Cheer Squad?

[Triple B]

It must depress the players seeing the area of official club support so empty so often. (

Devastating for them.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Here is us on Sunday. Not brilliant & too many empty seats still. But heaps better than it normally is.

http://www.harboursport.com/images/DSCF5310.JPG

JF

[sidswan]

Hey cheer squad I reckon you look terrific...thanks from us all for the great job you do

[31 hard at it]

Cheer Squad Appreciation

To every one in the Cheer Squad ....
Never think your efforts are not appreciated.
The atmosphere at the ground and even the tv would be much less without the Colour and enthusiasm.
Every club has one .... some better than other ......but for Quality, Good Looks, Enthusiam and all round nice people ... if you support the Swans then you appreciate the efforts of this group.

PS I think the way TV slots in Ads after every goal / break in play reduces the air time featuring the cheer quads but all the best still shots are of the most passionate of supporters.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

As I do a lot of the time I have been thinking about possible ways of perhaps artificially pumping a bit of vigour into not only the Sydney-based Cheer Squad but the overall support in general.

As we have seen, unlike the Southern States where it seems the kids are champing at the bit to get involved, make banners etc it seems that Sydney people prefer to do their own thing, sot where they want & yell and cheer when THEY feel like it.

One option would be to re-brand the Cheer Squad as part of a brand new support-focussed membership category whereby you are guaranteed seating in the two bays behind the goals in the new stand at the SCG. Have something similar to the "red zone" but at the Randwick end & package it up so that it becomes an attractive proposition to both families with kids (the type of people a cheer squad should be attracting these days) as well as an area behind the Cheer Squad for older Swans supporters who want to yell cheer and shout whilst having a beer or two at the game. Make the two GA bays in the Trumper Stand Swans only but still GA & sell enough packaged up cheer squad+ season ticket memberships at a discounted rate so the seats can be filled out. Maybe they could throw in some drink vouchers to get louder supporters who like a drink to come and sit in this area and make it SWANS every week.

Our Cheer Squad is small & we don't have any sort of grog squad for older supporters to congregate in and support the team at all. Perhaps the club needs to be pro-active about getting the ball roll on things that will be A) financially viable for them B) will get more people becoming members C) increase the atmosphere. All 3 things need not necessarily be mutually exclusive.

Another option would be organising a subsidised membership for NSWAFL junior clubs for the same bays. A couple of years ago the club gave out free tickets to junior clubs on a day by day basis. The success was rather mixed as you got people saying to the club "Where are our free tickets today? If you don't give us any this time, we won't go". But getting NSW footy juniors involved as Swans members has so many plusses it isn't funny. Teenagers already connected to AFL are EXACTLY the types we are looking for to fill up the seats in the cheer squad area. Plus being local junior players themselves they get a taste of the big stuff close hand. Maybe a Swans membership at a subsidised rate may have them starting to dream of playing for them as THEIR team. The more Sydney juniors who want to play for the Swans, the better I say.

No criticism of the president or anyone who slaves away making banners etc. But I think the club needs to be clever and think outside the square in trying to revitalise not only the Cheer Squad but maybe looking at finding an area for older supporters who like a beer and a sing song to congregate at games.How many people are never thought of sitting with other fans? How many would if offered a cheaper limited supply membership?

We'd only be talking a maximum 500-1000 seats with this plan anyway. So selling this a mount of memberships won't hurt the club too much. With the offshoot being better atmosphere, meaning more people involved with the game, meaning greater supporter=hopefully more membership in the long run.

Would be curious as to how Myles & the marketing department would react to such ideas.

JF

[pinkemu]

As I do a lot of the time I have been thinking about possible ways of perhaps artificially pumping a bit of vigour into not only the Sydney-based Cheer Squad but the overall support in general.

As we have seen, unlike the Southern States where it seems the kids are champing at the bit to get involved, make banners etc it seems that Sydney people prefer to do their own thing, sot where they want & yell and cheer when THEY feel like it.

One option would be to re-brand the Cheer Squad as part of a brand new support-focussed membership category whereby you are guaranteed seating in the two bays behind the goals in the new stand at the SCG. Have something similar to the "red zone" but at the Randwick end & package it up so that it becomes an attractive proposition to both families with kids (the type of people a cheer squad should be attracting these days) as well as an area behind the Cheer Squad for older Swans supporters who want to yell cheer and shout whilst having a beer or two at the game. Make the two GA bays in the Trumper Stand Swans only but still GA & sell enough packaged up cheer squad+ season ticket memberships at a discounted rate so the seats can be filled out. Maybe they could throw in some drink vouchers to get louder supporters who like a drink to come and sit in this area and make it SWANS every week.

Our Cheer Squad is small & we don't have any sort of grog squad for older supporters to congregate in and support the team at all. Perhaps the club needs to be pro-active about getting the ball roll on things that will be A) financially viable for them B) will get more people becoming members C) increase the atmosphere. All 3 things need not necessarily be mutually exclusive.

Another option would be organising a subsidised membership for NSWAFL junior clubs for the same bays. A couple of years ago the club gave out free tickets to junior clubs on a day by day basis. The success was rather mixed as you got people saying to the club "Where are our free tickets today? If you don't give us any this time, we won't go". But getting NSW footy juniors involved as Swans members has so many plusses it isn't funny. Teenagers already connected to AFL are EXACTLY the types we are looking for to fill up the seats in the cheer squad area. Plus being local junior players themselves they get a taste of the big stuff close hand. Maybe a Swans membership at a subsidised rate may have them starting to dream of playing for them as THEIR team. The more Sydney juniors who want to play for the Swans, the better I say.

No criticism of the president or anyone who slaves away making banners etc. But I think the club needs to be clever and think outside the square in trying to revitalise not only the Cheer Squad but maybe looking at finding an area for older supporters who like a beer and a sing song to congregate at games.How many people are never thought of sitting with other fans? How many would if offered a cheaper limited supply membership?

We'd only be talking a maximum 500-1000 seats with this plan anyway. So selling this a mount of memberships won't hurt the club too much. With the offshoot being better atmosphere, meaning more people involved with the game, meaning greater supporter=hopefully more membership in the long run.

Would be curious as to how Myles & the marketing department would react to such ideas.

JF

Did you go to the Membership Focus groups JF?
Sounds like you should have , at least you're thinking of how to boost numbers by attracting supporters, not like those who run the show (They thought "Bronze" was a better idea )

[Yuri H]

I think the club needs to be clever and think outside the square in trying to revitalise not only the Cheer Squad but maybe looking at finding an area for older supporters who like a beer and a sing song to congregate at games.How many people are never thought of sitting with other fans? How many would if offered a cheaper limited supply membership?

JF

I would be up for something like this. Sit near/with the Cheer Squad and help out, all that. I'm slowly upping my participation and involvement (some would call it fanaticism) season by season ...

[AnnieH]

Maybe they could throw in some drink vouchers to get louder supporters who like a drink to come and sit in this area and make it SWANS every week.

... no need. They can hear me from the top of the Brewongle.

Thanks for the invite pet. You know I'd love to come and sit downstairs with the little people.

[Glenn]

Interesting ideas you bring up JF, and ones I would look at in more details if I wasn't so brain dead.
However the point you make about a area behind the CS for a "grog squad", not sure how well that would sit with a)the club, b)the afl and then trying to keep those who do want a drink from the CS area.

[Cheer Squad]

As I do a lot of the time I have been thinking about possible ways of perhaps artificially pumping a bit of vigour into not only the Sydney-based Cheer Squad but the overall support in general.

As we have seen, unlike the Southern States where it seems the kids are champing at the bit to get involved, make banners etc it seems that Sydney people prefer to do their own thing, sot where they want & yell and cheer when THEY feel like it.

One option would be to re-brand the Cheer Squad as part of a brand new support-focussed membership category whereby you are guaranteed seating in the two bays behind the goals in the new stand at the SCG. Have something similar to the "red zone" but at the Randwick end & package it up so that it becomes an attractive proposition to both families with kids (the type of people a cheer squad should be attracting these days) as well as an area behind the Cheer Squad for older Swans supporters who want to yell cheer and shout whilst having a beer or two at the game. Make the two GA bays in the Trumper Stand Swans only but still GA & sell enough packaged up cheer squad+ season ticket memberships at a discounted rate so the seats can be filled out. Maybe they could throw in some drink vouchers to get louder supporters who like a drink to come and sit in this area and make it SWANS every week.

Our Cheer Squad is small & we don't have any sort of grog squad for older supporters to congregate in and support the team at all. Perhaps the club needs to be pro-active about getting the ball roll on things that will be A) financially viable for them B) will get more people becoming members C) increase the atmosphere. All 3 things need not necessarily be mutually exclusive.

Another option would be organising a subsidised membership for NSWAFL junior clubs for the same bays. A couple of years ago the club gave out free tickets to junior clubs on a day by day basis. The success was rather mixed as you got people saying to the club "Where are our free tickets today? If you don't give us any this time, we won't go". But getting NSW footy juniors involved as Swans members has so many plusses it isn't funny. Teenagers already connected to AFL are EXACTLY the types we are looking for to fill up the seats in the cheer squad area. Plus being local junior players themselves they get a taste of the big stuff close hand. Maybe a Swans membership at a subsidised rate may have them starting to dream of playing for them as THEIR team. The more Sydney juniors who want to play for the Swans, the better I say.

No criticism of the president or anyone who slaves away making banners etc. But I think the club needs to be clever and think outside the square in trying to revitalise not only the Cheer Squad but maybe looking at finding an area for older supporters who like a beer and a sing song to congregate at games.How many people are never thought of sitting with other fans? How many would if offered a cheaper limited supply membership?

We'd only be talking a maximum 500-1000 seats with this plan anyway. So selling this a mount of memberships won't hurt the club too much. With the offshoot being better atmosphere, meaning more people involved with the game, meaning greater supporter=hopefully more membership in the long run.

Would be curious as to how Myles & the marketing department would react to such ideas.

JF

Quite a well-considered post. You should be working for the Swans marketing department. If any of these ideas come to fruition we'll know who to thank.

[Cheer Squad mbr]

Hey cheer squad I reckon you look terrific...thanks from us all for the great job you do

To every one in the Cheer Squad ....
Never think your efforts are not appreciated.
The atmosphere at the ground and even the tv would be much less without the Colour and enthusiasm.
Every club has one .... some better than other ......but for Quality, Good Looks, Enthusiam and all round nice people ... if you support the Swans then you appreciate the efforts of this group.

PS I think the way TV slots in Ads after every goal / break in play reduces the air time featuring the cheer quads but all the best still shots are of the most passionate of supporters.

On behalf of all those in the CS, thanks guys.