Balmain Leagues Club

[Elderslie_Tiger]

Just received the notice in the mail now.

General meeting of the leagues club to be held on Wednesday 18 September 6pm @ Balmain Town Hall

The business of the GM will be about the amalgamation between Balmain and Western Suburbs Leagues Club


VOTE
YES YES YES YES

 

[WT2K]

Just received the notice in the mail now.

General meeting of the leagues club to be held on Wednesday 18 September 6pm @ Balmain Town Hall

The business of the GM will be about the amalgamation between Balmain and Western Suburbs Leagues Club


Wests Ashfield meeting will be on 19th September @ 7pm

 

[cktiger]

Just received the notice in the mail now.

General meeting of the leagues club to be held on Wednesday 18 September 6pm @ Balmain Town Hall

The business of the GM will be about the amalgamation between Balmain and Western Suburbs Leagues Club


Good luck getting there at that time during the week unless you aren't working.

 

[diedpretty]

@diedpretty when was the last time a side form sydney averaged 25k? has that honestly ever happened?

When was the last time we were a consistent top 8 side?

 

[diedpretty]

@jirskyr " Plenty of pundits call us Wests as well as “the Tigers”." You could count the number of times that has happened in the last 20 years on one hand. Its either Tigers or Wests Tigers very rarely just Wests. But that is not really the point. You say Balmain are virtually left with nothing and in reality that is right but in the perception of other fans and a lot of the media its all Balmain. You have morons like Roach who continually call the team Balmain - and no one pulls him up. And he is not the only one who does it. And that's what upsets most ex magpie supporters. Its the same with the spiritual home ground rubbish. Leichhardt is not Wests Tigers spiritual home ground. We have so many home grounds how can one be a spiritual one. It was Balmains spiritual home ground - and yet this rubbish keeps getting trotted out every time we play there.

I don't really care if the magpie is on the jersey or not, We are Wests Tigers and its a great brand. This whole proposal is about strengthening that brand and also as a business decision by WA to increase their assets. But to make this a great brand this bs of a rebadged Balmain has to stop - and I will continually call people out on it.

I havnt heard Roach refer to the team as Balmain recently, but understand that would be irritating if he did, for not only WTs supporters but also old Magpie supporters. Equally I have found Roy Masters articles to be divisive and very anti the Balmain side of the JV. Old habits die hard I guess.

Yeah I haven't heard anyone call us Balmain for at least 15 years I reckon. They did used to do it a lot in the first 5 years or so.

And I reckon @diedpretty is pretty off the mark, especially in assuming to understand or summarise the perception of other fans and media. Everyone knows the team is Wests Tigers, everyone knows it's a JV of Magpies and Balmain, but apart from that you can't assume to speak on behalf of what "other fans" think. Balmain is a relic and anyone under 20 years of age wasn't even alive when the Balmain Tigers existed as a first-grade club.

I agree with Geo that I notice some commentators intentionally call us "Wests" and that is cool, because we are. But also, the tendency is to call most teams by their mascot and not their geography, so I would submit that "Tigers" is more commonly used than Wests, but no more so than "the Bulldogs" vs "Canterbury" or "the Raiders" vs "Canberra" or "the Sharks" vs "Cronulla-Sutherland".

Like others have said, you can understand the sentimentality of Leichhardt Oval amongst general rugby league supporters, due to it's long history not just associated with Balmain and Wests Tigers, but all the other matches played there like Panasonic Cups, the original NSW-QLD interstate matches and the fact that it is an old-style boutique ground, that doesn't really exist any more. LO has hosted the most professional rugby league matches of any active ground in Australia.

Lastly towards @diedpretty I don't think it's a rebadged Balmain at all. I was just saying to @MAGPIES1963 that as much as I understand some folks miss their old Magpie, I miss Balmain too, but I don't regret any decision the merger has taken and I support a full merger of the clubs and junior leagues. Yes it's a Tiger but there is as much, if not more, Wests blood in the club now and that can't really ever change, because after this Balmain will essentially cease to exist.

Maybe you should take a stroll to the Wests Magpies numerous facebook pages - it is the number one gripe. So my assumption of what irks ex magpie supporters wasn't something I just pulled from thin air.

 

[diedpretty]

@jirskyr " Plenty of pundits call us Wests as well as “the Tigers”." You could count the number of times that has happened in the last 20 years on one hand. Its either Tigers or Wests Tigers very rarely just Wests. But that is not really the point. You say Balmain are virtually left with nothing and in reality that is right but in the perception of other fans and a lot of the media its all Balmain. You have morons like Roach who continually call the team Balmain - and no one pulls him up. And he is not the only one who does it. And that's what upsets most ex magpie supporters. Its the same with the spiritual home ground rubbish. Leichhardt is not Wests Tigers spiritual home ground. We have so many home grounds how can one be a spiritual one. It was Balmains spiritual home ground - and yet this rubbish keeps getting trotted out every time we play there.

I don't really care if the magpie is on the jersey or not, We are Wests Tigers and its a great brand. This whole proposal is about strengthening that brand and also as a business decision by WA to increase their assets. But to make this a great brand this bs of a rebadged Balmain has to stop - and I will continually call people out on it.


Mate, honestly sorry if I’ve offended in any way! Don’t really understand/see where anybody on THIS thread or *otherwise* is actually doing that and attempting to enrage Magpies diehards.... that’s just not at all what it’s about and I find the comment by you itself to be decisive if a little bit hasty... don’t you want a secure vision going forward? Financially and logistically?

That's ok. Just the way the original post was worded was disrespectful. Sometimes things don't come out how they were meant to. My response was also a little over the top so sorry for that.

And for the record for everyone on here i'm obviously an old magpie supporter. but that is where it ends - I don't want to see the magpie replace the tiger and believe that wests ashfield are making decisions to strengthen the WT brand which is what we all want hopefully. I was only trying to point out that there is a perception amongst a lot of ex magpie supporters that wests are the forgotten partner.

 

[cochise]

I was only trying to point out that there is a perception amongst a lot of ex magpie supporters that wests are the forgotten partner.

I find that a strange belief to hold when they are about to be 90% owners of the club.

 

[diedpretty]


@diedpretty good example of us not beimg referred to as Tigers - official NRL table on NRL app.

No point trying to have a conversation with you - your always right and everyone else is wrong - you pull one example out that supposedly supports your argument. Also I never once said we shouldn't be called the Tigers - I said we shouldn't be called Balmain ( and yes it still happens although thankfully not as much as it used to) and our spiritual home isn't LO.

 

[jirskyr]

Maybe you should take a stroll to the Wests Magpies numerous facebook pages - it is the number one gripe. So my assumption of what irks ex magpie supporters wasn’t something I just pulled from thin air.

Actually my point wasn't about disgruntled Magpies supporters, it was about other NRL fans and media. The proposition that Wests are not adequately acknowledged in the JV and this is on the back of other supporters and media focusing on Tigers and Balmain.

I'm not really arguing about the grips of Magpie supporters - I've heard them all before and they are as old as the toilets at Leichhardt. I would definitely expect that the Magpie FB pages are a hotbed of gripes and annoyances and you did say you thought it was a small minority.

 

[Geo]

I was only trying to point out that there is a perception amongst a lot of ex magpie supporters that wests are the forgotten partner.

I find that a strange belief to hold when they are about to be 90% owners of the club.

That is part of their main gripe that Wests do own Wests Tigers but pander to the Tigers to the detriment of WESTS in the Wests Tigers and Wests are forgotten..

 

[cochise]

That is part of their main gripe that Wests do own Wests Tigers but pander to the Tigers to the detriment of WESTS in the Wests Tigers and Wests are forgotten…

Honest question, how do they pander to the Tigers? What do the people who hold this gripe actually want?

 

[jirskyr]

No point trying to have a conversation with you - your always right and everyone else is wrong - you pull one example out that supposedly supports your argument. Also I never once said we shouldn’t be called the Tigers - I said we shouldn’t be called Balmain ( and yes it still happens although thankfully not as much as it used to) and our spiritual home isn’t LO.

Let's not all go dramatic here, this forum is all about people trying to prove themselves right and others wrong. You think you are right, which is fine.

I'll quote you just so we are on the same page
>The gripe is the lack of recognition that Wests are part of the JV. Still after 20 years we have some in the media still calling the team balmain. The colours are always referred to as black and orange.

Geo says "Warren Smith always makes a point of calling us Wests". I then made the point that I haven't heard anyone call us Balmain in 10 years, not even Blocker Roach. Yes they did it all the time in the early days, absolutely. But lately, no.

Then I open the NRL app and lo, we are listed as Wests. Yes it's a cherry-picked example, but look how the NRL refers to every other club by their emblem, but Wests by geography. That is meaningful. It's the official NRL app, it's not some mistake or random incident. It is a very strong counter-example for people who indeed think Wests are inadequately represented in the JV.

The reserve grade side is called the Wests Magpies, despite there already being the Wenty Magpies side.

I don't see anything about Balmain ever any more. I'll happily call out anyone who calls us Balmain. Balmain the entity is dead and buried in 2020 - there is still a Balmain district but it will be funded by Wests. Walk through Darling St and it's not the "Tiger Town" it used to be, which is just the demographics of the area now. I can cop all that, and Balmain are broke, so I am happy to keep my club going under whatever guise is possible.

But I can't really cop old Magpies complaining about lack of recognition for Wests Magpies. The only thing un-Wests about the club is the inclusion of orange and Tigers. Wests Ashfield even put the Wests Tiger logo up on their building with a black-white chevron modification, i.e. it can't go up there without some kind of Magpie-centric modification.

It's 90% Magpies now and it's the Magpies personnel calling the shots. Balmain retains a sliver of involvement at the indulgence of Wests Ashfield, which is fine. They can put whatever they like on their Leagues Club, also fine. But how can anyone whinge that Balmain still have an uneven advantage in this setup?

 

[Geo]

That is part of their main gripe that Wests do own Wests Tigers but pander to the Tigers to the detriment of WESTS in the Wests Tigers and Wests are forgotten…

Honest question, how do they pander to the Tigers? What do the people who hold this gripe actually want?

They pander to the Tigers as they contribute nothing financially to the JV and have done for a number of years..

That has been answered many times the lunatic fringe want Wests Magpies back in the NRL....

It will never happen but that does not stop them wanting it...they see the taking ownership of Balmain Leagues by Wests as another slap in the face

 

[cochise]

That has been answered many times the lunatic fringe want Wests Magpies back in the NRL…

So really they should be disregarded in this conversation, their wants and beliefs about what is happening to our club should not be listened to! I actually thought they would see taking ownership of Balmain Leagues as a victory in their minds?

 

[Geo]

That has been answered many times the lunatic fringe want Wests Magpies back in the NRL…

So really they should be disregarded in this conversation, their wants and beliefs about what is happening to our club should not be listened to! I actually thought they would see taking ownership of Balmain Leagues as a victory in their minds?

Of course but they Vote...

Wests Ashfield don't really care as the numbers will rubber stamp what they propose with the majority of their members probably don't even follow Rugby League

 

[cochise]

That has been answered many times the lunatic fringe want Wests Magpies back in the NRL…

So really they should be disregarded in this conversation, their wants and beliefs about what is happening to our club should not be listened to! I actually thought they would see taking ownership of Balmain Leagues as a victory in their minds?

Of course but they Vote...

Wests Ashfield don't really care as the numbers will rubber stamp what they propose with the majority of their members probably don't even follow Rugby League

No I was just concerned that this belief that Wests are invisible was more wide spread the Alien level fanatics. If it is just those with that level of delusion then I don't think it is anything to worry about!

 

[Tiger_Steve]

@diedpretty when was the last time a side form sydney averaged 25k? has that honestly ever happened?

When was the last time we were a consistent top 8 side?

1908

 

[Snake]

So this thread has generated into one lot of old fossils arguing with other old fossils ..any wonder my attempts to generate discussions on the future are in vain and I am also an old fossil but I live in the now!.. live for the present and future guys!

 

[rozelle_rudy]

* Byrne hasn't been telling everyone any such thing. He's been trying to help Balmain. He can't work miracles. Balmain was in trouble well before Byrne became Mayor. Their troubles are of their own making.

 

[rozelle_rudy]

@Russell Look, I'm no friend of Darcy Byrne but I can't see why people are blaming him for this. Balmain has been a basket case for more than a decade, long before Darcy came along. How is any of this his fault?