Match day experience - an open letter

[Deathray]

For mine the match day experience has been dulled by legislation against: standing room areas, full strength beer, public smoking, racial abuse of opposition players, harassment of intellectually disabled opposition supporters and the fans right to throw full cans at umpires as they leave the ground.

 

[ottoman]

For mine the match day experience has been dulled by legislation against: standing room areas, full strength beer, public smoking, racial abuse of opposition players, harassment of intellectually disabled opposition supporters and the fans right to throw full cans at umpires as they leave the ground.

I can sort of understand most of those changes. But the last one is where they just went too far. Ridiculous that you can't do that any more.

 

[jmac70]

Hi all,

I'm writing an open letter to the Collingwood Football Club off field leadership. I know the clubs have employees whose job it is to read online commentary about the club, and that this is more likely to be read than any email or angry letter I send. Although I rarely post, I regularly read bigfooty and I would be interested in any comments of Collingwood supporters here.

I'm Victorian originally but have spent the last several years in the Northern Territory. I regularly time my visits to Melbourne around the footy fixture. I'm an MCC member, and my last trip was timed so that I could attend Hawthorn v Sydney, Collingwood v Adelaide and Collingwood v Port Adelaide. Going to the footy is a family ritual, and I often go with my nieces and nephews and my dad.

I attended Hawthorn v Sydney and Collingwood v Adelaide, but elected not to go to this weekend's Port Adelaide game. I notice the club (Eddie in particular) has put a lot of the blame for poor attendances on the AFL fixturing Sunday games, cold weather and the cost of attending. I agree, but these are all factors largely outside the club's control. This letter is about things the club can control.

The flight back to Darwin gave me time to think about why; having flown down with the purpose of going to the footy; I elected not to go to the Port Adelaide game.

The match day experience has radically changed in recent years. I suspect the change has been gradual and not obvious to people who regularly go to the footy, but living interstate seems to have given me a better perspective. For example, when I was a kid and going to the footy in the 90's, I don't recall gambling being rammed down my throat to the extent that is typical today, particularly in Collingwood home games. Hawthorn to its credit had a lot of beyond blue advertising.

Living in the NT and having previously worked in criminal law, I saw first hand the social problems caused by gambling. I'm really angry that the club is allowing its brand to be exploited to normalise gambling. There are Australian children in 2014 who regularly go days without food because dad has spent the Centrelink money on gambling. Women get bashed because of fights that start around problem gambling. So spare me your indigenous round hearts and flowers bullshit. It is very easy to put some dots on your jumper and paint the big reconcialiation R on the ground for one round a year and assert some sort of black cred. Or even sending footballers to remote communities to have a kick with the kids. Put your money where your mouth is and stop promoting and glamourising gambling.

I'm not a prude, or an anti-gambling crusader per se, however the fact of the matter is that the club has taken its loyal, captive audience and has used it to flog a product that is known to be harmful. My nieces and nephews look forward to when their uncle is down from Darwin and takes them to the footy, but I won't be enabling the club to ram gambling down their throats, just as my Dad wouldn't have allowed it when I was that age. At least watching the game on TV you can mute the ads, or explain to the kid in the room that as an adult I think online gambling is stupid, "the house always wins", or that if that smug little shit Tom Waterhouse ever gets one cent of your money I will disown you as a nephew. Or that despite the gambling ads with attractive women in them, you're more likely to lose a woman to gambling than to land one. You can't do it at the footy.

Also, there is an ad that regularly features in Collingwood games on the big screen. A car manufacturer's logo appears with the really loud sound of an engine revving and flashing lights, ostensibly to "rev up" the groud. With say 40,000 people in a crowd, the club and/or the MCC is really exposing itself to litigation if one of them happens to be an epileptic and goes into a fit. Separate to that risk, it's a really shit imposition for the other 39,999 people who aren't epileptic. I suggest the club gets legal advice on that ad, and generally stops treating its supporters as mugs.

My future Melbourne trips will be planned around other clubs games, and I'll making a donation to a problem gambling charity instead of renewing my Collingwood membership (although I'll definitely renew my MCC membership). I won't be taking my nieces and nephews to a game as long as the experience is as it is.

This is not a knock on any players, coaches or the club in general which over the years has brought me a lot of joy. Just the people who are employed and paid well to make decisions in the best interests of the club, and who apparently seem to favour short term profit over the long term best interests.

TLDR: the club should cop some of the blame for poor match day attendances, instead of passing the buck to the AFL.

I also dislike Collingwood's relationship with gambling, in particular our reliance on pokies. The club does a lot of great things in the community but to accept revenue from pokies is hypocritical. Those things do more damage to families than any other social condition. I admire the stance that the North Melbourne FC has taken on gambling and just wish our club would do the same.

 

[rand corp]

In so many ways money is ruining so many sports, our beloved football included.

On the weekend, a poster on one of the pies sites commented on the fact that after attending a few VFL games at Victoria Park this season, he found he just enjoyed it so much more than the AFL Big Show; I reminisced about my years of going to Vic Park with my family to watch Collingwood and looked at the added joys and benefits he listed regarding a trip to Vic Park today and I totally got it, it made complete sense to me and got me thinking that I would probably be the same today were I still in Melbourne.

Then it got me thinking about where Australia has been headed in recent years and seems to be accelerating towards at a frightening pace at the moment, a class based society with clear segregation between not only the haves and have nots but the average, hard working Australian and the elite class of ridiculously wealthy, minimum tax payers who seem to be controlling the agenda and feeling less inclined to be compassionate than ever before. Its not a pretty picture and its not a healthy outlook for the vast majority of people in Australia going forward.

Collingwood has a rich and wonderful history, side by side with the working classes, the poor and the disadvantaged and throughout we became a club that not only prevailed, we dominated. We succeeded when everyone wanted us to fail, when the wealthy clubs hated us because we had so much less than them but, were so much better than them. We came from the poorest of backgrounds and enjoyed riches of success that they could only dream about but could not buy. We must never forget who we are as a club, what we mean to the people, what we stand for and represent, it stands behind every success we have ever had and every glory we have ever enjoyed.

 

[Gone Critical]

In so many ways money is ruining so many sports, our beloved football included.

On the weekend, a poster on one of the pies sites commented on the fact that after attending a few VFL games at Victoria Park this season, he found he just enjoyed it so much more than the AFL Big Show; I reminisced about my years of going to Vic Park with my family to watch Collingwood and looked at the added joys and benefits he listed regarding a trip to Vic Park today and I totally got it, it made complete sense to me and got me thinking that I would probably be the same today were I still in Melbourne.

Then it got me thinking about where Australia has been headed in recent years and seems to be accelerating towards at a frightening pace at the moment, a class based society with clear segregation between not only the haves and have nots but the average, hard working Australian and the elite class of ridiculously wealthy, minimum tax payers who seem to be controlling the agenda and feeling less inclined to be compassionate than ever before. Its not a pretty picture and its not a healthy outlook for the vast majority of people in Australia going forward.

Collingwood has a rich and wonderful history, side by side with the working classes, the poor and the disadvantaged and throughout we became a club that not only prevailed, we dominated. We succeeded when everyone wanted us to fail, when the wealthy clubs hated us because we had so much less than them but, were so much better than them. We came from the poorest of backgrounds and enjoyed riches of success that they could only dream about but could not buy. We must never forget who we are as a club, what we mean to the people, what we stand for and represent, it stands behind every success we have ever had and every glory we have ever enjoyed.

Interesting work Rand Corp. One thing you said which differs from what my impression about Collingwood has always been was that we were not a wealthy club. The supporter bas was obviously as working class as any but once we gained traction, which we did early on, my impression was Collingwood was always well off financially.

Anecdotally I can always remember reading Jack Dyers book "Captain Blood" over and over as a kid. Fantastic tales of Mopsy Fraser and Jack Broadstock etc. His chapter on Collingwood started something like this "when I had nightmares they were always in black and White the colour of the team I hated most of all. Collingwood. They were mean minded and petty, they had success, flags and more money than you can poke a stick at.........". There was no doubt our supporters struggled and Collingwood was egalitarian and tight. We didn't pay players much and everyone got the same match fee.

But we had success and a big supporter base. We became powerful. Fitzroy, themselves powerful early days, would eventually be strangled and to some degree it was geographical being stuck in the middle of rich and powerful Collingwood and Carlton.

The other thing we had through our years of great success was the financial backing of our biggest patron John Wren. I am not sure all I say is entirely correct but it has always been my impression. There is no doubt the establishment clubs Melbourne and Essendon looked down their noses at us. The other inner city working class clubs were our bitter rivals. Hawthorn and St Kilda had minnow status for so long they were never even considered rivals. Through all that time also was the sectarian divides and well as class. Collingwood being the most Irish and Catholic of all the clubs so this was also a big point of difference.

So as I have always believed things the pride the people of Collingwood had was that their footy club was as powerful and well off as any and more importantly the most successful. This was in stark contrast to most supporters day to day lives.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Interesting work Rand Corp. One thing you said which differs from what my impression about Collingwood has always been was that we were not a wealthy club. The supporter bas was obviously as working class as any but once we gained traction, which we did early on, my impression was Collingwood was always well off financially.

I don't believe that's the case.

We have been in financial trouble plenty of times ... if my understanding is correct, as recently as 2009 when the pubs debacle threatened to pull the club down.

IIRC, things weren't great financially just before Eddie took over (1999) and back in the 80's (or whenever it was) the whole Magpieland plans got scuttled when, contrary to popular belief, it emerged that we had no money.

 

[Gone Critical]

I don't believe that's the case.

We have been in financial trouble plenty of times ... if my understanding is correct, as recently as 2009 when the pubs debacle threatened to pull the club down.

IIRC, things weren't great financially just before Eddie took over (1999) and back in the 80's (or whenever it was) the whole Magpieland plans got scuttled when, contrary to popular belief, it emerged that we had no money.

Yep different story in the 80's when we went to war with Richmond. Both clubs nearly bankrupted themselves by financial mismanagement. Also by late 1990s we had also mismanaged our way into trouble. But by these times we were clearly a large and powerful club and VFL/AFL clubs by that stage had outgrown their suburban heritage.

I was more looking back to earlier times when we were very much a local suburban club and that reflected our supporter base and history. I guess the 1950's backwards. By the late 60s onwards, recruits were coming from interstate, clubs grew beyond the confines of their geography. Fitzroy, St Kilda and Richmond left their home grounds. Waverly got built. Our population got mobile and footy was no longer the same locally based competition.

Pre the sixties was the time I thought Rand Corp was alluding to.

 

[rand corp]

Interesting work Rand Corp. One thing you said which differs from what my impression about Collingwood has always been was that we were not a wealthy club. The supporter bas was obviously as working class as any but once we gained traction, which we did early on, my impression was Collingwood was always well off financially.

Anecdotally I can always remember reading Jack Dyers book "Captain Blood" over and over as a kid. Fantastic tales of Mopsy Fraser and Jack Broadstock etc. His chapter on Collingwood started something like this "when I had nightmares they were always in black and White the colour of the team I hated most of all. Collingwood. They were mean minded and petty, they had success, flags and more money than you can poke a stick at.........". There was no doubt our supporters struggled and Collingwood was egalitarian and tight. We didn't pay players much and everyone got the same match fee.

But we had success and a big supporter base. We became powerful. Fitzroy, themselves powerful early days, would eventually be strangled and to some degree it was geographical being stuck in the middle of rich and powerful Collingwood and Carlton.

The other thing we had through our years of great success was the financial backing of our biggest patron John Wren. I am not sure all I say is entirely correct but it has always been my impression. There is no doubt the establishment clubs Melbourne and Essendon looked down their noses at us. The other inner city working class clubs were our bitter rivals. Hawthorn and St Kilda had minnow status for so long they were never even considered rivals. Through all that time also was the sectarian divides and well as class. Collingwood being the most Irish and Catholic of all the clubs so this was also a big point of difference.

So as I have always believed things the pride the people of Collingwood had was that their footy club was as powerful and well off as any and more importantly the most successful. This was in stark contrast to most supporters day to day lives.

Collingwood was the slum of Melbourne when the club was formed and yes, players wanted to play for Collingwood because they 'got looked after' it is in that sense that I am talking.

Ironically, considering the opening post, John Wren initially made his money as an SP Bookie with an illegal Tote in Johnson St. Collingwood. Local beggars and unemployed would be scattered about the lanes and alleyways to give warning signals whenever a raid was on and were rewarded for their loyalty. Wren was seen very much as a local boy made good who never forgot where he came from and always looked after his own. Players wanted to play for Collingwood because Wren had a reputation of 'looking after them', getting them jobs at the local brewery and slipping them a pound laden handshake after a win. It didn't make us a rich club but it made us a club with a rich patron who was seen as anti establishment (initially) and one of our own.

Collingwood was indeed known as the 'Catholic' club in its early years, due to the suburb being an Irish Catholic slum and the Irish Catholics were indeed racially and religiously vilified at the time.

To give a bit of flavour, John Wren tried unsuccessfully to sue the author Frank Hardy whose novel 'Power Without Glory' was a thinly veiled work on Wren and other characters of power and influence of the time. The case was brought about in 1951 because John Wren (John West in the book) was deeply offended by the revelation that his mother had committed adultery. Wren stated in court that he found this reference more offensive to him than another explosive allegation in the book, being that Wren's mother had instigated the murder of Squizzy Taylor. Wren lost the case, Hardy's defense was that the book was partly based on fiction and partly based on fact and was therefore in its entirety a work of fiction. The 1951 case was the last ever criminal (as opposed to civil) libel case ever prosecuted in Victoria.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

I appreciate the post but there's a touch of "old man yells at cloud" about it to be honest.

The Collingwood Football Club shouldn't have to worry about influencing children. That's what parents, family and friends are for.

The crowds have dropped off because we're performing horribly on field and too many Sunday games. Has nothing to do with the "match day experience". Although I think bringing the reserves back as a pre-match game would boost crowds a bit. Used to LOVE going to the footy super early to catch the reserves.

 

[mattys123]

Collingwood should introduce a general admission membership. Stay with me here.

I'm not talking about the general season ticket you can buy now that gets you into 11 or 17 games, I'm talking about a slight upgrade on that.

The club should do a deal with the MCG to get the last 2-3 bays of the Posnford stand (closest to the Southern or MCC members, either side) solely as walk up bays for general admission members.

Imagine having 2-3 full bays of walk up fans on the day, it would create an old school atmosphere where people got to the game earlier then they do now, you could sit where you wanted and with who you wanted, even bring a friend with a Collingwood guest pass (they'd have to be a Pies fan of course).

The club could charge $50-$100 more for this special GA membership option (above a normal season ticket) and it would create a walk up area for fans who choose to take up this type of membership.

It would be our own "Adelaide oval hill" if you'd like, an area where you aren't restricted by the same reserved seat every single week.

The club needs to try something different.

 

[dansa]

Collingwood should introduce a general admission membership. Stay with me here.

I'm not talking about the general season ticket you can buy now that gets you into 11 or 17 games, I'm talking about a slight upgrade on that.

The club should do a deal with the MCG to get the last 2-3 bays of the Posnford stand (closest to the Southern or MCC members, either side) solely as walk up bays for general admission members.

Imagine having 2-3 full bays of walk up fans on the day, it would create an old school atmosphere where people got to the game earlier then they do now, you could sit where you wanted and with who you wanted, even bring a friend with a Collingwood guest pass (they'd have to be a Pies fan of course).

The club could charge $50-$100 more for this special GA membership option (above a normal season ticket) and it would create a walk up area for fans who choose to take up this type of membership.

It would be our own "Adelaide oval hill" if you'd like, an area where you aren't restricted by the same reserved seat every single week.

The club needs to try something different.

Love this idea but don't really see why they have to charge extra for it.

 

[Throw]

I appreciate the post but there's a touch of "old man yells at cloud" about it to be honest.

The Collingwood Football Club shouldn't have to worry about influencing children. That's what parents, family and friends are for.

The crowds have dropped off because we're performing horribly on field and too many Sunday games. Has nothing to do with the "match day experience". Although I think bringing the reserves back as a pre-match game would boost crowds a bit. Used to LOVE going to the footy super early to catch the reserves.

If you appreciated the post you wouldn't have swatted away concerns about shitty match day experience and the way gambling has creeped into our game with the "old man yells at cloud" metaphor.

It's also a logical fallacy:

ad hominem
You attacked your opponent's character or personal traits in an attempt to undermine their argument.
Ad hominem attacks can take the form of overtly attacking somebody, or more subtly casting doubt on their character or personal attributes as a way to discredit their argument. The result of an ad hom attack can be to undermine someone's case without actually having to engage with it.


Example: After Sally presents an eloquent and compelling case for a more equitable taxation system, Sam asks the audience whether we should believe anything from a woman who isn't married, was once arrested, and smells a bit weird.

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/ad-hominem


I'm not an old man. And I'm telling you that in my case at least, the reason I'm staying home has more to do with being yelled at by the Holden ad and gambling advertising than poor performance on field. In fact when Collingwood's going badly, in the past if anything I've been more likely to attend in some reverse-fair-weather-supporter thing.

 

[millsy29gopies]

The match day experience has really deteriorated in recent seasons and I don't enjoy it nearly as much as I used to.

The gambling ads
The ridiculously loud advertising on the big screen between qtrs.
The dance troupe
The Holden rev up the crowd
The crappy run throughs
The wave the advertising sign for the camera
The Kiss cam
The bays of empty seats in the Collingwood end
The sheltered workshop they call a cheersquad
The lack of any atmosphere
The lack of a decent social club

Damn. Reading that whinge I just realised I must be getting old.

This is probably my favourite post of all time. The match day experience is an area where this club really lets itself down and it's a damn shame. Currently the whole atmosphere just feels so plastic, like a Big Bash game for instance.

It doesn't feel like Collingwood are playing a home game when all of the bays in the Ponsford Stand are empty. That end is supposed to be OUR home end where OUR loudest and proudest supporters sit. Instead it is occupied by 'fans' who buy reserved seats and don't even turn up to matches.

Although the A-League may only be young (and some may say boring), I find the match day experience there much more enjoyable and authentic and I hope the club takes a page out of sports not just American.

 

[mattys123]

Even Caro agrees with us;

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...st-in-the-right-timeslot-20140808-1022u9.html

 

[Vampire013]

I received this link the other day & this topic came to mind.
I don't go to soccer, but this is really embarrassing.
Look at the AFL crowd and look at the soccer crowd.
Wouldn't it be good if we could bring some of the soccer atmosphere to our games !

 

[Gone Critical]

I received this link the other day & this topic came to mind.
I don't go to soccer, but this is really embarrassing.
Look at the AFL crowd and look at the soccer crowd.
Wouldn't it be good if we could bring some of the soccer atmosphere to our games !

Hey Vampire do you think whoever made that has an agenda. All the AFL matches were showing empty games at the MCG with Adelaide, Port and Freo supporters. Apples and oranges

 

[Vampire013]

I know that it's a bit over exaggerated, but it's close to reality.
Our cheer squad should be like that of those fanatic soccer supporters.
It would add a little excitement to the game.
It's not only A League, the soccer mob cheer like that at every game everywhere around the world.
The crowds at AFL games have become timid.
Everyone calls Collingwood feral. Nothing is further from the truth.
We are very timid supporters. It never used to be like that.
I think we should be vocal and make some serious noise at games.

 

[BoxMatrix]

I received this link the other day & this topic came to mind.
I don't go to soccer, but this is really embarrassing.
Look at the AFL crowd and look at the soccer crowd.
Wouldn't it be good if we could bring some of the soccer atmosphere to our games !

Real biased video their. Nothing like a roar in football when a team kicks a big goal (clokes goal to put us in front in 2011 comes to mind).
Soccer is just chants. Majority of the fans dont even watch the game.

 

[magpiewarrior]

As a Pies fanatic since 1967, living all my life (so far) in Perth, I have only occasional visits to Melbourne to see my beloved Pies in action live. I attended my first game at the 'G' in 1985 (a Collingwood V Carlton game) and the experience was incredible. I had been attending WAFL games since I was 8 years old but was totally blown away when I experienced football at the 'G'. Then during the 90s I was fortunately in the financial position to get to Melbourne several times a year and no visit to Melb. could be called complete without going to the footy. I loved the fact that there was genuine banter between the rival supporters and there was even supporters of non-participating clubs in the crowd that were just there to see see the best game of the round regardless of the fact that their team was not involved in the game. I was able to get a ticket to the 03 GF and thoroughly enjoyed the experience despite the fact that we got killed. Between 03 and 2011 I was not able to get to Melb. more than once a year but I did get to Melb. for the PF and scored a ticket (through my membership) to the GF. The PF was an incredible experience. The GF had potential despite the fact that my balloted ticket was standing room and the view was crap (let's not even talk about the performance by Meatloaf of whom I had been a fan), but I missed all of the 3rd qtr due to a beer fueled fight between a Geelong and Pies supporter. By the time I had stopped the fight (somebody had to, there were kids around and everyone was getting showered with beer as well) we were stuffed. I had been unable to get to Melb. for another game until Anzac Day this year. What a difference! Whereas in the past the big screen showed replays of contentious or spectacular plays/goals, now all we got was advertising at hyper volume. During the breaks (qtr time , half time & 3 qtr time it was all about advertising, generally Holden or gambling (which didn't impress me much) but more importantly all at hyper volume which really annoyed the hell out of me. After the game I returned to my reli's house and told them that although we had won the game had left me quite flat. I stayed in Melb. for the next game, which was as you may recall, against Carlton and again we won. I would have thought that seeing our boys beat both of our most hated opponents, I would have been on top of the world but again I felt quite flat. The style of footy was almost as disappointing as the advertising was annoying. Had my membership got me into either of these games I might have been less annoyed by the blaring advertising, but having had to pay full price, for entry to both of these games
I felt like I had payed for the privilege of being bombarded with the advertising. Talk about feeling exploited!
Then on Sunday I went to see the the game at Pattersons' and got the same treatment plus the added bonus of seeing one of the most inept performances that the Pies have dished up in all my years of barracking for them. Whilst I except that playing the game as it is now, may require greater fitness, skills, yada yada yada it is an abomination from a spectators point of view. The umpires have no idea how to interpret the rules with any consistency, the players have no idea (on most occasions) which way a freekick is going to go when the whistle blows or what is going to be called "play-on advantage" and what is not. I would also suggest that if the AFL is going to persist with Aus kick and Little League, then they should stop the bulls**t promotional crap at full volume when it is on. I don't expect every person at the ground to give the kids their attention but I would expect the AFL to at least show the kids enough consideration the they don't allow ridiculous promo crap and advertising to blast around the ground when their playing. This treats the kids as if their efforts are totally irrelevant.
The majority of AFL that I have seen this year (both our games and that of other teams) is not an enjoyable spectacle for seasoned followers to watch nor is it conducive to gaining new followers to the game. The rolling scrums that come from the umps. "giving the ball time to come out of the packs" are nothing more than an eyesore that only encourages all players to converge on the footy in a way remeniscent to watching under 10s playing the game. This style of football, combined with the Essendon crap and the hyper volume advertising have really taken much of my pleasure away from watching the game that I love.
I never thought that I could lose interest and passion for our great game but geez I think that it's actually happening and I'm not happy about it.

 

[jefffff34]

Soccer is just chants. Majority of the fans dont even watch the game.

That is quite simply not true.

 

[ottoman]

I received this link the other day & this topic came to mind.
I don't go to soccer, but this is really embarrassing.
Look at the AFL crowd and look at the soccer crowd.
Wouldn't it be good if we could bring some of the soccer atmosphere to our games !

Vampire. I recently went to a Soccer match involving two big Istanbul teams. The songs they sing and how organized it all is with one stadium singing to another stadium and then that other stadium responding etc. It was fantastic.
Anyway during all of this I started wondering why it doesn't happen in the AFL. And I reached a conclusion but I don't know if it is right or wrong just my take on in.
The fact is during soccer games there are long periods where not much is happening, I mean not much exciting or on the edge of your seat sort of stuff. So supporters can fill those gaps with other entertainment. Singing songs etc
If you look at an AFL game there is constant action. If you tried to sing one of those songs in an AFL game you would have to stop after 3 seconds in order to abuse the umpire or call 'ball' or scream at a specky or a goal etc. Our game basically doesn't have long enough periods of spectator input inactivity to sing those songs.

 

[Collingwood HQ]

I agree with all of this. The dance troupe is lame, kind of cringeworthy but ultimately harmless. The kiss cam is an imposition and one I don't like. I would add the organ music with that American baseball theme. Those things bug me but aren't dealbreakers as far as attending the game is concerned. the gambling advertising and holden rev up however cross a line with me, where it starts becoming insulting to the person who made the effort to attend the game, and I find myself losing sympathy for an organisation, which seems to see us not as members or supporters, but consumers to be exploited.

I'm in the same boat as you in regards to atmosphere I travel down from Darwin also and found year by year the atmosphere is getting worse, where did the collingwood passion go? football is changing for the worse, everything at the football these days is designed to make sure they rob you for every cent from the food stalls to the copious amount of advertising.

 

[MyManLynch]

This is what happens when it's costs 70 million dollars to operate our Football team.
The marketing boys are under extreme pressure to maximize revenue from Sponsors, Members, Gate, Social Club & gaming plus merchandising. To enable the Football club to operate at the max in a very competitive environment.
2013 we raised 22 million from Social club & gaming, 20 million from Sponsorship/Merchandising/Marketing & 17 million from Membership (total 61 million). The balance 14 million came from AFL distribution & match returns.
Hence less than 20% of our revenue comes from TV rights & gate.
This forces all clubs to squeeze every drop ($$$) from wherever they can, by promising Sponsors the moon, sell merchandise, maximize membership & reserved seats revenue & rely upon gaming revenue.
The monster is hungry & demands to be fed, to the detriment of the game itself, spoiling our traditional match day atmosphere & turning it into a circus.
Only the AFL can alter the direction the game is heading, as clubs are too embroiled in micro managing their short term performance on & off the field.
When 80% of your revenue has to come from non Football sources (TV & gate only 20%) then you know you are in trouble. This monster has become bigger than the game itself & is out of control, like Godzilla rampaging through the streets of major cities.

 

[ottoman]

This is what happens when it's costs 70 million dollars to operate our Football team.
The marketing boys are under extreme pressure to maximize revenue from Sponsors, Members, Gate, Social Club & gaming plus merchandising. To enable the Football club to operate at the max in a very competitive environment.
2013 we raised 22 million from Social club & gaming, 20 million from Sponsorship/Merchandising/Marketing & 17 million from Membership (total 61 million). The balance 14 million came from AFL distribution & match returns.
Hence less than 20% of our revenue comes from TV rights & gate.
This forces all clubs to squeeze every drop ($$$) from wherever they can, by promising Sponsors the moon, sell merchandise, maximize membership & reserved seats revenue & rely upon gaming revenue.
The monster is hungry & demands to be fed, to the detriment of the game itself, spoiling our traditional match day atmosphere & turning it into a circus.
Only the AFL can alter the direction the game is heading, as clubs are too embroiled in micro managing their short term performance on & off the field.
When 80% of your revenue has to come from non Football sources (TV & gate only 20%) then you know you are in trouble. This monster has become bigger than the game itself & is out of control, like Godzilla rampaging through the streets of major cities.

well articulated My Man.

 

[Markfs]

I wonder why no one has thought about playing games on a Saturday afternoon?
I reckon it would take off or is it just another one of my crazy ideas?

It was tried years ago. It seems that the ratings on Fox went down because too many people were going to the game.