Haven't read all of this thread but are we now knowed as the Shallow Hals :-) If the girls are reading this I would just like to point out that half the guys on here have genitals the size of acorns, feel free to post and ridicule them. :-)
How do you know they have genitals the size of acorns?
Eh? They are Charlton fans silly, manlove and all that geez.
As for your point about the proposal - Charlton contacted the girls with the idea (including the name which has been slated). The cheerleaders were sceptical at first for many reasons including the fact that a few of their ex-girls are cheerleaders at palace and they didn't want their image to be perceived like that (something they actually have in common with the Charlton supporters)! The girls didn't realise the club hadn't spoken to the fans about it beforehand, hence their surprise at the reaction on twitter and this forum.
The students union at Greenwich supported the girls with the idea as it seemed like a great way to promote themselves, volunteering in the community, the partnership with the club and a chance to do something a bit different. I obviously wouldn't be able to comment on why the club thought it was a good idea to contact the girls before consulting with their fanbase but the whole point of their outrage has been missed - they understand that it's a minority of people making negative comments but it doesn't make it acceptable or any easier to read. A personal comment or 100, it still upset not just the girls in the photograph but their entire squad.
Mikey
As you say - That's fair enough.
I hope that you (and the mermaids) accept that mine (and I suspect many other supporters) opposition to the proposal was as much about concern for the young women (for the reasons I gave) as it was that we don't want to see US style imports like cheerleaders at football matches.
I also hope that this episode will not deter the students union from involving itself in other ways in the university's partnership with the club.
I agree Mick as my earlier post stated I originally contacted the marketing department as I had met them at Sparrows lane. I in fact met the head of sports science who apparently with the head of marketing are the key people in the sponsorship deal. I thought that there were some interesting ways that the trust could work with the university, as they are based in the community and will be I am sure part of the academy new plan's ( that I had written about in the last trust news) As i say I have received no reply from the marketing department who I was referred to. In fact the brief conversation that I had with the head of marketing was very short, The lady did not really seem interested. She has not bothered to return my calls or emails to herself or her colleagues. Of course that is there prerogative, but I feel this is a missed opportunity. Her counter part at the student Union was a lot more receptive, and we discussed a couple of possible ideas relating to attending there open sports days. I should imagine that there may well be a negative opinion of supporters of this club now. Hopefully if I get the opportunity to meet the student union, and perhaps in future the Uni might like to contact the trust as one of the people who do represent the supporters, and discuss the obvious benefits to a good relationship. Perhaps if the University marketing team had contacted a recognised support group, this episode could have been managed a little better. I am more than happy to discuss with the University, or the students union. Hopefully this episode has not damaged the relationship between the University, it's students and the supporters. Perhaps the club might like to comment?
As someone who knows them well, your comments about UoG marketing department sound pretty accurate. it is a common view in the university that there is room for improvement in the way marketing work. There is a lot of activity around improving marketing and communications, so it should get better. My guess is that there was little thought about the consequences of cheerleaders at Charlton other than it sounds a fun idea and fits the sponsorship deal. Almost certainly there would be little understanding of reaction of fans.
Not sure who you talked to from sports science, but there are some good people there. There are already a number of projects within the University in various areas working with the trust and the plan is that it will grow. In fact I have a couple of possibilities that I hope to talk to the trust about in the next few months.
i doubt if there is particularly a negative view about charlton at UoG. There is quite a strong base of both staff and student supporters and the club has (rightly) a strong image community club image. There are even Millwall and Palace fans at UoG who grudgingly give charlton credit for the work they do.
overall this was a daft idea and some stupid and offensive comments here and elsewhere, but that is unlikely to have a major impact in the long run. There is definitely room for some care and supportive words to the cheerleaders who appear to have been put into a difficult position. I hope people from both the University and club provide this in an appropriate way.
Thanks for your comments Henry. I spoke to Scarlett at the Students union who as I say was very approachable. Does that ring any bells? It was the head of Sports science, the said 'Dr'. I would prefer not to name the personnel at the UOG. As I say it is there perrogative if they wish to speak to the trust, but as the liason/comms officer of the trust I am probably the best person to contact. By the way at the time I myself was working in the marketing department of a local college, so I do have some idea how these things work, or not in this case. It is not as if they do not have people responsible for community liason as there own website states.
I might have a chat with you if you don't mind. I am keen to exploit this relationship in any way i can for good of both University and club. I don't know people at students union, but I do have a project which would be an interesting three way partnership between uog, su, and trust. happy to discuss ways we can take this forward
Delighted to take you up on that offer Henry. And yes I am the liason officer of the supporters trust, but then this is a supporters website, and it is the supporters that have commentated. I noticed the club have not. Give me a message on here to contact, you or get me through the trust. I am down at the Valley at the museum on Friday, and at the AGM of the trust on Thursday at the bugle. By the way the 'Dr' was the head of sports science. I am sure you know who he is? .
The lady who wrote the statement on Facebook seemed hurt by the comments on here.
We are a family club, so supposedly, we should be more open minded to such an idea...but we are not, so that kind of answers the question that the two things probably don't suit each other, football and cheerleading that is.
Comments
And yes I am the liason officer of the supporters trust, but then this is a supporters website, and it is the supporters that have commentated. I noticed the club have not.
Give me a message on here to contact, you or get me through the trust.
I am down at the Valley at the museum on Friday, and at the AGM of the trust on Thursday at the bugle. By the way the 'Dr' was the head of sports science. I am sure you know who he is? .
We are a family club, so supposedly, we should be more open minded to such an idea...but we are not, so that kind of answers the question that the two things probably don't suit each other, football and cheerleading that is.