After 4 decades...

[Lone Ranger]

That is outrageous!!!

If the bays arent full I guess they have the right to institute something like this PROVIDED they offer you alternative reserved seats, OR a reduced membership fee.
Is "Level 1 Legends Bay members" a new membership category with reduced cost?

[Bucks5]

So Legends members basically need to get to games several hours early to get seats in the front rows.

[88MPH]

Correct.

Can you believe it?!? And the club has the temerity to blame this absolute stupidity on “member demand”.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the club has admitted that they’ll be targeting “most if not all member areas” with this so if you guys in the Ponsford don’t want to lose your reserved seats in time, I suggest that you make your feelings known to the club now about how they’re treating Southern Stand reserved seat holders because this is just the start of this insanity.

Since when has separating family members and friendship groups been something that members have “demanded”.

BTW, I have a friend who works in membership services at an NFL franchise in the States and I told him about this. He told me that if they tried that there, “there’d be revolution”

[Bucks5]

Member demand was that we only sit with Collingwood fans and this is the club's solution.

[K]

[88MPH]

I can't give that away but let's just say that it's a team in a relatively small media market who has been down for a long period of time and who is about to take off for the stratosphere. If you know your NFL, you'll know who I mean.

In addition to him saying that "there'd be revolution" if a franchise tried the same thing in the States, he told me that the first thing everyone is taught in membership services is "never, ever take your fans for granted because once you disconnect their passion from your organisation, you will lose them and never get them back". He also thought that Collingwood's plans were a clear case of 1. membership services overstepping their role, and 2. decisions made by people merely to justify their own positions.

He simply could not believe that Collingwood would break what he called "the first law of sporting administration" - look after your members.

[think positive]

[Jezza]

I understand the club wants to fill up the members area, but to achieve this they're going to alienate a significant portion of members who attend games every week and have done nothing but be loyal to their club.

A few years back at one of the end of season member forums (either 2014 or 2015) the club hinted that they would do something similar to what 88MPH has told us, but nothing really came to fruition.

As a Legends Member who has reserved seats in the Ponsford End for H&A games I worry I will be affected by this. Hopefully if a members forum is held, this will be raised by members.

[88MPH]

Jezza, you will be affected. They’ve told me so. They haven’t told you yet coz that’s how they do it. They only inform a small number of members (presumably to avoid the heat) but go ahead with it any way. I’ve been sitting with a group of many other Legends members in the same reserved seats for years. Only 2, that’s right 2, of us have received communication from the club about it.

When I challenged them on this they admitted that they hadn’t yet advised all Legends members who currently sit in the Southern Stand and who will be stripped of their reserved seats. Their attitude is so blasé. He said words to the effect of “we’ll let them know eventually”.

They also admitted that almost all reserved seat bays will eventually be turned into general admission bays. This means the Ponsford.

I’m normally pretty calm and measured but this is so infuriating that I couldn’t continue to communicate with them.

The members forum will be too late. How the Board is standing idly by and letting this happen is beyond me. Oh that’s right, they get to sit in their reserved seats in front of the President’s function room every week. Imagine the sh*t storm if those seats were taken away from them!

Regrettably this is how the Collingwood Football Club now chooses to treat its members.

[Magpiefan3]

[88MPH]

Email extract from the club:

Good morning,

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Collingwood Football Club.

We want to make you aware of changes to your membership package for the 2020 season.

There will no longer be allocated reserved seats on level 1 of the Great Southern Stand. As a result, this area has been converted into reserved bays.

When I challenged them on this they replied:

We are going to introduce reserved bays in most, if not all of our membership areas. We are starting with the Great Southern Stand as we can do it the fastest and it will impact upon the least number of members. We plan to do this with all membership areas.

[Lone Ranger]

Cant wait for AGM to question them.

[stui magpie]

Perfect timing for me to reduce my level of membership for next year then.

[toovmeister]

Is anyone really surprised by these developments?? The club is interested in its fans money, nothing more. There is no consideration whatsoever of the loyalty of long term members when they make decisions.

[toovmeister]

If these changes go ahead, i am ditching my legends m/ship as well after 17 years. I will just buy good seats from the ticket agency for the games i want to go to , and in years where i think we are a chance of making it to the big day i will just buy a corporate package which at least guarantees me a good seat at the GF