I live in Calgary. All the TFC games I've attended have been out west. I might as well wait for the roof at BMO to make my début
I live in Calgary. All the TFC games I've attended have been out west. I might as well wait for the roof at BMO to make my début
Pretty close to my answer.Originally Posted by brad
I refuse to give MLSE any more of my money and don't go to games near as much as I used to. I also have found this expansion of the playoff format to have really put a wet blanket on the excitement I used for feel for an individual match.
If you don't give the team money and you find the results kind of "that's nice, wake me when it matters" it would be hypocritical of me to say I was part of a supporter's group. As a result, my RPB Membership became a casualty.
I really respect those of you that put your time and energy into the team and the RPB. The amount of work, commitment and resources you put into this are truly unique in the world of sport.
I appreciate everything that the organizers of this group do to maintain this board. It is tons of work. Thank you Phil and the mods.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
I was an active RBP in the first few years, but all the friends I had back then drifted away, and I got burned by a fellow RBP who scammed me for nearly a half seasons worth of tickets.
It left a bitter taste, and I have been no more than a lurker since.
I have been registered since the old RPB forums back in 2007. I am not a member due to the fact that although I am from TO I spend more time living in Japan and bounce back and forth. I use this site and its great group of RPBers on here for updates and info. I enjoy checking this site daily as you find more info and news about TFC on here then you do on any of the major sports sites including TFCs own site.
If I ever do a permanent move back to TO I will probably get a membership.
1. It is difficult to imagine calling myself one of the Red Patch Boys while I lack the requisite boy parts. I respect the significance and honour of the name. I am indifferent to any gender-biased groups and their rights to exist.
2. In spite of point #1, I had considered membership because I have design & drumming (base drum in a marching band!) experience and lots of ideas.
3. Clarity of expectations. I know what one gets with membership; however, what is expected of a member, specifically?? How about an "open day" to get the feel, an "intro", etc.
4. This forum was a means to figuring out whether to join or not, learning more about the game, reading viewpoints, getting transfer rumours, team news in general.
5. Went to Joe's during last season's march to final home Montreal game, found it "clique"ish. Lots of closed groups of people and it was very difficult to " integrate". A lot less welcoming than I have experienced with non-supporter groups congregating at a pub I.E. Oranje supporters at Betty's on King East. Maybe #3 would help.
6. the FHRITP thing happened. IIRC, in 20 pages, all of 2 posters mentioned having actually discussed with a woman, her viewpoint. But it was a few of the other posters whose thought processes "worried" me. I wouldn't want to inadvertently be having a beer with him.
I didn't want to "out" myself as female here, but oh well. I hope my response contributes to RPB being able to grow its membership.
I live in Calgary. All the TFC games I've attended have been out west. I might as well wait for the roof at BMO to make my débutAnother myth. You don't even need to live in Toronto to be a member. We have members from the US, other provinces and even the UK and beyond.
Just because your not here in body doesn't mean you can't be a member. The support from people outside of the GTA who dont usually make every game is just as important then someone who does.
By supporting this club by membership your still helping with the day to day operation of the club. Your membership goes to banner and tifo creation so its like your helping us just as much as someone who paints.
It also goes to maintaining this measage board for everyone to use. We love that we have the biggest outlet for people to talk shop about TFC, MLS, ect but it doesn't come free. God wish it did.
Being someone who isnt around or not at every game your voice in membership is just as important as the drummer or the capo thats there week in and week out.
Perhaps there can be different membership levels/options/combinations? E.g.
"Virtual" or "Passenger" - say $5/$10 for forum costs
"Cabin Crew" - $10/$15 - occasional attendee and/or those with limited expendable $$ but can contribute in "committed" time and/or materials?
"Cockpit" - Full membership?
*addition*
No idea what forum costs are but does TFC contribute/donate? If not, why not?
Last edited by Eleven; 07-01-2015 at 10:52 AM. Reason: addition
I live in Calgary. All the TFC games I've attended have been out west. I might as well wait for the roof at BMO to make my débutThanks for your honesty.
There is alot of good points you raise here and I hope people really take them to heart.
There is a clique element that is mostly alot of people have friendships that are also outside of the group so they usually hang together.
But we can be alot more open that is true.
Away viewings are a great time to come by and get introduced and "integrate" if you will. There are usually a smaller group that allows thst to happen at away game viewings. Joes on a home game is usually packed and tough to move around.
Now if we had a dedicated area at Joes for membership with people there that people can talk to and learn more about the group and who and what we are, would that be helpful to someone in your situation?
Its something that can be discussed for sure we have already had discussions about having different levels of membership.
No everything this group does is outside of the Front Office of TFC. We are a completely independent group.
Thanks for the suggestion
I registered for the boards quite some time ago but never received the email I needed to complete my registration. So I signed up again with a new account and lo and behold it works! Huzzah.
I share a couple of pairs of season seats so I either sit in 226 or 120. Didn't really understand that membership was open to all, not just those who sit in the south stand. Now I'm aware that is the case, I shall cough up the dough asap!
Actually, did go to an away viewing...it was same night of Nuit Blanche last season. (Hah! I think in seasons not years). I initiated conversation with the 4-6 guys sitting at the bar. Names exchanged, don't remember names anymore, but no idea if they were members or not. In all, there weren't more than a dozen red wearing patrons watching the game.
Just even in general, I imagine it would probably help if a "drop-in" had someone to talk to, table or not. If someone looks "lost", initiate the convo with him/her... looking for someone? lost? first time here? live in GTA? Visiting tourist? I think being open and welcoming as a group, even with cliques, is far more conducive to membership expansion than a table for the newbies. I'm not saying the first clique has to accept a new person into their group... just welcome someone new, chat a few " get to know you lines" then intro the person to either the New Members signer-upper or to another clique. If a person feels welcome and at ease in such a huge crowd, I'd think there's a better chance of that person wanting to join.
Miss me with forum costs, sounds selfish but its true
Getting help from TFC FO in funding this forum does not = giving up independence
If anything, the FO must now realise, after they experienced the 20+ minute silence, they need to ensure growth and health of supporter groups to grow its own revenue. This forum is an undeniably far-reaching and possibly most cost effective way of exposing the club to more tix sales/SSH.
Also, if RPB had "exclusive" events where a player joins in an activity (tifo?) or meet a starting player? Or a ticketed event as revenue generator? Or 12 signed DP jerseys, one give-away a month to a member-of--the-month? TFC could easily donate that while RPB remains fully independent, non?
Not exactly. There will always be strings to anything the FO does for us. It usually revolves around sponsors and such and we don't want to start that.Getting help from TFC FO in funding this forum does not = giving up independence
If anything, the FO must now realise, after they experienced the 20+ minute silence, they need to ensure growth and health of supporter groups to grow its own revenue. This forum is an undeniably far-reaching and possibly most cost effective way of exposing the club to more tix sales/SSH.
Also, if RPB had "exclusive" events where a player joins in an activity (tifo?) or meet a starting player? Or a ticketed event as revenue generator? Or 12 signed DP jerseys, one give-away a month to a member-of--the-month? TFC could easily donate that while RPB remains fully independent, non?
We have had players at Joes for games. Caldwell, Bradley, Wiedeman, Hall just to name a few.
Not suggesting it as a requirement for forum participation... but access to the member parts of the forum and maybe those who wish to contribute to forum costs to ensure its continued existence.
Open, current non-member parts of this forum need to continue as is in order to attract new fans as well as contribute to its healthy activity.
I've been a member of a coffee forum that began in early 2000. It nearly shut down earlier this year due to costs. Ironically, the more active the forum became, the closer it was to closing due to costs. Thankfully, one founding member, a well-respected successful coffee business owner bought the rights from the other founding member and is now footing the bill.
I'd argue that RPB IS a sponsor...indirectly. I'm stubborn. And TFC FO would be silly to NOT recognise/insist on tying their threads of red and sponsorship to helping their supporter groups. Growing supporter groups indirectly grows TFC revenue. More involvement = better atmosphere = more attendance = more swag & concession sales. No FO fingers in RPB operations full stop. That would be the conversation/agreement I'd have with FO.
Again, I'm the stubborn type.
Yeeesh, time flies. Lunch time!
We do not always see eye to eye with the FO and maintaining complete financial separation allows us to keep our positions clear. We often work together with them, but we don't need or want MLS mandated sponsor activity rammed down our throats, either.
Toronto FC baby...best team everrrrrrrrrr -Jozy
Valid point. In spite of this, we have many female members who are strong contributors and the gender-specific name hasn't limited them. I agree it could be seen as something less than inclusive. It would be a tough thing to change the name at this stage, but your point is valid.
As a regular drummer in the stands, I'd love to hear from you on this one!2. In spite of point #1, I had considered membership because I have design & drumming (base drum in a marching band!) experience and lots of ideas.
More info on membership: http://redpatchboys.ca/membership/3. Clarity of expectations. I know what one gets with membership; however, what is expected of a member, specifically?? How about an "open day" to get the feel, an "intro", etc.
By-laws (based on the original group Charter) http://redpatchboys.ca/bylaws/
The basic expectation of members is to contribute what you can to group activities and support TFC, all out, all the time.
Good. That's one of the reasons it's here.4. This forum was a means to figuring out whether to join or not, learning more about the game, reading viewpoints, getting transfer rumours, team news in general.
It can sometimes be hard to find the new people and integrate them. We could do a better job of that, I suppose.5. Went to Joe's during last season's march to final home Montreal game, found it "clique"ish. Lots of closed groups of people and it was very difficult to " integrate". A lot less welcoming than I have experienced with non-supporter groups congregating at a pub I.E. Oranje supporters at Betty's on King East. Maybe #3 would help.
The opinions expressed are those of the posters, not the group (I know, I know). We voiced our strong condemnation of the whole thing. It was absolutely offside and not in line with our values as a group.6. the FHRITP thing happened. IIRC, in 20 pages, all of 2 posters mentioned having actually discussed with a woman, her viewpoint. But it was a few of the other posters whose thought processes "worried" me. I wouldn't want to inadvertently be having a beer with him.
I appreciate you taking the time to give thoughtful feedback. I hope you will continue to participate and don't feel shy about introducing yourself at Joe's or at games. I promise not to "clique" you. Online interaction is great, but this group was built in person.I didn't want to "out" myself as female here, but oh well. I hope my response contributes to RPB being able to grow its membership.
Toronto FC baby...best team everrrrrrrrrr -Jozy
It would be great to see you back at games. If you'd like to come down, let me know and I'll save my extra ticket for you.
Toronto FC baby...best team everrrrrrrrrr -Jozy
This is my first year with tickets in the south end. It is like dipping my toes in the water. Didn't take long to fall in love with the atmosphere. Thanks to all who make noise.This season is the best so far for more reasons than the product on the pitch.
Great thread. Everyone on the forum should join, if possible!
i don't wanna do the whole "that was just ONE person, and doesn't reflect the group" song and dance, because that's pretty shitty.
i wanted to touch on this part specifically, with my story at least, because it looks like a few people hit the other points.
i have really bad social anxiety. you can't really tell because i'm normally the guy who never shuts up.. but it took me awhile to get involved in the group because i experienced what you described. i walked into joe's back in 08 and was like.. "yeah, not happening". when i started going to smaller events (banner painting sessions, banner planning stuff, etc), i felt a bit more comfortable, and people were more receptive to a random stranger showing up. some people can pull up to a booth and go "hey! i'm so-and-so. you on the boards at all?", some people can't. i'm extra sensitive to stuff like this, so being in a smaller group of people made dialogue / getting to know people a lot easier. it wasn't a beer or two a half hour before the match in a crowded bar. hell, the first time i ever put a face to a board name was when i met up with FYRC and another dude in a coffee shop planing a design for the CONCACAF game against LA. it got easier from there.
it seemed like a clique at first, but i realized it's kinda just a bunch of random groups of friends. which i think is the definition of a clique? i don't know.
like.. i'm alrigh with everyone, but i enjoy talking to busapunk about wrestling. i enjoy annoying fizik with D&D stories he doesn't give a shit about.
i find that whenever i go to greece viewing parties people are more willing to talk to me randomly, but it's less "how was camping last weekend?" and more "heyyyyyy! it's this guy!"
i think it's kind've a two way street for me. half of the time i wonder if it'd be weird randomly introducing myself to someone, the other half i'm wondering if they're thinking the same. then again we also have members who're more standoffish, or they're there with their kids, or partners, or whatever. i don't know where i'm going with this. i don't wanna speak for other people and it's 5AM.
long story short; i know a few other folks have mentioned the clique aspect before, but to be honest, members have been around through surgeries, shitty seasons, big signings weddings, funerals, you name it. some have formed some pretty tight bonds, some are more laid back about it. either way, if you see someone with a lucha mask at joe's come say hi.
to be completely honest, i'd get my membership for the members section alone. i dig the song / design stuff, but having a say in what the group presents directly (voting banners, scarves, chants, etc) is kinda cool. right now we're in the midst of redesigning match threads based off input from the members. plus chrisfizik has been doing TFC photoblogs for games which are fuckin awesome, on top of the fact that free tickets tend to pop up there pretty often. i'm not telling people to get membership for the chance to get free tickets (it's an awesome bonus), all i can say is one of those tickets already paid for the cost of my membership and i get a whack of content on top of it, not to mention the other perks.
Last edited by __wowza; 07-02-2015 at 04:28 AM.
And THAT, my friends, is how you pull off a 5AM preach.
Amen brother.
I live in Newfoundland.
This.
RPB Forum is the best source for TFC news/rumours I've found. I could follow people on Twitter/Instagram, or read foreign football publications and get the news faster, but you guys do all that for me. RPB forum makes it so easy for me to be an educated TFC fan.
Just because your not in Toronto game in game out you can still support the group with membership. We have members in Detroit, Alberta, Saskatchewan, BC, and across the pond on both sides of the country. Having a membership supports the group and gives people a way to be even more invested into TFC by proxy if you will. Supporting the group and the atmosphere the group brings to games is a measure of our membership.
Because of everyone who is a member we are able to continue to support TFC in a way we all want to see. A solid 90 mins game in game out voices high approach.
I live in Ottawa but I grew up in Toronto. I try to attend TFC games when they're in Montreal (I have plans for attending the October game), but with 3 kids money is tight.
There's also the matter of supporting the Fury, but I can justify that one is NASL while the other is MLS. But if it ever comes to a Voyageur's Cup match, the local team will get my support.
I'm a new RPB member. Just signed up this year for this board and the RPB its self. My first RPB experience was at an away game viewing (Dallas game with the rain delay). I was hesitant to come up to a bunch of guys wearing TFC swag at first but when I did they ended up being a really cool bunch of guys who were very welcoming. I walked into to Joe's alone and walked out with at least 7 new friends so don't be shy lol.... Just join, come and introduce your self!!! It's worth it!!!
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