Nick Columb

[bornadog]

Listening to SEN in the background today Nick was interviewed by Mark Dork. He is standing for the Melbourne city Mayor role.

For those of you who don't remember him, he was the Footscray Football Club President who decided he couldn't do anything with the clubs finances and would rather sign it over to merge with Fitzroy. He did this without asking members and is still defending his actions to this day. He may have been in a no win situation but surely he could have gone public and notified the members, or stood down and let some one else have a go. On radio today, he said he had no choice but to signoff with the VFL and merge the club. This was done without public or member knowledge and he has the cheek to say he had no choice and that his actions led to the fightback.

Well the fightback had started over a year earlier by Peter Gordon who knew something was in the air with all the rumours, yet Nick and his board chose to ignore the Keep the Dogs at Western Oval Committee.

The rest of course is history and there is a good thread discussing the merger in three parts:

http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=18
http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=368
http://www.woof.net.au/forum/showthread.php?t=507

Sorry Nick, the day you admit you made a mistake, then I will forgive you and I won't be voting for you (if I had a vote of course)

[The Coon Dog]

Keep the Dogs at Western Oval Committee.



I was on that committee. We used to meet at Dom Domenico's in Barkly Street. I can remember Alan Dalton, Les Twentyman, Brian Baldie, Peter & Pat Kiernan, Pam & Ces Sergeant, Linda Longaretti (unfortunately she passed away a week ago) & Rob Stary.

Great times & lifelong friends were made from that time.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I was on that committee. We used to meet at Dom Domenico's in Barkly Street. I can remember Alan Dalton, Les Twentyman, Brian Baldie, Peter & Pat Kiernan, Pam & Ces Sergeant, Linda Longaretti (unfortunately she passed away a week ago) & Rob Stary.

Great times & lifelong friends were made from that time.

Linda Longaretti passed away? She couldn't have been very old. Terrible news.

[The Coon Dog]

Linda Longaretti passed away? She couldn't have been very old. Terrible news.

42 I think. Unfortunately she lost her fight with breast cancer.

[strebla]

I also remember thekeep Footscray at Footscray era.It was a predesser to the fightback I distincly recall Climbing up a drainpipe tp place a sticker on the Bulldog at the Western oval while the Coon Dog watched.

[Pembleton]

I also remember thekeep Footscray at Footscray era.It was a predesser to the fightback I distincly recall Climbing up a drainpipe tp place a sticker on the Bulldog at the Western oval while the Coon Dog watched.

My Dad's car had two 'DON'T LET THE WESTERN OVAL BECOME A LOST DOGS HOME' stickers on it.

[strebla]

My Dad's car had two 'DON'T LET THE WESTERN OVAL BECOME A LOST DOGS HOME' stickers on it.

[I] had a chest of drawers I got rid of last year which still had the sticker on it my wife made me get rid it !!

[ledge]

I also remember thekeep Footscray at Footscray era.It was a predesser to the fightback I distincly recall Climbing up a drainpipe tp place a sticker on the Bulldog at the Western oval while the Coon Dog watched.

No wonder you were one of the monkey men.

[LostDoggy]

I will always remember the "Up Yours Oakley" sticker with fondness. :) (We're still here you bastard).

[strebla]

No wonder you were one of the monkey men.

I was the odd one out I was never a munkee that was reserved for the oldest and the youngest

[bornadog]

I will always remember the "Up Yours Oakley" sticker with fondness. :) (We're still here you bastard).

I still have a few.

Funny story I heard once that Oakley's kids had the stickers stuck on their car.

[bornadog]

I was on that committee. We used to meet at Dom Domenico's in Barkly Street. I can remember Alan Dalton, Les Twentyman, Brian Baldie, Peter & Pat Kiernan, Pam & Ces Sergeant, Linda Longaretti (unfortunately she passed away a week ago) & Rob Stary.

Great times & lifelong friends were made from that time.

Rob Stary is a top bloke, my wife use to work with him and Peter Gordon back in the 80's and I got to know them.

[The Coon Dog]

I will always remember the "Up Yours Oakley" sticker with fondness. :) (We're still here you bastard).

http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/TheCoonDog/wbMERGEoakley-2.jpg

[LostDoggy]

http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd340/TheCoonDog/wbMERGEoakley-2.jpg

Ahh the memories are flooding back, Nice one, thanks TCD.

[comrade]

I'm reading Football LTD by Garry Linnell. In it he explores the commercialisation of the game during the eighties and early nineties.

Some interesting things to note;

In the early 80s it was David Smorgon who encouraged Columb to get involved in an administrative level. Both are Brighton Grammar old boys.

At the end of the chapter discussing the Fightback period, Columb states:


The merger I had sought was to create a new team in the western suburbs for the western suburbs. I wanted the Western Bulldogs.

This book was published in 1995, a year before Smorgon and his crew took over and changed our name.

From that, you could assume that Smorgon was influenced by Columb all those years later.

Thoughts?