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

Balmain since 1987 - I wasn't born here but grew up here. I went to Balmain High and ever since then I was a Tigers supporter. Brings back old memories when my brothers and I will walk to Leichhardt Oval.

The merger was necessary and I supported them with no hiccups. I didn't really get attached to the word "Balmain"… I was a Tigers supporter. :slight_smile:
 
I grew up in Strathfield West from the early 70's (used to play for Enfield Feds). A Magpies fan since then - but the only real highlight (until 2005) was winning the Amco Cup.
 
Balmain. It's a family tradition from my Grandmother down. Every weekend at Leicchardt - first in the old grandstand - the one where the dressing sheds used to be when the ground ran the other way. Hemsley, Roach, Siro, Hardwick - great players and club men.
 
A high percentage of Magpie supporters are in Rockwood near the spiritual home ground!
 
I grew up near Parramatta in late 70's and everyone supported the Eels.
I liked Parra but Wests became my team. I still remember staying up for the Amco Cup final in 77\. One of my earliest memories of watching footy. When Parra started winning every kid at school jumped on the Parra bandwagon but I think that just galvanised me to be a Wests supporter. Had to be different from everyone else.
Favourite players would have been Raudonikis, Boyd and Dorahy. Was gutted when they left but pleasantly surprised we still competed and made the finals.
When they tried to kick us out I wasn't sure who I'd support. At the time I had a soft spot for the Dogs - after all it was either them or the Eels who were winning.
I was all for the merger. Now there is only one team - the mighty Wests Tigers
 
My old man grew up just across the bay in Five Dock, played league and went to tigers games at leichardt in the 60s/early 70s. Never pushed me into following/playing league or supporting the tigers though.

Started supporting the tigers I think it was the first game of the winning run in 2005\. Was into soccer back then and had always watched origin/grand finals for the spectacle but had no league team. Just happened to flick the telly on when we played the sharks on a friday night and was hooked from that moment (was mesmerised by Benji leaving blokes grasping at thin air).

We still watch the odd WT game together.
 
My parents had a small grocery store in Glebe during the 1950's. When I was born and old enough to be dressed up in a Tigers jersey my Dad and cousins dragged me along to games whenever they could. As I got a little older I pretty much played footy on the hill with the other kids I'd meet - don't think I even watched the games back then. I never waivered with my support of the Tiges though.
I remember watching the 69 Grand Final with Sid Williams scoring in the corner to beat the Rabbits, 11-2 was the score. My Dad and I were so excited. We often went to the SCG as well - will never forget Len Killeen's kicking, I think he stood the ball upright which was weird at the time.
Dad never got to watch the 2005 GF - he passed earlier that year, but I was there and was I thinking of him and loving every minute!
 
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Young Balmain Tigers supporter in the time of , Jack and Im ashamed to say Elias.

Didn't want to be a dragon Like my dad or a dog like my mates. I wanted to be different/unique and have paid the price ever since bar 2005 GF.
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I have 5 kids who love the Tigers and think we win all the time. I dont think they will remain Tigers if we keep losing so often and loosing players.

I love this forum though.
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5 Kids! go hard you legend!
don't worry, their day with come , when they least expect it. like mine in 05.
on the day, i knew we'd win. at the start of the season i was just hoping for the 8.
i got mates in the Shire that have always had hope, last year was the first. but a the start of the season they to were just hoping for finals. North Qld Cowboys finally did it as well.
we'll defiantly be a force again soon.with the forward pack that we are assembling.
 
what a worthwhile thread. it shows all the reasons why people support the wests tigers.

trevor cogger,of course.great guy,talk to anyone,even me.stuck through some pretty woeful times with the maggies.wonder what he thinks of the big four.

this forum has had a few transformations over the time.
when the team won the premiership in 2005,this forum was in wraptures.we tend to sometimes forget that previous flags were only won in 69 and 52.it doesnt happen too often
there probably wouldnt be too many people who saw the 52 win,but quite a few who saw 69 and 2005.
maybe we can all experience another win in the coming years.
go the wests tigers.
 
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Dad never got to watch the 2005 GF - he passed earlier that year, but I was there and was I thinking of him and loving every minute!
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I got to say it is crazy the number of long term Tiger fans I am aware of who died in 2005\. And that is not even from living in the heart of Tigertown. These were all people living out in the Greater West around Blacktown and stuff.

I can not even begin to imagine the party Lauri got organized up there for the game :slight_smile:
 
What I'm amazed at is the amount of past players who laced up for both Wests & Balmain during their histories - Mick Neil, Scott Gale, Garry Jack, Garry Schofield , Ellery Hanley, Lee Crooks, Greg Cox, Ross Conlon, Mick Liubinskas, Arthur Mountier, Trevor Ryan, Wayne Wigham just to name a few - I'm sure there would be more. I guess the two clubs were destined to merge at some stage.
 
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What I'm amazed at is the amount of past players who laced up for both Wests & Balmain during their histories - Mick Neil, Scott Gale, Garry Jack, Garry Schofield , Ellery Hanley, Lee Crooks, Greg Cox, Ross Conlon, Mick Liubinskas, Arthur Mountier, Trevor Ryan, Wayne Wigham just to name a few - I'm sure there would be more. I guess the two clubs were destined to merge at some stage.
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I think, looking back over the years the two clubs had never gotten into it like say Souths and Easts for instance. We had our local derby but outside of that I don't recall many Balmain fans hating Wests as a club and visa versa.

They also tended to have very similar cultures - Based around super tough forward packs etc, and both clubs had their sprinkling of super silky backs. Neither club seemed to ever get any favors from the old NSWRL, always seeming to be on the outer with the establishment.
 
Many favourite players over the years, but the stand outs were Larry C, Many of the 80's team with jack, sirro, blocker, backdoor, Jnr. Then brasher, Hodgo, Benji Robbie, etc…

I loved my footy cards ( and bubble gum) just as much as the game and players. Shame mum never kept them.
 
I grew up in Mudgee when they were in Group 14 and had the Balmain colours so I followed the Tigers in every sport I was interested in after that. Richmond in the AFL, Melbourne Tigers in the NBL etc. Only had to buy one scarf!

My best mate and I were in primary school at the time and both of us took money off the teachers in 1969\. It wasn't much but we won enough so that we could run a book on the Melbourne Cup that November. I think we held about $10 on the race (when a dollar was a dollar) and only had one losing result which was a horse that all the girls had backed. We thought there was no way he could win - carrying over 60kg, had won it the previous year and no other horse had won two except Archer.

Sure enough Rain Lover won by 8 lengths in a record time that lasted another 22 years! We got cleaned out of our Balmain winnings and then some!

Favourite players in those days and for some years later were Brian Lockwood, Len Killeen, Neil Pringle and Larry Corowa. Pringle was a tackling machine and a very clever ball player.

Great thread, thanks.
 
My Great Grandfather went to the first gamed played by Wests and Balmain round 1 1908\. Ever since then the family has followed the Wests Fruit pickers then Magpies and now Tigers.
 
@ said:
What I'm amazed at is the amount of past players who laced up for both Wests & Balmain during their histories - Mick Neil, Scott Gale, Garry Jack, Garry Schofield , Ellery Hanley, Lee Crooks, Greg Cox, Ross Conlon, Mick Liubinskas, Arthur Mountier, Trevor Ryan, Wayne Wigham just to name a few - I'm sure there would be more. I guess the two clubs were destined to merge at some stage.
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You can add in Steven Knight and Warren Boland
 
Favourite wt players over the years - Hodgson, Benji, Robbie and Ellis.
 
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