Thoughts on today's game

[YELLOW]

This season, we're never at home when Concord are at home unless it's a rearranged fixture or cup games.

 

Don't think it's been like that in previous seasons though.

[missunderstood]

You were a bit closer to Romford than you are now,playing 7 or 8 miles from romford town centre will have an effect

 

 

No argument from me on that point Rob, although I still think the solution is to raise the profile of non league football in Havering and preferably working together, and although you would have the most to gain, I for one would be happy if we could add even a measly half of what you get out of it to our average gate.

 

The problem is that people tend to think that if their team enjoys a higher status, or if the own smaller team thrashes their big boots local rivals in a meaningless friendly, then all is well in their own little worlds and their season has been an unbridled success regardless of what happens the rest of the season.

Edited January 30, 2011 by missunderstood

[Serious Sid]

You talk a lot of sense Alan.

Yes, the hardened 'Urchins 'till I die' or the 'Boro' forever' supporters would sooner chew on a cyanide tablet than watch their bitter enemies. However, there are a lot of less passionate (or perhaps more 'moderate') people out there in Havering who are simply looking for some Saturday afternoon entertainment. They won't necessarily attend every game but if the entertainment is inviting enough they will come. Success on the pitch, an affordable pricing structure and a friendly and inviting welcome at the stadium will all go towards maximising crowd potential. However, that will not guarantee crowds of the levels seen in the past. There are simply too many ways of spending a few hours free time on a Saturday afternoon.

 

I, for one, would have put in an appearance at your game vs Needham Market had the Urchins not been playing at home - and talking to people on the Riverside I am sure I would not have been the only one.

[Eastside Urchin]

Cyanide,will that help my rotten tooth fck off???

[missunderstood]

You talk a lot of sense Alan.

Yes, the hardened 'Urchins 'till I die' or the 'Boro' forever' supporters would sooner chew on a cyanide tablet than watch their bitter enemies. However, there are a lot of less passionate (or perhaps more 'moderate') people out there in Havering who are simply looking for some Saturday afternoon entertainment. They won't necessarily attend every game but if the entertainment is inviting enough they will come. Success on the pitch, an affordable pricing structure and a friendly and inviting welcome at the stadium will all go towards maximising crowd potential. However, that will not guarantee crowds of the levels seen in the past. There are simply too many ways of spending a few hours free time on a Saturday afternoon.

 

I, for one, would have put in an appearance at your game vs Needham Market had the Urchins not been playing at home - and talking to people on the Riverside I am sure I would not have been the only one.

 

 

Big problem is that some of us take it all a bit too seriously and sometimes its just nice to watch a game when you couldn't care less who wins.

[Eastside Urchin]

Yep,was great to see fulham smash the granny out the yids

[Hornchurch "O"]

Friday nights would suit me fine.

[Hasbeen]

Yep,was great to see fulham smash the granny out the yids

 

 

It is indeed difficult times for all clubs at the moment and every available revenue stream should be explored. However I still maintain that the amount of people who may decide to watch 'other' local non-league teams would be negligible. I couldn't see more than one or two Romford fans deciding to watch the urchins and vice versa

[Serious Sid]

IMO the goal should not be to attract RFC fans to Urchin games or vice versa but to try and get some of the 3000 'fans' who turned up to watch us play Peterboro a couple of seasons ago to come back again.

[Beachboys]

This season, we're never at home when Concord are at home unless it's a rearranged fixture or cup games.

 

Don't think it's been like that in previous seasons though.

 

 

At the beginning of the season you complete a form saying what other teams you would like to avoid playing locally

from memory i think you get two choices in Ryman and believe it or not one in Pro level !

 

So we obviously pick Canvey and Southend !

[Hasbeen]

IMO the goal should not be to attract RFC fans to Urchin games or vice versa but to try and get some of the 3000 'fans' who turned up to watch us play Peterboro a couple of seasons ago to come back again.

 

the answer to that is to play Peterboro or likes in the FA cup

[missunderstood]

Friday nights would suit me fine.

 

 

If romford played on Friday nights I would go but wouldn't be happy about it, I certainly wouldn't watch Hornchurch or anyone else on a Friday but would consider it on a Saturday. I have been to Dagenham six times this season and although the atmosphere is great compared to other local teams, the football is not so great, and anyway I prefer non league so the best alternatives for me would be Hornchurch, or dare I say it, Dartford, because its such a super stadium.

[Eastside Urchin]

Obviously I wouldn't want games changed from the 3pm Saturday traditional kick off time but I would like to see maybe 2 or 3 times a season clubs playing on a Friday night when other local rivals are at home on a Saturday

[Dagger03]

Rob - we have to remember that, whilst there is only one senior club in Havering, there are four senior teams in Thurrock - Aveley, Thurrock, Grays, East Thurrock - and there is always going to be a clash of fixtures. Between them, they average about one thousand spectators though I do not know what the overlap is.

 

When HFC do not have a game, I usually check the Aveley and Thurrock fixtures before deciding where to go, but I would think that Aveley would not want to be at home at the same time as Thurrock, though this has happened at least twice this season. My other choice is usually Kelvedon Hatch in the Olympian League.

 

I doubt if West Ham has any affect on HFC gates, as they rarely clash with our own, but HFC fixtures often clash with Dagenham & Redbridge, and any floating supporters in the Romford / Dagenham area would be likely to choose Dagenham & Redbridge if they have attractive opposition.

[Eastside Urchin]

I actually believe that the FA should be trying to encourage people to watch local football

[missunderstood]

I actually believe that the FA should be trying to encourage people to watch local football

 

 

If the FA had any interest in local non league football they could make a start by having the premiership clubs join the FA Cup in the first round proper, and have double the amount of non league teams qualifying at the same stage. It wont happen though because they only care about the big boys, and they just see us as an expendable inconvenience. Does anyone seriously believe that the FA would allow a club from the top echelons to fold like Windsor and Eton have done this week.

[paokman]

we were sh**e end of, the opposition had a 100% ratio of shots to goals fair play to them, the snood was man of the match for me,get this out of our system or we will be fair game for the gate on tuesday nite

 

 

After twenty minutes of this shocker I turned to Ian and said I'd wait for the 50/50 draw at half-time then I'd go home. I didn't of course and stayed until the bitter end.

Perhaps if I'd worn my lucky socks we'd have won, seem to have misplaced them in recent weeks.

It was a case of deja-vu and it was compounded by the fact that there were no warm Speckled Hens under the counter.

Come on chaps and chapesses we can all do better and we will, of course, on Tuesday. .