|
Post by MartinB on Sept 26, 2011 7:58:32 GMT 1
I guarantee the missing "fans" will return if we're still up there end of season. Would like to think so. Always thought that 6k home fans was the 'glass ceiling' at the GM but attendances for the Oxford and Torquay games last season show that there is quite a few floating fans that will show up when times are good. It is not as much floating fans that went to those games. If my wife and I go to a home game we won't get any change out of £100. I simply cant justify that on anything like a regular basis but went to both Oxford and Torquay games. No pay rise in two years, increased price of petrol over this period has a massive effect on me. By Christmas I expect to have seen 11 games, all of which will have been away from home. So I wouldn't call myself a floating fan it is a matter of what I can afford. This Saturday rather than going to the Torquay game I refereed instead, that meant I was £130 better off at the end of Saturday night than if I had gone. That is a no brainer in the current climate. Interestingly tickets for Arsenal and Man Utd home games have gone to general sale this year which would have been unthinkable for years. The Attendance for Aston Villa v Wolves was only something like 30,000 which would have been unthinkable a few years ago as well.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2011 8:15:30 GMT 1
As regards acessibility, I have been interested to note the comparison between parking at newer grounds this season. We have been told that it is government legislation that prevents the club having more parking spaces. At Oxford the parking is free outside the ground and quite expansive. At Burton (admittedly with lower attendances), the parking is available to many on a first come first served basis at £2.
|
|
|
Post by Minormorris64 on Sept 26, 2011 8:56:09 GMT 1
Below is a list of the highest 20 average yearly attendances for STFC
1952 9.799 1954 9.188 1951 9.096 1960 8.999 1980 8.782 1953 8.540 1956 8.471 1959 8.081 1961 8.025 1955 7.796 1957 7.550 1958 7.142 1968 6.675 1964 6.600 1962 6.591 1979 6.099 1963 5.897 2011 5.876 2009 5.664 2008 5.659
|
|
|
Post by filmcrewshrew on Sept 26, 2011 9:04:30 GMT 1
Below is a list of the highest 20 average yearly attendances for STFC 1952 9.799 1954 9.188 1951 9.096 1960 8.999 1980 8.782 1953 8.540 1956 8.471 1959 8.081 1961 8.025 1955 7.796 1957 7.550 1958 7.142 1968 6.675 1964 6.600 1962 6.591 1979 6.099 1963 5.897 2011 5.876 2009 5.664 2008 5.659 Quite astonishing to think that 8 of our 10 years in the 2nd tier of English football doesn't even make the top 20
|
|
|
Post by Valerioch on Sept 26, 2011 9:14:42 GMT 1
I don't understand the argument that you get into a habit of watching your team play, if you support them, wouldn't you try to go to most home games? However, i do understand the argument about pricing and costs etc, everywhere trying to keep up with the premier league
|
|
|
Post by Minormorris64 on Sept 26, 2011 9:28:08 GMT 1
Below is a list of the highest 20 average yearly attendances for STFC 1952 9.799 1954 9.188 1951 9.096 1960 8.999 1980 8.782 1953 8.540 1956 8.471 1959 8.081 1961 8.025 1955 7.796 1957 7.550 1958 7.142 1968 6.675 1964 6.600 1962 6.591 1979 6.099 1963 5.897 2011 5.876 2009 5.664 2008 5.659 Quite astonishing to think that 8 of our 10 years in the 2nd tier of English football doesn't even make the top 20 1990 3.521 1989 4.716 1988 4.945 1987 4.097 1986 3.927 1985 4.715 1984 4.740 1983 5.277 1982 4.569 1981 5.616 1980 8.782
|
|
|
Post by stuttgartershrew on Sept 26, 2011 10:15:52 GMT 1
As already mentioned, it’s all down to economics isn’t it. Not sure about anyone else but my real wage has certainly sank in the last few years. Not much in pay rises but everything seems to be more expensive. Someone mentioned that the extra pound won’t have any impact. But at some point the price will reach a level where people will stop and think, not so much whether they are getting value for money (I think that went for a Burton a long time back when it came to football) but whether the price has just reached a level that just seems to have gone above and beyond what they deem as acceptable. When I get home I don’t usually mind paying the money because I hardly get to see Town. But I’ll not be going to Swindon. If is 25 notes (I think it is) then hats just pushing it too far, there is no way I would pay that much to watch fourth division football. That’s just daft prices.
If I were back home there is no way I could afford to make every game. Add in everything alongside the match ticket and it’s a very expensive day. I would think twice over here too if it was the same but the football here in Germany is very cheap by comparison. The English football supporter is being taken for a ride and at some point in time we were going to see the results of that on the week to week gates.
|
|
|
Post by venceremos on Sept 26, 2011 10:27:15 GMT 1
As regards acessibility, I have been interested to note the comparison between parking at newer grounds this season. We have been told that it is government legislation that prevents the club having more parking spaces. At Oxford the parking is free outside the ground and quite expansive. At Burton (admittedly with lower attendances), the parking is available to many on a first come first served basis at £2. Parking's always restricted at a new stadium, I don't think the club were making it up! Brighton's new ground, for example, is largely park & ride - you can't just turn up and park anywhere near it. Burton's parking was no better than ours but it was cheaper. If they had comparable crowds to ours though, you'd struggle for a space - and they'd charge more.
|
|
|
Post by filmcrewshrew on Sept 26, 2011 10:49:02 GMT 1
Quite astonishing to think that 8 of our 10 years in the 2nd tier of English football doesn't even make the top 20 1990 3.521 1989 4.716 1988 4.945 1987 4.097 1986 3.927 1985 4.715 1984 4.740 1983 5.277 1982 4.569 1981 5.616 1980 8.782 1990 was in the old Division 3 so I can understand that being relatively low but in 1985 and 1986 we finished 8th in the now Championship, meaning at some point possibly even pushing close to a top 2 spot (weren't we in 2nd at Christmas one of those years???) so to consider crowds of less than 5k is amazing, imagine what gates we would have now if we were even playing in that league, corners would be filled surely
|
|
|
Post by Pilch on Sept 26, 2011 11:04:20 GMT 1
I don't understand the argument that you get into a habit of watching your team play, if you support them, wouldn't you try to go to most home games? However, i do understand the argument about pricing and costs etc, everywhere trying to keep up with the premier league you are getting confused with die hard fans who go no matter where, when, where we are in the league, what the weather is or how much have a word with the likes of blum season ticket holder for many seasons until this season no changes in his personal life but a little annoyed at one or things to do with his matchday experience so he now picks and chooses his games yes results will always fetch fans back just like defeats will lose them but thats a different matter altogether we are currently joint top of the league and 500 fans down
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2011 11:58:53 GMT 1
As regards acessibility, I have been interested to note the comparison between parking at newer grounds this season. We have been told that it is government legislation that prevents the club having more parking spaces. At Oxford the parking is free outside the ground and quite expansive. At Burton (admittedly with lower attendances), the parking is available to many on a first come first served basis at £2. Parking's always restricted at a new stadium, I don't think the club were making it up! Brighton's new ground, for example, is largely park & ride - you can't just turn up and park anywhere near it. Burton's parking was no better than ours but it was cheaper. If they had comparable crowds to ours though, you'd struggle for a space - and they'd charge more. I accept what you say about Burton but that does not explain the parking at Oxford. Virtually everyone appears to drive to the ground as it is so far out of the centre. I cannot remember seeing a single bus apart from the Shrewsbury coaches. Maybe the ground is that little bit older and the rules did not apply then.
|
|
|
Post by El Huracán!!!! on Sept 26, 2011 12:17:34 GMT 1
At some point I guess, If there are no bus or park and ride then Oxford have binned off there Travel Plan... (if it had one, and thats its a guess it did) - Having looked I cant see that it did..
Oxfords a strange case anyway, the car park they use is not just for the football club but shared with a number of other faciltys and has an overflow car park.. thus the spaces around that are are not just for the football club... therefore the parking provision is much higher, and I would guess as when the matches are on its the less busy times for the other placesd round there (Vue Ciniema and resturaunts) thus the car parks are never full. As such fairly low amounts of ristricted parking areas around the stadium either. Lastly the site is served by a hourly bus services, and a match day special (so there are buses)
Town ground came forward when Shropshire Council required a pretty ristrictive TP which town have continued with, although scaled back each season... who knows at some point soon costs may mean that town try to negotiate there way out of there liabiltys to fans as part of there TP... however, there may be planning conditions as to how long the TP has to last to for STFC.... (that does not effect parking spaces however these cannot be increased unless the stadium seat numbers are increased (its one space per 4 seats off the top of my head)
|
|
|
Post by Valerioch on Sept 26, 2011 12:29:47 GMT 1
I don't understand the argument that you get into a habit of watching your team play, if you support them, wouldn't you try to go to most home games? However, i do understand the argument about pricing and costs etc, everywhere trying to keep up with the premier league you are getting confused with die hard fans who go no matter where, when, where we are in the league, what the weather is or how much have a word with the likes of blum season ticket holder for many seasons until this season no changes in his personal life but a little annoyed at one or things to do with his matchday experience so he now picks and chooses his games yes results will always fetch fans back just like defeats will lose them but thats a different matter altogether we are currently joint top of the league and 500 fans down What has changed with the match day experience from the last few seasons? for 500+ people? Apart from better results! Only thing I can thing of is the P&R services and the slight ticket price increase
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2011 12:35:08 GMT 1
Interesting point about P&R, I wonder how many people have stopped going because of that? I have seen a couple of letters complaining in local papers about it
I know its been suggested before but I would love Roland or someone from the club to see the average's fan matchday experience in terms of getting to and from the ground. Yes they havent been helped by legislation but I dont think that its also one of their highest priorities
|
|
|
Post by SouthStandShrew on Sept 26, 2011 12:44:04 GMT 1
I'd bet almost 99% of teams averages are down due to the climate out there at the moment.
Other than Hartlepool I'd imagine or Brighton!
|
|
|
Post by Pilch on Sept 26, 2011 12:45:26 GMT 1
you are getting confused with die hard fans who go no matter where, when, where we are in the league, what the weather is or how much have a word with the likes of blum season ticket holder for many seasons until this season no changes in his personal life but a little annoyed at one or things to do with his matchday experience so he now picks and chooses his games yes results will always fetch fans back just like defeats will lose them but thats a different matter altogether we are currently joint top of the league and 500 fans down What has changed with the match day experience from the last few seasons? for 500+ people? Apart from better results! Only thing I can thing of is the P&R services and the slight ticket price increase slight increase ? £11 to £12 is almost 10%
|
|
|
Post by Valerioch on Sept 26, 2011 12:48:35 GMT 1
What has changed with the match day experience from the last few seasons? for 500+ people? Apart from better results! Only thing I can thing of is the P&R services and the slight ticket price increase slight increase ? £11 to £12 is almost 10% Perhaps the club should've put the ticket prices to £11.10 I wasn't best please when I noticed my season ticket had increased by the amount it had!
|
|
|
Post by Amsterdammer on Sept 26, 2011 12:49:02 GMT 1
The answer is in the past figures above. Lower attendances come when there is nothing new to see, bad economic times, high football hooligan problem/low fashionability of football, more options on a Saturday afternoon, lack of success for the team. We have 3 of the 5 ingredients right now so no surprise things are taking a dip.
|
|
|
Post by venceremos on Sept 26, 2011 12:53:38 GMT 1
Interesting point about P&R, I wonder how many people have stopped going because of that? I have seen a couple of letters complaining in local papers about it I know its been suggested before but I would love Roland or someone from the club to see the average's fan matchday experience in terms of getting to and from the ground. Yes they havent been helped by legislation but I dont think that its also one of their highest priorities That's a fair point but, realistically, what can the club do? It can't change the parking regs and it doesn't make much sense to subsidise loss making P&R services. The car parks are pretty well used on match days which suggests the pricing can't be too far out. I've never understood why any drivers feel the new stadium is less convenient than Gay Meadow. I parked easily enough on the street for both and the walking distance was similar. I can understand the "less convenient" argument if you lived within walking distance of the old ground or came by train or bus to the town centre but for drivers I don't see the difference. If anything, it's easier to get to and from the new ground as there's less non-football traffic.
|
|
|
Post by Fingers on Sept 26, 2011 13:05:06 GMT 1
Yes Stutty it was me that said the £1 increase in my opinion would not have a major effect.
Agree totally about swindon being £25 but these are the prices on the day. I think Salop are trying to get people to pre-buy - this will reduce the amount of people buying on the day knock on effect of needing less ticket office staff. There is now an incentive to buy earlier as if you rocked up last minute last year you will actually save £1 on last years prices by buying online.
There will be a point when people get priced out, when £20+ hits we will see this as an issue. Perhaps we are just accounting sensibly. The club can only work with the revenue brought in so perhaps we are gearing up for signings or maintaining the current squad which imo is worthy of league 1.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2011 13:14:04 GMT 1
For me, being a season ticket holder since we moved to the new ground, i pay round about £13 40 per match. At the Meadow i paid £13 to stand on the Wakeman. I'm lucky enough to be able to pay a lump sum pre-season for my ticket and IMO get great value for money. Having said that i would'nt complain if the club tried to attract more support by offering incentives, 2 matches for £? now and again. We have to be realistic and realise that this country is on financial s**te street. Its not just us , supporters, who are feeling the pinch, but clubs will some day realise that the money they pay players is too much. Why are proffessional footballers deemed a special case? If we fail to get promoted this season i can hear some of our supporters coming out with the same old mantra about "splashing the cash" to buy better players. Fine, but until things settle, don't start moaning about the cost of your match day ticket.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2011 13:27:21 GMT 1
The drop in gates is likely to be 99% due to the economy.
Unfortunately for Town our halycon decade in the second tier of football coincided with the then recession and an all time low in football attendances across the uk.
They do say if you want to look into the future take a look at history, so on that basis football attendances could have a long decline ahead. Clearly those concerned at STFC need to plan now how the club can best counter the likely reduced financial income in the next few seasons.
It's just typical that Shrewsbury start to rise during an economic downturn!
|
|
|
Post by stfcfan87 on Sept 27, 2011 11:47:44 GMT 1
Interesting thread
I guess its got to be fairly worrying that 3 of our opening 5 games have attracted lower attendances than last season despite being against localish teams - Crewe, Hereford and Swindon.
That said, we've had a lot of tuesday night games all in all recently, what with Derby, Swansea and Arsenal in the league cup, and Bristol away. We've also had Port Vale away too, so I guess a lot of money could have been spent and people have had to pick and choose.
I know a lot of people who came to the arsenal match who haven't been to other town games this season - the novelty factor was a major reason but so was the £10 offer - it was just a great opportunity to go to a new ground for not very much. That said some of those people were people who used to go to the old gay meadow on a casual basis - due to finishing work earlier than expected etc - but who haven't / hardly go to the new stadium as they now have to pay more / have to plan in advance / can't sit with friends. I've said for ages that we've really lost a lot of casual fans from attending home games now.
|
|