Attendances

[Copps is Magic]

I think it's probably a special dedication Frosty because the ticket office love ya.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

If I was going to target a game for a challenge, I'd pick the Plymouth game on 25 March.

1. There's time to prepare
2. It's an attractive game
3. It's just before the normal early bird deadline.
4. The weather is likely to be better.

Maybe also think about reducing car parking charges like they did over Christmas..or even make it free!

Make sure everyone who attends the previous home games, gets a voucher, and ST holders/members use books/cards to bring a friend for £5????. Kids u/16 free???

Can we sell out the home end Donnybob?

[mrfrostsdad]

If I was going to target a game for a challenge, I'd pick the Plymouth game on 25 March.

1. There's time to prepare
2. It's an attractive game
3. It's just before the normal early bird deadline.
4. The weather is likely to be better.

Maybe also think about reducing car parking charges like they did over Christmas..or even make it free!

Make sure everyone who attends the previous home games, gets a voucher, and ST holders/members use books/cards to bring a friend for £5????. Kids u/16 free???

Can we sell out the home end Donnybob?

Doubt we could sell 12,000 Barry but it's worth a try.
Promotion may already be assured by March! 😆😂

[RedRover45]

All good and relevant points made. At the moment, our 'home fans' attendance is largely rising by a couple of hundred on average every game. Contrast this when I started regularly attending in the late seventies where the Rovers had a few occasions of five, six and seven wins in a row and the crowds went up accordingly from about 2000 to 8/9000 to match each win.
Dont seem to get that huge increase any more, maybe it's all the other 'things to do' in the entertainment spectrum that weren't around in those days.
Can't help feeling though that any wavering ex Rovers fans that watched on Sky last night would have been mighty impressed and could tempt some of them back. Hope so.

Sorry, how do you work out our home fans attendances are going up by on average 200 a game? The number of home fans on Thursday night was lower than the one before which was lower than the one before

Because obviously the Grimsby game pulled in more because they appeared to be more of an attraction due to the local derby. The rest of the home games are slowly increasing in home support.

But the last home game before Thursday night was not the Grimsby game

I didn't say it was. I'm well aware it was Stevenage. You said the game before the last game. Don't try and be clever.

[MrFrost]

All good and relevant points made. At the moment, our 'home fans' attendance is largely rising by a couple of hundred on average every game. Contrast this when I started regularly attending in the late seventies where the Rovers had a few occasions of five, six and seven wins in a row and the crowds went up accordingly from about 2000 to 8/9000 to match each win.
Dont seem to get that huge increase any more, maybe it's all the other 'things to do' in the entertainment spectrum that weren't around in those days.
Can't help feeling though that any wavering ex Rovers fans that watched on Sky last night would have been mighty impressed and could tempt some of them back. Hope so.

Sorry, how do you work out our home fans attendances are going up by on average 200 a game? The number of home fans on Thursday night was lower than the one before which was lower than the one before

Because obviously the Grimsby game pulled in more because they appeared to be more of an attraction due to the local derby. The rest of the home games are slowly increasing in home support.

But the last home game before Thursday night was not the Grimsby game

I didn't say it was. I'm well aware it was Stevenage. You said the game before the last game. Don't try and be clever.

The fact is the attendances are not increasing by a couple of hundred for each game.

[The Red Baron]

If I was going to target a game for a challenge, I'd pick the Plymouth game on 25 March.

1. There's time to prepare
2. It's an attractive game
3. It's just before the normal early bird deadline.
4. The weather is likely to be better.

Maybe also think about reducing car parking charges like they did over Christmas..or even make it free!

Make sure everyone who attends the previous home games, gets a voucher, and ST holders/members use books/cards to bring a friend for £5????. Kids u/16 free???

Can we sell out the home end Donnybob?

I'd be a bit wary just yet. It is on an international weekend and could be moved for TV.

The Mansfield game a couple of weeks later, which is almost a local derby might be a better bet. Unlikely to be moved for TV.

[mrfrostsdad]

All good and relevant points made. At the moment, our 'home fans' attendance is largely rising by a couple of hundred on average every game. Contrast this when I started regularly attending in the late seventies where the Rovers had a few occasions of five, six and seven wins in a row and the crowds went up accordingly from about 2000 to 8/9000 to match each win.
Dont seem to get that huge increase any more, maybe it's all the other 'things to do' in the entertainment spectrum that weren't around in those days.
Can't help feeling though that any wavering ex Rovers fans that watched on Sky last night would have been mighty impressed and could tempt some of them back. Hope so.

Sorry, how do you work out our home fans attendances are going up by on average 200 a game? The number of home fans on Thursday night was lower than the one before which was lower than the one before

That's what I actually said

[normal rules]

League one will bring a few back.

The attendances towards the end of the season will pick up also if promotion is looking more certain.

[Bristol Red Rover]

I am surprised the superb home form hasn't brought in more. Maybe the TV game might be the magic straw to ment the camel's back.

[dknward2]

Fingers crossed we can start to draw the fans back even if it's only say 50-100 every match till end of the season

[SydneyRover]

I would like to see a loyalty scheme for season ticket holders where they are rewarded for every consecutive year they hold their ST. A %age (+ their discount) off the price up to a maximum of 5 yrs and maybe another point off for any holding 10yrs. It can work the other way too by dropping/losing part of the discount if you drop out for a year. Maybe the club can look back to ST holders that had consecutive years but have dropped out in recent years with a incentive to come back in.

[swintonrover]

I would like to see a loyalty scheme for season ticket holders where they are rewarded for every consecutive year they hold their ST. A %age (+ their discount) off the price up to a maximum of 5 yrs and maybe another point off for any holding 10yrs. It can work the other way too by dropping/losing part of the discount if you drop out for a year. Maybe the club can look back to ST holders that had consecutive years but have dropped out in recent years with a incentive to come back in.

1% off for every year you renew. If anybody holds a season ticket for 100 years, they'll damn well deserve a free one!

[Bristol Red Rover]

By that kind of loyalty scheme, would it really make a difference in people's choices and pay back in itself or would it shift the balance of funding towards other pricing eg higher matchday tickets?

[Donnybob]

A new one match Donnybob challenge would have no great long term impact. It’s pointless, a bit like the tenner game promotions. The club needs to show a little vision about its promotions . Let’s widen the scope from a single matchday experience into creating a regular habit.

First of all the club has to recruit and establish the buy-in of the existing supporters who should be given a voucher that can be redeemed by a friend/ relative/ work colleague/ neighbour, etc. This voucher needs to cover the next 4 home games for a bargain price. Let’s say, 4 games for £25. Yes, that’s ridiculously cheap, but these are empty seats being filled by folk who would not normally attend so every penny is bonus revenue, as is the additional food, drink, programmes, merchandising income, parking, etc.

Those who take up this offer need checking against the clubs existing database so regular attenders don’t abuse the system. This is about bringing back lapsed fans and enticing new ones. Those taking up the offer will now be registered and they in turn, at the end of the 4 game offer should then be offered a new incentive for the following 4 games, say for £40.

Those that take up this second incentive should then be targeted to invite a friend for the original £25 deal they enjoyed. Providing they sell this deal to a new customer they will be rewarded with a free ticket for the next home game after their current 8 match run.

Some will see this as losing revenue. It isn’t.  It’s a net gain. If someone has taken up the double offer for £65, plus the free ticket, they will have attended for 9 consecutive games. By then they have bought into the habit of attending games and more than likely be willing to continue attending. This is the point where the club has to be imaginative with marketing of 6 game offers, half season offers, season tickets, etc.


Getting bums on seats once is fine and dandy. Keeping them there every game has to be the ultimate goal and that means following through on the opportunity created once you have enticed them into the stadium.

Doing this now when the team is achieving on the field makes perfect sense. There is no time like the present. Those who are current ST holders or pay full price will moan, as they did in the past, but this is so naive and short sighted. If the club is to grow it needs to grow it’s fan base and fill the ground. If that takes a series of special incentives then so be it.

A full ground creates a fantastic atmosphere, inspires players and draws in advertising and sponsorship. It creates a daunting experience for away teams and fans alike. Success off the field invariably results in success on it.

Someone at the club needs to think long and hard about this.

[WheatleyRover]

The Moat feels amazing when its full, the game against Stoke a year ago, cant believe its a year, i remember a good feeling around the club in the build up to this game, didn't think we would end up relegated at that point https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QPDqpTuUw6Y

[phil old leake]

Would our lack of support have anything to do with the upsurge in West Yorkshire at Leeds. I know a few that were refusing to attend eland rd to watch crap.  Although it grieves me to say it they aren't watching crap anymore.   Are the Donny whites who were coming to the keepmoat now going to watch Leeds again. Bless be fair about it there are a lot of Donny folk who do not fully support the local club UNFORTUNATELY

[Donnybob]

I’ll bump this up to the top one last time then I’m out of here.

At BobJimWill’s invitation I logged onto the forum and laid out a suggestion in response that I hoped would be discussed here and perhaps taken up for discussion with the club by Silent Majority or indeed anyone else who may have influence there. However those who’ve bothered to read it seem to be missing a key point. My idea is nothing to do with drawing support away from Leeds, Sheffield Wednesday, United or any other club. It is about generating ‘new’ supporters from our own town and holding on to them.

This obsession with Leeds is unhealthy. Despite being 3rd in the league Leeds don’t even rank in the top 5 best supported clubs in the Championship, never mind in the country. Do you hear Bradford fans or those at Huddersfield banging on about losing fans to Leeds? Or Rotherham? Barnsley? The Sheffield clubs? No, they have concentrated on their own niches and done it better than us. Forget Leeds. Get over it.

Our average attendance between 2007 and 2016 was 8,792 with a peak season average of 11,964 in 2009 (http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/donr.htm). 2016’s 6,553 was the lowest in a decade, so yes, it’s fair to say gates are in decline although to some extent this should be considered against the league we were competing in. Five seasons in the Championship generated a massive attendance increase over the previous decade but each successive year since has witnessed a decline.

The crowds have not flocked back to watch 4th division football and despite being top of the table with a free-scoring team we’re experiencing the lowest crowds in a decade. Have those who followed us in the Championship transferred their allegiance to another EPL team? Unlikely. They have simply dropped out of the habit of attending or are not enthralled by the prospect of watching teams like Morecambe, Crawley and Accrington.

To grow we must do all we can to entice back those who have drifted away but more importantly we absolutely must target new customers who live in and around Doncaster. Posters, billboards, fliers and media adverts are unlikely to make a great deal of difference. The electronic mail shots sent out by the club are brilliant, but they are specifically targeted at supporters on the club’s current database. It does not reach a new audience. Only the fans can effectively do that by word of mouth.

I described a way to do this in my first post and if someone can come up with a better one then by all means let’s hear it.
But please, let’s not fall into the trap of a one-off Donnybob challenge or ten pound deals, kids for a quid, etc. Where has that got us in the past? Filling the ground for one game will have a limited short-term impact only. Sustained growth lies in attracting new customers over a period of games, as much as half a season, to have any worthwhile long-term effect.
Everyone knows that growing Doncaster Rovers involves filling the ground every week thereby generating greater turnover that can be converted into the kind of budgets, sponsorship, advertising and investment we will most certainly need if we are to progress beyond being a yo-yo club League One/ Two club.

The real challenge for Doncaster Rovers is not whether promotion is achieved this season, it is whether they can find a way to increase attendances significantly rapidly and sustainably.

Discuss...

[Al4475]

A series of home games (for example 10) for Junior School kids for free with a full-paying adult chaperone? Or somesuch might well entice a few - equally it may not - redeem so many of these and give said kid a free shirt (there'll be surplus before much longer as things go in motion for the new one)

Similar to the Christmas bonus type schemes supermarkets (well morrison's) do!

Perhaps?

[silent majority]

Donnybob, I will ensure the club understands the points you've made. Having said that I'm sure that you and the club are not too far apart, it is all about creating supporters of the future which is why the target market is schools and local football teams. Yes they still need to do the day to day promotion as well, but the future supporter base needs to be grown and that takes time.

[RobTheRover]

If I was going to target a game for a challenge, I'd pick the Plymouth game on 25 March.

1. There's time to prepare
2. It's an attractive game
3. It's just before the normal early bird deadline.
4. The weather is likely to be better.

Maybe also think about reducing car parking charges like they did over Christmas..or even make it free!

Make sure everyone who attends the previous home games, gets a voucher, and ST holders/members use books/cards to bring a friend for £5????. Kids u/16 free???

Can we sell out the home end Donnybob?

I'd be a bit wary just yet. It is on an international weekend and could be moved for TV.

The Mansfield game a couple of weeks later, which is almost a local derby might be a better bet. Unlikely to be moved for TV.

I hope it is moved.  I'm in Amsterdam that weekend.  Thursday night would be good again, Mr Sky Footy Scheduler.......

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Well, thinking about Donnybobs comments, and knowing former regular attendees, I don't think a shift from decline to growth is too far away proving the progression under DF continues.

I'm sure there are many out there who have disconnected with the club and may return once they are convinced we are progressing longer term.

The trick is once they've shown their face again doing what we can to reconnect them longer term.

It just made me think about a fella who was in front of me wanting tickets for the Grimsby game. He wasn't on the database so they couldn't sell him a ticket. He remarked his friend was a ST holder so the girl said, best thing you can do is get your friend to get your ticket. Off he went.

Now, did they attempt to get his details? Sell him a membership, ask him for his e-mail address to get him on the database? No.

Now that's a missed opportunity. Ok, it's sometimes busy in the ticket office but maybe they should have invited him to fill out a form to register his interest and send him future information/tickets.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Further to the above, we may also be missing the JR type sales pitch from the board. This has been alluded to before. Isn't it time for a mid season report to tell all and sundry what's changed, what's got us moving forward, are we on track to move the club even further forward?

Those of us still connected with the club might have a good attempt in answering those questions but Mr X ST holder etc., may not.

There are times between the Meet the Owners meetings the we need someone like young Mr Watson, to sell the club, especially when the going gets good.

[RedJ]

That's something, when is the next MTO? don't they usually have one in January?

[SydneyRover]

A series of home games (for example 10) for Junior School kids for free with a full-paying adult chaperone? Or somesuch might well entice a few - equally it may not - redeem so many of these and give said kid a free shirt (there'll be surplus before much longer as things go in motion for the new one)

Similar to the Christmas bonus type schemes supermarkets (well morrison's) do!

I like the idea of promotion through schools, maybe a couple of "schools days" per term with blocks of seats allocated. Fact sheets with player/manager info with a bit of how the various combinations/tactics work, creating player/fan connections.
 
Perhaps?

[Donnybob]

My sincere thanks to SM for offering to raise my suggestions with the club.

Let me now highlight another group that requires consideration and I don’t have a simple solution to.
Would you go to the cinema on your own? Would you go to a theatre show, a gig, concert, etc, on your own?

I suspect there are a lot of people out there who would attend games if they had someone or a group to go with. Within my circle of friends, which is significantly larger than most, no-one appears to support the Rovers or conversely they have no interest whatsoever in football. None of my neighbours is interested in football, either. In Rovers terms I’m pretty isolated.

I’m not saying poor me, I’m saying there are surely many, many more in the same situation. There is no easy way of addressing the problem, either. Who on earth wants to join a Rovers dating agency for straight men interested purely in football!

Engaging folk like this is incredibly difficult. It’s a challenge for the club but one that could pay dividends if handled well.
Since giving up the regular day job 8 years ago I rarely come into contact with my old workmates who I often attended games with. If I did I would probably attend more often. But over time, if you are not involved with a business on a daily basis you tend to drift apart.

Oh, and it doesn’t help that when I do attend I always seem to find myself sat in front of a complete know-all or knob head. Some things are impossible to change!

;-)

[Filo]

A new one match Donnybob challenge would have no great long term impact. It’s pointless, a bit like the tenner game promotions. The club needs to show a little vision about its promotions . Let’s widen the scope from a single matchday experience into creating a regular habit.

First of all the club has to recruit and establish the buy-in of the existing supporters who should be given a voucher that can be redeemed by a friend/ relative/ work colleague/ neighbour, etc. This voucher needs to cover the next 4 home games for a bargain price. Let’s say, 4 games for £25. Yes, that’s ridiculously cheap, but these are empty seats being filled by folk who would not normally attend so every penny is bonus revenue, as is the additional food, drink, programmes, merchandising income, parking, etc.

Those who take up this offer need checking against the clubs existing database so regular attenders don’t abuse the system. This is about bringing back lapsed fans and enticing new ones. Those taking up the offer will now be registered and they in turn, at the end of the 4 game offer should then be offered a new incentive for the following 4 games, say for £40.

Those that take up this second incentive should then be targeted to invite a friend for the original £25 deal they enjoyed. Providing they sell this deal to a new customer they will be rewarded with a free ticket for the next home game after their current 8 match run.

Some will see this as losing revenue. It isn’t.  It’s a net gain. If someone has taken up the double offer for £65, plus the free ticket, they will have attended for 9 consecutive games. By then they have bought into the habit of attending games and more than likely be willing to continue attending. This is the point where the club has to be imaginative with marketing of 6 game offers, half season offers, season tickets, etc.


Getting bums on seats once is fine and dandy. Keeping them there every game has to be the ultimate goal and that means following through on the opportunity created once you have enticed them into the stadium.

Doing this now when the team is achieving on the field makes perfect sense. There is no time like the present. Those who are current ST holders or pay full price will moan, as they did in the past, but this is so naive and short sighted. If the club is to grow it needs to grow it’s fan base and fill the ground. If that takes a series of special incentives then so be it.

A full ground creates a fantastic atmosphere, inspires players and draws in advertising and sponsorship. It creates a daunting experience for away teams and fans alike. Success off the field invariably results in success on it.

Someone at the club needs to think long and hard about this.

That sounds like a plan, a great plan

[WheatleyRover]

My sincere thanks to SM for offering to raise my suggestions with the club.

Let me now highlight another group that requires consideration and I don’t have a simple solution to.
Would you go to the cinema on your own? Would you go to a theatre show, a gig, concert, etc, on your own?

I suspect there are a lot of people out there who would attend games if they had someone or a group to go with. Within my circle of friends, which is significantly larger than most, no-one appears to support the Rovers or conversely they have no interest whatsoever in football. None of my neighbours is interested in football, either. In Rovers terms I’m pretty isolated.

I’m not saying poor me, I’m saying there are surely many, many more in the same situation. There is no easy way of addressing the problem, either. Who on earth wants to join a Rovers dating agency for straight men interested purely in football!

Engaging folk like this is incredibly difficult. It’s a challenge for the club but one that could pay dividends if handled well.
Since giving up the regular day job 8 years ago I rarely come into contact with my old workmates who I often attended games with. If I did I would probably attend more often. But over time, if you are not involved with a business on a daily basis you tend to drift apart.

Oh, and it doesn’t help that when I do attend I always seem to find myself sat in front of a complete know-all or knob head. Some things are impossible to change!

;-)

This is also my situation, feel a bit stupid turning up by myself, would attend a lot more if i had some Rovers pals to go with, was a season ticket holder for a couple of years until my mate decided he wasnt renewing his so sort of got out of the habit of going

[IDM]

Can't speak for anyone else but I am happy to go by myself....

[Filo]

Can't speak for anyone else but I am happy to go by myself....

I go by myself, make friends with the people sat around you, when i go to away matches I travel by myself, it's no big deal

[mrfrostsdad]

My sincere thanks to SM for offering to raise my suggestions with the club.

Let me now highlight another group that requires consideration and I don’t have a simple solution to.
Would you go to the cinema on your own? Would you go to a theatre show, a gig, concert, etc, on your own?

I suspect there are a lot of people out there who would attend games if they had someone or a group to go with. Within my circle of friends, which is significantly larger than most, no-one appears to support the Rovers or conversely they have no interest whatsoever in football. None of my neighbours is interested in football, either. In Rovers terms I’m pretty isolated.

I’m not saying poor me, I’m saying there are surely many, many more in the same situation. There is no easy way of addressing the problem, either. Who on earth wants to join a Rovers dating agency for straight men interested purely in football!

Engaging folk like this is incredibly difficult. It’s a challenge for the club but one that could pay dividends if handled well.
Since giving up the regular day job 8 years ago I rarely come into contact with my old workmates who I often attended games with. If I did I would probably attend more often. But over time, if you are not involved with a business on a daily basis you tend to drift apart.

Oh, and it doesn’t help that when I do attend I always seem to find myself sat in front of a complete know-all or knob head. Some things are impossible to change!

;-)

To be honest I don't think that makes any difference.
I travel from Scarborough on my own for every home game. Yes, I see my brother in law, usually my son and sometimes my brother as well, but to be honest it would often be easier not to bother - especially like last Thursday night when it was feckin freezing, the roads were crap and it was on telly - but I do it because I have always been a Rovers fan since I was a kid. You can't turn adults into fans. It's something that's there from being little as it was in me.

I think the only way to consistently have more in the ground is to do similar to Bradford and charge 100 quid for a season ticket, but it's never going to happen. And our fans are such a fickle lot (and always have been) I'm not totally convinced it would work in the long term