Where have all the fans gone!!!!

[Primmy]

Oh dear. That marketing man must have struck again. Something is going wrong with the way the Swans are selling the club, that's for sure.

The best way to alienate people is to make negative statements such as is being bandied around at present. You never attract people by stating such things as "Sydney only like winners", "Where have all the fans gone!". Who on earth would turn up at games expecting to be bored and disinterested.

Liz, I am sure you would be much better at this job than the present incumbent!

Swans, try this. "Its fantastic how many fans are coming to the games". "Loyalty is contagious, we love it". "Welcome to everyone" "Its great we are winning, but even when we are not doing so well everyone gets involved". "Its a great spectacle". blah blah

Talk it up. Stop talking it down. You never win people over by overplaying the boring bits.

Thoughts? Arguments?

[ScottH]

I thought it was interesting, that a few k's south of Homebush (Centenary Drive ??), there is a billboard with a sign advertising the Swans V WC in May. Considering this weekend is one of the biggest draw cards for a homebush game, a little promotion of the correct game wouldn't go astray.

[Jewels]

I thought it was interesting, that a few k's south of Homebush (Centenary Drive ??), there is a billboard with a sign advertising the Swans V WC in May. Considering this weekend is one of the biggest draw cards for a homebush game, a little promotion of the correct game wouldn't go astray.

Yep, spotted that the other day and had a good old chuckle to myself.

[Lucky Knickers]

Marketing? What marketing.....
They should be having a big event in martin place on Friday. It should have Daisy, Neon Leon, Malthouse along with Goodes, Kirky, Baz and Roos. Handing out free tickets and talking it up.
Both the AFL and the Club should hang their heads in shame. LAZY.

[ernie koala]

I think all would agree winning puts bums on seats. The problem is, it's impossible to win all the time year after year (the bleeding obvious). So the club needs to capture the publics imagination in other ways...like playing an exciting brand of footy, winning against the odds, 2003 rings a bell, having some exciting high draft picks coming through. None of these things are acheived by plodding along in the middle of the field, scratching out wins, playing conservative footy.
What these figures show is that Roos way isn't working as it doesn't capture the publics interest. The view that "Sydneysiders only like a winner" is cliched crap. Like sports fans everywhere we like winning ( the bleeding obvious) but if that's not possible we want to be surprised, entertained, go to a game where the unpredictable may happen. And if that means going to the bottom 3 or 4 of the ladder for a year or 2, so be it. It beats the painfully slow predictable slide we are currently witnessing.

[SwansFan1972]

I wonder if the Swans will give the AFL a full and frank disclosure on how they handled membership renewals this year?

Views from a few lapsed members might make the AFL wonder if they really can help at all off-field. All their blarney at the moment about helping the Swans with marketing, memberships, development etc can only work if the host organisation doesn't set about shooting itself in the foot.

The initial concourse reclassification to gold, then the capitulation and making it silver, which still left huge hikes in family and child ticket prices, along with the abolition of season tickets, (just to squeeze more money out of those who hitherto didn't see value in getting a key ring, a limited vote and access to diminishing numbers of post-game functions) would probably be of interest to the beancounters at AFL HQ.

[hammo]

I would like to think it's a sign of the Swans maturing as a club and Sydney as a football market.

Hopefully we've reached the end of the cliched rubbish about Sydney not being able to bottom-out, and of marketing games to the chardonnay-sipping event going crowd.

The fact is, the way the competition is structured makes it impossible to keep topping up with journeymen to stay competitive. Even more so with the style of play now in use across the AFL where there is such emphasis on skill.

The Geelong comparison about early draft picks barely holds up to scrutiny when you consider their best player was taken with a father son selection.

Sydney would be best biting the bullet and collecting as many early draft picks as possible to build a side based on speed and skill. The rusted on fans will be there for the ride and the club will attract new supporters when the upswing begins.

[Cheer Squad]

There's no buzz about the Swans at the moment. Everyone knows we're not contenders at the moment and probably won't be for some time. We're going through the same thing that happened after the mid-80s and mid-90s.

When it's clear that we're on the up again, the crowds will come back.

[Cardinal]

If we smash Collingwood this week we'll be contenders! Two straight wins thats all I ask (till 5 Jul).

They are advertsing the game on Fox Sports.

[SCGonasunnyday]

Hmm talk to a taxi driver or a restaurant owner about how business is going. This is the first recession in 17 years and people are cutting back on their spending.

It is clear that paying for Swans memberships or going to games is something a lot of people and families are cutting because it is a lot of money which can be saved and because they know they are unlikely to miss a premiership year.

Whilst there are other factors, it is mostly the economy people.

[royboy42]

I absolutely believe that the restructuring of ticketing this year has cost the club dearly.
Even from where I sit in the Brewongle, I can see so many of the regulars from the last ten years are absent this year, AND their seats are empty...not resold to new people!
Granted this is only one person's view and thus reasonably insignificant, but with the announcement of thousands missing from last year's membership, it just may be correct.
My mate who has sat with my family and friends since 1996 asked that he be able to drop the ANZ component, but retain his platinum seats with us at the SCG, was refused. In fact, the pelican he spoke to on the phone asked if he wanted to cancel his membership there and then.NO felxibilty, no nuttin...so, he decided rather than sit away from his mates , he would cancel. I wonder how many others were in exactly the same boat!
And , of course, there is nothing worse than a disgruntled customer. He has spread that story far and wide..not good publicity!

[goswannie14]

Hmm talk to a taxi driver or a restaurant owner about how business is going. This is the first recession in 17 years and people are cutting back on their spending.

It is clear that paying for Swans memberships or going to games is something a lot of people and families are cutting because it is a lot of money which can be saved and because they know they are unlikely to miss a premiership year.

Whilst there are other factors, it is mostly the economy people.

I know the press would have us believe this crap, but most people, unless they lose their job, are better off now than they have been for a while. petrol prices are down, interest rates are down. The economy furphy is nothing more than that....a furphy.

[connolly]

I absolutely believe that the restructuring of ticketing this year has cost the club dearly.
Even from where I sit in the Brewongle, I can see so many of the regulars from the last ten years are absent this year, AND their seats are empty...not resold to new people!
Granted this is only one person's view and thus reasonably insignificant, but with the announcement of thousands missing from last year's membership, it just may be correct.
My mate who has sat with my family and friends since 1996 asked that he be able to drop the ANZ component, but retain his platinum seats with us at the SCG, was refused. In fact, the pelican he spoke to on the phone asked if he wanted to cancel his membership there and then.NO felxibilty, no nuttin...so, he decided rather than sit away from his mates , he would cancel. I wonder how many others were in exactly the same boat!
And , of course, there is nothing worse than a disgruntled customer. He has spread that story far and wide..not good publicity!

The buck has to stop somewhere gentlemen. Spotlight on the man giving the finger. Take a bow Dick.

[Primmy]

And I want to add another thing which may or may not be well received.

How on earth are they going to maintain a solid Sydney fan base when they shift the huge event the Hall of Fame to Melbourne. I feel totally alienated by this.

We must be the laughing stock of Melbourne having a major event for the Sydney Swans held in another state 1000 ks away!

I thought we were the Sydney Swans. Have been for over 25 years. We are no longer the South Melbourne Swans. Are they thinking of shifting the club back down to Melbourne? I guess we just don't count any more.

[goswannie14]

And I want to add another thing which may or may not be well received.

How on earth are they going to maintain a solid Sydney fan base when they shift the huge event the Hall of Fame to Melbourne. I feel totally alienated by this.

We must be the laughing stock of Melbourne having a major event for the Sydney Swans held in another state 1000 ks away!

I thought we were the Sydney Swans. Have been for over 25 years. We are no longer the South Melbourne Swans. Are they thinking of shifting the club back down to Melbourne? I guess we just don't count any more.