Bits & Bobs

[Spartacus2nd]

Originally Posted by Lord Stiffupperlip

'I am Spartacus!'

Originally Posted by Exile on Spencer St

I’m Spartacus!

Originally Posted by AccyMad

I am Spartacus

I suggest we adjourn to the Arena so that i may acquire my rudis by vanquishing all pretenders


Maybe the most prominent "doyen", and certainly old enough to have met the real Spartacus, could pick out the real one?

[cashman]

Theres only 1 Spartacus and thats Kirk Douglas.

[Spartacus2nd]

... and thats why I am the 2nd my septegenarian comrade

[Simpson]

Originally Posted by Spartacus2nd

... and thats why I am the 2nd my septegenarian comrade

Very Smartacus Spartacus.

Out of interest, what have the Romans ever done for us ......

[Lord Stiffupperlip]

Originally Posted by Simpson

Very Smartacus Spartacus.

Out of interest, what have the Romans ever done for us .....

Was it not Julius Caesar who said 'Veni, vidi, ego notatos'
'I came, I saw, I scored' after Roma thrashed Colchester 3 - 0

[Spartacus2nd]

I thought it was the other famous Roman, Abramovich?

[monkey hanger]

[QUOTE=Simpson;

Out of interest, what have the Romans ever done for us ......:

they gave us the roman derby in the national league north this season, eboracum v deva.

[Spartacus2nd]

Originally Posted by Lord Stiffupperlip

Don't know how you calculate an average ticket price of 'just over £10'. Last time I looked it cost £20 (adult) & £15 (concession) for away fans

Andy has just tweeted that the new stand has earned fifty odd grand, or 8.79% of its build cost, at an average ticket of £13.08

Home fans average price is considerably less due to more kids, season yickets at £8.93 per game, and loyalty cards. The average price I gave is somewhere in the middle

[Lord Stiffupperlip]

Originally Posted by Spartacus2nd

Home fans average price is considerably less due to more kids, season yickets at £8.93 per game, and loyalty cards. The average price I gave is somewhere in the middle

Quite right too!
But I was specifically talking about away fans - no s/t holders or loyalty cards there.
Lets consider the recent bumper gates from Sunderland/Derby games of c.2500 away supporters.
For arguments sake lets assume 2000 adults @ £20 + 500 concessions @ £15.
(OK, there'd be a few kids, but I think by far the majority were adults)
That's £47,500 from away supporters for one game!
Factor in food & beverage sales at a very conservative 50% of those fans spending only £3 per head & you can add another £7,500.
Total = £55k from away fans into our bank account in under 2 hours.
Now tell me they're bottom of our priority list.

[Spartacus2nd]

Andy stated £13 so its £13, no ifs no buts, £13

In principle i agree with you, but Derby et al brought full numbers during inclement weather knowing full well what was in store. They probably wont get another chance to come here so giving them the pipe n slipper treatment would have been pointless.

1500 Mackems got drenched and mightnt come again, but 1500 who 'missed out' could take their place ...

£1/2m for a minimal cover means at least 40,000 EXTRA tickets need to be sold to make it break even. Would it put an average 500 on each away crowd? If so then its a 4 year gestation. Personally i think it costs us around 200 fans on average, so would take about 200 games

There are the extra sales but as yet we dont know the average spend inside the ground per fan

[cashman]

Thing is between 5@6 thousands mackems went down to Gillingham for a midweek game a few week before they played us, the weather was at least as bad so the press at the time said in the description of it. so i doubt very much the point that a couple of thousand will not come back down to us.

[Lord Stiffupperlip]

Originally Posted by Spartacus2nd

Andy stated £13 so its £13, no ifs no buts, £13
1500 Mackems got drenched and mightnt come again, but 1500 who 'missed out' could take their place ...
£1/2m for a minimal cover means at least 40,000 EXTRA tickets need to be sold to make it break even. Would it put an average 500 on each away crowd? If so then its a 4 year gestation. Personally i think it costs us around 200 fans on average, so would take about 200 games

I feel you are missing my point.
I am trying to show how much away fans contribute to our financial survival.
If discounts given to home fans, ie; loyalty cards etc. are reducing the 'average' gate receipt to £13, then payments from away fans paying full price is even more important, because receipts from home fans will always remain static.
In the past we have struggled to attract the number of home fans required to make the club financially viable.
Now we're in League 1 playing bigger clubs, the situation has actually reversed.
Our home support has risen slightly, but the away attendances have rocketed compared to League 2.
Barnsley brought 2352, Sunderland c.2500, Derby 2659.
Had it been possible, Sunderland would have bought every ticket in the ground.
Not only would I roof the Coppice end, I'd raise the terrace at the back to sell even more away tickets.
Don't know where you got '£1/2m for minimal cover'. The new Eric Whalley stand only cost £1m, with 1100 seats + ancillaries.
I'm suggesting a vertical steel frame at the back with a simple cantilever roof. No seats, no toilets, no kiosks.
Agree pipe & slippers would cost £1m.

[monkey hanger]

Originally Posted by cashman

Thing is between 5@6 thousands mackems went down to Gillingham for a midweek game a few week before they played us, the weather was at least as bad so the press at the time said in the description of it. so i doubt very much the point that a couple of thousand will not come back down to us.

there will be a few that will not come back as they have ticked stanley off their list but there will be plenty of others who will take their place given the opportunity. there cannot be many people that hate the cold and rain more than i do but would not miss a game i wanted to see just because i may get wet. as a kid most grounds you went too were only partly covered but you still went but had proper clothes on to keep the rain and or cold out.

[Spartacus2nd]

You cant increase the capacity m'Lud. HBC wont allow it as the local infrastructure cant support it, infil, exfil, parking etc

I think we're both singing from a similar hymn sheet but from different angles. Away fans will come or not come, but the roof wont make a huge difference to the numbers. Grandad Cashmsn used the example of Sunderland at Gillingham, which is an open stand .

Andy wants to complete the ground in the manner of the Clayton End, itll be done in as quick a timescale as the club can manage - financially and logistically.

Back to the original point (see, i do follow the story), building the clubhouse, shop, offices etc FIRST means we can be making money 7 days a week. Prioritising away fan comfort means we can make a bit more money 23 times a season

[cashman]

I think its a case of all that when funds and time allow.