Title a bit harsh, but I'm just trying to get people's attention. Anyways what has the RPB done for the fans, other than winning the right to bring in drums into their section........ A supporter's group is supposed to be a pressure group, whose one of the main goals are to keep the owner's in check and make sure were not being gouged/ money is being spent making the club better. RPB is nothing but a glorified fan club, I do appreciate the atmosphere you create, but MLSE needs a strong supporters group to keep them in check.
I don´t get it...RPB IS a fanclub that supports TFC, nothing more, nothing less. Supposed to be a pressure group? Really?..Says who?
Pressure them how? Owners are pressured by lost tickets sales and other revenue when the team does poorly. How in God's name are RPB supposed apply any other special pressure?
I'll take the RPB over the U sector any day. U sector's solution to the August goalless drought was to drown out everyone else with their drum and their inane repeating song. What else have they done? RPBs have brought a lot of positive exposure to the team and to a sport where "hardcore" fans get a bad wrap in North American media. http://www.soccersucks.net/soccer_violence.html VS. Episode 1 TFC http://www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/backissues.php They, along with the other groups, plan away trips to show up the home supporters with more noise and support. I am looking forward to piggy backing off the trip. Thanks RPB Kooper Not a RPB
I'm actually confused with the replies I'm getting. A supporters group is their to ensure that the fans interests are being met. What the ******** is the point of supporters group if they don't represent people. Why don't they describe themseleves as a fan club then, and then just let MLSE run the membership while their at it too.
vita666420....why don't you start your own group then rather than complain about other groups all the time?
You're an idiot. Hmmm... what "other groups" could you be referring to? The ones that have done nothing? Or perhaps it was the one who put together the very first organized TFC supporters road trip in history (New England, April 14, 2007). Or the one that has supported local soccer in Toronto and across North America for years before it became "cool" for everyone else to do so. Or perhaps it was the one that has created many of those familiar chants that you hear every game day (The TFC Massive, TFC Superstar and the Forza TO - your favourite that will be back with a vengeance in '08 - being three of them). This is not a shot at RPB, but rather a defence of U-Sector against moronic statements such as yours. Saying that RPB has created positive exposure for the club while at the same time running down the U-Sector is just the height of stupidity. TopDogg Am part of U-Sector
This is a preemptive warning. If this thread goes much further downhill I'll lock it. Stop the ad hominem attacks, and please don't get into pissing contests over which supporter group is better. vita666420 obviously has a perspective on what he thinks a supporters group is, so why don't we stick to that point and argue about that. Cheers!
I'm not sure if you read my post as trying to convince anyone that U-Sector is better, because that was the furthest thing from my intention. No where in my post did I even imply that U-Sector was better. Both groups have their pros and cons, and obviously one will appeal to each person more than the other based on individual preference. My point was that in order to defend RPB (which is what I think Kooper was doing) he didn't have to attack U-Sector. Why did he even bring us into this? We weren't even mentioned in this thread until his post. But I agree, it's gone off topic, and for my part, I apologize. I've said my piece anyways, and I didn't intend to take it any further. As for vita666420, I think he's generalizing way too much, and is somewhat unrealistic in his ideas. The team itself is far too new to be legitimately "pressured" by the fans. If he thought that TFC fans would be rioting in the streets after a poor expansion year, he's been watching too many episodes of the Real Football Factories.
I've always understood the role of supporters groups to be to support the team rather than be lobby groups. Perhaps they do things differently in Europe, but then again the things that fans do in Europe are not always a good model to follow here in N.A.
The long and the short of it is that both RPB and U-Sector (along with some others) have done alot to make the atmosphere at BMO so freaking amazing right out of the gate for all of us. Our crowd is the envy of MLS and has even impressed many back in Europe thanks largely to them. What more do you want from these guys (who do it all on their own personal time)? If you're tired of people acting as lackeys to MLSE, start with the corporate ticket holders over at ACC first. Now THAT is damage done.
vita666420 has raised this issue before both here and on the RPB forum. He feels that RPB should be pressuring MLSE to go out and get a DP. Personally, I don't think that should be the role of the supporters groups. As well, I believe that if the supporters groups are going to try to pressure MLSE into anything that it should be to build a winning team - whether or not that means getting a DP or not. I don't think that getting a DP is necessarily the key to building a winning team.
Whatever one may think of those in charge, fans mircomanaging the TFC staff has disaster written all over it.
Yup, I'm sure MLSE will give me a couple of sections so I can start my hardcore supporters group that sticks it to them every chance we get. ********, I wouldn't even trust myself as a leader of a group. But I'm willing to support others that will take issue with MLSE decisions, and I think RPBs are too divided with the issue. Some seem to want to take issue, while others hold some romantic English notion of supporting the club through thick and thin (or should I say record profits). Too bad Saputo wasn't from Toronto. The more I learn about the Impacts non-profit goals, it makes me hope they get the N.A spot, so they can prove that model can work.
RPB was very supportive of Anti-CSA Black Wednesday protest last Sept. We did a lot of our media from the RPB bar and about 50 per cent of those taking part were RPB--despite the fact the the organizers (of which I was one) self-identify as U-Sector. I think moving forward you will see the supporters groups, RPB included, taking an active role in critiquing the team when it's warrented.
So what exactly are you doing other than complaining about RPB on message board? Just because MLSE won't give you seats, it doesn't mean you can't be organized. Get your buddies together and go protest. Organize a rally. Get some media exposure for your group and let your message be known. Do something proactive other than sitting infront of the computer and whine about some supporter group. The fact is, supporter groups aren't there to support your cause. It's not your little personal agenda machine. Whatever is your view of how the supporter group should be, it doesn't mean you can go around and start accusing them just because they won't follow your view. If MLSE angers you that much that you feel the need to pressure them, shouldn't you instead be focusing your effort towards MLSE? Stop making excuses and go make something of yourself.
Vita tried posting this garbage on the RPB board and couldn't even get his facts straight. It appears he doesn't let facts get in the way of his ranting and complaining. He wants the RPB to do the work for him despite complaining that RPB gets media attention he then wants to leverage that media attention to get what he wants. The epitome of hypocrisy. If he is a fan and a season ticket holder, and wants to pressure TFC to do something, he has all the right and ability in the world to do whatever the heck he wants and should stop telling other people what to do. RPB support TFC the way we feel is best and we aren't going to let someone else tell us to do his work for him. Or as I told him...the best way to protest? Give up your tickets. Everyone involved will be happy.
Yeah...he was already recognized as Kenny, Roc among others. But if the mods are gonna just let him rag on RPB all the time...we might as well respond. The more he posts, the more he comes across as an idiot.
Wow. Just...just...wow. We are truly in the worst position aren't we? First we're labelled as media whores from trying to bring some attention to Toronto FC and the fantastic atmosphere we've helped create at BMO Field. Now we're told we're not being vocal enough and have a duty to put pressure on the club for some reason.