What made you a Manly Supporter?

[niccipops]

MY DAD. While visiting my Nanna in Harbord he took me and my older brother to a match at BrooKie.
Manly SMASHED Souths. I've been hooked ever since.
The family moved in with Nan about a year later. Spent my young years surfing Freshie beach and sitting on the hill with my one-eyed family watching Manly dismantle opposition.
What a great upbringing.
Thanks Dad.
Special tribute to Mum too she didn't come to many matches and she won't watch the game on the telly but she'll go shopping with her make- up and her Manly jersey on. She's all family loyalty.

 

[mmmdl]

My best friend when he was 6 told me he was a Manly fan (I was a Dragons "fan" until then - what do 6 year olds know?)

So, I started following Manly and saw the great Phil Blake who, to this day, remains my favourite ever player. I was hooked on Manly, and will never follow another club.

And as it turns out, my friend was actually a Parramatta supporter. I am so very glad he lied to me.

 

[Napper]

Born n raised in kogarah. Old man hated saints, followed manly and so do i. I remember my old man had the 86 roo tour on video. I was in awe of Terry Lambs try scoring. My dad wanted none of that and showed me Sir Clifford Lyons. That man was and still is God.

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Great post! You're a legend. Good to see Manly has thst affect on people!!

I'm from Dublin and had never even seen a Rugby League game before I got to Sydney. I was taken to a Manly game by a good mate and fell in love with the club, the fans, the history and the fact that everyone (claims) to hate Manly. I'm now in to my 3rd season as a Sea Eagles Member and feel that I have found my home away from home in Manly and even more so in Brookvale Oval. I get goose pimples every time I walk through the tunrstiles.

 

[DSM5]

My old man was a Newtown fan. He hated Manly, so it was inevitable that I supported Manly. Huge fights every weekend. I didn't make the same mistakes with my girls, Manly fans all.

 

[castle eagle]

my old man used to take us to belmont to watch lakes united play every home game during the '70s & when thommo left lakes to play for manly we began to follow manly also. i was not a 'committed' supporter until the near the end of the northern eagles. at their worst was when i began to show more interest(maybe the underdog thing...i don't know) to the point of becoming a member for the last 3 years. all the crap i had to put up with for being a manly supporter living in newcastle back then helps me to appreciate the highs that we have had over the last few years even more so.

 

[EagleRock40]

Born in Manly hospital 1982. Mums family were all Manly supporters, Dads family was all Norths. Mum won that argument and I've been a Eagles supporter now for 30 years. I've always been decked out in the maroon and white, and have owned just about every jersey since the 80's. In the early 90's my pop needed a live in carer and a NZ woman by the name of Sally Ridge moved in. To a young tragic Manly fan, this was better than any Christmas and sure it enough it was Mathews mum and I managed to get a couple of jerseys including a match worn #1 and a signed footy by the whole team.

Born Manly Hospital 1981 🙂
Grew up in Harbord, near Freshwater High (Bennett Street) there wasn't a chance I would support anyone else

Favourite player was probably Snoz closely followed by Beaver

Just around the corner Dan! We lived on Harbord Rd till I was about 5yrs old then the parents decided to move to the Central Coast where I now call home and will never leave.

 

[Daddycool]

Born & raised on the northern beaches. Dad bought me my first Manly jumper at the age of 6 and he took me to games all over Sydney. I've loved them ever since and now my wife and kids are big fans as well.

I even played a couple of years for the Narrabeen Sharks and just love the area. Wearing the colours, particularly at Brookvale on a sunny Sunday and cheering on the boys..... nothing better.

 

[Brookvale]

Grew up in Brookvale, every visiting team was the enemy

 

[From the F6]

It was Phil Blake that got me over to the bright side loved those Chips over the Top😉

 

[captainskin]

Back in 1974 when I knew nothing of RL I started hearing all the other kids talking about the Bears, Roosters, etc. One lunchtime some of the louder kids starting yelling out there teams to see what support they could garnish. Some kid yelled out Roosters and I saw my younger brother cheer with that kid so I wasn't about to cheer. Then the kid that I regarded as the coolest kid in school yelled out MANLY, I, too, yelled out MANLY. And so with still not knowing anything about RL I became a Manly supporter at eight, but with living so close to North Sydney oval as I grew up, I also visited many Bear games with all my primary school friends.

 

[Mals]

Growing up in Forestville & with my Dad being a Manly supporter I wasn't born I was hatched! 😀

Where abouts Mals? After moving from Primrose Ave we moved into 16 Virginia Pl, Forestville. That would have been approx 1983ish I think.

Mate, Yiremba Place which is off Duke Street, same side of Warringah Road but down near Crown of the Hill.

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

Fantastic to read all the paths to righteousness. Me a 2nd generationer. My dad took me to games and I played junior league in the area. grew up in manly vale. Dad had been a bears man (grew up there) but believed in supporting the local team so switched when he got a defense service home loan and built us into the northern beaches. mum remained a rabbitohs fan so some tension there at finals games in the late 60s-early 70s and then after manly hired some useful souths players in 73.

Can't beat god-ordained eagles supporter and his dad's 1930s side. Can remember big blond billy bradstreet, bob batty and the others to have been lucky enough to wear the maroon and white.

 

[1947]

All the kids at School had Parra parkers from fosseys and i asked mum to get me one , luckily they were sold out and only had Manly left . Dodged a bullet that day . Within a few months i had the jersey shorts and socks

I have not heard "Fosseys" in 20 years - hilarious!!
The one at Warriewood Square was so popular back in the day :dodgy:

 

[jjai]

The way they use to attack from anywhere on the field,no other team did it like Manly & with as much success.. I use to love that when i was young..
Johnny Gibbs & Eadie were my favs way back then ..
I knew about Manly in 76 i liked them back then but was swayed being a 7yr old , school yard mentality lol ` they use to say to me why be a bird when there are tigers sharks & bears so i sat on the fence till 78..
😛

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Infact West were a team i didnt mind watching either because they would always have a fight in their games, but Manly still beat them even though Wests used their usual tactics. probably lost about 2 games to them that i remember in about 5yrs lol..

 

[mickqld]

Moved to Killarney heights in 1973 as a 9 yr old who else would I support. Actually my brother started following them when we lived in Cessnock in 1972 so it was karma that we moved to the area a year later. God I miss the weekends down at Brookie, living on Gold coast now.

 

[jjai]

All you people born up around that way are so fukn lucky 😀

 

[endzone]

I have been a manly supporter since the age of 9 having lived at Botany and the rest of the family being souths supporters footy season is very interesting.

I was threatened with death whenever manly - souths were on TV Eric Simms would take a kick at goal i'd scream miss it miss it, i would go mental when Bob Fulton would run across the screen, Derek Moritz kick at goal very quiet.

My favourite all time Manly player there is only one Bob Fulton (God).

Current George Rose.

 

[ManlyMagic72]

Grew up in eastern suburbs when it wasn't cool and trendy and always preffered northern beaches where my brother lived, grass is greener. Relatives came from sth west and all supported the saints. I also preffered the maroon and white and eagle logo than the local team (chooks). Fave players, eadie, fulton, lyons, toovs, roberts etc. Also, Manly won their first premiership the year i was born.

 

[Sea Eagles Rock U]

Bob Fulton caused me to support Manly and play league in the late 60's. My wife was promptly converted (parramatta 80's)when I met her and our 3 children had no hope if they wanted food and clothing. My son is a gold member and has converted his girlfriend (broncos) she is also now a gold member. Still working on my daughters Kiwi boyfriend. Took him to the finals, nearly there 😉.It helped having a cousin in Dee Why to get close accomodation to Brookie as a kid as well.

 

[Phantar]

What I've found amusing over the years is supporters of other teams wondering why you support Manly, despite them already being made aware that I grew up in Beacon Hill and Frenchs' Forest.

It was a no-brainer.