Catch up with Fages on Big Footy

[Niximus]

This is why in 2015, i don't have any issue with them referring to us as a customer.

Even if you no longer consider yourself a member, 'customer' is still not the most appropriate description.

A fan, or a supporter better describes the relationship with the club. You need never pay a cent to be a supporter, and you can be a supporter regardless of your voting rights.

You list the Red Sox on your other teams. Now, this may not be the case for you, but I'd bet that the majority of Australians who identify as Red Sox fans have never spent any money with them.

I know a few Holden fans who have never actually bought a Holden.

A supporter or fan has an emotional connection to a team or sportsperson, and has a desire to see them succeed.

 

[Deaneus!]

This is turning into an interesting discussion but no one has answered my question

 

[6BTS]

It's becauyse some people have this belief, if they are a paid up member of the club - they get to become 'besties' with the players and interact with them everyday. Like, they have some ownership of the club or player.

This is why in 2015, i don't have any issue with them referring to us as a customer.

When my dad was a young lad and become a paid up member of the Norwood Football Club; he had those opportunities to mingle with the players, get to know them, talk to them and mingle everyone on and off the field. He was able to identify with the true definition of what a sporting club was about. That was 1965. He was able to see them almost everytime he went to the club.

We are now in the year 2015; the world has changed. Sport in Australia had changed, it's become professional and the emotional connection between club and member doesn't exist anymore. It's the same paradgym shife seen in the community. In 1965, the club knew my dads name as he would go everyday. I've been a member of the crows for 25 years; I don't thibnk the club knows that.

The definition of what a sport club looks, sounds and feels like has changed. Like it or not, we are now customers and no longer members.

Now, if my $700 each year for a season ticket allowed me to havew a say in how the club was ran, maybe i would feel much more like a member than just a customer.

I'm a customer and I don't care. Get with the times people, the paradgymn shift has occurred and won't move back.

I don't agree, when your business is tapping supporters passion then as a professional football club, you need to identify what is and is not appropriate because people base their interaction with the club purely on emotion. Technically, supporters that pay to watch football at a professional club have always been customers. The difference from 2015 and 1965 is the attitudes of the men running the clubs. I'm not seeing Collingwood supporters being called customers, the reason for that is because Eddie knows better than to brand them that way and probably doesn't have the mind set to consider it in the first place. It's not a "get with the times" issue, it's a "who's this moron at the top of our club calling us customers instead of fans publicly?" issue. It falls under public relations if you want to get technical. If you ever get the chance, you go and ask Ricciuto if he thinks that the supporters should be branded by the club as "Fans" or "Customers", I'm pretty certain I know what he'd say.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

I don't agree, when your business is tapping supporters passion then as a professional football club, you need to identify what is and is not appropriate because people base their interaction with the club purely on emotion. Technically, supporters that pay to watch football at a professional club have always been customers. The difference from 2015 and 1965 is the attitudes of the men running the clubs. I'm not seeing Collingwood supporters being called customers, the reason for that is because Eddie knows better than to brand them that way and probably doesn't have the mind set to consider it in the first place. It's not a "get with the times" issue, it's a "who's this moron at the top of our club calling us customers instead of fans publicly?" issue. It falls under public relations if you want to get technical. If you ever get the chance, you go and ask Ricciuto if he thinks that the supporters should be branded by the club as "Fans" or "Customers", I'm pretty certain I know what he'd say.

And yet, I'm still not upset at being called a customer.

Oh well.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Can football supporters technically be described as customers? Probably.

Should they be? No. It's just silly. Why you would attempt to de-personalise the relationship makes no sense even on a marketing level.

Still, this underlines the importance of us being a member driven club. We need members voting rights in a meaningful way.

 

[Southerntakeover]

And yet, I'm still not upset at being called a customer.

Oh well.

Perhaps not every issue is determined by your personal reaction to it?

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Perhaps not every issue is determined by your personal reaction to it?

Isn't that why we post?

If you don't want my opinion, just keep on scrollin'

 

[Southerntakeover]

Isn't that why we post?

If you don't want my opinion, just keep on scrollin'

Strangely, it's actually on occasion possible to engage on an issue in a more meaningful way than an initial emotional reaction.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

And yet, I'm still not upset at being called a customer.

Oh well.

But it's not just about you Alex

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

Strangely, it's actually on occasion possible to engage on an issue in a more meaningful way than an initial emotional reaction.

Just to keep you happy, i'll keep my post to 5,000 characters or more to allow me to portray that emotion in a more meaningful way.

Gee, I hope the club refer to us as a consumer next.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

But it's not just about you Alex

When he/she quotes my post it is.

 

[6BTS]

And yet, I'm still not upset at being called a customer.

Oh well.

I'm not upset either, I'd prefer to be referred to as a fan, but I'm almost certain we're the only supporter base of a football club in this country having this conversation.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Just to keep you happy, i'll keep my post to 5,000 characters or more to allow me to portray that emotion in a more meaningful way.

Gee, I hope the club refer to us as a consumer next.

It probably takes less time to post one post with 5000 words than 5000 post with one word.

I can tell you which adds more to the forum.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

I'm not upset either, I'd prefer to be referred to as a fan, but I'm almost certain we're the only supporter base of a football club in this country having this conversation.

It sure sounds like it but...

The fact that so many are making a massive deal out of that comment, sounds as if some are just taking this personal. We are members, we are supporters, we are customers, we are consumers and we are fans of the club. One and all the same. We watch the game with the intent for the club to win.

 

[6BTS]

It sure sounds like it but...

The fact that so many are making a massive deal out of that comment, sounds as if some are just taking this personal. We are members, we are supporters, we are customers, we are consumers and we are fans of the club. One and all the same. We watch the game with the intent for the club to win.

Nah, I'm not upset, there are different levels of emotion one can have to something like this, upset is not what I would describe my emotional state towards it, but if I had the choice, I would rather be called a fan.

 

[Red mist]

It sure sounds like it but...

The fact that so many are making a massive deal out of that comment, sounds as if some are just taking this personal. We are members, we are supporters, we are customers, we are consumers and we are fans of the club. One and all the same. We watch the game with the intent for the club to win.

I think it's only an issue because the statement was pulled. Yeah I reckon one and all can be considered the same but in hindsight it would have been better to use supporter or members. They are less sterile and more embracing.

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

It didn't help that the comment came from Smart either.

 

[Southerntakeover]

It's more than just a poor word in a vaccum though.

It suggests a complete misunderstanding of the state of football in this state.

Our major and only real rival in this state continually gets mileage out of branding themselves (yes port fans, its marketing for you too) as a 'real football club', as opposed to our 'Souless Corporation'. Leaving aside that there's actually no distinction on this level (don't believe me? http://abr.business.gov.au/SearchByAbn.aspx?abn=49068839547) , why would we give them a free kick by using such a careless term?

It could only serve to offend our members, and to give the opposition a leg up. It was a stuff up, and one that shouldn't happen in a major organisation so frequently.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

I think it's only an issue because the statement was pulled. Yeah I reckon one and all can be considered the same but in hindsight it would have been better to use supporter or members. They are less sterile and more embracing.

Possible but saying that, when the club refers to us as members, supporters or even fans doesn't resonate the deep seated emotion you speak of.

For 25 year, we have only ever been seen as a cash cow, a money making mechanism or a production line. One person goes out, someone else will fill that seat. So the term members has always had a sterile feel towards it coming from the AFC but i've never supported the board and never seen them as the club.

The 22 players on a Saturday afternoon as the club and thats who i support.

Until we obtain full voting rights and have the oppertunity to vote in and out ther board - we are just a team who plays football, not a club and we are not members.

 

[Elite Crow]

Our we really still arguing whether it's ok to call us customers? Most don't like it, one doesn't mind it. End topic.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Possible but saying that, when the club refers to us as members, supporters or even fans doesn't resonate the deep seated emotion you speak of.

For 25 year, we have only ever been seen as a cash cow, a money making mechanism or a production line. One person goes out, someone else will fill that seat. So the term members has always had a sterile feel towards it coming from the AFC but i've never supported the board and never seen them as the club.

The 22 players on a Saturday afternoon as the club and thats who i support.

Until we obtain full voting rights and have the oppertunity to vote in and out ther board - we are just a team who plays football, not a club and we are not members.

I agree with you in part- lip service doesn't change substance. We need to be a member driven club.

I don't think many who suggest that they actually just support the 22 on field have really thought that through though. It's simply not true. You support the club, which is the only thing that links those 22 players. If one, or all, of those players left the next week your loyalty would not leave with them.

 

[alex_is_on_fire]

I agree with you in part- lip service doesn't change substance. We need to be a member driven club.

I don't think many who suggest that they actually just support the 22 on field have really thought that through though. It's simply not true. You support the club, which is the only thing that links those 22 players. If one, or all, of those players left the next week your loyalty would not leave with them.

Let me rephrase, I support the jumper (or as you said, the club) that runs around each week. The players come and they go, same as the front office.

However, when it comes to the support for Trigg, Fagan or anyone in the front office - i don't have that emotional connection to who ever does that role. My world didn't hit rock bottom when Trigg quick and it didn't expload when Fagan took over.

Until we can vote them in, they will just be a suit.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Let me rephrase, I support the jumper (or as you said, the club) that runs around each week. The players come and they go, same as the front office.

However, when it comes to the support for Trigg, Fagan or anyone in the front office - i don't have that emotional connection to who ever does that role. My world didn't hit rock bottom when Trigg quick and it didn't expload when Fagan took over.

Until we can vote them in, they will just be a suit.

For those guys who run around in the tri-colour hooped jumper to have success, we need to be professionally run off field too... Which is why I was relieved to see Fagan replace Trigg & roo come on board.

Rarely does a club have on-field success when run by incompetents off-field.

I want my club to be successful & it was not going to happen under Trigg. Now we have a chance again.

 

[Pdub]

Ask him why the official crows supporters group is called 'The Crows Supporters Group', shouldn't they be called 'the 19th man'? The sea hawks don't have an 'official Seahawks supporter group' and 'the 12th man' they just have 'the 12th man'.

Tell him to follow the Bulldogs lead and get someone witty to write the banners (the Bulldogs use comedian Danny McGinlay), Someone like Fitzy or Crow supporting Comedian Justin Hamilton.

I also have a 'no brainer' idea to 'crowify' Adelaide Oval, if any of the people attending the lunch want to volunteer their inbox, I'll send it to you and you can even pretend it's your idea, but I don't want Kochie to steal it so I don't want to post it.

 

[1970crow]

Nigel is a club senior executive, former and premiership player.

We really do cut down our own with ease at the club. Bickley, Smart in just the past few momnths.

Maybe, it's just this board.

Yeh, well let's just guarantee every premiership player a job for life, regardless of performance. They get the respect they deserve for their on-field deeds. Then they become an employee like anyone else. 5 minutes before this post you're saying we're just customers because we buy s**t, but now we can't discuss employee performance because they're past players.