MANLY WARRINGAHS TRAVELLING SUPPORTAHS - STORM 23/8/09 40 - 0!!!

[vidmar]

There are now at least 100+ travelling to the game in Melbourne on Sunday week either with the official tour group (organised by Mark & Chris from Ambassador Travel ([email protected] or TEL: 07 3839 9311) or making their own way there.

The Rydges Hotel will be "Manly Central" for the weekend with people arriving from Thursday evening and then over the weekend for the game.

All game tickets that were allocated for the Eagles supporters have now been sold out but there is still opportunity for people to get tickets for the pre-game function on the Sunday.

Function Only Package
Adult Member $35
Adult Non Member $40
Bird of Prey Member * Free
Child under 14 ^ $20

Member discounts are only applicable to 2009 Screaming Eagles Members
* Bird of Prey Members who have not already used their 2009 away match function allocation
^ Child must be accompanied by paying adult

To book the function see here http://www.manlyseaeagles.com.au/event-booking.asp

(as at the time of writing this there were only 11 spots left)

I get there Friday arvo and will be planning to meet others at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow ( http://bourkest.elephantandwheelbarrow.com.au/Content/643 ) for an early feed and a couple of beers on the Friday evening so would be good to catch up with any local Manly fans?

There are are around 30 going to the "G" on Saturday for the AFL game and the first “official” part of the weekend is the welcome drinks and nibbles in the downstairs bar at the Rydges Hotel from 4.30pm before those guys head off around 6.00 and the rest of us kick on.

Drinks are at your own expense and the nibbles are compliments of Ambassador Holidays and the Rydges hotel…note this is not a paid function (so no cost to you) and so there won’t be a “meal” for everyone just a few platters of hot nibbles for those who can make it.

Once we know what bay the tickets are in for the game I'll post it on here so that anyone who is going to the game and wants to try and get close to the main Manly supporters group can do so.

Cheers
Vidmar

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Its a great result (despite the teams current performance)....as Vid has said to me in 2008...just 9 people attended and no one turned up to a pre game get together as suggested by Vid.

There's almost 100 in our group and there may well be many others than have just done their own thing, so it's (as I say) a great result.

The legend of the "Travelling Supportahs" is growing, wether it be a coach rode from Brookvale to Penrith and back or one of these "away" games.

In 2010 we are hoping for away games for

Auckland
Brisbane
Gold Coast

And perhaps Melbourne and Townsville

ALL of these will be "must do's" on the calendar of many supporters.

My e-mail address at work is above, if you are not "on the list" send me an e-mail today, costs nothing, I don't bombard you with ANYTHING other than manly trips and at worst you are kept up to date with the range of options available for these games.

So "get on board"...thousands alreday have!!

 

[vidmar]

Are any locals on here getting to the game on Sunday?
Also, does Channel 9 show the Friday night games live?

 

[Canteen Worker]

Clon is a Melbourne local as is Gronk when he is in Australia. Channel 9 show the league on Friday starting between midnight and 2 am. You will need to find a pub with Fox.

 

[The Gronk]

Clon is a Melbourne local as is Gronk when he is in Australia. Channel 9 show the league on Friday starting between midnight and 2 am. You will need to find a pub with Fox.

I am in the states again at the moment but have authorised Clon to drink my share.  That should increase his intake from 20 beers to 21. 

 

[vidmar]

Thanks for getting back Gronk and the update CW
Hopefully Clontarf will be around and able to join up with us at some stage over the weekend
Cheers
Vidmar

 

[vidmar]

Hi All,
I thought those heading to MLB this weekend may appreciate the following info re public transport?

I’ll probably go on the “Sky bus” which operates from Tullamarine (Melbourne) airport

http://www.skybus.com.au/timetables/

A single adult ticket is $16 and return adult ticket is $26 return - a return family ticket is between $36 and $56 dependant upon how many adults and how many kids (see link above there is 2 options for family tickets.

There is then the option of a free hotel shuttle from Spencer St Railway station (where the sky bus goes to) – I checked and you pay for the airport to city leg and then the hotel transfer is free.

Spencer St is around 2 km from the Rydges (see Google maps)

A taxi to Tullamarine to Rydges is around $45 according to the fare calculator
http://www.taxi.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/vehicles.nsf/AllDocs/22C47F8AFB4AFE87CA2574C7002215F5?OpenDocumentFor those traveling on Mark’s package there is of course transport back to the airport post game for those flying home on the Sunday but for those staying on you will need to get the concierge from the hotel to book a pick up from the airport (you will need to book the day before you leave?)

UPDATE: I've since heard that jetbus may be a better option so see here  http://jetbus.com.au/melbourne/tickets.html

As mentioned, for those of you there on the Friday we will be meeting at the Elephant and Wheelbarrow

(http://bourkest.elephantandwheelbarrow.com.au/Content/643)

on the Friday evening (from around 6.00’ish) for drinks and dinner (Pay your own way)

And from what I understand there will be a few there to kick off the weekend (The pub is kid friendly until around 10.00 when the ban comes on but they should be tucked up in bed then anyway?) so all welcome – come in and wear your Manly colours - we should be easy to spot!

See the  post at MWSE
http://www.manlyseaeagles.com.au/message-board-detail.asp?mbid=136769&s=0

for the rest of the details re the weekends plans.

Really looking forward to this trip, to catching up with everyone and hopefully seeing the boys triumph over the Storm…

By the way, I had a strange text over the weekend from someone (who will remain nameless - but you know who you are!) suggesting that we should consider banning the “40 – 0” chant over the weekend….I let them know my thoughts on that (and no prizes for guessing what the answer was…)

What does everyone else think?

Cheers
Vidmar

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

HELL NO

I can't wait, 40-0, 40-0 Foooooooooooorrrrrrrtyyyyyyy-NIL

BUT

We had better do it early just in case the boot's on the other foot this time.

NAH...I reckon we can spring an upset

All sounds good Vid, thanks for that.

Believe it or not we are still getting calls about people wanting to go!!

 

[The Wheel]

Just sing it louder if we are winning on Sunday

 

[vidmar]

Re the 40-0, Yes, I couldn't believe it when I read it...and especially who it came from!

I won't name them on a public forum and am still unsure as to whether they were serious and thinking it may fire up the Storm players (or maybe their supporters?)

I had a couple of people speaking to me on the weekend who were now thinking of going (don't know whether they were serious or whether it was alcohol fuelled wanna go) but told them they would need to sort themselves out.

I had a note this morning from Natalie at the club and they are still waiting to hear what bay we will be in but will let me know when they know so I can post so people who do want to sit near the main group can do so?

Listen out for us Wheel - from what I hear there may be a lot of noise on Sunday!!!

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Why the AHS at the end of supporters. Sounds like a Rugby group

Hope everybody enjoys it there. I went the final round of 2006, stadium wasn't the greatest, and we got flogged.

In fact the highlight of that night was returning back to the hotel, walking back to our room, and hearing the chick in the room next door getting a flogging as well, sounded like she was enjoying hers though haha

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

It's a bit like the FANATICS Kiwi, it's just a name.

The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Travelling Supportahs

Sounds better than

Manly supporters group

So now we have,

The Silvertails
The Screaming Eagles
The Travelling Supportahs

All working for the one cause.

makes sense (I hope)

 

[vidmar]

It actually came from a chant that we started singing at away games a few years ago..."Manly Warringahs travelling supporters" in answer to the myth that Manly fans wouldn't cross the spit bridge...

Over time it became "Supportahs" (I guess because it rhymed with Warringahs) and it just kinda stuck.

There have been a few attempts to get an "official" supporters group together over the years which by and large failed for one reason or another but over the last few years the disparate groups have joined together and gotten to know each other and the numbers of people who meet pre-game or arrange to meet at the same place in the ground is great and still rising.

This season we again had good numbers at Newcastle, Cronulla, Penrith, WIN, Homebush (twice) , the SFS (twice) and of despite only around 20 of us travelling to Townsville for the Cowboys game we did of course have huge numbers for the 2 other QLD games (and a whole heap of fun despite the ref on the GC!!!)

For the big trips (such as Brisbane, Gold Coast etc) it made sense that there was a central point to help get us more organised (and get a better deal on tickets, accomodation etc) and the club worked with Mark and the results have been fantastic with of course the WCC trip to the UK that had over 40 people heading to the UK being a highlight.

Invariably there is some kind of function at the big trips and many make a weekend of it so a lot of fun and great to catch up with people or meet other supporters that make the trip.

So no rugby link or much thought given to it....just happened (a bit like the No one likes us aspect that ended up with T shirts, a banner etc etc but that of course is another story....)

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

Thanks for the replies fella's, hope it wasn't taken as a dig

The Warringahs part actually has it making a lot more sense and seems more fitting

Was a bit of fun being in amongst it all at the Sharks game

Will never forget the sight of that kid, in full Manly kit, sitting down by the fence with his headphones in reading a book during the game !!!

 

[The Wheel]

and I thought it was just people making fun of Vidmars fine English accent

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Not taken as a dig at all Kiwi,

The Chant started it, but we have now adopted the name.

The growth in this area has been fantastic.....I first kicked this whole thing off with a package to the 2007 Sunshine Coast Pre-Season Trial game.

I said to the Sea Eagles "give us access to the players and I'll turn this into a succesfull deal for the club".

We had about 15 do that first package, they all had a ball (imagine 15 people, all the players, all the staff for 2 1/2 hours)...for many it was "heaven on a stick".

Since then it has grown massivly, the Gold Coast and Brisbane functions packages regularly now get 250-300.

And over 100 to Melbourne shows you what is happening.

What you may not know is I have been doing sports tours (mainly Rugby) for years, I have taken groups away all over the world, I even took a group over to to the World Cup Soccer Final in France (I forget the year but whenever that was). And what I discovered is that people who travel together, stay together, play together have fun together and their experience is enhanced as a result.

I have several thousand on my e-mail data base and it's growing, in fact every trip I do adds another 30-50 names.

This whole deal (although it will never be exactly the same) emenates from what the EPL fans do in the UK, it was just coincidental that I found Vidmar early in the piece and together we have worked on making this happen,

He gets nothing out of it.
I make a little
The club makes a little

And most people are VERY happy with what we do.

 

[deadlyeagle]

Congrats to you both.

Being a QLD supporter I can tell you the support up here has grown tremendously since 2007, I was stunned this year when i rocked up to the away supporters bay for the titans match and it was completely full of manly supporters & we even out cheered the titans supporters.

 

[missing_something]

I make a little
The club makes a little

You should kick back a little to Dan then as your using his forum to spruik something your making a commercial return from.

 

[vidmar]

Thanks for the replies fella's, hope it wasn't taken as a dig

No worries Kiwi and no offence taken.

As Mark mentioned, It is quite exciting seeing the growing numbers of people that now travel to see us play (whether home or away)

I know of all manner of people that travel huge distances to get to the games and of course it makes the trip so much more pleasurable when they know that they will be meeting others at the game who they can sit/stand with and have fun.

The pre-game chats, banter and excitement of the build up is a great way to spend time and great to celebrate with others when we win and commiserate when we lose.

One of the key things that I've found is that collectively we have access to so much info that makes the travel easier (eg When I posted originally in this thread I was looking to use one bus company to get from the airport but someone else had also done research and found a better option - as this has now been shared everyone benefits)

I was looking for a pub close to Rydges for us to nominate as a meeting spot and Corso Pete pointed me in the right direction

On the weekend there was a group of us gathered as planned at the Olympic pub.
Some of the guys managed to score free tickets and several got discounted entry ($10 a ticket) as a result of others who had spare tickets or passes.

There is one guy who travelled by himself from Newcastle to the Gold Coast for the game and teamed up with us and had a blast...he brought his family to Brooky a few weeks later and as he had been introduced to Bob Reilly on the Gold Coast said G'day to him in the club pre-game.
When Bob found out that he had come down with the family as a treat for his young son for his birthday Bob organised for the young fella to go in to the sheds after the game to meet the players.

Others who have travelled have been set up with photo ops with the NRL and WCC trophies and had the opportunity to meet players or get guided tours of the ground.

I know of quite a few people that ordinarily didn't go to the away games because their usual (Brookie) game going mates didn't or couldn't but having made a trip on the bus or having met others at the games they took the plunge and are now regulars and are themselves encouraging others to join the group on its travels.

People are sharing travel costs, planning trips together and meeting lots of other like minded people.

I know people who regularily travel from the Blue Mountains, Forster, Mudgee, Dubbo, Newcastle, The Central Coast, The ACT and way out west.

Time was they wouldn't have made the trip or would have been by themselves at games but are now part of a much larger group and we look forward to catching up with them and involve them in our plans

I'm fortunate to be able to get to pretty much all of the games and take my two kids (one 12 and one 9) and I take pride in the fact that they are better for the experience.

They get involved in planning the trips (Geography lessons) booking flights and researching what other things we can do when we get to far away places (great life skills) and have met all manner of people and had experiences that ordinarily they wouldn't have done.

They love it and I think we are a closer family as a result.

There is very much a "family" feel about the group and I feel very secure that they will be very safe and well looked after by the people that we travel with...there are now quite a few families that travel and the kids now all know each other and so are able to amuse themselves and/or are collectively looked after which gives mums and dads time to kick back and have a break.

Yes, I'm waxing lyrical about the trips but that is because I get so much enjoyment out of them and have had some amazing experiences and met some fantastic people who are Manly through and through...I suppose that is why I get so cranky when I get home from these trips and see people being so negative and condesending about the team when we win having been with people who are so joyous to have been a part of it.

I read a post on the official site this morning where one guy (who travelled to the UK for the WCC) describes the club as "community" and I think he has pretty much got to the spirit of this whole "Travelling Supportahs" group

Another post on the official site "The cost of being an NRL fan" makes mention of the fact that of course for some the cost of travel and going to a game means it is an occasional luxury.

I know of quite a few people like this (who have travelled from overseas or WA or QLD) and so where we can we do what we can to make the whole experience as enjoyable as we can.

Really excited about Melbourne..last nights result certainly makes it interesting and rest assured it will be a HUGE night in MLB if we win!!!

Vidmar

MY GARDEN SHED...............!

 

[vidmar]

UPDATE:
Just been sent a message that the Manly fans will be sitting in the Eastern Stand - aisle 35 and we have seats in rows A-G for anyone that is going to the game and would like to be close to the main group of supporters