GC Giant
Junior
The club should be very thankful to have a supporter like you.Just adding my 2 cents to the whole discourse over the Titans players brushing fans off & the lack of care from staff, etc. that was being said in the Roosters thread, but posting here as it feels like the more correct thread now that game is long over:
I have been a member for a long time now. Have had seats in the Premium seating bay next to the Titans dug out for 12+ years. Never have received a single signature, photo, etc. from any player. Ever. I do not have the luxury of being able to go from the games straight to Parkwood for the occasional fan signing session due to other commitments that unfortunately have prevented it so far.
I always try to stay 100% positive about this team—despite occasionally wanting to send certain players into orbit every game (looking at you, BK). I truly believe that one day everything will come together, and we'll see the Titans lift the trophy. However, it would mean a lot to me if the club genuinely acknowledged the time, effort, and money I’ve sacrificed, especially in recent years. I want to feel like more than just a number when I receive those automated emails thanking me for my commitment. I see videos of players calling members, but I’ve never received that call. I see members being invited into the sheds after games, even picked out of the crowd for it, but I've never been asked. I see the preseason launches and post-season awards being member events, yet I've never been invited, despite being a loyal member for over a decade.
This next part is a bit personal, and if it’s not appropriate for this thread, please let me know, and I’ll remove it. I’m sharing it to give some perspective.
Between 2020 and 2023, I was on the brink of homelessness due to circumstances beyond my control. There were times when I was in and out of shelters, sleeping in parks, or couch surfing with friends. I was fortunate enough to have a job that provided access to amenities, but I was still struggling, moving between share homes, many of which were far from ideal. Despite all this, I made sure to keep up with my membership payments. People in my life thought I was crazy for prioritising stadium seats over essentials, but footy was my escape. It was the one thing that kept me going. I chose to pay for my membership even when it meant going without essentials, including groceries on a few occasions. Going to the games with my mates allowed me to forget about the struggles, if only for a while.
I’m in a much better place now. I have a rental & genuine housemates, a car, and a new job that pays very well, and will actually be able to pay for the membership renewal upfront for the first time.
Despite everything I’ve been through, I’ve always shown up to support the club, the team, and the community. I’ve stayed loyal, even though the administration seems to value my money more than my loyalty. That above all is what disappoints me the most - that I can sacrifice a lot and still only ever be seen as a number, and not a name. I just want my picture with Moe and his signature, dammit!
Albeit, my experience with being acknowledged as a member has been for a lack of better words, sh!t. Hell, with my experiences of not being acknowledged by the club for certain things, normal people would give it up. But since we are Titans fans, there's nothing normal about us since we actively still support the team after so many years of mediocrity XD
As much as I want to be acknowledged in some capacity by the club, I am not a begger, and will just patiently wait my turn, if it ever comes. But at the end of the day, I’ll keep showing up. Because this is my team. They’re the team I look forward to watching each week, the team I’ve invested so much time and passion into, the team I’ll grow old supporting and pass onto my kids, including the constant trauma of being mediocre. I’m ensuring I live long enough for the day we finally win the big one and lift that trophy. I can’t and won’t support anyone else. So no matter what life throws at me or how little the club acknowledges my existence, I’ll be there at every home game, cheering as loud as I can.
