Sunday, July 05, 2009
Reaching the fans
After my little rant the other day about lack of information coming from clubs fair play to Albirex Niigata who do at least produce a double sided photo copied team sheet listing both squads as well as gentle reminders about their website and merchandise available on match days.
Last season Geylang United used to do a folded colour match programme featuring squads plus other bits and pieces. I dunno if they continue with it this campaign or not.
SAF produce a quarterly magazine called Warcry which I first saw piled high in an office there. It's a well put together product and at their last home game they were giving copies away free at the little kaki lima which doubles as club shop.
Pride of place though, from what I've seen till now, goes to TPL side Muang Thong United whose glossy matchday magazine is certainly on a par with similar English issues. It costs 30 Baht, hey it's called cash flow, and in my eyes is certainly good value.
Well, it would be if my Thai was better!
Regular magazines or match day programmes are a way of bringing the club closer to the fans and with a wider circulation could possibly attract new supporters. For example I found the Muang Thong United programme at a football shop in Panthip Plaza.
In Indonesia Persib Bandung have had a number of publications over recent years which is a testament to the rabid support they attract. I have come across a number of tabloids as well as glossy monthlies rise and fall. These privately produced productions suggest the market is there. Perhaps what is missing at the moment is the distribution and marketing.
Persija fans did start knocking out their own tabloid called Jak News but it's been so long since they played a game in Jakarta I have no idea whether or not it is still being produced.
But possibly the most professional publication out there is the on line web zine produced by the guys at www.ongisnade.net . This independent Arema Malang site regularly puts together a superb looking read on line but again you need the language skills.
The British collect anything and everything, I'm sure I read about one nutter who keeps airline vomit bags catalogued alphabetically in his spare room, and I appreciate there may not be the same eagerness to collect every scrap of information out there about local clubs. But having something to read during those aural assaults that pass for half time has to be better than listening to screaming announcers repeating themselves ad nauseum.
# posted by Me @ 5:26 PM 
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Chonburi, SriRacha and Franchise FC all produce matchday magazines. They have features, match reports and photos etc. B30? Pah! We get ours for free with our tickets.
Khon Kaen, in Division 1, also have a programme for home games and some of their fans are responsible for Doo Ball Thai, a sort of old fashioned fanzine.
You must remind me to show you my collection of Chonburi FC programmes the next time you're over. Our first effort was a sheet of A4 for the top of the (Pro League) table clash against Suphanburi on the 8th May, 2005.
It must be worth a fortune now!!
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Khon Kaen, in Division 1, also have a programme for home games and some of their fans are responsible for Doo Ball Thai, a sort of old fashioned fanzine.
You must remind me to show you my collection of Chonburi FC programmes the next time you're over. Our first effort was a sheet of A4 for the top of the (Pro League) table clash against Suphanburi on the 8th May, 2005.
It must be worth a fortune now!!
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