A serious proposal for the Cheer Squad!

[jack_spain]

How did we get to the point where a club that attracts support across the whole social spectrum now makes a rule that membership of the CS will ONLY be available to those who are rich enough, or who can beg, borrow or steal to buy into it? Where's the justice in that? Personally I reckon money shouldn't be part of the equation. The more people pay to get into the CS the less inclined they'll be to want to do anything except sit their fat backsides down on their expensive reserved seat!

Why can't passionate Collingwood people (especially young people) audition for the CS? Make it like Aussie Idol - you'd get thousands turn up! Have the most stringent conditions available and if people don't pull their weight, chuck them out. But hey, you don't have to be Einstein to know that if the club has sold them a reserved seat, well they have that for the rest of the year. So you dilute the effectiveness of the CS.

Make the CS membership a peppercorn rate (say $100). The club can afford that, there's only 200 members for crying out loud. That means even the poorer Collingwood members who succeed at the audition and have the passion are not discriminated against on the level of their bank balance. Make the CS standingroom only! No reserved seats to fight over, no special privileges other than serving the Mighty Magpies. If you have to audition thousands to get your 200 you can be sure you'll have the finest most passionate CS in the AFL.

The current proposal by the club will not work!

[Johnson#26]

[Bucks5]

I think some sort of record should be kept of how much time each individual CS member contributes to non game day activities such as banner making, assisting with clinics, etc. throughout the year.

Then based on how much of their own time they gave up, some sort of discount should be applied for their membership the following year on a sliding scale. This will sort out the free loaders from the contributors.

If the payers want to sit back for a free ride then so be it, but at least those on limited means who are willing to work, or those who bleed for the club and partake in the 'unpleasant' CS duties, are duly rewarded.

This doesn't solve the problems faced this year but it can help for subsequent years.