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There’s a revolution brewing in Brisbane and if it comes off, it could change the way fans support their respective A-League clubs.
I met with the enigmatic Waz Brown during the week and to say I came away impressed is an understatement.
Among other things, he articulated in considerable detail a plan that has the potential to revolutionise the way Brisbane Roar fans support their club.
His plan is simple – get fans to sign up for free to become a member of a Roar Supporters’ Federation.
Yet it’s not in its simplicity that the power lies.
The idea, ultimately, is to create a group of such size and scope that it can collectively go to Brisbane Roar and have a say in how the club is run. And – crucially – Brisbane Roar officials are on board.
You don’t have to be in Brisbane to join, nor do you have to regularly attend matches.
In creating the group – which will be run as a not-for-profit organisation, with any proceeds reinvested – the hope is enough fans will join to give the group a voice worth being heard.
It’s not a new idea – supporters’ federations have enjoyed widespread success in England and Germany – but it’s a revolutionary concept for the A-League.
What it needs, though, is for fans to actually join up and participate.
And that could be a stumbling block in a world where, for many, the only ‘active support’ they engage in is typing away furiously on a keyboard to condemn every decision made in the history of the A-League.
Still, the fact that the club is on board is testament to just how much thought has been put into the concept. It also suggests the powers that be are listening.
I spoke to Brisbane Roar’s managing director Mark Kingsman during the week and I asked him why attendances at Suncorp Stadium were trending upwards.
“As soon as I took over as managing director, we made a very clear decision to concentrate our immediate efforts on trying to change the things that we could influence with immediate effect,” he told me. “Specifically, we focused upon increasing both our membership and attendance numbers.”
“Some headway has been made towards that goal, with our current membership number already being a 20 per cent increase on our final number last year and an increase in our average attendance of 4000,” he added.
He also pointed out the success of specific marketing initiatives around the visits of Sydney FC and Tim Cahill’s Melbourne City, and says – importantly – that the club is taking every opportunity to listen to fans.
That’s probably why the club has decided to back the Supporters’ Federation, rather than view it as a threat. Whether that changes should the fans want a place on the Brisbane Roar advisory board remains to be seen.
Yet, despite all the threats of boycotts and walk-outs this season, it’s clear there’s some serious momentum building in Brisbane.
That may all change should a second Brisbane club enter the league, but for now Brisbane Roar are looking forward to a bumper festive season.
Between tonight’s clash with Western Sydney and the following meeting with the Wanderers in late January, the aim is to have as many members as possible join a group that will eventually boast merchandise, a dedicated online forum and a platform to vote on key decisions.
It’s heady stuff – and it’s going to need plenty of Roar fans to put their hand up and get involved.
For years, critics have labelled A-League sides ‘franchises’ and claimed that fans lack an actual stake in their club.
This is a chance to change all that and get in on the ground floor of a genuine supporter-backed movement.
Brisbane Roar fans have been crying out for a say in how their club is run. They just got one.
For more information, click here.