Free footy?

[sainter]

I was just wondering what everyone thinks about tonights match and the idea of clubs having their matches underwritten by sponsors to provide free football matches.

From a supporters perspective (of the away team), I am a little skeptical.

Firstly, I would like to know where the line is going to be drawn. If the experiment is successful and becomes more than just a one off occurence, what are going to be the potential consequences for members, supporters, etc.

While I realise the home team deserves the majority of the rights, is it fair for opposition members to miss out on watching their team play while thousands of neutral supporters attend at the expense of the real supporters. (It is not the Grand Final!)

By disadvantaging the members of both competing clubs, is this going to further discourage people from paying up each year?

Will the crowd be full of people just there for the novelty factor? While we won't know until the game, would it be better to have a crowd of 25,000-30,000 real supporters rather than a sell out.

I don't know. Perhaps I am a little paranoid (or pessimistic). It just seems like nothing but a money making scheme for the Western Bulldogs to me.

Although I do have to admit that it will make a change for us to play in front of a large crowd there. And playing for the right to donate money to either the Trevor Barker or E.J Whitten Foundations is a great gesture.

Go the sainters!!!

 

[Gonzo]

Sainter

I'm a tad sceptical - do you think this would have been approved by the AFL if the game was being played at the "G"

Smacks of a PR exercise for Calamity Stadium to me!!

 

[Joel]

OR as suggested last week, free tickets for a Collingwood game, would we ever see that? Somehow I doubt it!

 

[servo]

OK so the crowd got in for free, what a great publicity effort by Liberty Financial.

Of course it was a money making venture for the Bullies, that is what sponsors do. If the other clubs can find sponsors to do the same good on em.

As far as a comparison to the Collingwood request, there is no comparison. Sure the spectators would have gotten in free to both games. But Eddies idea had the AFL & Colonial Stadium meeting the costs of staging the game. Are they sponsors of Collingwood? No. so how could Eddie have seriously expected the AFL to agree to his request? He never expected them to agree.

I suspect the Board of Collingwood were never even consulted. Eddie is a media animal and he understands the positive publicity his antics created. He probably also new about the Bulldog proposal a few weeks ago so tried to get in first so he could claim they stole his idea.

We are not that naive are we??

 

[colley31]

The part I don't understand about this free night,is aren'tLiberty Finance are in competition with Colonial ??

 

[Groucho]

I heard someone from Liberty Financial say that they are not Colonial's competitors as their clients are usually those that Colonial(and their ilk) reject!
By the way Servo, I heard David Smorgon admit that they got the idea from Eddie, and thanked him , it's just that they developed it into a viable proposition by obtaining a sponsor.

 

[ytry4]

Originally posted by servo:


I suspect the Board of Collingwood were never even consulted. Eddie is a media animal and he understands the positive publicity his antics created. He probably also new about the Bulldog proposal a few weeks ago so tried to get in first so he could claim they stole his idea.
B]

You are talking complete crap. Get your facts right before you speak. Smorgon sadi himself that the idea came from Edie's proposal.

 

[Joel]

And another thing Collingwood did have the backing of its sponsors(to some extent). Although it didn't cover all costs, this is because 50,000 would have turned up compared to the other game. The cost have been that little bit more.

 

[servo]

Well got the shackles up a bit did I.

If David Smorgon got the idea from Eddie but just presented it in a workable fashion then that just supports my view that Eddie didnt think this through properly & didn't consult his experienced administrators he has at his club.

50000 at the collywobble game!!! where were they all sitting?