Richmond faces $1m hole after 5400 members fall off from this time last year * Sam Edmund
* From: Herald Sun
* January 14, 2010 RICHMOND is staring down the barrel of a $1 million shortfall, with its membership levels sagging.
The Tigers are down 5400 members on the same time last year, when Ben Cousins joined the club and generated enormous interest.
The membership vacuum this month equates to more than $1 million in club revenue.
Richmond officials are confident the numbers will improve, pointing out memberships went on sale two weeks later than normal and that the excitement with Cousins' arrival was always going to be impossible to match.
Chief executive Brendon Gale yesterday urged Tigers fans to stick with the yellow and black.
"We exist for our members. To have 37,000 members (in 2009) and to have not won a premiership since 1980 says a lot about the loyalty of the Richmond faithful," Gale said. "We want them to stay on this journey with us."
Last January Richmond had signed more than 23,500 members in what was a boom summer for the club.
The Tigers were even flooded with membership inquiries from West Australians eager to follow Cousins' return to football and the 2009 membership total of 36,985 smashed all records.
But the novelty has worn off after a disappointing season in which the Tigers finished 15th.
Terry Wallace was sacked as coach, Kane Johnson, Joel Bowden and favourite son Matthew Richardson retired and veterans Nathan Brown and Mark Coughlan were among nine players axed following a tumultuous season.
As of yesterday, the Tigers had 18,100 members. But Gale said he was buoyed by the fact 1000 of those were new.
"We operate in a competitive environment," Gale said. "Clearly we underperformed last season. This year is a year of transformation on and off the field. We've got a clearly defined game plan that we believe will deliver sustained success and there's been a huge turnover at the club over summer."
Gale was excited by Richardson's decision to split his first year of retirement between media commitments and a commercial operations role at the club.
"He's going to have to come to work in a suit every day and get his hands dirty," Gale said. "It's a serious job with serious responsibilities. He has bled for this club over many years and he's a passionate Richmond person."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-faces-1m-hole-after-5400-members-fall-off-from-this-time-last-year/story-e6frf9io-1225818990954
