OT: Dont Look Now Port Fans But Your Corporation is Showing.

lost_20

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#26
Fickle fans negate inroads
MICHELANGELO RUCCI
March 26, 2007 02:15am

PORT Adelaide signed up Australia's biggest corporate giant, BHP Billiton, last week. At the same time, the Power was not so successful in selling season tickets.

Corporate power is taking over at Alberton. And the Power has no choice but to accept it.
The club that came out of the SANFL in 1997 vowing to offer a people-powered alternative to the supposedly corporate monolith at West Lakes, the Adelaide Football Club, is now the darling of the white-collar set itself.

Port last year found an extra $1million from the corporate world. Another $1m is on the way this season. At the same time, the Power lost in each season almost $1m from the small man.

Bottom line: Zero change at a time when AFL clubs such as Port need more and more money to catch up with premiership club West Coast's $40m annual turnover.

Since Port's ground-breaking premiership in 2004, the Power's membership numbers have fallen from 36,340 in 2004 to probably 32,000 this year.

Home attendances are expected to drop from an average of 30,000 in 2004 to perhaps 26,000 this year (the minimum the club promised to deliver in its AFL licence tender in 1995).

Port chief executive John James will regularly leave his office at Alberton with the glow of having signed a company such as BHP Billiton to the club's corporate roster - and then spend all night awake in bed wondering where he can sell another season ticket.

"We've made as much as $7million a year from people going to the football - and now that number is falling," says James. "We're finding $5.5million from the corporate world where it is getting tougher and tougher to compete for the sponsorship dollar."

But not as tough, it would seem, to get a dollar from the football fan, even at a time when AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says Australian football has never been stronger, healthier and more appealing to the public.

When the AFL launched its premiership season on Thursday night along the lake at Albert Park of inner Melbourne - and surprised its guests with no dinner - Power president Greg Boulton gathered James, coach Mark Williams and his staff for supper in the city.

Williams was demanding - and searching for answers on why Port is not growing and ideas for how it can: such as selling home games to New Zealand where the Power, says Williams, would wear an all-black jumper.

"It's a frustration we all share," says James. "On the footy side of it, we can't have asked Mark to do any more - he's improved what this club can deliver on the field with a regenerated team that will make an exciting new push for the premiership.

"Our question - and we're not the only club asking it - is how do we get more people to watch us as season-ticket holders?"

The issues confronting Port are these:

AAMI STADIUM. As the AFL admits, the arena is tired. The SANFL's refusal to allow beer to be taken to seats has turned away many of Port's core supporters.

LIVE TELEVISION. Of Port's 11 home games, as many as 10 will be shown live against the gate - eight on Pay-TV network Fox Sports. Foxtel executives told the AFL in Melbourne last week that subscriptions in Adelaide are "going through the roof".

PICK-AND-CHOOSE FANS. Rather than buy a season ticket for all 11 home games, fans decide on match day if they will go.

With 51,515 seats at AAMI Stadium and Port averaging home crowds of 30,000, there is little risk of being shut out of the West Lakes arena.

Port's marketing campaign has offered season tickets at $185 - in essence 11 games for the price of six.

"That's value," says James. "And from season tickets the club gets every dollar. We don't with tickets sold at the gate."

Port is not alone in facing this issue. Brisbane expects to drop $800,000 in lost season-ticket sales this year.

When Brisbane chief executive Michael Bowers sought out James last week at the AFL launch to compare notes he commented: "You guys couldn't have tried any harder to sell tickets." James this week will shake more corporate suits in search of money.

He would rather meet new Port members.

"The corporate side of football is part of doing business in the AFL," says James. "But we still want the biggest voice at our club to be members."

That voice is being quickly lost amid the empty seats at AAMI Stadium.



Mmmmmmm who has joined the .................................what have all the power trolls who come on here called us?



Just cann't remember.........................:confused: :rolleyes: :D


Looks like going by the time he submitted this article he now goes in under the cover of darkness and with his new Graham Cornes haircut, we wont be able to recognise him in the street.
Hate to break it to you but according to a membership tally released by the AFL last season power had 37k members and today when I looked at lunch it was 29k when I just looked a moment ago it was 31,934 and theres still 4 days to goo sorry to poop the party. Apparently Crows lost 3% of their members this year which is usually the case. I think it was the same last year.
 

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Hawkamania!

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#27
Will the Crows have to add the PAP to their disbursement of profit? I mean, the Crows are keeping SA footy alive in the AFL and supporting the SANFL. They should be able to help their bretheren as well with part of their profits and maybe add a few Crow fans to help fill the seats.

I'm all for helping financially struggling clubs.:thumbsu:
 

Crow-mo

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#28
Make your mind up, guys....

One day we are rabid one-eyed traitorous-to-the-SANFL inbred supporters, the next day we have bandwagon supporters.:confused:
you've always had bandwagon supporters, as anyone over 17 knows.

though I am sure you grew up in Port's catchment area. right? ;)
 

Crow-mo

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#29
Hate to break it to you but according to a membership tally released by the AFL last season power had 37k members and today when I looked at lunch it was 29k when I just looked a moment ago it was 31,934 and theres still 4 days to goo sorry to poop the party. Apparently Crows lost 3% of their members this year which is usually the case. I think it was the same last year.
who do you think you are telling, this is Rucci's article.
 

jmorg1

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#30
Hate to break it to you but according to a membership tally released by the AFL last season power had 37k members and today when I looked at lunch it was 29k when I just looked a moment ago it was 31,934 and theres still 4 days to goo sorry to poop the party. Apparently Crows lost 3% of their members this year which is usually the case. I think it was the same last year.
Not according to Port's 'official historian'. To him, they are nothing but a bunch of fickle bandwagoners, led by former Port Power supporter bighawk1961 who couldn't wait to desert his team when the going got tough.
 

PowerForGood

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#32
you've always had bandwagon supporters, as anyone over 17 knows.

though I am sure you grew up in Port's catchment area. right? ;)
Rest assured, no-one over 17 was born when the Adelaide Crows were around, so they've all jumped on the bandwagon! ;)
 
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#34
The reason I placed this newsworthy article wasnt to have a go at the Roochadore nor the club for signing on the worlds largest mining company.

Good on you.

My main point was a dig at the tools that keep coming on here and calling us a franchise or corporation. I just wonder what they think of their team going down that track.

The other was that there are the ones that constantly harp about their followers are true blue, die in the wool supporters that nothing in the world would stop them from supporting their team. Well if a few lean years and the worst of all, can't take your beer to your seat is the problem well it's soft as butter. (Where have I heard that before) :D

Can we keep all threads on this topic and not anti Rooch please, I have had my fill with that one.
If you are going to have caveats for your threads, you can at least have them from the initial post.

My problem with your argument is that you have conflated the issue. There is a difference between being called a corporation or franchise which the Adeladie Football Club clearly is and getting more sponsorship from corporate sponsors which all clubs do.

When poster have a crack at the AFC for being a soulless abortion of the SANFL, a franchise that is born by backstabbing and the boardroom, a corporate entity that was a reaction not a positive sporting force, devoid of history and is little more than an amalgam of all those clubs that Port Adelaide use to call its bi-atch... then you can clearly see how such posters can call your team any epiphet that is oppositional to a team/club mentality with a rich history.

This is in strict difference to a club, and I say any club who picks up corporate sponsors. This is a fact of reality in sport or quite rightly the entertainment field of sport. All teams have corporate sponsors. Having more and lucrative sponsors is a good thing.

Can you see how you've conflated these issues? How they are completely different but your intellect cannot comprehend these obvious differences.

It's nice to see you've done your trolling proud and put it on Bay 13... for all to see.
 

PowerForGood

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#35
So did all the other fools that decided to ditch their SANFL teams in 1991 ;)
Hypothetical - 2015 - a third SA team enters the AFL made up of a Norwood / Sturt / Glenelg partnership - where would that leave the 60% of Crows supporters who originally supported those teams? Confused I would say.
 
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#36
Corporate power is taking over at Alberton
Corporate power is taking over at Alberton
Corporate power is taking over at Alberton
Corporate power is taking over at Alberton
Corporate power is taking over at Alberton


Sorry for repeating myself Port fans, but at least you'll remember it now ;)

There goes one of their anti-Crow, pro-Port arguments.



the Power was not so successful in selling season tickets.
Awww.
 

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jmorg1

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#38
If you are going to have caveats for your threads, you can at least have them from the initial post.

My problem with your argument is that you have conflated the issue. There is a difference between being called a corporation or franchise which the Adeladie Football Club clearly is and getting more sponsorship from corporate sponsors which all clubs do.

When poster have a crack at the AFC for being a soulless abortion of the SANFL, a franchise that is born by backstabbing and the boardroom, a corporate entity that was a reaction not a positive sporting force, devoid of history and is little more than an amalgam of all those clubs that Port Adelaide use to call its bi-atch... then you can clearly see how such posters can call your team any epiphet that is oppositional to a team/club mentality with a rich history.

This is in strict difference to a club, and I say any club who picks up corporate sponsors. This is a fact of reality in sport or quite rightly the entertainment field of sport. All teams have corporate sponsors. Having more and lucrative sponsors is a good thing.

Can you see how you've conflated these issues? How they are completely different but your intellect cannot comprehend these obvious differences.

It's nice to see you've done your trolling proud and put it on Bay 13... for all to see.
Port Power are a corporation. Even your own 'official historian' has confirmed that. No amount of spindoctoring or accusations of 'conflating' the issues is going to change that. So not only are you a corporation but your supporters are also the most fickle. Too bad.
 

Le KooK

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#40
Williams was demanding - and searching for answers on why Port is not growing and ideas for how it can: such as selling home games to New Zealand where the Power, says Williams, would wear an all-black jumper.
Oh dear.

Choco's been dipping into Cuzzy's big bag of horse chaff I see....
 

PowerForGood

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#43
Does anyone remember which team it was that had the mobile phone as their first ever mascot?
There's another funny thing about you Crows supporters - first "Power are crap, you can't get any sponsors, if it wasn't for Allan Scott you'd be broke", and now we get the biggest company in Australia putting up money and you still aren't satisfied.:eek:

Geez, I'm gonna miss this come Friday night (no more Bay 13 - real stuff starts then!)
 

crow87

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#45
There's another funny thing about you Crows supporters - first "Power are crap, you can't get any sponsors, if it wasn't for Allan Scott you'd be broke", and now we get the biggest company in Australia putting up money and you still aren't satisfied.:eek:

Geez, I'm gonna miss this come Friday night (no more Bay 13 - real stuff starts then!)
Last time I checked that wasn't vodafone, why are you quoting me? :confused:
 

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#47
Crows supporter's in general, sorry, shouldn't have quoted that one.... :eek:
No worries mate lol. For the record good on you guys for getting a sponsorship with a big company like BHP, however for my liking Port Power seems to take the line that suits them best for the circumstances. ie when they want to recruit new members who may be new to football they are a new club but when they want to get the old-school supporters on side they refer to history. Also, portraying themselves as a club that can't be bought while choosing their team colours in consultation with a manufacturer, having a mobile for a mascot is a bit "hippocritical". However taking on a new sponsorship is not selling out IMO.
 

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#49
Two points:-

1) It's good work of Rucci to write a well timed article to fire up the supporters, get them off their backsides and ringing the club with their credit card details. :thumbsu:

2) For those complaining about Port having sponsors, you do realise that even your local football or cricket team has sponsors don't you? BTW Port was founded 130 odd years ago by a group of businessmen from the Port as a means of providing a sporting activity for the young men of the district. Over the years it's been a combination of business acumen and working class outlook that has powered the success of the club. All very modern really.
 
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