Who Have The Best Fans In The Land

[westernswan]

A question for all, maybe more of the cheersqaud people who attend every away game but if you, could spare the time could you please rank the teams supporters from most passionate to least passionate, and i define the term passion in loyality, noise and making a hostile environment......

[hird_god]

i can only go on the melbourne games i go to, not the fans that turn up to the away ones against you guys.
Collingwood, Carlton both very passionate
Richmond also, continues to suprise me how many of their fans turn up every week given their performance, they were especially strong and loud in the richmond V ess game where we thumped them.
West coast are passionate, as are Hawthorn, whilst the remainder pale into mediocrity.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by hird_god
i can only go on the melbourne games i go to, not the fans that turn up to the away ones against you guys.
Collingwood, Carlton both very passionate
Richmond also, continues to suprise me how many of their fans turn up every week given their performance, they were especially strong and loud in the richmond V ess game where we thumped them.
West coast are passionate, as are Hawthorn, whilst the remainder pale into mediocrity.

I really don't think you can say that there is one solid constant most passionate supporter base. Each club has its fall-backs when their side is down, both in terms of attendences and it terms of the output noisewise.

One thing that is certain. Sydney is by far the most fluctuant. Give us a big game and a packed SCG, the Sydney fans make the best noise in the land. They were the first club to start singing soccer-style chants and songs at matches. But if the Swans are losing or the game is boring, watch the very same people make a bee-line for the exits. As with everything in this city, when you're hot you're hot. And when you're not, you not. And everyone forgets you exist!

Have been impressed with the noise created by supporters of Port Adelaide and Fremantle at home match over the last couple of seasons. However both have small supporter bases, with the latter having quite a few bandwagon jumpers.

Forget the Eagles and Adelaide. Plastic artificially created franchises, both teams have supporters who never followed footy before their existance. The Eagles' crowd is particularly weak. A very gimmicky American kind of feel about it. They even have a cart selling caps and things that goes around the ground at half time. And the infamous taped cheers of "SGIO, Go Eagles Go!" at the quarter time breaks. Adelaide is better. But this is only because South Aussies are more passionate about their footy than sleepy Sandgropers.

Brisbane is improving, with the Gabba crowd often pretty vocal at night games when the locals are lubed up.

Of the Melbourne clubs, I have always respected the loyalty and passion of St Kilda and Hawthorn Cheer Squads (Supporters Club in the case of HFC-their old Cheer Squad were some of the worst ratbags in the game.) Colliongwood supporters are generally more keen on sticking it up their opponents than winning for themselves. Whilst Essendon supporters are amongst the most loud-mouth cocky maggots you'll ever have the displeasure to meet. Listen to the **** they start up with on the trains to/from Homebush on Saturday night. I reckon Dons fans are the worst in the comp. I can handle a feral (Port, Freo, St Kilda). But I just cannot handle a cocky arrogant loudmouth who thinks he is somewhat better than the rest of us mere mortals.

Richmond supporters WERE the most passionate. But now that their club is at rock-bottom, most of their volotile supporter base has deserted them, again. Carlton are mainly Italians and Greeks. And highly smug and arrogant when winning. Melbourne are pissy Toorak and Camberwell snobs, which the Bulldogs are loyal working class battlers. Geelong fans, MOOOOOOOOOO!!! You can smell the drizebones at K Park.

JF

[hird_god]

I dispute two things you've said:
1 Richmond supporters have not jumped off considering they have been so bad so long, either that or they all turn up for the ESS blockbuster, they're always at the 'G making some noise when i'm there.
2. ess fans are passionate and arrogant but are nowhere near as bad as collingwood.

sydney fans general knowlege of the game is a disgrace, they just go up and yell whenever a decision is paid against them - even the most obvious. given huge handouts for years now, supporters still only show up when things are going well and even then are dead quiet until the game has been won.

[BAM_BAM]

Originally posted by hird_god
sydney fans general knowlege of the game is a disgrace, they just go up and yell whenever a decision is paid against them

but generally that's when "Don't touch my hair" gets a free right in front of goal so it's usually warrented



given huge handouts for years now, supporters still only show up when things are going well and even then are dead quiet until the game has been won.

I guess the rest of your comment is in retaliation to JF's so I'm not even going to bother going there.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by hird_god
sydney fans general knowlege of the game is a disgrace, they just go up and yell whenever a decision is paid against them - even the most obvious. given huge handouts for years now, supporters still only show up when things are going well and even then are dead quiet until the game has been won.

My reply is such, which club is getting better exposure and bigger crowds for their sport in their respective cities, us or the Melbourne Storm NRL side. Not even a contest, we are so far in front it isn't funny!!!!!!!!

That the Swans are getting so many new people to games is a credit to the fact that we are proactive to integrating into the Sydney community. It is only understandable that the knowledge level of many of them (especially at blockbuster matches) is way down on what you'd get in Melbourne with people brought up with their clubs from the time they were born.

From first-timers the fanatics of tomorrow are born.

We are doing OK, I think.

JF

[hird_god]

You make some good points, and you're right NRL gains no exposure in melb but thats because its a **** game, can't sell a faulty product!

The only concern I have over Sydney is that if they haven't got a solid consistent supporter base and media coverage by now, with all that has been pumped into the market - will they ever reach an acceptable league level?

[Damien]

Originally posted by hird_god

The only concern I have over Sydney is that if they haven't got a solid consistent supporter base and media coverage by now, with all that has been pumped into the market - will they ever reach an acceptable league level?

Just one point - the loans given to the Swans in the early 90's have been paid back in full to the AFL. The Swans haven't received an extra cent from the AFL that other clubs haven't received. Not sure if you are implying that, but I get very angry at the standard "all the money the swans and lions get" line, we don't get extra money at all.

In actual fact, the massive crowd we got to the Sydney V Brisbane preliminary final last year generated enough income for the AFL to give yet more handouts to the Bulldogs and Kangaroos.

The swans since 1996 have built up a very good hardcore of probably about 15000ish in Sydney, with an overall average nearing 30,000ish. We get reasonable coverage in both daily newspapers and get mentions on the nightly news a few times a week. Not bad for one little team in a city that is NRL crazy and can give and take sport when it feels like it.

There is not much more we can hope for. The next step is to get bigger TV audiences in Sydney, but that will take generations, the work the AFL has done in schools etc take a long time to flourish.

What AFL has achieved in Sydney so far is a miracle. This town is NRL crazy, the fact that we know get a compulsory mention as a mainstream team in this town is worth celebrating.

I am not sure an Essendon fan can comment on us - Essendon's supporter base has not been tested since the early 80's. The Swans have been through hell in our existence. I think we are doing fine.

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by hird_god
You make some good points, and you're right NRL gains no exposure in melb but thats because its a **** game, can't sell a faulty product!

The only concern I have over Sydney is that if they haven't got a solid consistent supporter base and media coverage by now, with all that has been pumped into the market - will they ever reach an acceptable league level?

This isn't true mate. We have at the very worst 17000 solid supporters even in the back times.

The AFL has seen the fruits of its labour in the 70000+ crowds we got last season.

We have the potential to be the biggest club in the AFL. I have no doubt of that. But we have to crawl before we walk.

We ALREADY are Sydney's undisputed number one drawing club side (with only the international Super 12 Waratahs outdrawing us). They never said we would ever do that when they moved us up here.

Unlike Melbourne we have so much happening sportwise in this town. All 4 footy codes all competing against each other, plus the two basketball Grand Finalists. So we are doing pretty well. Our crowds are up this season.

JF

[sharpie]

Originally posted by hird_god
supporters still only show up when things are going well

Ummm, how about Hawthorn this year, at one stage getting a huge 12,000 to a home match at the MCG.

Yep, the Swans are the ONLY side that gets smaller crowds when they are going badly.

This is such a huge misconception among the AFL fraternity. After losing 4 in a row earlier this season, we still drew 25,000 (not much lower than our SCG average) to our next home match. Every team, yours included, will naturally experience a drop in attendances when they are travelling poorly.

[cruiser]

I don't recall the last time Sydney pulled less than 20,000 to a home game. Early 1996 maybe?

[Wil]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG

That the Swans are getting so many new people to games is a credit to the fact that we are proactive to integrating into the Sydney community. It is only understandable that the knowledge level of many of them (especially at blockbuster matches) is way down on what you'd get in Melbourne with people brought up with their clubs from the time they were born.

From first-timers the fanatics of tomorrow are born.

In every other year I have been going to the Swans (before getting reserved seating this year) there has always been someone either in our group or sitting near us that is having the rules explained to them during the game. There must be one or two thousand AFL virgins at every Swans game.

What the Swans organisation need to do is turn that into Membership numbers. It only dawned on me this year, after following the Swans for 15 or so years to actually become a member and get season tickets. I never really "got" the membership thing as it is not something that really happened in Sydney with other codes.

[BigBadBustlin]

Adelaide and west coast fans are pretty passionate.

Carlton fans make quite a lot of noise. Richmond fans are bandwagonners. They spit at their coach! How bad is that? Collingwood fans are passionate but are arrogant and feral. Essendon fans are a mixture of Collingwood and Richmond. Dockers and Port fans i cant stand. Lions supporters are growing through their sucess.

As for our own supporters, i think we are improving as the people who dont know much about the game begin to learn more. The numbers are slowly coming back with continued success and that is good for the code in our home state. The only criticism i have of our supporters is the fact that we do leave games early when we are getting flogged, as someone previously mentioned

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by BigBadBustlin
Adelaide and west coast fans are pretty passionate.

Carlton fans make quite a lot of noise. Richmond fans are bandwagonners. They spit at their coach! How bad is that? Collingwood fans are passionate but are arrogant and feral. Essendon fans are a mixture of Collingwood and Richmond. Dockers and Port fans i cant stand. Lions supporters are growing through their sucess.

As for our own supporters, i think we are improving as the people who dont know much about the game begin to learn more. The numbers are slowly coming back with continued success and that is good for the code in our home state. The only criticism i have of our supporters is the fact that we do leave games early when we are getting flogged, as someone previously mentioned

Disagree on your comments re Adelaide and West Coast. Both are artificially created franchised with little history culture or anything. For footy states the atmosphere at both team's matches is average at best. The Eagles is particularly disturbing. Ask any WA-based fan about how many plastic people go to Eagles matches.

Port don't get the numbers through the gate, but do make up for it in noise levels. As do Freo.

Brisbane crowds are often deafening at night. But are heaps quieter in the heat of the day.

JF

[port1978]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG
Disagree on your comments re Adelaide and West Coast. Both are artificially created franchised with little history culture or anything. For footy states the atmosphere at both team's matches is average at best. The Eagles is particularly disturbing. Ask any WA-based fan about how many plastic people go to Eagles matches.

JF

Yep, the Cows & the E-girls have the worst supporters....particularly the E-girls......S.G.I.O....GO EAGLES GO! Meh, what a bloody joke!