To all our fans,

It is with great sadness and disappointment that we write to advise you that at the conclusion of the 2011 season, the Raiders Army as it has stood for the past decade will come to an end.

Over the course of the past season, the number of Raiders Army fans congregating in Bay 72, at away grounds and at organised social functions has for the most part declined significantly. The factors for why this has occurred are numerous, the foremost one being many senior members over the past decade have moved onto other priorities in their life and are extremely limited, or can no longer participate in, committing to the group activities.

Don Furner and the staff at Raiders HQ have been informed of this decision and have relayed their disappointment that the Raiders Army won’t be continuing on as a supporters group of the Raiders. They also asked us to pass on their appreciation to everyone who was a part of the group from 2002 to present, and that you’ll continue to support our proud club in the future. At this stage the Raiders are unsure of their plans to start a new official supporters group in 2012. As part of the ticketing agreement with NRL, the club has to allocate specific bays for home and away fans. In the past, Bay 72 was the area the club specified. It is unlikely that 72 will be the official Raiders Supporters Bay in 2012.

I’m sure that many members of the RA, whether active or not, will be disappointed to receive this news. The RA has been a big part of many people’s lives for a long time and I know personally that I had ambitions of seeing new, enthusiastic members joining the RA and taking the group forward. Unfortunately this didn’t eventuate as planned.

Over the coming weeks we intend on saying farewell to the RA and would like as many members, old and new, to join us. The first of these is the last home game of the season this Saturday August 27th v Penrith in what will be the last appearance in Bay 72 for the group. It has now been confirmed this is Alan Tongue’s last home game also which will add to the celebration.

Next on the Agenda is an RA only BBQ at Raiders HQ with the players and staff of the club. You would hopefully have received an invite via email for this event. If not, I have attached it. It is vital that you RSVP if you plan on attending the BBQ.

The following week is the final game of season 2011 v the Bulldogs at Homebush on Sunday 4th of September, and a great chance to see our team and Tonguey for one last time this year. This will also be the last RA gathering at the football and it will surely be one not to miss. A lot of the Canberra based RA are keen to catch up with some familiar faces that we look forward to seeing at the away grounds and will be making the trip for this game. The final event on the RA calendar will surely be one of the best, with the grand finale being one of our famous Super Saturday’s on the 10th of September. At this stage the details aren’t finalised but will be advertised and emailed shortly.

Finally, the wheels are in motion to put together some sort of history of the group during the past 10 years which will hopefully include the reviews, photos and various news articles. If you have anything you think may be suitable as content for this task (particularly news stories), can you please forward them to kw@raidersarmy.com.

Until the final whistle, WE ARE THE….

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