I posted this on another Carlton forum (TBV - 2 weeks ago) but didn't get much response. I only recently found this forum.
Quote:
Can someone enlighten me to the current situation the Carlton banner crew? Over the last few years, I've witnessed an alarming degradation in the quality of the banner in both construction and design.
Whether for cost cutting measures, environmental or time saving, the change to the top half from normal crepe to vinyl or otherwise looks really bad. And this is compounded by the small letters and no artwork. Today, we saw the most pathetic version to date - the letters were not even in a straight line! The only colour on the banner was some yellow tape under one word in a strange attempt to underline the banners' meaning.
We all now how low the club has fallen in on-field performances (and today wasn't much better than our lowest low), but the output from the banner crew seams to be sliding further and further.
I get to see, on average, two matches of AFL each weekend, and when they are in town I see the Melbourne Storm. Every single banner from the 15 AFL Clubs and 1 NRL Club far exceeds what is produced on behalf of Carlton's members in every respect! The artwork is there, the detail is there, the commitment is there!
What I see of the Carlton banner could not take more than 4 hours TOPS to put together with a crew of 5.
So - my questions (after my criticisms):
* What kind of budget does the banner crew run under?
* How many people are involved in the banner crew?
* How long do they spend putting the banner together?
* Who decides what should be placed on the banner?
After reading some of the responses already in this thread, some of my questions have been answered. I am dismayed at the thought of CFC ever thinking of NOT having a banner. I hate the thought of the AFL having to approve everything we want to say. There must be something that we can do to improve the construction and design.