How did you become a Wests Tigers fan?

I grew up in the country and my mum and dad were from wa and vic so I had no guidance on league from them (dad made me a cats supporter). In the early 80s everyone went for dogs or parra in our town but I just wasn't getting in to league that much until I started playing. My dad got tickets to go watch a mid week National Panasonic Cup game (old mid week comp) in Tamworth between balmain and souths. We drove over with a mate of his who was a souths supporter who kept going on about how good the bunnies were and started taking bets gave me 10/1 for my $2 on the tigers. Any way tigers won by 2 tries and met junior and Gary jack. I went home with $20 and great memories been a tigers fan ever since.

Over the years I also cheered for wests a few times when they played the bulldogs roosters or manly so I don't Mind the magpie too much on my tigers jerseys nowadays even when I used to get the tiepies call from my mates.

Still out of the city and maybe get to 1 or 2 games each year but the wife and kids love the tigers too so we always have a great day out! Go TIGERS
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I looked long and hard to identify the best club in the NRL and identified the mighty Wests Tigers joined in 1999\. :wink:
 
I lived in balmain/rozelle from age 11 to 21 so obviously followed the Balmain tigers. Went to first game @ the SCG around 1965\. Don't make it to the ground too often these days but love getting to leichhardt when I can. Go the mighty Tigers
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Good one spartan.Brainwasjing the new generation..I am a maggie turned tiger.I am a tommy cum lamb fan .Now benji fan.Love benji as a pwrson as well as a player..
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I moved to Australia in 2006 with no league background at all and was fortunate enough to find a place in Balmain. Now in my third year as a member, I go to all the Leichhardt and city games plus Campbelltown once or twice a season, and also do a bit of travelling both to greater Sydney (Penrith, Central Coast etc) and further afield (Auckland, Gold Coast).

I shudder to think what might have happened if I'd seen a nice flat in Redfern. No, I can't… I would have been smarter than that. I'm certain of it.
 
Both my mother's father and father's father grew up in Balmain and both were/are mad Tigers fans…so I can't remember not being a Tigers fan, hence my profile picture!
 
What a fantastic thread with heaps of great posts.

I started playing league for Burwood United in the late 70's which was in the Wests Junior Comp at the time. I played with Tim Brasher for 5 years who was a class above every kid in the entire comp. We were both huge Wests fans and were both chosen to play Harold Matthews Cup for Wests, although that's the furthest I got, whereas Tim was a super star junior and went on to rep in Origin and Australian team, and of course the Tigers. During that time I had a soft spot for the tigers because of Tim and also because I hated the Bulldogs and hoped the tigers would beat them in the late 80's.

My favourite team continued to be the Magpie's. I was quite a tragic traveling to games all over NSW year after year only to watch them get smashed and get several wooden spoons. Being a loyal person and always sympathetic to the underdog meant I would never change regardless how bad they performed.

For many years I continued to get to Wests games early to watch all 3 grades hoping to enjoy at least one win on the day. Used to love cutting up newspapers to make confetti to throw in the air and at the same time waving my giant black and white flag every time we scored. Great times and the wins were so much more special when it was least expected..

When Wests and Balmain merged it was really hard at first to have to give up my beloved Maggies, but it was the next best result I could have wished for with both my favourite team and sentimental team both coming together. It was ultimately better than having no team and at least I could still cheer for Wests.

The Wests legacy continues because I now watch every Wests game with my son (who coincidently now plays in the Balmain Junior comp and is a huge Wests fan as well).
 
b4 2005 i got a tiger tattoo! i was born and raised in port adelaide magpie territory too! in 2005 i got into a punch up and in adelaide and beat the shit out of some bloke who started on a mate of ours! he was a bikie looking dude! anyways i went back to tiger territory in adelaide (glenelg) and the wests tigers just happened to be playing the other team in the gf! i barracked for the tigers and we won! was watching the game on an old black and white tv, was hard to see but i really enjoyed the game and from what i could remember we were about 70 to 1 to win the flag! great memories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I grew up in inner west , played junior footy with the mighty leichhardt wanderers and played junor reps with balmain , went to school at Holy Cross Ryde and played commonwealth bank cup
Wasnt really any choice that i support the tigers
We moved out to camden in the mid 90s so the merger (although somewhat disappointing at the time)turned out okay as campbelltown Stadium was our local ground
Go to all the games at leichhardt Oval , it is like a reunion as all my mates are tigers supporters and now are spread wide and far -but always get to the Leichhardt games
 
As I was born and raised in Cairns I didnt have a cultural link to any club but as me and all my class mates became aware of league and started following it with passion we all selected sides to support. As Canterbury and Parra were the dominant sides of the time most went with one or the other. I wanted to be different and decided upon the Balmain tigers.
Years later I was sent to boarding school in Campbelltown and got to see a lot of games in the flesh. My uncle lived in Balmain and i stayed with him a lot and he took me to Leichhardt fairly regularly. I played many games there as a school boy and fell in love with the place..still my favourite ground to play at.
Managed to go to both grand finals (88 & 89) and was crushed with both results. Did get something to cheer about though during the mid week comp victories.
When I finished school I was offered a spot in the tigers jersey flegg side but did my knee and missed the chance. Dissillusioned I went to Darwin and worked in the mines for years and started to lose contact with the club. Returned to Sydney in 97 and started going to the games again and was amazed at how poor the club wa going yet somehow got hooked and became a member again. I stayed a member even though I lived overseas for the next 6 years…rarely even seeing a game let alone making it to one live. Returned to Australia in 2004 and got well and truly on the bandwagon of the Wests Tigers. In 2005 I went to the major semi against St George and had the time of my life. Spent my 30th birthday the next week at a mates bux party at the GF (which was organised 2 months in advance), watching the boys win our maiden premiership. Now living in Canberra and still make it to between 8 and 10 games a year....am hooked for life and looking forward to a bright future.

Actually have tickets to the GF again this year as a part of a 3 day bux party....cant wait to see the boys do it again.
 
With warriors' loss just then, we just need to win by 13 or more tomorrow and we will have fourth place.
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In the late 1970's as a young boy I used to visit with an uncle who lived in Balmain. He used to take me to Leichhardt Oval with his old footy mates who used to stand on the hill drinking KB. I have never forgotten watching a Tiger V Bears game and from that day I was hooked. Now I sit on that same hill with my young bloke and get even more joy out of it than ever.
 
Great posts!

Born and grew up in Balmain.
Baptised by the late (drunk) Fr. Murphey at St Augustines who in his final blessing said "and he will be a tigers fan" much to the embarrassment of my mother

Hard not to follow the tigers! Why would anyone support any other team??
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Born in Liverpool Hospital 1970\. Father and Grandfather were from Auburn and were long standing Western Suburbs supporters. So the progression was genetic as Black and White was in my veins. Loved going to Licombe Oval with the old man to watch the Magpies play. Followed the team out to Campbelltown. Froze our buts off in those old open grand stands. Take to my children to as many games we can, especially Campbelltown as it was were I remember watching most of my league. The JV was the best option rather than see two great foundation teams go the way of the Newtown and North Sydney. Love how successful the team has become. My three children follow the team and have even managed to convert the mrs. Black, White and Gold Forever!
 
I moved to Rozelle in the mid 70s and went to my first ever league game in around 1978, at Leichhardt.

Larry Corowa scored at least one try that day, running like the wind on the left wing. He was something to see. I can still hear the fans shouting "Give it to Larry, give it to Larry!" I think he scored 24 tries that year, and I could not believe how fast he was; so exciting to watch, he just floated across the ground. As I recall, the team also included Wayne Miranda, Wayne Wigham, Allan McMahon and Neil Pringle. Of course, thanks to Larry, I was an immediate convert to both the game and the team, and have been an obsessive Tigers fan ever since.

I live in Brisbane now, and can't get to home games, but I haven't lost the faith - even though you risk your life supporting anything other than a Queensland team at Suncorp!
 
i was born at annandale 1940 followed the tigers all my life have been a member of balmain leagues club since 1966 i love the tigers and i was so pleased we joined with the magies to make the wests tigers ill love them till i die
 
here in port adelaide the port adelaide magpies have won 36 out of 71 premiersships in the sanfl and the pafc (magpies and power combined) have won 37 out of 73 premierships! I see our champion mark williams our 2004 premiership coach from the power and champion magpie is filling in at greater western sydney! he is a true magpie champion, and the magpies home oval (alberton oval) has a stand in memory of mark williams dad! fos williams!
 
sorry if i shouldnt talk aussie rules but i thought this was relevant!
 
Tigers are in my blood, my Mum is related to Leo Nosworthy, so when I was growing up was always taken to all games(Canberra,Newcastle included buttdidn't go to out of state) Played for Tigers Harold Matthews in 94'(i think) Was at the 89' Grand Final who went as a Tigers Supporter but left a Raiders Supportter( yes I turned) but after Super League I didn't Support anyone till the game came back together in 99'. Supported Tigers but never went to games and then in 04' started going to games again with my Mum. Was there for all semis game in 05' and was at GF, greatest moment in my life was that GF win and still remember partying on Victy Rd at 3am that morning
 
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