Membership

[Ajn]

I'm concerned about the drop in membership i Sydney and obviously Sydney are too with P.K answering phones. Don't forget to hound your mates to sign up and continue our powerhouse status. Hopefully the pre season game at Homebush can sign up some of the West Sydney fans! Melbourne fans don't give up hassling your Sydney mates also, especially at the few games we get.

[Dpw]

I believe our membership will always be flakey, N.S.W. surpport will always depend on our on field performances.

Football is not the No 1 sport like other states and with such International games based in Sydney - Rugby Union and League, Cricket and so on... It will always take alot of success for us to grab a loin share.

I also believe the swans do not put enough effort into promoting the club in other states(not melbourne) Essendon and Collingwood... have large surpporter bases in WA 500 plus members.

They also hold events with money going back to there clubs.

We could easily have half those numbers.

Just my thoughts.

[desredandwhite]

You could have something there, DPW. I know the club values its melbourne supporters (stop sniggering in the back there!!) as a reminder of our South Melbourne roots.. but I've never heard anything about a Queensland supporters group.. or a SA supporters' group, or a WA supporters' group etc.

A lot of times I see contact details for sydney-based supporter groups of other clubs on their run-thorugh banner when they play in Sydney.. Maybe it's something the club should have a look at. If the SFC can get 1000 extra paid up members across the country - every little bit helps.

DPW, and all other non vic/nsw supporters.. might be an idea to email Paul Grzanka (Swans Membership manager) at the club to let him know that you're out there.

[liz]

I know there used to be a WA Supporters group. Back in 1996 I made the trip over the Nullabor for the West Coast game. The next morning I wandered into a cafe still wearing my Swans gear and got talking to a guy in the cafe who was the founder of the group. He was so excited to find someone who had flown across the country to follow the Swans that he gave me a lift to the airport later that day.

[Ajn]

Melbourne doesn't get all that much input from marketing either, the supporter base here is solid, but if they tried they could get about double the base of 5,000 odd we have each year.

[Dpw]

Originally posted by lizz
I know there used to be a WA Supporters group. Back in 1996 I made the trip over the Nullabor for the West Coast game. The next morning I wandered into a cafe still wearing my Swans gear and got talking to a guy in the cafe who was the founder of the group. He was so excited to find someone who had flown across the country to follow the Swans that he gave me a lift to the airport later that day.

Thats right lizz we did. That guy unfortnatley ran into buisness troubles and dropped out he was well connected within the club and since he has gone we have lost our group and any contact within the club. The Irish club does hold funcations for the players well they are here but Iam not sure were they fit into things and usually they are member based only(Irish club memebers). I have also moved so if they do send stuff out I would not know. I renewed my membership(WA) for those years but never heard from them other then the renewal notice.

[tez]

Being an old West Aussie I arrange a work trip back
to Perth to coincide with the Swans game over there each
year. I think the Irish club was chosen because it is not
far from Subi oval. They park the team bus right outside
the front door

The AM after the Eagles game last year was advertised in
the West Australian on the Friday with an admission fee
of $5-50 for non members into the Irish club.

About 50 or so turned up that night.

[Dpw]

Originally posted by tez
Being an old West Aussie I arrange a work trip back
to Perth to coincide with the Swans game over there each
year. I think the Irish club was chosen because it is not
far from Subi oval. They park the team bus right outside
the front door

The AM after the Eagles game last year was advertised in
the West Australian on the Friday with an admission fee
of $5-50 for non members into the Irish club.

About 50 or so turned up that night.

Thanks Tez, You don't by any chance have contact details for those who arranged it do you?. Otherwise I will contact the Irish club.

[tez]

DPW, from memory I phoned the Irish club and paid
at the door on the way in. Rodney Eade, Paul Roos,
BBBH, Crezza and Ricky Mott were among those who
turned up. Some of the team flew back that night.

There were quite a few Eagles supporters there too.

[Damien]

Hi everyone. Nice site to the people that do it.

I am a bit shocked at the membership, I can't remember someone who didn't have an opinion last year on the coaching situation , and the majority of people I spoke to wanted Roo's, but membership falls anyway despite getting him??

This was coupled with the hyped signing of Nick Davis and drafting of local boy Jarrad McVeigh.

Talk about the fickle sydney market!! (Look for the Eastern suburbs faithful flocking for memberships by the June deadline if we win a few early!)

[swan_song]

This is getting weird now...regulars will know how disappointed I was with last year's first half efforts, especially v adelaide, boozers and bullies...made the decision after the saints game that the team was really only there out on the field to collect its pay checks...so decided not to renew for 2003 (been a continuous member since 1987 when returned to Oz from overseas) and invest money saved in foxtel and footy channel...now season is getting nearer, starting to get itchy fet again...lol

[desredandwhite]

swan_song... Hope - that's what keeps us going. If you lose that, you might as well give up ;-)

Something tells me you're not QUITE there yet - you KNOW you want to renew

[Cheer Cheer]

Please renew swansong - its not as bad as you think - believe me good times are ahead - in the near future

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Re: i sit in the swans cheersquad and i love it

Originally posted by jude_adams_babe
i sit in the cheersquad and i love it heaps but id love to sit in the noble stand just once my freinds sit there

YOU STAY IN THE CHEER SQUAD, because I'm the chant leader, have a 10 foot pole in my hands, and am watching you!

Seriously, this list has brought many of the club's diverse supporters far far closer together. In Melbourne we have seen both this forum and the older <[email protected]> email list bring lots of the listees form friendships with each other. They have chosen to help the Cheer Squad out and grab a flag and have a fun time. For me each trip south is like a home away from home. We meet at the Colonial Pub before each match and natter about our side. Why, because we share a passion for our colours. And because of our shared interests have become great buddies, even off the field! (ie Des and the J when they hit Geelong for a bush dance or 5!)

We need more of this attitude in Sydney! Far more. Sure we get the odd 'tourist' from the grandstand/concourse (even Essendon!) :-P, but we seriously need to look at ways of improving the once-feared but now very crap SCG and Stadium Australia atmosphere.

I know I harp on about things. But people need to seriously think about getting off their butts, and coming to Bay 22 to grab a flag and try and cheer the team over the line. There has been a pre-conceived idea that the Cheer Squad is a joke. Yeah, we struggle, despite the hours many people put into things. You only get out of things what you put into them. If you reckon we are a joke, then what are YOU doing to cheer the side on?!

I just want to see a solid group of 200-250 odd in the CS area every week. Yes, you'll have to miss out on your beer for a couple of hours, but it gets you onto the sacred SCG turf each match.

We'll hopefully be behind the goals undercover in the McCartney Stand against Essendon. I hope to have a drum there too. Come and yell and SING (soccer-style singing is so creative-the wittier the better!). Yes, we are LOUD.

But loud is good, right! Anyone who was in Melbourne for the Dees' match knows how good things can get if we put our minds, hearts and voices to it!

yours in red and white, as always

JF

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Interstate supporters clubs

Originally posted by desredandwhite
You could have something there, DPW. I know the club values its melbourne supporters (stop sniggering in the back there!!) as a reminder of our South Melbourne roots.. but I've never heard anything about a Queensland supporters group.. or a SA supporters' group, or a WA supporters' group etc.

That is sad, because especially at the Brisbane match there are heaps and heaps of Swans supporters in attendence (Many come up from Northern NSW). But not even the Cheer Squad had an allocated area up there. I'll be heading over to SA for the Port (and hopefully Crows) match, and would love a good supporters club to give flags to etc. There used to be one in the 80s (a guy in Magill I think) and you see a far few around the ground. But the more together the merrier. We had 39 people with booked seats through the club in Adelaide this year, which I'm bloody proud of (Essendon/Collingwood have their 4-5000 odd at SA, but they are them, not the Sydney Swans!)

"A lot of times I see contact details for sydney-based supporter groups of other clubs on their run-thorugh banner when they play in Sydney.. Maybe it's something the club should have a look at. If the SFC can get 1000 extra paid up members across the country - every little bit helps."

You bet, but I only have 2 arms, and seem to lug ALL the flags on the plane MYSELF!

"DPW, and all other non vic/nsw supporters.. might be an idea to email Paul Grzanka (Swans Membership manager) at the club to let him know that you're out there.

I agree, but that not only involves a change in direction at the office (they don't worry about their fans in Melbourne, so why would they give a rats about fans in SA, QLD, Canberra, or WA?)

Also it needs supporters in each state to get organised themselves. Kinda like the chicken and the egg....if the club doesn't promote interstate supporters clubs, they won't form. If there isn't any organised supporters groups interstate, the club won't cater to them...

JF