Wanderers CEO Threatens RBB

[Neverbloom]

14 minutes ago, JayZko said:

I'm not looking forward to this season, Jt and lederer are a boil on the arse of western Sydney that needs to be lanced, to bad bozza's money went up his nose cause we need a football person with football ethics to have ownership....

i think bozza is pretty fair with his views at least on active support

[Generator]

So this fan forum, I'm hoping soneone will ask the most important question of all: when will we get our bloody membership cards?

Ongoing status of the RBB? Meh. I lost interest a long time ago (along with the will to defend the club when I admit to being a fan to others) and now I try and focus on the few flashes of action on the pitch. The few flashes that I can see from miles away in the stands at Spotless, that is.

Anyway, I doubt the club will bend, so let me (and no doubt many other fans) know once the tantrums are over and constructive discussions between the club and representatives of the active support (whoever they may be) are underway.

[marron]

1 minute ago, Generator said:

So this fan forum, I'm hoping soneone will ask the most important question of all: when will we get our bloody membership cards?

Ongoing status of the RBB? Meh. I lost interest a long time ago (along with the will to defend the club when I admit to being a fan to others) and now I try and focus on the few flashes of action on the pitch. The few flashes that I can see from miles away in the stands at Spotless, that is.

Anyway, I doubt the club will bend, so let me (and no doubt many other fans) know once the tantrums are over and constructive discussions between the club and representatives of the active support (whoever they may be) are underway.

Why would we let you know? You don't care.... ?

You did read the title of the thread I presume.... ?

 

[luisenrique]

This is why I don't feel guilty about getting a concession active membership renewed every year even though I haven't been a student since S1.

[hawks2767]

53 minutes ago, WSWBoro said:

Reading some of the comments at the bottom of the Terrorgraph article...... to them

We're from Western Sydney people are always going to look down at us, AFL types who are angry their sport couldn't dominate, NRL fans jealous of the atmosphere compared to their stale funeral like environments, and postcode snobs in Sydney who do it to try make them feel better about themselves.

The many ESFC fan comments can be taken with a grain of salt because just like Melbourne Victory and us, and as much as they're Lowy's own FC....they're next.

[luisenrique]

1 minute ago, hawks2767 said:

We're from Western Sydney people are always going to look down at us, AFL types who are angry their sport couldn't dominate, NRL fans jealous of the atmosphere compared to their stale funeral like environments, and postcode snobs in Sydney who do it to try make them feel better about themselves.

The many ESFC fan comments can be taken with a grain of salt because just like Melbourne Victory and us, and as much as they're Lowy's own FC....they're next.

They have active support? I haven't noticed it.

[ZachMercer]

[luisenrique]

 

 

[Neverbloom]

speaking of big **** you songs

 

 

[marron]

If you want lots of **** you check out chaotic dischord goat  was going to pick a song but anyone will do....

 

Oh!

 

JT, Justin Timberlake. Nice one Jay Zee. 

[HillsPanther]

One of the things that got our family interested in joining this club was the atmosphere the RBB brings to the game. Otherwise I might as well watch the games on tv. It is interesting that the club, the a-league and the ffa all use the active support to market the sport. However, they are first to kick the active support in the teeth when the nrl/afl controlled media make a fuss.

Maybe they need to be reminded how important that atmosphere is to the games. This is why the silent protests have been so effective in the past.

[luisenrique]

7 minutes ago, HillsPanther said:

 

Maybe they need to be reminded how important that atmosphere is to the games. This is why the silent protests have been so effective in the past.

Came back in here to essentially post this.

Everyone I've met who's just been to one or two games...whether they've been here on holiday, or whatever...when they find out I'm a Wanderers fan they go 'Oh, I love the atmosphere!' (admittedly this is all pre-Spotless). No-one ever says 'Oh it was so great to watch Jack Clisby in the flesh!".

My missus would almost certainly not remember the score of any of the games she went to, but she does remember the songs. Ultimately people are not going to consistently pay money to watch a-league football with no atmosphere. I'm not knocking the quality, as a football fan I really enjoy it, but...football has to be REALLY ******* GOOD to be enjoyable without any atmosphere.

It seems like the suits think otherwise, so maybe we should give them an opportunity to test that theory. What better time than when we're not even in a real home stadium.

That is not to say that the active support has been angelic throughout, but to read that email you would think it was Boca Juniors style pandemonium at every game. In five years I reckon you could count the truly poor behaviour from active support on one hand. That's a pretty good ratio compared to all the positives it has brought. 

I say this is all as an active member who has put in no effort except chanting and jumping. I don't agree with every decision the RBB makes (who or what do we agree with for everything they ever do?) but without them I would not be a Wanderers fan.

[SBW]

I sometimes question the executive decisions by our Club management as their decision making is at times completely unprofessional.

This letter to the members regarding RBB was poorly timed a few days out to the game, they surely could have sent the letter before the membership renewals or after the game against Arsenal but I reckon they fear that some flog will go into the RBB and rip a flare in there on Saturday night.

RBB leaders have stated before that anyone that sneaks a flare into the RBB can do so at their own risk, the leaders nor other members RBB should be held accountable or responsible that some kid managed to sneak one in past the seccos and the cops and rips one into the active bay. We go through enough **** already just to get to get into the ground with stadium staff and seccos.

Just reading that letter, it seems that the club wants to have more control of the RBB by instilling leaders of their choice. Why? Is it because the current RBB leaders could not come to terms of what the club is requesting from them? Or is it coming from the FFA to the club and do what MV did with the NT?

I can see that current members of the RBB would be doing either a sit down silent protest or boycott the games.

The only Wanderers fans who would be delighted about this decision by the club will be the WST.

[btron3000]

2 hours ago, Prydzopolis said:

You have to be kidding yourself if you think that tifogate had no impact on the club.

It's the bottom line btron, the club is hurting financially and from a risk/benefit view it has gone from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Woah. I never said that tifogate had no impact. My whole post was about the fact that we are building to a new season with positivity and they kick us in the guts, and shoot football in the foot again.

You think the NRL and AFL bring up stuff that happened LAST SEASON? Mate they have so many (real) scandals that they are barely finished with one when another pops up. Last season is about 12 scandals ago for them. Tifogate was done. If they wanted to sort it out, sort it out at the time, not 5 months later.

Anyway, how do we know this is about tifogate? It could be that we are about to play a game that will be watched by more people than all of our other games, and that because it's not a competition game and because with more people watching some might want to show how ultra we are, the club thought some emergency distress signals were coming? Who knows? I'm certainly struggling to understand why they'd do it now if not for that reason.

What facts have you got that we're struggling financially and that is linked to RBB behaviour? Seems like a pretty decent list of sponsors that 120megan posted. And even if this is true, so? We use the RBB until one or two potential sponsors are concerned and then we throw them out? We don't talk to them but we accuse and ban them? 

And finally, even if something has gone horribly awry and we aren't privy to it, and they felt the need to do something, why send such an aggressive, militant email? All they've done is get people prepared for a fight and bring the mainstream media down on us again. If that's not the definition of shooting yourself in the foot then I don't know what is. I just don't get it.

[btron3000]

15 minutes ago, SBW said:

The only Wanderers fans who would be delighted about this decision by the club will be the WST.

I doubt it. They commit "antisocial" acts too.

[Burgerman]

So much for a community club...ffs!

All they care about is the bottom line and costs and they would rather piss off the heart and soul(RBB) of this club to please corporate dogs and remove the security costs etc.

This email made me feel sick and it felt like the FFA had a hand in writing it giving demands to the club and fans, I can sense the beginning of the end for the best active support and will become sterile like Victory.

**** you Lederer you corporate dog and I'll support whatever the RBB chooses or is forced to do.

[mack]

Like every other Australian sporting team & competition, they want control over everything. We can't have the fans in charge can we, they might not want to have any 'sponsor activations', they might disagree if we get rid of popular players, if we replace them with part timer theatre goers we can sell more merchandise. Germany? Japan? USA? No, we can't do it their way because Australia has a "unique sporting environment" that means putting the fans first just doesn't work.

Sit in your seat. Eat your $15 hot dog. Clap politely. Log in to our free wifi (sponsored by a betting agency). Check in to facebook to let everyone know you're here. And go home happy regardless of who wins.

[btron3000]

3 minutes ago, Burgerman said:

I'll support whatever the RBB chooses or is forced to do.

Same. 

Quite happy to request a refund if that is the chosen path. I'd love to see the entire active end do it. 2000 RBB members all requesting a refund might concern them. Though the flogs who only turn up for Victory and derbies probably wouldn't do it. They'd get a shock when they turn up for those games and there was no-one around them. They might realise how little they sing.

We've got 6 NSW games this season. Add an interstate trip or two, that's ok.

[luisenrique]

1 hour ago, mack said:

 

Sit in your seat. Eat your $15 hot dog. Clap politely. Log in to our free wifi (sponsored by a betting agency). Check in to facebook to let everyone know you're here. And go home happy regardless of who wins.

This, sadly, is the future of sport. It was fun while it lasted. 

The thing is, I wouldn't have had a problem with a simple email that said 'hey guys, just a reminder, no flares or dodgy banners please. cheers.'

But the tone of this email is just astounding. For its timing, for its lack of forethought at the repercussions, for its complete lack of understanding and appreciation of a large part of the club's support, and for its incredible exaggeration. 

Worse than the actual content is that it's the clearest sign of any that the suits are completely out of touch with what makes this club what it is. And when faced with out of touch management, the best thing to do, as the cricketers are showing, is not show up. See who needs who more. If they survive without active support, good luck to them. 

1 hour ago, btron3000 said:

Same. 

Quite happy to request a refund if that is the chosen path. I'd love to see the entire active end do it. 2000 RBB members all requesting a refund might concern them. Though the flogs who only turn up for Victory and derbies probably wouldn't do it. They'd get a shock when they turn up for those games and there was no-one around them. They might realise how little they sing.

We've got 6 NSW games this season. Add an interstate trip or two, that's ok.

Yep. More than happy to watch all our home games at the pub like we did for that Brisbane game! 

Like I said earlier, it would be a shame if we had to boycott at Parra or the new stadium with safe standing, but tbh boycotting at Soulless doesn't seem like that big of a price to pay. In the words of Zack de la Rocha, 'what better place than here, what better time than now?'

[Couscous]

7 hours ago, DamnedUnited said:

... this bollocks brained peasant called essdub. What corporate rock did you crawl out of spider.

Help me out here, comrade, because I don't read this forum too often (I support the Jets). I note with interest you called this dude you don't like (and whom I don't know) a paedophile.

Is this kind of thinking - i.e. calling a guy you disagree with a paedophile - the same kind of thinking that led many WSW fans to believe that a large picture of Arnie sucking a cock was, on the whole, funny and uncontentious?

[Zelinsky]

Mark Twain: "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated..."

Spike Milligan's gravestone: "I told you I was ill..."

Which one is it going to be for wsw active supporters? 

So what are you guys going to do in the future with your spare time? Paint tifos in your basement for the fun of it? Join a walking group or a choir? Light flares in your backyard? Wear balaclavas at funerals? Drive to Gosford and Newcastle for beach outings? Fly to Brisbane to buy a new pair of thongs? Fly to Melbourne to watch a VIC game? Never fly to Perth or Wellington ever again? Take up knitting and join the WST in one of their silent protests (mind you, you can't knit when standing with your arms crossed)? Move to Bali and forget about Australia and football? 

Or are you going to games and unite behind someone, and do what you've done for a few years now?

Decisions decicions. 

 

 

[Pup55]

12 hours ago, btron3000 said:

Modern day scabs crossing the picket line. I want to see the type of person who would be happy to jump on the back of the work of the RBB and try to be the new "leaders". 

 

In every corner of society this **** is happening. Don't walk there, don't do this. We better do a risk analysis. You can't eat here because we've designated it a smoking area and you don't have the right to choose to eat around this smoke. You can't come back in after this time. Drink from this plastic cup, don't stand up in front of me etc. etc.

The RBB was a haven from this gentrified world. A place to sing and scream and jump around. A place where you still get to be a bit primal. Where that thing in the pit of our guts that society is slowly sucking out from us - our souls, our ******* lifeforce - is able to be released.

And now that's going to. They simply don't get it. They think that they can have the passion and atmosphere without anyone going a bit too far every now and then. Well you can't. If you take away the passion, the chance to release the primal urge, all you are left with is empty souls filling a stadium. Maybe that is what they really wanted all along. 

Quoting so people who skip to the last page of the thread see this.

[Pup55]

12 hours ago, marron said:

Quoting so it's on this page too.

 

haha - I should have the next page

[Johnno]

17 hours ago, beatsurrender said:

The costs charged by the police are astronomical. We've all seen scores of riot police at a game say against the Nix. Unfortunately the police tell the club what police they need and the club has to pay. 

The forum will be very interesting.  I just hope passionate fans don't walk away or we will get a NRL type atmosphere.  Once that point of difference goes so does a lot of appeal.   I think the club does realise that. (Hope)

i think at the meeting they need to be totally transparent and share these costs, the fine costs and lost opportunity costs. put it all on the table and say, ok, this is a marque player or an upgraded contract.

balance that against lost revenue from the club becoming CCM.2

[Hughesy]

#BacktheBloc

[Smoggy]

4 minutes ago, Johnno said:

i think at the meeting they need to be totally transparent and share these costs, the fine costs and lost opportunity costs. put it all on the table and say, ok, this is a marque player or an upgraded contract.

balance that against lost revenue from the club becoming CCM.2

Want to get to this forum, I think one of the most important in our short history. But work night in school term will be hard for me. Hopefully we can get a few from WSF going along that can scribe some minutes for us.......

[Gazmon]

6 hours ago, luisenrique said:

But the tone of this email is just astounding. For its timing, for its lack of forethought at the repercussions, for its complete lack of understanding and appreciation of a large part of the club's support, and for its incredible exaggeration. 

It seems to me as if something major has fallen through or they've gone through their end of year finances and these issues have burnt a massive hole.

As someone else said put these numbers on the table. "I'm sorry, but in calculating fines, additional police costs and these (list them) deals have fallen through; this, in turn has cost the club $1.5 million" or similar. That might turn some heads. The email was firm, but fair IMHO.

[shady1983]

Seems like a good opportunity for RBB and WST to come together.. 

[Johnno]

12 hours ago, WSWBoro said:

I mean i love WSW to ******* death.......but i do ******* wonder how i got involved with a club that seems to consistently kick itself it the bollocks.....ah well too late now.

because westies 

[KGee]

12 hours ago, mack said:

You need as much money as you can get when you keep signing flops like piovaccari, borda, sotirio & hamill over and over again. Those first two alone have cost the club  ~$1.4 million. You could probably throw Jumpei in there and get it up to $2 million if he fails again this season.

If?