Viking Supporters Co-operative
Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: big fat yorkshire pudding on January 06, 2017, 06:32:08 am
-
Anyone else struggling a bit to understand why they haven't picked up again yet? Understandable early on but surprising they aren't picking up.
-
Division 2?
They will come back eventually, but the last few years have been grim.
-
Last night?? Bloody freezing and on the telly!
How many more would have attended if not on Sky? 500??
-
I'm not sure what people were expecting last night!? It was bitterly cold, a Thursday night (people like me struggle due to work comittments and I surely won't have been the only one), too late for kids being a school night, 2 home games in 3 days after Christmas. The list goes on
-
Yeah, for all the reasons above I didn't expect a big turnout last night but hopefully if we keep up the form as we get toward the business end of the season we'll see a few more on the gate. Knowing Rovers we'll get 9000 in for a winnable match and put on a dire show.
-
I don't see them picking up a great deal. Maybe 5500-6000 home fans as the season draws in.
People have fallen out with us because of the shambles of the last few years and even though we are storming the league isn't bringing them back.
Add into that, there are no glamour ties that people are interested in. Even in League One you had Sheffield Utd, Scunny etc that used to add plenty onto the gate.
-
seeing that on tv will surely bring people back.
-
We need another Donnybob challenge. Challenge all us to bring a friend to a match. If 5% of those get the bug then that will help enormously.
-
We need another Donnybob challenge. Challenge all us to bring a friend to a match. If 5% of those get the bug then that will help enormously.
Was that the Swansea game?
It needs a one off offer from the club, planned In advance and then hype generating
-
Folk know where we are, they know how we're doing, they'll come when they're ready!
Once you stop the habit of attending regularly, for all the reasons mentioned, people find other distractions or find other habits so it's more difficult to change what they do with their spare time.
We know former long term ST holders who have said they had just simply had enough and are having a break.
Interestingly, with this Board of Honour for all 10 consecutive year ST holders, how many do you think there are? I thought maybe around 1500.
I did a quick calc looking at the board and there's around 980. This reflects that people do get in and out of the habit of attending regularly.
I wouldn't object to identifying a game in a month or two when we could target those stay aways to "come and have look if you're curious enough".
There will be a new full house before the end of the season as long as we stay on track.
-
http://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?topic=119884.msg120752#msg120752
Donnybob challenge was over 6 years ago! :ohmy:
Maybe we should also start a get donnybob back challenge? He hasn't logged on to forum for 10 months :(
-
Last night was never going to be a big crowd for the reasons mentioned (early January, midweek, freezing, on the tele).
However, I do struggle to understand why crowds aren't generally higher at the moment. I think the prices are fair, we're playing good football, scoring goals, winning games (the home form is outstanding), we're showing ambition in the transfer market, bringing kids through and are top of the league. The above are all excuses that are used from time to time, and I don't see what more the club can do.
I used to think there was a (lack of) marketing issue. But the club does its best to engage with the community, they've reacted to accessibility constraints (pay on the gate / ticket purchasing). Anyone with any interest in football has access to a fixture list, the club is always online / social media / in the local papers and radio. There isn't really a lot more we can do.
People do fall out of routine (I've done it myself) but I don't think that's a valid explanation. Generations change and evolve and there are / should be new fans coming on board all the time to replace those that have spent some time away. My own experience tells me that, even though going every week is no longer a ritual, you always keep your hand in and a grasp of what's going on. When I started, there were only 1-1,500 regulars, so a few of those waivering from time to time shouldn't have a huge impact. The rest that we've built on top of that are essentially a fairly new fanbase so, despite a few peaks and troughs, it is still growing and history says if we go up the leagues it'll grow further. Some of the newer fans have only tasted failure for the first time in the last few years. It's all part of the process.
It would help to be in a division where more teams bring an away following. Huge credit to Portsmouth for their numbers last night. The standard away crowd of circa 100 makes for a pretty soulless atmosphere in such a big stadium and perhaps means fans miss out on the 'tribal' element of it all as there's nobody there to 'get one over' at the game. I miss that.
So maybe I do get it, we just need to be patient. I'm still confident that if we keep winning and progressing the crowds will gradually come back. We're doing a lot right as a club.
-
:that:
I would assume that many of the fans who attend irregularly would have found a way to watch the sky coverage last night.
The best advert for us was what we saw, a decent performance against a quality opponent, good attacking football, goals and above all a great win. Folks can take our comments on forums etc with a pinch of salt but there is nowhere to hide from the cameras.
-
I feel that the family stand , the activities for children pre match , pricing to encourage families to bring the new generation ?is the way forward .
-
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.
-
I dint bring my 9 yo lad last night cause it was freezing and there is nothing that puts him off rovers more than it being freezing. He goes on about it for months.
Young un's these days, they don't know they are born.
-
I dint bring my 9 yo lad last night cause it was freezing and there is nothing that puts him off rovers more than it being freezing. He goes on about it for months.
Young un's these days, they don't know they are born.
Nah, it's their parents being wuss's with the central heating turned so high and on all day. We used to go out in winter to get warm.
-
Last nights match, will be good training for those intending to head to Hartlepool in the SUMMER.
-
I dint bring my 9 yo lad last night cause it was freezing and there is nothing that puts him off rovers more than it being freezing. He goes on about it for months.
Young un's these days, they don't know they are born.
Get him to stick more layers on the gret jessie.
-
Anyone else struggling a bit to understand why they haven't picked up again yet? Understandable early on but surprising they aren't picking up.
ALERT ALERT Mr F has hacked BFYP ACCOUNT
-
Since we've been in this stadium the reasons for people to come to games has been built up. All the activities for kids, plenty of games where the price is reduced etc. They try to get the kids involved now whereas a lot of us grew up watching rovers with fag and cigar smoke billowing around our heads being the only heat we would feel. Games where you can barely hold you're tea up to you're mouth and watching sides most of the time that just clung onto league football.
The kids now are having a special time that they think is normality-it isn't. Even though we've dropped down the leagues recently it is nowhere near as bad as in the past. No fundraising, shaking buckets to survive. When you're team goes through that it makes you appreciate what you have.
The world is such that a lot of people don't hope for more-they demand it. I'm glad we have had this run of doing well because we lost a lot of potential fans over the years. When i was growing up i didn't see one rovers shirt in my village. We won the conference play-offs and suddenly everybody had a shirt on. A lot needed something to be proud of.
Me i didn't get many of our shirts myself the first one i had was the white and green away shirt during the Richardson era. I tended to buy coats, tracksuit tops more than shirts. The merchandise back then wasn't the best. There was'nt a lot of shirts available you had to be quick while you were at the ground.
When i got anything to do with rovers for christmas the excitement was more than for other things i got. It's nice to see young kids playing football with their home town shirt on. Us doing well has saved on a fair few more Donny White's-Leeds fans!. :scarf:
-
Folk know where we are, they know how we're doing, they'll come when they're ready!
Once you stop the habit of attending regularly, for all the reasons mentioned, people find other distractions or find other habits so it's more difficult to change what they do with their spare time.
We know former long term ST holders who have said they had just simply had enough and are having a break.
Interestingly, with this Board of Honour for all 10 consecutive year ST holders, how many do you think there are? I thought maybe around 1500.
I did a quick calc looking at the board and there's around 980. This reflects that people do get in and out of the habit of attending regularly.
I wouldn't object to identifying a game in a month or two when we could target those stay aways to "come and have look if you're curious enough".
There will be a new full house before the end of the season as long as we stay on track.
Where is this board of honour Barry? Roy and myself have been season ticket holders since day one in the same seats (hand picked by Roy when the stadium was being built) first I've heard of it
-
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
-
Folk know where we are, they know how we're doing, they'll come when they're ready!
Once you stop the habit of attending regularly, for all the reasons mentioned, people find other distractions or find other habits so it's more difficult to change what they do with their spare time.
We know former long term ST holders who have said they had just simply had enough and are having a break.
Interestingly, with this Board of Honour for all 10 consecutive year ST holders, how many do you think there are? I thought maybe around 1500.
I did a quick calc looking at the board and there's around 980. This reflects that people do get in and out of the habit of attending regularly.
I wouldn't object to identifying a game in a month or two when we could target those stay aways to "come and have look if you're curious enough".
There will be a new full house before the end of the season as long as we stay on track.
Where is this board of honour Barry? Roy and myself have been season ticket holders since day one in the same seats (hand picked by Roy when the stadium was being built) first I've heard of it
It's on the South-West corner wall. I took a picture but forgot to show you. You're definitely on there, just below me as it's done in first name alphabetical order.
-
Folk know where we are, they know how we're doing, they'll come when they're ready!
Once you stop the habit of attending regularly, for all the reasons mentioned, people find other distractions or find other habits so it's more difficult to change what they do with their spare time.
We know former long term ST holders who have said they had just simply had enough and are having a break.
Interestingly, with this Board of Honour for all 10 consecutive year ST holders, how many do you think there are? I thought maybe around 1500.
I did a quick calc looking at the board and there's around 980. This reflects that people do get in and out of the habit of attending regularly.
I wouldn't object to identifying a game in a month or two when we could target those stay aways to "come and have look if you're curious enough".
There will be a new full house before the end of the season as long as we stay on track.
Where is this board of honour Barry? Roy and myself have been season ticket holders since day one in the same seats (hand picked by Roy when the stadium was being built) first I've heard of it
It's on the South-West corner wall. I took a picture but forgot to show you. You're definitely on there, just below me as it's done in first name alphabetical order.
Thanks Barry. We'll have a look next home game 😊
-
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.
-
Actually, come to think about it, next seasons tickets will no doubt be going on sale soon. If promotion looks fairly certain, we might get some returners coming to have a look before they ponder whether to buy!
-
"Maybe we should also start a get donnybob back challenge? He hasn't logged on to forum for 10 months"
You're probably right, BobJimWilly. I'd happily sit down with someone from the club and discuss ways to increase attendances. So much of the current marketing (which is digital and very professional) appears to be aimed at the wrong demographic.
Although I may not have logged in for a while, I still read every post on here although I do find myself shaking my head at the same old, same old, juvenile views. Especially from disrespectful kids who expect mature folk to behave like rowdy teenagers. So much negative crap about trivialities, too. Standing. Singing. The drum. Allocated seats. Catering. And an undercurrent that actually yearns for a bit of agro. Yawn. So no point in commenting, really.
When I go I want to sit and watch football. Not stand and ball my head off. I did that 50 years ago. I loved Belle Vue in the 60's. It was a shithole, but it was our shithole, where I let off steam. Now it's time to move on and embrace a far, far better, if different, set-up.
Sadly I only attend rarely nowadays. Never really got over the manner of SOD's sacking. Vowed never to watch any team managed by Saunders and I'd still stick by that even if they gave him the England job - although he'll be lucky to get a job managing Bentley Vics with his track record of failure and walking away before the job's complete. Complete and utter tosser, arrogance of the highest order. Inept. Talked utter rubbish and managed to alienate me completely.
Yet some still think he's a God. Different strokes and all that.
No-one was more elated than me when he left but to replace him with Dickov was catastrophic and utterly stupid. But that's now history.
I'm impressed with Ferguson and can only feel optimistic about the future under his leadership, whileever that lasts. Probably until he loses a couple of games! And yes, I've begun to drift back. Occasionally. Despite an inbred revulsion of anything that can possibly be connected, however tentatively, to Man U. Which is completely irrational, I know.
I've seen us play under the likes of McMenemy and Bremner but the two most memorable periods of football, for me, were under George Raynor and SOD. Proper football. It's not to everyone's taste, but neither is Mozart, or Van Gough. There are signs that Ferguson is now moulding a squad that can actually play football. I hope he succeeds. It will take that to get me back more often.
Meanwhile, I wish the team well, and the die-hard supporters in whose hands the solution to better crowds lies. If the current 5,000 that regularly attend were simply to bring one friend each then the gate would swell to 10,000. It really is as simple as that, but the club has to be proactive and incentivise those new visitors to come. If that means some kind of voucher scheme whereby the club raises little in extra revenue initially then so what? These are potentially new long-term customers. A full ground creates a better atmosphere and gives the existing customer a more enjoyable experience which in turn motivates the players on the pitch.
Once the ball is rolling then the whole prospect of attending games becomes more attractive.
And why, oh why, does the TV camera have to be positioned on the West side looking over at an empty East Stand? Does this make folk watching the TV highlights think, wow, that looks fun? I want to experience a bit of that. Of course not.
Anyway, I'm blathering on. It's nice to be remembered but if this club wants to truly progress it has to engage and encourage the likes of me to attend rather than the ones who already attend. I (and folks like me) am the challenge that is facing the club. Folks who can remember 22,000 turning up for a midweek 4th Division game against Darlington, 5 consecutive gates over 15,000 the same year. Folks who've travelled to Torquay on a New Years Eve, to Swansea on a Boxing Day and been among 4,000 followers away at Chester in Div 4.
So much today is good. Infinitely better. But the world is changing. No-one then proffessed to support Tottenham, or Chelsea, Or Arsenal. Or Barcelona. It's a new challenge and folk like me are easy to write off rather than regard as an important demographic. Well, do so at your peril is all I can say.
Good luck to the club and all who attend for the rest of the season. There does actually seem to be a strong glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel.
-
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
-
Folk know where we are, they know how we're doing, they'll come when they're ready!
Once you stop the habit of attending regularly, for all the reasons mentioned, people find other distractions or find other habits so it's more difficult to change what they do with their spare time.
We know former long term ST holders who have said they had just simply had enough and are having a break.
Interestingly, with this Board of Honour for all 10 consecutive year ST holders, how many do you think there are? I thought maybe around 1500.
I did a quick calc looking at the board and there's around 980. This reflects that people do get in and out of the habit of attending regularly.
I wouldn't object to identifying a game in a month or two when we could target those stay aways to "come and have look if you're curious enough".
There will be a new full house before the end of the season as long as we stay on track.
Where is this board of honour Barry? Roy and myself have been season ticket holders since day one in the same seats (hand picked by Roy when the stadium was being built) first I've heard of it
It's on the South-West corner wall. I took a picture but forgot to show you. You're definitely on there, just below me as it's done in first name alphabetical order.
Thanks Barry. We'll have a look next home game 😊
Apparently I'm on it. Despite not having a season ticket since about 2008.
-
I think it's probably a special dedication Frosty because the ticket office love ya.
-
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?
-
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! 😆😂
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
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.
-
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!
-
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?
-
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.
-
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
-
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
-
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...
-
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?
-
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.
-
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.......
-
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.
-
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.
-
That's something, when is the next MTO? don't they usually have one in January?
-
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?
-
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!
;-)
-
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
-
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
-
Can't speak for anyone else but I am happy to go by myself....
-
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
-
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
-
I used to go on my own, particularly in the dark days at BV but it wasn't much fun. I think there's a valid point been raised here.
I bet there's quite a few in the same boat. Not everyone is as outgoing and go to games whatever, so if there's a way of assisting like minded folk in 'buddying up' then why not.
It could be a section of a website where people can swap a few anecdotes as,a way of introducing themselves and arrange to meet up prior to a game.
Definitely food for thought!
-
I went by myself when I started going. Made some mates along the way.
It's easy to make friends at the football, easier than in any other situation anyway, as you've got a guaranteed common interest, and you can pretty much speak to anybody.
Of course it's also the only time you're ever really going to hug somebody you've probably met once in your life because some bloke picking up thousands per week has stuck a ball over a line between some metal posts.