Official Supporters Club Membership: 2024-25 Season

[aka blue jambo]

Disappointed that a few posters on here that I admire are not renewing but obviously respect their decision

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Having never been in an OSC I've been dabbling with the idea for a couple of years now. I've got a seasoncard and have had since we moved stadium, so tickets for away games aren't normally an issue although the biggies (Swamp, Anfield etc) tend to be out of my reach now as I never bothered with Platinum so fell behind the top crowd. Therefore I wouldn't be interested in an OSC to help with ticket access as I'm pretty much ok in that regard.

I'm more considering it from a social perspective to meet more blues in the area and be involved in any events/meetings etc, especially as I'm seeing more and more of the usual faces drift away inside the stadium, mainly due to increased costs.

Can any long-standing members advise on how good/bad the social side of the OSC is, and if showing up as a new member is easy enough?

My Branch isn’t near you but here’s an example of the sort of things we do. Other Branches might be more active, socially.

Had a trophy night they attracted up to a thousand people in North Yorkshire. City laid for the security and transport of the trophies.

Had a Branch meeting for our AGM, had a good few beers and watched the Community Shield together. Distributed the 5 trophy Tshirts we had bought in bulk and subsidised through the Branch.

Go for a drink after the nearest home game close to Christmas. Some of us meet in the pub to watch Champs Leage away games.

Had an end of season gathering with David White as our guest speaker. We don’t really do guest speakers but it was a top night. I know tuebWest Yorks Branch (nearest other Branch) have some great speakers and invite us to presentations.

The coach to home games and Wembley is a good meet up too and for those travelling from North York’s it’s a 2 hour journey / singalong. Sometimes members share travel to away games.

A fairly recent development in the OSC world is people hoping their local Branch and an also themed one. I know the Military Veterans Branch is active socially including meeting up to play games at City’s Academy complex. There is also a U.K. Asian Blues themed group and some Blues have joined both their local Branch and the women’s team Branch for years.

We’ve also done some fund raising to help members with special interests like Bob’s Aidntrips to the Ukraine.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

A ridiculous answer to a genuine question.
Some branches are more active than others and have regular meetings / social events beyond home / away games..
A good number of branches are not as active beyond home game travel / away games watched in a pub.

Keep your hair on MES. Enjoy the weekend.

 

[bluemc]

My Branch isn’t near you but here’s an example of the sort of things we do. Other Branches might be more active, socially.

Had a trophy night they attracted up to a thousand people in North Yorkshire. City laid for the security and transport of the trophies.

Had a Branch meeting for our AGM, had a good few beers and watched the Community Shield together. Distributed the 5 trophy Tshirts we had bought in bulk and subsidised through the Branch.

Go for a drink after the nearest home game close to Christmas. Some of us meet in the pub to watch Champs Leage away games.

Had an end of season gathering with David White as our guest speaker. We don’t really do guest speakers but it was a top night. I know tuebWest Yorks Branch (nearest other Branch) have some great speakers and invite us to presentations.

The coach to home games and Wembley is a good meet up too and for those travelling from North York’s it’s a 2 hour journey / singalong. Sometimes members share travel to away games.

A fairly recent development in the OSC world is people hoping their local Branch and an also themed one. I know the Military Veterans Branch is active socially including meeting up to play games at City’s Academy complex. There is also a U.K. Asian Blues themed group and some Blues have joined both their local Branch and the women’s team Branch for years.

We’ve also done some fund raising to help members with special interests like Bob’s Aidntrips to the Ukraine.

Appreciate the response, thank you.

 

[Jazzyblue]

Having never been in an OSC I've been dabbling with the idea for a couple of years now. I've got a seasoncard and have had since we moved stadium, so tickets for away games aren't normally an issue although the biggies (Swamp, Anfield etc) tend to be out of my reach now as I never bothered with Platinum so fell behind the top crowd. Therefore I wouldn't be interested in an OSC to help with ticket access as I'm pretty much ok in that regard.

I'm more considering it from a social perspective to meet more blues in the area and be involved in any events/meetings etc, especially as I'm seeing more and more of the usual faces drift away inside the stadium, mainly due to increased costs.

Can any long-standing members advise on how good/bad the social side of the OSC is, and if showing up as a new member is easy enough?

From my experience meetings are once a month. Some members will have known each other and their families for years and years but are welcoming. Membership is growing along with the fanbase so if you actually attend meetings then folk know you are genuine and not just after tickets without contributing. Depending on the branch, meetings might involve guest speakers or be perfunctory - following the classic agenda, apologies, minutes, matters arising etc - a quick pint and a fundraising raffle. Some branches are livelier and younger and bigger on matchgoing than others, others are more mature in years or family-oriented and about lifelong local Blues staying in touch and having occasional dinners and social events. I joined to have a chance of getting to aways but in the end haven't actually used it to get tickets, though members are informed regularly what games, home and away, that they can apply for. One of the nicest things is that cups tour the branches and that brings Blues and their families to a local pub, venue, social club or whatever together for drinks and pictures with the silverware. Being a south Mcr lad it was especially emotional for me when the cups came to my area this season as it felt like it was coming home to where it all began. I'd suggest joining one either near you or in an area that you have a connection with as it's good way of hearing news around the club and doing your bit to keep the 'club' element of the club alive. If you keep an open mind you'll enjoy it and you will see the same faces every month at meetings.

 

[bluemc]

From my experience meetings are once a month. Some members will have known each other and their families for years and years but are welcoming. Membership is growing along with the fanbase so if you actually attend meetings then folk know you are genuine and not just after tickets without contributing. Depending on the branch, meetings might involve guest speakers or be perfunctory - following the classic agenda, apologies, minutes, matters arising etc - a quick pint and a fundraising raffle. Some branches are livelier and younger and bigger on matchgoing than others, others are more mature in years or family-oriented and about lifelong local Blues staying in touch and having occasional dinners and social events. I joined to have a chance of getting to aways but in the end haven't actually used it to get tickets, though members are informed regularly what games, home and away, that they can apply for. One of the nicest things is that cups tour the branches and that brings Blues and their families to a local pub, venue, social club or whatever together for drinks and pictures with the silverware. Being a south Mcr lad it was especially emotional for me when the cups came to my area this season as it felt like it was coming home to where it all began. I'd suggest joining one either near you or in an area that you have a connection with as it's good way of hearing news around the club and doing your bit to keep the 'club' element of the club alive. If you keep an open mind you'll enjoy it and you will see the same faces every month at meetings.

That's a really thorough and detailed response, thank you.