If you were to become or are a member of a supporters club

[jdrobbo]

... WHAT 2,3,4,5 things do you hope to get from being in such a group?


As the person responsible for heading up West Yorkshire Clarets, this is of interest to me. We meet once a month, so offer good socialising opportunities for fans from around the region, but we've never offered transport to games (we have organised car shares). We've also joined in with initiatives over the years, such as sponsoring player boards, helping with the foodbank etc. We've also become a lot more visible on social media over the last year or so, although we're looking to improve that more.

What do you look for, or would you look for in such a group? A straightforward 1,2,3 etc... numbered list would be useful. Cheers.

[elwaclaret]

I always appreciate a nice badge


Jotted a few thoughts, sorry of it’s not what you were looking for John…
Bit old fashioned now but I always liked Rag Mag type bulletins with “in”club jokes went down well, and brought people closer.

Same with extending the social interaction either with one off busman holiday type events.

Clubs always get a few cliques forming, not intentionally but folk who are more comfortable with each other stick together; that can often put off new members; especially those with confidence issues… often the one’s looking for the right club to join. One off events often break down these barriers, rather than regular meetings.

Oh, and a badge.

[KlyBfc]

... WHAT 2,3,4,5 things do you hope to get from being in such a group?


As the person responsible for heading up West Yorkshire Clarets, this is of interest to me. We meet once a month, so offer good socialising opportunities for fans from around the region, but we've never offered transport to games (we have organised car shares). We've also joined in with initiatives over the years, such as sponsoring player boards, helping with the foodbank etc. We've also become a lot more visible on social media over the last year or so, although we're looking to improve that more.

What do you look for, or would you look for in such a group? A straightforward 1,2,3 etc... numbered list would be useful. Cheers.

As a claret in Yorkshire it would be the transport for me that would increase the likelihood of joining up.

[claptrappers_union]

Guaranteed away ticket

[agreenwood]

Travel to away games is all I’d be interested in I think.

Easy to ask for and far harder to arrange.

[bfcjg]

1, good craic with life minded Clarets
2, regular meet-ups
3, occasional events with representatives from the vlub
4, if I didn't live local transport to games
5, sponsorship of a young player or similar

[jdrobbo]

Cheers folks so far.

[Poulton-le-Claret]

1. Arrange travel together in groups, train or car shares etc.
2. Opportunities to meet up for a pint
3. WhatsApp group to chat about the club.
4. Club member patches or pin badges - I am in the Tampa Bay Bucs UK fan club and we get an annual patch and my father in law also makes and sells pin badges so I could sort them out for anyone.
5. Just an opportunity to meet new people in your local area.

On that note, does anyone know if there is a supporters group for the Fylde Coast area?

The car share thing is a great idea to help out with costs and elderly or disabled fans. Not to put DAVETHEVICAR in this bracket (as I don't know him), but I did see he was giving up his season ticket as he can't do the travel from Lincoln. Real shame as I recently moved over from Lincoln and could have helped out with lifts to home games.

[claptrappers_union]

I've not been part of a supporters club since 90’s


1) contacting me to ask if I want to travel to an away match and how many tickets do I want? Easy booking

2) regular meet ups with charity events, fundraisers etc

3) stop off at nearby pub

4) family-friendly atmosphere, no dickheads allowed policy. Two strikes rule / troublemakers can be voted out or whatever.

5) Association with a local non-league club / actively encourage attending if matchdays don't clash with BFC

[LincsWoldsClaret]

1 Small irregular get togethers
2 Ticket swaps/ Sales
3 Meeting other groups

[morpheus2]

I didn't even know supporters clubs were still a thing. I miss the days when Beeky's Colne Clarets would regularly take four or five coaches on a pub crawl somewhere and end up at a football stadium. them were't days.

[claptrappers_union]

Oh, and 6) no women - goes without saying, obviously.

[jdrobbo]

Oh, and 6) no women - goes without saying, obviously.

Ah well that’s a problem…WYC has several regular women attendees and they’re very welcome indeed.

Ps sarcasm was detected

[jdrobbo]

I didn't even know supporters clubs were still a thing. I miss the days when Beeky's Colne Clarets would regularly take four or five coaches on a pub crawl somewhere and end up at a football stadium. them were't days.

Very much so.

[jdrobbo]

We’re looking at away travel. Possibly start by trialling by putting on two minibuses, setting off from two starting points across West Yorks…eg, Hebden Bridge and Bingley

[CBT]

1- mini bus to/from home games
2- minibus or coach travel to away games when numbers justify it
3 - Whatsapp group

[claptrappers_union]

I hope these modern day supporter's coaches have ample safe spaces in the event of percieved insult or upset.

So as long as the supporter's group pretends that we’ve won for my benefit during our long journey back from Plymouth, that shower of **** can't upset me any longer…

[Quickenthetempo]

We’re looking at away travel. Possibly start by trialling by putting on two minibuses, setting off from two starting points across West Yorks…eg, Hebden Bridge and Bingley

If you do arrange travel from Bingley, may I suggest Crossflatts next door. They have a huge train station car park compared to the tiny Bingley facilities.
Enabling your members to meet by train or parking up.

Maybe work with the club and get a bus put on going back to West Yorkshire after night games.
After the Wolves game, the last bus going back to Keighley was 8.30pm. There used to be 22.15 bus, not sure if it's been cancelled permanently.
My lads had to stay over at mine and get an early bus.

There will be a lot more midweek games in the championship.

[gandhisflipflop]

If you’re travelling long distance I always thought a good quiz would be good if you can manage it without dickheads shouting out answers or googling

[claretonthecoast1882]

If you’re travelling long distance I always thought a good quiz would be good if you can manage it without dickheads shouting out answers or googling

Or the dvd of this seasons highlights for long distances

[Tribesmen]

Transport home and away games , nothing else matters really .

[MeeActon1]

Guaranteed away ticket

I’m involved in a supporters club and this is no longer the case. The minimum requirement for a member of a supporters club to even apply for a ticket through the SC is being a season ticket holder, then the points system also kicks in too. This all came about after the post Blackpool whinge fest last season. Of course needing a season ticket disproportionately affects supporters clubs logistically the further away from Burnley they are.

[vinrogue]

I live in deepest Lincolnshire these days and for me it would be away travel not home game travel. We have a home match routine that involves, shopping, service stations etc but for away games we don't have a routine which would make it easier to share transport etc.

Maybe offering 3 or 4 get together's a year would be enough to shape a groups intentions with perhaps a pre season event as the main one.

We play Walking football down here and on Good Friday 5 of us went to Hull and watched the Stoke game (2 Chelsea lads, 1 Brentford, 1 Burnley and a Stoke fan, 4 of the 5 of us are season ticket holders at our clubs) our average age was 70 !!! How we let Anass Zourary go out on loan I despair. I mention this trip as when supporters get together anything is possible. Oh and Stoke won 2 0 but Anass played really well and was subbed around 60 minutes.

[bfcjg]

Did anyone travel on Norman Jones's beer bus ? That was an experience

[jdrobbo]

Cheers folks

[Conroysleftfoot]

Did anyone travel on Norman Jones's beer bus ? That was an experience

Always amazed me how the coach managed to make it to the games, looked like it was on it's last legs.

[bfcjg]

Even getting it from Colne to the Burnley pick up seemed remarkable.

[claptrappers_union]

I’m involved in a supporters club and this is no longer the case. The minimum requirement for a member of a supporters club to even apply for a ticket through the SC is being a season ticket holder, then the points system also kicks in too.

And this is the issue. I've not been season ticket holder for years because I worked for the club. Under the previous ownership I could order them, if any were available, as staff - but it meant I wasn't sat with family. So I didn’t bother that often.

I'd like a system where away tickets where automatically booked for me without any hassle. I'd pay for that through a supporters club membership.

[jdrobbo]

Bump. Thank you

[Brandon]

Members of the London Clarets get the following:

• Subsidised train travel to most games outside the capital.

• A central point for ordering tickets for away games; until last season we got an allocation of tickets for all away games which every member could apply for regardless of Loyalty points but now you have to be a season ticket holder with the right number of points.

• The always wonderful London Clarets' magazine, "Something to write home about", 5 or 6 issues every season contain Dave Thomas' Diary, match reports for every game, interesting articles from the likes of T. Scholes and much more.

• For games in and around London there is a meeting pub or two chosen for their location and the quality of their ales.

• We have regularly sponsored players and matches over the years and, until the last season, would always present a Player of the Year trophy at awards night.

• We regularly help out with the pre game Food Bank collections

• We are currently looking into London Clarets T shirts and have had badges in the past

• Perhaps most important are the bonds and friendships formed with fellow exiled Clarets and knowing that wherever you go and however you get there, there'll be a familiar face, probably old, wrinkly and dishevelled but friendly nonetheless

It's the London Clarets AGM this Saturday with special guest Burnley FC Chief Operating Officer, Matt Williams.

[ŽižkovClaret]

Airline or Airport Transfer discounts

[Quickenthetempo]

Members of the London Clarets get the following:

• Subsidised train travel to most games outside the capital.

• A central point for ordering tickets for away games; until last season we got an allocation of tickets for all away games which every member could apply for regardless of Loyalty points but now you have to be a season ticket holder with the right number of points.

• The always wonderful London Clarets' magazine, "Something to write home about", 5 or 6 issues every season contain Dave Thomas' Diary, match reports for every game, interesting articles from the likes of T. Scholes and much more.

• For games in and around London there is a meeting pub or two chosen for their location and the quality of their ales.

• We have regularly sponsored players and matches over the years and, until the last season, would always present a Player of the Year trophy at awards night.

• We regularly help out with the pre game Food Bank collections

• We are currently looking into London Clarets T shirts and have had badges in the past

• Perhaps most important are the bonds and friendships formed with fellow exiled Clarets and knowing that wherever you go and however you get there, there'll be a familiar face, probably old, wrinkly and dishevelled but friendly nonetheless

It's the London Clarets AGM this Saturday with special guest Burnley FC Chief Operating Officer, Matt Williams.

How much do you pay a year in fees?

[ŽižkovClaret]

Members of the London Clarets get the following:

• Subsidised train travel to most games outside the capital.

• A central point for ordering tickets for away games; until last season we got an allocation of tickets for all away games which every member could apply for regardless of Loyalty points but now you have to be a season ticket holder with the right number of points.

• The always wonderful London Clarets' magazine, "Something to write home about", 5 or 6 issues every season contain Dave Thomas' Diary, match reports for every game, interesting articles from the likes of T. Scholes and much more.

• For games in and around London there is a meeting pub or two chosen for their location and the quality of their ales.

• We have regularly sponsored players and matches over the years and, until the last season, would always present a Player of the Year trophy at awards night.

• We regularly help out with the pre game Food Bank collections

• We are currently looking into London Clarets T shirts and have had badges in the past

• Perhaps most important are the bonds and friendships formed with fellow exiled Clarets and knowing that wherever you go and however you get there, there'll be a familiar face, probably old, wrinkly and dishevelled but friendly nonetheless

It's the London Clarets AGM this Saturday with special guest Burnley FC Chief Operating Officer, Matt Williams.

Subsidised by who?

[JanetM]

Members of the London Clarets get the following:

• Subsidised train travel to most games outside the capital.

• A central point for ordering tickets for away games; until last season we got an allocation of tickets for all away games which every member could apply for regardless of Loyalty points but now you have to be a season ticket holder with the right number of points.

• The always wonderful London Clarets' magazine, "Something to write home about", 5 or 6 issues every season contain Dave Thomas' Diary, match reports for every game, interesting articles from the likes of T. Scholes and much more.

• For games in and around London there is a meeting pub or two chosen for their location and the quality of their ales.

• We have regularly sponsored players and matches over the years and, until the last season, would always present a Player of the Year trophy at awards night.

• We regularly help out with the pre game Food Bank collections

• We are currently looking into London Clarets T shirts and have had badges in the past

• Perhaps most important are the bonds and friendships formed with fellow exiled Clarets and knowing that wherever you go and however you get there, there'll be a familiar face, probably old, wrinkly and dishevelled but friendly nonetheless

It's the London Clarets AGM this Saturday with special guest Burnley FC Chief Operating Officer, Matt Williams.

Good grief. Many moons ago I was a member of the London Clarets. We just went to a pub and played darts against other exiled football supporters in London.

[Leisure]

Subsidised by who?

Probably Group Travel discount.

[South West Claret.]

Probably Group Travel discount.

Correct.

[South West Claret.]

How much do you pay a year in fees?

£30 adults + donations, as the £30 doesn’t cover all the costs mainly the excellent magazine which comes out 5/6 times a year.

[ElectroClaret]

3, occasional events with representatives from the club

This would be top of the agenda for me.

I was a member of the Burnley Football Supporters Club in the Eighties. Still got my membership card somewhere.

[jdrobbo]

Bump.

What about your views? How would you wish to be represented?

[Brandon]

Members of the London Clarets get the following:

• Subsidised train travel to most games outside the capital

.

Correction: We no longer get a subsidy via the group Discount but our excellent Travel Secretary is a genius at finding the best deals.

[South West Claret.]

Just to say that you don’t have to live in London to be a member of the the London Clarets.