Social Club half empty

[Solar]

I did notice with interestthat the social club reserve was only half full on saturday night. Cheers to those atthe club that decided to make it fully reserved and thus pushing loyal social club members upstairs

Can't wait to see it during seasons where we are near the bottom

[stinger]

got to agree with you on that....

[PLUGGER14]

Or is it half full?

[Junction Oval]

It's "advantageous profit-taking" by short term thinkers, which most AFL Clubs are.
Things eventually and inevitably change and then they say "why?"

[Joey]

yep tried to get tickets in the social club area on level 1 on Monday and it was saying that it was full.

[prwilkinson]

I was there, standing up the back... not to far from the victory room beer taps. I thought the crowd was pretty good on Saturday for an interstate club.

[bendigo bob]

I did notice with interestthat the social club reserve was only half full on saturday night. Cheers to those atthe club that decided to make it fully reserved and thus pushing loyal social club members upstairs

Can't wait to see it during seasons where we are near the bottom

My family and I are social club members who did not take up the reserved seat option on the ground level and now sit in the nose bleed area on level 3. The only thing I enjoy about sitting up in the rafters is being able to see how the game unfolds as they move from one end the ground to the other. The negatives are too many to mention - especially having to sit with oppo supporters.

Ran into the jiggster after the game in the victory game and had a great chat. We used to sit behind him last year in the social club area. He mentioned he might be up on level 3 again next year due to him being a pensioner (poor old bugger) and the cost of a reserved seat.

Hope the club is able to change it back to how it was previously - before they lose too many social club members.

[Toy Saint]

Quite frankly, I don't much value in the Social Club. I've been a member since Moorabin and Waverly days. For years, I always headed to the Social Club for a been after the game, but since we've been at Jihad stadium, I just don't bother.

[saint66au]

So the problem is that a lot of people who went to the trouble of buying yearly seats in the SC..arent turning up?

[kosifantutti23]

I'm going to one of only two games for the year this week.

I'm a social club member without reserved seating, can I book a seat on Level 2 and have access to the bar behind the level 2 seating?

[Solar]

So the problem is that a lot of people who went to the trouble of buying yearly seats in the SC..arent turning up?

Yep, and guess what. Those who got screwed over will decide that social club might not be the way to go and drop it. The last 10 years at the dome they would sell it completely out because people like the idea of having a choice each week if they want to sit in the social club area, sit upstairs etc.

In 5 years time they will wonder why they don't have many social club members as they burnt the ones who would be loyal no matter where on the ladder we were.

[Eastern]

I did notice with interestthat the social club reserve was only half full on saturday night. Cheers to those atthe club that decided to make it fully reserved and thus pushing loyal social club members upstairs

Can't wait to see it during seasons where we are near the bottom

All part of a strategy;

They need extra space in that area for the Jiggster to Jigg !!

[Sainternist]

Churchill once said "why stand when you can sit?"

But when it comes to the footy, I'd rather stand. As of this year, I have chosen Standing Room. To hell with sitting like you're at the opera.

Sure, I appreciate there are people needing to sit down if they have the kids or have a physical condition etc, but I think footy crowds have become far too passive and quiet since the fully seated stadium arrangements have come into full swing.

Maybe it's because people aren't using their diaphragms properly - in being in the seated position - that has something to do with the noise levels being so low in this day in age of modern day softc*ck football?

[Iceman234]

Our "group" consists of eight.

Two of them live overseas and make it to a couple of games a year - it's pretty rare that all other six can make it to each home game at the same time.

So in the past I would book for those of us who were actually going to go to the footy and sometimes could bring mates along because of the extra memberships.

I enjoyed sitting in the Aisle 18 area bhind the Jiggster and it was always good having different neighbours each week.

This year we opted for the seating allocation and after they stuffed them up the first time and allocated us the WAGs seats, we ended up over on the city side. But we had to of course take all eight together.

This year the OS members won't make a game.

I've had other seats available on L2 through friends a couple of times and so our seating area of eight looks terribly sad quite often.

In previous years I wouldn't have booked those empty seats and they could have gone to other Saints members.

[Bernard Shakey]

I stand every week and occasionally used to sit in the Social Club area if I was a bit weary. Now if I'm feeling tired I watch on tele.

There is nothing social about turning up each week in a specific seat that may or may not be next to a vacant piece of plastic.

[saintsRrising]

So the problem is that a lot of people who went to the trouble of buying yearly seats in the SC..arent turning up?

I think many will miss a game or two in the course of a season.
This Saturday night 2 of my SC mates were at weddings....and my 20 year old daughter a 21st.

Earlier in the year I was in Italy and miss the Dons game (some would say I was lucky there!!!!).

In previous years other SC Members would just take in free spot...that was the beauty and the value of the system.

It was the very point of the area...
People would always be missing each week...but area was always full.

I also have two main sets of SC mates.

In previous years I could vary whom I sat with from week to week.
This season I had to plumb for one group only.

[Solar]

So the problem is that a lot of people who went to the trouble of buying yearly seats in the SC..arent turning up?

I think many will miss a game or two in the course of a season.
This Saturday night 2 of my SC mates were at weddings....and my 20 year old daughter a 21st.

Earlier in the year I was in Italy and miss the Dons game (some would say I was lucky there!!!!).

In previous years other SC Members would just take in free spot...that was the beauty and the value of the system.

It was the very point of the area...
People would always be missing each week...but area was always full.

I also have two main sets of SC mates.

In previous years I could vary whom I sat with from week to week.
This season I had to plumb for one group only.

This, will lose alot of money in the long term.

[SinCitySaint]

The social club membership is now nothing more than a buy option for tickets should we make the Grand final.

My father has scrapped his membership because he is now 70 and struggles to make it up to the third tier. We could get reserved seats but for the three of us who used to go together that is an extra $500 on top of the $1000 we already pay. When you add in the cost of finals tickets, when we make it, many people just can't afford it.

My father has instead taken up a Rebels membership. He can park right at the stadium with his disability plate and not have to walk up any stairs to get to a seat behind the try line.

[Raph's Disciple]

I'm a social club member but I live in Brisbane, there's plenty of interstate social club members like myself

[Raph's Disciple]

I'm a social club member but I live in Brisbane, there's plenty of interstate social club members like myself

[thejiggingsaint]

I agree with the OP. It's spoilt things for many loyal SC members who are now forced up to the nose bleeds. I found it interesting on Saturday evening for the Weagles game to find a family of four sitting in seats that are normally occupied (as reserved seating) by my family and a couple of friends, who because of prior commitments were unable to attend. It makes a bit of a nonesense over the whole idea of "reserved seating" I wasn't prepared to go to the barricades over the issue , but it made me wonder who allocated THOSE seats to that family!
I really think this issue should be raised at the AGM either by a resolution, or a question from the floor (although questions from the floor tend to remain just that: questions!)

[Junction Oval]

It's an interesting point Jiggersaint. When the 2011 membership numbers were released recently, Michael Nettlefold said and I quote two excerpts in part :

" the organisation must do more to retain existing supporters," and

"We understand that membership must be a value-for-mony proposition."

Well, in response, I would like to say that in the past there have been "hundreds" of threads on SS about the poor Social Club arrangements in particular, which the Club have failed to listen to. Additionally, I have written to the Club on several occasions about "membership matters," offering suggestions, but guess what - "nothing has happened."

Clearly, it will take some sort of organised approach to get the Club to listen, or you will get the usual response - we have a lot of members and there will always be differences of opinion !

[Solar]

It's an interesting point Jiggersaint. When the 2011 membership numbers were released recently, Michael Nettlefold said and I quote two excerpts in part :

" the organisation must do more to retain existing supporters," and

"We understand that membership must be a value-for-mony proposition."

Well, in response, I would like to say that in the past there have been "hundreds" of threads on SS about the poor Social Club arrangements in particular, which the Club have failed to listen to. Additionally, I have written to the Club on several occasions about "membership matters," offering suggestions, but guess what - "nothing has happened."

Clearly, it will take some sort of organised approach to get the Club to listen, or you will get the usual response - we have a lot of members and there will always be differences of opinion !

Interesting points, and I always take the jigsters view on all things so it's good to see we are not the only ones feeling on the outer.

[thejiggingsaint]

I'm in favour of an organised approach to the club on this issue, but it will take a lot of time and effort from a LOT of folk to get anything concrete. Standing up and speaking at an AGM is all well and good, but a resolution concerning the issue on the AGM agenda could be one way to go. OR some sort of petition among SC members? I'm not clear about how much notice the club take of the opinions posted on here
I would say the best approach at present is for as many folks as possible to send Nettlefold some sort of email outlining their concerns. I can still remember Waldron ringing me up at home to explain why the club were "selling" home games to Tassie, after I'd expressed my anger at the idea....after a twenty minute discussion I was convinced it was a good move for the club (moneywise ) BOY was I wrong!

[Solar]

I'm in favour of an organised approach to the club on this issue, but it will take a lot of time and effort from a LOT of folk to get anything concrete. Standing up and speaking at an AGM is all well and good, but a resolution concerning the issue on the AGM agenda could be one way to go. OR some sort of petition among SC members? I'm not clear about how much notice the club take of the opinions posted on here
I would say the best approach at present is for as many folks as possible to send Nettlefold some sort of email outlining their concerns. I can still remember Waldron ringing me up at home to explain why the club were "selling" home games to Tassie, after I'd expressed my anger at the idea....after a twenty minute discussion I was convinced it was a good move for the club (moneywise ) BOY was I wrong!

That is a great idea. Perhaps if some of us come up with a email for everyone who has been effected to send in then perhaps the club will respond. I will be honest and suggest that perhaps we will not get the same approach that you got back in the early naughties.