Alternative guernsey

[Frodo]

I just had this email from WCE......


Thankyou for your e-mail relating to the club's alternate guernsey.
The alternate strip was designed after extensive market research and won overwhelming support from the West Coast Eagles' young fans as well as the players.
It was also designed to depict the state of Western Australian as this football club has always seen itself as a team representing the whole of this vast State. Hence the presence of the coastline (on both guernseys) and ochre representation on the alternate guernsey, symbolising the red earth of the north-west. The eagle logo was also altered to take on a more aggressive
appearance. The idea behind creating the new guernsey was for it to be adopted in the event of a colour clash with an opponent. It is important to note that rather than being an "away" guernsey it is an alternate jumper.All clubs within the AFL have been instructed within the next two years to design an alternate strip. While we appreciate that it is difficult to please everyone when introducing a new element to the football club and
understand your feelings, the alternate guernsey remains extremely popular with our younger members and supporters.
We acknowledge and applaud your passion for your football club and trust that we can reward that support in the near future.
Yours sincerely,

Gary Stocks
Communications Manager
West Coast Eagles
08 9388 4543
0412 144 588
e-mail: garys@westcoasteagles.com.au

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Good reply from the club. In fact, it has me thinking that they actually believe what they are saying. A few problems with what it says though:

All clubs within the AFL have been instructed within the next two years to design an alternate strip.

The eagles introduced the jumper long before the AFL made that "instruction".

The idea behind creating the new guernsey was for it to be adopted in the event of a colour clash with an opponent.

So why didn't they just introduce an alternative away jumper?

While we appreciate that it is difficult to please everyone when introducing a new element to the football club

Who have they pleased? The little kids that voted for it? Little kids like anything colourful, I got a freakin flourescent green walkman for my 7th B'day and I was wrapped, now i don't know what the hell to do with it.

But in the end no matter how much we complain we will never get our old jumpers back, might aswell get used to these ones.

 

[WCE2000]

oh well, at least there is no chance of a colour clash.

I don't think any other side wear red, yellow, blue, orange, and whatever other colour they could think of.


And also, one thing i couldn't work out with they're reply was that the state of WA is on both guernseys. I have the home one, and i really can't work out were Western Australia is on it.

 

[Visro]

I find it extremenly concerning that the only people they worry about are the young kids. The away guernsey is a piece of crap, the home guernsey deserves some merit in the colours but again the design is crap.

Vis

 

[WCE2000]

i don't think the home guersney is that bad at all.

I don't rate as good as the old one, but it's still quite good.

But the away guernsey is redicolous. How could anyone be proud to play in that.

 

[jod23]

I actually like the new look and we look great in our home uniforms but when we travel we look pretty shocking in that ochre colour.

They should just change the away strip. Then id be happy. Good response by the club though

 

[Mr Eagle]

Gary Stocks and co are to be commended for making a meaningful reply, BUT...

"While we appreciate that it is difficult to please everyone when introducing a new element to the football club and understand your feelings, the alternate guernsey remains extremely popular with our younger members and supporters."



This is, without doubt, the single most indefensible attitude I have ever heard coming from a football club. Without writing off the importance of young fans to a club totally, stuff their support for the new design. Has anyone looked at the music charts lately? Young kids will buy anything if the marketing is right, and then promptly discard it 6 months later. Is that the sort of fan base the Eagles are looking to develop? If you went back to those same kids and offered them the old design with suitable flair and show I'm sure they'd jump for it as well. The club may as well have just picked the design out of a hat.

If the Eagles were fair dinkum about getting a jumper that reflected the club's ethos, they would have looked to the members, not kids who may or may not actually have been serious Eagles fans. To suggest that they somehow are more important to the club than the people who go to every home game, fortnight after fortnight, and who pay out their hard-earned because of their love for the club is an insult to those people - who are, like it or not, the heart and soul of this club.

This attitude is despicable. Shame, Eagles, shame.

 

[McKenna for PM]

My sentiments exactly.