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New 1877 Members Only Supporters Club


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I really appreciate the initiative and the work put in by the Fans Council. It is easy to do f**k all and snipe from the sidelines but much harder and thankless to get up off your arse and actually take action and make decisions.

However my model would be any fan can join for a £20 per annum membership. With 2,500 season ticket holders that would raise the initial capital required but more importantly have ALL fans feel part of the Club. With the physical limitations of space only the first 300 on match days could get entry for a small donation like £2. That would also guarantee the place was sold out every week. As time went by future annual membership fees could go towards youth development.

Hopefully the Club will evolve into something that is accessible to all fans.

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I really appreciate the initiative and the work put in by the Fans Council. It is easy to do f**k all and snipe from the sidelines but much harder and thankless to get up off your arse and actually take action and make decisions.

However my model would be any fan can join for a £20 per annum membership. With 2,500 season ticket holders that would raise the initial capital required but more importantly have ALL fans feel part of the Club. With the physical limitations of space only the first 300 on match days could get entry for a small donation like £2. That would also guarantee the place was sold out every week. As time went by future annual membership fees could go towards youth development.

Hopefully the Club will evolve into something that is accessible to all fans.

Like your opening statement... Then the sniping that follows... You've joined the club Sonny!

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This is the second time on this thread that I have praised the Fans Council and the first and last time that I will express my preferred option. I did not do so before as it was their initiative and I genuinely wanted it to be a success but as there is obviously a problem is achieving the required membership I have aired my views. Case now closed from me.

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Only tweak I would do to this is not have a fee on the door. The till should realise enough income to pay for the door staff if the model is right.

The current model will, I expect, be rethought.

From now until ready for opening, I'd like to see some of the fans council's research on when they have visited other clubs supporters bars & what info they gleaned from these visits.

That would either endorse their model or perhaps blow it out of the water. Whichever, I am a great believer in, if you don't try something different, you'll never know if it'll work or not but you need to be prepared to recognise something not working & change if need be.

I wish the venture success in whatever model it ends up with.

Whilst it is a great project to finally be getting off the ground. I too believe the model is not the right one for a supporters bar.

I wish you well with it but I believe it won't be too long before a rethink is on the cards. Hopefully, the ideas being discussed on this thread provides some food for thought if a rethink does happen.

It isn't too late though to start the rethink now though

I'd have gone for 1877 Lifetime members at £50 which would realise £93500. {How many season ticket holders, forum members etc etc. 1877 at £50 each isn't imho unrealistic}

No idea how much to kit out the void but that can't be far away.

If licensing could be got, it could be open at other times & possibly hired out for functions with a discount being given for members therefore getting some of the initial £50 outlay back if a member books the place for a private do.

Like all clubs/pubs/venues that does not have infinite space, entry is on a 1st come 1st served basis. 1 out 1 in when capacityis reached with a nominal charge for entry on the door {would pay for the door staff + some}.

I've wandered into many a pub, opened the door & thought, that's rammed, i'll go elsewhere. There can/should be no difference here unless an exclusive club is the aim.

If entry is guaranteed to members, they could rock up at 2:45 for a quick pint before the match & if 300 rock up at 2:45 ish, not a lot of drinks is going to get sold.

1st come 1st served will encourage people to make it their watering hole of choice on matchdays & those who enjoy a few scoops pre-match will be inclined to come down earlier to try guarantee getting in, therefore buying more drinks over a longer period of time & spending a few more quid and maximising beer selling time.

However it pans out, I wish the venture every success

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Annan tonight, their club open to away fans, no entry fee, decent prices, busy place just what we need, but Aint getting at SMP...

We will have something the fans will "A-Void" instead. It will end in tears, limiting your customer base to 200 is feckin commercial suicide!

Yes, but the Annan one is already fitted out and they're not building a business plan to prove the potential funding.

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  • 5 months later...

If the smisa bid is successful can this arrangement still be altered to suit more fans than just the 300 1877 members?

You mean by paying back all the 1877 members who contributed towards it being built so that everyone can contribute instead? The space will now accomodate 400 or so, I think the 300 figure is closer to 200 or so (I'd need to check my emails). Members will be able to sign people in, but maybe there'll be some sort of vote/decision on ways for members to give up their space each week.

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If the smisa bid is successful can this arrangement still be altered to suit more fans than just the 300 1877 members?

Irrespective of who runs the football club, the supporters bar will change and evolve to suit the customers needs. The most important thing is that we will at long long last have the bar that the fans wanted.

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I still think if the bar will now hold 400 and 200 are paid up "members" then the other 200 spaces should be available first come first served on the day.

I don't even think members "sign in" is sensible, just let anyone in. When it's full it's full. Even charge them a fiver if need be and give them first drink free.

Members can get in anytime they like, that's the benefit they pay for IMO.

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I think the fans council will eventually be left out to dry on this one and the club will make the decision to operate this venture like any other normal supporters bar/social club of football clubs up and down the country.

Even if it were to open its doors to all on the first day I doubt it would reach maximum capacity.

show the early match on the TV and allow people to use this facility without this member only nonsense.

If only 200 members have signed up to this then I reckon maybe 25% will be regular users with the rest having the occasional orange juice.

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You mean by paying back all the 1877 members who contributed towards it being built so that everyone can contribute instead? The space will now accomodate 400 or so, I think the 300 figure is closer to 200 or so (I'd need to check my emails). Members will be able to sign people in, but maybe there'll be some sort of vote/decision on ways for members to give up their space each week.

I guess if they've started paying their membership already then the horse may have already bolted on that one. I didn't know they had started paying. I had hoped an alternative plan might have been thought up where everybody could contribute to the bar and use it.

I'd have happily put money to that.

Edited by Hambud
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