Mate I don’t to want to sound like a sharks fan bagging out the Dragons
But
A few years ago I had to deal with the Dragons sales dept.
It was for an old couple
Life long st George fans
It was for the old fellas birthday which I mentioned to them when organising it.
I bought them tix that included dinner and speeches from the coach prior to the game etc etc
It was not cheap either.
They asked me to give them some info about the old fella so they can give a shoutout to him during the speeches.
Anyway On the Monday morning after the game I got an abusive email from them saying I made the speaker look like a fool.
He apparently mentioned the old bloke during the speech and tried to find him the crowd.
The thing is they’d stuck him and his wife on a table way off to the side behind a huge pylon.
They both were putting their hands up and calling out .
Nobody could see them.
They’d even been forgotten about during the dinner service.
Everyone had finished before they got anything to eat.
The old guy (who might I add) has a very high standing in the community and was himself a very famous athlete.
Represented Australia.
He went to school with Norm Provan.
Was mortified when the speaker made a disparaging remark about him when they couldn’t find him.
He was there and he heard every word.
Then the email came.
I showed the guys daughter and she asked me to let it go.
I did.
That organisation can go and get well and truely f**ked AFAIAC
That's shit alright.
I've held jobs in engagement and marketing in the community sector. One of the most degrading things I've ever seen was a fully cognisant but non-verbal young man with a severe physical disability have a Souths beanie slapped on him for a photo as he thrashed wildly (he was a big Wests or Parra fan if I recall) while someone associated with SouthsCares patronisingly said "look how much he loves it." He was made a Souths member that season.
A young woman that I had a bit to do with was a Cronulla fan (against the wishes of her Saints mad father). Your club in all their charity had organised her to meet a high profile player. Well, that player never made it, no explanation was given and this young woman died 2 months later. Cystic fibrosis is a truly awful disease.
Anyway, that was a dark segue from what was essentially a comment on the amateurish nature of NRL membership departments.
Lessons.
1. Poor organising and well meaning misunderstandings should not conflated with malice.
2. Get off ya high horse.
