One thing that caught my eye last Saturday, was when the teams ran out on the field with their beanies on for MHF, Roosters came over to where i sit which is between 40 metre and half way line and gave their beanies to fans. About 6 of them gave their beanies to any fan, not just Roosters. What did we do? Just give it to a media person and moved on. This is the tiny detail, tiny effort that goes into what fans want.
I have been a season ticket holder for going on 25 years, pretty much my whole life having it passed down from my dad and i'll do the same with my kids. I do not ask for a lot, but in the past the club have done some nice things. In 2018 (Wooden Spoon year) they had a sign for my dad and i with out member number saying "Thank you for attending every game" It is a little touch that made us feel like we are appreciated and loved. Also, winning a signed match worn jersey by Corey Norman with a message from the club saying thank you again. In 2019, when my dad passed, a cousin messaged the club what happened and they sent out a 2019 signed jersey with a condolence message. Then later on my mum rang the club asking if we could have another for my brother as a thing for my dad we are getting framed, my mum offered to pay and they sent it out free of charge which was not needed but a touch to make us feel like we are appreciated. Ever since then? Nothing. I understand there was COVID for 2 years that stopped most things, but 2022 onwards we could have went back to proper fan engagement. The BGA festival at Bella Vista farm was great, i loved going. Now they have it in middle of Parramatta. I did not go this year but heard this years was not great with how it was laid out and players left early due to the heat. If the fans are willing to be in the heat, surely they can too.
Now, i am not saying the club should bow to us members and fans, not at all they are running a business and players are professionals, not all professionals in other medias go above and beyone either. Plus they are in a field where they are hurting for 6 months of the year, so i can understand fatigue and the effort to "on their day off" or after a game putting themselves out there, but it is little touches, even from the club themselves. When was the last time there was an open training session on a proper day? Last few in pre-season have been on weekdays and i have work. If i want to take my kids in future it is hard.
I feel the fans are not being recognised by this club and the players. The players have always been about themselves, i see not to much of an issue with players being mercinaries, they get paid for their skills. But how it irks me when they have a debut jersey they say make the boys proud. Not the club or fans, the boys. It is what i believe to be the main catalyst to our GF run was doing it for the boys who were leaving. Look back at the early 2000's with players like Cayless, Hindmarsh, Vella, Burt, Wagon, these players you could tell loved the club. That is what the board, coach and squad need to bring in for future, love for the club again. If you have majority of people who aren't putting it out there for the club.
I cannot speak for other clubs of course, but i feel this should be a league wide thing where fans are looked after a bit more than what they are. Again, some will think im a karen or spoilt but just the little things to show we are appreciated is nice.
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Whilst I don't diasgree that the club and players could do more in regard to fan engagement, I was also at the Beanies for Brain Cancer game. I didn't count how many there were, but some of the Eels players handed over beanies to fans at the northern end of the stadium where they were returning the kick off from.
Ok that is good if some did on the other end, that is a positive.
I may have a different look on things. I dont want anything from the players or the club, except the feeling of winning and the feeling of being proud of my team. I do want to see them giving away merch etc to kids and the like or to others, thats fan engagement. I think the players should very much be beholden to the fans. The club, the team, the history does not exist without the fans. The whole Parramatta Eels from top to bottom are in the entertainment game, so the fans should be number 1.
I think witn the way the club has been run into the ground with previous mangements etc the current boards have had all their eyes on reform and governance structures, the appointment of bankers and governance people to the boards is now having an effect on fans. Fans are perhaps being forgotton, weather it be timely updates on player recruitment or coach selections or whatever. The club are now like a glandestine secretive identity that fans are not able to penetrate. I always love reading articles in the papers or online etc about facts from the club, what was happening on and off the field. But now its like we have the great wall of china or the communist Berlin wall between what is happening and what is being reported or released to fans.
To go along with your thoughts LB, i think it goes even deeper where I feel im missing out in the media now about my team, there is no information leaving fortress Eels, and with it, it feels like little engagement from them with fans. True or not its how people are feeling.
BE, one thing i want more than anything is a sense the players love the club. I do not feel that at all. Some players yes but majority it is more so playing for their mates than the crest on the chest. I would forget all this if they showed pride in the club.
it has to be fixed. I saw that Billy Slater took his Maroons squad to the suburbs yesterday so that ordinary folk could watch the training run on a local footy field. They had 8000 locals turn up. In the interview Slater said, now they know who they are playing for.
This is worth so much, gives them an identity, puts them in front of fans so they lnow how much it means to mums and dads, sons and daughters their team mean to them. Instills someone a community to fight for. Your right only a couple of our Eels have that and then only when it suits them
That was my home town lol, lot of people got see them in person and was just a good thing for the public to interact with them
I saw players hand out beanies.
One thing I've noticed from being involved with other teams is that our players/club are not very engaged most fan events you can see the reluctance in some players.
My son used to hang around after the gane for autographs some players do it and engage Dylan Brown and Will Penisini are very good. Others just go through the motions one senior player in particular on more then one occasion was rude to the point he's mo longer my sons favourite player.
I don't think players need to bow to us but we are a western Sydney team battling with Penrith and the tigers to be the most popular we suck on the field and that doesn't help win kids over so we should make sure we're getting them to love the club some how
Ok fair i am seeing that from my end, so if they did on the other side then great.
No, do not need to bow to us, lets be fair if they are winning comp after comp like Penrith it is probably a moot post but it is the little things.
My mate is a Wests member only last two years and the fan days they put on at Ctown stadium were excellent with fan and coach interaction and everything.
That's what let's us down big time our fan interaction is terrible.
I was at a soccer game in the UK around 15 years ago before and at half time non playing squad members injured etc walked sections of the ground engaging with fans I'd like to see a bit of that for the kids me personally I'm 40 and have zero intrest in getting a autograph of anyone lol.
See i have fond memories of that when i was kid, getting every autograph and picture under the sun, it was a joy of mine. I want my kids to experience that.
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