REDaction Mailout

[alanalansunderland]

Things I think RedAction should be fighting for and doing

1-Getting into the ground at least 30 mins before ko to help create this so called geat atmosphere they have in the pub in the ground where the players and fans need it.

2-Better beer, lager, food and the pricing. Finding a way of shortening the lines at half-time for beer food ect

3-more 'arsenalization' around the ground what has been done is good but how about nameing the quadrents giving the fans a sence of identity within the ground. Nameing the gates instead of having gate 'B' have the Bergkamp gate ect.

4-Doing something about the 14 touts I see every home game from the Arsenal tube station around to the steps.

You can have these ideas for free if you are truly representing the fans then do something that will make the fans want to join you. Having banners for ex-players is not going to do that, showing your support for the players we have might. Encouraging fans to get into the ground earlier and singing support for our current players might do that sitting in a bar will not. Giving out scarves was a great idea but how many fans knew who they were from or why?

You need to be in the ground in the fans faces showing them who and what you are all about not sitting in a bar or marching towards the ground(by the way talking to people who bring some children and slightly older fans they think this is intimidating to ordanary people walking along the streets)

1) agree and we will keep trying
2) in discussions with the caterers constantly and fighting for the changes you want..
3) well I think we have done quite well so far since Gazidis took over and I nkow more things are in the pipeline. The quadrants are going to be renamed soon.
4) Don't really see touting as a REDaction issue, however I know that it has constantly been mentioned in fans forums (usually by me). The police attiude is that they are making steps but they don't particularly advertise what they are doing for obvious reasons. The problem lies with the magistrates in that when they look at touting cases they don't really see it as a serikous crime despite the polce pushing for sanctions the touts tend to get of with a slap of a fine and are then back out there again

I think your last 2 paragraphs do show some of the problems any supporters organisation faces.

If we had really advertised that it was us who put out all the scarves then you would have got the comments look at lot bigging themselves up again who do they think are etc, but on the flipside of that you are now saying we should blow our own trumpet more.

Then you say we should be in peoples faces and then that some find the march intimidating!

I'm not having a go at you personally just trying to make a point.

[alanalansunderland]

Alan can I just clarify a few of my earlier points -

1. I too could not give a flying fcuk where our players come from as long as they are good enough (a different discussion for another day ) but being an Irishman it might be easier for me to say that. There are football fans over here that give me stick about us not having enough english players in our team (to which I always remind them that they are Irish so what the fcuk do they care ) so I can only imagine how much grief fans over there get from the more "patriotic" english fans

2. The point I made re wenger is that this project has failed not that wenger himself has failed. I am 100% convinced that the majority of fans also share that viewpoint regardless of his past acheivements. On the other issue I personally think this current board are a shower of self serving arseholes who are absolute hypocrites - in it for the long haul but yet selling shares left right and centre plus they oppose single ownership of the club whilst basically operating like like puppets on strings which are controlled completely by fizsman This egotistical prick is using our club to settle scores against former board members at will and personally I wish the c**t would crawl back to geneva under his little rock and leave our club for good

On point 2 I think there could be some changes there soon. I can't say much as it would be compromising something said to me confidentially, but maybe one day when you are over I will let you know over a pint (not in the Rocket obviously)

PS I'm half irish myself, dad was a dubliner

[augie]

Alan can I just clarify a few of my earlier points -

1. I too could not give a flying fcuk where our players come from as long as they are good enough (a different discussion for another day ) but being an Irishman it might be easier for me to say that. There are football fans over here that give me stick about us not having enough english players in our team (to which I always remind them that they are Irish so what the fcuk do they care ) so I can only imagine how much grief fans over there get from the more "patriotic" english fans

2. The point I made re wenger is that this project has failed not that wenger himself has failed. I am 100% convinced that the majority of fans also share that viewpoint regardless of his past acheivements. On the other issue I personally think this current board are a shower of self serving arseholes who are absolute hypocrites - in it for the long haul but yet selling shares left right and centre plus they oppose single ownership of the club whilst basically operating like like puppets on strings which are controlled completely by fizsman This egotistical prick is using our club to settle scores against former board members at will and personally I wish the c**t would crawl back to geneva under his little rock and leave our club for good

On point 2 I think there could be some changes there soon. I can't say much as it would be compromising something said to me confidentially, but maybe one day when you are over I will let you know over a pint (not in the Rocket obviously)

PS I'm half irish myself, dad was a dubliner

Not sure that is something to boast about mate

[mcdowell42]

Alan can I just clarify a few of my earlier points -

1. I too could not give a flying fcuk where our players come from as long as they are good enough (a different discussion for another day ) but being an Irishman it might be easier for me to say that. There are football fans over here that give me stick about us not having enough english players in our team (to which I always remind them that they are Irish so what the fcuk do they care ) so I can only imagine how much grief fans over there get from the more "patriotic" english fans

2. The point I made re wenger is that this project has failed not that wenger himself has failed. I am 100% convinced that the majority of fans also share that viewpoint regardless of his past acheivements. On the other issue I personally think this current board are a shower of self serving arseholes who are absolute hypocrites - in it for the long haul but yet selling shares left right and centre plus they oppose single ownership of the club whilst basically operating like like puppets on strings which are controlled completely by fizsman This egotistical prick is using our club to settle scores against former board members at will and personally I wish the c**t would crawl back to geneva under his little rock and leave our club for good

On point 2 I think there could be some changes there soon. I can't say much as it would be compromising something said to me confidentially, but maybe one day when you are over I will let you know over a pint (not in the Rocket obviously)

PS I'm half irish myself, dad was a dubliner[/quote]



SHHHHHSH

[I Hate Hleb]

....

PS I'm half irish myself, dad was a dubliner

Well I guess that explains the fondness for a pre-match meet up and drink at the Rocket!!!

(Oh, and the love of animals!!!)

[Percy Dalton]

I know Alan and I ahve had our fall outs about RedAction but I think quibbling about a flag and a scarf is a bit meaningless.

The flag is better than no flag and the scarves were a gimmick.

My issues with RedAction are to do with what I feel are more important issues.

I do not have a problem with the march, although I would never be involved, but I do have a problem with how late this sees our apparently noisiest fans enter the ground. To be honest I have stopped noticing but has there been any change in this Alan?

Also, I have long said if you want to do something about atmosphere then instead of creating this in a student bar a mile down the road why not speak to the club about staging the meet inside the ground? The beer prices in The Rocket are not that cheap and anyone inside the club with any commercial nous must see there is a deal to be done here.

By all means use The Rocket after the match and for your parties etc but why use it before hand? All truly great atmospheres start well before kick off but ours start when certain individuals turn up, right on kick off or after.

The Rocket to me is a distinct distraction from what RedAction aim to acheive. To trumpet the cause of trying to raise the roof in the ground while you spend the minimum time in it possible is both contradictory and counterproductive.

The old RedAction, before they became cosy bedfellows wioth the club, used to make a lot of noise inside the ground before the game. Why no longer? This was one of the core values of the organisation and the loss of this why I doubt the true meaning of todays band.

It has long seemed to me that a slightly cheaper pint in The Rocket is of a higher priority than making a significant change. RedAction has the perfect opportunity to remind the club that the average supporter isn't a club level member with a frequent user card for buying tat in The Armoury. The Average Joe's amongst us who like a few beers before the game can now no longer have a few cans near the ground and when we go into a pub we are forced to stand behind some weird red and white barrier if we wish to stand outside.

Making the ground a more welcoming place to drink and using this to create an atmosphere should be the main caause of RedAction but all the time their biggest marketing tool is The Rocket this will never happen.

In all honesty no change with time of arrival. We have tried again this season to get things going as far as leaving earlier but it just seems most want to stay in the bar. One thing that has been put forward was to try and get a general call out re getting in early for the Porto game. Therefore not just making it a 'Rocket' thing and hopefully get other people involved such as yourself who would not either drink in the Rocket or join in the march etc, what do you think, might it work.

We have spoken to the caterers on untold occasions and they have even approached us and asked us why people don't get in the ground earlier. We have said its not rocket science what you need is cheap prices and fast service, but it just seems to completely pass them by. We will keep pressing the point however and lets hope they see sense.

Totally agree about inside the ground and really hope that one day we will be in that position.

Well it is the same group so no change there and we have asked for the opportunity to do at least an equivalent of the old North Bank Knees Up we used to have, but again we get blocked by Stadium Management and health and safety etc. I know that sounds a bit of a cop out but it is the truth.

Point taken with regard to inside the ground and let me assure we are trying.

Thanks for the input.

Thanks for the honest reply Alan.

I do believe you when you are say you are being blocked by stadium management etc.

Has anyone ever asked them though why it is possible for the club to have their after game guest celebrity appearances with a price reduction on beer (do they still do this after games?) and not to have something similar beforehand?

I think it would be a very interesting debate with the management on why this is not allowed. They have have the facilities and staff to cater for 60,000 people so why does it matter if a few thousand of them meet around the bars in the orange quadrant earlier?

Anyhow, what the fuck could the club do about it if we all arrived en masse at say 2pm? Are they going to turn you away and say the ground is full, you can't come in yet? It is not as if they can employ a one in one out system. We have tickets and we are legally entitled to be there.

I remember the old North Bank Knees up and theyn were good fun before the games. I also remember in the North Bank bands playing before the game and although they wasn't my cup of tea all the time at least there was some noise and atmosphere. Would the club really say no to a drummer or similar before the game winding the atmosphere up a notch or two? Probably, but it is worth exploring.

My gripe with RedAction Alan is this. You keep asking the club politiely if we can only to be told no on almost every occasion. Why not just go against their will for a change?

If it is leaflets you want to hand out advertising something or asking for support then do it. It is fine to hand out Arsenal credit card application forms so I see no reson why RedAction could not do similar. It is ok for the club to advertise social functions using the stadium facilities after a game so why not you do the same beforehand?

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that the club feel like they now have you in their pocket. Your old website showed the running battles you had with the club over their daft policies and you highlighted their inadequacies and lack of reasonable, genuine answers. Those daft policies are still there but now you try to work with them with no or little chance of them changing thier attitude. It is rather like Heather Mills asking a tiger to turn vegan.

By all means still talk to the club and secure the small wins you have acheived in the past but do things off your own back and if the club don't like it then fuck them.

[augie]

So basically start being more militant and agressive with the club in pursuit of the fan's issues ? I could have sworn some wise and perceptive member suggested this very course of action on the last page

[Percy Dalton]

So basically start being more militant and agressive with the club in pursuit of the fan's issues ? I could have sworn some wise and perceptive member suggested this very course of action on the last page

You know we think allike!

[marcengels]

For what it's worth, I don't believe there is a great deal that can be done to make a significant difference. The nature of Arsenal's support at the stadium and any real sense of togetherness/cause really means that it will all be tinkering at the edges.

The club want what they've got now.

[Boomer]

I think it would be a very interesting debate with the management on why this is not allowed. They have have the facilities and staff to cater for 60,000 people so why does it matter if a few thousand of them meet around the bars in the orange quadrant earlier?

Anyhow, what the fuck could the club do about it if we all arrived en masse at say 2pm? Are they going to turn you away and say the ground is full, you can't come in yet? It is not as if they can employ a one in one out system. We have tickets and we are legally entitled to be there.

I remember the old North Bank Knees up and theyn were good fun before the games. I also remember in the North Bank bands playing before the game and although they wasn't my cup of tea all the time at least there was some noise and atmosphere. Would the club really say no to a drummer or similar before the game winding the atmosphere up a notch or two? Probably, but it is worth exploring.

My gripe with RedAction Alan is this. You keep asking the club politiely if we can only to be told no on almost every occasion. Why not just go against their will for a change?

If it is leaflets you want to hand out advertising something or asking for support then do it. It is fine to hand out Arsenal credit card application forms so I see no reson why RedAction could not do similar. It is ok for the club to advertise social functions using the stadium facilities after a game so why not you do the same beforehand?

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that the club feel like they now have you in their pocket. Your old website showed the running battles you had with the club over their daft policies and you highlighted their inadequacies and lack of reasonable, genuine answers. Those daft policies are still there but now you try to work with them with no or little chance of them changing thier attitude. It is rather like Heather Mills asking a tiger to turn vegan.

By all means still talk to the club and secure the small wins you have acheived in the past but do things off your own back and if the club don't like it then fuck them.

I might be able to give some answers/help/generalisation on some points.

1) I think the club have stopped the early & post cheap pint. Well atleat it's no longer advertised on the tanoy.
I know o2 customers can text the day of the game (from a certain time) for a free pint for the 1st X amount of customers. I forget the figures because I only remembered seeing the advert.
You do tend to get a rush a fans on a kick-off as most are leaving nearby pubs. CL night are just riddiculous trying to get in but I don't know how that can be fixed given UEFA's no drink policy. If the Club drink prices were competitve and the drinks weren't watered down I could see more going to the staduim early. Especially if there's another game on the screens.

2) I vaguely remembered the band but then I was at the CE. Block 5 itself did have a drummer. What happened to her as I've not seen her? She was once asked to stop and escorted out during a game but within minutes and mass backing was re-instated alonmg with the drum. However, she was a bit shit! lol
So the club don't shouldn't have an issue with a band as they allow the drum.

3)I have seen leaflets passed around or notices left on seats. However, this may go back (Alan) to the points surrounding the dis-interest of RA. I've seen fans further down block 5 laugh at these with some saying "why should I be told what to do or sing" (don't shoot the messenger!) I now you can't please everyone! The leaflets only ever seem to be passed around the one block. The odd few may spill into the next blocks.

Maybe as a suggestion almost re-brand or have a fresh start. A leaflet/match day programme article or note preferably all on the same game. Advising fans What RA is, what it tries to do and asking for help and support and importantly providing contact details etc...
Fans might need educating on RA?!!?

[alanalansunderland]

I know Alan and I ahve had our fall outs about RedAction but I think quibbling about a flag and a scarf is a bit meaningless.

The flag is better than no flag and the scarves were a gimmick.

My issues with RedAction are to do with what I feel are more important issues.

I do not have a problem with the march, although I would never be involved, but I do have a problem with how late this sees our apparently noisiest fans enter the ground. To be honest I have stopped noticing but has there been any change in this Alan?

Also, I have long said if you want to do something about atmosphere then instead of creating this in a student bar a mile down the road why not speak to the club about staging the meet inside the ground? The beer prices in The Rocket are not that cheap and anyone inside the club with any commercial nous must see there is a deal to be done here.

By all means use The Rocket after the match and for your parties etc but why use it before hand? All truly great atmospheres start well before kick off but ours start when certain individuals turn up, right on kick off or after.

The Rocket to me is a distinct distraction from what RedAction aim to acheive. To trumpet the cause of trying to raise the roof in the ground while you spend the minimum time in it possible is both contradictory and counterproductive.

The old RedAction, before they became cosy bedfellows wioth the club, used to make a lot of noise inside the ground before the game. Why no longer? This was one of the core values of the organisation and the loss of this why I doubt the true meaning of todays band.

It has long seemed to me that a slightly cheaper pint in The Rocket is of a higher priority than making a significant change. RedAction has the perfect opportunity to remind the club that the average supporter isn't a club level member with a frequent user card for buying tat in The Armoury. The Average Joe's amongst us who like a few beers before the game can now no longer have a few cans near the ground and when we go into a pub we are forced to stand behind some weird red and white barrier if we wish to stand outside.

Making the ground a more welcoming place to drink and using this to create an atmosphere should be the main caause of RedAction but all the time their biggest marketing tool is The Rocket this will never happen.

In all honesty no change with time of arrival. We have tried again this season to get things going as far as leaving earlier but it just seems most want to stay in the bar. One thing that has been put forward was to try and get a general call out re getting in early for the Porto game. Therefore not just making it a 'Rocket' thing and hopefully get other people involved such as yourself who would not either drink in the Rocket or join in the march etc, what do you think, might it work.

We have spoken to the caterers on untold occasions and they have even approached us and asked us why people don't get in the ground earlier. We have said its not rocket science what you need is cheap prices and fast service, but it just seems to completely pass them by. We will keep pressing the point however and lets hope they see sense.

Totally agree about inside the ground and really hope that one day we will be in that position.

Well it is the same group so no change there and we have asked for the opportunity to do at least an equivalent of the old North Bank Knees Up we used to have, but again we get blocked by Stadium Management and health and safety etc. I know that sounds a bit of a cop out but it is the truth.

Point taken with regard to inside the ground and let me assure we are trying.

Thanks for the input.

Thanks for the honest reply Alan.

I do believe you when you are say you are being blocked by stadium management etc.

Has anyone ever asked them though why it is possible for the club to have their after game guest celebrity appearances with a price reduction on beer (do they still do this after games?) and not to have something similar beforehand?

I think it would be a very interesting debate with the management on why this is not allowed. They have have the facilities and staff to cater for 60,000 people so why does it matter if a few thousand of them meet around the bars in the orange quadrant earlier?

Anyhow, what the fuck could the club do about it if we all arrived en masse at say 2pm? Are they going to turn you away and say the ground is full, you can't come in yet? It is not as if they can employ a one in one out system. We have tickets and we are legally entitled to be there.

I remember the old North Bank Knees up and theyn were good fun before the games. I also remember in the North Bank bands playing before the game and although they wasn't my cup of tea all the time at least there was some noise and atmosphere. Would the club really say no to a drummer or similar before the game winding the atmosphere up a notch or two? Probably, but it is worth exploring.

My gripe with RedAction Alan is this. You keep asking the club politiely if we can only to be told no on almost every occasion. Why not just go against their will for a change?

If it is leaflets you want to hand out advertising something or asking for support then do it. It is fine to hand out Arsenal credit card application forms so I see no reson why RedAction could not do similar. It is ok for the club to advertise social functions using the stadium facilities after a game so why not you do the same beforehand?

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that the club feel like they now have you in their pocket. Your old website showed the running battles you had with the club over their daft policies and you highlighted their inadequacies and lack of reasonable, genuine answers. Those daft policies are still there but now you try to work with them with no or little chance of them changing thier attitude. It is rather like Heather Mills asking a tiger to turn vegan.

By all means still talk to the club and secure the small wins you have acheived in the past but do things off your own back and if the club don't like it then fuck them.

Hi Percy

Just to answer a few of your questions. No they don't do the after match stuff anymore and apparently this is a licensing issue. The Performing Rights Society charge a levy for any 'live' performances based on the crowd attending. Originally Arsenal were paying their fee on the basis that you might get a couple of thousand maximum staying behind. However the PRS then came back to them and said they wanted the fee paid to be on the basis that there are 60,000 in the ground! I think this goes to show that the petty levels of red tape go on and on. Ridiculous reasoning makes th average person suffer.

We are hoping to get a drummer for the Porto game.

I take your point about being more militant and maybe we should be seen to be making more of an effort on that point and I will relay that to the others.

One thought on that though was just before the national flag ban was lifted we had basically had enough of being told that we could not bring flags in so we put the call out through all the usual channels for people to bring their flags in on one particular night. We also bought 200 george crosses and distributed them before the match. Guess what, there were about 20 on show in the REDsection and about 5 elsewhere. Now this was a subject that people had ranted and raved about for ages and we were continually being asked 'what are you doing about it'. We took action and no one supported it.

I am beginning to wonder whether marcengels is correct with his assertion that the support at Arsenal has changed to such an extent that anything we do will only ever taken up by the few.

[Percy Dalton]

Alan,

Marcangels maybe right but I have a feeling if you disassociated yourself from the club and done things off your own back then people might see RedAction as a cause worth taking interest in.

Aligning yourself with the club will always cause suspicion. On this thread you can see their are rumours about funding and backhanders etc. Taking away the official link and going back to the stand alone group of old would be an entirely positive move.

RedAction is for Arsenal fans not for Arsenal Football Club and whilst in an ideal world the two parties would work together I cannot see how you are going to represent what supporters want when the club itself is seperating themself with a certain type of Gooner.

[flash gunner]

Alan,

Marcangels maybe right but I have a feeling if you disassociated yourself from the club and done things off your own back then people might see RedAction as a cause worth taking interest in.

Aligning yourself with the club will always cause suspicion. On this thread you can see their are rumours about funding and backhanders etc. Taking away the official link and going back to the stand alone group of old would be an entirely positive move.

RedAction is for Arsenal fans not for Arsenal Football Club and whilst in an ideal world the two parties would work together I cannot see how you are going to represent what supporters want when the club itself is seperating themself with a certain type of Gooner.

I think breaking with the club would be positive regarding the fans and membership of RA but the down side would be the club wouldnt do anything about their issues then.... The club doesnt have to take a blind bit of notice of the hardcore fans anymore there are more than enough 'others' to take our places

[stg]

Things I think RedAction should be fighting for and doing

1-Getting into the ground at least 30 mins before ko to help create this so called geat atmosphere they have in the pub in the ground where the players and fans need it.

2-Better beer, lager, food and the pricing. Finding a way of shortening the lines at half-time for beer food ect

3-more 'arsenalization' around the ground what has been done is good but how about nameing the quadrents giving the fans a sence of identity within the ground. Nameing the gates instead of having gate 'B' have the Bergkamp gate ect.

4-Doing something about the 14 touts I see every home game from the Arsenal tube station around to the steps.

You can have these ideas for free if you are truly representing the fans then do something that will make the fans want to join you. Having banners for ex-players is not going to do that, showing your support for the players we have might. Encouraging fans to get into the ground earlier and singing support for our current players might do that sitting in a bar will not. Giving out scarves was a great idea but how many fans knew who they were from or why?

You need to be in the ground in the fans faces showing them who and what you are all about not sitting in a bar or marching towards the ground(by the way talking to people who bring some children and slightly older fans they think this is intimidating to ordanary people walking along the streets)

1) agree and we will keep trying
2) in discussions with the caterers constantly and fighting for the changes you want..
3) well I think we have done quite well so far since Gazidis took over and I nkow more things are in the pipeline. The quadrants are going to be renamed soon.
4) Don't really see touting as a REDaction issue, however I know that it has constantly been mentioned in fans forums (usually by me). The police attiude is that they are making steps but they don't particularly advertise what they are doing for obvious reasons. The problem lies with the magistrates in that when they look at touting cases they don't really see it as a serikous crime despite the polce pushing for sanctions the touts tend to get of with a slap of a fine and are then back out there again

I think your last 2 paragraphs do show some of the problems any supporters organisation faces.

If we had really advertised that it was us who put out all the scarves then you would have got the comments look at lot bigging themselves up again who do they think are etc, but on the flipside of that you are now saying we should blow our own trumpet more.



Then you say we should be in peoples faces and then that some find the march intimidating!

I'm not having a go at you personally just trying to make a point.

So you are saying that you feel you are in a no win situation then. If you do do something you cant take all the credit as you feel people win moan but if you dont take any credit then people will moan that your not doing anything.

You as a group need then to bight the bullet and do one or the other. You either stand up and say "we are redaction and this is what we do" or not really bother.

[goonerben.n5]

Alan,

Marcangels maybe right but I have a feeling if you disassociated yourself from the club and done things off your own back then people might see RedAction as a cause worth taking interest in.

Aligning yourself with the club will always cause suspicion. On this thread you can see their are rumours about funding and backhanders etc. Taking away the official link and going back to the stand alone group of old would be an entirely positive move.

RedAction is for Arsenal fans not for Arsenal Football Club and whilst in an ideal world the two parties would work together I cannot see how you are going to represent what supporters want when the club itself is seperating themself with a certain type of Gooner.

I think breaking with the club would be positive regarding the fans and membership of RA but the down side would be the club wouldnt do anything about their issues then.... The club doesnt have to take a blind bit of notice of the hardcore fans anymore there are more than enough 'others' to take our places

This is exactly the kind of "no win" problem that REDaction faces. There are lots of things we can do whether the club like it or not. But, there are a load of other things that we absolutely need the club's support on, otherwise they cannot happen.

Some examples. Lets not worry too much about whether you liked these actual ideas or not - but giving away 15,000 orange t-shirts inside the ground to pay tribute to DB10; or giving away 57,000 red and white scarves on seats; or getting into club level to drop a 40ft by 15ft flag onto the lower tier - these things just cannot happen without some degree of help from the club.

Generally also, you can't be asking them for help (or at least to turn a blind eye) one day; then saying "screw you we are going to do this whether you like it or not" the next day; then asking for help again the day after.

So, there is a choice. Either tell the club where to go, and confine ourselves to only being able to do relatively small things for ever more. Or, get in bed with the club, sell out, and get their help to do only PC, club approved things. The alternative is to try to do some of both, and to combine AFC being willing to allow us to do things, with trying to do things that are more in line with what proper fans actually want. It attracts criticism from all sides (from AFC when we do things they don't like, and from fans who say we are the club's puppets). Given that situation, how do you ever win?

Of course, the real, underlying problem is in the number of people that are actually willing to get off their arses and actively support what any fans' group does. Although you see the Rocket full most weekends, and you see a REDsection full of people, REDaction has no "members". Over the past five years, I would say that 95% of everything that has happened under the REDaction banner, is the result of fewer than a dozen central people organising it.

If we were able to go from a dozen active organisers to a hundred - that would suddenly make lots of things possible, and mean that we would no longer need the club's support. But the lack of willingness of decent numbers of people to get active is a real constraint on what we can do.