London APSA lack of programmes for night games

[chorley2002]

Just read the following posting on the another forum from a contributor known as Ernest. I have previously turned up for a London APSA night game at this ground and also found no programmes left and kick off has been over half an hour away. As the contributor says the club should be able to work out by now that crowds are better for a thursday night game. Does anyone at London APSA have a clue about what some supporters want or can't they simply be bothered. Would be interesting for someone from the club to come on here and give their version.

 

Posting on another forum as follows:

 

This is more of an aborted attempt to find a game on 17th September posting.

 

Would have gone to

 

London APSA V Clacton in the Essex Senior Cup.

 

Arrived at the ground about quarter of an hour before kick off and saw someone I know vaguely walking away from the ground entrance. I was told that all the programmes had been sold out and that only about 20 had been printed.

I know this sounds ridiculous but if a programme is available for a match then I want to be able to buy a copy if I arrive early enough and fifteen minutes before kick off is a good time to get to a ground. I then looked at the pay table and sure enough no programmes were avaialble. So I decided that I wasn't going to stay around either if there was going to be no chance of getting one.

London APSA are now in their 7th season of senior football and I think this is about their 3rd/4th season of playing at this Newham venue. So they have no excuses about being newcomers to this level and not really understanding what some fans want. I can see the point of them not printing many issues for a saturday game if hardly any sell (so maybe less should be printed) but to only produce the bare minimum for a thursday night game, when there isn't many other games on at all in the London area is sheer and utter incompetence. I think it's fair to say that this club is highly unlikely to ever achieve any success in this league and just makes up the numbers, but they shouldn't match their shortcoming on the field of play by being a shambles off the pitch and not having a clue that crowds for thursday night games are likely to be better than saturday home matches. If it's concerns with costs that prevent them from producing more programmes for night games, then as I've just stated the answer is to print less for saturday games.

 

Anyone on here that is particular about having a programme (if one is issued) for games they see is seriously advised to get here about 90 minutes to two hours early to avoid missing out. I know that would mean hanging about in what is probably the filthiest borough in all of the 32 in London, but it's probably the only way to ensure getting a programme.

[FatCat]

As programme editor for Witham Town I feel i'd like to add something although i'm obviously not APSA related.

I would rather we ran out of programmes early than have several left over.

Making sure there's some in each dressing room, officials, board room, league requests etc. means that it is hard to return a profit of any kind or just break even.

Guessing the right amount of programmes for a game is like guessing the lottery.

Putting together anything like a reasonable programme also entails a lot of work I can tell you and if I got slated for the programmes running out it would be very demoralising.

I have never let not being able to get a programme stop me from going into a ground.

[fatboy slim]

Fat Cat

 

May i congratulate you on your excellent programme. We came over to your place in the league cup a couple of weeks ago and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your effort.

At some of the clubs we go to it is not worth reading the programme.

At Takeley we produce 75 programmes per game and like yourself I would rather sell out early than have leftovers

[Groyney]

I think Ernest is a very lucky man if that is the only thing he is upset about. Perhaps an anonymous donation to the club to cover the cost of printing the publication for the hordes that either went or were locked out would have avoided all this unnecessary flustering.

[FatCat]

Cheers Fatboy, much appreciated. :thumbsup (2):