Communication with us - the supporters

[Guest PartTimer]

Sorry for this post but frustration has finally got the better of me. I am a season ticket holder at two sports clubs - ICT, who I manage to see live on average just once a month (1200 mile round trip) and Richmond, who are my local rugby club (egg-chasers!).  I think this site is great and Scotty and Donald are doing us all a great service - even those of us who don't contribute as much as we might - but I do feel that the club themselves are missing a trick. Just for comparison, I thought I would show you the sort of email that I regularly receive from my "other" club. How difficult would it be for us to do something similar?

***

Dear All

As I am sure you know Richmond beat Southend at home in the Trophy last Sunday 30 – 10 in a fantastic match and Brett has asked me to pass on his and the team’s thanks for the magnificent support they received:

‘’ To all Richmond supporters

I would like to thank you for all the positive support on Sunday against Southend. You cannot appreciate the effect it had on the players in the second half when they had to defend for long periods of time. The tunnel at half time was immense and the feeling in the changing room awesome at half time and full time. The Richmond chant certainly is a powerful force and one I look forward to hearing again and again during the season.

The players want to turn the Athletic Ground into a fortress on and off the field. It is the biggest challenge we face as sides come now to intimidate us. As you have seen we have certainly not fulfilled our potential in the home games this season and this is where we need your help. There will be times when we as a team will be getting it wrong, making mistakes which we will of course do our best to rectify. But if and when this happens the positivity of the Richmond chant will help to get the boys back on track and fill those old gold, red and black shirts with pride as they did on Sunday when their backs were against the wall.

We know what we can achieve, we proved it on Sunday, but the performance was helped hugely by you the supporters. Our challenge is to remember how it felt and to keep doing it. Help drive us on in both the good and the bad patches, hopefully more good than bad, but in fact the Might Mond chant will be as powerful during the bad.

Thanks again for last Sunday and here’s to building the fortress on and off the field.

Brett ‘’

This coming Saturday 4th November the FIRST XV play Haywards Heath in the League away KO 2.30pm. The coach will leave the ground at 10.15pm to allow a stop en route and if you wish to book a place please let me know asap. For those making their own way there directions as follows:

Haywards Heath RFC –The Clubhouse, Whitemans Green, Cuckfield, West Sussex RH17 5HX, Tel:01444 413950 Leave the A23 at its junction with the B2115 following the signs for Cuckfield. The ground is about 2 miles from this junction just outside Cuckfield Village. Nearest BR Station: Haywards Heath (3 Miles)

TEAM NEWS

The match report of the game against Southend can be read on the website and the players unavailable/injured this week are as follows: Joe Goatley, James Bergyl, Andy Skinstad, James Whitfield, Steve Hunt, Tom Williams, Marc Bain, Frankie Van Schalkwyk, Hugo Walford, Juliano Fiori, John Lake, Dan Taberner, Sean Flynn, Rupert Allhusen, Paul Wilson.

I am delighted to say that both Matt Hart and Seb Berti will be playing once again.

The VIKINGS are away to Newbury II KO 2.30pm and the NORMANS and HEAVIES are playing at Barn Elms against Barnes III and Barnes Vets respectively both KO 2.30pm. The SAXONS game against Barking Dev has been cancelled.

On Sunday the WOMEN FIRST XV travel to Lancaster to play the Vale of Lune. The WOMEN II XV are at home to Plymouth KO 2.30pm but the WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT game against Harlow has been cancelled

The COLTS play Rosslyn Park in the next round of the National Colts Cup in Richmond Park KO 1pm

YOUTH games: U16 v Esher B away, U15 v Chipstead at home KO 12pm

MINIS: A squads at Sutton & Epsom Festival, B and C squads at home training – if in doubt as to where you should be contact your age group manager.

On Sunday it is of course the FIREWORK and MUSIC SPECTACULAR at the ground KO 6.15pm although gates open at 5pm. The bars will be open and there will be a pig roast and BBQ as well as mulled wine available. Tickets to club members are £20 for Family and £6 Single and will be on sale in the club shop on Saturday 12.30pm – 3pm and Sunday 9am – 1pm. They will also be available on the gate from 5pm but the cost then will be the public cost of £25 Family and £8 Single.

A DATE FOR THE DIARY

The Women's section cordially invites the Richmond Supporters and Members to a pre-match luncheon on Sunday the 19th of November.  In the style of the pre-match luncheon's on Saturdays there will be the normal 3 course carvery lunch for a very reasonable £15/person ahead of two key home league fixtures.  Along with the normal Mini and Youth fixtures taking place earlier in the day, the women's 1st XV play Worcester (a 2006 Cup Final rematch) and the 2nd XV play Rosslyn Park.  Please come along and help us celebrate what our club is all about on a Sunday.  Contact {edited to remove contact details} to book your place.

Results from last week:

Richmond 30 Southend 10

Vikings 24 Rosslyn Park 26

Saxons 38 Portsmouth II 31

Heavies 33 Kew Occasionals 7

Women 1st XV 36 Henley 0

Women 2nd XV 12 Waterloo 24

Women Dev 29 Portsmouth 5

Youth games: U15 20 Staines 26, U13A 46 Maidenhead 0, U13B 42 Maidenhead 12

[L_G]

indeed

[Heilandee]

Yer spot on ,Footy clubs are missing so many opperhancites,they think 90 minutes once a week is all they need to bother about.Lack of communication between clubs and supporters is very frustrating,also much needed extra revenue not to mention goodwill could be generated with a little thought and planning.The 90 minutes on the pitch is what it's all about but there are many more avenues clubs (as your rugby club show) which could be explored to maximse support.

[Guest PartTimer]

opperhancites - a one word study in Tayside education! Sorrry - I love Dundee really.

But seriously, Heilan Dee has a point. Surely ICT, as a major player in Scottish football, should be doing more to communicate with our supporters. I run a fairly serious marketing/business development group and one of the things that I do is to check our inbox every day to see what is happening/being said about our operation. Does Mike Read do the same?

[Heilandee]

ooops,giving awa meh ignoramation and uneducatedness,eh did of course mean opperchancity......

the very fact that the owner of the Innes bar will benifit to the tune of possibly a couple of hundred quid at the end of the month,(nearer a grand if IHE turns up) due to a couple of throw away comments on this site, makes you wonder what could be achieved with effort.

PS ,is Mike Read no a DJ?  :004:

[Guest PartTimer]

HD

I thought that Mike Read was our new CEO.

I could be wrong, but I think we have appointed someone with a similar name.

Maybe it was Mike Brown? Or is that our goally?

PT

[Alex MacLeod]

Maybe even Mike Smith

[Guest PartTimer]

Really ?  :004:

[Scotty]

OK - I gotta stick up for the club a little on this one.

Given my role when this site was official, I was allowed to hear some of the plans for the new site as it was developing. The provision of newsletters and text alerts has always been on the agenda.

However, as we all know, the new site is being done in phases and phase one was to get the site up and running and working the way they wanted. Phase two (which they are now entering) will include the provision of new feratures including these things - I had a quick word with Fiona about this and she tells me that this is one of the reasons that 'registration' has been turned on on the site. See the link below (after registering and signing in)

http://www.ictfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News...~923182,00.html?

[Guest PartTimer]

The sooner the club gets to "phase two" the better. Do they need any help? i.e. can I/we do something to help rather than just moan?

PT

P.S. - I am looking forward to Mr Read's feratures already ...

[Scotty]

The sooner the club gets to "phase two" the better. Do they need any help? i.e. can I/we do something to help rather than just moan?

think the moaning may have confirmed to the club that there is a desire for a newsletter. I am sure Fiona will try to get it up and running ASAP.

We do have the facility to do one on this site too - if anyone is interested  :004: - see under the members section link on left

[Action Man]

If the club are looking for a voluntary fans liason tsar, I'll accept the position. give us a call Mike.  :022:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Richmond Rugby Club.  :015: :015: :015: :015: :015: :015: :015: :015:

YOU SAD ****.

[Guest PartTimer]

I think the word you are looking for has the w in another place  :016:

[tm4tj]

Nothing like a bit of Led Zeppelin.

Where is the 'w', is it in Nairn?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I think the word you are looking for has the w in another place  :016:

Where? in the middle of sad anker?  :015: :015: :015: :015: :015: :015:

Look forward to a wee dram ya feckin prop.