“Mr Holmes and the Board, 

I think when you get right down to it, the thing is that Lions supporters right now are being let down in a huge way. 

I am a Bears boy from way back. Among my first cogent memories of the Bears was at about 8 years old watching a new ginger recruit (I thought the commentators were calling him ‘Boss’) on field in around 1992/3. Being born in QLD but from a Victorian family, I grew very attached to the Bears. When Brisbane and Fitzroy merged, I was only momentarily phased, and grew to love the new identity that my football club had, along with a heap of new fellow fans who stuck with the Lions through a merger and relocation. As I started playing club football myself and the players, including Mr Voss, made guest appearances for my team, guest coaching and so forth, I became the die-hard that I am today. Very very soon after, the club experienced an unprecedented period of success. 

The traditional Fitzroy Lion and the classic guernsey from that era was a huge part of that period. It is the defining visual feature, and it was the link between Fitzroy and the Bears of old, and the new combined club. 

The proceeding years were perhaps not as fruitful, and the club was maybe driven in a direction that was less than ideal, but the club identity remained because of the Lion and the guernsey. When we made the finals in 2009, it was our club again, Brisbane and Fitzroy, clawing its way back. 

The guernsey was changed then, ladies and gentlemen, without consultation with us. With the members and supporters. The guernsey from our club, the club that we were a part of, was taken away without consultation.

And it was not very good.

And our concerns were not heard. We were not given a voice. Being businesspeople, you surely understand the detrimental affect that denying key stakeholders a voice can have. 

We have spent 3.5, nearly 4 years complaining, seeking to be heard, about the disturbingly poor guernsey that has replaced one of the sources of pride in our club. 

You have no idea how relieving it was to see the boys where the old strip against Essendon. It was like watching that club that I grew up with again. And no, it wasn’t because we won (although that WAS nice), but it was a sense of amazing memories and a almost a homecoming. 

The answer isn’t necessarily to bring the old guersney back ra ra etcetera. The answer is to give the people a vote. Allow us a voice. Let us be heard. If the current guernsey is retained, then so be it. Although disappointing, justice will have been done. My suspicion is that this will not be the case though. 

This would what we refer to as ‘getting back in touch’.

Speaking of being in touch, who doesn’t pay attention to electronic communication in this day and age? Is opinion in electronic form less valid? Astonishing. 

Consult with us please. Do not continue to let us down.

Ian H

Member no. #######