TheRam
Coach
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I remember MITS and others on this site a few years ago arguing the point that increasing membership is not the way to save a club and that it's overrated as a tool to save our club from extinction or merger. Well as I said back then, he and others have no idea and maybe believed the hype of our former incompetent, lacklustre, useless administrators.
The numbers don't lie. Our current admin have got this one right, we should be aiming for 40+ thousand members. The TV ratings tell us and always have, that the fans are there, even in greater numbers then the AFL. So really all that was missing were the people who could recognise this and be competent and committed enough to do something about it, without a million and one excuses as to why it can't be done. It's called professionalism.
I want to be wowed as a fan, not ignored.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/so...mbership-numbers/story-fndujljl-1226586362211Across the board NRL club membership is up by a massive 18 per cent on this time last year - and the Rabbitohs are leading the way with 22,003 members.
It wasn't so long ago NRL clubs treated membership drives as an afterthought - but in the wake of the poker machine tax it's fair to say members have become the financial lifeblood for most clubs.
"We used to earn about $330,000 a year from membership five years ago," Souths boss Shane Richardson said. "Now we are bringing in over $3.5 million.
"On top of that we probably do around the $2.5 million in merchandise and of that nearly 65 per cent directly comes through our members and our internet."
That's $6 million a year members are bringing in for the Bunnies - and that's not even taking into account the crowd figures that have increased dramatically directly through membership numbers.
"This is a mistake people make, they think success builds membership. Well, we have proven that to be wrong," Richardson said.
"Up until last year we had only made the finals once since 1989.
"It's about the feeling you give them, the culture you create."
Richardson can't believe some clubs are yet to jump on board the membership bandwagon.
"You have to throw yourself completely into it,' he said.
"You can't half get committed, you can't get half pregnant. You have to be fully committed to it or otherwise it just doesn't work."
The Broncos have the second most members heading into 2013 (17,561) followed by the Dragons (16,314) and the Knights (14,213).
But Richardson knows there is still work to be done to rival the type of membership numbers some of the AFL clubs have.
Collingwood last year had 72,688 members while the Sydney Swans have 27,592, up by more than 7000 on this time last year.
Even AFL new boys Greater Western Sydney currently have 10,261 members, more than double what they had last year and embarrassingly also more than NRL rivals the Wests Tigers and the Panthers.
In 2007 Souths had 9,350 members - in 2013 they are targeting for 25,000 members.
Richardson said: "People used to say to me when I joined the club: 'Where are all those Souths fans?'
"Well, they are back and they are actually real and they are spending money."
The numbers don't lie. Our current admin have got this one right, we should be aiming for 40+ thousand members. The TV ratings tell us and always have, that the fans are there, even in greater numbers then the AFL. So really all that was missing were the people who could recognise this and be competent and committed enough to do something about it, without a million and one excuses as to why it can't be done. It's called professionalism.
I want to be wowed as a fan, not ignored.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/so...mbership-numbers/story-fndujljl-1226586362211Across the board NRL club membership is up by a massive 18 per cent on this time last year - and the Rabbitohs are leading the way with 22,003 members.
It wasn't so long ago NRL clubs treated membership drives as an afterthought - but in the wake of the poker machine tax it's fair to say members have become the financial lifeblood for most clubs.
"We used to earn about $330,000 a year from membership five years ago," Souths boss Shane Richardson said. "Now we are bringing in over $3.5 million.
"On top of that we probably do around the $2.5 million in merchandise and of that nearly 65 per cent directly comes through our members and our internet."
That's $6 million a year members are bringing in for the Bunnies - and that's not even taking into account the crowd figures that have increased dramatically directly through membership numbers.
"This is a mistake people make, they think success builds membership. Well, we have proven that to be wrong," Richardson said.
"Up until last year we had only made the finals once since 1989.
"It's about the feeling you give them, the culture you create."
Richardson can't believe some clubs are yet to jump on board the membership bandwagon.
"You have to throw yourself completely into it,' he said.
"You can't half get committed, you can't get half pregnant. You have to be fully committed to it or otherwise it just doesn't work."
The Broncos have the second most members heading into 2013 (17,561) followed by the Dragons (16,314) and the Knights (14,213).
But Richardson knows there is still work to be done to rival the type of membership numbers some of the AFL clubs have.
Collingwood last year had 72,688 members while the Sydney Swans have 27,592, up by more than 7000 on this time last year.
Even AFL new boys Greater Western Sydney currently have 10,261 members, more than double what they had last year and embarrassingly also more than NRL rivals the Wests Tigers and the Panthers.
In 2007 Souths had 9,350 members - in 2013 they are targeting for 25,000 members.
Richardson said: "People used to say to me when I joined the club: 'Where are all those Souths fans?'
"Well, they are back and they are actually real and they are spending money."