How BIG is our Bandwagon? (RFC people only?)

deliberate!!

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Thread starter #1
Anyone noticed the same people who once called us a 'laughing stock' and 'a joke' now love us or tell us they love watching us like they are now coming along for the ride? LOL. Do we need pseudo supporters from other clubs living through our return to the top half of the Ladder?

I recently told a family member who caned us for years to get off the Tiggy Bandwagon because I remember he slammed us for decades. I wore his barbs, but I'm not wearing his new love for us. Call it selfish, but I'm the one who's done the hard yards all these years.

And there is this perception that Richmond people are coming out of the woodwork now. What's that about? Gee I saw a lot of Richmond people at the football for the past 30 years when we were getting smacked every week. I think us Richmond people know we've always been passionate, always gone to games, always supported. I hate this wrong perception.

Anyone else have stories of this new hypocrisy, where haters now loves us?
 

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amcre

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#3
Yeah if someone labels me a bandwagon supporter after going to games and being a member my whole life (24) and never seeing sucess bar 2001 (too young in 95) then I will knock them out lol!
 

cub

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#4
Let a few ainters know where they could jam it with that comment Friday
& no one else will get away with it either give em heaps, they usually go to water
 

Cap

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#6
bandwagoners are great for clubs - instant income zero cost.

Honestly, supporters who don't like a clubs bandwagoners is kidding himself.

sorry for intruding
 
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#9
Anyone noticed the same people who once called us a 'laughing stock' and 'a joke' now love us or tell us they love watching us like they are now coming along for the ride? LOL. Do we need pseudo supporters from other clubs living through our return to the top half of the Ladder?

I recently told a family member who caned us for years to get off the Tiggy Bandwagon because I remember he slammed us for decades. I wore his barbs, but I'm not wearing his new love for us. Call it selfish, but I'm the one who's done the hard yards all these years.

And there is this perception that Richmond people are coming out of the woodwork now. What's that about? Gee I saw a lot of Richmond people at the football for the past 30 years when we were getting smacked every week. I think us Richmond people know we've always been passionate, always gone to games, always supported. I hate this wrong perception.

Anyone else have stories of this new hypocrisy, where haters now loves us?
if we go into the bye 7-5....this guy thinks were going to need a bigger bandwagon....all aboard!!!

 
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#10
I'm 20, probably the worst age bracket to be in seeing as I was about 9 in 2001.

After years of going to games and being a member, it's a weird feeling to be going well..
 

Mr T

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#11
A prime example the other night, I turned up to the game just before the bounce and the grog squad was packed full of ring-ins. There was this one bloke up the front (really good viewing spot) that I didn't recognize, so I asked him how many games he had been to this year , said it was his first for the year. I then went on to ask if he was a member, he replied and said he was a Geelong supporter. that got me fuming so I basically shoved him out the was and said this place is reserved for us long suffering Richmond members who go to games every week.
 

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Varicho

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#12
Seriously who cares who jumps on... the more the merrier I reckon!! As long as we keep getting to go to games like last Friday's and have an atmosphere like that, I'll be happy.

We should embrace anyone who wants to jump on board - it's only gonna make us a stronger club, and ensure we get the big Friday night clashes - and Collingwood dream MCG draws...

I love that people want to be associated with us - they should be, we're playing as exciting a brand of footy as anyone right now...

I'm excited - wish is was Saturday already!!
 

nbourke

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#13
I heard a lot of bitter St Kilda supporters mention the old bandwagon thing. Just respond with the following:

Richmond in 2007: 3 wins, Wooden spoon, average crowd attendance 42 thousand
St Kilda in 2009: 20 wins, grand final appearance, average crowd attendance 42 thousand

30 years without any success = 50 thousand members....Deal With It! :D
 
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#14
The beauty of the tiger machine for a couple of elder posters is that we know how big this is gonna get.
Some of you younger blokes are yet to really experience it. I really hope we all get a good reminder of the army this season.
As for bandwagoners, who gives a shit, if its a home game and it brings and extra 5 thousand through the gate at a home game, **** it, i'd take the money. More money, less FTF reliance. Some come one, come all, lets get the biggest machine in the league rolling.
MadTiger, i need you to tell people 50k or more is the only acceptable number for the Freo game.
 

nbourke

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#15
To have bandwagon supporters...what a problem to have!!! :D

It's one of the best problems in footy. Next we will have to worry about all landing grand final tickets..Ddaaamnnnn!!!! And then the problem of, what do we do now, now that we'v won a flag?! :D
 

Final Siren

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#16
I'm 20, probably the worst age bracket to be in seeing as I was about 9 in 2001.
I reckon 40 is worse. So many bleak years...

Anyway, I say WELCOME BACK to any fair weather supporters. The bigger this club gets, the better off we all are.

And I know that when real success comes, it will be sweeter for those of us who had to earn it...
 
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#17
We have to learn to embrace this bandwagon stuff.

A big thriving bandwagon means;

* Free Agency is an opportunity, not a threat. I can see it now, players walking out on their club to get on the Tiger wagon. Playing to 50,000+ every week, opportunity for success, infectious club culture, solid off-field etc.

* Friend yesterday (who is a Kangaroo fan) rang me to tell me that his five year old doesn't barrack for the Roos any more, and wants to support the Tigers. I immediately sent him some Tigers paraphernalia just to lock him in! Hopefully this is happening everywhere with the young 'uns.

* The virtuous circle created by 60k+ members. Who doesn't want another $1m plus pumped into the club every year in membership alone?

I'm 38 and have seen plenty of false dawns, and still reckon finals might be a stretch this year, but it's the off-field momentum that builds the confidence that even with a few losses, we're on the cusp of being a dominant football business.

Get on board.
 

MightyTiger

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#18
I reckon 40 is worse. So many bleak years...

Anyway, I say WELCOME BACK to any fair weather supporters. The bigger this club gets, the better off we all are.

And I know that when real success comes, it will be sweeter for those of us who had to earn it...
At least you witnessed 1980, and to a lesser extent 1982, I'm 24, born in 1987, was a tad young for 1995, and 2001 was special, especially beating the cheats but apart from that what else have us guys in our early to mid 20s seen?
 

nbourke

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#19
At least you witnessed 1980, and to a lesser extent 1982, I'm 24, born in 1987, was a tad young for 1995, and 2001 was special, especially beating the cheats but apart from that what else have us guys in our early to mid 20s seen?
You're the same age as me. It does suck but I reckon Final Sirens had it worse. He was 10 when we last won a flag. Not sure if that actually counts. I dont think I would have appreciated it at all when I was that age.
 

deliberate!!

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Thread starter #20
I have no problem with lapsed Richmond people who now want to watch us live, but I don't want other Teams liking us. Why?
Because these same blow-ins will hate us eventually if we have continued wins and stay loud and proud.

A hated Richmond is a good thing. It keeps the 2nd Team Bandwagoners away, and it means we are smacking teams constantly.
We are not the National Team. We are the Richmond Football Club. We have our own people. We've suffered. We've stayed the distance.

To all those embracing other club's supporters take a reality pill. It won't last long.

So what do you want? Us to constantly win and then be hated again OR us to be the feel good, 'I feel sorry for them' Team?

Remember our Motto is: 'Eat em Alive' ;)
 

HeadandShin

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#21
* Friend yesterday (who is a Kangaroo fan) rang me to tell me that his five year old doesn't barrack for the Roos any more, and wants to support the Tigers. I immediately sent him some Tigers paraphernalia just to lock him in! Hopefully this is happening everywhere with the young 'uns.
I have had this one as well - My best mates 9 yo is no longer on the Swans and is now a Tiger - and that was before the game 3 weeks ago! He and his dad (well mainly his dad) used to laugh a me and my Tigers in the mid 2000's, but every-time we played I'd be there.

Somehow we must be doing something right to have this sort of thing happening with Kids defecting from other teams.

Honestly I can't wait - Been saying for years that if we can be as crap as we have been for the past 30 years and still pull 40-45K+ members HOW BIG are we going to be when we pull together a few consistent years let alone two consistent months!! And I'm not talking about 2nd teamers - just our own. Every team has fans who drop off when things aren't pretty, and lets face it we've looked as ugly as a hat full of #ssholes (on and off the field) for a long long time. I will welcome them back.

.....This is only the beginning.
 

deliberate!!

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Thread starter #22
bandwagoners are great for clubs - instant income zero cost.

Honestly, supporters who don't like a clubs bandwagoners is kidding himself.

sorry for intruding
You have no idea.
Your club is a recent invention to VFL/AFL. Your history of rivalries is a pin prick in the history of Great Australian Rules rivalries.
Do you know of our past history even under Hafey and the way this club was viewed by other clubs.

The only club that hates you is Port Adelaide. And that is as scary and as important in Footballing History as Winnie the Pooh hating a Care Bear!
 

tugga

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Moderator #23
I have no problem with lapsed Richmond people who now want to watch us live, but I don't want other Teams liking us. Why?
Because these same blow-ins will hate us eventually if we have continued wins and stay loud and proud.

A hated Richmond is a good thing. It keeps the 2nd Team Bandwagoners away, and it means we are smacking teams constantly.
We are not the National Team. We are the Richmond Football Club. We have our own people. We've suffered. We've stayed the distance.

To all those embracing other club's supporters take a reality pill. It won't last long.

So what do you want? Us to constantly win and then be hated again OR us to be the feel good, 'I feel sorry for them' Team?

Remember our Motto is: 'Eat em Alive' ;)
Other teams may 'like' us now but we shouldn't confuse 'like' with 'feel sorry for'. I think people do have empathy for us.
Walking out of the ground on Friday night, I heard a 70-plus older St Kilda supporter say to her husband (and I quote word for word): "They are worse than ****en Collingwood supporters". She knew how bad we are and how bad we can get. She was of the vintage that would have grown up with us being the giants of the competition. She knew.
We will be the worst winners imaginable, which is not great to admit, but it's only natural considering how much emotional energy we have to let out. It's all gotta go somewhere.
Friday night was a start. Not having beaten them since 2003, I know I did a little dance on the way out of the stadium.
Don't worry Delib. Before too long, other teams' supporters will be hating us I can 100% guarantee it. Winning is not something we have been used to and we do have pretty exceptional circumstances to enjoy it when we finally are winning again.
The empathy will wear off pretty quick and they will wish we stayed in the quagmire of loserdom.
 
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#24
A prime example the other night, I turned up to the game just before the bounce and the grog squad was packed full of ring-ins. There was this one bloke up the front (really good viewing spot) that I didn't recognize, so I asked him how many games he had been to this year , said it was his first for the year. I then went on to ask if he was a member, he replied and said he was a Geelong supporter. that got me fuming so I basically shoved him out the was and said this place is reserved for us long suffering Richmond members who go to games every week.
Yeah, but don't forget there's blokes like me who've been going week in, week out since the 70s, who sometimes do like to blow-in to the Grog Squad and have a sing. It would shit me no end if some 20yo took the view that I was fairweather because he doesn't happen to know me personally.

I think it's best to take a 'more the merrier' approach to the bandwagon at the moment, and in truth, I don't think the bandwagon's even started yet. Just wait...
 

TimeFor11

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#25
I don't care if it is Richmond supporters that are jumping on and now coming to games more often or for the first time so long as they have been Tigers their whole life and not just jumping from a WB/MEL or something like that.

A mate text me the other night saying how shit his side was (Carlton) and how good they Tigers are and how its all about Richmond. I didn't reply and quite frankly would not allow him to become a supporter.
 
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