Push to boost Magpie army to 150,000

[Necromancer Beth]

AFL superpower Collingwood has boldly declared it can boost its membership to 150,000 within five years.
The membership bonanza would reap as much as $23 million for the Magpies.
Collingwood is confident of reaching its target of 75,000 paid-up supporters this season, but Magpies chief executive Gary Pert said that was only a launching pad.
"We have a target in the next three years of 100,000 members and 150,000 within the next five years," he said yesterday.

Read more at: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/mor...e-army-to-150000/story-e6frf9jf-1226336632235

Is this possible?

 

[Slattery_20]

Not if they drop off it's not.
They'd only have access to, at most, 80k seats at the G (with AFL members & MCC). If they want to try and flog 70k plastic, non-match-day memberships, good luck. I don't see any value in them, I think they're a fad that will soon drop away - especially if sides aren't competing.

Good luck with it Ed.

 

[Mr Magic]

Not possible. It would make the rest of society in Melbourne unsustainable!!


The mayor wouldn't allow Melbourne to stagnant would he/she???

 

[tigland]

This is how:

"We did some research recently and we have literally 50,000 to 100,000 supporters saying, 'If you come up with a great value proposition for me to contribute to the club and I know I am a member even though I can't attend, I want to engage'," Pert said.
Non-game day members don't get access to matches, but enjoy other members benefits. The Pies are tapping into their army of interstate and international fans.

Would be non-ticketed members. Would be doable for the pies IMO.

 

[local]

This is how:


Would be non-ticketed members. Would be doable for the pies IMO.

But non-ticketed member don't count towards membership tally.
That's what the AFL say.

 

[hawkman]

Will they be able to sustain current level next year if they drop away a bit this year. Their current figure is inflated by their recent success

 

[Senatorguesty]

Will they be able to sustain current level next year if they drop away a bit this year. Their current figure is inflated by their pretend, pets and 3 game memberships.

Fixed.

 

[TimC]

Love how Collingwood fans state that they're club membership doesn't inflate with success (I.E Bandwagon fans). This new objective really does show that. Don't believe, perhaps some membership figures will outline this......


Year Members Prev. Year Finish
2007 38,587 7th
2008 42,498 4th
2009 45,972 6th
2010 57,617 4th
2011 71,271 Premiers

 

[kaysee]

How come they only got 30,000 of their ~70,000 members to a ~53,000 seat stadium on Saturday?

Not trolling, but it is concerning to see 43% of their members fill a a stadium to 57% capacity.

Another question for Collingwood supporters... how does your ticket access work with multiple venues. ~70,000 members can obviously fit into the MGC, but what happens with Ethiad Stadium? Is it pretty much general admission and 1st come 1st serve?

Cheers.

 

[DVD Player]

All memberships have probably been given a boost with 3 game memberships lately.

 

[IllBeTheJudge]

Are they going to start counting Facebook "likes" as memberships?

 

[Underarm]

All memberships have probably been given a boost with 3 game memberships lately.

And people don't want to waste it on port Adelaide @ etihad.

 

[wmvaux]

How come they only got 30,000 of their ~70,000 members to a ~53,000 seat stadium on Saturday?

Not trolling, but it is concerning to see 43% of their members fill a a stadium to 57% capacity.

Another question for Collingwood supporters... how does your ticket access work with multiple venues. ~70,000 members can obviously fit into the MGC, but what happens with Ethiad Stadium? Is it pretty much general admission and 1st come 1st serve?

Cheers.

I have a Legends membership which gives me a reserved seat at all games at the MCG or Etihad stadium.... I've only been to 1 game this season

Depending on the membership, some have reserved seats and some don't, those that don't you would need to pay to reserve a seat or else you may miss out.

 

[jd1991]

Who knows what numbers they could get to.

5 years ago - 50,000 members was seen as aspirational/out of reach of all.

Now Collingwood, last year and this is pushing the boundaries to 75,000 members. Where 2 years ago, the CEO of Richmond Brendon Gale stated the Tigers target was 75000 in 5 years. Many scoffed at that possibility, of Tigers or anyone for that matter achieving that target. Now the Pies are on the verge of achieving that.

The Hawks had a target set at the end of 2007, 5/2/50 - where the 50 represented 50,000 members. The Hawks have now met that target 4 years running.

What is achievable from a membership possibility, especially by a club like Collingwood, with Eddie leading the way with a us versus them mentatility (see his recent media comments). They are using it to galvanise/motivate there supporters to become members.

On recent success's on membership growth, I will not discount Collingwood getting 100k members, or even 150k combination of game day members and non game day members. If you do not have stretch goals - then there is no need to create an enviroment to try to reach them.

Some clubs may keep there stretch goals internally, others may (Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn) will have for all to see and comment on.

Good on them.

 

[piesaregreat]

But non-ticketed member don't count towards membership tally.
That's what the AFL say.

Yes and we must obey everything the AFL says
You and the AFL can say it doesn't count we will grab the money.

 

[Gydafud]

Seems that membership numbers are moving closer towards supporter numbers. If Collingwood are signing up non-match day members and adding it to the tally, there is no reason every other club can't do that. It is just a way to say "you are one of ours"

http://www.roymorganonlinestore.com/News/1424---Swans,-Magpies-and-Lions-have-most-supporte.aspx

Sydney could potentially have over 1 million "members" if they could fashion a way to sign up their supporters as part of the club. You don't have to attend games or even watch them, but you are part of the club.

 

[catsfan07091113]

1 Game Memberships.

 

[gaelictiogar]

I think we all realise that there is a big element of "marketing stunt" and "spin" around membership numbers nowadays. If the Pies can find a way of saying they have 100,000 or 200,000 members and if they can get the media to report it then good for them.

 

[le dominateur]

So far less than 30K of this massive Collingwoood army have turned up for 2 of their 4 games, assuming there was more than 741 Port supporters on Saturday. 150K sounds far fetched and delusional.

 

[MaddAdam]

And we could put contraceptives in metahdone and reduce the Magpie Army down to Eddie and the missus and his kids.

But nah, seriously, good on the Pies. If they can get 150k members, good on them.

 

[catsfan07091113]

And we could put contraceptives in metahdone and reduce the Magpie Army down to Eddie and the missus and his kids.

But nah, seriously, good on the Pies. If they can get 150k members, good on them.

Well no, they won't.

 

[Lestat]

Who cares about membership numbers...its membership revenue thats important. Numbers are just a PR excercise used to attract sponsors.

 

[Slattery_20]

This is how:

"We did some research recently and we have literally 50,000 to 100,000 supporters saying, 'If you come up with a great value proposition for me to contribute to the club and I know I am a member even though I can't attend, I want to engage'," Pert said.
Non-game day members don't get access to matches, but enjoy other members benefits. The Pies are tapping into their army of interstate and international fans.

Would be non-ticketed members. Would be doable for the pies IMO.

So it boils down to: they can get 100,000 people to tick 'yes' on an on-line survey. And that becomes a story in the HS.
FFS, lightweight much?
FWIW on-line surveys find around 90% of people run their own company, and earn more than $1,000,000 p.a.

The 2 actual 'membership' numbers that matter, are 11(+) home game seated members (aka the ones the AFL audit), and total revenue.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

1 Game Memberships.

Then where does it stop? Quarterly memberships? get a half for $5

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

We could win the next 10 flags and that wouldn't happen.

Unless the club starts buying memberships and counting them towards the total.