75,000 Reasons Why Social Club Membership Offers Exceptional

[David Emerson]

Dear All,

I have been reading some of the messages regarding social club membership and wished to clarify a few points on behalf of the club.

Collingwood Football Club embraces and welcomes everyone, regardless of their financial circumstances – that is why we have established ourselves as the tenant club at the MCG – unlike Essendon who have gone for the dollars at Colonial Stadium – we want to provide the biggest venue possible to give everyone the opportunity to see the Magpies in action.

Unlike many clubs Collingwood Football Club listens to its members and cares about its members.

Membership is the lifeblood of the club – particularly social club membership. It is only because of our members that we can have events, sponsors, blockbusters etc. and raise money to field the best team possible and provide the best facilities possible for members.

We are working hard to deliver the best service and the most value possible for our members – and to keep membership as affordable as possible.

The redevelopment of the MCG, which restricts seating to 75,000, will make things difficult for us over the next three years, but on completion Collingwood will reap the benefits of being the tenant club at one of the world’s greatest stadiums. Collingwood members and especially social club members will enjoy the best facilities in Australia.

There is a possibility that if Collingwood participates in the Grand Final, we may not be able to provide a guaranteed ticket to all social club members.

THE CLUB HAS BEEN OPEN ANDHONEST ABOUT THIS POSSIBILTIY, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY NOT HAPPEN.

The AFL controls access to all finals tickets – we are lobbying hard to ensure that Collingwood social club members will get the best possible access to tickets should Collingwood participate.

HOWEVER SOCIAL CLUB MEMBERSHIP STILL OFFERS EXCEPTIONAL VALUE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

If CFC participates in the Grand Final all Legends, Captains and Social
Club members who are renewing or joining from now on, will be placed in
a priority ballot to receive Grand Final tickets.

Last year we were able to operate (very successfully) a ballot giving all members the chance to get a Grand Final ticket. Due to the MCG redevelopment it is doubtful we will be able to offer season ticket holders tickets.

Collingwood social club members who join now will receive priority access to tickets for the first three AFL finals including interstate finals) in which participate excluding the Grand Final at this stage.

Collingwood Social Club members will receive priority access to seats for blockbuster matches, whether they are home or away games – This means that for home and away games vs Carlton, Essendon and Richmond social club members are guaranteed a seat if they wish to attend.

As always we welcome your feedback and comments.

Go Pies!

Yours sincerely,

David Emerson
Director of Marketing

  

[dillo_09]

Thanks for your input David, it's great to see the club keeps an eye on these forum's and responds when deemed necessary. Which we already knew because of Eddie's regular post's.

I agree Social Club is the way to go and our future at the G looks awesome.

Just one question though.

My friends and I paid our Legends membership in late October and as yet havent seen anything from the club whereas I know a number of standard members and reserved seat holders having already received their season's ticket etc.

Cheers

[CQ]

yeh i think i will get SC membership when the new social club opens cos we can get in it for home AND away games, so i mite actually USE it, unlike now.

TARKO TARKO MAN!
I WANT TO BE A TARKO MAN!

[Northern Pie]

Thanks for clearing that issue up David as I know it has been a point of contention....the argument as i see it is that it seems that past social club members may miss out of guarenteed Grand Final tickets because they are haven't renewed their membership packages yet, they see this is unfair because their long term membership is not being recognised as being more valuable than say someone who has joined this year only so they can get get the Grand Final tickets....the term being used Bandwagoners....there has been quite alot of complaint about this but not much suggestion....is there a loyalty system in place that ensures those who are long term collingwood members get prefference over shorter term or new member regardless of when the long term member renews? I personally think it would only be fair to reward the long term members first. If this is not the case would it be a viable proposition?

The Other issue that may need clearing up is the Member Get Member thread below, I am not sure if this is your department but MKA has a complaint there that should be followed up on so that all the current members who are trying hard to bring more members to the club receive the reward and recognistion that they deserve.....

Once again thanks for coming in here to clarify a few things for us...

Cheers



"NEVER LEAVE, NEVER GIVE UP ON THEM AND ALWAYS BE THERE AT THE END TO CLAP THEM OFF THE GROUND. WE ARE COLLINGWOOD SUPPORTERS SON, EVEN IF THEY BEAT US, WE ARE STILL BETTER THAN THEM!"(quote from my mum when I was 8 years old)

[MissMagpie_20]

Of course you have to say what exceptional value it is David. Ill always be a social club member and go to every game and live for Collignwood but its not exceptional value mate, its a joke.

__________________________________________________

BROOKE'S TECHNO LYRICS ENCYCLOPAEDIA

[Pies Premiers 2003]

The club can only get allocated as many seats as the AFL allows.....Collingwood are not to blame....its the system.

My Question is, will Collingwood cap its Social Club membership too 16,000 when the new stand is built and have a similiar system to the MCC??

THE PIES GO MARCHING ON

[dillo_09]

Dear MissMagpie_20,

I totally disagree and personally find your statement that the value is a joke as very offensive. Social club/Legends/Captains membership IS exceptional value and is NO joke!!

18 Game Legends membership is $655 from memory which equates to $36.38 per game. Considering I can walk in whenever I like and sit in MY seat at all 18 Melbourne games, watch 2 hours of live entertainment by some of the best athletes in the world I think it is awesome value. Of course the value was heaps better when we had the reserves, but it's still great as far as I am concered.

Hell I would happily pay $1000 for the same package.

[Blanch]

Thanks David for the reply. It does seem that there are some outstanding issues though:
1. Is there anything being considered for the long term members as far as priority goes? It seems like a lot of people on this board at least, think that long standing members should get 1st dibs on SC membership allocation.

2. If and when the time comes that the SC memberships outnumber the GF seating allocation (as may be the case this year and forever more), will the club put a cap on it.

3. IMO the club's reward and recognition system for member get member is somehow flawed. If the error is from the person claiming then surely the club could explain where they have not met the criteria and case is closed. Why are there still outstanding issues in this area. It's black and white...either you meet the criteria or not.

I realise the words I have used for this last issue may seem to be strong but this is an area I feel strongly about. So little outlay for the club compared with the huge amount of glee obtained by receiving a signed jumper - not through getting signatures by attending training and leaning over the fence but by helping out our club through getting more members. We can pay our membership money if we are able to make enough money but that's the easy part. Working hard to recruit members takes effort and IMO is how the members/supporters can work their hardest for the club. THIS SHOULD BE REWARDED MORE THAN ANYTHING. Putting in time for the club should not be played down. As we all know who've tried to recruit, for every 1 who signs up there is 5-10 who don't.

As said above I do appreciate the reply David, it does make me believe that the club is listening.


My oxygen is Collingwood. Without it I die.

[Dr Alf Andrews]

Great piece of spin, David. Have you ever considered a career in marketing?

No doubt about it ... Collingwood Social Club ... the best value lottery ticket in town.

GO HARD OR GO HOME
**************
Ph.D. thesis, "Football: the People's Game?" http://alf.magpies.net

[Kristin5]

Thanks for the info, David.

I too have a question though - why can't our 18-game membership be extended to all 22 games? I go to most interstate games (and this year plan to go to all 4) yet have to pay extra to go to these, on top of airfare and accomodation. Surely at least the match price could be incorporated into the $655 I already pay for legends membership?

"I'm sure people see me as a screaming redhead with a big pair of boobs, but I like to think I've got things to say." Geri Halliwell, former member of the Spice Girls

[WhyPhilWhy?]

David,

Its a credit to you that you have responded to Collingwood supporters in an open manner, but can honestly say you have listened and responded to all our concerns?

99% of us understand that there is likely to be an under supply of seats when(!) we make the Grand Final again this year and there isn't a lot you can do about that.

However, the questions you have not addressed are:

1) You must know the number of years each social club member has been a member. Why is it not practical to allocate tickets in a manner that recognises that loyalty?

2) It has been a long standing practice that we need not renew our memberships until the new year. Even though there were rumblings of a possible shortage of GF tickets this year, do you honestly believe that members received sufficient notice of the 10 Jan cut off date?

I'm sure most of us will be satisfied with an answer to those two questions. I'm also sure you're not like the bastards from the AFL Membership department and will post an answer to these questions shortly.



"I am disrespectful to scum! Can you see I am serious!"

[magpie24]

Totally agree Dillo,AFL football is a cheap form of entertainment.I to would pay $1000 for a season of footy

******WE WILL RISE IN OUR OWN WAY*****

[Rowdy26]

David, thank you for replying to some concerns.

I was wondering if you could tell us how Collingwood use the extra 1500 (1200 this year) tickets alloted to them each year when we are not participating in the Grand Final (these are the extra tickets provided to every club, not the allotted members tickets).

Surely this is way excessive, and if significantly reduced to no more than 50 per club (excluding the competing clubs) then this could free up around 20,000 extra potential tickets for the paying member?

quote:

---

The AFL controls access to all finals tickets – we are lobbying hard to ensure that Collingwood social club members will get the best possible access to tickets should Collingwood participate.

---

Can you provide any details of how you are lobbying and the proposals you have put forth to the AFL, and any results thus far and when perhaps you expect results?

I hope you can address these concerns and those of some of other supporters at some stage.

thank you for your time.

[Lorelei]

I believe that once the club could see that the new member numbers were growing at such a pace they should have suspended the sale of them until all existing members had been informed that because of increased demand, a deadline for the sale of these had to be introduced.

Then once the deadline had passed the club could then have put the remainder on sale to the general populace that wanted to become members.

As much as we were all informed about the changes (I was paid up etc anyway) the CLUB also knew and didn't have a plan in place.

I feel for all the exisiting members who have missed out on their insurance policy. And I agree, I too would pay $1000, but fair is fair. It is like your phone being cut off because you didn't make a payment by the due date that you were never told about.

I'm sure if all of the 2002 members were told that there was in fact going to be a deadline, those who wanted to, would have paid up by that deadline.


Jen

--
Floreat Pica
BRING BACK NED!
"This is a man's world
But it would be nothing
Without a woman or a girl"

[CQ]

well for me $30+ a week is too expensive. i'd prefer to sneak in as a CHILD and only pay $2.20 and have the other 28 bucks for drinks, which would only buy me about four but anyway!

the footy is already too expensive and i agree with u brooke, it is a joke not exceptional value and im only gonna get it WHEN we have our new SC and i mite actually USE it then not like now. getting stuck behind glass is not my cup of tea thanks!



TARKO TARKO MAN!
I WANT TO BE A TARKO MAN!