The future of the Social Club

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saint66au
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The future of the Social Club

Post: # 493198Post saint66au »

With all the talk of our move to Frankston, there’s not been much discussion on the future of the Social Club.

There was some reference in the official statement to maintain the Social Club and pokies at Moorabbin. To me that’s a big mistake.

Firstly, an AFL Social Club has to be a very different beast to the heady days of the 80’s. We all share 2 grounds for games, and every so often we aren’t even playing in Victoria. Times have changed and the Social Club needs to change too.

To get people to a Social Club you have to give them a reason to go. The very best reason is a game of footy. At TD home games the SC functions pretty much how it did in the old days. Pre, during and post match drinks, raffles and player apperarances..well supported and some good cash raised for the Club. We are just missing the Disco and the player appearances are far more stage-managed.

But, I reckon in this new age the Social Club has to move what it offers with the times..and I can’t see it doing that by staying in Moorabbin.

The pokies were the fly in the ointment through this whole sorry relocation saga. We are now taking away a number of attractions from Linton St that would bring people to play them. Family day, the Intra-club game and training. Maybe there might not even be a merch store there. What on earth is going to bring people to Linton St to play them now? The revenue they bring in surely must plummet. The Club have (rightly) said that no pokies will included in the Frankston complex.

What should happen? Well, I reckon we need a “secondaryâ€


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Dan Warna
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Post: # 493202Post Dan Warna »

remaining at moorabin.


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Post: # 493203Post JeffDunne »

Since when do people need an attraction to play pokies?

It makes sense to maintain the premises as an income stream but I agree we need a better facility in a better location as our main social club base.
Last edited by JeffDunne on Thu 22 Nov 2007 11:27am, edited 1 time in total.


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Oh When the Saints
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Post: # 493204Post Oh When the Saints »

Spot on. Couldn't agree more.

I hope the board explore something like this, perhaps not in the next two years whilst Frankston is being constructed, but from 2010 when we shift base.


They should only play AFL games now when it's raining. Slow games of footy are so much better to watch.
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Post: # 493205Post killa_gram »

I love losing my money on the pokies.


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Dan Warna
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Post: # 493206Post Dan Warna »

I was the 'ticket' holder when a few mates went to watch us get robbed by Port :wink: in 04

i elected to stay and purchase the GF tickets should we win.

with the room upstairs closed due to reaching its crowd, we watched downstairs.

SOME those 'playing the pokies' were offended at the loud noise and cheering from st kilda fans watching on the TVs there... :roll:


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Post: # 493207Post killa_gram »

Dan Warna wrote:I was the 'ticket' holder when a few mates went to watch us get robbed by Port :wink: in 04

i elected to stay and purchase the GF tickets should we win.

with the room upstairs closed due to reaching its crowd, we watched downstairs.

SOME those 'playing the pokies' were offended at the loud noise and cheering from st kilda fans watching on the TVs there... :roll:
Fair enough, I would be upset if I was trying to play the pokes and some inconsiderate footy heads were watching a match loudly. It's not easy to lose money on the pokies, you have to concentrate, after all it is a game of skill. :?


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Post: # 493210Post fonz_#15 »

killa_gram wrote:
Dan Warna wrote:I was the 'ticket' holder when a few mates went to watch us get robbed by Port :wink: in 04

i elected to stay and purchase the GF tickets should we win.

with the room upstairs closed due to reaching its crowd, we watched downstairs.

SOME those 'playing the pokies' were offended at the loud noise and cheering from st kilda fans watching on the TVs there... :roll:
Fair enough, I would be upset if I was trying to play the pokes and some inconsiderate footy heads were watching a match loudly. It's not easy to lose money on the pokies, you have to concentrate, after all it is a game of skill. :?

it is also a game that is about as interesting as banging your head against the wall.


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Dan Warna
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Post: # 493212Post Dan Warna »

killa_gram wrote:
Dan Warna wrote:I was the 'ticket' holder when a few mates went to watch us get robbed by Port :wink: in 04

i elected to stay and purchase the GF tickets should we win.

with the room upstairs closed due to reaching its crowd, we watched downstairs.

SOME those 'playing the pokies' were offended at the loud noise and cheering from st kilda fans watching on the TVs there... :roll:
Fair enough, I would be upset if I was trying to play the pokes and some inconsiderate footy heads were watching a match loudly. It's not easy to lose money on the pokies, you have to concentrate, after all it is a game of skill. :?
yep, damn those st kilda social club members, coming to the st kilda club headquarters, to watch st kilda play what was possibly the most important game since the 97 GF.

stupid st kilda fans :roll:


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Re: The future of the Social Club

Post: # 493261Post saintsRrising »

saint66au wrote:
Interesting points that you raise.

There are just a grab bag of thoughts I’ve had on this aspect of our future. Would be very interested in others thoughts.

I see the training Facilty and Social Club as seperate issues that can be dealt with seperately. IF we actually trained where we played then that would be different as you would then want social facilities as part of the package.

I am pleased that priority was to resolve the Training Facilty though.



The Social Club side is a bit of a quandary though.....and today also needs to be seperated from revenue generating businesses.

They can be overlapping but can also be quite seperate.


I see Moorabbinn now mainly as a income generating facility...a pokie venue to generate income.

As such its attractiveness to the general public needs to be improved to improve income.

The Club may still keepa shop there to sell merchandise as this will be convenient for many and as Frankston is afair distance away.



Ignoring Hotels or other venues that may be obtained to generate income (and that needs to be the focus...as there is no point running loss making hotel just to havea small group of saints fans happy) the whole question of social facilities needs to be revisted.


Do we actually need a seperate Social Club Building????


Do we??

Do fans actually want Social Club Facilities??? Would enough actually use them???

Personally I have great doubts about Saints Fans wanting to gather in great numbers whena match is not involved....and would fear that any dedicated social club facity could just bea white elephant.

Or should the club just seek to make the Victory Room better for SC fans when they are at the Home Games??? This is after all the main attraction. The Victory room as it stands however is a souless place.....and many who go to docklands just go to the Livewire or just one of the beer outlets to chat with mates.

There seems little reason to vist the Victory Room pre-game.......

Post-game the players semm to come in later and later.

maybe each week one of the assitant coaches could come in early to give some immediate reason for going into the Victory Room which has degenarted largely into somewhere to havea beer rather than to be a saints themed social club. Jumper raffles while vital are hadlya reason to attend the social club rooms in itself.



However something needs to provided in terms of having gathering place for fans wanting to watch interstae games together...howevera deicated facity for say 6 odd gamesa year would not seem to stack up. this however could be kept as part of our "Moorabbin club"...pokies venue be that it be....


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Post: # 493282Post saint66au »

Good points sRs...

I honestly doubt that Linton St could survive as a revenue-rasing pokie venue once we relocate to Frankston. If you are a pokie player, there are a zillion more attractive options to choose from within a reasonable radius. God, some of them you can even buy food at. 8-)

Id love to see a day-by day breakdown of the net income generated by those machines. I reckon there'd be a massive spike on Family day, Intra-Club day and the interstate games (well the ones we actually show there!) and the rest of time would be pretty minimal. Why else would we have wanted the machines moved up to South Road?

Totally agree that a dedicated 24/7 Saints Social Club elsewhere would be a risky proposition. As you correctly said, you need the Saints playing to get Saints fans tother in large numbers. I still maintain though that there is a real need to provide a venue in the TD vicinity to be available for away games and (especially) Interstate matches. Have a look at the pubs in the vicinity of the MCG before big games. You cant move in most of them. Perhaps branding an existing pub as a "Saints zone" at these times...in the mould of the Soccer "Live sites" might be an option?


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Post: # 493284Post saintsRrising »

saint66au wrote:Good points sRs...

. Why else would we have wanted the machines moved up to South Road?

?
Free advertising.....as South Road has dramatically more pasing trade that Linton St.
Last edited by saintsRrising on Thu 22 Nov 2007 1:42pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Post: # 493285Post saintsRrising »

saint66au wrote:Good points sRs...

. I still maintain though that there is a real need to provide a venue in the TD vicinity to be available for away games and (especially) Interstate matches.?
Maybe the Club renting out somewhere only on these occassions???


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Post: # 493292Post Oh When the Saints »

The club could buy a pub in the city and allow it to operate normally. Then on matchdays, it could be setup to cater for Saints fans, with perhaps special deals with drinks, the TV's showing the game and a room set aside for Saints fans ...

To me that would be ideal.

Re: the pokie machines. How many people who play them are actually Saints fans coming to the club? As opposed to people who just want to gamble? Probably hard to know this ...


They should only play AFL games now when it's raining. Slow games of footy are so much better to watch.
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Post: # 493336Post saintsRrising »

It would seem high risk....for small gain to me....




If you want to run a pub for revenue....so be it. But look for the most profitable venue you can. Treat is as a business venture which is what it should be. For that matter if yoou want to create revune streams why just look at pubs????

If you do wanta pub then to restrict your search to a very small area just so Saints fans can have beer on the way to, and from, the game would not seem prudent to me.


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Post: # 493339Post saintsRrising »

Personally one of the things I think needs to happen is for Dana our new Board Member to use her experience re-invent the concept of the Victory Room to make it more attractive for Saints fan on match days......and for her to use her arm twisting ability with Collo so that we can do it.





As for interstate games.....yes some form of venue with a big screen needs to be sourced. Either Moorabbin or a hire venue.



PS... I used to be a big user of the Social Club Facilities at Moorabbin despite not living there....

BUT that was in the days of fixed traniing schedules and regular games.


We had set training and so I used to combine watching training with a game of Squash in the Club Rooms (cheapest squash in Melb as members just had to feed a light meter with 20c coins) and the dinner in the bistro while you waited for the team to be announced.


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Post: # 493345Post Solar »

Despite the fact it is next to the new freeway the coach and horses does this double act for the eastern suburb collingwood fans very well. Have it set up in either the TAB or upstairs in the function room for away games, discounts for the meals and drinks but continue it during the week as a normal pub.

Perhaps similar to the set-up port melbour e have, they have their functions and social club upstairs in the function rooms but leave the bar, TAB and pokies room downstairs to run as usual. Unless you look very closely you would not think that it was a "social club" facility.


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Post: # 493528Post bobmurray »

Pokies have NO real attraction where ever they are,the club just relies on the gullible to feed their coffers,and why shouldn't they,gullible fookers are a dime a dozen.....

:roll:


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Post: # 493545Post Enrico_Misso »

To make a SC Membership worth having again we need to give it some value.

I would be in favour of either re-opening the function room at Linton St as a genuine venue for watching interstate games.

Or, as suggested above, purchasing a going concern city pub, preferably near Spencer St where supporters could meet before/after Vic games or gather for Interstate games.

Setting up a SC facility way down at Frankston would be a waste of time as it would not attract enough people.


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Post: # 493547Post Eastern »

I wonder if the club has thought about that massive development on The Esplanade in StKilda, although it would be very expensive !!


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Post: # 493549Post Teflon »

Id speak to the owners of the Waterside.......


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Post: # 493715Post saintspremiers »

Solar wrote:Despite the fact it is next to the new freeway the coach and horses does this double act for the eastern suburb collingwood fans very well. Have it set up in either the TAB or upstairs in the function room for away games, discounts for the meals and drinks but continue it during the week as a normal pub.

Perhaps similar to the set-up port melbour e have, they have their functions and social club upstairs in the function rooms but leave the bar, TAB and pokies room downstairs to run as usual. Unless you look very closely you would not think that it was a "social club" facility.
Ok, you've won me.

If you want a model of how to generate maximum revenue from non-football day entities, then copy Collingwood.

Eddie and his team are the masters of this, so why not learn from them?


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Post: # 493749Post Eastern »

THE FUTURE OF THE SOCIAL CLUB ?

I bet the Kingston Council would love to know the answer !!


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Post: # 493756Post chook23 »

Not sure if it has been indicated somewhere but what is happening with the

St.Kilda Heritage Museum??


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Post: # 493761Post Solar »

saintspremiers wrote:
Solar wrote:Despite the fact it is next to the new freeway the coach and horses does this double act for the eastern suburb collingwood fans very well. Have it set up in either the TAB or upstairs in the function room for away games, discounts for the meals and drinks but continue it during the week as a normal pub.

Perhaps similar to the set-up port melbour e have, they have their functions and social club upstairs in the function rooms but leave the bar, TAB and pokies room downstairs to run as usual. Unless you look very closely you would not think that it was a "social club" facility.
Ok, you've won me.

If you want a model of how to generate maximum revenue from non-football day entities, then copy Collingwood.

Eddie and his team are the masters of this, so why not learn from them?
personally I would look at either the port melbourne social club or the pahran football social club, both run really profitable pub/pokie/TAB clubs that can host club functions etc. when needed.

Problem is that the pub scene has been monopolised by ALH, perhaps buy into a pub in conjuction with another party and look to generate some profit as well as host functions.

Or perhaps inprove our arrangement with the Victory room to become our social club outside of home games.


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