Why do you support Manly?

[skeagle]

Had no choice, my mum brought me up to love manly.

 

[Ryan]

The Bears had a very good team, I used to walk up to North Sydney oval and watch them when Manly were not playing at Brookie most games.

Should have won a comp with all the talent they had playing for them in the 80’s / 90’s.

They always struggled at 9 and 14 mate. A fast crisp hooker back then was so important. Bit like now tbh.

 

[Ryan]

Btw, great idea for a thread at this time mate. Break up the gloom a bit !

 

[Hibyemama]

I've been supporting manly since 1968' Lucky in a sense because I had a great time winning 4premierships in the 70's , 1 in the 80s and 1 in the 90's plus 2008 2011.(and many grand final appearances)
feel sorry for the younger fans as all you have seen is failure and disappointment. Ever since that titans backflip, and Turbo's constant injuries, I dont take it too seriously, as the truth is plain to see that we wont be winning anything soon with such a lopsided salary cap.

 

[blacktown eagle]

Born in the late 70s.
Dad took me every 2nd week to Brookie as a young fella, where I spent most of the game sliding down the back of the hill on used beer cartons.

Best thing about Manly....4 generations of supporters get together every week to watch the boys, win lose or draw.

It's more than just footy for us, it's a family thing.

It’s been amazing that tradition of sliding down the hill never surpassed, there’s pictures of my dad holding me as a 9 month old sliding down the hill on the beer cartons in 89 and me as a young buck in the 90’s

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Looks like Australia isn’t the only country where the kids do not know about how and when to use apostrophes.

 

[blacktown eagle]

Looks like Australia isn’t the only country where the kids do not know about how and when to use apostrophes.

There are pictures* 🥹

Next time I’ll proof read before I post a reply whilst sitting on the toilet. Thankyou kind sir

tips hat

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Wasn’t talking about you. Sorry, I didn’t even bother reading your post.

 

[The '47ers]

As a young fella in Buttfark Qld, Dale Shearer joined Manly from our town. Obviously back then it was NSWRL, and I thought him making it was the greatest thing ever. Then Marty Bella dropped by too. Rowdy's dad was the school principal and I went to school with young Bellas. Just your average small town set up hahaha. But the Manly love didn't spread, everyone hated/still hates the club which I took on board and have thrived on it ever since.

 

[SeaEagle21]

Dad or mum never followed RL so had no influence from them. In 1988 dad and i went to the snow and in a last minute rush for clothes mum grabbed the last scarf available at the shops. Growing up in South Western Sydney (still call SW Sydney home) the only scarf available was the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, still have the scarf and take it proudly to all games i attend.

Very easily could have been a Parra, Bulldogs or Wests fan and still feel sick when i think about that haha.

 

[JBW]

Grandfather and uncle played reserves in the 60's and 70's.

Its in my DNA to go for this great club. Lived in Collaroy for 35 years before Marrying into the west, but i still make my way over each week. Wife is a Parra fan, she just cant understand why i cant support the Eels when they arent playing us. My answer is simple, my first Sea Eagles memory is the 82 GF and I'll never forgive them.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

Since 1971 when I was 14. Bobby Fulton was my idol I wanted to be him. Graham Eadie, Terry Randall, Ian Martin and Malcolm Reilly were also my heros.

 

[globaleagle]

After a turbulent year I think it’d be great to hear some yarns on why you follow the sea eagles!
Love to hear from more of you!

If you wanna read from more people, I believe there's a couple of threads on this topic is you search the archives.

 

[Cliffymagic]

I grew up mostly in the west and my dad is a st George fan.

Played under 10s soccer and the coaches son in my team always wore a maroon and white manly cap. I just loved the colours and became a manly fan.

 

[maxta]

Grew up in Cronulla and only knew soccer as my older brother made all rep sides and had me addicted to Liverpool in the EPL
I was not a skilful soccer player, in fact a fullback who played with aggression but was in good teams
Played bullrush at school and 90% the last kid to get tackled and got roped into junior footy at Cronulla
Everyone from parents to kids were mad Shark supporters and absolutely despised Manly...well it so happened I was watching a Manly game and they had this aggressive forward named Les Boyd and a an electric halfback named Phil Blake who tore I think it was Bulldogs to shreds
Then I started getting the vibe it was all a jealousy thing, as Manly had beaten Sharks in not 1, but 2 grand finals so I could tell there was envy across the Shire...well not from this black duck.
As a kid who liked doing the opposite to the sheep pack, the decision was easy and I felt a connection to Manly instantly and all these years later - Manly is a part of my life....plus have extra fans with all my 4 kids...

 

[Snake]

My Dad followed the sport and I started watching a few games as a young lad when he had it on the tv. There was this guy running amok with headgear called Beaver Menzies…

 

[Lyonstomenzies]

Born in the area so every kid at primary school went for them. My parents went for them my mates went for them. Everyone went for them.

As the insular peninsula you didn’t here much about other teams in the early 80s. It was Manly and that’s it.

Interesting story, my son was born in 2009 and went to his first game Manly vs Cronulla as a 6 month old. We towelled them up but he cried every time we scored as the crowd yelled and cheered.

For the next 5 years he only saw Manly win at Brookvale as we only attended when day matches were on and the odd night game of it was early. It certainly was fortress Brookvale back then.

When the day finally came, and we lost, he said he “might go for Penrith” because they won and I think he thought you just go for who wins.

He’s older now and understands that we lose more than we win. He follows them fiercely but now doesn’t actually watch the game at Brookvale anymore. Instead he and his mates just run round the ground getting into mischief, eating junk food and being teens. He loves Brookvale oval but now it has a different meaning to him.

My daughter 10, still sits with me and watches though. She cheers the loudest as she not allowed to scream at home, school any where really, but at the game she screams her little lungs out.

Love live Manly

 

[The '47ers]

If you wanna read from more people, I believe there's a couple of threads on this topic is you search the archives.

Is there a thread or a phone number I can use as my mongrel son supports Storm and my daughter is a Rabbit. DNA kit perhaps?! 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[pt73]

After meeting my now wife, I got to know her Dad and one day he asked me if I followed the league.

I wasn’t a supporter of anyone so he invited me to a game sitting with his friends in the Jane Try stand and I was hooked. From then on I was at every home game and had a ball.

That was over 36 years ago and my son is also a Manly supporter.

 

[north coast eagle]

My great gandfather immigated to the Northern Beaches in early 1900s. My grandfather and father became Manly supporters when the team enterred the comp in 47 even though they were then living in the Blue Mountains. I grew up bouncing around country NSW and soon learned if Manly won it was Chinese take away and if they lost it was make yourself scarse! I remember as a niave kid in 73 saying to my father "We will win the grand final because we have Fulton". I was actually right! It feels like I had no choice but to follow the family tradition, like its actually part of me not something I could change even if I wanted to.