Non Swans fans who are "Swans Members"

[Damien]

Just reading this article at the saints site http://saints.com.au/default.asp?pg=...ticleid=171343

I wonder how many members the swans have because of this type of reason?

The guy I go with is a big time Saints fan but joined the Swans for the reason as the guy in the article, he just wants to see AFL matches....

Is this a good thing or a negative? I know the money side is good, but it is hardly the best thing to drive up "passion"...

[Bart]

Re: Non Swans fans who are "Swans Members"

Originally posted by Damien
Just reading this article at the saints site http://saints.com.au/default.asp?pg=...ticleid=171343

I wonder how many members the swans have because of this type of reason?

The guy I go with is a big time Saints fan but joined the Swans for the reason as the guy in the article, he just wants to see AFL matches....

Is this a good thing or a negative? I know the money side is good, but it is hardly the best thing to drive up "passion"...

A few years ago I remember the previous CEO quoted as saying 20-25% of members were expats who supported another team (although many would have since switched allegiance to the Swans)

[Snowy]

I know people in Melbourne who are members of the Lions in order to secure Grand Final tickets.

[Bunyip]

As a member i recognise many familiar faces sitting around me (especially at the SCG). This year i noticed a couple sitting next to us who were very quiet every game - it seemed more like they were at the theatre most games!!

Anyway, it wasn't until we played the Lions at the SCG in R18 that i realised he was a Brisbane fan. This was the only game these people did any barracking (he even told me to sit down once when i was up telling Chris Scott how much of a thug he is).

it was the first time i'd come across this sort of thing and it made me wonder how many of these type of members there are.

[Sid]

Definitely a good sign for the AFL.

[Rizzo]

I use to sit near a Swans Member\Carlton supporter. She use to go for any team that played the Swans.....except for the Pies.

[Mike_B]

There are quite a few around me in Bay 6 at the SCG - one Norris Lurker being one of them. A Bombers supporter above all, he will wear his red and white and support the Swans for all other games during the year, except when its Swans v Bombers, when the true red and black past comes out.

[Barry Schneider]

Originally posted by Rizzo
I use to sit near a Swans Member\Carlton supporter. She use to go for any team that played the Swans.....except for the Pies.

You don't sit in the top deck of the Churchill stand behind the goals do you?

[Charlie]

It's FANTASTIC for the club.

For better or worse, in all probability they aren't available to us as new recruits to the club. But if we can their cash anyway, and have their support at nine games out of ten... why not?

[Mark]

I know numerous Swans members who either originally barracked for other teams or still do. One in particular (North fan) is now an ardent Swannies supporter and finds it hard to pick between the two. I suspect in the 90's the figure would have been even higher with expats moving to Sydney for work.

They are all most welcome as long as they continue to pay their membership !

[Damien]

Originally posted by Charlie
It's FANTASTIC for the club.

For better or worse, in all probability they aren't available to us as new recruits to the club. But if we can their cash anyway, and have their support at nine games out of ten... why not?

Totally agree.

Just scared that it makes us a more of a 'colonial out post' than a bona fide football club with thousands of passionate supporters...(I do know we have a large hardcore, but this explains why half our games the crowd is absolutely dead)

But roll in the money

[swansrule100]

Re: Non Swans fans who are "Swans Members"

Originally posted by Damien
Just reading this article at the saints site http://saints.com.au/default.asp?pg=...ticleid=171343

I wonder how many members the swans have because of this type of reason?

The guy I go with is a big time Saints fan but joined the Swans for the reason as the guy in the article, he just wants to see AFL matches....

Is this a good thing or a negative? I know the money side is good, but it is hardly the best thing to drive up "passion"...

it doesnt bother me that much to be honest and theres no way to really police it

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Mike_B
There are quite a few around me in Bay 6 at the SCG - one Norris Lurker being one of them. A Bombers supporter above all, he will wear his red and white and support the Swans for all other games during the year, except when its Swans v Bombers, when the true red and black past comes out.

I think this is a good thing. They still love the game, so why not do your bit for the sport and buy a Swans membership. Annette, our Brisbane-based Swans fanatic is a member of the Lions. She cheers them when we aren't playing us. And wants the game to grow up in Qld.

The Swans may well get you in the end. But if not, you can still support the team at every game except 1. NL follows the Swans as avidly as he does the Dons most of the time in any case (tough weekend last week, hey?). If every Swans supporter had the commitment to the game that Teal and his match Leslie had, we'd be a lot better off. I just have to hate him twice a year! That's all!

I'd much rather have knowledgeable expats instilled with the footy gene at birth who have the Swans as their 2nd team than some of the fashionable set we get at matches at moment. At least they'd watch the game and make intelligent comments about who was playing well, the umpiring etc etc.

Maybe the membership department look at targetting the non-Swans expat market more. Maybe contact Australia Post and send out membership material to anyone who has move from the southern states to Sydney.

As we have seen, there are many expats just itching to see a game of footy each week . Wouldn't it be great to see some of the hordes of expats who support clubs like the Eagles or Crows join up to support the game. Am also quite positive that quite a few would end up changing too. As unlike the life-long Vic club loyalties, the Eagles and Crows are only newish clubs with little history.

But people who buy memberships and barrack for the opposition; I say give them a big wedgie, rub them in honey and set bees onto em, then force them to watch a replay of Tony Lockett's kick until they are begging for forgiveness.

You know, the Swans are the only answer in the long term! It may take something like 96 to trigger the switch, but we'll get you in the end.

JF

PS:- To those who are expats or originally supporters of other sides, how hard has been been to change to the Swans? When did you 'know' the Swans were your club?

[Destructive]

Originally posted by Mike_B
There are quite a few around me in Bay 6 at the SCG - one Norris Lurker being one of them. A Bombers supporter above all, he will wear his red and white and support the Swans for all other games during the year, except when its Swans v Bombers, when the true red and black past comes out.

Having to sit sit next to him during those games sucks severely. I now hate those games. His arrogance and cockiness knows no bounds, Especially when one M.Lloyd makes his presence felt.

[Cher]

Surely you've all seen that girl who wears a Geelong jumper to every game!