Barry Proudfoot Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20078528 Interesting reading some of the comments. Just shows how ignorant most premier league clubs fans are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cup of tea Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Ignorant is the best way of summing some of those fans up. I can't understand the argument that if crowds rise in non-league football then prices will go up? I also can't understand some fans saying that they aren't going to change loyality. It's not about that - most non-league fans I know support a league/premiership team as well. If you want to spend 3 times the amount to watch a Premiership game when money is tight then where's the logic there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savagebee Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 The only Premiership footy i watch is on MOTD. I cant stand most of the teams, most of the players and most of there supporters it all about the money. The premiership clubs really dont give a crap about there supporters. The last premiership match i went to watch was a QPR game in the early to mid 1990's. Non-League football all the way i say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krooner Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I support my local club and have done for more than 25 years. I also following West Ham for about 30 years. I hadnt been to West Ham for years and years until my eldest demanded he be taken. My youngest is one of a new band of Reading Supporters. So I will take my boys to some games this year for both clubs but Camberley are my club and I will support them as often as I can which will be more than the other 2. You cant just change your club but I would urge Prem fans to go and witness their local teams in action be it a League 2 club or a CCL club. More importantly though what are the local clubs doing to persuade them to do just that ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missunderstood Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I support my local club and have done for more than 25 years. I also following West Ham for about 30 years. More importantly though what are the local clubs doing to persuade them to do just that ? I would say that the majority of non league clubs are doing nothing. Some because they are afraid of change, and many others because they don't have the wit or imagination, the manpower or money to make their clubs even remotely attractive to anyone apart from the ever dwindling hardcore faithful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cup of tea Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I think money is the most important point there. You can have the best ideas to make clubs more attractive but without the money to back them or to market them then they will just be ideas. Then we're back to overspending again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missunderstood Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I think money is the most important point there. You can have the best ideas to make clubs more attractive but without the money to back them or to market them then they will just be ideas. Then we're back to overspending again. Simple things like banning smoking,swearing, and offering supporters decent healthy food instead of hot dogs a greasy burgers, utilising the car park on match days by offering a car wash service, and perhaps hiring it out for car-boot sales on Sundays wouldn't cost money and could improve clubs financial viability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 food and car boot sales aside you live in cloud cuckoo land at times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick the Dick Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 The food offering at Non League grounds has not kept up with modern trends, but that alone wont bring them pouring through the turnstiles. In fact most Turnstiles themselves are a "turn-off". Relics from early in the 20th century. I can't think of another form of entertainment where you gain access through an aparatus that wouldn't be out of place in a cattle shed. Being "Family Friendly" is probably the area that contains most potentia for the survival of Non League football. But attracting significantly more local families who would never consider, or afford, a regular trip to a League ground would require a major change in attitudes. No swearing on or off the pitch, no dodgy chants from the terraces, non-threatening family friendly stand areas, happy smiley meet & greet, pre match & half-time activity and both home and away clubs/players/supporters needing to "buy-in" to the concept. Difficult to get that lot organised, and then you've got to market it and convince families that an afternoon at their local club is a good way to spend some of their valuable family time. Not impossible, and not expensive, but not the experience most die-hards know & love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cup of tea Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 It's not a bad idea - It will take one hell of a cultural change though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 All clubs should have a family section,as far away as possible from the "most vocal terrace" As for swearing,pretty impossible to police IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brightside Bloke Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 If your going to go down the squeaky clean route, you'll have them doing mass on the pitch next. I agree with Eastside (again) All clubs should have a family section,as far away as possible from the "most vocal terrace" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 I am a level headed sort of guy most of the time BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackballed Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 What a hard one to discuss, I for one find going to a match my release where I can have a beer, release the pressure built up being stuck in an office all week, most of the time towards the Ref or Linesman, sometimes have an hotdog, as her indoors has long since banded that sort of thing. But and here is the but, we do need to get more family friendly and that's the very hard bit do we give up our Saturday afternoons away from her indoors............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 If you want to stop swearing at football you need to change society first,simply not going to happen,whether it should or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeV Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Agree that non league football needs to be seen as an occasion for families to attend and enjoy an so I have to agree that designated family enclosures should be introduced. Another idea I have also pondered upon is perhaps the introduction of a club mascot. I believe there was talk of having a blue bear a few years back but it never went through. Could be a winning idea given that it would add more fun and entertainment on matchdays and this could have a positive effect on the numbers of young supporters that come to support the club. Could also be a way to push the club further into the community. If it were to be introduced ever then I would volunteer to be heavily involved in this. Potentially a way to transform the image of the club to give off the direct impression that we are 'family friendly'. Perhaps we could look at the possibility of doing a dedicated family day on one of our Saturday home fixtures to see if this has a pull effect on the public? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 We had a mascot for a while,I think it's sometimes just finding the people to dress up,we did have someone who wanted to do it all the time but he is 17 now and probably thinks his mates will give him a good kicking We have,this season started with mascots,ie kids leading the team out on the pitch,we charge the fee,think its £30 a match per kid and they get to lead the team out and keep the kit,hence no profit involved although by doing this you hope they bring their family,possibly friends etc. Only problem is,some People want the same dates,although I think we have 2 or 3 already for the Billericay game booked in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick the Dick Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 If your going to go down the squeaky clean route, you'll have them doing mass on the pitch next. Bit extreme, BB Don't have to be "squeaky clean"; just as family friendly as a some other sports events, like Cricket or Tennis maybe? And I thought you Cider drinkers worshipped a Wicker Man? ...I for one find going to a match my release where I can have a beer, release the pressure built up being stuck in an office all week, most of the time towards the Ref or Linesman, sometimes have an hotdog... Yep, me too. A lot of us would have to change our behaviour, I suspect. If you want to stop swearing at football you need to change society first,simply not going to happen,whether it should or not. I don't think you'll stop swearing. But you can drive it back a bit; make it less "in your face" and the exception rather than the rule. Another idea I have also pondered upon is perhaps the introduction of a club mascot. I believe there was talk of having a blue bear a few years back but it never went through. ... Perhaps we could look at the possibility of doing a dedicated family day on one of our Saturday home fixtures to see if this has a pull effect on the public? Joe, just want to make it clear that my comments and ideas weren't aimed specifically at 'ricay, but at our level of football in general. Something along the lines of Mascots or other activity to engage the crowds when there's no football going on wouldn't be a bad idea though. Heybridge Swifts used to have a Dance Troup I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastside Urchin Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Dance troupes and the likes are all very well but most blokes probably don't want to see that sort of stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeV Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Yeah Rick, I became a bit narrow minded in my post, I believe these are all options of which non league clubs could look into. I do like the idea of a family ticket as well, could be a real attraction to matches for families as it will bring down their total admission spend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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