[Resurrected] SEAGULLS MYTH BROKEN

[Shoe1]

Fascinating stuff!

I've always known us as Sea Eagles, having only just been old enough to fall for Manly as a little kid in the early 70's.

It's ironic that a club as good as any at buying the right players for success, would go to the wall and ultimately almost die, supporting the ARL and not the touted huge dollars with that progressive Super League.

Something special - and perhaps intangible - pumps through the veins of our club to keep it growing and prospering as well as any into the 21st century.

Not the least of which seems to be the foresight and spirit of men like Wally O'Connell, Ken Arthurson, Roy Bull, Bob Fulton to name a mighty few.

Long live the Manly Warringah SEA EAGLES!

LOVE IT.

Any objective reader of the fagan history quoted above would have to conclude manly is the best club ever. The other club histories are so boring.

 

[Alan]

There are other clubs? Nonsense, you have been misinformed.

Sorry can't help myself, time listen again.

http://youtu.be/FfhjqWLjGVo

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

If you listen very closely the first 2 mentions is clearly Sea Eagles.
The third time it does sound like Sea Gulls, but then goes on with the words 'the Eagles to win'.
Pretty sure it was just the singer being a bit lazy.

 

[Duff]

I was having this argument with a mate last Saturday.
A bunch of old blokes with poor enunciation, singing monotonously does not change the history of a club.
Nor does smarmy, snied barbs proliferated by hostile sections of the media.

We never were the Seagulls. There has never been a valid reason for anybody to think we were. Even the "Seagull" jersey is just a funny nickname. The only reason it's funny is because it's supposed to be an Eagle but it didn't come accross too well.

Why do people still want to carry this stuff on? It was dealt with back in the 50's or 60's and that should've been an end to it.

 

[RiverEagle]

Indeed @Shoe1 ...I think you're right!

We are the best rugby league club ever.

I don't even care if other clubs' histories are more interesting, or potentially better...knowledge and lifelong bias wins out!

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

Wiki and other sites have Manly name of Sea Eagles was from the white-bellied sea eagle. Which seemed odd as photos show it is a black and white bird. Eventually found link to this old Sivertails thread! with Rugby League News of 1948 which says The club has adopted the Red-Backed Sea Eagle as the design for their club emblem. It is hoped to have badges available for club supporters shortly.

Vol. 29 No. 4 (April 26, 1948)

The brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), also known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia. It is found across the northern coast of Australia and on the east coast as far south as Sydney.

Brahminy kite - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The tale behind the Sea Eagles colours and emblem

Like any business starting out fresh, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles had very little to begin with in their debut season of 1947.

www.seaeagles.com.au

Brahminy Kite

Brahminy Kites have weak feet so, although they have long, sharp curved claws, they cannot take large prey. However they are expert at snatching prey in flight.

australian.museum

 

[double hoops]

So our colours really should have been maroon, gold and white?

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

So our colours really should have been maroon, gold and white?

No, i think the maroon and white colours were chosen first. Then the club chose the the red-backed sea-eagle as it matched the club's colours and was local to the area.

The club though has used maroon, gold and white. In the late 1970s and 1996 badges. Also 1956 badge too.

Above pic from EagleGT
in Happy Birthday Sea Eagles

 

[LeonardCohen]

I remember reading the colours were taken from a local surf life saving club back when the football club was first introduced to the premiership…think it was Freshwater?

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

I remember reading the colours were taken from a local surf life saving club back when the football club was first introduced to the premiership…think it was Freshwater?

Yes, and no.

The Manly club adopted maroon and white as its district colours and chose a Sea Eagle as its emblem in recognition of the bird of prey along the Sydney coastline.

“Maroon and white have always been the district’s colours, President’s Cup, and representative teams wore maroon with a white V from the beginning in the 1930s,’’ said club elder Jack Martin.

“It was the same colours as junior club, Freshwater, but that wasn’t the overriding factor in the 1947 choice and they became the automatic colours when Manly came into the district competition."

The tale behind the Sea Eagles colours and emblem

Like any business starting out fresh, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles had very little to begin with in their debut season of 1947.

www.seaeagles.com.au

 

[double hoops]

Yes our colours are Maroon and White. I am just suggesting that the gold wouldn't have been out of place in 1946-7.

As far back as 1932 Manly Juniors were Maroon and White. Yet Brookvale's were Maroon and Gold.

Its kind of funny that in 47 they were playing out of Brookvale Oval not Manly Oval but weren't so inclusive of Brooky to add that extra gold colour.

A more simple time, when it came to manufacturing footy jerseys, no logo back then to boot.

But perhaps the gold has a historical significance after all.



"Amidst the effect of the Great Depression, Rugby League finally came to Manly and the peninsula in 1932 when a Manly and Warringah Junior League was established under the senior district club - North Sydney. The initial A Grade teams were North Curl Curl, Harbord, Manly Juniors (maroon with white V), Brookvale (maroon and gold) and Narrabeen. Use of grounds of reasonable standard was difficult, especially as Manly Council denied the use of Manly Oval."

 

[LeonardCohen]

Yes, and no.

The Manly club adopted maroon and white as its district colours and chose a Sea Eagle as its emblem in recognition of the bird of prey along the Sydney coastline.

“Maroon and white have always been the district’s colours, President’s Cup, and representative teams wore maroon with a white V from the beginning in the 1930s,’’ said club elder Jack Martin.

“It was the same colours as junior club, Freshwater, but that wasn’t the overriding factor in the 1947 choice and they became the automatic colours when Manly came into the district competition."

The tale behind the Sea Eagles colours and emblem

Like any business starting out fresh, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles had very little to begin with in their debut season of 1947.

www.seaeagles.com.au

I remember it was information given on the big screen and ground announcer at a home game this year that said we adopted the colours of Freshwater Surf Club. That club has a history as far back as 1908 so maybe the district colours being maroon and white are entangled in there somewhere as well.

 

[The Who]

So our colours really should have been maroon, gold and white?

If we added gold to our livery we'd end up looking like the Broncos.

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

Gold in 2025 Manly gear

Plenty of quality young talent at Sea Eagles in 2025

From Australian Schoolboys, State Cups, to rising junior representative players, there is a clear abundant of exciting young talent at the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in season 2025.

www.seaeagles.com.au

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

2024 Manly jersey Anzac round with gold

 

[double hoops]

If we added gold to our livery we'd end up looking like the Broncos.

I'm not advocating we should add Gold BTW.

Just like you I was concerned about the gold in the training shirts looking too much like Qld SOO jersey.

What this thread tells us is gold has appeared every so often during the years on the Sea Eagles jersey. Back ground of emblem, the Eagle it self, the v. But given the history that Brookvales colours were Maroon and Gold and Manly's Maroon and White, some 15 years before 1947. Perhaps the gold is historically significant / deliberate / appropriate.

 

[Under the Sticks]

Apologies for the AFLW reference but its the only accurate gif I could find

 

[Under the Sticks]

 

[double hoops]

That's gold🥇

 

[The Who]

I'm not advocating we should add Gold BTW.

Just like you I was concerned about the gold in the training shirts looking too much like Qld SOO jersey.

What this thread tells us is gold has appeared every so often during the years on the Sea Eagles jersey. Back ground of emblem, the Eagle it self, the v. But given the history that Brookvales colours were Maroon and Gold and Manly's Maroon and White, some 15 years before 1947. Perhaps the gold is historically significant / deliberate / appropriate.

Actually, I like the subtle gold features in the jerseys shown. As long as the gold doesn't look like yellow I'd be happy for it to be added discretely.