My sincere apologies ok

[magpie joffa]

Last night i gave a speech to our cheer squad and my speech got pretty heated if i offended any one please accept my apologies,we did a pretty good job considering....

Lets get over this one quickly and move on to anzac day.

COLLINGWOOD 4 EVER ALWAYS !!



There is nothing in life greater, than to be a supporter of our beloved collingwood football club,we must remain united,we must stand tall,we must be prepared to fight for our glorious black and white for we are the ENVY OF ALL NATIONS.'YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE'
http://www.mp3.com/joffa

[AlfAndrews]

What you said was fair enough. As a Cheer Squad we were beaten on the night by the Tiger Army. They're loud. They're relentless. And you were quite right to tell the rest of us to listen to them. I hope we learned something from them. I also thought the Official Richmond Cheer Squad, up the other end, looked sensational. I couldn't actually hear them. But they looked great.

I think your speech made some impact. I also got a bit worked up at three-quarter time and made an impassioned plea for a more noise. And I was thrilled by the response. Possibly one or two of the more sensitive souls around the place may have found our exhortations offensive. But I really think most people took it as a challenge and responded in the best possible way.

**floreat pica**

[magpie joffa]

I guess thinking about it there is no need to apologise as in the heat of the battle things will be said most probably in frustration!!I was to be honest jealous of the richmond cheer SQUADS gee they have the MCG well mapped out as far as 3 bays full in middle deck in ponsford and there legendary grog squad behind the opposing cheer squad at punt road end which again has the luxury of a 'concrete slab' over there heads which seems to amplify noise beautifully.

We have a lot of work to do if we are even to be compared to the richmond official cheer squad firstly we need numbers and we need the passion to cheer loudly when things are not going our way,The first half yesterday to be honest was not good enough it was to be brutally honest 'pathetic'but after half time we got back into it and at least gave it back to the grog squad behind us which ended up being bloody good fun.

And i dont understand why collingwood supporters were being turned away from cheer squad area by those over zealous MCC security people as there were many empty seats in area just prior to kick off and again we had to walk around surrounding bays and get collingwood fans to come over and join us while cop this richmond fans were able to sit at the back of cheer squad area!!in full richmond gear !

And a message to kath last years cheer squad leader! unbeknowing to yourself whilst having a smoke at half time at last nights game it was pointed out to me that were you absolutely tearing strips out of OUR cheersquad you seemed to be in control over your little audience of about 6 people telling them what big bad monsters we all are.
Well kath let me have the last word here and i wont say anything ever again,get over it and move on and let us try and get this cheer squad on the move you bagging us to as many people as you can is not helping us,instead look at the richmond cheer squad and ask your self this, under your many years as leader why are we not as good or better than them,all we are trying to do kath is to become the most passionate cheer squad in this country with the most members.something at which you failed miserably so please move on and wish us luck and lets all get behind the collingwood football club.

So in closing well done last night under trying circumstances we did pretty well.

LOL and while im at it please please please collingwood social club members if you are seated behind us on anzac day in middle deck in ponsford 'cheer and sing with us' i promise you no one will think bad of you or laugh at you.

GO THOSE MIGHTY PIES.


in full richmond gear.

There is nothing in life greater, than to be a supporter of our beloved collingwood football club,we must remain united,we must stand tall,we must be prepared to fight for our glorious black and white for we are the ENVY OF ALL NATIONS.'YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE'
http://www.mp3.com/joffa

[Joel]

I want to hear you guys LOUD on Anzac Day!!! Put Essendon to shame. Be confident!!

[Spidergirl]

true... i envy that Tiger army a lot myself. they were behind us and pensioner did a very good job tryin to roll them lol even after the match at the station and on the train but still Richmond cheersquad outnumber all the time. They r truly the strongest i remember this same problem at the Dees game at Optus Oval a few weeks back!

[MagpieMark]

Good on you Cheer Squad!

I am proud of you guys no matter what and will support you untill the end.
I wish i was there on Friday becasue I will be heard as i was screaming my lungs out at the computer screen at the chat channel on Friday night.
I'll be thre for the Carlscum game (my first trip to Melbourne actually) so how do I get to sit with you all ?
Magpie Mark

[magpie24]

I sat with the cheer squad on Friday night for the first time and i was suprised by the lack of numbers.
Can i put a few things to the board and hopefully get some opinions

1 Is there to many rules in the official cheer squad that is making the numbers decline eg:NO alcahol in the cheer squad area.

2 Reading thru the posts, and talking to people at the game it sounds as if its like joining the Army.

3 Is the reserved seating becoming a problem.Ok the cheer squad have about 300 seats to sit in but all around us were seats booked thru ticketmaster{correct if i am wrong}therefore they are sold to anybody.
What I am trying to say is go back a few years where you could sit where you wanted to so a majority of supporters would like to hang around the cheer squad now they cant.

4 The Richmond grog squad were the loudest squad i have heard in a long time.seems to me the unofficial squads are the go.

I DONT MEAN THIS TO BE OFFENSIVE TO ANY ANYBODY,BUT SOME
THOUGHTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. GO PIES

[dillo_09]

Just want to clear up a few things. If you have a good look at the Richmond Cheer squad on friday they had floggers accross 3 bays but only then seemed to have 3 rows of people behind them supporting them. There was then a couple of empty rows. They are not as big as they seem to be so dont be fooled.
Secondly the Tigers have been on the verge of the finals for the past few years so they have been winning more games than us etc. Therefore their fans are louder than us and they dominated the majority of the game.
Guys, having joined the cheer squad in the bad days (1985) and growing with it and the team through the glory year of 1990 and then seeing it decline since, I can assure you that there is no other way to get people to be loud than to win games. Our crowd was awesome foir the 1st 5 games last year - why? cause we were winning!!! Then it dropped off - why? cause we were losing and people were not excited.
When we got to within 1 point of the Tiges on friday we were by far louder than the tigers had been at any stage during the night. Even when they won we were louder when we were coming back.
All I am saying is keep doing what you are doing and given that we all recognise that the club is coming out of its coccoon and good times are on the way, the noise will return - guaranteed!!!
Give people time to get excited again!!
Cheers
Dillo

[JLC]

Well im not a member of the Official Cheersquad but im Joffas manager. So everyone thinks the "Grog" squad is the best cheersquad. Lets assess the situation and identify the key word.

The keyword is Grog (Alcohol). If the cheersquad allowed alcohol to be consumed numbers would grow. When young people go to the footy they want to be able to relax and express themselves.

When the Outer Cheersquad does the "knick knack paddy whack" chant we are looked upon as criminals by security. Yet if anyone saw the man united v man city game the same chant was used and the whole crowd joined in.

I only accept people telling me not to swear when they dont swear themselves. Lets face facts who in society does not swear ?? I just think there are a lot of hypocrites in todays society especially at the football.

I dont see why people join a cheersquad if they are not going to cheer. Joffa you have nothing to apologise for. If i was the leader i would have blasted these people years ago. Its like who cares if we are losing, people should still cheer.

Watch english soccer then you will see what cheering is all about. The grog squad are nothing special really. Its just that everyone contributes win lose or draw. Its not that hard to do.

Anzac day i will be seated on the bottome level of the Ponsford. I expect everyone to hang shit on those arrogant Essendon bastards. Dont sit their speechless, hang shit on those wankers. Stand up and be counted.


APA

EVERYONE IS A COLLINGWOOD SUPPORTER ITS JUST THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE IN DENIAL

[Swanny21]

It would appear to me, and forgive me if I'm wrong, that the cheersquad is not interested in people who only get excited when we are winning. They appear to want people to behave like we are in front even when we are behind. Forgive me please, but this is hard for me to imagine, let alone do. We all have different personalities and I am quite a reserved kind of chap. Screaming and shouting when we are being flogged is impossible for me( unless a member of my family asks what's wrong with me which doesn't happen anymore They know better. If you are the type that "can" scream and shout during times of enormous depression, then more power to you. I say go for it, we need you and we are behind you. We will even join in as we storm home. Just don't tell me that I'm not a true supporter because I don't do what you do. That insults and hurts.

Neil, who is feeling a little better after getting that off his chest

[JLC]

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Why do you think its called a Cheersquad ?????

the whole point is to cheer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

APA

EVERYONE IS A COLLINGWOOD SUPPORTER ITS JUST THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE IN DENIAL

[Swanny21]

Please ignore my previous post, I'm in the wrong room. I am not a member of the cheersquad and was replying about bandwagoners. My apologies to all cheersquad members for my ignorance.

Neil

[AlfAndrews]

Magpie24, you're quite right about the reserved seating problem. On Friday I had to argue the point with security to get into the Cheer Squad area at all.

I think that Kangaroo-supporting membership manager at The Club should get his act together and send my bloody Cheer Squad membership card out so I can actually get access to the reserved seat that I've paid for. This is becoming an absolute cock-up ... and it's costing the Cheer Squad potential members.

It's also a complete piss-off that opposition supporters are allowed to book seats in the general vicinity. Unfortunately the blockbuster games these days seem to have a very high percentage of the seating reserved. And it's done a lot to kill atmosphere at the footy.

Ironically, the Rugby League people are thinking about segregating crowds because of a couple of minor incidents recently. Complete over-reaction, I would have thought. Rugby League crowds are as boring as bat-shit.

But I LOVE the idea of segregated crowds ... not so much because of the potential for violence in mixed crowds ... but because of the potential for an amazing atmosphere when you've got the rival supporters at opposite ends of the ground. If the AFL cared about providing conditions that would enable atmosphere to develop at matches, they would stop putting opposing supporters next to each other.

But of course, they don't want REAL atmosphere at the footy. It scares them. They'd rather try to manufacture "atmosphere" by ramming their own hoopla and brouhaha down our throats, rather than letting us create our own.

Finally, a word to magpie24 (and perhaps more particularly, to JLC) on the thorny issue of alcohol in the Cheer Squad.

There is NO WAY the alcohol rule will be relaxed ... nor should it be. The Cheer Squad is for all age groups. And that includes young children. In fact, for the first time in years we actually have a lot of young kids sitting with us. And it's great to see. There's no way their parents are going to let them sit with a bunch of drunken hoons. The Cheer Squad is part of their education as footy fans. And the last thing we want to teach them is that you have to be drunk to enjoy the footy.

JLC puts forth the theory that if we allow alcohol in the Cheer Squad, our numbers will grow.
I disagree entirely.
I think if we allow alcohol in the Cheer Squad we will fragment, and will quickly become as irrelevant as the Outer Cheer Squad.

This is my advice to people who feel they need to have a skinfull to enjoy the footy. I suggest you forget all about football. You'd be better off spending your weekends at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

**floreat pica**

[London Dave]

Agree with most of your points Alf and Dillo. People will start to return(?) when we start to win. Thats the way its always been, and always will be.

Alf, the day they have segregated supporters in AFL is the day I stop supporting it.

I recall the Richmond 'Grog' squad of years past. If that's anyone's idea of what a football supporter should be you are a total d!ckhead.

[JLC]

The people in the Outer Cheersquad are much more loyal than the cheersquad. At least we cheer win lose or draw. That is something Joffa has to drill into you guys.

Just because alcohol is consumed does not make us hoons. Dont forget your leader in Joffa joins me at the pub most weeks for a drink. Does that make Joffa a hoon? I think not. There is nothing wrong with consuming alcoholic beverages if people so desire.

APA

EVERYONE IS A COLLINGWOOD SUPPORTER ITS JUST THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE IN DENIAL