Official Sponsors and Partners Thread

[Lilbaz]

How do those against SOCIOS sponsorship of THFC feel about betting booths at football stadia? They are okay but tokens aren’t?

I think it’s probably a bit of gimmick. There doesn’t seem to be enough integration yet to make it useful and meaningful. For example if you could gift someone a pint and pay for it on your phone using tokens etc maybe these kinds of things will develop. But I can see this fad being around for a few years before it’s replaced or updated. But in the meantime if they are willing to pay for a Bentancur or other player with their sponsorship, I think the benefits outweigh the potential negatives. Fans are not zombie conformists who can’t think for themselves. There are so many betting apps, betting shops etc this is probably less dangerous and damaging.

If you say so.

 

[parklane1]

I know you hate the trust and slag them off at any chance you get but do you REALLY think that is their issue here?

i think they are made up of folks ( trying to be kind to them) who think they are important and are of use . When the truth is that the VAST majority of fans think they are a waste of space.

 

[Gutter Boy]

Isn't it a bit insensitive that in the Socios email, the club have put a picture of an Indonesian looking girl in a headscarf? I.e. a country where gambling and currency trading is forbidden?

 

[Aldo]

Isn't it a bit insensitive that in the Socios email, the club have put a picture of an Indonesian looking girl in a headscarf? I.e. a country where gambling and currency trading is forbidden?

...it's insensitive because you've decided she looks Indonesian?

 

[Gutter Boy]

...it's insensitive because you've decided she looks Indonesian?

Well a headscarf is a religious symbol from the religion of that country that also prohibits it

 

[JerusalemMan]

Isn't it a bit insensitive that in the Socios email, the club have put a picture of an Indonesian looking girl in a headscarf? I.e. a country where gambling and currency trading is forbidden?

She could be British.

 

[DubSpur]

Well a headscarf is a religious symbol from the religion of that country that also prohibits it

Isn't it a religious symbol in multiple countries? Could be just a fashion statement?

 

[Gutter Boy]

Isn't it a religious symbol in multiple countries? Could be just a fashion statement?

Same as the guy in the kippah in the Danish Bacon advert

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

Isn't it a religious symbol in multiple countries? Could be just a fashion statement?

Bloke from the sopranos that was also a guitarist wears them all the time.

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

Bloke from the sopranos that was also a guitarist wears them all the time.

Steve van Zandt

 

[Lemonade Money]

She could be British.

Rascist!

 

[nelto]

Bloke from the sopranos that was also a guitarist wears them all the time.

“Was” a guitarist? Quick somebody tell Bruce!

 

[Lilbaz]

Well a headscarf is a religious symbol from the religion of that country that also prohibits it

Hindus also wear them. So do some budhist women.

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

“Was” a guitarist? Quick somebody tell Bruce!

It's Ben

 

[braineclipse]

How do those against SOCIOS sponsorship of THFC feel about betting booths at football stadia? They are okay but tokens aren’t?

I think it’s probably a bit of gimmick. There doesn’t seem to be enough integration yet to make it useful and meaningful. For example if you could gift someone a pint and pay for it on your phone using tokens etc maybe these kinds of things will develop. But I can see this fad being around for a few years before it’s replaced or updated. But in the meantime if they are willing to pay for a Bentancur or other player with their sponsorship, I think the benefits outweigh the potential negatives. Fans are not zombie conformists who can’t think for themselves. There are so many betting apps, betting shops etc this is probably less dangerous and damaging.

I think the relationship between football clubs and gambling companies is problematic for sure. Rather obviously so.

For me this is another step in that direction. A company that (imo) is rather obviously trying to exploit people, in this case exploit fans of the club. You could argue it's no worse than gambling companies, I can see that argument. But still think it's unnecessary to add another one of those exploitative efforts aimed at our fans.

 

[braineclipse]

Is it any worse than the state authorised lottery?

They're both just a stupid tax.

Saying that it's no worse than the state lottery is a false equivalency imo.

All forms of institutionalised gambling probably has negative effects in some ways. That doesn't mean that those negative effects are equal in their quality or magnitude.

 

[braineclipse]

There's no evidence that it's a Ponzi scheme, just because some cryptos are doesn't mean they all are.
From the little that I can see the crypto side is only a part of it, you buy tokens and use them to take part in votes, games etc. Wouldn't be for me but could see the appeal for others.

There are potential use cases for crypto that could add societal value, though that's still unproven. What value there will be is still uncertain.

What is certain imo is that this is not that use case at all.

I don't think it's necessarily directly a ponzi scheme. Seems like a rather blatant pump and dump along with a crypto promotion that probably will end up either a ponzi scheme or similar enough to not warrant a real distinction for our purposes.

 

[SpurMeUp]

I think the relationship between football clubs and gambling companies is problematic for sure. Rather obviously so.

For me this is another step in that direction. A company that (imo) is rather obviously trying to exploit people, in this case exploit fans of the club. You could argue it's no worse than gambling companies, I can see that argument. But still think it's unnecessary to add another one of those exploitative efforts aimed at our fans.

Yet clubs up and down the land have betting shops in stadiums. And most damaging of all there are a plethora of betting shops you can carry around in your pocket 24/7. This is straight up gambling. Socios isn’t straight up gambling. It pertains to something more complex interesting and dynamic. A currency you could easily buy club merchandise, drink and food with. Or transfer gifts to friends. Or maybe even place bets, game or pay for added value. In short things that are available to people anyway.

And if it allows us to sign one more key player that we wouldn’t have had otherwise - great.

 

[braineclipse]

Yet clubs up and down the land have betting shops in stadiums. And most damaging of all there are a plethora of betting shops you can carry around in your pocket 24/7. This is straight up gambling. Socios isn’t straight up gambling. It pertains to something more complex interesting and dynamic. A currency you could easily buy club merchandise, drink and food with. Or transfer gifts to friends. Or maybe even place bets, game or pay for added value. In short things that are available to people anyway.

And if it allows us to sign one more key player that we wouldn’t have had otherwise - great.

That's the thing though. That betting is available and being promoted to people no matter what the club does. Doesn't make it right, but the impact of what the club does is probably fairly limited in that ecosystem. Doesn't make it ok in my book.

Socios is a new way to target people with exploitation. People will be targeted by this that otherwise wouldn't be reached by Socios or similar companies.

I'm no good at predicting the future. All the uses of this you suggest can already be done easily in other ways. It's really not that difficult to buy someone a pint. I think this will be a fad that is gone and has no further value soon enough. Meanwhile chances are some fans that are vulnerable to this kind of thing will lose money, probably for some real money that they can't afford to lose. Money they wouldn't have lost in this way is not for this partnership.

Is that worth (part of) a new signing? Doesn't affect me personally. I won't get involved, my family won't, my friends won't. For me it's still not worth it. Not when the direct financial exploitation of our fans is the very purpose of this company (imo).

 

[DubSpur]

There are potential use cases for crypto that could add societal value, though that's still unproven. What value there will be is still uncertain.

What is certain imo is that this is not that use case at all.

I don't think it's necessarily directly a ponzi scheme. Seems like a rather blatant pump and dump along with a crypto promotion that probably will end up either a ponzi scheme or similar enough to not warrant a real distinction for our purposes.

So it’s not a ponzi scheme but will be a Ponzi scheme?

There have been cryptos that were scams or Ponzi schemes, or were used as the basis of a Ponzi scheme, but the likes of Bitcoin aren’t Ponzi schemes. This doesn’t have any indication it’s a Ponzi scheme. The tokens will be used to buy stuff and be in with a chance to win things (basically entering a raffle). I could be totally wrong but I don’t see many supporters pumping thousands into it.