Black bank

[redbrez]

What happened with this project..?
Thought it was progressing well, but seems nothing has happened much last season? It's a shame cos it was a good inecetive,  do guys still post on here ?

[RedJ]

From what I gather the people who got it off the ground didn't really have the time to keep it going anymore and nobody seemed to properly pick up the mantle.

[drfchound]

What happened with this project..?
Thought it was progressing well, but seems nothing has happened much last season? It's a shame cos it was a good inecetive,  do guys still post on here ?

It is a shame really that it has dwindled away.
It seemed to be after the game when there was a split between some of the lads in there, one group went to the front and were doing different songs etc to the ones left up at the top of the stand.
It hasn’t been the same since.

[Dare to dream!]

Was good when it was running. Completely understand people not having the time to run/organise a project on the side of working full time etc

[Padge_DRFC]

It’s still the same unreserved. Just less people join in and the crowds are smaller than when it started.

[drfchound]

Padge, just an observation here from someone who sits just off to the side of the B.B. lads.
In the main, they sing for a few minutes when the game starts then go very quiet, unless we score which didn’t happen much last season, or they respond if the away teams fans sing anything.
They do appear to have a couple of cheer leaders so maybe it is down to them to get things going.

Over the years we have had a couple of good drummers, lads who initiated chants or songs, but last season for some reason that didn’t happen.
Now if anyone knows a trumpet player or two..............

[Pancho Regan]

It was a really good initiative which brought some much-needed atmosphere to the Keepmoat.

But it seems the lads who organised it didn’t have the staying power to keep it going, sort of ‘here today, gone tomorrow’.
Which was a real shame, because it was good while it lasted.

[wesisback]

It was always a time limited thing for us. We were always quite open that we didn't actually get to enough games to sustain the organisation it actually takes to keep it interesting to people and hoped that someone would emerge from the wings to carry it on but it never came to fruition. I think even now that there's enough interest to see it continue but it needs a blend of someone passionate with having the nous to work with the club itself.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It's not a case of not having the staying power, those lads and lasses, put in a sustained effort to get the thing up and running. You only saw the tip of the iceberg. Inevitably, that effort couldn't be sustained by those individuals who have to get on with their normal lives at some point. Without other enthusiastic individuals ready, willing and able to take up the reigns then we're not going to see the level of planning and preparation.

The Black Bank is not dead however, much of it was creating the space and the freedom for the ebb and flow of the fans to feel able to get behind the team without being restricted. This will happen naturally and will be a reflection of what happens on the pitch. It won't take much of a shift of fortunes to see the bank filling up and making alot of noise.

Having attended the Sheff U friendly, I don't know if it's a new drummer but the lad was on his game so I hope he's there on Saturday.

The Black Bank is only as good as the people that fill it and who engage with the game. If the game becomes boring, then people will resort to playing with their phones.

[RedJ]

The Black Bank is only as good as the people that fill it and who engage with the game

The amount of times I said this last season.

So many people are quick to deride the people who typically sing but are equally keen to sit on their hands and do nothing to help.

[phil old leake]

Come on then lads.  Let’s go for it on Saturday and make an atmospheric arena for the team

[DonnyBazR0ver]

If there's a decent crowd and we score some goals it'll be bouncing. It's intoxicating and people can't help join in!

[Mr1Croft]

A similar discussion was held a few weeks back and what I said then is as relevant to this discussion:

When we started this a few years ago, the idea was that the Black Bank wasn’t a group or a membership club. It was a movement. Anyone who wanted to create an atmosphere was part of the Black Bank.

However over time, people’s commitment changed and no-one really came forward to take on leading it. At least not in the sense of social media, fund-raising, organisation etc., there was also, in my opinion a few key events which really killed the enjoyment for many of us and made us question the time and effort.

The club played their part, within a few months they were keen to use the Black Bank to put messages out about no pyro, no anti-social behaviour and at the Mansfield game they asked us to put a message out about not going on the pitch - the reason why the Black Bank was so successful imo is because it wasn’t a forced atmosphere, being lead by the fans it was organic. As soon as the club tried to dictate to us it was always hard for that message to come through.

At the Stoke game, despite planning this as soon as the draw came out the ticket office refused to give us the seating plans for the south stand to arrange the Tifo “the large DRFC” display. It was only on the Thursday night before the game they reluctantly agreed which gave us less than 48 hours to organise. After a lot of coffee and no sleep for 2 days, myself along with the other main organisers and 10 volunteers got to the stadium hours before and set down nearly 3000 pieces of card with tape and leaflets to match the plan we’d drawn up.

Despite it being imo the single greatest sight of seeing the Black Bank transform into a human tifo displaying DRFC, the club using it for marketing purposes for season tickets and the image going global on social media. The only feedback from the club was how much of a mess it had left behind for stewards.

We had flags “disappearing” some of these were possibly fans stealing and not putting back in the bins, but the larger set which were closely controlled went missing whilst in the ground mans store. No one at the club was willing to take responsibility despite other flags being found having been moved by grounds staff and damaged some flags. These flags were all paid for by the fundraisers and the fans, and it quickly became a habit of having to try to find more money just to replace what the club couldn’t look after.

The club first were unhappy that we were selling Black Bank scarves around the stadium, but after learning we’d sold more scarves in a couple of weeks then the club shop had in a couple of years they approached us to ask if they could use our branding on club merchandise. Now the design was from one of us organisers that was a professional graphic designer, he made it without asking for any contribution and now because it was a roaring success the club wanted to make a profit out of it.

Then there was the change in attitude with club personnel changing. When Ryan Murrant left and Mark Hughesman took over the marketing side there was still communication flowing, but as soon as Shaun Lockwood returned, there has been no attempt for any communication or mentioning of the Black Bank.

Over time, these issues seek to build up, and when you couple that with other fans trying to be ‘top dog’ and competing with each other but not prepared to put the effort in behind the scenes it becomes difficult to keep ignoring your wife and spend your free time on fundraising and co-ordinating the Black Bank.

Its a shame, because the premise and foundation was there for it to become something and when I saw the DRFC display at the Stoke game I was immensely proud; as someone who was there with the likes of SM and DBR when we first sat down with people like Mark Bradley all those years ago to discuss improving the match day atmosphere, to sitting in fan panels, meeting like minded fans on an evening to discuss how to plan, launch and co-ordinate it. It had been a culmination of many supporters efforts over a decade.

[silent majority]

Unfortunately none of this happens by accident. It does take time and effort from a dedicated bunch of individuals. I've seen it at international level, and been involved with it, and it really needs a commitment.

Some of this can be rescued pretty quickly, but it will take some individuals who want this to succeed to come forward and show themselves. I have no idea who that may be, but I'm sure the club will be happy to help where possible.

I have to agree with Lee though, seeing it take hold and grow was satisfying because of the amount of time it took. Getting the club to agree to go 'unreserved seating' in the South Stand took years purely because of issues with the local SAG, season ticket holders and pay on the gate concerns. All that is still in place and that means no structural alterations need to be made, it purely is a case of volunteers and stepping up.

I certainly had no idea of the back story to the scarves issue, I wish I had. But there is still a desire to do more, I even chatted with Gavin about it earlier today, but if someone can unlock this then we're willing to help.

[dknward2]

This sounds like a positive outcome could happen, I truly hope it does I personally don’t sit or stand 😉 in the south stand but it did seem to have a positive effect on the fans at the ground. I hope some group of fans could get together and reignite (insert firestarter joke here) the blank bank into what we all know it could be.

[Mr1Croft]

I certainly had no idea of the back story to the scarves issue, I wish I had.

Just to add a little bit of clarity to that Martin, it was representatives of FBT involved with the operations of the club shop (as opposed to it being anyone directly involved with the club) that both voiced opposition and then sat down with us to discuss introducing black bank branded items in the club shop.

I'm also conscious that my post reads far worse on the club than I intended. I have to say that both Gavin and Ryan Murrant to name a couple were always very supportive and helpful of what we were trying to achieve, it was clear the club had bought into it at the top level but it became increasingly more difficult to deal with the staff responsible at operational level be it the safety team, ground staff etc.,

[DonnyBazR0ver]

We all know it doesn't take too much to get things going again, it doesn't have to be on a scale that requires huge flags/banners etc, but a group of people to stake a claim as leaders to co-ordinate the singing etc. The lads used to meet up in the Hyde Park club didn't they and discuss the game ahead (as well as lubricate the toncils!) It just needs a similar group to form, even if only casually.

I saw the article from the club seeking 'Ambassadors' to promote the club outside the ground. Why not have 'Ambassadors' inside the ground who are tasked and have the incentive to generate noise/songs etc to get things going??