I'd like to second 2 True Blues' comments.
Also, I beg to differ re the "Newtown dwellers / Jets supporters aren't the dyed-in-the-wool working class Bluebag types they used to be, blah, blah, blah" thing you've been going on about.
Here's my background/qualification to make comment:
OK. Born in Stanmore 40-something years ago. Saw my first Newtown match at Henson at about age 3. Own a house in South Newtown a block away from my Mum's house in one direction and a block and a half from my sister's flat in the other. I'm living and working in Shanghai, China at the moment, but try and get back for Henson games whenever I can.
I've watched Newtown through all of the (many) tough seasons since that first game in 1965 and then went into mourning while the bastards kept us off the senior paddock for so long.
No matter whether it was First Grade, Metro, First Div or nowadays PL, if the 'Bags were playing, I'd be there.
Eventually, I even ended up becoming a bit of a semi-useful game-day volunteer for the Jets at Redfern and then Henson.
Therefore, I believe I have reasonable credentials to witter on about "how our supporters have changed", "it's just not the same", etc. - but I believe in the most fundamental sense, they really haven't.
Sure, a lot of them didn't grow up a stone's throw from the Townie, nor do they work at Metters or the Pick-Me-Up factory (both gone) any more. Many of them make too much money or are not anglo-saxon enough for your taste.
But they're almost to a man (or woman) the sort of decent folks they always were. A good indicator, I feel, is the way they behave at Henson. Unlike the crowds at all of the NRL grounds we visit, they NEVER boo the visiting team as they run out on the field.
It think it reflects the basic "fair go" nature of the Newtown Club and its supporters.
Sure, they give the ref a serve if they feel he's got it wrong (i.e. he's penalised anybody wearing Royal Blue), but they DON'T have that tiny-minded attitude that you should disrespect visiting players just because they've come to give you a game.
Secondly, in reference to your comments about the way the area's changed, in among your racial slurs about the migrants who live in the area, you left out one of the best bits - on King Street we have probably the finest collections of Thai restaurants outside of Thailand!
True, the Thai folk who run them, along with many of the yuppies, poofs etc. who have moved into the area in recent years probably don't give a damn about RL.
But that's as it's always been in Newtown. Fact. My Scottish Grandad couldn't have cared less about the Bluebags when he moved from Glasgow to Newtown in the '20s - he grew up with soccer and was a bit of a Rangers fanatic.
But his son (my uncle) played for the 'Bags. His grandson (me) ended up doing his little bit to keep the royal blue flying when he got a chance (despite being relatively useless in my own playing days).
Lastly, what on earth are you talking about considering you don't live in EITHER of Wests' territories?
If you believe the suburb you currently live in is so important in relation to whether you are a "proper" supporter of a club, then why don't you feel compelled to live in Ashfield or Campbelltown?
Or better yet, why don't you just come to Henson again and enjoy the fact that we keep old-style friendly footy going in a very unfriendly modern age.
As an aside, funnily enough, one of our most fervent groups of supporters on the Henson Hill are a bunch of Newtown-residing Bull dykes who are happily ignorant of the fact that they're in violation of your "poofs and yups don't follow league" edict.
They just like their footy. They behave themselves, respect others around them and have a good time at Henson home games - and that's all we ask of our supporters.
