Time for Fan Forum - (QPRRobbo's re Club/Fan Ties)

[Macmoish]

Edit: The subject title in light of qprrobbo's once-again very interesting perspective

Advice to Club: Never Be Better Time for Fan Forum

If not now, When?
If not you, Who?

Approaching Three and a half years since the last fan forum...
But now can be the time...

Good mood among fans...Probably not too many tough questions will be asked

So go ahead and do it.

[Lonegunmen]

And give us a chance or organise our own rep for once.

[qprrobbo]

You will be bloody lucky!

[Lonegunmen]

Well let's just say I am not holding my breath. I'd actually like to see evry MB represented in fairness, even those I might not particularly frequent. as well as supporters groups.

[Macmoish]

Well there are two seperate kinds of meeting: The Fan Forum is a general meet with say 100 people there. (Last one with PAladini, Gregory and Bignot, I think it was) Now how they choose that 100 or so people is of course another matter.

And then there are the fan group meets, of which there are sporadic, but in theory every few months or so.
And hopefully QPR Report will continue to get invites to that and will be able to send a Representative (or even two Reps, if that's what some other boards do)

[qprrobbo]

When I was at LR myself and Shiela Marson introduced Fan Forum evenings, which were held in the Tony Ingham Suite.

I would advertise them in the programme, and they were attended by anyone that wanted to come, on a first come first served basis.

The bar would be open, and Daphne Biggs would man the Supporters Club table, selling the next games away travel and stuff.

The questions were NEVER submitted in advance, and ALL fan groups were welcome to come along.

After 2 hours or so, we would wrap things up and everyone went home happy.

We used to get the Manager, Clive Berlin, Alan Greenberg, Brain Rowe and a player, to attend, and the atmosphere was NEVER hostile.

I would love to see evenings like that again at LR, and should there be a possibility to attend, I for one would love to be considered... please?

[Lonegunmen]

Wouldn't we all?? I mean these forums dont have to be a bitch session, just an informative gathering and finding out whats what from the clubs point of view. And the club hears what the fans think and can put a stop to the innuendos, speculation and ITK rumours. Facts, that is what it is about.

[Macmoish]

How do you feel QPRRobbo about club efforts to "Corral" fans via an Official Supporters Club...and two, three years back, were attempting what seemed like a funnel process of club fans groups having to go through a designated club official? And just the general what seems like a top-down process of attempted control?

[Edit: Of course, when the question is posed in this way, I acknowledge it does appear I have a certain view! ]

[qprrobbo]

Sorry Lone, but things haven't changed from the past to the present.

Whoeever represents the club on the evening will only tell you what they are prepared to discuss and let into the public domain.

No person in authority(?) will ever allow confidential info to flow around the fan base, and the club are VERY wary of journos etc attending these events, and then twisting what has been said.

These events are usually held as a goodwill gesture "only" and the club allows them under duress as they know that even they occasionally need to either clear the uncertainty or in some cases, muddy the waters a little!

I would never wish to cause offence to you or anyone else on here, however it is a little niaive to think the officials would openly and honestly convene a forum, with a ragged arse band of fans, and then tell them truthfully about everything that is going on behind closed doors, the finances, plans to sell LR and move home, why this or that has happened and plans to resolve issues.

They will however tell you about plans for the catering, toilets, marketing via mechandise, and that they are listening to the fans viewpoint at all times. MY ARSE!

I love this club, always have, always will, but just as I would never invite strangers into my home, feed and water them, then divulge all my finances and marital activities (ooh er Matron), I would never expect our Club to do the same.

Sadly... that's life at any football club.
You take it or leave it; we choose to take it!

[Lonegunmen]

No, I know that subjects such as transfers would not be discussed but I was thinking more along the lines of the clubs three year plans as in stadia upgrades and facilities type stuff. As for players, perhaps a few injury updates might be in order.

[Macmoish]

Aug 29, 2010 12:41:16 GMT qprrobbo said:

...

No person in authority(?) will ever allow confidential info to flow around the fan base...!

Well I have to say, I'm not 100% convinced of that statement Now maybe not in a fan forum...nor in a meeting with a bunch of club reps...However I am not at all so sure, in other dialogues, this has not occurred......

[Macmoish]

FYI, this is more re our 2007 Fan Forum (and some of my past queries)

qprreport.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=3066&page=1

[qprrobbo]

Macmoish, in answer to your question re my thoughts on our club attempting to corral fans etc, you asked.. so here goes;

QPR and any other club, has and will always try to corral fans into what they see as good marketing practice.

The debate needs to look at two different aspects however;

1, Totally independent supporters that have no particular interest in the finances/politics and general behind the scenes stuff, and are interested only in the football side of things

2, Supporters whom have an interest in everything that goes on within their club.

The independent fans, and I speak with experience, are generally interested in being members of an Official Supporters Club insofar as they have a gained sense of "belonging" and enjoy not so much the benefits of membership, but in fact the feeling of being part of a larger extended family of like-minded fans.

These people are key to the club, and in all honesty the club probaly see these guys as manna from heaven; they pay their money, they are very loyal to the club, the buy programmes and merchandise, they attend club functions, AND THEY GENERALLY DO NOT ROCK THE BOAT.
I am not disrespecting these people, they have their own way of doing things, and as far as I am concerned they are ecery bit as loyal and passionate as anyone else.

Moving on to the the second group, I believe that these guys are generally viiewed by the officialdom as again important to the club for both their commitment and their support, HOWEVER they become dangerous when they start to get organised and form themselves in to a "group".

When I worked a QPR the club were very interested in advancing the Official Supporters Club and part of my role was to increase the membership etc.

At that time, and I see no reason why it would be different nowadays, the club were almost terrified of groups such as the LSA, do to the fact that these fans (and I was one of them) did things on their own, and outside of the club party line.

Most of the founder members of the LSA were/are friends of mine from many years ago, and held the belief that by forming into a large body, the club would have to listen to them.

To a degree this worked, and indeed the club got so paranoid about the LSA and certain key members of their committee that they bent over backwards to supposedly extend the hand of friendship.

The sad truth was that in my opinion the club (not all) were paying the LSA lip-service.

The problem with the organised fan group as far as the club are concerned is that the fan group will always campaign for the little man - and nothing wrong with that by the way - however the club would much rather prefer a large group of supporters that will not so much toe the party line, but accept it more happily.

Corraling fans happens in all aspects of club support; this is why we have Platinum, Gold, Silver, etc etc.

All organisations will attempt to appeal to mass markets rather than randomly fire bullets in the hope of getting a few hits.
QPR are no different.

When the rise of the Fanzines occured, many of the officials at QPR were absolutely paranoid that things could be written and discussed in public about them, among mere mortals such as the fans.

Three officials - at the very top - used to send a lad from the box office (before every home game) down to the wall in SA Rd to buy both AKUTR's and In The Loft, and would then spend 30 minutes reading every word, and asking my opinion of what was published!

It goes without saying that if the club has (say) 2,000 away tickets to sell for an important game up north, it would be SO much simpler for them to be able to say that you had to be a member (ie on their database), you had to buy a match ticket per person with official travel only), and you had to travel en masse as opposed to individuals all making their own way from all over.

This was always the objective, although the club would never concede it was ill-thought out, and impossible to achieve.

There will always be a place for the independent fan, the Supporters Club Member, the LSA, Indys, and so on, and rightly so, but in closing, I wonder if we sometimes "corrall" ourselves in the way we choose which forum to post on, we choose which pub to drink in, we choose which group to join - or not - and most importantly and above all the stuff I have written above...
WE ALL CHOOSE TO SUPPORT QPR.

Would welcome other views eh?

[Lonegunmen]

An interesting insight there mate.

[Macmoish]

Agree. Fascinating.

[Macmoish]

All those years ago...and now today: As they say: "Le plus ça change, le plus c'est la même chose"

Going back to my mention a few days ago of "The Italian Way" I guess to some degree was a certain attempted change or expansion of the club effort to "strengthen" some fans

[Lonegunmen]

So the club want a pied piper to lead the masses. Shamed they chose a pius piper instead. Must have been lost in the translation.

[Macmoish]

Worth reading (once again)

[Zamoraaaah]

Very interesting reading Robbo.

[qprrobbo]

Morning Lone,

Re the comment above...

"shame they got a pius one" etc, what does this mean?

[Lonegunmen]

A self proclaimed Uber Fan

[qprrobbo]

[harlowranger]

Bump this one , do you think we will get Fans forums back if Bratore and Ecclestone go ?
Would they happen if Gianni P is still at the Club ?

[Macmoish]

What an amazing Bump...Robbo

[maudesfishnchips]

nice one H

this is a good thread, and deserves bumping for the topic alone. but so nice to read because of neils contributions in particular