Social ClubMembers

[jill]

Have been a Social Club Member since the 60's,[did have a couple of years out when first went to Dome], Club Member for 49 years. When 1st joined SC it was Magic! Thursday night's were spent watching training, having a meal & joining in the raffles [chook or meat tray] until side announced. Sat's there for lunch - out to watch 2nd's. Players [&opp+umps!] came into Club after game.Wav-sometimes still went to lunch[now living + still do in country] but LOVED the Moorabbin wing in outer, so that's where went. Still had pretty good social facilities at Moor.WHAT DO WE GET NOW & HOW DO WE COMPARE WITH OTHER AFL SOCIAL CLUBS? Now go to Bay 35 Telstra & Love how they've recreated Moorabbin Wing - would love to know how we can join them BUT..... Would also like to know why a SAINTS ONLY area wasn't established when we moved there ? Apart from guaranteed Grand Final ticket - yet to be tested, what are the advantages of being a Social Club member?? We Supporters have not been looked after in recent years yet must have put 1000's in the cooffers over the years myself. Iwant US to become a CLUB again in every sense of the word. GO SAINTERS 2008!!

[Solar]

whats the chances of us setting up similar to the MW down in the social club area??

Plus there must be a better way to get cheaper drinks at the victory room. I would be very happy to give up 2 games a month to serve drinks if the money went to the club totally. (been working in hospitality for awhile, I'm sure there are similar people out there).

[Oh When the Saints]

Totally agree.

Hopefully this is addressed next year, whether by the new board or the current one.

[saintsRrising]

Ah the old days....

Thursday nights used to be head down to Moorabinn to watching training...

Have a game a squash for bugga all cost( a few 20cent coins in the light meter) for the cheapest squash game in town.

Then a few beers and a counter meal waiting for the team to be announced.....


Match days they actually used to announce the 3 2 1 votes for the players of both teams in the Social Club....mind you the players of both teams plus umpires were in there too drinking beer and fending (but not hard) off the fems...such beavvious would of course be frowned on today.

You could cut the cigarette smoke with a knife...so I am glad that that aspect has vanished.

[saint66au]

jill..you dont have to join the MW..please...just turn up. Stay tuned to the Forum here for updates in 2008

As for the supporter-only area..that is a very interesing question..and one that leads to the formation of the MW.

Anyone remember those TD information nights back in early 2000? Well Andrew Plympton told me at the St KIlda Town Hall one that an area was being set aside for St Kilda members to sit. Bear in mind that back then EVERY seat was ticketed...there was no walk-up seating for the first season.

Flash forward to our first game there v Sydney..a balmy Saturday night. I turn up nice and early to show my card and be issued a seat among the frothing St Kilda faithful. To my amazement my seats is on Level 2, in front of a dining room and as game time nears Im surrounded by a sea of suits and ties, SOME OF THEM SWANS FANS!!!!

Very dissapointed, I rang TD on the Monday. Oh no..theres no dedicated area for Saints members unless you are a Social Club member or reserved seat holder. Tickets are just issued first in best dressed, members and walk-up patrons alike!!!! I was told I should feel lucky, as I was early enough to get an unsold Level 2 seat. Yeah lucky, surrounded by neutral and Swans fans..real lucky!!!

For the next couple of years we endured that, even with TD bowed to public pressure and made Level 4 (as it was then) walk-up. Saints fans were still scattered between Socail CLub, reserved seat, Cheer Squad and the ordinary member on Level 3/4. Too often that top level felt like the outer for the wrong reasons, as all the opposition fans pretty much had to sit up thre without paying a big seat surcharge

2002..A couple of enterprising Saints fans were thinking the same thing as me, only they got off their bums and did something about it. Today we have the Moorabbin Wing, formed for the reasons listed above by the way,. NOT as some sort of anti-Cheer Squad!!

The Social Club..well..shouldnt it be 100% Saints fans anyway, and ripe for some firing up?? I admit Ive only sat there once and that was the home game at the G in 2006, but as I recall the atmosphere that day was not unlike the Saints version of the MCC members. Quite reserved, to the point where some MW regulars stood and cheered Fraser after he kicked a goal, only to be told to sit down!!!!

[Enrico_Misso]

Jill,
great to hear from older Sainters.
you have reminded me of the days when a Social Club membership was actually worth something.

I fondly remember queing up outside the SC after a win at Moorabbin.
Itching to get inside, get a drink and sing the song.

More recently we used to often go down to Moorabbin on Thursday nights in the 90s.
You got a reasonably nice cheap meal.
They had a trivia comp between the tables.
You would get to meet fellow sainters.
Then they would bring in 3 players - usually a couple of young/new ones with no media exposure.
The compere - usually Bruce Eva would ask them some questions, and then questions from the audience.
Good practise for them in a friendly environment.
And there would sometimes be a guest - like a former player or someone from the coaching staff.
And they would announce the team.
They were good nights - I think they stopped just after we moved to Docklands ~ 2002?

What do you get now ?

What happened to the big screen ?
What happened to the Bistro ?
What happened to Thursday nights ?

What happened to the Social Club ?

Whilst I support Butterss in principle, I would be very interested to hear what plans the new Board had to restore some value to a SC membership.

[The Peanut]

Ah the old days....

Thursday nights used to be head down to Moorabinn to watching training...

Have a game a squash for bugga all cost( a few 20cent coins in the light meter) for the cheapest squash game in town.

Then a few beers and a counter meal waiting for the team to be announced.....


Match days they actually used to announce the 3 2 1 votes for the players of both teams in the Social Club....mind you the players of both teams plus umpires were in there too drinking beer and fending (but not hard) off the fems...such beavvious would of course be frowned on today.

You could cut the cigarette smoke with a knife...so I am glad that that aspect has vanished.

Someone from a club support group bought up the topic of (counter) meals at the club with SKFF when I was at the meeting with them (when they first disclosed their challenging ticket) – they seemed to believe the reason why the meals came to an end was something to do with a change of caterers. I pricked up my ears as I would be interested in something like this after training, but didn't ask any further questions because I have only been in Melbourne for a couple of years and didn't know anything about what happened before. Nevertheless, with the way GW and NB reacted to the issue I was led to believe that its one of the things they will be looking into. Burkie is keen to get social activities happening for supporters that involve some interaction with players and believes with Dana’s resources and expertise they will be able to plan them to make profits.

[chook23]

Stating the obvious

but with training now during day and on various days (subject to match day)

The thursday night get together etc after training ............gone

given varying training schedules etc very hard to re-create

[SaintMaxi]

Have posted about this before.

I believe the kitchen at Moorabbin was actually condemned and was going to cost too much to refit.

I remember those lovely chook and meat raffles as well. A good feed at a reasonable price and a nice drop of Jamiesons Run Shiraz for under $10 bucks a bottle.

I can still hear that band on the Thursday night with the dolled up lead singer singing "Those Boots were made for Walking"

Hopefully Butterrs hears that song tomorrow and gets the hint!

[The Peanut]

Stating the obvious

but with training now during day and on various days (subject to match day)

The thursday night get together etc after training ............gone

given varying training schedules etc very hard to re-create

nope ... they won't be able to recreate the past but they can lean on the past for ideas and adapt them to present day resources and supporters interests - Burkie has ideas of own and is very interested in members offering ideas. You don't need a kitchen to offer all sorts of food - there are caterers for home delivered goodies for your pet bird these days. It is my understanding that Burkie believes he will be able to get players involved through a roster system and said that it just needs someone to sit down with them and explain the importance of their involvement. I got the impression that there is currently a them and us culture with supporters and players for no particular reason.

[aussierules0k]

[Spinner]

The social club is a donation.

Our membership packages are absolute filth. We only get it for GF tickets. Even though they'll probably shaft us when the time comes.

How hard is it to provided members with a f***** cap?

[Lenny_Hayes7]

Who wants a cap when you get those "FANTASTIC" Pins and Bumper stickers

[aussierules0k]

[jill]

A couple of replies mentioned a Social Club Area - Where is it ? Do you have to book/pay extra for seats there, why don't we know about this area? AND CAN ANYONE GIVE US A COMPARISON with other teams SC's.
Look forward to hearing more re Moorabbin Wing Bay 35 in 2008. Think the supporters who worked hard to establish this have done a great job!! For the past 3 years have felt we "belonged " to a Club again - THANK-YOU!

[Life Long Saint]

How hard is it to provided members with a f***** cap?

The club gave you a perfectly good red and white cap a few years ago. Don't tell me you lost it!

That was only for reserved seat holders.

I still have mine but NEVER wear it as it is, as you pointed out, RED & WHITE!

ORDINARY EFFORT THAT.

[saintsRrising]

Stating the obvious

but with training now during day and on various days (subject to match day)

The thursday night get together etc after training ............gone

given varying training schedules etc very hard to re-create

True.....but it was good while we had it

[Oh When the Saints]

Sounds good Peanut.

Appears as if the new board will be keen to bring something like this back in, in a modified form.

Another reason to support them.

[saintsRrising]

Sounds good Peanut.

Appears as if the new board will be keen to bring something like this back in, in a modified form.

Another reason to support them.

While I am voting FF......I don't necessarily except all the FF spin going on....


As Chook has said training is done differentlty these days

* ...in part due to the game being anywhere between Fri night and sunday Evening....


*in part due the fact that the players are full time footballers and so no longer have to train AFTER their day job..

* and in part due to the science of traing having moved on so that training is optimised.



Part of the reason you could do it was simply that as we played at 2pm every Sat...the players could train every Thursday....and you could organise your weekly schedule to include it.

For me Thursday became Squash & Training and a chance to catch up with a few mates.




Now I am not sayng that other "events" cannot be created.......but the previous Thursday nights came about over time....and fell over when training moved on.

The new events need to have integrity in their own right.

People will go if they finds it strikesa chord.....


But the old Thurdsay nights were good...it was on every week...and you could turn up or not.....

[Solar]

A couple of replies mentioned a Social Club Area - Where is it ? Do you have to book/pay extra for seats there, why don't we know about this area? AND CAN ANYONE GIVE US A COMPARISON with other teams SC's.
Look forward to hearing more re Moorabbin Wing Bay 35 in 2008. Think the supporters who worked hard to establish this have done a great job!! For the past 3 years have felt we "belonged " to a Club again - THANK-YOU!

Jill it's a 2 bay section on the right hand side of the CS. All you have to do is book it before the game or go up to the windows on the day and ask for social club area. For big games I encourage you to book it at tickettek.

Awesome view of the game but can be full of bitter supporters sometimes. Have had a few stoushes with supporters that spend the whole match bagging the team.....

Anyway I am up for creating a social club group that goes to games together (we could book seats together), have lunch and drinks before games, go to interstate games etc.

Any chance to actually get some good noise going in that area.

[saint66au]

Ahh those caps..

I well remember having a grizzle about them back when they were introduced..they werent our colours and they were blatantly just using the reserved aseat holders as advertising hoardings. I also well remember being howled down by some people as being not in touch with modern marketing and branding concepts

Agree on the SC Club though. It is absolutely non-negotiable that we have a base to watch Interstate games

[jill]

No-one has YET been able to shed a light on how our SC Membership "benefits" compare with other AFL[pref. Vic.] clubs. Do we get value for money in comparison?

[BallBanger]

The social club is a donation.

Our membership packages are absolute filth. We only get it for GF tickets. Even though they'll probably shaft us when the time comes.

How hard is it to provided members with a f***** cap?

Agree spinner...I remember the chook raffles, meal downstairs then upstairs for training consuming many pots, raffles always won by staff downstairs but who cared.
Now have reserved seat in outer but old friends who I used to frequent the social club with don't have a reserved seat....can't meet them at half time because we (premium social club reserve seats) are exactly opposite to the social (victory room) club.....this is bull and because I have grand children etc it is too much to go after the game.
Once we used to be as one now because the powers of beeeee do not give a s*** about saints and we just cop it up the arrrs...sorry guys I would love to have a drink with you at half time but because you are on the opposite side of the ground I can't make it there and back.
Strange how I pay $480 yearly and I'm the one on the other side of the ground to the social club....

[saintbrat]

No-one has YET been able to shed a light on how our SC Membership "benefits" compare with other AFL[pref. Vic.] clubs. Do we get value for money in comparison?

I did have more info But it all went kaput

But a quick search found that;
memberships are not due out for any club till November- maybe they are waiting till after Fixture etc is out to save clubs doing refunds or asking for more;

social club for MOST means access to a facility where drinks and eats and watching matches is available at reduced rates for members
with access to finals and Grand final priority

[Spinner]

The social club is a donation.

Our membership packages are absolute filth. We only get it for GF tickets. Even though they'll probably shaft us when the time comes.

How hard is it to provided members with a f***** cap?

Agree spinner...I remember the chook raffles, meal downstairs then upstairs for training consuming many pots, raffles always won by staff downstairs but who cared.
Now have reserved seat in outer but old friends who I used to frequent the social club with don't have a reserved seat....can't meet them at half time because we (premium social club reserve seats) are exactly opposite to the social (victory room) club.....this is bull and because I have grand children etc it is too much to go after the game.
Once we used to be as one now because the powers of beeeee do not give a s*** about saints and we just cop it up the arrrs...sorry guys I would love to have a drink with you at half time but because you are on the opposite side of the ground I can't make it there and back.
Strange how I pay $480 yearly and I'm the one on the other side of the ground to the social club....

Dont remember those times buddy...im only 22 and live in the north western suburbs......


But i feel your pain.