How did you become a Wests Tigers fan?

When I was a tacker it was the Bears for me. I became a committed Wests supporter when Roy Masters was coaching them. I loved going to Lidcome Oval (and later to Campbelltown) where, in their hayday, they would most likely win.
Balmain were my dads side and my second fav. so I had no trouble converting to the Wests Tigers after I got over the initial shock of there being no more Western Suburbs.
 
1986 my dad sat me on his knee and pledged dragons supremacy rubbish as we read the paper. I said wow look at the tigers mascot he looks way cooler I'll go for them…
Two years later and the 88 and 89 grand finals scared me for life...
Now at 31 years of age I still feed it to the old man, but last year hurt, go tigers 2012 !!!
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I'm sure i put it in another one

Was a Brisbane Wests supporter through the their great glory years and that led naturally to Sydney Wests
The first game I ever watched Wests Magpies was the Amco Cup final in 76 when we beat Easts
Pretty lucky when played for Ipswich as the great one Tommy was the A Grade coach (even though I was in the 19's) Totally in awe of him (Yes Tommy I was involved in glueing your folder to the bench at North Ipswich Reserve)

Was naturally shattered when it looked like Wests were gone but like a true survivor we hung in their and battled on through many lean years but the victories we had were very memorable and always put a smile on Happy's dial

To the merger if we had gone with the Dogs I can't say whether I would of still would of supported the merger
But the Balmain Wests merger was perfect Wests were the hard team of the 70's and Balmain of the 80's so it was the perfect blend

We have had some bad times at the Tigers The Hoppa incident was bad Especially seeing I was in a Sponsor of the Cowboys box with a Tigers jersey (and pretty full) on when at half time word had got round what had happened
Most memorable 2005 of course ,2010 and 2011 and the other game that stands out was the Newcastle game when we climbed out of the coffin down 32-6 (I think) to win
Great that both my kids have followed Happy lead by also being Tiger's fans despite both of their Grandparents trying to convert them to those Dastardly Broncos

Wests Tigers til I die
 
G'day everyone, just found this site so I'm new here. I grew up in regents park/berala. I was a berala bear from as early as I can remember. We used to go to most home games at lidcombe back in the late 70's and early 80's.

I loved going to the old ground there and watching the boys, great atmosphere and loads of fun.

Been a magpie fan since I first learnt to walk. So by default I carried on following the tigers.

I'm living in NZ now and went to the game here in Auckland last year, man that was a great one to pull out of there fire. The kiwi's were dead set giving to me with about 20min to go. They were all so very quiet at full time. Hahaha aha

We're gonna have a great 2012 season
 
@Brisbane Tiger said:
1986 my dad sat me on his knee and pledged dragons supremacy rubbish as we read the paper. I said wow look at the tigers mascot he looks way cooler I'll go for them…
Two years later and the 88 and 89 grand finals scared me for life...
Now at 31 years of age I still feed it to the old man, but last year hurt, go tigers 2012 !!!

amen to all this BT ... still cannot watch the 89 g/f and probably never will. once was enough !!

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I had no choice and the best thing i was forced to do !!! My blood is black and white and 12 years ago I had a blood transfusion but just added the orange to the already black and white !!! 6 years ago was just icing on the cake !!! WESTS TIGERS thru and thru !! If you don't pledge your alliance to the tigers at the game of 2 in our family you don't get to go on family days ( to the footy ) and you don't get a play station !!! True that not one member of my family goes for another club …. Thats 22 mappies x tigers in one family !!! UP THE WESTS TIGERS !!!
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After reading the thread about the absurdity of being a tigers fan, thought Id bump this thread, my favourite thread ever on here.

Ill re tell my story to re get the ball rolling again.

When I was born the first grand son on one side and the first to like sport on the other, my 2 grand fathers were both tragic supporters of their clubs, Canterbury and Penrith. One of them ended up being a life member. So when i was 5 or 6 I went to the footy every week in either a Doggies or Panthers jersey. My mum tells me I also cheered for Parramatta briefly and declared myself a Parramatta fan, I assume because they were the gun team at the time.

Im not actually sure why I started supporting the tigers, the a couple doors down supported them, which I assume payed a role, but for whatever reason they became my team in the merry go round of sides a yong kid has.

At this time I had a tigers scarf and went to It's a knock out and Wayne Pearce was the ref that night, after the show I went down, and Wayne pearce saw the scarf and picked me up (i was prob 6 or 7) from that point I was a tiger for life!
a couple years later I was as staunch as they come and at the school fete used my days allocation of money to buy a ticket in the choclate wheel for the signed Tigers football of the 1988 grand final team that was playing the next day. I than watched my Sister go on rides all day with her money. I won the football!! It was mant to be I was a fan for life. The Bloke down the rode offered me $500 for the ball, for a 9 year old that might as well been a million! it still sits in my office today….I was a tragic early.

I always say that a team picks you, you dont get a say in it. :slight_smile:

My brother who as youngster also went the footy and supported everyone but the tigers, ended up with the Sharks cause for a reason he cant explain.....thank god i met Wayne Pearce and not ET!!!
 
Don't know if I already posted here.

I became a Tigers fan after the semi-final loss to the Roosters in 2010\. That game was the best game I ever saw. I had watched league for a few years, but didn't know who to support. Obviously being from New Zealand my natural instinct is the Warriors, but I never felt them 100%.

My faith was confirmed when they overcame a 22-4 scoreline in the last 20 minutes against the Warriors (the team I thought I supported). This said to me who I really love.
 
I became a fan around 04/05 with the rise of Benji mostly, but loved that side in general.

Close to a decade later, I'm still a mad fan and pretty much must watch every game live. It's always just me and the TV too, hate watching games I care about with other people.

I've disappointed a lot of mates over the years missing nights out :laughing:

:sign:
 
My dad was a huge Balmain fan and he used to take me to Leichardt Oval as a kid and I grew up with stories about the 88 and 89 Grand Finals as well as our grand final win against Souths in 1969\. I was always a Balmain fan and used to love playing footy up on the hill with the other kids at Leichardt Oval but used to have a soft spot for the Magpies as well. When the two clubs merged I obviously became a Wests Tigers supporter and have followed the ever since.
 
I started following Balmain 1958 when we and west became the wests tigers I was a fan . I did not want to go with Parramatta I would not have been a fan .thank god we went with wests
 
Mine was pretty plain & simple I just liked our emblem a Tiger for as long as I can remember I always loved the emblem. So I was hooked. Mind you my old man & bro are parra fans.

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My old man, bless his soul, was born in Balmain. I was born and raised in Woonona a suburb of Wollongong but always followed the Tigers.

Every now and then mum and dad would take me to a game but after they won the comp in '69 we went to every game, right up until I left home.

Dad tried showing me where he lived as a kid but not only was the house gone, the street was no longer there!

My mates tried to get me to follow the Steelers when they joined the competition but I was well and truly black & gold by then.

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As a young kid I was a brain-washed Doggies supporter. In 1988 (i was 9 at the time) after watching the Dogs v Tigers grand final I felt so gutted watching the tigers players like junior Pearce in tears at the end of the game I switched allegiances then and there. I reckon I've cried many more tears than I saw that day in the past 25 years as a tigers fan, haha!

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I still remember this as clear as day, it was 31 years ago. I was kicking the footy in my back yard (I was 7 years old) and I decided I was going to support the team with the toughest animal or mascot. so I went through all the teams and if the animal or mascot had a fight with the other, who would win. I end up deciding that the two toughest animals were a Tiger and a Bear and I decided a Tiger would beat a Bear in a fight! That's it, I am still passionately supporting them 31 years later. And I always had a soft spot for the Bears.
I think about it now, and I'm not to sure how a tiger would fair against a shark if dropped in the ocean! No changing now, to much of me invested and tears shed over this team!! :smiley:
 
My grandfather was the biggest Balmain supporter back in the day. He used to take us to the games at Leichhardt when we were little.

He attended every training session and every game. He memorably came home one day in the 1980's and said to my grandmother that he had seen a player today who was gonna be great one day…...that player was Benny Elias.

When he died the Tigers left his seat empty for a year as mark of respect.

And every time we play there it's like coming home.

All the boys born in our family receive a Tigers jersey on the day they are born; it's their birthright.

I cried the night we merged with the Magpies....and I still can't call them "Wests" but I will follow them till the day I die (or till they no longer play at Leichhardt Oval - can't image it would be the same after that)
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Thank you for the thread...it was lovely,and a little to sad, to think of my Pa today (my birthday!).
 
I had just returned from Vietnam and went to the Sydney Sports Ground to see Balmain play, but cannot remember who they played. I think it was the first game Len Killeen had played. As I lived on the border of Parramatta and Balmain I decided I'd follow the Tigers. It hasn't been easy.
 
Thanks Goose for bumping the thread.

Being an older fan, as a result of Mr Murdoch's folly and the resulting merger, I am now supporting this club.

My earliest memory in life is the day of the 1969 Grand Final. I think this disease took a hold on me due to my love of the game (my Uncle from mum's side and his son coaching junior teams to which I signed up for not long after my 4th birthday) and with my dad's brother and his wife being absolutely fanatical in their support of Balmain, my cards had been dealt.

I would hassle my father to take me to every Leichhardt game, but being from a largish traditional family, he often could not take me as he was working overtime to make ends meet. Dad telling Frank Hyde's assistant "I don't care if he can't see, neither can my son" when he complained about dad holding me up during a very wet Manly game is a cherished memory.
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Always had a soft spot for Wests, particularly throughout the Roy Masters era as my cousin despite her parents, followed Manly.

Have only been to one game at Cambeltown, and with life's changes have not been to a game in a while. With my toddler getting to an understanding stage, it may well be time to get back out to a match and see if he gets infected.
 
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