How do bring back the passion ?

[Neil Appleby]

Thanks for trying Joffa. I've been wondering for a few years now why our Ponsford stand is regularly under-populated and regularly out-noised by the opposition. How is it that the largest club can't fill its own stand except on Anzac Day? How many times has our stand been full this year?

Could the problem be the number of Legends Memberships being sold? I know plenty of people who buy Legends packs and go to 2-3 games a year. These packs are used to gain entry and seating to blockbusters and to qualify for Finals' tickets. This would explain the no shows I think. Collingwood needs to introduce the re-selling concept used successfully by other clubs. If you know you are not attending a particular game, you can have the club re-sell the ticket. There are quite a lot of interstate and overseas Legends Members who would take this opportunity.

Other issues are, in this order:
Scheduling: we have been screwed royally by the AFL this year with the Sunday Twilight Disaster
Variable Ticket Pricing: designed to screw loyal supporters of the big clubs, this has been a disaster of a decision.
Food/beverages: 2 drinks set me back $18 on Saturday night. That is blatant price gouging.
Noise: I know I am not in the generation that they are trying to attract, but the constant noise pollution at games is just awful. Ads, screeching boundary-line spruikers, kiss-cam, LoudOMeter, noisy countdowns. We don't want it. Although some sections of the crowd seem to enjoy watching couples kissing!

I know the AFL employed a new guy last year who wanted to improve the match day experience. He promptly introduced these unwanted American ideas and who knows, he may be the same man who designed the Variable Ticketing.

It isn't just Collingwood supporters angry either; all supporters are feeling used at present. Once upon a time a family could afford its weekend footy outing, but I don't know how families with kids can afford to go more than a few times a year these days.

And finally, it's pretty hard to get enthused the way the team is playing. Yes, we have been spoilt in recent years, but we are playing heartless, unaccountable football. It hurts to see your team playing as if it doesn't care. That's what it looked like to me against Freo in R1 and again recently against the Peptides and against Brisbane. Brisbane! There's no leadership on field, there's no mongrel and there are few prepared to stand up at the moment. This is the reason for the lack of passion from the supporters. If the players come out and play Collingwood-style footy this week and knock-off the Giants, the final game against the Hawks will be well attended. If last week's Collingwood turns up and gets belted by the Giants then the final game will be a tumbleweeds experience.

None of the problems are insurmountable and it's good timing to be asking the questions Joffa. Some of the issues are not of Collingwood's making, but plenty are and the club needs to start listening to its supporters. Eddie understands this and his Supporters' Meeting is just what is needed.

[melliot]

I sit in the AFL members and look at the Ponny in and around the Cheers squad. It looks half empty if not 3/4 empty most games. The same game will have the rear 10 rows of the top deck far more densely filled.

The fans that turn up are given the worst possible seats. And the better seats and where we want the supporter to create the atmosphere, are vacant. I can only assume this is because of permanent seat holders not turning up.

IMO other than some select pockets of seats, the extended area around the cheer squad should be "walk up" reserved areas for Collingwood members and guests (or also include general public wearing black and white gear). It should only be ticketed for the blockbusters. Permanent seat holders in the bottom deck should be shifted to other areas.

[jackcass]

[djh]

I rarely post, but have to agree with many others here. We have been social club members who went to every game for over twelve years, this year have only been to three.

This is mainly because we love sitting in the Ponsford on the top deck, but now have to sit so high up we can't see anything except to look down and see all the seats below are empty.

As others have said, if you try to book on line the Ponsford is always unavailable.

We also often went to the 2nd floor dining room, the Lou Richards Lounge, but the price of that has gone through the roof the last couple of years, so not bothering with that either.

We are seriously thinking of cancelling our memberships seeing as we now simply watch on Foxtel. Over $1500 per year for ourselves and our son is an awful lot of money to not go.

[Collingwood Crackerjack]

Like most things, it can change it what seems like an instant.

I'll give you an example. The difference in 'the buzz' level between 1999 and 2002 was chalk and cheese, for obvious reasons

Once this squad gets a few more years experience, the good times will come again I guarantee.

The real concern for mine is that state of the game overall; crap schedules, stupid rule changes, poor umpiring due to those changes, an autocratic AFL.

These are the things that worry me, and I dare say others as well

[Neil Appleby]

[BHPIE]

Our home ground looks no different than Melbourne's or Richmonds or the scums etc, like our cheers quad, its sterile and sadly Eddies has had a lot to do with it,and why members cant nominate seats is beyond me.

[HAL]

It would be nice if our home ground looks no different than Melbourne's or Richmonds or the scums like our cheers quad its sterile and Eddies had to do with itand why members can not nominate seats is him or her.

[melliot]

[watt price tully]

How do bring back the passion?

More intimacy & less sex.

[Big T]

[DT]

Why the loss of passion?

1. No home ground - yep, going to Victoria Park at 2pm on Saturday was a ritual.

2. We play at odd times to suit TV

3. Political correctness in the way the game is officiated and how crowds are supposed to behave - and I do not mean racism ala 1993 but you are right that the cheer squad seems like a shell of its former self

4. Too many gimmicks - ads, music etc blaring loudly incessantly. Fake "roars" after a goal. Passion was hearing the whole of Vic Park yelling bullshit when the opposition kicked a goal from a dubious free kick

5. Media saturation coverage all year - we have lost the mystique about players - they are no more celebrity like and too many off field dramas

6. Professionalism - it is just another business with franchises employers and unions - no more connection to a geographic area

7. Corporatism - Say no more - a killer of grass roots passion with all the brand consciousness that goes with it

8. Game style - yep, much of the modern game is boringly predictable and has lost the variety of players that used to grace our once great game

9. A club on the decline after some glory years

10. No special one - who is your favourite player? It is hard to pick one from the current mob - no Daics is around though

11. Affluence - many are more affluent and with the ideology of consumerism being so all pervasive. Society has changed - some ways for the better but not in others. Footy is just another choice like shopping or video games or whatever. It is no longer a tribal experience like it used to be.

12. Expansion into new 'markets' at the expense of the old heartland

Just my take on it but of all the loss of a home ground is the biggest.

[melliot]

BYO grog? Now that would increase the entertainment.

[Piesnchess]

[Lorelei]