Brandon's Random Act of Kindness

This thread, which is now called "Ronald McDonald House ticketing fundraiser" started out life called "Brandon's Phoenix Crowds Challenge".

It's been (rightly) renamed and appropriated for bigger and better things.

Meanwhile, today I gave my first ticket away to a guy called Matt Percy in the Railway Station.

I had to offer it to about 30 people before I found Matt. He seems to be the perfect target. He was aware of the Nix, but wasn't sure whether he was going to go or not. I offered him to ticket, he asked how much (so seemed willing to pay for it) and I said "It's free. It's my random act of kindness to try and help build the crowds." 

He smiled, and looked amazed. He said "I"ll be there."

I invited him along to the BackBencher from 2.30pm onwards if he wanted to share a beer before the game, but said I hoped he enjoyed the game either way.

One down.

Phoenix fans. We have to win them over one at a time.

Legend.

Awesome man, what you did is just awesome!

What section is his seat?

YF Aisle 20 Row L Seat 49

From original thread if this is still correct, Aisle 20, Row L, Seat 49

Yes.

Great stuff.

Cool.

Brandon and I met at lunchtime outside RYOS Lambton Quay for my random act of YF kindness today.

The first three people I spoke with had other things on or were going to be out of town but appreciated the offer. 

The fourth person, a young guy called Jake, was happy to commit to coming to the game on Sunday and his girlfriend visiting from out of town will likely come too.

So if you happen to be sitting near Aisle 21, Row W, Seat 76, say hello to Jake!

Great stuff RedGed!

You get the honor of being donor number #69!

is she really going out with him?

Is it just me that thinks that while you may have enticed 1 person to come to the game and talk to his mates about it, you will have 30 other people go into work and tell everyone they know about some weirdo football guy who tried to give them a ticket to the game this weekend? I am really not knocking your enthusiasm for the cause, but if people are talking about how you are unable to give away tickets to the games it is not going to make those on the edge think "that is something I really want to be part of"

One person CAN make a difference. keep it up Brandon.

30 people can also make a difference.

And you have a 50/50 chance of them either saying something negative or something positive, like some guy approach me with a ticket to the Phoenix game for free but I had a prior commitment, damn I wish I could have taken it.

what about the old adage "all publicity is good publicity"?

I think that's 30 people who might talk to their work mates about how there's a Phoenix game on this Sunday.

I'll take the weirdo factor risk if it gets people talking about the Phoenix.

Being invisible isn't working, so let's get them talking I say!

It isn't true. Let's say it emerges that Feverish wasn't recently in South America trying to rattle unsuspecting local girls, but was actually at an ISIS conference, and has returned to Wellington to recruit other YF members to join his Jihadi on the west(ern suburbs). People seeing this story on the news or reading about it in the paper aren't going to start thinking "oh yeah, the Phoenix - we should get along to watch them".

I'm just not sure that people saying "some weirdo tried to give me a free ticket to the football this weekend but it is so shit that I didn't want it" is going to make the people they are talking to think that they should rush out and buy a ticket. 

Well you must admit their away form is better than ours.

when was the last time they got a result at Central Coast?

So what is your possible solution? (On a rare occassion you and I disagree but probably with the right intentnions). What could or should we do as a fan base to encourage or get others to the games?

Like I said elsewhere Frankie who knows what's possible? If 28 other people decided to join us in Lambton Quay next Friday with their own tickets to give away in random acts of YF kindness  that would be awesome.

If the 1 out of 30 ratio continues, that will be 870 people weirded out by you all.

And your solution is?

I like how FM has just pulled a number out of his ass.

Make it fun when people are there. Have the chants be funny, make people laugh, create a situation that people want to get involved in, and come back to.  

Look, I really don't know what it is like there anymore - I have been to about 5 games in the last 5 years. But what I know was at the beginning it was irrelevant and humourous. Disco, seagull, is she really going out with him and other things like that didn't make a lot of sense but people found it funny and got involved in it.

I don't think people need to care if there are 10 people or 10,000 people joining in and having fun, just that the 10 or 10,000 are making the most of it. The conga line recently was brilliant, and I am sure that people were talking about that around the water cooler on Monday. It is not the sort of thing that you can do every week, but why isn't there a disco anymore?

Make it fun and they will come.

bwtcf said he offered his ticket to 30 people and one accpted* so I classified 29 people as being weirded out by him.  Red Ged spoke of 30 people giving away a free ticket, and I said that if the 1 in 30 ratio continued that will be 30x29 people being weirded out.  If my little calculator on my pc is correct, 30x29 equals 870.

Makes sense to me.

* actually, just checked and it was 30 before one accepted, which would mean 30x30 if the ratio, etc. 900 weirded out people.

Let's not selectively use statistics. Red Ged had 1 in 4. So that's now 2 in 34, or 1 in 17 already.

And I was purposely not being slective in who I approched. I was approaching anyone and everyone.

if stats cannot be used selectively, what is the point of them?

Also I was there. I think 6 or 7 of the people I spoke to were not wierded out at all, were positive re. the Phoenix, but were going away for the long weekend.

Of the others, I am sure some of them were not woerded out. I could tell by their reaction. They just were not the sort of person who was ever going to go to the football. 

I am not saying 0% were wierded out. I am however saying categorically that 30 people we NOT wierded out.

and anyway, those who were weirdered out are probably never going to go to a Phoenix game. It's about helping to push one person who might be uming and ahhing to go. 

or alternatively Frankie 

They could be thankful that someone is prepared to pay for a ticket and offer it to them as an act of kindness They might even get to enjoy the Wellington Phoenix as much as we do.

I think FM just needs to realise that this isn't 2007 anymore, and what worked back then isn't necessarily going to work now for a variety of reasons.

I get that you don't want people feeling weirded out by this stuff Frankie Mac. When I ask people I ask for one commitment from them.Its free for them ...as long as they commit to come. That's it.

if they ask why I'm giving it away I say because I'd like more people to come along and get to enjoy the Wellington Phoenix like I do.simple.

bottom line is that I think it is a bit odd, but ultimately it has fuck all to do with me.  If you guys are happy doing it, go nuts.  Paint yourself yellow, take a frog on a leash, french kiss anyone who takes the ticket - do what you want.  I hope it works out for you and extra fans start supporting the club and attending on a regular basis.

The one comment on this thread that I do find a bit odd is Patricks - aside from the club being new and the noveltly factor, what has really changed from 2007? People then spoke of the team doing well and the atmosphere being unique as factors in increasing the crowd, and I think that they are still relevant now.  I'd be interested in the variety of reasons for everything being so different.

There are times when it's ok to be a wanker. This is not one of them