulldogs in the AFL. As far as I can make out we have our cake that we get to eat while enjoying the best of both worlds.

To be honest I couldn't be happier!

[Webby]

I'd challenge the two entities thing. Footscray is still the official name of the encompassing entity. We are still officially the Footscray Football Club - trading as the Western Bulldogs, along with a number of other trading names.

The Footscray Football Club Ltd fields three teams - two of which are called WB and one Footscray. The Footscray Football club has several trading names. They are Peninsula Club, Club Edgewater, Leeds Club, Bulldogs Central, Bulldogs Direct, Bulldogs Travel, Western Bulldogs Spiritwest Services and the Wstern Bulldogs.

So it's perfectly valid and correct to refer to the club as Footscray if you wish. Specifically "Footscray Football Club Ltd ACN 68 005 226 595. Structurally speaking, the entity we all support is, technically speaking, as much "Leeds Club" as it is "Western Bulldogs."

"Western Bulldogs" is a brand name owned by Footscray Football Club, so go for it!

[boydogs]

Structurally speaking, the entity we all support is, technically speaking, as much "Leeds Club" as it is "Western Bulldogs."

Sons of the Leeds
Red, White and Blue
We come our drinking
Leedsers through and through

Leedsers smoke and Leedsers bet
We give our every cent
Cos you can't beat the boys of the Leedsers breed
The club of the mighty west

[Twodogs]

Is the Leeds club still operating? That was in the part of Footscray that burned down just before Christmas.

I don't know one way or the other, I just assumed it went up with everything else

[bornadog]

Best thing that ever happened was to change our on field name to Western Bulldogs. It has been 20 years and we have grown and grown.

These days you can see Bulldogs fans all over Melbourne and beyond. We are now embracing the whole of the Western Suburbs and I doubt very much this would have happened with just the name Footscray. ( but who knows)

[Twodogs]

Best thing that ever happened was to change our on field name to Western Bulldogs. It has been 20 years and we have grown and grown.

These days you can see Bulldogs fans all over Melbourne and beyond. We are now embracing the whole of the Western Suburbs and I doubt very much this would have happened with just the name Footscray. ( but who knows)

I agree. Barracking for the Western Bulldogs (10 finals campaigns in 20 years) is a lot more fun than it was barracking for Footscray. (16 from 72)

[Webby]

For those who think the name change flipped our fortunes, I'd argue that the advent of a draft system, salary cap and an expanded top 8 finals system had a lot more to do with it.

In the six years prior to the name change, we made finals three times. The same 50% strike rate as in the 20 years post the change. So, for me, the clear catalyst was the late 1980's.

The Footscray name, like the name Brooklyn in NYC, has traditionally been associated with crime and grime. However, with gentrification, those names become cooler. Often they become even cooler on the other side of gentrification precisely because of their rough, tough heritage. Added to that is the history factor.

On the flip side, with the fullness of time, I can see that the Ballarat move and also the territorial allocation of western Victoria to us, brings a fair bit of synergy to the Western Bulldogs name. So there are pros and cons to either.

For me it is all not so clear cut as a good or a bad decision to change the name. It happened and I still love the club as much if not more than ever. I just think that the two names are interchangeable and equally valid.

[Scraggers]

Best thing that ever happened was to change our on field name to Western Bulldogs. It has been 20 years and we have grown and grown.

These days you can see Bulldogs fans all over Melbourne and beyond. We are now embracing the whole of the Western Suburbs and I doubt very much this would have happened with just the name Footscray. ( but who knows)

I'm not sure if I disagree with you, or am just still in denial that it happened :)

I was at the rally at Western Oval when Oakley tried to run us out of town and merge our identity so I fully understand why expanding our horizons from just the suburb of Footscray was an important step in our survival (as the league expanded to include other states of Australia). But in doing so, we lost our identity. To me, we were no better than the expansion clubs ; a team without a true home. West Coast, Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney, and us. Every other team in the league has a location/suburb in the name. When we brought in a VFL team and called it Footscray was when I felt like we were home again.

The last five years of recruiting and getting our off-field in order as well as the employment of Bevo have proved us a viable entity in the AFL ... before this we were just chicken fodder, regardless of what name we go by.

[Eastdog]

Very important now with us on a huge high with our premiership success that we tap in as much as we can through our supporter groups.

It was great that all the supporter groups (eg: East West club) got the opportunity with getting the premiership cup when it was on tour for all our great supporters.

Go Dogs!!

[SonofScray]

These days you can see Bulldogs fans all over Melbourne and beyond. We are now embracing the whole of the Western Suburbs and I doubt very much this would have happened with just the name Footscray. ( but who knows)

At this point in history I am not sure it matters, but, I am not convinced that holds up as a consequence of the name change. There are examples pre dating 97 where the Club identifies as a club that represents the western suburbs and actively cultivated a narrative well beyond Footscray as a single community. As a kid (early 90s) I always saw the Club as the team from the western suburbs and understood that from Footscray to Melton you could reasonably expect t see fluro yellow caps that read "Footscray, its a whole new ball game" on kids riding bicycles and old blokes mowing the lawns. I watched a lot of FDFL footy (Nth Footscray) and travelled all over the west to exotic places like Albanvale and always saw Doggies paraphernalia in abundance. The region's Police mid week footy team wore Doggies jumpers (Ben Bradley was their trainer). Libba thanks the people of the western suburbs in his Brownlow speech. The fightback was about the Western suburbs rallying behind its team etc etc.

Can't say it didn't help, because in recent history in particular they've actually done a good job with it, but it was an existing thing tacked onto the name change that seems to have just been accepted as true over time.

[SonofScray]

I'd challenge the two entities thing. Footscray is still the official name of the encompassing entity. We are still officially the Footscray Football Club - trading as the Western Bulldogs, along with a number of other trading names.

The Footscray Football Club Ltd fields three teams - two of which are called WB and one Footscray. The Footscray Football club has several trading names. They are Peninsula Club, Club Edgewater, Leeds Club, Bulldogs Central, Bulldogs Direct, Bulldogs Travel, Western Bulldogs Spiritwest Services and the Wstern Bulldogs.

So it's perfectly valid and correct to refer to the club as Footscray if you wish. Specifically "Footscray Football Club Ltd ACN 68 005 226 595. Structurally speaking, the entity we all support is, technically speaking, as much "Leeds Club" as it is "Western Bulldogs."

"Western Bulldogs" is a brand name owned by Footscray Football Club, so go for it!

Thanks for that Webby. That is pretty much how I've managed to reconcile the name change saga and get on with life after years of feeling disappointed and betrayed. Never enough to diminish my love of the Club but it coloured my opinion of Smorgo. Garlick in particular did a lot of good work in mending some of that bitterness by giving the fans a say in the jumper, bringing back Footscray into the Club's lexicon and bringing footy home to VUWO. I hated how Footscray was a dirty word for so long. Recent administration has been very mature and clever in bringing it all back together and forging ahead with the initial vision of a team claiming an entire region of Melbourne.

[Twodogs]

At this point in history I am not sure it matters, but, I am not convinced that holds up as a consequence of the name change. There are examples pre dating 97 where the Club identifies as a club that represents the western suburbs and actively cultivated a narrative well beyond Footscray as a single community. As a kid (early 90s) I always saw the Club as the team from the western suburbs and understood that from Footscray to Melton you could reasonably expect t see fluro yellow caps that read "Footscray, its a whole new ball game" on kids riding bicycles and old blokes mowing the lawns. I watched a lot of FDFL footy (Nth Footscray) and travelled all over the west to exotic places like Albanvale and always saw Doggies paraphernalia in abundance. The region's Police mid week footy team wore Doggies jumpers (Ben Bradley was their trainer). Libba thanks the people of the western suburbs in his Brownlow speech. The fightback was about the Western suburbs rallying behind its team etc etc.

Can't say it didn't help, because in recent history in particular they've actually done a good job with it, but it was an existing thing tacked onto the name change that seems to have just been accepted as true over time.


On the back if onfield success I want to a mass of red white and blue from St Albans to Melton to Werribee. A Bulldog triangle. No more of this living in the western suburbs of Melbourne and barracking for Collingwood or Richmond, those days are gone.

If you want to live in our district you follow our footy club.

[Eastdog]

On the back if onfield success I want to a mass of red white and blue from St Albans to Melton to Werribee. A Bulldog triangle. No more of this living in the western suburbs of Melbourne and barracking for Collingwood or Richmond, those days are gone.

If you want to live in our district you follow our footy club.

Well that's the great hope for sure Twodogs. It is great every time I'm out and about and see something Bulldog. On the train when I go to the footy it's refreshing seeing a good amount of red white and blue.

[Twodogs]

Well that's the great hope for sure Twodogs. It is great every time I'm out and about and see something Bulldog. On the train when I go to the footy it's refreshing seeing a good amount of red white and blue.


I was in the city today and saw quite a few bulldog caps.

[Eastdog]

I was in the city today and saw quite a few bulldog caps.

Not today but in very recent weeks I have certainly seen a lot more Bulldog for sure.

[Twodogs]

I'd challenge the two entities thing. Footscray is still the official name of the encompassing entity. We are still officially the Footscray Football Club - trading as the Western Bulldogs, along with a number of other trading names.

The Footscray Football Club Ltd fields three teams - two of which are called WB and one Footscray. The Footscray Football club has several trading names. They are Peninsula Club, Club Edgewater, Leeds Club, Bulldogs Central, Bulldogs Direct, Bulldogs Travel, Western Bulldogs Spiritwest Services and the Wstern Bulldogs.

So it's perfectly valid and correct to refer to the club as Footscray if you wish. Specifically "Footscray Football Club Ltd ACN 68 005 226 595. Structurally speaking, the entity we all support is, technically speaking, as much "Leeds Club" as it is "Western Bulldogs."

"Western Bulldogs" is a brand name owned by Footscray Football Club, so go for it!


I get all that, we've always had the FFC on the jersey. But it's great to have a team called Footscray to go and barrack for in actual physical form as well as it being the big teams trading name. You can look in the paper and see how Footscray went and who their latest recruits are.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Now that we've won our second premiership we can get rid of the marketing name 'Western Bulldogs' and reclaim our true identity as Footscray Football Club. The team with it's true identity can now market itself based on its success and its true colours minus the marketing boys.

[bornadog]

Now that we've won our second premiership we can get rid of the marketing name 'Western Bulldogs' and reclaim our true identity as Footscray Football Club. The team with it's true identity can now market itself based on its success and its true colours minus the marketing boys.

Why would we do that? Let's keep the success going.

The future is young supporters and they only know Western Bulldogs.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Why would we do that? Let's keep the success going.

The future is young supporters and they only know Western Bulldogs.

Yes the young ones know the name as Western Bulldogs but to me having grown up in Footscray, feel we lost the sense of history and place. Young ones do sense these things. Reclaiming our 'true' name would be meaningful to the young ones too. History is an important part of our great game and our great club.

[bornadog]

Yes the young ones know the name as Western Bulldogs but to me having grown up in Footscray, feel we lost the sense of history and place. Young ones do sense these things. Reclaiming our 'true' name would be meaningful to the young ones too. History is an important part of our great game and our great club.

I don't believe we have lost anything, the history is all there. I am enjoying the current success. :)

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I don't believe we have lost anything, the history is all there. I am enjoying the current success. :)
Me too but the success is not in the name of course, it's in the club.

[Ozza]

I'd be mortified if there was ever a suggestion of changing the name back to Footscray.
I can understand supporters being disappointed at the time, but its been 20 years.
I agree with bornadog, we haven't lost anything. The history is all still there, our home is still the Whitten Oval - but the heartland is bigger. Grand final week was the best demonstration if this, from Seddon & Yarraville, to Williamstown, Wyndamvale, Werribee, Deer Park, St.Albans, back to West Footscray - red, white and blue was everywhere in the west. Everyone was a part of it.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I'd be mortified if there was ever a suggestion of changing the name back to Footscray.
I can understand supporters being disappointed at the time, but its been 20 years.
I agree with bornadog, we haven't lost anything. The history is all still there, our home is still the Whitten Oval - but the heartland is bigger. Grand final week was the best demonstration if this, from Seddon & Yarraville, to Williamstown, Wyndamvale, Werribee, Deer Park, St.Albans, back to West Footscray - red, white and blue was everywhere in the west. Everyone was a part of it.
Good to know you're happy with the club including its trading name. If you're happy, there's bound to be many like you and the more the merrier. There is no doubt also a cohort like me who may or may not be in the minority whose support was forged with the Footscray Football Club, to whom the name change seems coldly corporate and vacuous. Teddy would be one of us.