Personal History Of You

[jill]

Very similar to Barks4ever - Pop there from the start - indoctrinated Mum, Pop took me to my 1st game (was 2) - am 60 this year! - Pop has a lot to answer for!!!!!!

[Mooksy]

My grandfather Harold Bray was a St Kilda champion and it has just run through my family.

[wolfpup]

i was born in geelong and remember someone at primary school had bought some football cards, the cards had a team stickers in them. a kid who loved geelong gave me the sticker from the pack and said i could have it (probably as a joke). it was a st.kilda sticker and have been supporting them since (i think i was 6 or 7 and it was around 1977-78).

there you have it, a sainters supporter for 30 years

[plugger66]

My parents couldnt stand me so they said I had to follow the Saints. Now I cant stand my parents.

[GRAMophone]

Yep - I've followed them since the sixties. Grandparents lived close to Moorabbin & took us along.

Have followed the rocky road ever since.

[st.byron]

My grandfather Harold Bray was a St Kilda champion and it has just run through my family.

'When did he play Mooksy?

[avid]

My dad went to his first Saints game in a pram -- making it probably 1917. (Sadly he just missed the 1913 GF!) His father followed St Kilda -- he played cricket for St Kilda.

I was born in Canberra, and when we finally made another GF in '65, my dad brought me down to Melbourne on the sleeper train to see my first ever game. I was shocked Essendon didn't let us win.

The whole family tooled down the Hume Highway to see the victory in 1966 . (My girlfriend now wears the scarf I knitted for that day.)

I am still hooked on watching blokes in red white and black running round chasing a footy -- imprinted from childhood -- even if the scoreboard's crap -- I have never ever left a game before the very end.

My dad's 91 now, and is just twigging now that he may never see another premiership.

[saint66au]

Beat this for weird...

My family werent particulary footy-oriented.,.they followed teams but rarely went to games...so I wasnt indoctrinated at birth.

At the start of grade 3 I moved from NSW to Melbourne and of course started a new school. Lots of the kids followed the Pies so I flirted with the idea as I was already the odd kid out, being new and all. But something inside mje said NO..and on the way home from school one day I opened a packet of Sun Valley chips and decided to follow whatever team's card was in the packet

The rest, as they say.......

I bought a St Kilda Sun valley on Ebay a while back....wish Id kept the one Id had..could have paid off the house lol..not that I EVER would have sold it!

[thejiggingsaint]

After four years living in Auckland, my family and I came to Melbourne in 1990. It was like starting all over again, a new country, new job, new schools for the girls, you'll get the picture I'm sure.
When I started my first day at work, (with all the pressure that brings) a wee man named Les Griffith helped guide me through the day and was to give me a genuine welcome. He made me feel that he was interested in me. One of the first things I noticed about "griff" was that he always wore a bomber jacket to work with a huge Saints crest over the heart. I knew not a bloomin thing about footy, but I knew EXACTLY who Les supported!!! Each Monday, Les would front up to work (always wearing his colours) and some mondays he would be subjected to endless taunts and jokes regarding his beloved Saints..Les just sat back and smiled, while giving it straight back!!! Les was a "friend indeed" to a new workmate AND (having lived as an Evertonian in a soccer-mad city under the shadow of all-conquering Liverpool) I just LOVED the defiance and guts of my wee mate.
In 1991 my pal got crook; It was Cancer. Les responded as Les always did; with determination and not a scrap of self-pity. I was visiting him at hospital when his beloved Saints were playing finals again, He died in November.
We all trooped into the crem at Springvale and watched the tiny coffin draped in his bomber jacket move away from our view. Stewie Loewe, Nathan Burke, and several other Saints players were present. I thought to myself: "if they turn out for one wee supporter" then this club has a heart, and I'm with them.
I feel proud that I picked up the baton from my little mate and ensured that the Saints had a presence on the shop floor. I feel humble that I was fortunate enough to have his friendship. I miss my friend, and I could NEVER give up on the Saints........I'd be giving up on far more than following a football club

God rest Les my dear mate!

and GO SAINTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Behind Play]

The old man barrecked for them.......not sure if I should sue him for mental anguish. I now have three sons who follow them and one who thought he was smarter and followed the tigers.

[fingers]

I was born in '66 and my brother who was 10 at the time - waited until his little brother was born (me) before picking a team.

[ozrulestrace]

This is my first post so it's good to start off with a nice gentle story. My parents lived in St Kilda when they were first married in the late 1940s. They'd go to all the games at the Junction Oval, and when they moved to East of Bentleigh my mother was beside herself with joy when the Saints moved to Moorabbin in 1965 and we had the best seats in the members stand.
I can still recall that without fail, if we passed the old Junction Hotel, she would look out to see if the flag flying on the hotel roof was at half mast or full mast. Half mast meant we had lost another game-full mast meant we won!

[barks4eva]

jiggingsaint, that story almost brought a tear to my eye,

you're a good man

[Ralphy]

After four years living in Auckland, my family and I came to Melbourne in 1990. It was like starting all over again, a new country, new job, new schools for the girls, you'll get the picture I'm sure.
When I started my first day at work, (with all the pressure that brings) a wee man named Les Griffith helped guide me through the day and was to give me a genuine welcome. He made me feel that he was interested in me. One of the first things I noticed about "griff" was that he always wore a bomber jacket to work with a huge Saints crest over the heart. I knew not a bloomin thing about footy, but I knew EXACTLY who Les supported!!! Each Monday, Les would front up to work (always wearing his colours) and some mondays he would be subjected to endless taunts and jokes regarding his beloved Saints..Les just sat back and smiled, while giving it straight back!!! Les was a "friend indeed" to a new workmate AND (having lived as an Evertonian in a soccer-mad city under the shadow of all-conquering Liverpool) I just LOVED the defiance and guts of my wee mate.
In 1991 my pal got crook; It was Cancer. Les responded as Les always did; with determination and not a scrap of self-pity. I was visiting him at hospital when his beloved Saints were playing finals again, He died in November.
We all trooped into the crem at Springvale and watched the tiny coffin draped in his bomber jacket move away from our view. Stewie Loewe, Nathan Burke, and several other Saints players were present. I thought to myself: "if they turn out for one wee supporter" then this club has a heart, and I'm with them.
I feel proud that I picked up the baton from my little mate and ensured that the Saints had a presence on the shop floor. I feel humble that I was fortunate enough to have his friendship. I miss my friend, and I could NEVER give up on the Saints........I'd be giving up on far more than following a football club

God rest Les my dear mate!

and GO SAINTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well that is truely touching, aweseme! see there true saints, unlike some that are playing at the moment

[esaint66]

That is ammazing, your mate had real heart and you have shown time and again you have heart. If only we were all like you and your mate

[iwantmeseats]

great story Jigglin. I have heard you on SEN. We are lucky to have you as a supporter. I wish at times I could share your wonderful optimism. But Im bit of a sad hard bastard and get upset and frustrated easily!

[Goody]

Top story jigster.

My Dad was a Hawk, he went to the 71 GF, I was about 6 and didnt have a clue about footy. Dad was walking out after the win and found a Saint button on the ground( probably some disgruntled Sainter after Hudson robbed us). He gave that button to me and I have stuck with them.
School during the 70's and Early 80's was hard, all my mates barracked for Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon and North. I can remeber counting wins on one hand while they could count Premierships. A few of the weak bastards even jumped ship and changed sides.
I just love our colours and some of our colourful players, I love the way we seem to stick together and when you meet another Sainter you just know he'll be a good bloke.
My best story was one time when we beat Carlton down at Morrabin, I went down to the rooms to see if I could get in after the game. They were letting in a couple at a time, in those days I was not a paid up member but had just got my tattoo you can see in my avatar. The bloke on the door said " Show me your membership" and I didnt have one, but I showed him my tattoo, and he grabbed me and said "Get in ya mad bastard", haha. The rooms were packed and somehow I managed to sit next to Lockett, I think he kicked 8 that day, and he was drinking Fosters Lager, god things have changed. He was about 22 years old and massive.
Later on down the track I was in the Army and I fed the team when they trained at Puckapunyal. We looked after them and at the end Nathan Burke gave me a calender and a Saints Tie.
Love them to death, my wife calls herself a winter widow and I dont really even go to many games anymore, just watch and listen, thank god for internet.

GO SAINTERS

[n1ck]

the old man and my uncle took me to moorabbin as a little tacker (must have been about 1987) and ive been bleeding red, white and black ever since.

[dcstkfc]

My dad put a Saints sticker on my humidcrib in hospital.

[joffaboy]

I saw a team in red white and black and thought it was Essendon. Was one of the days they had their white shorts on

What a terrible mistake I made.

[happy feet]

My Dad used to be a Collingwood supporter. Yes, it's true and I hate to admit it but there is a skeleton in every family closet.

After World War 2, Dad was lucky enough to get a job at the Junction Oval on the gate between the football club social club and general admittance. Every match day the President of the StKilda Cricket Club used to give him two long necks of beer to let him into the social club enclosure. Dad reckons this is the best job he ever had. Was paid to watch the footy and was given two beers at the end of the day. That's how my dad came to be a Saints supporter. He is 85 and I still love to hear him talk about the old time champions like Vedun Howell, Darryl Griffiths, The Doc, Eric Guy, Big Carl and Cowboy Neale.

Anyhow, Dad and Mum built their first home in Caleb Street, East Bentleigh in the 1950's. When the Saints moved to Moorabbin, Dad was the supervisor at the gate on the Linton Street Car Park and sometimes on the Members entrance. I remember him talking about a young gate attendent that was copping an earful because two old members did not have their medallions with them and he would not let them in. Dad recognised who the two old blokes were - Neil Robers and Darryl Baldock!
Naturally he let them in.

Saturday was always a day to look forward to - just about everyone in the street barracked for the Saints and we would all go off to the footy together. Dad was normally finished by 1/4 time and would join us to watch the game.

I moved to the south coast of NSW 22 years ago and I still miss standing in the outer at Moorabbin. Not many successes seen but we had a bloody good time, good company.

I still follow the Saints and so do my two girls. The older is an AFL fan and loves the Saints. I almost joined the Swans as a member a few years ago but could not bring myself to do it. I will be with a mate in the Swans members on Saturday night, giving them hell as we will probably lose. So what...FORTIUS QUO FIDELIUS

[sax]

I've been a Saints supporter since I can remember!
When I was really young my parents were divorced and I went to live with my Grandmother, who grew up in St. Kilda. She absolutely loves them, and brainwashed me.
So I've been a Saints supporter my whole life, even though I'm from SA!!!

[Shaggy]

My grandfather Harold Bray was a St Kilda champion and it has just run through my family.

Before my time but I know Harold Bray as a former champion. You should be very proud.

[Sainternist]

I can't narrow it down to one reason, however, here are a few...
- I saw the picture of Trevor Barker taking that famous mark that B4Eva has on his avatar when I was about 5 and was amazed by it.
- I was going to support the Swines because my Grandpa supported them. But they moved from South Melbourne to Shytney and St.Kilda was the nearest team.
- I had a close friend in primary school whose dad was a life long Saint. He took us to our first game. Sadly a few weeks after, his father died from a heart attack.
- I asked my mother to buy me a footy jumper (any team). She went to a sporting goods store and the only one they had in my size was a Saints jumper. My fate was sealed.

[fingers]

After four years living in Auckland, my family and I came to Melbourne in 1990. It was like starting all over again, a new country, new job, new schools for the girls, you'll get the picture I'm sure.
When I started my first day at work, (with all the pressure that brings) a wee man named Les Griffith helped guide me through the day and was to give me a genuine welcome. He made me feel that he was interested in me. One of the first things I noticed about "griff" was that he always wore a bomber jacket to work with a huge Saints crest over the heart. I knew not a bloomin thing about footy, but I knew EXACTLY who Les supported!!! Each Monday, Les would front up to work (always wearing his colours) and some mondays he would be subjected to endless taunts and jokes regarding his beloved Saints..Les just sat back and smiled, while giving it straight back!!! Les was a "friend indeed" to a new workmate AND (having lived as an Evertonian in a soccer-mad city under the shadow of all-conquering Liverpool) I just LOVED the defiance and guts of my wee mate.
In 1991 my pal got crook; It was Cancer. Les responded as Les always did; with determination and not a scrap of self-pity. I was visiting him at hospital when his beloved Saints were playing finals again, He died in November.
We all trooped into the crem at Springvale and watched the tiny coffin draped in his bomber jacket move away from our view. Stewie Loewe, Nathan Burke, and several other Saints players were present. I thought to myself: "if they turn out for one wee supporter" then this club has a heart, and I'm with them.
I feel proud that I picked up the baton from my little mate and ensured that the Saints had a presence on the shop floor. I feel humble that I was fortunate enough to have his friendship. I miss my friend, and I could NEVER give up on the Saints........I'd be giving up on far more than following a football club

God rest Les my dear mate!

and GO SAINTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great story Jig! Keep the passion alive - I'll be there with you!