How to recognise long standing and loyal supporters

[Wonderwall]

I have been invited by the club to attend a meeting at the ground tomorrow night following a discussion regarding how we should honour the long standing and loyal supports of MCFC.

The Club is considering new ways to recognise and celebrate the loyalty and long service of its supporters.

We have started to develop some ideas but would like to shape these together with longstanding supporters. We would therefore like to invite you to attend a discussion forum.

I did raise the point that if they still had the database from the swales/lee era when the first membership scheme was created, we could trace the long standing supporters. This may be possible but I dont know yet.

Also, on the point of identifying these fans, what would be the criteria?
Number of games?
Loyalty points?
Age?
50 years as a fan?
Time since first attended?
any ideas?

Once these fans are identified, what would be the best way to recognise/honour their fantastic support down the years?
A plaque around the stadium?
Their name on the bridge?
A certificate and special medal?
A HT selfie (kidding)?
A match in the corporate section?
any ideas?

I would really like to hear what you all think of this idea. I personally think if done right, it would be a really nice touch by the club.

[iwasthere2012]

I have been invited by the club to attend a meeting at the ground tomorrow night following a discussion regarding how we should honour the long standing and loyal supports of MCFC.

The Club is considering new ways to recognise and celebrate the loyalty and long service of its supporters.

We have started to develop some ideas but would like to shape these together with longstanding supporters. We would therefore like to invite you to attend a discussion forum.

I did raise the point that if they still had the database from the swales/lee era when the first membership scheme was created, we could trace the long standing supporters. This may be possible but I dont know yet.

Also, on the point of identifying these fans, what would be the criteria?
Number of games?
Loyalty points?
Age?
50 years as a fan?
Time since first attended?
any ideas?

Once these fans are identified, what would be the best way to recognise/honour their fantastic support down the years?
A plaque around the stadium?
Their name on the bridge?
A certificate and special medal?
A HT selfie (kidding)?
A match in the corporate section?
any ideas?

I would really like to hear what you all think of this idea. I personally think if done right, it would be a really nice touch by the club.

I'm not one because I see a difference between a supporter who attends regularly over years and years and a fan like me who only gets over infrequently, although I have been a fan since circa 1970.
So if you think it's out of order for me to pitch in fair enough, but I think it would be a good start by the club if they listened to the concerns of these loyal supporters regarding the current match day experience as opposed to how it was way way back in Maine Road. No doubt there have been improvements as well as criticisms, but honour the loyal fanbase by listening to You.

[Ted Hughes]

Any of those things would be a good idea I think (apart from the fucking selfie).

As far as recognising them, for a start some will have had season tickets for a long long time & that's on record somewhere. My folks have had since early 70's at least although I don't think they had season tickets much before then but were already long term supporters when they first got season tickets. But if people were invited to apply, folks could write in with their memories of early City which, added to the stuff on record, would prove their status as long standing, loyal supporters.

I know of others, younger, who attended every single game everywhere for years. I'm sure they could provide enough evidence to prove it.

My folks were there as little kids, before the war, then through the years after & sharing the ground with those cunts, then watching Bert Trautmann the 'Revie plan' etc through all the good & bad times i the decades that followed & are still season ticket holders now.

I've seen various other old fuckers who probably have a similar tale to tell. If the club invited them to apply & asked for their stories of supporting City, it would also be a good thing for the club to have on record I would think, & maybe of some interest to Gary James.

Seeing as we have no history 'n all that.

[Goaters 103]

Id make two suggestions that recognise both the long serving City fans, and also serve to assist current ones and keep things fair for all concerned

1) Get rid of this Platinum extra £50 bullshit, and make all Seasoncards the same price - ie the Gold one. It stops richer, nouveau fans jumping the queue and also halts the blackmailing of City fans who fear they will lose their place in the loyalty points queue

2) Get rid of this bloody awful "Cityzen" membership scheme, which charges £120 for a family of four (Mum, Dad and 2 kids) for the right to join a queue to pay another £45-£55 for a match ticket. Unbelievable. A membership scheme should be free for Kids under 18, and be £10 tops for Adults.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

They're usually grey or balding, sometimes both, have a bit of a beer gut and frown lines that a Clingon would be proud of.

[Ted Hughes]

Id make two suggestions that recognise both the long serving City fans, and also serve to assist current ones and keep things fair for all concerned

1) Get rid of this Platinum extra £50 bullshit, and make all Seasoncards the same price - ie the Gold one. It stops richer, nouveau fans jumping the queue and also halts the blackmailing of City fans who fear they will lose their place in the loyalty points queue

2) Get rid of this bloody awful "Cityzen" membership scheme, which charges £120 for a family of four (Mum, Dad and 2 kids) for the right to join a queue to pay another £45-£55 for a match ticket. Unbelievable. A membership scheme should be free for Kids under 18, and be £10 tops for Adults.

That's more like day to day business which should be argued by the current supporters groups, not a reward for long standing supporters.

If we are talking about recognising fans who have been loyal supporters for many years, involving complaints about the day to day system will just steamroller it.

[Wonderwall]

Id make two suggestions that recognise both the long serving City fans, and also serve to assist current ones and keep things fair for all concerned

1) Get rid of this Platinum extra £50 bullshit, and make all Seasoncards the same price - ie the Gold one. It stops richer, nouveau fans jumping the queue and also halts the blackmailing of City fans who fear they will lose their place in the loyalty points queue

2) Get rid of this bloody awful "Cityzen" membership scheme, which charges £120 for a family of four (Mum, Dad and 2 kids) for the right to join a queue to pay another £45-£55 for a match ticket. Unbelievable. A membership scheme should be free for Kids under 18, and be £10 tops for Adults.

That's more like day to day business which should be argued by the current supporters groups, not a reward for long standing supporters.

If we are talking about recognising fans who have been loyal supporters for many years, involving complaints about the day to day system will just steamroller it.

Agreed Ted.

There is a City-Voice forum which is run by the club and was created exactly for suggestions like those that you propose Goaters 103.

Jump on there and suggest it, its as valid as anything else I have seen there

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

As someone who's been attending since 1971 can you tell them I'd like us to buy Lionel Messi as a thank you?

[iwasthere2012]

As someone who's been attending since 1971 can you tell them I'd like us to buy Lionel Messi as a thank you?

And my point is, they should listen to this man.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

How to recognise long standing fans? Grey hair, nervous tick, darting eyes and a general malaise about them .

[Wonderwall]

Any of those things would be a good idea I think (apart from the fucking selfie).

As far as recognising them, for a start some will have had season tickets for a long long time & that's on record somewhere. My folks have had since early 70's at least although I don't think they had season tickets much before then but were already long term supporters when they first got season tickets. But if people were invited to apply, folks could write in with their memories of early City which, added to the stuff on record, would prove their status as long standing, loyal supporters.

I know of others, younger, who attended every single game everywhere for years. I'm sure they could provide enough evidence to prove it.

My folks were there as little kids, before the war, then through the years after & sharing the ground with those cunts, then watching Bert Trautmann the 'Revie plan' etc through all the good & bad times i the decades that followed & are still season ticket holders now.

I've seen various other old fuckers who probably have a similar tale to tell. If the club invited them to apply & asked for their stories of supporting City, it would also be a good thing for the club to have on record I would think, & maybe of some interest to Gary James.

Seeing as we have no history 'n all that.

I agree on the issue of being able to back it up, as I would imagine the paper trail would only go back so far. Maine Road was pay on the turnstile for most of my younger years, I was a member of the first scheme with my little green hand written card covered in cellophane. I remember it was in my pocket one Saturday afternoon and the heavens opened and I was dripping by the time I got home, I pulled out the card and couldn't even make out my name or card number as made of card and was soggy.

I am not sure what date we started to go all ticket? I would imagine thats when the records are easier to trace.

[Lev Bronstein]

I'm sure that if the club has lost the database from the Swales/Lee era The Samaritans must have kept records.

[Wonderwall]

I'm sure that if the club has lost the database from the Swales/Lee era The Samaritans must have kept records.

ha ha ha I am sure they must have a record somewhere :-)

[Slim]

You know, one of the things I never understood why we all went along with, was the purchase to enable you to purchase things.

"Hi business, I'd like to buy your product"

"I'm sorry I cannot sell you my product until you buy this useless piece of laminated card that allows you to buy my product"

"I see, and what else does this useless piece of laminated card do for me"

"Nothing, it just means I can fleece even more money from you for my already overpriced and marked up product"

"Well what are we waiting for! Sign me up please"

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?

First time I encountered this was with a phone company, that lasted the five minutes it took until I could get to another store than sold sim cards. If City were charging me £120 for the privilege of giving them money, I'd inform them I'll be cancelling everything that could conceivably give them money, boycotting their sponsors products and streaming their games until they got their heads right. It'd do fuck all by itself, but if half the season ticket holders did the same, you see how quickly it fucks right off.

[Slim]

Also, I noticed this week you have to sign in to see the match highlights on the official website.

This in itself is not a cunt move, cuts down on away team traffic, however the two boxes at the moment that have you agree to spam are unticked, you have to tick them if you do not want to receive spam from the City group and affiliates.

Really City? Cunt move to trick people into joining your mailing lists.

[Scatman]

Is it not enough that the people themselves know how long serving and loyal they are? Why do we have to accredit people? Why should it be recognised on some shitty plaque? Do we need it? The hall of fame for supporters? Turn their seats gold. Give then a facebook page. Do me a favour. Just continue to turn up and sing.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

Is it not enough that the people themselves know how long serving and loyal they are? Why do we have to accredit people? Why should it be recognised on some shitty plaque? Do we need it? The hall of fame for supporters? Turn their seats gold. Give then a facebook page. Do me a favour. Just continue to turn up and sing.

We got our 'reward' when Aguero scored the third against QPR. If City (and other clubs) really wanted to reward their long term/loyal supporters they should stop pricing them out of games.

[london blue 2]

Easiest way to recognise a loyal fan is by his tattoo.

[Scatman]

Is it not enough that the people themselves know how long serving and loyal they are? Why do we have to accredit people? Why should it be recognised on some shitty plaque? Do we need it? The hall of fame for supporters? Turn their seats gold. Give then a facebook page. Do me a favour. Just continue to turn up and sing.

We got our 'reward' when Aguero scored the third against QPR. If City (and other clubs) really wanted to reward their long term/loyal supporters they should stop pricing them out of games.

It just smacks of paranoia to me. Squirming in the seat when the oppo ask where we were when we were shit.

[mr_nool]

Also, I noticed this week you have to sign in to see the match highlights on the official website.

This in itself is not a cunt move, cuts down on away team traffic, however the two boxes at the moment that have you agree to spam are unticked, you have to tick them if you do not want to receive spam from the City group and affiliates.

Really City? Cunt move to trick people into joining your mailing lists.

I watched the extended highlights of the Chelsea game on the OS earlier today and didn't have to sign in.
I've watched a lot of the EDS highlights without having to sign in as well.