Collingwood Cheer Squad - How is it now?

[Dgen]

Firstly let me say that I am not saying anything against the current cheer squad, I am genuiely wondering how it is now.
My cheer squad history follows:
My mum and I first joined the cheer squad in 1982 when I was 9.
(I still have the patch!)The only thing I really remember from that year is being at the MCG the next week for a match against Richmond. We went to the end where we thought the CS would be only to find out that they were at the other end of the ground.
We never received any info about where the CS would sit the next week and I think it was just assumed that new members would know.
We didn't renew in 1983.
Fast Forward to 1991. I was now a grown-up(18!) and decided to join the CS again. As I had been to a lot more games by then I had a better idea of where to be for each match. I remember one person (a girl named Rusty) talking to me and basically welcoming me to the CS and making me feel like I was a true member. As the year progressed I slowly began to talk to more people (I am very shy) and I started feeling at home in the CS.
1992 continued on from 1991.
At the start of 1993 I was given a prime reserved seat in the CS section of Vic Park and cheered my guts out!
Towards the end of '93 I asked the President if I could keep the same seat for the next year. She said 'I don't know, you haven't really been cheering that well'. I was deeply hurt. One thought that came to me was a game at Vic Park where we kicked 3 goals to Adrian McAdams 9 and I cheered and yelled all day whilst 'the commitee' in the front row spent the day organising some party for that night. I never sat with the CS again. Basically I feel that I wasn't welcomed into the CS easily and there definately seemed to be an 'in crowd' that you were either in or not.
So now you know where I come from, here is my question to current CS members:
Are new members welcomed openly into the CS. Are they given info on where to be for each game and how to best enjoy the CS experience? Basically, when a person decideds to be a new member of the CS, how is that person treated? I would like to hear from long term members as well as those who may have joined recently.

PS I would like to say again that this in no way reflects on the current CS. It is my story from my POV.

'caveat pica pica'

[dillo_09]

Hey Dgen,

Good to read your story in some ways and bad in others. I was president of the cheer squad in 1991 and certainly remember Rusty (and her "assets" ;o) ) and I am glad you felt welcome at that time, but I am sorry to hear it went sour after that.
Groups like the cheer squad (and many others) can become clicky and dont let outsiders become involved, which is not a good thing as it alienates people who could otherwise contribute greatly to the squad, the club and the game of football.
I would suggest, but I dont know for sure, that the current day CS would welcome you back again as a member and being a Nicks poster would mean you already have freinds who are involved in the squad such as Alf, Foxy and Joffa.
You should go and introduce yourself and sit with them for a game or two just to see if you feel comfortable and welcome. I hope you do.
Anyway, good to read your post and I might see you around one day!

Mark Dillon

[Dr Alf Andrews]

I guess this ties in with another topic raised by Mags, which I've just responded to.

Interesting that this has come up, because earlier tonight I was talking on the phone with a Cheer Squad member who is very critical of the direction that things seem to be heading in at the moment.

I guess it's that perception of a clique that seems to be alienating a lot of people at the moment, just as it has always done, apparently. A group of people get a bit cosy on the front row and forget to communicate with the rest. Now I've become one of those cosy people on the front row, and I guess I have to accept a fair bit of the criticism.

Yeah. It's true. We do stick to ourselves a bit. But it's not intentional. People are only people. And we are not all great communicators.

I can only speak for myself in this ... but here goes.

The issue of shyness has been raised here. This may be a bit hard to believe to those who see me making a public spectacle of myself on a weekly basis, but I'm one of the most shy people you would ever find. In fact, I reckon this chant-leading caper is really just a kind of therapy ... a way of forcing myself to be extroverted against my real nature. And it's really bloody hard. I always go through a terrible attack of nerves on the way to the football because I actually fear standing up in front of the Cheer Squad. It's a tough gig.

But leading a chant is one thing. Actually approaching someone I don't know and having a conversation with them terrifies me even more.

It really upsets me to hear that people are leaving the Cheer Squad because they don't feel welcome. If that is the case, then we are doing something wrong.

The Cheer Squad was a lot of fun on Monday, but the numbers were down. Lots of empty seats, so that must tell us something. It's not meant to be an elitist thing. But people aren't perfect.

There's no quck fix to this ... It's not just a matter of putting a different group of people on the front row, because they'll just get cozy in their own little clique and we'll just have the same problem all over again.

It's about communication ... and actually going out of your way to make people welcome. And for some of us that's easier said than done.

This Cheer Squad means a lot to me. It's the only reason I keep going to the football. There's no way I could go back to sitting in general admission surrounded by a bunch of opposition supporters. So, I want it to work. And I want it to grow. And I'd like nothing more than to have every Collingwood supporter join the Cheer Squad. Imagine that. 30,000 strong. One great mighty voice.

But, yeah ... it's a long way off, I know.



floreat pica
**************
My Ph.D. thesis, "Football: the People's Game?" is now available for viewing and/or downloading at http://alf.magpies.net

[luv tha pies]

Thats right Alf. As i sit next to you every week and you get up and start a chant and then we follow we need to see everyone is participating. If collingwood start to slump a bit it is a sign to get up and start chanting louder. Let them know we are still there and not going home till that final siren blows. The cheersquad is an awsome place and has a great atmosphere. Like Alf i dont think i can go back to sit in general admin anymore because it isent the same. Join the cheersquad, you'll have the best fun at the footy!!!!!!!

TOO GOOD COLLINGWOOD

[stik35]

We joined the Cheersquad last year and it has been the best thing we could have done.
Everyone I've met has been wonderful.
We are definitely made to feel welcome and even though we don't make it to banner making very often, we have even had the opportunity to hold it up out on the ground.
For me, I have made a point of introducing myself to people which is how I got to meet Alf, Joffa and others who post on Nick's.
I never used to know which end of the ground or what was going on but I just looked for the Cheersquad or asked someone.
There is nothing better than sitting amongst totally Collingwood supporters and screaming your lungs out every week.
If you want to join just make yourself known and you will be made welcome.

[foxy]

great post Alf.

i could write a lot about this.

i joined the cheer squad last year after basically sitting by myself at the footy for years. it's the best decision i've made for a LOOONNGGG time. i ended up meeting soooo many people - Alf, joffa, and then heaps of other people who are now great mates. there's nothing better than heading off to the footy knowing you'll see all your mates.

anyway, i've worked myself into the front row, and most weeks i sit next to Alf. now i'm not too sure what's going on behind the scenes at the cheer squad, but Alf i'm sure you're not part of this 'clique' that's apparently alienating people. you do a great job every week - everyone chants when you chant, so you must be doing something right.

as i say, i've got no idea who the people are who are causing others to leave the cheer squad. but i do know that there's not as many people in the cheer squad as there was last year. that's surprising and disappointing - we're playing great footy this year and i reckon our players deserve a great cheer squad.

why are their empty seats? why isn't joffa sitting down the front with alf, so they can both start up chants at the same time?

something must be going on, and i wish it was sorted out. like Alf, i wish that the entire collingwood crowd WAS a cheer squad. but i guess a lot of people are shy - they don't wanna sing and chant all the way through a game. but i don't reckon a lot of people know what a great feeling it is to sit with other people who love to chant and clap and go crazy. it makes going to the footy heaps more fun.

anyway, my dream right now is for all the unofficial guys (everyone who goes to the cricketers - all the LOUD guys) to join the cheer squad. it'd sound bloody amazing if we all just joined forces.

i mean - all the people who were in the circle after the game on the monday - if they ALL joined the cheer squad, can you imagine how loud we'd be?

one of these days it's going to happen, and we are going to make SOOOO much noise.

actually, if the cheer squad had've been sitting on the BOTTOM DECK of the ponny on monday, it might've happened. why the hell were we sitting on the second level?

just one of those mysteries i guess. i wish all this mysterious behind the scenes crap would stop, i wish everybody would just come together, fire up and make some serious noise.

[Dr Alf Andrews]

Mags, I think the reason for the $10 charge at Colonial is because level 1 seats at Colonial are not general admission. They are actually more expensive seats that the ones on level 4. Most Cheer Squad members don't have to pay this because it's included in our $70 annual Cheer Squad membership package, which gives us a reserved seat at all home games and access to the roped-off area at all away games. This works out a lot cheaper over the whole season than paying $10 a game. You also don't have to spend hours queueing up for reserved seats to blockbuster games.

The $10 is the extra premium you have to pay for a level 1 seat behind the goals. If there's a villain here, I'd say it's Colonial Stadium ... not the Cheer Squad.

As for this matter of committee members bossing people around, it's probably something we're going to have to look into, because I've been hearing a lot of complaints about this. But one thing you have to remember is that official AFL cheer squads are very heavily regulated. We can actually be fined by the AFL if we break their rules. So, I'm sure you'll find that whoever is running the Cheer Squad, it is always going to be necessary to pull people into line sometimes.

So, if you've found yourself being bossed around for breaking the rules, maybe you should try to understand why. Because if one cheer squad member does something against the guidelines, the Cheer Squad as a whole gets fined.

I guess if you feel you're being unfairly treated then a lot will depend on the way you make your point. Often people respond by becoming aggressive and that just adds fuel to the fire. There is a way of making your point if you feel you've been unfairly treated. It's called communication.

There are problems for sure, Mags. You're quite right. And I think it's time for all the cloak-and-dagger stuff to stop, so we can actually talk about this stuff openly and try to get this thing back on track.

floreat pica
**************
My Ph.D. thesis, "Football: the People's Game?" is now available for viewing and/or downloading at http://alf.magpies.net

[paulie]

I was a paid up Member of the CheerSquad as a kid but haven't been a member of the Cheersquad for nearly twenty years.Any way this season one of my mates i until this year when he got a job overseas i use to regually sit with.So occasionally my other long term Collingwood mate can't make a game.I decided to pull my finger out and join the Cheer Squad.I have only sat with the CheerSquad once this year and that was at Colonial but what an Atmosphere.At times I thought Alf was going to Exploded particually when Bucks got Reported!I have also Joined this BB which has Lead to some memorable Experiences at The Cricketers enjoying a relaxing beer with the Cheer Squad and the Outer boys.It has been great to Catch up with Eugene A Collingwood Mate who I hadn't seen for a while.At the end of the Day I'M glad I have put in my Twenty Bucks to the Cheer Squad as in my opinion they do a hell of alot for the Club.And as Alf says I'M sure any lack of communication between old and new members just comes down to shyness.So my advice would be get down to the Cricketers Before an M.C.G game and say hello.I will be the fat grey haired four eyed bastard with the dodgey goatie beard.Or in other words the Elliot Goblet look alike.

[mandy]

Ah Paulie! NOW I know who you are!

Colours are an illusion. There is only black and white.

[Dr Alf Andrews]

Mags,

Well, I'm not sure why a person who had paid for full membership of the Cheer Squad would have been asked to pay extra to sit in the area. There's obviously been some sort of mistake and these sorts of things really shouldn't happen.

I know a lot of paid up Cheer Squad members didn't receive their membership cards etc. I only got mine a couple of weeks back by sending an email to the membership department at The Club. Up till then I had to sort of bluff my way past Security to get into the area. I'm just lucky that I'm quite well known around the place, so I didn't have any trouble.

Other more low profile members may have had problems if they didn't have their membership cards and reserved seat details. I really hope this doesn't happen next year because it's very unprofessional. But I think the blame lies somewhere in the membership department at The Club. To their credit, they responded very quickly when I told them I hadn't got my stuff yet.

As for the business of being told to wave stuff and to chant ... I guess we need to ask ourselves why is it called a CHEER squad. I think if a person is sitting in the Cheer Squad area they really should contribute something to the visual and aural impact of the Squad. As chant-leader I get very disappointed sometimes at the lack of volume, particularly when it's obvious that there are some people not contributing.

But when everyone is putting in, the impact is amazing. Sometimes the sound absolutely rips your head off. It's beautiful. It doesn't take much to join in on a chant. Or wave a flag. Or a pattie. Or hold up your scarf or something. A very small effort required, but if everyone does it, the visual impact is astonishing.

And, Mags, I know how much you love to intimidate opposition supporters. What better way to make them feel like shit that having a very, very loud and visually stunning cheer squad. I know how bad I feel when we are playing Richmond and you see all that yellow everywhere and hear their crowd going off. I bloody hate it. So, what better way to repay the bastards than to give them their own back. Except we can do it better ... because we're COLLINGWOOD.

I really can't see a problem with the idea that Cheer Squad members are expected to chant and wave things. Maybe the problem has more to do with the way some of our committe members go about getting their point across to people. Maybe that's something we need to look into. The committee really should lead by example, rather than by talking down at people and bullying them. I hope that's not happening, but a few people have suggested to me that it is happening.

So, committee members, if you're reading this, we really need to start listening to the valid criticisms that are coming our way. Otherwise we'll have the Cheer Squad all to ourselves ... just a dozen or so of us on the front row ... and a whole bay of empty seats behind us.

And I'm bloody sure I don't want that.

As for the bus to Adelaide, I don't know. I didn't go partly because I couldn't afford it and partly to give my voice a rest. I can't really speak for other people.



floreat pica
**************
My Ph.D. thesis, "Football: the People's Game?" is now available for viewing and/or downloading at http://alf.magpies.net

[ramjet21]

mags is clearly upset by a few things that have occurred re the CS and i for one appreciate her open appraisal of the situation. and alf, never met you mate but youre a champ. excellent points, constructive thought and unbiased(or as uch as possible given youre a member of the CS). All i wanted to add to this thread is that for many like myself who live in NT, or WA, ACT etc etc, we've never experienced the CS. ive never been to melb so never been to a home game. only ever been to WA matches. now the old WA magpies supporters do a great job but obviously numbers are far less than the official CS. those of you who live in melb or manage to get to many games, get it together. join forces, belt out the chants and song and inspire the side we love so dearly. those of us without that opportunity would give a great deal to be in your position for just a game or two.

[cobood]

I have been preety quite on this subject for obvious reasons...

Mainly that I didnt want to believe what was happening with the cheersquad..... After many sleepless nights and anguishfilled days
I can now happily state that THE CHEERSQUAD UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED!!

And to all you people out there who have tried and nearly succeded in tearing the cheersquad apart... I now say be well aware of what you are doing because you'll never succeed and the trauma that we went through has only made us stronger....

Watch out footy world... HERE COMES THE COLLINGWOOD CHEERSQUAD!!

p.s. Big thanks for all who cared enough to work things out...



BE LOUD...BE PROUD
(September.... we WILL be there)

[Greg J]

I vaguely remember having cause to chant "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!" while we were in the circle, last Monday.

Rule 1. Barrack for Collingwood
Rule 2. See rule 1.
Rule 3. There is no rule 3.

CARN DE PIES!
Greg J