Supporters Club?

[Matty the Shrimp]

that would be great. Me and my dad would join

[Spicy Shrimp]

I have always found the official MFC supporters club a bit like a secret society freemasons type organisation.

I think it would be easier for Stevie Wonder to join the Ku Klux Klan

A properly organised and advertised supporters club would be in a strong position to charter and fill a proper coach rather than having 3 mini buses. Anyone else remember when Battersbys used to provide coaches for away travel ?

I've been talking to Keith about me possibly setting up a website which would have links relevant to us, and i'd probably also have a section with the different peoples infomation whom run minibuses/coachs, with their permission of course.

[Heysham_Shrimp]

I have always found the official MFC supporters club a bit like a secret society freemasons type organisation.

I think it would be easier for Stevie Wonder to join the Ku Klux Klan

A properly organised and advertised supporters club would be in a strong position to charter and fill a proper coach rather than having 3 mini buses. Anyone else remember when Battersbys used to provide coaches for away travel ?

I've been talking to Keith about me possibly setting up a website which would have links relevant to us, and i'd probably also have a section with the different peoples infomation whom run minibuses/coachs, with their permission of course.

that sounds like a good idea.

[Keith]

We now have a place that is open everyday for meeting.
Christmas club
supporters Quiz nights
race nights

It would be a good starting point. Perhaps get something organised for a Christmas club again? There used to be one in JB's a few years ago. It would give people an excuse to go to the bar. Perhaps the grill would put a 'special' on on the Christmas club evening to encourage people to eat in there at the same time? That way the bar is promoted, the embryonic supporters club members have an informal 'get together' and it becomes easy for 'non-members' to become involved... even if those who are 'in' don't think it is, it probably looks a bit like a bit of a clique at times. A 'supporters' evening would make it more open to people who may not already know many other fans to come down and join in.

Even if the old Supporters Club is still going, maybe now is the time for them to have a re-launch to attract new members?

[Wild Bill]

I hope this idea of bringing back the OMSC gets off the ground. One of the reasons we travel so poorly (in numbers) must surely be down to the lack of a official supporters club. Remember taking their coaches quite often, including four to Boston in the FA Cup. Don't think we have had that many going to a game since Wembley!

It would also be a good way to bring together the often segregated groups of supporters, so we can support the club with more unity. Perhaps a quarterly meeting in the bar to discuss ideas followed by some discounted beer might be a way for the club to bond?

[Lurchy]

Isn't the coach organised by Bob Fleetwood for every away game affiliated with the supporters club?

I don't see how people can blame poor away attendance on the lack of a supporters club. The 3 coach groups that go to every away game regularly advertise, on here, spare seats to games.

[heysham_mfc]

Isn't the coach organised by Bob Fleetwood for every away game affiliated with the supporters club?

I don't see how people can blame poor away attendance on the lack of a supporters club. The 3 coach groups that go to every away game regularly advertise, on here, spare seats to games.

Where? Not seen any coach travel for the supporters club advertised since the play offs at Dagenham.

[Keith]

Isn't the coach organised by Bob Fleetwood for every away game affiliated with the supporters club?

I don't see how people can blame poor away attendance on the lack of a supporters club. The 3 coach groups that go to every away game regularly advertise, on here, spare seats to games.

Where? Not seen any coach travel for the supporters club advertised since the play offs at Dagenham.

As I said earlier in the thread...

The biggest difficulty in this is that the different groups of travelling fans want different things from their day out. For example, some fans want to drink a lot, some don't want any drink etc. I think transport shouldn't be the first thing to try and bring together unless the organisers want a major headache!

If the key goal of the Supporters Club is to re-unite all the different travel groups then it is doomed from the start because different people have different aims and objectives from their 'day out'. Some want an hour or two drinking before the game and perhaps stop off on the way back, while others want to set off as late as possible and have a nice leisurely drive, arriving in time for a read of the programme over a Bovril.

Of course what would be useful is opening the different groups up to new fans who want the same experience, and that is where the communication is important. The Supporters Club could 'enable' fans to make contact with the right people and make them feel welcome. As I say, bringing them together on the same coach would probably kill the idea before it got started.

And yes, anyone who is organising transport should feel free to advertise the fact on here.

[thegentlegiant]

If someone is willing to get a new website up and running I would be more than happy with helping with the general running of it all.

we need a new site any ways as the old one looks outdated, no disrespect ment by that.

One of our meeting could involve friendly games of football on the 3g pitches.

We would need to sort a yearly joining fee out, we would need to contact the club to get there support see what they can offer to the members of the supporters club.

Like I say if someone is wanting to get the ball rolling with a website pm me and we can knock a few ideas together.

[bigreddog]

I would be very happy to get involved from an organisation point of view, whether it's a relaunch of the official supporters club or a coalition of travel clubs who want to have some focus, afterall (as Keith quite rightly says) people have different expectations of their matchday experience and we wouldn't want to take anything away from those people, we all know who they are, who work so tirelessly and selflessly to put on transport to away games. If we can contribute to bringing the supporters together by co-ordinating themes, doing events at the new JB's and things like christmas clubs, it may help bring about a better relationship between those groups and bring the club and fans closer together.

[ockers]

sorry having been here around 2002 with hodgie and brian c
i couldnt resist........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YawagQ6l ... re=related

im sure mike can let everytone know what the current situation is...........

[Gnasher]

Noticeably missing as a player sponsor this year and not listed as sponsoring the gala draw. Hope they haven't closed but the only obvious sign of it still being around are references to Junior Reds.

[outsider]

Noticeably missing as a player sponsor this year and not listed as sponsoring the gala draw. Hope they haven't closed but the only obvious sign of it still being around are references to Junior Reds.

They dont meet/exist any more,

[MfcChris]

Isn't the coach organised by Bob Fleetwood for every away game affiliated with the supporters club?

I don't see how people can blame poor away attendance on the lack of a supporters club. The 3 coach groups that go to every away game regularly advertise, on here, spare seats to games.

Where? Hardly anything has been advertised. It seems to me (who would go on the coach as a lot cheaper than 2 people in a car), that certain mini-bus crews are a tight unit and have the same people that go every week, therefore either there are never spaces or they don't want you. I enquired with one by PM about if transport to Bradford was on, how much etc and I got 'Do I know you?'.

I watched Stevenage home games for about 3 years and they seem to do a successful one: http://www.sa4sbfc.co.uk/

[Ntini]

I was in contact with Mike a few months ago regarding setting up a supporters club in the North East for those exiles who find it hard to get to many games. Unfortunately it would appear that the official supporters club is no longer running as it did originally for whatever reasons. Mike advised me that the best way might be to set up a new supporters club which he would support being chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF).

I didn't feel I could set up a brand new one on my own, but was happy to try and set up a 'branch'. This offer still stands should anything happen over a new/reforming of a supporters club.

The main reason for setting one up would be that we could meet other exiles (for football and non-football related matters), possibly arrange lifts so that it would be cheaper to travel to more games, and still keep a link to the club even when we are not able to get there in person on a regular basis.

So it has my full support with whatever help I can give.

[ezz]

What would benefit from the club is the atmosphere, sometimes having that identity encourages people to sing more and get behid the team. Being around those who regularly start chants would probably encourage more to join in.
Would being stood to the right of the MBW stand improve atmosphere? I.e closer to the main stand? Would they join in?

[Lurchy]

Isn't the coach organised by Bob Fleetwood for every away game affiliated with the supporters club?

I don't see how people can blame poor away attendance on the lack of a supporters club. The 3 coach groups that go to every away game regularly advertise, on here, spare seats to games.

Where? Hardly anything has been advertised. It seems to me (who would go on the coach as a lot cheaper than 2 people in a car), that certain mini-bus crews are a tight unit and have the same people that go every week, therefore either there are never spaces or they don't want you. I enquired with one by PM about if transport to Bradford was on, how much etc and I got 'Do I know you?'.

I watched Stevenage home games for about 3 years and they seem to do a successful one: http://www.sa4sbfc.co.uk/

I have travelled on Bob Fleetwood's coach quite a few times and had no bother even though I hardly know any of the regulars. All you have to do is ring between 6pm and 8pm and he is more than happy to help if you explain why you are ringing. He books the size of coach depending on the numbers that book in advance.

[Keith]

An initial burst of enthusiasm.
Lots of people agreeing it's a good idea.
but no concrete plans?

How can this be moved forwards?
Transport? It's been mentioned a few times. I think there is a valid comment that many fans don't know how to go about travelling to away games with other fans, who to contact etc. How about the people who arrange transport all write a few lines about the transport they arrange and who to get in touch with. I will then post a 'sticky' on the forum. This thread can then be used to advertise travel and help people to find the right travel for 'their day out'. Many of the groups that travel (or have travelled in the past) have nicknames which is likely to put people off because they may feel that they are cliques, when in reality they would be made very welcome. Over the years I've travelled with all of the following from time to time...

'The Supporters Club'- Bob Fleetwood
'The Indies'- Mick Birch
'The Sardines'- Gary Hocking
'The Professionals'- Freez
'The York Hotel'- (see Indies?)

Any others?

And what about an actual 'Supporters Club'? Is there enough will to get this off the ground or would it just be left to one or two people to do everything until it falls apart?

[ockers]

Remember a supporters club isn't just for Xmas Keith
it's for life.....i'll talk to mike on Saturday

[marky No.1]

Just to put my 2 penneth in regarding coaches, the guys that do it do a marvellous job. When we were at Christie it was so much easier to talk to friends in the one meeting place which was JB s to watch the results, have a beer, discuss the game and plan the next one while knowing that in a few minutes a player or 2 would walk through and have a chat. You could even socialist with the prawn sandwich brigade at the same time.

Obviously now that has changed and many people have lost contact. Bus organisers have sometimes found themselves posting on here instead but because most of us are "faceless" on here neither the buyer or the seller knows each other which leads to a bit of mistrust and the sense of a clique regime.

This so called clique is simply the group who regularly attend away games and, if you like, are trustworthy that when they say they will turn up they actually do!

With the ground move, the financial state of everything, the poor results and general apathy people are being very selective with games and this has made it hard for organisers particularly with fuel on the increase. When I was told how much the big coach was costing to hire for the day it is not a surprise.

Fans will also wait and see how results go before they decide so until things improve on the pitch I can't see queues forming just yet, but having said that we booked our Xmas/new year coach travel months ago!

[marky No.1]

So yes, the idea of a supporters club and making a homely meeting place where people can be made welcome instead of them and us is a great idea. Thing is how do you get upstairs and downstairs to meet?

Uppy Downy! The new bar name

[ezz]

Not like we don't have a nice shiny new bar to meet in..... the home of the new supporters club?

[Crooky MFC]

What would benefit from the club is the atmosphere, sometimes having that identity encourages people to sing more and get behid the team. Being around those who regularly start chants would probably encourage more to join in.
Would being stood to the right of the MBW stand improve atmosphere? I.e closer to the main stand? Would they join in?

A problem this season is that not everybody is huddled up together like at Christie, where we were all compact to the right of the goals. It would be a huge help IMO if everybody that sung stood closer together!

[Bryan]

Nothing clandestine about the supporters travel clubs that exist. They exist because the official supporters travel club overpriced their trips to keep the lads that like a drink etc. off the coach/bus (i'm a teetotaller these days by the way). Any new official supporters club will have to operate an everyman system as people just won't go. If it's too expensive people won't go. Also can you really guarantee to fill a coach to places like Southend and Torquay? Why do you think organisers (who by the way never get any credit or help from the club) often fall back to using mini-buses in order to keep costs down.

I reckon you are looking at half a dozen games at the most where you can fill a big coach up for away games. Good luck with it, but it won't be easy.

[Keith]

Any new official supporters club will have to operate an everyman system as people just won't go. If it's too expensive people won't go. Also can you really guarantee to fill a coach to places like Southend and Torquay? Why do you think organisers (who by the way never get any credit or help from the club) often fall back to using mini-buses in order to keep costs down.

I reckon you are looking at half a dozen games at the most where you can fill a big coach up for away games. Good luck with it, but it won't be easy.

As I mentioned earlier Bryan, if a unified 'travel club' is the goal, then it is almost certainly doomed to failure and I would strongly advice against even trying. But better communication between potential travelling fans and empty seats will only improve the situation.