Official Club Stuff Gameday Village ...annexed by the SMA

[RangaInTeal]

Nope there were several collingwood fans in there pre and post game.

Incorrect, my cousin was working the gate, he was advised it's members only or in company of a PAFC Member, they had to be tight on 2,100 entries and yes they were there at 1630 for a 1700 start but weren't allowed to throw the gates open because they weren't all set up accordingly.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Incorrect, my cousin was working the gate, he was advised it's members only or in company of a PAFC Member, they had to be tight on 2,100 entries and yes they were there at 1630 for a 1700 start but weren't allowed to throw the gates open because they weren't all set up accordingly.

So its just like post game at Alberton was to get upstairs.

 

[tribey]

Incorrect, my cousin was working the gate, he was advised it's members only or in company of a PAFC Member, they had to be tight on 2,100 entries and yes they were there at 1630 for a 1700 start but weren't allowed to throw the gates open because they weren't all set up accordingly.

Did they tell him why? Seems a strange move.

 

[Alberton Proud]

Did see them stopping C/wood supporters when I entered at around 6:45

Also saw them using hand clickers to count people in / out

Don't mind restricting the numbers but all supporters should be able to enter

 

[Killer Power]

Was the so called "fans" bar open before 6pm?

It just makes you hate the SMA even more!

Yes, the fans bar was open by 5pm. Not many punters there though when i walked past. Bloody SNAFL.

 

[RangaInTeal]

Did they tell him why? Seems a strange move.

I assume the liquor licensing or venue capacity and so our members aren't put offside?

 

[Boxx]

Did see them stopping C/wood supporters when I entered at around 6:45

Also saw them using hand clickers to count people in / out

Don't mind restricting the numbers but all supporters should be able to enter

They have always used counters... but I have not come across them only allowing members in!!!

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

They're really really screwing the Village up lately.

They've basically said to all GA members that they can't go in anymore by opening the Village after gates. Because we're not allowed to save seats, we can't go into the Village before a game.

This members-only crap better not be the new way of doing things, very exclusionary.

 

[bomberclifford]

So, in summary...

1) GDV is now restricting entry to only PAFC members
2) GDV is now strictly monitoring numbers
3) GDV is now restricting its opening hours
4) The "Fan" Bar, operated by SMA, is not restricted in any way (other than its own lameness)

My guess is that SMA/Hurley has challenged our adherence to the liquor license conditions and we're having to err on the side of playing it safe.

As I've said previously, classic Hurley.

 

[badbeats]

I'm a member and I don't like the "members only" idea either.

I really don't think this is the clubs doing though. Reading REB's posts it seems the SMA are doing as much as they can to restrict or even get rid of the GDV.

 

[bomberclifford]

They're really really screwing the Village up lately.

They've basically said to all GA members that they can't go in anymore by opening the Village after gates. Because we're not allowed to save seats, we can't go into the Village before a game.

This members-only crap better not be the new way of doing things, very exclusionary.

Read my post above. This would not be a direction that the club would have headed down if it wasn't necessary.

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

Read my post above. This would not be a direction that the club would have headed down if it wasn't necessary.

I don't care if it's necessary, the Village is now screwed for me and a multitude of others (I know Essential Power Platinum / Gold is very popular) because of their ridiculous "can't save seats" rule.

 

[BornPort]

Get the feeling they're just trying to not breach their liquor license. No doubt the SMA is watching the place like a hawk. If they're having issues with capacity then restricting it to members seems like the way to go.

 

[bomberclifford]

I don't care if it's necessary, the Village is now screwed for me and a multitude of others (I know Essential Power Platinum / Gold is very popular) because of their ridiculous "can't save seats" rule.

Well at least direct your anger/frustration in the right direction. It is likely that the same people who set the "can't save seats" rule are influencing the way the GDV operates. They are also the ones who benefit financially from these decisions.

 

[John the Butcher]

Well that's so dumb RE no oppo supporters
#fixitkoch

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

Well at least direct your anger/frustration in the right direction. It is likely that the same people who set the "can't save seats" rule are influencing the way the GDV operates. They are also the ones who benefit financially from these decisions.

Now you're just guessing it's the same people. All I know is the email came directly from Matthew Richardson of the club, whom I had email correspondence with it about and he seemed to be right behind the rules enforcement.

 

[bomberclifford]

Now you're just guessing it's the same people. All I know is the email came directly from Matthew Richardson of the club, whom I had email correspondence with it about and he seemed to be right behind the rules enforcement.

Ok, I see you're one of those people that struggles with comprehension. I'll leave you to your ranting.

 

[Macca19]

members only would be something the club has decided to ensure they can control capacity. No doubt its going to upset a few people

 

[OneGreatClub]

Was the so called "fans" bar open before 6pm?

It just makes you hate the SMA even more!

It was

 

[CreightonS]

I don't care if it's necessary, the Village is now screwed for me and a multitude of others (I know Essential Power Platinum / Gold is very popular) because of their ridiculous "can't save seats" rule.

Unsure about how it works for the seated GA areas of the Riverbank and Eastern stands and the few bays of unreserved GA seats in the north eastern part of AO, but for us Essential Power/Platinum members who sit in the unreserved areas of the Western Stand, we can save our seats as long as we all have arrived at AO, gone to our seats, left something on each person's seat and then head off to the GDV - they have to allow this because some people will want to go to food and drink outlets within AO. What is not allowed is for say one or 2 people to arrive and try to save any extra seats for others who are arriving later - we have confirmed this with the nearby AO attendant/s.

In our case there are usually 6 of us and one of us (who doesn't drink alcohol at the footy) is happy to stay and mind our seats - we always arrive at AO just before the gates open (just so we can get our favourite seats in the front row of the upper deck of the Western Stand), go straight to our seats when the gates open, then speak in a friendly manner to the nearby AO attendant telling them that our group of 6 are all here, have got our seats (I point to them) and that one of us is staying to mind our seats (we leave something on each of the other 5 seats) while the rest of us go off for food and drink for about 3/4 of an hour - this has worked perfectly for us - even the kind member of our group who stays to mind our seats reports that not once has anyone got angry or tried to claim any of our seats - she said some have looked, seen that we've put something on each of our other 5 seats and then walked away - the nearby AO attendant/s who are mostly the same people each time and who we have gotten to know said they will keep an eye on our seats and speak to anyone who tries to hassle the one of our group who stays to mind our seats.

 

[Trewth]

I never realised til now how much I appreciate having a reserved seat.

 

[Turiyasangitananda]

They're really really screwing the Village up lately.

They've basically said to all GA members that they can't go in anymore by opening the Village after gates. Because we're not allowed to save seats, we can't go into the Village before a game.

This members-only crap better not be the new way of doing things, very exclusionary.

Not much the club can do about opening times when they've been taken to court. Even operators within the gdv were unaware of the delayed opening time. Touch wood it's a one off (unless is happened previously?).

 

[simba_]

I think I like it though. The GDV has been up long enough for people to go a few times or at least know about it. If they're actually annoyed they can't go in anymore, before Port games, why aren't they a member anyway?? Members are going to keep filling it up, they wont go away, so hopefully it encourages more people to sign up. Maybe "Member exclusive" stuff at the ground wont be a bad thing, people love exclusivity.

The bad part is your opposition supporting mate not being allowed in any more... that is surely a move out of our hands, by the powers that be, to get them (and thus the group of friends) drinking inside the ground again.. my mate gets in with my spare Members pass anyway, there will be ways around it.

 

[LFC2010]

There are free sachets of Mitani about m8...

well in the riverbank bank stand there isn't.

 

[Honeyboy Wilson]

Ok, I see you're one of those people that struggles with comprehension. I'll leave you to your ranting.

You're a real prize.

Unsure about how it works for the seated GA areas of the Riverbank and Eastern stands and the few bays of unreserved GA seats in the north eastern part of AO, but for us Essential Power/Platinum members who sit in the unreserved areas of the Western Stand, we can save our seats as long as we all have arrived at AO, gone to our seats, left something on each person's seat and then head off to the GDV - they have to allow this because some people will want to go to food and drink outlets within AO. What is not allowed is for say one or 2 people to arrive and try to save any extra seats for others who are arriving later - we have confirmed this with the nearby AO attendant/s.

In our case there are usually 6 of us and one of us (who doesn't drink alcohol at the footy) is happy to stay and mind our seats - we always arrive at AO just before the gates open (just so we can get our favourite seats in the front row of the upper deck of the Western Stand), go straight to our seats when the gates open, then speak in a friendly manner to the nearby AO attendant telling them that our group of 6 are all here, have got our seats (I point to them) and that one of us is staying to mind our seats (we leave something on each of the other 5 seats) while the rest of us go off for food and drink for about 3/4 of an hour - this has worked perfectly for us - even the kind member of our group who stays to mind our seats reports that not once has anyone got angry or tried to claim any of our seats - she said some have looked, seen that we've put something on each of our other 5 seats and then walked away - the nearby AO attendant/s who are mostly the same people each time and who we have gotten to know said they will keep an eye on our seats and speak to anyone who tries to hassle the one of our group who stays to mind our seats.

Yeah, well last time we tried that, we even had half the group staying at our seats, we were approached by security saying they were watching us on CCTV and that all of our group had better be here, or they would start taking our seats away from us.

So we generally try not to risk it from now on.