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attendance
Sept 21, 2014 12:55:04 GMT 1
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Post by draytonginge on Sept 21, 2014 12:55:04 GMT 1
Dissapionting turn out Saturday I thourght. Big pat on a the back to all us diehards though I thourght your suppose to stick with your team through the good times and the bad, not sit at home and sulk about last season. Hopefully if town stay in the top six it might eventually intise some back.
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Post by champagneprince on Sept 21, 2014 13:47:54 GMT 1
Some, possibly many, fans have become disillusioned by what has happened since the move to the new ground. It lacks atmosphere, has a poor location, has silly rules on car parking etc.
We have had one really good season where it finally looked like we had turned a corner and maybe all the above things could be 'tolerated' much easier.
But last year was disastrous, it showed a complete lack of ambition and a detachment from the fans. People just lost any faith that the matchday experience was going to be better than doing something else on a Saturday afternoon.
Once they've made that decision it's much harder to get them back because if we do go back up will it be the same again in a year/two years time ? Many people don't want us to be a yo-yo club between Leagues 1 and 2 or even watch the teams we are seeing this season.
However, the club do seem to have recognised where they got it wrong but it's going to take a lot more work yet to get those fans back who lost the faith.
Statues, filling in the corners, standing areas, supporters bar, better family deals, relaxed parking etc are all still to be addressed, but the path forward is now open where once it seemed to be closed. The Loggerheads is back, we a have a squad of players who are our own, we are about to have a club shop in the town centre.
There is plenty to be positive about but winning back old fans and enticing new ones isn't going to be easy.
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attendance
Sept 21, 2014 14:12:55 GMT 1
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Post by shrewsoftheworld on Sept 21, 2014 14:12:55 GMT 1
The prince has it spot on.
Think the club and us fans really need to work together to continue to build on the positive steps so far thus season after last years unmitigated disaster.
Improving the overall 'match day experience' is key to that (I don't mean things like contrived artificial goal music) and for it to work it need to come predominantly from the fans with the club creating the environment to make it happen.
It will be difficult with such a generally laid back fan base but not impossible if everyone pulls together.
I dream of being able to belt out a club anthem within a bouncing crowd surrounded by a sea of blue and amber but can't see it happening any time soon sadly.
MK dons away in the play off semi is the one time that really sticks in the memory where everyone came together as one and belted out hey Jude in a spontaneous response to their half time 'entertainment'
Could we become a lower league (for now) version of palace and transform the atmosphere at GM?!? Gaining a reputation as a crowd which really gets behind the team however they are playing and improving the match day experience in a proper football kind of way.
They have really utilised the 'ultra movement' to really good effect and this has definitely helped massively in getting back to the top flight......who's up for forming the loggerhead legion?!??
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2014 14:29:52 GMT 1
Main reason is cost and what the punters perception is value for money. In general the cost for lower league football is too high anyway, and looking on other clubs message boards recently I have noticed that declining gates is a common concern particularly in the lower leagues!
In my son's eyes who can now only attend a handful of games a season, mainly due to work, the cost £20 per match is a lot to pay out for a 19 year old, and £90 to shell out for 5 is not a sensible option when the size of earnings are in most cases at that age limited. Naturally he will evaluate value for money now whereas before it did not matter when he was a junior and I would buy his ST for him!
The jump of a season ticket from £195 for a 16 to 18 year old to the adult price to over £300 whilst understanding it has to happen, is also quite a jump for young supporters who have turned 19 to be able to afford unless subsidised by their parents! As it is I have bought 2 his last 3 match tickets Stevenage away and yesterday, he is paying for Norwich cup match ticket.
Every season a number of the younger Season Ticket holders will not feel they can renew, but I don't think they are lost and hopefully will become regulars/ ST holders in the future when their finances dictate!
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Post by champagneprince on Sept 21, 2014 15:01:38 GMT 1
Family ticket - 2 adults, 2 children - £20. And an easy, super efficient, method of picking up the tickets on the day plus relaxed matchday parking with the council influenced by significant incentives (we will do that for you, if you let us do this. Or if that fails, backhanders ) New supporters assured, ground fuller, matchday experience better. Absolute no brainer with a new housing estate being built on the doorstep and probably plenty of young families ready to become new fans. Don't forget if you buy a house close to a football ground you probably aren't going to be 'anti-football' and that means you can be influenced to become fans !
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Post by Matster on Sept 21, 2014 15:19:23 GMT 1
Will that housing estate be parking restricted on match days? Are there plans for a pub as one of the amenities?
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Post by atcham jack on Sept 21, 2014 15:47:47 GMT 1
well thought out comments CP, it is a bit of a vicious circle, gates fall as players wages rise. do hope we can start winning again particularly against better opposition.
we have so many positives going for us, new development close by and in other areas of the County the atmosphere is bound to grow if we can achieve regular 5.5k gates or more. the missing 700 will hopefully gradually return.
we are so lucky to have Matt Williams as CEO, he appears brim full of ideas.
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Post by stuttgartershrew on Sept 21, 2014 15:57:26 GMT 1
20 notes isn't it the cheapest ticket if yer going to pay on the day? That might have sommat to do with it...
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Post by eggyshrew on Sept 21, 2014 17:52:52 GMT 1
Inflation on the ticket price is disgusting compared to when we moved in £13 was it not.
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