Fever Zone 2013/14 - How to Grow the Zone?

I don't know why I am doing this, but here goes.

Dressing up?  Really?  First of all lets ignore the obvious comparison to the 7s, and the fact that it is premedicated wackiness -  this absolutely reeks of a desperate attempt to get people along to games. It does nothing to the team or the atmosphere, and will more likely take attention away from what is actually happening on the pitch.  In fact, if we are going to do this we should speak to the stadium about going the whole hog and putting music on every time there is a stoppage in play so we can have a sing and a dance.  Maybe when can get a bouncy castle by Aisle 23 so we can all go and play on that when we lose interest in the game.

One game a season organise some dress up "fun" if you are that way inclined as it is a side note and not the main event. Do it every week and it becomes the Yellow Fever Dress-Up Crazy Gang who happen to plan their whacky fun times around some football that happens to be on at the stadium.

I think you've taken a bit of a snowball argument there. Dressing up does not mean all those other things will happen. 

But yeah I find it a bit tacky personally. 

The game closest to Christmas would be the game to choose. Festive spirit and all that.

Yeah a bit tacky, but it gets bums on seats.

Could be a good point of difference for spectators, and would get more people watching on telly

Yawn.

Just jokes.

At the end of the day, as long as nobody is massively infringing on others enjoyment, shouldn't people do exactly what they want? Isn't that what is going to make the Zone a place where people want to be?

If you want to dress up, dress up. If you want to stand there perching your beer on your belly muttering about how "it were never like this in my day" then do that.

Too many rules about what you can and can't do is what puts people off.

I think sometimes you have to revert to thinking inside the box to get the numbers up because you have to try entice the majority. As a one off I think a lot of people will get into the dress up thing for a bit of fun. It might not be everyone's thing but I can see a lot of students and school kids getting into it as well as others. 

It's Phoenix Time

C'mon grab your friends

We're going to the Fever Zone

To Make Some Noise

And Act Real Stupid

The Fun Will Never End

It's Phoenix Time. 

Copyright to Finn The Human. 

Well considering this thread is about brain storming to get people back into the zone, you're being the model of positivity of helping that to happen Frankie. I put out an idea that I don't like either, but I live in Auckland and respect that its not about me. The majority could find that quite a turn on have theme/dress up days. Yes the 7s do it once a year but what other sports do it? Perhaps make the fever zone a party zone in that respects. We would be the only sport at Westpac to have that outside the once off 7s. Again an idea, may not appeal to those currently there but may appeal to the majority that don't go which it what this thread is about.

I think the dres up idea has some merit, sure not everyone is going to want to do it, but if you have part of the zone or some section where people can regularly dress up or a one off game then why not - if it brings in more punters I say go for gold.

Dressing up is fine as a one off event but doesn't really address Smithy's original question which is how, consistently, do you get more people coming into the zone?

I think one thing that could help is to try and get the players to really focus on that part of the stadium through acknowledgement, twitter etc.  I'm a rabbitohs fan and their players before and after every game are always tweeting about the Burrow (their version of fever zone), how loud it is, how good to see people there etc.  Definitely makes me want to go and sit in there.  All those messages are retweeted by the club twitter

Hmm. Read Frankie's post, didn't read everyone else telling him to jog on. Well done everyone, back to the issue at hand: more ideas to grow the Zone.

And to James Dean's point, I think anything that causes a bit of fun and publicity will help do that (dress ups included).

But, now that we've launched #4k4nix how do we particularly encourage people to buy season tix in the Zone?

Is anyone able to identify why it is that when the Fever are on tour there is always people that are dead keen to join in the fun in the zone (okay so it's not always the case as there are always a few who don't grasp the concept).  It could just be that it's a novelty for the people of the cities we visit but I dunno.

If we can replicate what happens in these situations maybe it'll help?

For the All Whites game in Dunedin I managed to convince my brother and two of his mates to come to the game.  They had tickets for "the zoo" but in the end joined us in the zone and enjoyed it.  Okay they were drunken students but they enjoyed the atmosphere and the banter that was coming from 'the leader of the firm' (aka Wilso).

I'd say there is a clear themes here:

For people to keep coming back to the zone they need to feel like they are a part of it.  That means they need to feel welcome, it has to be fun but also people need to know the rituals, chants etc.  

Conversely, it needs to be clear that being part of the Fever Zone means more than just standing in aisle 23 (or whatever it is now) - it's making the effort to learn the chants, it's standing for the match and supporting the team, singing for the whole match is part of it, going to the back bencher is part of it, being friendly with other guys and girls in the fever zone is part of it, going to every game is part of it.  RBB are many things but they have made it really clear what being a west sydney supporter in that part of the stadium does.

I think also it needs to be clear there is no heirarchy in the zone either - everyone is responsible for making noise and everyone has their role to play

Sorry about that - bloody chrome!

I just figured you were extra passionate about your ideas - I agree by the way - although you don't have to be in the zone to be part of all that.

I was in Christchurch last weekend and noticed as I picked up the paper that was delivered to the house that it had a black band around the middle of the plastic wrapping. The bro in law said that it signifies there is an All Black game on in the city that night.

On days when the Canterbury team are playing a home game, the wrapper has a red and black band around it.

I think it would be good to get this happening in Wellington, a yellow and black band for Nix home games

James, you make some very good points. 

One other idea too. Any chance of someone with "push" (Gareth?) getting the stadium to stop the prematch music? 

It's cool to hear the numbers & atmosphere building up in and around the zone.

If fans could hear that instead of that stupidly loud crap music, they too might thinks its fun and want to join in. 

So when the players run out, all they hear is fans geeing them up and not the friggen overloud music.

that whole sentence is all about you.

And I don't think anyone has a problem with a one off dress up game - in fact, the last paragragh of what you quoted above states that I certainly don't.  If that is what the simpletons want to do, let them go nuts. My arguement was against dressing up every week which had been mentioned and I happen to think is a terrible idea.

I covered how new members to the zone can join in without the need for songbooks - very simple and constant chants.  If a newcomer cannot pick up the lyrics to "who are ya" then they are probably only there for the dressing up anyway.  I look around the zone on the couple of occassions I have been back and I see plently of the day 1 crew still there, not that it is in any way relevant or important. You look at the Ticketek thread to see the number of foundation members who are still renewing tickets. But your earlier comments about people who used to start chants not being there anymore just means that someone else has to do it, and having songbooks is not going to encourage people to start chants.

While I am off on one that no one really cares about, we have to get over this "the chants are stale and boring".  We mainly look to England for inspiration for our chanting, as that is the background for most of us, and that is what we see the most of on TV.  For all the games that I have been to there, most sets of fans will really only have 5 or 6 chants that they actually do, and anything that is introduced is generally to a well worn tune (Sloop John B, anyone?).  Chants that are popular are still sung every game years after the player has left, just because it is a fun chant (West Ham fans still sing about Ludo, not because he was an amazing keeper in the 90's - he was though - but because his song is fun).  We don't need 1,000 imaginitive and clever songs - we need a decent number that everyone knows and everyone will join in with.  Quality over quantity.

I agree with Frankie in that I think a very large part of the solution is actually in the hands of a relatively small group of 30-40 hardcore zoners who just need to make an extra effort to really get stuck into the chants next season. Stand together, get over any inhibitions, introduce a few simple new ones, and get stuck in.

And yes, easy for me to say while I'm baby-sitting the next generation of zoners in Aisle 19, but that won't be for too long. Some of you will be moving into that mode about the time I'm ready to come back, so it's all sweet.

(And if you do ever do throw out "Insane in the membrane", you will definitely get "Insane in the brain" back!)

I can agree with most of your posts but in this case you are being a bit of a twat. "This is how I would do it and if no one likes that then they can fuck off' is effectively what you are saying. But aren't you leaving this shithole country in 7 months?

The reality is, if you are leaving, why do you give a shit if there are songbooks etc. Again, its not about the people that attend, its about getting the ones along that don't to GROW the zone. Effectively all you have advocated is doing the same old thing that's always been done with maybe one dress up day. Now if that was working, this thread would not exist...

wowsers.  Much like Term-X's jokes about my dress sense, this one seems to have been taken the wrong way.

Personally I don't really give a fuck about songbooks.  When the fever started I was here, part of it, and vehemently opposed to them.  About a week later I left, and it seems to have been a bit of joke that has carried on.  I don't like them, but they have existed in the past (Bahrain game) and I managed to sleep at night.  I have stated on numerous occassions, across a number of threads, that I am no longer part of the fever and my opinions should be given the respect they deserve - very little.  But I will have opinions because I care about this group, and I care about this club.  If anything, I care too much (*throws water into eyes*).

This comment confuses me:

Effectively all you have advocated is doing the same old thing that's always been done with maybe one dress up day. Now if that was working, this thread would not exist...

I am not sure if I am too stupid, or too smart (although I have an idea) but I have been trying to suggest getting away from what is happening now, and back to a more simpler time.  I am aware that it was easier to entice people to the zone in the good ol' days, as it was new and exciting, but I also think the appeal was that it was simple then. Chants were simple, consistent and loud.  That was fun.  People want fun.  Let's make it fun.

I do say "this is how I would do it and if no one likes that then they can fuck off', mainly because I get bored with these situations where I have to try to defend what I am saying.  I look back at the first comment I put on my comment about dressing up (which was something along the lines of "not sure why I am going to do this, but here goes") and think that I knew I woud spend time going through this process.  Isn't it just easier if everyone reads my posts and thinks "god that Frankie Mac is a boring old cunt - why doesn't he just fuck off?"

and NZ is a shit-hole, and there is no way I am going to try to defend that statement.

ahhhhh, who am I kidding?  My life is incredibly empty and I love these little arguements.

Well I unreservedly apologise for taking it the wrong way.

I think the reason why people take your comments seriously is because you are still pinned up as one of the founders. No one really likes Martin Crowe/Glenn Turner/Kevin Fallon but they get wheeled out for comments and people do listen (not that I am saying people don't like you)

I've put a new chant up in the chant section. Even if it doesn't win favour, at least it is an effort to help. 

This thread is a very good thread and hopefully it has given us all something to think about. Hopefully it will give us a timely reminder too. Not to take ourselves too seriously and not to take the Nix for granted. 

We shall all have to step up and be counted and encourage as many as we can to attend the games, not just the Fever Zone. The creators for this site came to the party. We can't keep on expecting them to come up with all the answers.

Frankie has his way of saying things. he's always been consistant. Agree or disagree with him, his voices his opinion. We all need to do this in an open honest way in the hope of improving things. 

New coach, new group of players and a group of fans just as passionate as ever. Perhaps the phoenix is rising after the last two seasons. let's make a go of it everyone.

As much as most people dislike the idea of song books, could that all be put aside for maybe two or three games early in the season which are marketed widely (as-in, a lot more than normal) to try pull in a couple of big crowds. For these games hand out some song books and really try to include as many of the crowd in the 'YF zone experience' as possible throughout the stadium and try spread 'the fever'. After those first few games, only hand out the song books in the zone for two or so more games to try and draw in those who enjoyed the singing and chanting in the first few games. I get that some might expect the song book thing to be the norm after getting them for those few games but if you also had a bit of a run down about the YF zone experience in there and that the song books are just short term as part of an attempt to grow the zone they may get the idea.

But I think its mostly about targeting the people who get caught up in the hype of the well marketed games and trying to get them to catch the fever - zone style. There are a lot of people who already attend the games regularly who won't change where they watch from or how they like to enjoy the games.