John Ryan in Donny Star.

[Nudga]

Surprised no one has mentioned JR's comments in today's Donny Star about the Donny people letting him down on saturday with their no show, even though tickets were only £15.

Sorry John but you're marketing people have let you down on that one. I bet you a pound to a pinch of shit that hardly anybody knew about the offer.

[gillinghamrover]

From the comments on here last week it was a little too late in being advertised. JR should`nt be relying on word of mouth or the good nature of internet forums to advertise promotions like satdi.  JR has done wonders for this club but he needs to stick an almighty rocket up the arses of his marketing dept. The game should`ve have been advertised weeks in advance to maximise publicity.

[benaldo]

Because everyone in Doncaster owes JR a football club don't they??

Sometimes I despair at JR. Someone ought to be the official voice of Rovers to stop him making ridiculous statements like that every so often, someone like a....erm....ummm....a....chief exec!

God bless John Ryan for everything he does for the club, but he shouldn't be in the media with his mouth flapping in the breeze totally disengaged from his brain.

[Nudga]

The thing is though, it isn't \"just\" £15 quid is it. I took my little lad, drinky poo's and fodder meg and I spent £30 that I didn't really have. I know £30 isn't a great deal of money, but it now means that all of my family goes without a treat until I get paid again. I reckon there are loads of people in the same boat so maybe JR should have a bit sensitivity towards peoples leisure finances.

[Lesonthewest]

I made deliveries in & around Doncaster on Saturday morning to 3 addresses who I know to be occasional Rovers fans, not one of them knew the prices had been reduced.

[grayx]

Nudga wrote:

Surprised no one has mentioned JR's comments in today's Donny Star about the Donny people letting him down on saturday with their no show, even though tickets were only £15.

Sorry John but you're marketing people have let you down on that one. I bet you a pound to a pinch of shit that hardly anybody knew about the offer.

Whilst £15 is more affordable than the usual ticket price,unfortunately I fear a lot of fans have now got used to not going to watch Rovers. They have been priced out of it by the usual ticket prices & as welcome as the £15 offer is,it's going to take more than this to get them back on a regular basis. There are quite a few people in this area going through desperate times & football is not high on their priorities. Sorry J.R.,but a bit more sensitivity is required here.

[RTID75]

I think given the performance we were lucky more didn't come, it'd have put a lot of floaters off making a return visit in the near future...

Anyway, it's 100% as predicted - JR berating the fans again for not showing up, even when the 'marketing' for this £15 match was near non-existent and was VERY late in coming.

I find it very hard, if not impossible to believe that John doesn't see the problems we all see, but his choice of targets when looking for those to blame suggest otherwise.

Come on John, let's stop looking for outside excuses and get real. Let's see some real results from your paid staff, or if that won't ever happen let's see heads roll and some new appointments made. Preferably ones that are bothered and know what they are doing.

Low crowds hurt us loyal fans too as we all feel John's pain and see the reason behind it, but I think it's LONG overdue a good look at the marketing issues we so blatantly obviously have, and also (as has been mentioned) look at the fact that lots of people simply don't have money to throw around at the moment before making rash, knee jerk press statements again.

Sorry John, we all sympathise, but that's how lots of us are seeing it right now.

[Norfolk N Chance]

Totally agree jr take your money and go mate your wasted on the donny public !
Leave them to sky TV and w**k about Leeds and Sheffield teams !
I mean it GO pal and let these lot have some w**ker like Bates in charge!

[MrFrost]

I think JR has to accept that, apart from the occasional big game or mega reduced prices, DRFC are never going to attract more than 9500 fans at this level.

You cannot blame the Doncaster public. If they dont to attend, or they support another team that is their choice as a human being!

Berating them in the local press is not the way to get more bums on seats.

The marketing thing has been done to death, and even after the proof that effective marketing works (Swansea game) nothing has changed. I have to ask, is there any point?

[Nudga]

Don't talk shite Norfolk, FFS I've only been able to afford three games all season and like I said, there'll be plenty more like me. If you haven't f**kin realised, the price of everything has gone up. Jesus wept, it cost's me £200 a month to get to work. Football has taken a back seat for a lot of families, and you watch, there'll loads of folk on the sausage roll this year.

[rtid88]

Totally agree with you RTID75!! If more of the part time fans had turned up on Saturday they probably wud not have come back all season!
Our marketing department has always been 2nd rate, fair enough they tried on Friday to send out a load of emails (my brother incidentally got 7 of the same emails on Friday, which is most bizarre) but what is the use of advertising a game a day or two before it!!
I do fear that Sir JR loses track of reality at times, Donny as a town is basically up the shitter at the minute apart from it's football team, we are one of the worst hit towns from the recession and 9/10s of the town are skint! Fair enough his businesses are booming and I cud not be honestly be more happy for him but he has to realise that a lot of people in Donny are struggling to get by!
I have been a season ticket holder for the last 4 seasons, I'm an alliance member, I buy a home shirt everytime a new one is released, but I am really struggling to see how I can afford a season ticket nxt season, both mine and my wifes jobs are on the line and money is extremely tight! Which like I say I imagine a big proportion of Doncaster are the same!
I have every sympathy for Sir JR in terms of the efforts he went through to get Killa here and I'm sure he was expecting a big crowd, but unfortunately with things as they r in this economic climate I cannot see how attendances will ever regularly get above 10 thousand!
So sometimes comments like this do hurt, and maybe he should think twice before coming out with comments such as these!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

There's a fans forum on Wednesday. Why not take the opportunity
to attend ?

Earl of Doncaster 7.30pm.

[wilts rover]

MrFrost wrote:

I think JR has to accept that, apart from the occasional big game or mega reduced prices, DRFC are never going to attract more than 9500 fans at this level.

You cannot blame the Doncaster public. If they dont to attend, or they support another team that is their choice as a human being!

Berating them in the local press is not the way to get more bums on seats.

The marketing thing has been done to death, and even after the proof that effective marketing works (Swansea game) nothing has changed. I have to ask, is there any point?

I think for one of a very few rare occassions I actually agree with Mr Frost, the question is, does John Ryan also? Is he sitting there now wondering 'is there any point'?

How much money does he and the other directors put in, wasnt it a projected £1.5m loss on an average gate of 12k - plus BS and MK wages on top? And reading other threads on here, we need a new keeper/left back/centre midfield/heating system/wholesale sackings of people JR appointed and is presumably happy with.

As I wrote on another thread, there is far too much negativity around here at the moment, some of it deserved much not, what the club needs are ideas and solutions or be careful what you wish for - it might not turn out as you expected.

[Nudga]

Thing is though, there has been a lot of talented guys on here with brilliant ideas which haven't been exploited.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

As I wrote on another thread, there is far too much negativity around here at the moment, some of it deserved much not, what the club needs are ideas and solutions or be careful what you wish for - it might not turn out as you expected.

May be, just may be, its a symptom that many fans feel their ideas and solutions are not being listened to and the club continue to push up the prices for the 'desirable' games (The ones that would be more attractive to the floating voter) and lower the price for the less attractive games.

May be the floater says, if my £20 ain't good enough for you for the Leeds game, then you can BOG OFF ??

Just a thought.

There's a Barnsley game coming up though.

[RTID75]

I wouldn't say there was negativity here as such, more frustration that we're no further on marketing wise than we were back in the late Conference days, coupled with the club taking low gates out on the Doncaster public exactly like has happened time and again for the last 6 or 7 years. Nothing changes and nobody at the club seems to want to grasp the nettle, nor take on board any help from outside, such as the original fan's forum and the many great ideas and time offered by the generous souls here.

I'd be at the forum like a shot if it weren't for the fact that I'm 100 miles away.

[hoolahoop]

Lucky you , you will avoid sticking your fingers down your throat when hearing the mealy-mouthed and spineless responses from our Chief Exec.

[RobTheRover]

Lesonthewest wrote:

I made deliveries in & around Doncaster on Saturday morning to 3 addresses who I know to be occasional Rovers fans, not one of them knew the prices had been reduced.

Sounds like you need to take some flyers with you next time, Les.  ;-)

Apparently the club had 1000 flyers printed up advertising the game and the special offers.  Has anyone got one and can scan/post for me?

[Fal]

I used to be a season ticket holder for several seasons going all home and away matches and it was only because i changed jobs which forced me to work on Saturdays that i stopped regularly going to a match. Now however, i have got used to not going.

Unfortunately even at £15 i do not have the money to pay that especially with the ever increasing petrol prices etc. Trust me i would love to be sat back in the south stand win, lose or draw but i just simply can't afford it.

[PDX_Rover]

Nice one JR.  There are as yet undiscovered tribes in the Amazon that knew that this would be the reaction from the club. You cannot send an email Friday to people already on your database and expect a full house!

Look inwards first John.

[The Red Baron]

wilts rover wrote:

MrFrost wrote:

I think JR has to accept that, apart from the occasional big game or mega reduced prices, DRFC are never going to attract more than 9500 fans at this level.

You cannot blame the Doncaster public. If they dont to attend, or they support another team that is their choice as a human being!

Berating them in the local press is not the way to get more bums on seats.

The marketing thing has been done to death, and even after the proof that effective marketing works (Swansea game) nothing has changed. I have to ask, is there any point?

I think for one of a very few rare occassions I actually agree with Mr Frost, the question is, does John Ryan also? Is he sitting there now wondering 'is there any point'?

How much money does he and the other directors put in, wasnt it a projected £1.5m loss on an average gate of 12k - plus BS and MK wages on top? And reading other threads on here, we need a new keeper/left back/centre midfield/heating system/wholesale sackings of people JR appointed and is presumably happy with.

As I wrote on another thread, there is far too much negativity around here at the moment, some of it deserved much not, what the club needs are ideas and solutions or be careful what you wish for - it might not turn out as you expected.

I'm not quite sure who your comments are directed at, but I think there's a lot of sense in them. Not wishing to add to the air of negativity, but it brings me back to something that's been nagging away at me for a bit now- can we really sustain Championship football much longer?

[irishcontingent]

It's not just DRFC though Mr Ryan, look at MOST clubs in the Championship ( and Premiership in some cases) and i think you will find that stadia have a similar habit of being around 2/3 of capacity for matches, the obvious exceptions being when \"Derby\" or \"Local matches\" take place.

( just to back that up see here ) http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D1/attend.html

Forget the fact that DRMB has 280,000 population, because a big proportion wont be football fans, lots will be too old lots will be too young to go to football matches. Certainly many cant afford the outlay for 90 mins of \"Entertainment\". Then add in more fans than not require excitement, its all well and good playing the \"Beautiful\" game, but if it is not exciting, something to get spectators on the edge of their seats, people simply will not go.

Doncaster Rovers are like many clubs, the fans will turn out, but not at all cost.

[Spankster]

I believe we can but the first thing is to cut the price of season tickets possibly by as much as £40-50, together with some proper advertising early on so we can raise the number of ST holders, we have already proved raisin these prices knocked 3000 off the amount we had last season

[drfcsteve]

I really don't think JR can moan about this because I honestly believe that if we were marketed the same way as most of the clubs in the championship (and league 1) we would sell out the home end at 15 quid. People can't go to the game if they don't know about the game, and people have even less reason to justify going if they don't know it's 15 quid. He can't just keep expecting people to turn up out of the blue when the marketing department are putting in zero effort.

[CusworthRovers]

The Red Baron wrote:

Not wishing to add to the air of negativity, but it brings me back to something that's been nagging away at me for a bit now- can we really sustain Championship football much longer?

A point that's had me thinking immediately after our Wembley triumph, how long can we maintain Championship football. I thought of all the factors that need to be in place, and to be honest we are going the right way with the Board, Manager and improving the quality of the Players. It's this last bit that comes at a cost and that cost is rising each year as we look to improve our standing. The likes of Stock/Copps were probably top earners very recently, but we have without doubt moved the bar higher with Killa, Billy and Healy in terms of wages/transfer. This all needs paying for and that usually comes from the fans.

Our fan base needs to grow, yet we are in desperate economic times coupled with our meteoric rise and now reaching a plateau of sustainability. Sounds daft, but many have got used to success after success and are not used to a sustaining club in the CHAMPIONSHIP.

Each club will eventually find it's level, it's just a question of when. There is no doubt that Leeds will one day get back to the Prem, just as Blackpool will probably end up back in L1.

We could just do with another 4k adding to our fanbase....easier said than done. That might take some excellent marketing or a Promotion.

At this moment we are a solid L1 club off the pitch with our size, but living the dream on the pitch. I'm loving chalking off all these big grounds

[BillyStubbsTears]

Memo to Mr Ryan.

What is it with football club chairmen? They are clearly, obviously successful businessmen. Yet when it comes to running a football club, they chuck away the guidebook and assume a whole different set of rules apply.

You and the KM2 have built up spectacularly successful businesses. Did you achieve this by paying no fcuking attention whatsoever to marketing, then moaning in the press at your customers when they didn't buy your products. Or was marketing a core activity of your business, run by motivated, able and professional people? And if it was the latter, why do you think that idea shouldn't be ported into a football club?

Your comments betray a very worrying mentality in the club. You appear to think that because you make a decision (eg to reduce ticket prices), the whole world is suddenly aware of it. You seem to assume that your ex cathedra statements are being waited on by an entire population of potential fans.

Thay re not. CLEARLY they are not.

Think about people's circumstances.

People lead busy lives. People are short of money. They don't go to football matches on a whim (assuming that they even hear about the reduced ticket prices). They need to budget and to plan. A long-term strategy of pricing and marketing is vital if you are going to win the fans to add to our core support. That does not mean some last minute, poorly communicated decision from the club. It means a rational, coherent and consistent strategy.

Now, instead of putting this structure in place, you lash out at the ungrateful people of Donny. Please, please PLEASE Ryan stop this regular baiting of the people that you should be wooing. You have done 50% of the job required to attract people to the club by building up a quite superb playing side. Now do the same thing with your business management.

Get shut of the wastes of space who think that marketing is placing a 2-point typeface advert on page 97 of the Free Press and then sending me (a SEASON TICKET HOLDER for fcuk's sake) 6 e-mails about ticket prices 18 hours before a game.

GET RID OF THEM.

THEY are the reason that the crowds are so low. Because they are not doing the job that they are paid to do.

Sort out the ticket pricing strategy. Communicate it, consistently and visibly. Allow people to plan in advance their attendance at matches, secure in the knowledge that they can manage their stretched finances.

And do not ever again slag off your customers. EVER.

[Filo]

BillyStubbsTears wrote:

Memo to Mr Ryan.

What is it with football club chairmen? They are clearly, obviously successful businessmen. Yet when it comes to running a football club, they chuck away the guidebook and assume a whole different set of rules apply.

You and the KM2 have built up spectacularly successful businesses. Did you achieve this by paying no fcuking attention whatsoever to marketing, then moaning in the press at your customers when they didn't buy your products. Or was marketing a core activity of your business, run by motivated, able and professional people? And if it was the latter, why do you think that idea shouldn't be ported into a football club?

Your comments betray a very worrying mentality in the club. You appear to think that because you make a decision (eg to reduce ticket prices), the whole world is suddenly aware of it. You seem to assume that your ex cathedra statements are being waited on by an entire population of potential fans.

Thay re not. CLEARLY they are not.

Think about people's circumstances.

People lead busy lives. People are short of money. They don't go to football matches on a whim (assuming that they even hear about the reduced ticket prices). They need to budget and to plan. A long-term strategy of pricing and marketing is vital if you are going to win the fans to add to our core support. That does not mean some last minute, poorly communicated decision from the club. It means a rational, coherent and consistent strategy.

Now, instead of putting this structure in place, you lash out at the ungrateful people of Donny. Please, please PLEASE Ryan stop this regular baiting of the people that you should be wooing. You have done 50% of the job required to attract people to the club by building up a quite superb playing side. Now do the same thing with your business management.

Get shut of the wastes of space who think that marketing is placing a 2-point typeface advert on page 97 of the Free Press and then sending me (a SEASON TICKET HOLDER for fcuk's sake) 6 e-mails about ticket prices 18 hours before a game.

GET RID OF THEM.

THEY are the reason that the crowds are so low. Because they are not doing the job that they are paid to do.

Sort out the ticket pricing strategy. Communicate it, consistently and visibly. Allow people to plan in advance their attendance at matches, secure in the knowledge that they can manage their stretched finances.

And do not ever again slag off your customers. EVER.

Bang on!

[Alan Southstand]

Please Note:

Post of the last 2 seasons, by BST.

It should be posted directly to the Board of Directors - well said, that man.

[benaldo]

BillyStubbsTears wrote:

Memo to Mr Ryan.

What is it with football club chairmen? They are clearly, obviously successful businessmen. Yet when it comes to running a football club, they chuck away the guidebook and assume a whole different set of rules apply.

You and the KM2 have built up spectacularly successful businesses. Did you achieve this by paying no fcuking attention whatsoever to marketing, then moaning in the press at your customers when they didn't buy your products. Or was marketing a core activity of your business, run by motivated, able and professional people? And if it was the latter, why do you think that idea shouldn't be ported into a football club?

Your comments betray a very worrying mentality in the club. You appear to think that because you make a decision (eg to reduce ticket prices), the whole world is suddenly aware of it. You seem to assume that your ex cathedra statements are being waited on by an entire population of potential fans.

Thay re not. CLEARLY they are not.

Think about people's circumstances.

People lead busy lives. People are short of money. They don't go to football matches on a whim (assuming that they even hear about the reduced ticket prices). They need to budget and to plan. A long-term strategy of pricing and marketing is vital if you are going to win the fans to add to our core support. That does not mean some last minute, poorly communicated decision from the club. It means a rational, coherent and consistent strategy.

Now, instead of putting this structure in place, you lash out at the ungrateful people of Donny. Please, please PLEASE Ryan stop this regular baiting of the people that you should be wooing. You have done 50% of the job required to attract people to the club by building up a quite superb playing side. Now do the same thing with your business management.

Get shut of the wastes of space who think that marketing is placing a 2-point typeface advert on page 97 of the Free Press and then sending me (a SEASON TICKET HOLDER for fcuk's sake) 6 e-mails about ticket prices 18 hours before a game.

GET RID OF THEM.

THEY are the reason that the crowds are so low. Because they are not doing the job that they are paid to do.

Sort out the ticket pricing strategy. Communicate it, consistently and visibly. Allow people to plan in advance their attendance at matches, secure in the knowledge that they can manage their stretched finances.

And do not ever again slag off your customers. EVER.

Too true, and very well put!

I am torn between loving Mr Ryan for continuing to help bankroll the club, but he really should leave the media to someone more capable, but is there anyone capable, thats the question?

He spouts off without thinking often and I believe it puts the floating supporters off. No-one likes being told that they are badly thought of for not paying £15 to watch a football match do they?! I think it's time for John to leave the limelight and get someone with better skills to handle the media and marketing, but I have a sneaky feeling that JR likes his moments in the spotlight so changing it might be difficult?

It makes me mad when he bleats on about the \"people of Doncaster\" letting the club down. THIS TOWN DOES NOT OWE JOHN RYAN, OR ANYONE ELSE, A FOOTBALL CLUB! People will come and pay £15 to watch when the following things apply -

1) The team play attractive football and win more than they lose
2) Rovers are doing well in the league
3) It looks attractive in the media
4) It appears good value for money
5) The matchday experience is better than the competitors
6) When people have enough spare money to spend on an expensive leisure activity

All the above are important factors to getting new/floating supporters through the gates, ignore them at the clubs peril.

Plese John, get somone in who can actually change the media/marketing, whoever's doing it now is pants. Oh, and do us all a favour and bite your tongue next time you feel your mouth opening but are unaware of what you're going to come out with. We all want a successful, champions league winning, barcelona slaying team, but alienating the support won't help to achieve that.
I believe John Ryan to have single handedly saved Rovers with his time/money/effort and I think we all want him to stay here until hell freezes over, but I think we'd all also like him to kick some arses at the keepmoat instead of us paying customers.

[irishcontingent]

benaldo wrote:

BillyStubbsTears wrote:

Memo to Mr Ryan.


1) The team play attractive football and lose more than they win
2) Rovers are doing well in the league
3) It looks attractive in the media
4) It appears good value for money
5) The matchday experience is better than the competitors
6) When people have enough spare money to spend on an expensive leisure activity

I think that takes things a little too far