Manly Sea Eagles- Silvertails who like to be the victims of the tall poppy syndrome

Football Leagues

Manly Sea Eagles
Silvertails who like to be the victims of the tall poppy syndrome

Manly entered the 1947 competition and choose the Sea Eagle - the native bird of prey of the Sydney coastline, as their moniker.

Just like the local residents, the club didn't take long in pissing everyone off. The neighbouring North Sydney Bears immediately suffered an exodus of players and dropped to the bottom of the ladder.

In 1979, Manly raided the ranks of the battling Western Suburbs; sparking a Fibro versus Silvertail rivalry that had Manly being universally hated.

At the end of the 1999 season, Manly agreed to merge with the insolvent North Sydney Bears. Although technically a merger, in reality it was a takeover designed to get NRL funding and gain access to the Bears' Gosford stadium. Reflecting the one-sided nature of the partnership was the new name "Northern Eagles." Norths fans, already uncomfortable about getting into bed with their historical enemy, wanted a neutral name. Manly just told them to get stuffed.

For two years the board was plagued by conflict between the Norths and Manly factions. Eventually the joint venture collapsed and the licence reverted to Manly. The Northern Eagles name continued for the 2002 season before reverting to Manly for the 2003 season. Poor crowds at Gosford led to the stadium being abandoned as well.

For a while there was a paradoxical attitude to Manly. Most League fans wanted the club to do well as every competition needs a club to hate. Much to the distress of Manly fans, because the club was short on money and performing poorly, they evoked feelings of sympathy. Fortunately, the club became privately owned and an injection of cash has taken back up the leader board and into a place where they are easy to hate.

Roy Morgan research

2004 - when compared to other NRL supporters

98% more likely than the average person to earn $70,000 or more a year
34% more likely than the average person to be in highest AB socio-economic quintile;
22% more likely than the average person to have drunk red wine in the last four weeks;
31% more likely than the average to vote Liberal

2006 - when compared to other NRL supporters

52% more likely to earn $70,000 or more

22% more likely to love to do as many sports as possible
21% more likely to avid dairy foods whenever possible
39% more likely to feel comfortable giving their credit card details over the internet
38% more likely to drink more premium beer now than they used to
36% more likely to have been to a BYO restaurant in the last three months
35% more likely to have travelled by taxi in the last three months

Icon
- Cliff Lyons - Half-back who just wouldn't retire. When he should of been discovering that he has a favourite chair, Cliffy was making men half his age look like rabbit lost in headlights.
- Noel 'Crusher' Cleal - Not the type of character usually spotted around Manly. Had an impressive Ned Kelly style beard and played like a bowling ball sending pins flying in all directions.
- Bob Fulton - Innovative half-back.
Manly Sea Eagle Jokes
Two boys are playing football in a park near Manly Beach , when one is attacked by a Rottweiler. Thinking quickly, the other boy rips off a board of the nearby fence, wedges it down the dog's collar and twists, breaking the dog's neck. A reporter who is strolling by sees the incident, and rushes over to interview the boy.
"Parramatta fan saves friend from vicious animal", he starts writing in his notebook. "But I'm not a Parramatta fan," the boy replies. "Tigers fan rescues friend from horrific attack," the reporter starts again. "I'm not a Tigers fan either, " the boy says.
"Then what are you?" the reporter says. "I'm a Manly fan !!!" The reporter starts a new sheet in his notebook and writes, "Spoilt brat kills family pet".

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