It has been a bittersweet week for fans of the old North Sydney Bears. Websites across the land have been inundated with cheeky utterances of “Go the Bears” and “The Bears live!” after the Western Sydney Wanderers football club unveiled their inaugural playing strip.
Bears folk smiled at the humour of the situation but then again, deep down, there are some pangs of confusion. Something doesn’t sit right.
As some Roarers have pointed out, the Wanderers shirt is almost identical to the red and black hooped jersey the North Sydney Bears currently use in the NSW Cup competition.
By and large, the A-League fraternity looks to have approved the playing strip which should do really well in the merchandising sector as the Wanderers take shape for the 2012-13 season.
But for Bears fans – and I freely admit to having plenty of red and black blood in my veins since I was a kid – there is a feeling the team has fallen victim to identity theft.
Those are our traditional colours, our playing strip – surely the football mob could have come up with something a tad more original, using the same colour combination?
Would St George fans, for example, be happy if a local football club sent its players onto the pitch in white shirts with a big red V? Understandably, there would be quite a hullaballoo.
And ask the nearest South Sydney devotee if he or she would be pleased to see something similar paraded on a local football field, using their club’s famous cardinal and myrtle combo?
When contacted yesterday, Greg Florimo, the CEO of the Central Coast Bears franchise, said he had not seen footage of the Wanderers launch, nor pictures of players modelling the ‘new’ shirts.
“But I have no complaints,” Florimo told me, “Black and red are very strong and bold colours and I don’t blame them for going in that direction.
“We cannot control what others are doing. It would be a waste of time and energy complaining about it. I say good luck to them. They (WSW) have nothing to do with us.”
Florimo said, in any case, it was unlikely the hooped style of jersey would be tried if the Central Coast Bears won admission to the NRL competition. He said proposed playing strips would be taken to the supporter base and sponsors for opinion and approval.
With Florimo on the line, I thought it might be prudent to ask the state of play with regard to the CC Bears and their long running battle for re-entry to top flight league.
“We have tried to schedule talks with the newly formed Commission but everything is in a holding pattern until the TV rights deal is sorted out,” he said.
“The deal is obviously so critical for rugby league and its future. You would like to think they will have it done by the end of the year.
“I have only met commissioner John Grant once and that was at a social gathering. We did not discuss the Bears. I haven’t got any news to offer apart from the fact that we were ready to go if we got the call 12 months ago.
“We believe that our franchise, our team, would be one of the strongest and most viable in the competition.”
But, getting back on topic and that football shirt…
Some might say the WS Wanderers garb could be seen as a pinch from the famous Flamengo club in Brazil and maybe there’s even a little Man U flavour in there.
But to me, red and black hoops are the Bears. Whether they come back to the big league or not, I am uncomfortable that people are running around in something that looks like a replica of a Bears uniform.
A mate of mine suggested this black-red aberration might only last for one year. He said that’s the length of contracts being offered to the WSW recruits as finances at the new franchise are extremely tight.
Would top-quality players want to go there with next to no security for the future? Who even contemplates a one year contract these days? Certainly not the top-notchers.
The gung-ho WSW marketeers have pretty much pinched the shirts off the Bears’ backs. Maybe they’ll wander off into A-League oblivion before too much damage is done.
Kasey
Guest
I cant substantiate which claim? Something positive happens in football of course the other sports fans will come out and poo-poo it. I don't remember the almighty AFL running even one fan forum before plonking the midgets down in Breakfast point and Canberra. You are clutching at straws if you think the fan forums were some sort of con job. I think its time for this thread to be put to bed, like the Bears themselves. Wanderers WILL be in the top flight this season. The Bears will NOT. The way of the future for football has been boldly staked out. Time to wake up to the fact that our game will never again be the easily dismissed semi-pro bumfight of the past. We Are Football and we are getting stronger every year.
David Heidelberg
Guest
That is correct but the RL teams originally took their colours from the rah rahs.
David Heidelberg
Guest
LOL, the Bears will be back and win a premiership with-in 20 years, even though they haven't won a premiership for 89 years.
David Heidelberg
Guest
The Bears no longer play top flight sport, and have not done so for a very long time. They never will again and even when they did play they were a joke, no premierships since 1923 and always snatching defeat from the jaws of victory,so yes WSW have more credibility.
81paling
Roar Rookie
Kasey you can not substantiate that claim, the forums of which you speak did not require registration that included a proof of address. They are attended by A-League fans all over the for all we know they could have been from North Sydney. There is something wrong with the A-League in that it does not seem to capture fans and the potential is so much bigger than the current reality. Perhaps this is the reason, A-League only listen to their own fans to hear what they want to hear. They lack sensitivity to neighboring districts and fail to find any common ground with those whom they are trying to embrace.
Kasey
Guest
converting you to what?
Kasey
Guest
The link is...The colours red & Black were overwhelmingly wanted by the fans that attended the fan forums, ie those who would be the new teams fans and season ticket holders.
shirtfront
Guest
It amazes me that my posts get deleted, as harmless as they are. The treatment 'The Cattery' received during his live call/blog of the GWS v Richmond game was quite upsetting as I enjoy his call. You probably had a chance of converting us mexicans and blew it. Back to the bubble...GOOD BYE & GO DONS!
ThomasHudson9
Roar Pro
What is the link between Western Sydney and Red & Black? I'm not sold on the jersey, should be striped vertically.
Bearhead
Guest
At least WSW had the sense to use red and black. They could have scraped the barrel and used the maroon and white instead.
JVGO
Guest
I would say that in Sydney Red and Black is associated with the North Sydney district generally, and it probably came originally from the RU team. But North Sydney Soccer and Norths Bears Basketball and North Sydney Bears Cricket all also play in red and black. I think you will find that the colours and often the logo of each Sydney districts RL team have come to represent the district across all the sports. The Cronulla AFL club are even called the Cronulla Sharks and use the blue black and white. Red and White is St Geaorge district, Maroon and White manly etc. Maybe this is what the AFL was attempting when it took the Wests tigers colours for the Giants in the first place. I think in terms of Sydney tradition the Black and white of Wests Magpies might have made some sense for the Wanderers and their Western Suburbs identity. I don't know that it is a big deal but balck and white may have been a clearer choice.
JVGO
Guest
GWS colours and name were plagiarised from the MLB San Francisco Giants, colours which conveniently happen to be the same as Wests Tigers colours, whom they also share the West moniker. To steal colours from what you'd omagine would be a major competitor is a very interesting piece of thinking indeed.
Santoss
Guest
Had WSW used a red sash on a black background, I wonder if there would have been a similar reaction from south of Jaurez El Donga
Santoss
Guest
It is often argued that MUFC fans copied that particular ditty from Tottenham.
81paling
Roar Rookie
Wow they are the same, I bet that some very convincing marketing person who worked on a Bears campaign or Norths Rugby promo just whipped out the same power point presentation and marketing surveys they previously used over North Sydney way changed a couple of words realized that the soccer people would not recognize what they were looking at and then sign it off. I suppose that it does not really matter it will just be a bit weird for the first few years to see a Soccer team not from North Sydney running round supporting the black and red. The Bears are not my chosen team but, I would love to see them back and as they have 8,000 members for their club with no team it would appear they are pretty strong particularly when there are over 1 million people in the area from North Sydney to the northern most point of the Central Coast who do not have an NRL team. Anyway if things do not work out for the Wanderer's at least they will be able to sell their jersey's or even just change their name and move to North Sydney Oval where the Northern spirit were based many years ago, they would look very much at home over there.
Santoss
Guest
South originally wore blue and white hoops, then added a red sash to this design in 1878. They changed to red and white hoops in 1880. It was in 1907 that the white with a red sash design was adopted. St George red v design was first used in the late 1920's early 30's. http://dragons.leagueunlimited.com/images/history/1930_team_0.jpg
adam214
Guest
Thats because as crud it was it was their crappy colours and formed a part of their identity and for nathan tinkler to come along and force them to adopt knights colours in an attempt to form sporting clube du newcastle MK II (the first one was attempted in Newcastle England) without consultation isn't fair but not a deal breaker obviously considering last season they have some of the best crowds post championship.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Mr Prentice ; while I sympathise with the North Sydney Bear's plight , maybe you should take your grievances to the parties that were responsible for the Bear's demise in the first place -namely the Manly-Warringah Officials at the time, the NRL Officials at the time and certain other figures like the Former CEO of Canterbury-Bankstown -but of course most of these people are either dead, retired or in nursing homes -so your satisfaction will be forever elusive -making a new A-League Club the brunt of your retrospective wishes is both quite silly and totally laughable - I would be very surprised if anyone took you seriously .so I suggest that you (like everybody else) stop trying to 'wind-back-the-clock' and move on -everyone else has :-)
shirtfront
Guest
1982 jumper. https://shopdesq.imgstg.com/assets/shopdesq/products/images/main/SWANSheritage_2012_400NEW.jpg
Recalcitrant
Guest
Didn't North Sydney Bears NSWRL team rip off it's colours and hoop design from a rugby union side, Northern Suburbs RFC?