The Reg Smeeton Memorial Community Engagement Thread

[Reg Smeeton]

Above and beyond from Woolery and the club:

https://twitter.com/Official_STFC/status/1208022813849899008

That's how to reach out into new generations and new communities

Atm 1 in 6 people in Swindon were born outside te UK, that's about say 35,000 people and then add in their kids either here now or to come, potentially a fan base to be tapped. There's got to be ways of encouraging them along....

[Red Frog]

Above and beyond from Woolery and the club:

https://twitter.com/Official_STFC/status/1208022813849899008

That's how to reach out into new generations and new communities

If the club had done that sort of thing for me when I was a kid, I might have become a life-long fan.

[pauld]

Atm 1 in 6 people in Swindon were born outside te UK, that's about say 35,000 people and then add in their kids either here now or to come, potentially a fan base to be tapped. There's got to be ways of encouraging them along....

Yes, if only the club had thought of encouraging these kids along by giving free tickets to Drove Primary School, which is why the lad was there in the first place. Then by spotting the opportunity to follow it up like this with Woolery giving the lad a signed shirt. #MissedOpportunities

[Reg Smeeton]

Yes, if only the club had thought of encouraging these kids along by giving free tickets to Drove Primary School, which is why the lad was there in the first place. Then by spotting the opportunity to follow it up like this with Woolery giving the lad a signed shirt. #MissedOpportunities

All good stuff, but it's about getting them back.  This isn't easy. One of the strange things of recent years is that the advantage to many of supporting a small largely unsuccessful club that is rooted in a particular community, is that by that process of belonging immigrants feel shut out.

Whereas the global brand clubs now having mostly lost their community roots will have anybody, anywhere. You almost get a reversal, the remaining proper indiginous fans feel shut out.

[pauld]

All good stuff, but it's about getting them back.  This isn't easy. One of the strange things of recent years is that the advantage to many of supporting a small largely unsuccessful club that is rooted in a particular community, is that by that process of belonging immigrants feel shut out.

I'm from Merseyside, didn't feel shut out. The kids from Drove didn't look like they felt shut out. And if they did, the club have taken great steps toward making them (and others like them) feel welcome. Nice theory, doesn't stand up to scrutiny of the evidence. SCIENCE.

[Reg Smeeton]

I'm from Merseyside, didn't feel shut out. The kids from Drove didn't look like they felt shut out. And if they did, the club have taken great steps toward making them (and others like them) feel welcome. Nice theory, doesn't stand up to scrutiny of the evidence. SCIENCE.

Swindon has accepted many immigrants since WW2, it has also had in place for a number of years FiTC style initiatives and others like the old Study Centre.... look around you next time you're at the CG,  not wholly scientific, but what do you see?

[pauld]

Swindon has accepted many immigrants since WW2, it has also had in place for a number of years FiTC style initiatives and others like the old Study Centre.... look around you next time you're at the CG,  not wholly scientific, but what do you see?

I get what you're driving it, but it's not necessarily because of the "rooted in the community" theory you posited. In fact, one can come to feel part of that community because of an adherence to the football club rather than vice versa. Getting back to the point being made, the club are making an effort to reach out to these communities of which the Drove School/Woolery thing is an example.

[Reg Smeeton]

I get what you're driving it, but it's not necessarily because of the "rooted in the community" theory you posited. In fact, one can come to feel part of that community because of an adherence to the football club rather than vice versa. Getting back to the point being made, the club are making an effort to reach out to these communities of which the Drove School/Woolery thing is an example.

There are and have been lots of factors at work down the years, the club have made various efforts in the past, but as I say it is very difficult to make things stick to get people coming back.  I'm not offering solutions. 

A classic illustration of the difficulties of such things is shown by the old Highbury mural put up when they were doing a new stand....

http://barrettsonthisday.anorak.co.uk/uncategorized/2111/highbury-mura

[Exiled Bob]

Swindon has accepted many immigrants since WW2, it has also had in place for a number of years FiTC style initiatives and others like the old Study Centre.... look around you next time you're at the CG,  not wholly scientific, but what do you see?

Lots of Scousers....

[Private Fraser]

https://twitter.com/official_stfc/status/1208099750374866944

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

https://twitter.com/official_stfc/status/1208099750374866944

Yes, yes, yes....but apart from that, what are the Club actually doing...? 

[pauld]

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/18124396.swindon-town-fan-elliot-6-helped-save-big-brothers-life/

[pauld]

Fanzone's back

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2019/january/things-to-do/

[RobertT]

Think we won some sort of family excellence award.

edit: Back in April 2019, first time in 7 years

[pauld]

Over £13k raised for the Darby Rimmer Foundation today just from the purple shirt sales. That's aside from extra money the Supporters Club are also chipping in from half time draw and their other fundraising

https://twitter.com/_BenWills/status/1213473401752473601