The Cheer Squad

[evertonfc]

Re the cheer squad, I ended up sitting next to the cheer squad during the Richmond game earlier this year and I was struck by what would be best described as an "ageing demographic" Is it not a younger people's way of joining the Saints community, without having senior citz running the group?

Brilliant post.

Look at any of the football fan groups in Europe and it's a young, vibrant core of 16-35 year old guys.

That's the demographic and age group you need to target: they make the most noise, whip the crowd up the most and know how to construct proper chants, etc.

Ours seems to be filled with hush-hush grannies and squealing teenage girls who know two words: "Dal" and "OMG".

Not having a crack here - and I understand all the effort they put into putting together crate paper and organising buses - but what red-blooded male would want to be involved? Who is there to look up to for chant guidance?

That will probably be skewed into some un-PC 'you-don't-appreciate-our-hard-work' coment, but it's just how I see it.

I seriously suggest the Cheer Squad folk get along to Melbourne Victory matches to see how the fans are there. Even in the pre-match (which renders the 'in game' argument irrelevant), they sing jump, chant - magic stuff.

[saint66au]

Yep, nice summation everton...Id add two points..

1. Aussie Rules fans dont and want chant/sing/whatever while the actual game is on. Our "chippolotto" (Copyright Dan Warna 2008) style of play you would think would give us ample time to belt out a tune, just as your Toffees fans do as they knock it around the back half. But no, AFL fans would rather scream "Stop stuffing around and KICK THE BLOODY THING FORWARD" than make collective noise. Twice in the dying stages on Sat night, with the game in the bag, the MW tried to start "the song" as the ball went out of bounds on our Wing. Twice it petered out about 2 posessions after it was tossed back in. When theres footy to be watched, AFL fans dont want ot be distracted with singing.

2. For the CS to even start attracting the kind of demographic that makes Victory games so noisy, it has to be seen as a "cool" place to sit.
Ive sat on the periphery of the Richmond CS a few times, and it, without doubt, has the "cool factor" Its also 3 times bigger than ours, but that would have something to do with it. There are hordes of guys 18-35, as well as the families and older folk too. I just cant see guys this age bragging that they hang out in our CS. Its perception had to change if they, or the Club, want to crank up its noise level
Having said that, I'm not sure if we want to recreate the Victory's Blue and White Brigade jackboot "obey the capo or else " disciplinary ethos. Granted Ive only observed from a distance, but that lot look about as family-friendly as King St at midnight and their Forum makes here look like a Hillsong convention. That shattering noise they make comes at a price.

[Mooksy]

I totally agree with Finey. I don't think there a less inspirational chant exists. It's embarrassing.

[Brooksy_Babe_24]

For a long time i've sat on the fence and well got offended by comments made aboubt the cheersquad but not anymore.

the way some committee members are treated is appauling isn't the whole idea of a cheersquad to make as much noise as possible and put off the oppostion appearantly not in our cheersquad.

yes they are all loyal and passionate people and i'm not wanting to put anyone down or offencd anyone by saying this but they do need to be open to change more. So many times people have come up with ideas only to be told it won't work or we could get fined if we did that.


We need to in a way stuff the AFL rules and make as much nosie as we can.

We need to try and re-create the cheersquad so we can get these male voices in and come up with some more good chants.

I'm female so i quite like a few of them because i think they fit well with the demographic that we have now in the cheersquad mostly kids and people who are so loyal and have been in the cheersquad for years.

However i understand what people are saying and i'm very open to change and would love to hear some of your ideas on chants or ways in which we can re-create the cheersquad into a formidable force that it was in the moorabbin days.

Not all people in the cheersqaud have soft voices and are grandmas or young kids however sadly most of us are female and we do need strong male voices.

Being in the cheersquad for me is being part of a group that love this club and would do anything to see it succeed it also brings me great joy cheering on the boys especially in times when your outnumbered and to hear Bill scream out knock knock and knowing that we have won.

A lot of members of the cheersquad do go to Victory games and we would love to implement it in the AFL however as saint66au brought up that just isn't possible due to the fast speed the game is played and how most people watch the game.

I'd be interested to hear positive feedback and negatives if you can turn them into positives coz at the end of the day we all want the same thing.

so lets not turn it into a we hate the cheersquad post again

As I said we all want the same thing

FOR THE MIGHTY SAINTS TO BRING IT HOME IN FRONT OF THEIR MOST LOYAL SUPPORTERS US ALL OF US WHO DON OUR COLOURS RED WHITE BLACK ALL OVER THE WORLD.