Opinion Match day experience

[fpm84]

Mods, please move this thread if there’s somewhere else it should be.

I was really disappointed with the match day experience yesterday (separate to the fact we lost!).

Last year we had the ‘cat noise’ over the PA when we scored a goal at home games. A bit irritating but no different to what most other teams do.

At our two GHMBA games this year, that has been replaced by an ultra loud blast of top 40 music after a goal. Does anyone really want to be blasted by Tones & I as we wait for the ball to return to the middle?

Even worse - and this was unforgivable - was the ground announcer trying to rev the crowd up while the game was being played. At least twice during the last quarter she chimed in with a “come on Cats fans, this is when the team needs your support”… when 99% of people there were feeling tense, frustrated and freezing.

Note that I’m not talking about the regular competitions, giveaways etc during quarter breaks - but the actual game itself.

I don’t know what member feedback or focus group results the club is getting to think that people want more noise during the game. But I don’t know a single supporter who enjoys it - and in fact this type of stuff contributes to turning people off attending games and buying memberships because it’s easier and cheaper to watch on TV.

Rant over.

 

[catempire]

Absolutely spot on rant. It’s deplorable and will push me away from renewing my membership. Getting to the stage where I would prefer to be watching on TV where I can avoid that crap.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

The announcer yesterday telling me to get out of my seat and make some noise was ridiculous.

Maybe she should have directed it at the players.

And what’s with the music after every goal? I want to watch the footy. If I wanted to listen to that I would go to a nightclub.

 

[doctor_evil]

They do this at Storm games and it works well, crowds are a lot more involved there though, chants and cheering. I prefer the atmosphere than at AFL but im not as emotionally invested as i am with the Cats. I thinks its more aimed at the casual crowd than the rusted on tragics. If our crowds werent known for being such feather clapping nannas maybe they wouldn’t have to try to rev us up.

 

[STPer18]

Even on the telecast you can hear the lady trying to rev up the crowd over the PA speaker. Gimmicky and embarrassing, maybe some enjoy it but from myself and the people I know it's just so out of touch.

 

[feelinfeline]

They do this at Storm games and it works well, crowds are a lot more involved there though, chants and cheering. I prefer the atmosphere than at AFL but im not as emotionally invested as i am with the Cats. I thinks its more aimed at the casual crowd than the rusted on tragics. If our crowds werent known for being such feather clapping nannas maybe they wouldn’t have to try to rev us up.

It's an Americanism that the NRL has clearly taken to. There's no need for it in the AFL.

We cheer when we want to. We don't have to be told when to cheer.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Works really well in basketball......
Not so much in AFL.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Doesn’t bother me, not a lot does at the footy. I try not to get too worked up at the footy as it is a 3 hour escape from the daily grind of life.

Yesterday had a dad and his 5 daughters behind me. All 13-21yo. Yapping all game with just inane chatter. Didn’t even let that bother me.

How we played and the result was the only irritant.

 

[Pollywaffle]

This is the world we now live in.
All that noise doesn’t seem to irritate the younger demographics. I guess they have grown up with it..
I could hear it in the background on the radio. That was annoying enough for me!

 

[dazbroncos]

Mods, please move this thread if there’s somewhere else it should be.

I was really disappointed with the match day experience yesterday (separate to the fact we lost!).

Last year we had the ‘cat noise’ over the PA when we scored a goal at home games. A bit irritating but no different to what most other teams do.

At our two GHMBA games this year, that has been replaced by an ultra loud blast of top 40 music after a goal. Does anyone really want to be blasted by Tones & I as we wait for the ball to return to the middle?

Even worse - and this was unforgivable - was the ground announcer trying to rev the crowd up while the game was being played. At least twice during the last quarter she chimed in with a “come on Cats fans, this is when the team needs your support”… when 99% of people there were feeling tense, frustrated and freezing.

Note that I’m not talking about the regular competitions, giveaways etc during quarter breaks - but the actual game itself.

I don’t know what member feedback or focus group results the club is getting to think that people want more noise during the game. But I don’t know a single supporter who enjoys it - and in fact this type of stuff contributes to turning people off attending games and buying memberships because it’s easier and cheaper to watch on TV.

Rant over.

I don’t think you are alone.

Most people - amateur and professional - audio types think louder is better.

It’s not. It’s crap.

They feel it’s their job to be abrasive - they think it’s a good thing.

And once again it’s following the US style.

It’s not basketball.. it’s not the NBA.
It’s Aussie rules.

Just stop.

Go Catters

 

[JohnZ]

I won't post in the autopsy thread. Embarrassing stuff.

The crowd got up and about when the boys dug in and gave a shit for 5mins in that last Q. The crowd was understandably flat (as was I) when we sat thru 2 and a half Qs of absolute shite. There is no room for unearned praise at the footy, that's shinboner territory and not what our club should stand for.

Reality is that this shit will infiltrate the match day experience because that's what someone, who is being paid $200k pa, does at the club to justify their position.

 

[Catman]

Are we children? Seriously that's what it felt like being told to cheer.

We'll cheer when the team gives us something to cheer about. It's no wonder people are preferring to watch at home.

I'd love to see the research done that found that fans want this artificially generated atmosphere at games.

 

[Baudolino]

I'm sure Nathan Templeton is a nice guy, and he's only doing what the club is telling him to do, but his constant bleating over the microphone genuinely detracts from gameday. Literally no one cares what he has to say. Footy doesn't need a "host" FFS. I feel pretty confident that the constant yammering does more to actively detracts from people feeling positive towards the club than it does help to grow the club's brand and attract members.

Obviously the sponsorship stuff is necessary and understandable, but half of it isn't even sponsorship-related, it's just pointless noise that they stupidly think enhances the matchday experience (spoiler alert: it does the opposite). And the sponsorship stuff can be done in less obtrusive ways anyway.

 

[Phipppppa]

What the **** is that Seahorse shit at 3QT time?

As well as the dancing cams and rave parties after goals. It’s just rubbish and it really ruined the experience for me.

 

[crocsta]

I don’t really care what they do in the breaks as long as it isn’t so loud I can’t talk to people about the match.

Instructions to the crowd was a real turn off. What surprised me was that the crowd actually responded to it.

I always thought that was the role of the cheer squad


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[calder_daddy]

For those who aren’t aware this match day experience a lot of the time isn’t even from the club. It’s sponsors who want this type of experience.
I know with some grounds the music after goals are actually picked by the player who kicked it.

I also don’t love the loud music and dancing side of it, at the breaks I like to relax.
That’s just me personally, but I’d love to know why they tend to push this

 

[Pollywaffle]

Bring back the half time bagpipe band

 

[Phipppppa]

Some of the stuff played yesterday would be the worst use of the loud speakers since Cat Attack.

 

[BotsMaster]

Heard a bit of it on the TV and it was cringeworthy. Will stay away from KP from now on

 

[cats_09]

What the fu** is that Seahorse shit at 3QT time?

As well as the dancing cams and rave parties after goals. It’s just rubbish and it really ruined the experience for me.

That's been around for a couple of years at least - Port Phillip Ferries have a partnership with the GFC and obviously part of that sponsorship is match day advertising

It just happens that the advertising is in the form of the Port Phillip Ferries seahorse mascot & that comp they run

 

[CarAttack]

It’s absolutely cringeworthy.
I was somebody that used to attended most Cats games played in Vic. But I have been weaning myself off that for the last few years. It’s not the only reason, but it’s one of main factors.
I was at KP yesterday and it was really annoying.
Love my Cats - but it’s turning into a TV / Pub game for me.

 

[My Tilly]

Geelong supporters are notorious for being quiet during games.

Now that the team is starting to drop away, you will find it'll become even more subdued and bleak so we're going to have to accept the annoying audio effects and music added in between drinks.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Geelong supporters are notorious for being quiet during games.

Now that the team is starting to drop away, you will find it'll become even more subdued and bleak so we're going to have to accept the annoying audio effects and music added in between drinks.

Hopefully people complain about it and it stops.
Highly unlikely though.

 

[Partridge]

Works really well in basketball......
Not so much in AFL.

To me it seems to be required for crap sports (and I loathe basketball so that qualifies). In any kind of decent sport it simply isn't needed. Shouldn't be within a million miles of footy.

 

[doctor_evil]

It's an Americanism that the NRL has clearly taken to. There's no need for it in the AFL.

We cheer when we want to. We don't have to be told when to cheer.

I don’t go anymore but for years at KP i was getting pretty sick of being one of the only loud ones consistently cheering in the outer. Don’t want to be told when to cheer then make some bloody noise you old Nannas.