SLOUGH TOWN v MAIDSTONE UNITED - four days to go

[Reading Rebel]

3 hours ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

The reason gates are down is simple - we went out of the FA cup in the first round we played, and we are mid-table with nothing to play for.

Both the FA cup and playing for the playoffs/top brings people in.

That on top of Covid and prices going up will see a drop in attendance.

So how many bought season tickets? - am I right in thinking the price of season tickets went up this year?

So how many thought I will wait and see how Covid goes and then not having a season ticket now dont bother?

You make some good points SR.

The only thing to add is that, whilst unlikely, we could still make the play-offs.

It would require us to go on an unbeaten run and others to slip up but still possible. 

Edited March 14, 2022 by Reading Rebel

[sdelaney]

Back to the game a top corner from Kurtis with length and hanging in the air for Edon to score with a very good header.

And ' Ronaldo Jackman'?? marauding though the Maidstone midfield to score a wonder goal.

Maidstone supporters were very good supporting there team had a good chat with a number of them in the bar and walking back to the station.

COYREBELS 

[epicrebel]

These are Maidstone's highlights of the game.

https://youtu.be/p2eJUKBReyk

 

[Curtis]

1 hour ago, epicrebel said:

These are Maidstone's highlights of the game.

https://youtu.be/p2eJUKBReyk

 

With regard to Josh Jackman’s wonder goal, and the clip of it being on Twitter, & Jon’s reference to trying to engage with potential new fans, do we not have someone a lot more social media savvy than me that can try to get this to go viral & provide promotion & interest in the club?

I recall Ebbsfleet Utd doing something with a video of their goalkeeper Preston Edwards being sent off in the first minute of a match that got thousands of views.

[sdelaney]

Have  said to RR am surprised with so many teams and  people using AP over  a week that more people are not enticed to come through this contact telling their relations and friends.

[3spirit]

21 hours ago, Curtis said:

If that’s the real reason how do we explain 40,000+ at Chelsea, 60,000+ at Arsenal & 80,000+ at Twickenham yesterday?
We’ve struggled with attendances all this season, and I think we need to figure out the real reason & not resort to easy excuses.

I think you are missing the point with these 3 examples. Premiership football these days attract the middle classes  more than the traditional working classes [unlike yesteryear], and rugby at Twickenham has always been ludicrously priced that it's never been a place for an average paid punter.

The problem Slough have as a club, is that Slough has become such a diverse multi cultural town that many are just not into football, and the image of Slough always seems labelled as a dump of a place which hardly brings people rushing to visit the place, and also youngsters of today have so many other pastimes they can do, that football isn't always the first thing on their mind. Covid has been a big hinderance,too,as attendances had started to climb a couple of seasons ago before the outbreak of the virus but quite a few fans just haven't come back.Slough's fanbase is predominantly over 40[age wise] and that's being lenient with the truth ! Many of those are dying off !     

[3spirit]

8 hours ago, Jon Underwood said:

Personally I don’t think the on-pitch efforts / results / league position should be seen as a major factor in the decline.

Bath and Billericay both had 1000+ crowds the other week despite both being in the bottom 3 and having seasons well below their expectations. Also we’ve lost once at home since October (beating teams like Dorking, Maidstone and Havant at AP in that time) so it’s not like fans are coming down and seeing us get beaten week in week out. 

My personal view, which I don’t mind sharing on here, is that we as a club need to do more in the community and online to engage new fans and this is something that is currently being discussed within the club. This is not me having a go at anyone at the club, as we have limited people willing and able to help on this front but I believe we can all do better on this and I fully believe we will do so moving forward.

Just as point to what has been said on this thread about attendances, couldn't there be an initiative put forward that whoever actually plays on the pitch during the week or visits the club for whatever reason gets given two tickets for a Saturday home match, say a bargain price of £0 or £5 or £10 to try and attract more through the gates,with the hope that a few will come back again. Also do something similar through the local papers and local schools. Dulwich gave away lots of free tickets, and their gates have risen significantly.    

[GlenSTFC]

Why not send every primary and secondary school in Slough enough tickets for every child. Maybe do an adult and child ticket for £5? Got to worth a try for what is a relatively cheap and easy option? I don’t know how many school children there are in Slough but let’s say 10,000. Even if just 1% took up the offer that’s an extra 100 who’d also spend money on drink/food maybe merchandise.

[bluerebel]

There are many good suggestions regarding how to increase our attendances. However, this is the Maidstone match page.

Might I suggest that  a new page is started specifically maybe " How to increase attendances"

It might also help if you are able to provide some physical help. Many of these suggestions will require some action with schools/ companies/residents etc. The more people able to contribute a bit of time to some of these ideas would be beneficial to all.

 

 

[Shredding Green]

On 12/03/2022 at 17:59, Sir Rebel1965 said:

A very good performance from Slough with the young attacking line causing all sorts of problems to Maidstone, and the defence holding firm.

 

6 points from one of the top teams?

 

Have to say that if I was Joe Ellul (No.4) I would be embarrassed by that performance - falling over every time a player half his size got near him!

 

Comfortably mid table now so safe.

I was once told by a left back that the time to hang up your boots is when a 17 years old whizzes past you.

Joe Ellul, 33 years old National League Player of The Month for January 2022, might have been pipped for the header by our 19 years old Edon Pruti but I understand that the wind might have been a factor in that.

Edited March 16, 2022 by Shredding Green

[Shredding Green]

On 13/03/2022 at 22:24, GlenSTFC said:

What are you babbling on about SG! Saying what I wrote is unacceptable and questioning your professional pedigree is laughable! Could you not tell it was light banter?

No I couldn't. It is inappropriate light banter. But I will be pleased to meet up with you on a match day as currently I do not know which spectator you are.

[GlenSTFC]

18 minutes ago, Shredding Green said:

No I couldn't. It is inappropriate light banter. But I will be pleased to meet up with you on a match day as currently I do not know which spectator you are.

Well that’s your issue not mine and I have no desire to meet up either surprisingly!

[SloughFlyer]

8 hours ago, Shredding Green said:

No I couldn't. It is inappropriate light banter. But I will be pleased to meet up with you on a match day as currently I do not know which spectator you are.

SG - what difference does it make which spectator Glen is? He has had an opinion on the attendance figures from day one and was spot on with his prediction.

Strikes me as far more personal for you for a couple of reasons -

1. You have a ball in both teams court

2. You saw the game as a "massive match" and pretty much you were the only one that considered this as such.

3. Looking at the attendance figures, assuming 250 from Maidstone even if each Slough fan had bought 2 fans extra, we still would have been 300-500 off of the 2400+ you thought was "in reach".

Looking back through the threads about this game, you didn't actually make a firm prediction as to the number of fans at the game, so could then always (which you have done) go back and point out that you didn't actually predict the attendance. Easy way to sit on the fence and criticise those that did hang their colours to the mast, such as Glen.

I'd say, best to accept that things with the support didn't go how you hoped for your "massive match", hope that those 600-650 fans "from Slough" enjoyed themselves and can get word of mouth out there for the next home game.

Oh and for those wondering - 

Myself and my Dad have season tickets and reserved seats the stand, my eldest som has those but now he works can't attend games (all bought and paid for though), my Uncle was at the game paying through the turnstile (he is a Gunners season ticket holder) and my father-in-law (paid through the turnstile) and his son (who got a half season ticket and a shirt for Xmas from us) we're also there, so we did our bit for the attendance?

[Sir Rebel1965]

On 15/03/2022 at 22:39, Shredding Green said:

I was once told by a left back that the time to hang up your boots is when a 17 years old whizzes past you.

Joe Ellul, 33 years old National League Player of The Month for January 2022, might have been pipped for the header by our 19 years old Edon Pruti but I understand that the wind might have been a factor in that.

SG - how many times are you going to reply to the same post of mine?

 

Do you have a fetish for Maidstone?

[Shredding Green]

4 hours ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

SG - how many times are you going to reply to the same post of mine?

 

Do you have a fetish for Maidstone?

I am a Man of Kent and lived in Maidstone from 1956 to 1959.