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Re: Memberships 2 weeks to go.
Posted today in the Hun
Bulldogs' grand final lure sparks membership rush
Mark Stevens | July 02, 2008 12:00am
Have your say!Add your comments or read what others are sayingEmail article Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Post to NewsVine Post to Facebook What are these? Printer friendly Text size+- RODNEY Eade and his players have so far managed to keep a lid on it, but Western Bulldogs fans are daring to dream. The Bulldogs have been inundated by standard members wanting to upgrade their packages to guarantee a Grand Final ticket.
In the past six business days 3000 excited Dogs fans have committed to an upgrade to social-club status.
Given the upgrade for a routine 11-game membership costs $110, the Dogs have pocketed more than $300,000 from the rush.
The upgrades started after the Dogs' 10-point win against Collingwood in Round 13 and have continued since Saturday night's 54-point disposal of Port Adelaide.
Bulldogs chief executive Campbell Rose said yesterday the deadline for new members and upgrades had been extended, with the approval of the AFL.
Membership will remain open until the Dogs' Grand Final allocation is exhausted, with Rose urging supporters to sign up or upgrade.
"I don't think our supporters want to find themselves missing out after such a long period of time," Rose said.
"It's great and very encouraging, and we are looking forward to beating our membership target.
"However, we've still got eight games to go and we've still got a finals series to get through . . . we are not getting ahead of ourselves within the club."
The Dogs still have significant capacity left under their Grand Final allocation, despite processing a staggering 1000 upgrades on Monday.
If a standard member upgrades to social club membership, access to a Grand Final ticket is a lock -- no questions asked.
It means the whole configuration of the Dogs' membership has shifted.
"We're nearing clubs like Collingwood who have 10,000 social club members," Bulldogs membership manager Dino Imbriano said.
"The way we're going, we'll be there in a few weeks. That would have been unthinkable to some not that long ago."
The Bulldogs' success is starting to filter through to new membership sales as well.
They have sold almost 500 fresh memberships since Friday, taking the total to 28,202 - now less than 500 behind last year's club record.
"It is a tribute to our membership team, led by Dino," Rose said.
The Bulldogs, top of the ladder midway through Round 14, have not played on the last Saturday in September since 1961.
They have made only one other Grand Final appearance, winning the premiership against Melbourne in 1954.
In 1997 the Dogs lost a preliminary final to Adelaide by only three points after leading all day, robbing the public of a fairytale Grand Final against St Kilda.
This year the Dogs have won 12 of 14 games - the best start to a season in the club's history.
Good news - it just gets better and better!
Posted today in the Hun
Bulldogs' grand final lure sparks membership rush
Mark Stevens | July 02, 2008 12:00am
Have your say!Add your comments or read what others are sayingEmail article Share Add to Digg Add to del.icio.us Post to NewsVine Post to Facebook What are these? Printer friendly Text size+- RODNEY Eade and his players have so far managed to keep a lid on it, but Western Bulldogs fans are daring to dream. The Bulldogs have been inundated by standard members wanting to upgrade their packages to guarantee a Grand Final ticket.
In the past six business days 3000 excited Dogs fans have committed to an upgrade to social-club status.
Given the upgrade for a routine 11-game membership costs $110, the Dogs have pocketed more than $300,000 from the rush.
The upgrades started after the Dogs' 10-point win against Collingwood in Round 13 and have continued since Saturday night's 54-point disposal of Port Adelaide.
Bulldogs chief executive Campbell Rose said yesterday the deadline for new members and upgrades had been extended, with the approval of the AFL.
Membership will remain open until the Dogs' Grand Final allocation is exhausted, with Rose urging supporters to sign up or upgrade.
"I don't think our supporters want to find themselves missing out after such a long period of time," Rose said.
"It's great and very encouraging, and we are looking forward to beating our membership target.
"However, we've still got eight games to go and we've still got a finals series to get through . . . we are not getting ahead of ourselves within the club."
The Dogs still have significant capacity left under their Grand Final allocation, despite processing a staggering 1000 upgrades on Monday.
If a standard member upgrades to social club membership, access to a Grand Final ticket is a lock -- no questions asked.
It means the whole configuration of the Dogs' membership has shifted.
"We're nearing clubs like Collingwood who have 10,000 social club members," Bulldogs membership manager Dino Imbriano said.
"The way we're going, we'll be there in a few weeks. That would have been unthinkable to some not that long ago."
The Bulldogs' success is starting to filter through to new membership sales as well.
They have sold almost 500 fresh memberships since Friday, taking the total to 28,202 - now less than 500 behind last year's club record.
"It is a tribute to our membership team, led by Dino," Rose said.
The Bulldogs, top of the ladder midway through Round 14, have not played on the last Saturday in September since 1961.
They have made only one other Grand Final appearance, winning the premiership against Melbourne in 1954.
In 1997 the Dogs lost a preliminary final to Adelaide by only three points after leading all day, robbing the public of a fairytale Grand Final against St Kilda.
This year the Dogs have won 12 of 14 games - the best start to a season in the club's history.
Good news - it just gets better and better!
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