Did you start supporting the Wests Tigers before the merger or after?

@ said:
I have been a Magpie fan since 1974\. My dad is a Balmain man since before WW2.

When the merger occurred I was really worried if I was going to be able to get onboard. Old habits an all. Anyway round 1 Vs Bronco. Skando grabs the ball from a bomb scores the try. I jump to my feet and scream "go you tigers"

Dad just started laughing at me, and suddenly I knew it was all going to be okay :slight_smile:
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Thats awesome !!

I personally grew up watching Balmain with my dad from about 5 years old and got to see players like Larry Corowa , Neil pringle and Brian Lockwood . Even though i was very young i do remember those days vividly , especialy getting autographs from the players as they sat amongst the crowd until halftime of the reserve grade games and will never forget the theatrics of the great Laurie Nicolls.
I played in the Wests comp but hated them as a club and always enjoyed Balmain v Wests games.
When the merger came about all my hatred dissapeared towards Wests as i felt we were very similar as battlers in the comp and i knew we had to merge for the survival of both clubs.
Im also glad Wests has reshown the loyalty towards the Balmain side of the club when we also needed saving.
GO WESTS TIGERS
 
I supported Balmain since the start of 1986\. I supported Wests Tigers since day 1.

I took my wife to her first game in 1999, the last game at Leichhardt, so technically she supported Balmain, but she didn't have a clue.

My kids have only known Wests Tigers. My son is a diehard, and my daughter comes to the games for the chips.
 
Some really good reads on here. Thanks everyone for sharing your footy supporting history. It's a real tribal thing following the WTs.


Got my first tigers jersey when I turned 6 with a six on the back which was Percy Knights number. Once a tiger, always a tiger. Fave players over the years were the late 80s crew. Brooks, Hemsley, McGuire, Pearce Sirro, Roach, Edmed, Hardwick. Give me that bunch any day.

>
Wests had some great/hard forwards packs as well. It was in these areas when both clubs made the finals.
Cleary said in an interview that both clubs before the merger were really tough sides and that's what he is looking to create here.
 
First game I can remember was 1964 gf against St George. Barnes kicked two goals for us to be up 4 blot and we got done 20 odd to 4.

Started following the Balmain Tigers because my local country town were also the Tigers and they were known as the St George of the bush as they won the local comp 10 times in a 11 years. Just great memories
 
Dad and a few of his brothers supported Balmain, so it was the obvious choice for me.

In all honesty I sort of faded in and out of the first two to three years. Took the club seriously when Sheens came on board in 2003.
 
Balmain Since 1969 , both clubs prior to the merger were always the whipping team , there was nothing better than beating Manly or the Roosters back then
 
Who are peoples favourite Balmain or Magpies player?
Instead of starting a new thread I thought I'd ask it here.

For me growing up in the 90s my favourite Balmain player was Tim Brasher. Loved his game and was always thinking I was Tim when playing backyard footy 😂
 
What about D - other. I was born in Balmain Hospital, growing up in Balmain and moving to the Campbelltown area. I attended both grounds growing up. I remember being asked to sign a petition against the merger at Campbelltown stadium, I replied this is a dream come true! Go Weststigers.
 
@ said:
Who are peoples favourite Balmain or Magpies player?
Instead of starting a new thread I thought I'd ask it here.

For me growing up in the 90s my favourite Balmain player was Tim Brasher. Loved his game and was always thinking I was Tim when playing backyard footy 😂
Click to expand...

Siro was mine. Idolised him.
 
Was a Balmain supporter as dad was - first memories are of Terry Lamb taking out the Black Pearl, then Timmy Brashed carving up.

Issue was we lived out in Campbelltown growing up, and with my Parents being fairly working class folk, we never went into Leichhardt to watch a game, only when they played Wests.

When the merger was announced I liked it, as It meant greater access to my team, and with Cambo as a home ground I started taking it more serious, and has grown from there.
 
Love these stories.

Sometimes when I read in other threads that we have a great history and a jersey to be proud of the cynical 1% of me says "really?"

But this really brings it home. The number of people who have moved between areas or lived in a junior district of one parent club while supporting another is quite amazing given how small a sample we are of the tens of thousands of WT fans. There is a history and passion here, and the best thing about Cleary is he wants to get back to our original DNA of playing tough all day and not giving in.
 
Actually quite surprised by the ratio of balmain fans to wests fans…didnt think the difference would be that big
 
Wayne Pearce was my favourite player in the Balmain days, favourite West Tigers player was and is Benji, no one else comes close, he typified everything that is good about West Tigers
 
I followed Balmain since early /mid 60's

My dearly departed dad was born in Balmain.
Back in the 70's I asked him if he could show me the house where he was born. The house is no longer there, nor is the street!!!

We used to attend every game back then, home and away (12 teams). I've got some splendid memories and more to come.
 
I was playing under 8's in 2002 and Skando, Ben Galea, Mark O'Neill and Darren Senter came to a CRL junior clinic in Wagga and all signed my footy gear. I didn't really have a team that I supported up until then I just had a few favourite players but from then on I was a Wests Tiger. The following year Benji and Robbie etc made their debuts and we won the grand final 2 years after that when I was 11\. Best day ever
 
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