Season membership: to renew or not renew?

I have been a season ticket holder twice in my life - but coincedently both years when I signed up the Doggies had a shocker of a year off the field.

The first year I (and my brother) signed up was 2002, that year the Bulldogs were found to had been cheating the salary cap and were handed the wooden spoon.

This year I thought I would save some money and get a season ticket again with my brother and the Doggies have lost four of their stars and look like getting the wooden spoon again!

Sure, any team that had lost their halfback and their front row would struggle - but the Bulldogs have lost their spirit it seems with loss after loss after loss, all in large (and sometimes record) margins.

Everyone knows I love the Bulldogs - I wear a Bulldogs ring, mobile phone holder, two wristbands and Bulldogs socks most days (I even have another ring and a necklace lying somewhere in my room, along with numerous hats and shirts), but is it worth it?

Next year we have a mighty good chance with buying some semi-decent players (although - no real superstars to replace the higher echelon of players that we had previously).

Many Bulldogs fans are annoyed that we have signed this long deal at ANZ Stadium where we get smaller crowds than we used to get at Belmore Sports Ground without any percentage of the soul of Belmore.

Add that to the fact that we've been called "The Bulldogs" for some years now - a team devoid of a name, a location and it is hard to get inspired.

So, I have decided to join the football club proper and in three years time (the mandatory waiting period... it sounds like private health insurance doesn't it?) I will have an actual voting say on what happens and maybe we can get our club back to where it should be.

Until then, to renew or not renew?

When EQ gets angry...

[I'm excited! (But not anymore) ]

People, I'm angry. Some fucking thugs have gone and blackened the name of the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs football club has not only gotten pissed off at the idiots who did this but have wrecked the fun for everyone else as well - http://www.bulldogs.com.au/dogbites.asp?ID=2216&SN=1

So what have I done? I wrote them a letter - I wonder if it will get on their website.
If not it will be here - for eternity.

[The days of old - when Bulldogs fans weren't persecuted!]

Dear Bulldogs,

I am writing about the measures you have taken to discourage anti-social behaviour at Bulldogs matches.

I have been a Bulldogs fan all of my 24 years of my life and I personally feel disgusted that the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have done this to your loyal supporters, restricting the fanfare of musical instruments that brings a unique spirit to Bulldogs matches.

If you feel there is going to be bombs in fan's drums - search them.

The removal of allowing larger banners and flags into the home grounds will erode fan support and the fans that have spent many hours showing their support for the club.

If you feel there is going to be bombs in fan's banners - search them.

Also, how is having reserved seating going to help anyone but the Bulldogs' pockets? People move seats if there is no-one sitting in front of them so they can get a better view of the game because as we all know Telstra Stadium and the Sydney Showground aren't world renowned as the best grounds to watch Rugby League.

So perhaps this all comes down to money. There will definitely be less people going to the games because of this measure - we don't all want an automatic increase in the costs to go to the game. Of those who do go they will be spending a lot more on attending but can't bring their banners
or large flags so that means more money spent on official Bulldogs products.

I may choose to go to away games now, but the above measures treat all Bulldogs supporters in contempt and if they continue will only make sure that the richest of Bulldogs supporters can attend matches and anyone who does not sit and clap only will be removed from the ground.

Rugby League is a working class game with working class values of standing up, cheering, booing the opposition - but all these initiatives do is turn it into a Rugby Union game.

I have never been to a Rugby Union game - but I'm sure I wouldn't be treated like a criminal by being a fan of a Union team.

This is just a lazy approach from a stadium that should be more proactive in fixing the problem instead of treating everyone negatively.

Remember the law is you are innocent until proven guilty - not the other way around.