No worries! In general I don't think about the GF until if we get there anyway ... and at that stage, if you really want to go, you can go ..
One of the additional benefits of the membership (apart from supporting the team that you love) is that you don't have to subject yourself to the free-for-all. I still don't understand why people don't get memberships if it is feasible to do so financially.
I think I read once that the reason you don't get membership is because of the way the club is run? Seems petty given the many positives at the moment.
Correct in relation to my reason.
I disagree with a number of things going on at the club .. the fact that we secured a brilliant coach was certainly a coup, but I will never base the decision to buy membership to the club on team results on the field. Ultimately, unless we win Grand Finals, results are completely irrelevant, as I will support the club just the same whether we win or lose, and I will love the club just as much. Pretty sure doing the opposite of that is the definition of bandwagon supporters.
My anger/frustration/disappointment/sadness is directed towards a number of things which still show no signs of improving, most notably:
1) General refusal of the club to listen to current Red V Members' opinions, take them on board and institute change. Apparently they know what's best for the supporters .. not the supporters. Simple things like not including a scarf in the membership pack when almost everyone has said they would prefer a scarf to a hat are symptomatic of the deeper issue. If I am a member, I want to be heard, not just seen (or viewed as a number on a paper document).
2) Intention of club management to ignore the history of the club
prior to 1999. I was only born in 1988, but I have read all the books about the early days, tracked down films etc .. St George was my club as a kid, and whilst St George Illawarra is my club today, unfortunately recognition of the original club's history is very weak at best. Illawarra's club history gets recognised more than St George's these days (jersey etc aside), and I find that deeply disappointing. I find it even more disappointing that our CEO publicly stated "In 20 years nobody will remember St George" a few years ago. As yet, there has been no public apology to our fans for that statement, and there has been no inclination that his views are in fact any different .. today it appears he is merely kept silent by a coach who seems to run this club at the moment (and one doing a fine job of that).
These are the critical elements for me. The on-field performance is a bonus, but I loved supporting the club no less during our horrific 2007 season than I did during 2005 and 2006, or during 2009 and 2010.
If it means I miss out on priority access to Grand Final tickets, then so be it. If I have to pay a scalper double price to get a ticket in the nose-bleed section, so be it. I go to bed at night feeling comfortable with myself for supporting the club that I love, but not supporting the board of directors who run that club!