V Barnet Guess The Gate - Page 3

Chimer · 31-10-2017, 17:18

Maybe there just aren't that many people in Accy who want to watch L2 (or, I suspect and fear, L1) football regularly. They'll jump on for a cup run or a couple of games at the end of the season if promotion's on the cards, or for a one-off freebie (didn't we charge £5 or something silly for a game early on in the first season and nearly sell out?), but are not interested in week-in, week-out support. I'm not sure a £5 reduction would make much difference - at least not enough to offset the loss in revenue from those home and away fans who would be there anyway. Maybe a couple of hundred might come a bit more often - but no more than a couple of dozen on any one week.

If it's not in the blood .......

Sorry to be pessimistic, not my nature usually, but a lot of things have been tried, by a lot of dedicated people, with not a lot of success.

Wynonie Harris · 31-10-2017, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Stiffupperlip

Accrington - thy name be APATHY!

Sums it up perfectly in five words. You can bring the prices down to £10, you can offer cheap pies, you can try all the special deals you want, it'll have minimal effect on the gates. Second in League 2 in a borough with a population of 80,000, in a town with a population of 45,000 and we're only getting home support of 1,400? In any other town of the same size, gates would be double that.

Attitudes in the town seem to range from abject indifference to outright hostility. Best to concentrate on increasing away support as a way of raising revenue.

AccyMad · 31-10-2017, 18:43

Sadly, what Chimer says is true - also a lot of people prefer to watch their football in the pub or from their armchairs & this is more than adequately provided for them by sky sports, bt sport etc.
It's not for me, bores me watching football on the telly - the live atmosphere is part & parcel of the whole experience to me but it's difficult to explain that to some who've never watched it except for on a screen

Wynonie Harris · 31-10-2017, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by AccyMad

Sadly, what Chimer says is true - also a lot of people prefer to watch their football in the pub or from their armchairs & this is more than adequately provided for them by sky sports, bt sport etc.
It's not for me, bores me watching football on the telly - the live atmosphere is part & parcel of the whole experience to me but it's difficult to explain that to some who've never watched it except for on a screen

Agreed, but Sky Sports, BT Sport and the rest are available in every town in the country. Funny how it doesn't seem to affect the gates as much in other towns.

Lord Stiffupperlip · 31-10-2017, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Attitudes in the town seem to range from abject indifference to outright hostility. Best to concentrate on increasing away support as a way of raising revenue.

It's absolutely vital for the clubs future to achieve promotion this year.
When you look at League 1 at the moment, (notwithstanding promotion/relegation) it looks like an episode of 'Our Friends in the North'
Wigan, Bradford, Blackburn, Fleetwood, Blackpool, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury. Also Bolton - likely to join them next season.
All these teams are on our doorstep & would bring in much greater revenue than we get from the glut of southern teams currently in league 2.
God help us if we miss-out again & Morecambe get relegated - they're the nearest & only team we can call a local derby!

Wynonie Harris · 31-10-2017, 19:34

Not really examined the League 1 table in depth, but, yes, we'd be in for a few bumper pay days from that lot!

Chewbacca · 31-10-2017, 20:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Agreed, but Sky Sports, BT Sport and the rest are available in every town in the country. Funny how it doesn't seem to affect the gates as much in other towns.

Stanley's average crowd has more than trebled since 1992, not many others will have.

it is easy to double the crowd for a massive game but it will take at least decade of improvements on and off the pitch to double the hardcore of fans.

Wynonie Harris · 31-10-2017, 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Stanley's average crowd has more than trebled since 1992, not many others will have.

Yes, but we were down in the depths of non-league then with a part-time team. Also, I'm pretty sure we were getting more than average gates of 500 each season, although I don't have the figures at my fingertips. One thing I do recall is that Fleetwood seemed to get similar gates to us and the inhabitants of that town have certainly got behind their club on their entry to the football league in a way that ours haven't.

The fact remains we have a borough of 85,000 with a FL club near the top of League 2 and a home support base of below 1,500. If people won't come now, they never will and that's a sad reflection on the apathy and lack of pride in the area.

Chewbacca · 31-10-2017, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Yes, but we were down in the depths of non-league then with a part-time team. Also, I'm pretty sure we were getting more than average gates of 500 each season, although I don't have the figures at my fingertips. One thing I do recall is that Fleetwood seemed to get similar gates to us and the inhabitants of that town have certainly got behind their club on their entry to the football league in a way that ours haven't.

The fact remains we have a borough of 85,000 with a FL club near the top of League 2 and a home support base of below 1,500. If people won't come now, they never will and that's a sad reflection on the apathy and lack of pride in the area.

500 was a decent crowd then and we were only 2 divisions below where we are now 25 years ago.

It is hard to grow a hardcore from that level.

It is out of order slagging off an Local Authority administrative area for not sharing your hobby. Look at the Lancashire League, things change, and if Stanley invested on and off the pitch like Fleetwood did 11 years ago then the crowds would be higher now.

Moaners just help to make the club less attractive, and I suspect a lot had a hiatus during the bleak times, but now claim to be super fans.

Wynonie Harris · 01-11-2017, 08:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

500 was a decent crowd then and we were only 2 divisions below where we are now 25 years ago.

It is hard to grow a hardcore from that level.

It is out of order slagging off an Local Authority administrative area for not sharing your hobby. Look at the Lancashire League, things change, and if Stanley invested on and off the pitch like Fleetwood did 11 years ago then the crowds would be higher now.

Moaners just help to make the club less attractive, and I suspect a lot had a hiatus during the bleak times, but now claim to be super fans.

You'd "suspect" wrong in my case. I was supporting the club in 1992 (and 1982 and 1972). And I don't claim to be a "superfan" - just someone with a realistic view of the apathy shown to Stanley by the public of the town/borough/"local authority administrative area" - call it what you want.

I'm still sure that our average gates were higher than 500, certainly in our recent pre-Conference times. I recall Coley complaining (or "moaning" as you'd put it) about our league gates and comparing it with a 1,000+ gate we had for a night match against Colwyn Bay - not an uncommon occurrence in those days.

As for Fleetwood getting investment on and off the pitch, that's exactly what we've been getting for the last season or two, thanks to AH, but it seems to have had limited effect on the gates - exactly my bone of contention.

As for your final excuse for the apathetic local public - "moaners just help to make the club less attractive." This is a forum - we're entitled to air our criticisms and concerns, or should we just post relentlessly upbeat messages, regardless of how we feel?

monkey hanger · 02-11-2017, 09:12

[QUOTE=Chewbacca;1203849] Look at the Lancashire League, things change, and if Stanley invested on and off the pitch like Fleetwood did 11 years ago then the crowds would be higher now.

fleetwood have been really lucky though as their rise up to div.1 has really co insided with the fall of a very local rival blackpool. with their problems on and off the pitch i imagine a lot have gone up the coast to watch their live football. if burnley went into some sort of freefall and we got promoted that could put another 1000 on our gates from home fans. other lancashire clubs such as rochdale and oldham who have been continual football league clubs for nearly 100 years and not had a 40 odd year gap like stanley with the problems accociated with that gap.

cashman · 02-11-2017, 10:01

Well please explain "HOW" Stanley could invest 11 years ago?

Who at that time was able to put that sort of brass into the club.

In fact no-one would be able too now if A.H. hadn't took the helm.

Lord Stiffupperlip · 02-11-2017, 18:56

Well said Cashy! Andy Holt has brought much needed stability to the club.
When we achieve promotion this season gates will improve.
We'll have a new stand to replace the cowshed, together with the excitement that always accompanies promotion.
Not much to excite local footie fans when teams like Barnet or Forest Green Rovers are in town.
But wait till Blackburn Rovers, or possibly Bolton pay us a visit & watch our home support double.

NORTHERNSOUL · 02-11-2017, 19:57

Not to mention the away fan numbers

What better a time to use some of the extra income generated to put a cover on and do an awayfanzone which would payback itself with extra numbers coming.

Unlike others on here, i don't think its the 20 quid that puts away fans off but the lack of facilities.

But yes i agree if the promotion was achieved home numbers would increase significantly as the atmosphere got better even more so when seats started to sell out.

cashman · 02-11-2017, 20:14

Have to agree what puts away fans off is definitely a lack of facilities, once some have visited a ground they have never been too,some definitely will not return, have heard that said a couple of times.