What made us 'Collingwood people'? from '01 - Add your story

[punkologist]

can't remember whether i have already posted in this one and I can't find my post so here goes...

My dad's entire side of the family are Collingwood and with very good reason. My Nanna's cousins were the great Collier brothers.

There was never really any thought of supporting another team. We are very proud of our heritage. Collingwood is a major part of our family.

[kambarker]

[die4pies]

[luvdids]

still a good read Just needed to bump it.

[TheGreatDane]

My parents are both of Italian decent and came here for a better life.
My dad, for the short time he was in Italy was a Juventus supporter. They also wear the famous black and white stripes, so it was only natural for him to go for the Pies. He was a die hard supporter who used to go rain, hail, or shine, he even went to a few grand finals that the Pies took no part in, in the 70's. He has now lost his passion as he believes the game has changed for the worste, but he secretly still gets extremely upset when we lose or play badly sitting on his recliner at home. I have now taken over the reigns with the die hard attitude and I intend to pass on that attitude to my kids...One Eyed Til I Die

[JacJacJacqui]

My parents aren't really into footy so they didn't push their team onto me (thank goodness because they're Carlton supporters - EW!). I started with the Pies at about 6 or 7 years old because my best mates Dad barracked for them so I thought they must be alright. Strangely enough. It was also the year they last won a premiership.

[luvdids]

[crass]

my old man got of the boat from cyprus on the 2/2/1952 and moved into a house across the street from the retreat hotel in nicholson st...
two good torps from viccy park.
me i was born in carlton then taken home to campbell st in collingwood.

how could i not love gods own football club?

am so glad the old man made the move....

[Tanks1966]

I lived in middlke Footscray, just 300 meteres from whitten oval. I was barred from following them becouse of my Croatian heratige - there colors depicted teh Serbian flag - blue, white red from top to down.
If the colors were red white and blue at that point dad would approve. Anyway I used to go at 3/4 time (Gates opened for free)at whitten oval and barrack for the opposing team. Mum got a new job around the time I was 9 (1975), her new manager / boss was a crazy Collingwood suporter and took me to my first ever game at Vic Park. I was in awe of the place, so much better than going to whitten oval and barracking for the team against the dogs. I felt absolutley at home at Vic Park. It was awesome. I stood in the outer on cans of beer (made of steel in those days). I just loved the black and white.
As with Joffa we were poorish people, but mum knitted me a collingwood jumper (she stuffed up the strip in the middle thoug lol). When I got my first collingwood jumper I would wear it inside out. I demanded to play local footy only for Parkside (becouse they were the magpies as well). I still have both jumpers and they have been passed on through my nephews and soon my kids.
I became a full blown member in 1979 and never ceased being one. Its like a religion, lovem win loose or draw. As they say, I have black and white blood!

[MACDAICOS]

Great story

[Buttsy-Bells]

[MACDAICOS]

My story is quite unique, I was born in the town of 'Merthyr Tydfil' a industrial town in Wales to a Welsh father and Australian mother.

Mum grew up in magpie heartland in Reservoir where it seemed the entire suburb barracked for Collingwood and if you didnt you were treated like a outcast.

Anyway Mum got the travel bug travelled to the UK met my father then I came along etc etc, While her entire life had changed with life in Wales mum would still ring home every Saturday night to see how her Magpies had gone, my grandparents used to send newspaper clippings from Australia of famous wins (remember this was before the days of the VCR) eventully they would send clothes, beanies & scarfes to me which i would wear with pride & joy, much to the confusion of this 'rugby' mad nation.

One famous photo at home i am wearing a 'I AM A ONE EYED COLLINGWOOD SUPPORTER" t shirt at prep school in Wales (gotta love it)

Anyway Mum got sick of the cold winters packed up everything after 10 years abroad and before I knew it my father and I where in Australia, we arrived on the 1st of May 1986 just 2 days later on the 3rd of May i was at the MCG watching Collingwood V Melbourne with my entire family, Collingwood won by 38 points and i was hooked for life and still am.

Between 1986 - 1997 with my entire family we would go to every Melbourne match without fail, we even would travel to 1 interstate game a year we would rotate Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and start over again, I must admit they were the best days of my life! I was only 10 in 1990 and i'm proud to say i was there, at the time I couldnt understand why my uncles and auntys were in tears, but now I understand the releif it must have been for all of them, i'll never forget it i remember it like it was yesterday.

Unfortunately due to my own football commitments of senior football on Saturdays Collingwood took a backward step, but I still went to all the Friday night & Sunday games.

I finished playing football a couple of years ago due to a nasty injury another washed up couldabeen! On the postive though i can now watch Collingwood again, i love it just like I did on that May day in 1986, as our train approaches Jolimont i still get those butterflies in the stomach, a win and there is not a happier bloke in the world! A loss and your gutted until at least the Wednesday but by then you know deep down you will see those black & white stripes run out that coming weekend and all will be forgotten.

There is no better sight in football than seeing 22 men in black & white stripes.

The Collingwood F.C will always play a massive part of my life, always has always will, like many of you I have my family to thank.

Thank-you.

[wimmey]

I was born in 1964 and by 1969 my grandfather was taking me to Vic park every second weekend, dropping me off with the cheer squad and then going to the social club. After the game he would come back and get me. I was the first born grandchild and all the women in my family are footscray supporters (he wasnt having a bar of that) except for me and now my daughter and soon to be her daughter. I miss my poppy and thank god for all he gave me especially the magpie obsession.

[DT]

At first, I wasn't interested in footy at all. I used to see the highlights on our small black and white tv in our kitchen and at the end would be the ladder. I used to change teams every week and picked the team at our near the top of the ladder. It must have been 1978.

We had a very good family friend, whom I called Aunty Margaret, who was a passionate Hawthorn supporter. She had knitted me a Hawthorn scarf and encouraged me to follow the Hawks. So, I guess, I was nominally a Hawthorn supporter. I also lived in a Hawthorn zone in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

My own family, however, was Carlton through and through.

Anyway, at the start of 1979 I wanted a footy jumper. They were quite a prize possession in those days. Mum told me that I could have a jumper but only if I picked a team and stuck to it. So, that started me off on an investigative journey about which team to choose. It is a bit vague but I recall being taken with the fact that Collingwood was a despised suburb back in the early part of the later 1890s and early 1900s. Others looked down at people living there. In response, a footy team from that area was founded and became the most successful team. I loved that story. And the black and white colours were great too. I often think that people, if they are not forced to become a supporter of a club, are influenced by a team's colours. So I chose Collingwood and Mum bought me a jumper. Soon, I would have no. 35 sown on my back.

And I religiously listened to the radio every Saturday afternoon. Often, I would kick a footy around the back garden and acted out the game while I listened to the radio. And what a team we had in 1979. Peter McCormick at full back, Ronnie Wearmouth, the long haired rover who always seemed to get knocked out when we played North, Ray Shaw, a brilliant player and captain, Peter Moore and so on. And there was no more special occasion than when we played Carlton. I recall the Magro v Jesaulenko clash on the wing - was it at Vic Park or Princes Park? - which is still often shown in highlights. Anyway, playing the Blues was the toughest game for us, apart from Essendon, which always seemed to have the wood on us until the late 1980s.

I remember reading an article by Ron Carter, chief football writer for The Age in '79. It must have been a few rounds before the end of the season. He wrote that it is clear that North Melbourne will face Carlton in the Grand Final. I remember my hunch at the time that he is speaking too soon and I thought we might be a sneaky chance.

Anyway, we lost to Carlton in round 10 by 16 points but beat them in the round 21 by 18 points to finish third.

We lost to North by 39 points in the Qualifying Final, came back to beat Fitzroy by 22 points in the First Semi Final and had a rematch with North in the Preliminary Final. Carlton had comfortably accounted for North in the Second Semi Final and went straight through to the Grand Final. But the Pies lifted and beat North by 27 points and had a rematch with the arch enemy.

My excitement and anticipation on Grand Final day was huge. It was a cold and wet day, and the MCG was pretty boggy that day. Carlton were favourites but I knew we had a real chance to win. The Pies got on top in the second quarter but Carlton stormed back to get in front by 1 point at half time. It continued in the third quarter and Carlton were 21 points up at three quarter time - it seemed that the match was gone and my heart sank. The Pies were not gone though and staged a thrilling fightback in the last quarter. Of course, the last quarter is remember for Wayne Harmes knocking the ball back from the boundary line. I was absolutely screaming at the tv at the injustice of it at the time.

We were 5 points down and streaming forward when the siren went. We lost. I was inconsolable and didn't speak to my family for a week.

To this day, that Grand Final is the best that I have seen. And the curse that sat over Collingwood since 1958 continued. Twice, Carlton had extinguished the hopes of the faithful in one decade.

And although Collingwood was a successful side at the turn of that decade, I knew that Richmond would thrash us in '80 and '81 was just mud in our face. Then came Hafey's sacking and our decline until '84 when we were smashed by the Dons in the Preliminary Final.

Then we rose again in the late 80s but a series of disappointing efforts in finals raised a question mark about whether we were good enough to reach the grand final.

Those questions were answered in 1990, when the team faced its demons on that blue sky day against West Coast. BT and Daics saved us that day. I couldn't look when Peter Sumich shot for goal. Thank god he missed. The next week, we were a different team. Michael Christian played his best game for the club and smashed the Eagles that day. We won by 10 goals.

My best moment as a Collingwood supporter came in the Second Semi Final against Essendon, whom we had gradually got closer to that year. It came from an Essendon turnover in the centre square between Madden and Kickett. Scotty Russell pounced, streamed forward over the 50 metre line and slotted the goal. We had steadied to go about 28 points up. That was the moment when I finally believed that we could do it.

In some ways, the Grand Final was more a feeling of relief than joy. But I sat on the top deck of the open Southern Stand and loved every minute of it, especially my all time favourite player, Peter the Macedonian Marvel Daicos.

Since then, we went to the depths in the 90s and then almost did it in 2002. This grand final was somewhat reminiscent of the 1979 one. And the sense of injustice surfaced again.

Still I wait for another premiership. It would be a miracle if we did it this year, but we are not far off. Again, a Shaw is in the team. Will he savour the success of his uncle or the heartbreak of his dad? It's up to them.

Anyhow, there has been a lot of joy being a Collingwood supporter but also a lot of disappointment. And what a ride!

[watt price tully]

I spent my primary school years in Brunswick. My parents had a baby sitter as they were both working. long hours. The baby sitter was "Mrs Mack" - She insisted we should all be Collingwood supporters & were - this was the late 50's & early 60's. I was too young & have no recollecion of this whatsoever. All I know is that my whole family barracked for Collingwood & so did I.

My older brother & his mates would take me on the 96 tram ddown Nicholson street, we would catch the green tramways bus to Vic Park. I recall getting steel cans to stand on wishing I would be tall to watch the game unimpeded, the Peanut seller going through, sneaking into the "one-eyed stand".

Brunswick were the local VFA team whom I also barracked for & wore black & white colours - like a reinforcement for barracking for Collingwood.

In the mid 60's reading Alf Brown in the evening herald & learning new words like "barrel chested", "spasmodic" "vigorous" come to mind when referring to Tuddy". Listening to the radio - 3XY, the frustrating 3DB & 3UZ when you'd get things like : "It's close in the last quarter collingwood behind but heading to goal - being rudely interrupted with "Green Light on racing this time..." & not finding out for ages what the result was.

Later as a Uni student my partner then - my wife now & I lived in Stafford Street Abbotsfford - literally a Colin Tully drop kick to Vic park. ALso had frinrds in Trennery Crescent in the 80's. I'd go to the game, leave at half time with mates, eat drink and whatever else we did in those Uni days & rush back for 2nd half.

In early high school we moved to the other side of town & at 14 the first guy I met at the new school was & is a Collingwood supporter. We're still mates & we would go to games quite often .