Junior Cherries - becoming an exclusive club

A

Allen

First Team
I understand that our success has brought loads of new fans to the club which is amazing. You see kids everywhere wearing AFCB bags, hats, shirts etc. Hopefully our success leaves a legacy of supporters for the next generation.
Every event has a ticket ballot now; to watch a match, attend the training sessions, christmas party, half term party, mascot, flag bearer etc.
When Eddie was here you didn't have to enter a draw for open training sessions and he would make every player go round to every fan on that day (Jordan Ibe tried doing a steady one and Eddie stopped him from disappearing). He embodied the community spirit of the club.
I know the club can only accommodate limited numbers for certain events, but now that the players aren't going near the fans during open training sessions, I don't see any reason why not to let all junior cherries come along, a lot of them will never get a chance to see the first team in real life.
 
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Give the club a ring re the open training sessions. We’ve got our tickets that way the last couple of years and it’s worked well. You then get to meet all the players after the sessions which the little ones love. Re a mascot, it is tougher but my son was chosen last year and it is well worth the wait. He loved it and has been hooked since! Best of luck with it, give the club a call and see what they can do :utc::utc:
 
I must admit, I don’t remember the open training sessions being ballot? It was crazy busy though and full credit to the players for hanging around so long. Think it took us about an hour and a half to reach the table when we started in the queue and Iraola was still making the effort to try and chat to every kid. It was very well done.
 
If we won the the champions league you’d get someone on here moaning about something or the other.
I remember the early days of junior cherries attending a training session, maybe 100 at the most, nearer 50 most probably.
 
Allen said:
I understand that our success has brought loads of new fans to the club which is amazing. You see kids everywhere wearing AFCB bags, hats, shirts etc. Hopefully our success leaves a legacy of supporters for the next generation.
Every event has a ticket ballot now; to watch a match, attend the training sessions, christmas party, half term party, mascot, flag bearer etc.
When Eddie was here you didn't have to enter a draw for open training sessions and he would make every player go round to every fan on that day (Jordan Ibe tried doing a steady one and Eddie stopped him from disappearing). He embodied the community spirit of the club.
I know the club can only accommodate limited numbers for certain events, but now that the players aren't going near the fans during open training sessions, I don't see any reason why not to let all junior cherries come along, a lot of them will never get a chance to see the first team in real life.
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Is that since covid? Before Covid the players used to go around the barriers signing autographs and having selfies.

It was great in the days of Shirley Del Sette. We won a Jewson award which went rowards our own JC clubroom in the old stand. We would take a group of JC's to many of the more local games to play football against the other teams youngsters then watch the game. Trips to Wembley to see England games. We also set up a Junior Cherries Football Club which played in the Dorset Youth League.
 
paul49 said:
Is that since covid? Before Covid the players used to go around the barriers signing autographs and having selfies.
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They now sit at tables and the kids come to them. You can get whatever you liked signed but no selfies because to be fair, it would take forever.
 
Can’t comment on the open day but I think the current squad is the best for signing autographs and have selfies. They are a brilliant group of lads. In contrast, under Eddie’s time it became more difficult with some players. Eddie also stopped coming around the front and even started to refuse autographs at away games.

I say this as I have watched both Newcastle and afcb players at Fulham come out after recent games. Despite the defeat, most afcb players signed last Saturday and AI made a point of doing every request. In contrast, a couple of weeks ago, a group mainly of kids were ignored by Newcastle players bar 3. It was a shocking spectacle and left a bad taste for many Geordie fans.
 
Really good event today. The amount of hours Steve Cuss must work with the sports trust and the women’s team must be crazy. A real unsung club hero.

Kids got to visit the changing rooms (including apparently a leak in the away changing room - not sure if that was a little one’s artistic license or not) and medical room, walk out of the tunnel and to the side of pitch.

Then off to the fanzone and table football and then three games on the 3G. Great fun. :clap:
 
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