No Fans, No Atmosphere, No Hope?

[Martin]

Any ideas from your lofty perch Gary?

 

I am another who does not start the singing but likes to join in again because I don't think my voice is strong enough to lead us off and I don't want to be left mumbling through the songs on my own.

 

Our start to the season has not been "crap". I will be very surprised if many teams pick up as many as four points from Billericay (a), Leyton (h) AFC (h) Hampton (a) and Braintree (h). Four of those teams will be top 8 at least.

[Barry Scott]

in the eyes of the fan we're looking to attract that's a crap start to the season is all i was saying. Besides there are other teams who are as good as those teams if not better (i make it around fifteen in total)

[Martin]

Well the fans we are trying to attract are evidently morons. We spent ages trying to reduce expectations this season due to our on and off the field difficulties. Yet I am sufficiently encouraged by our start to the season to say that my prediction of 17th is way off. Unless we are genuinely going to start pressganging people into attending there is very little we can do to boost attendances.

[Barry Scott]

Quote:

Martin said:
Unless we are genuinely going to start pressganging people into attending their is very little we can do to boost attendances.

I think that was the whole point, but SHH! someone will get upset

[stokepogesrebel]

has the club or trust tried going around local schools and handing out fixture lists and maybe asking people to be ball boys at the match so the they get into the spirit of supporting there local club

[Martin]

The club has approached schools previously and have run cheap deals for under 16. You may have spotted that it has been the school holidays for the duration of the season so far. Also running publicity drives cost money which may be better spent on team matters.

[brighton_rebel]

I think Chelsea Rebel (Nigel)wrote a good article in the programme tonight, that touched on the fact of the lack of advertising in town.

Personally i think we need to employ a marketing manager whose job it is to go round town putting up posters advertising matches, trying to get sponsors for various things, arranging for free tickets to schools, making links with the press etc.

Maybe the trust could employ them - maybe the job could be on a percentage of what sponsorship they get.

BUT at the end of the day, playing in Windsor is bound to effect floating supporters.

Worth looking at Margates gates since they came back home.

[Matt]

Quote:

Grimlock said:

Quote:

Martin said:
Unless we are genuinely going to start pressganging people into attending their is very little we can do to boost attendances.

I think that was the whole point, but SHH! someone will get upset

I would disagree - there are things that can be done to try and boost attendances, such as getting involved with schools and doing £1 kids admission on a regular basis. As long as it's well advertised in the necessary places, it could be a success. A free ticket through school is what led to me watching my first STFC game after all.

Whilst the club is homeless, we need to do whatever's possible to get as many people through the turnstiles as we can, and youngsters if possible as they are the future supporters of the club. If/when we get back in Slough, the club can focus on becoming even more actively involved in the community.

[Martin]

Also the trust handed out hundreds of fixture lists in the High Street before the season kicked off and has sponsored a Slough Juniors side which has seen an additional 22 Junior Rebels join the trust. Hopefully they may make it to a game soon (they did attend on several occasions last season).

[GarySTFC]

I think there was talk tonight about the junior side attending a Saturday match in the near future.

[Martin]

Fair point Matt - but what school did you go to?

 

What schools should the club target? We play in Windsor - so Windsor Boys?

 

Say we target St Joes and Slough Grammer. The kids think - cool cheap local football. But we are not that local. Train or bus - it somewhat defeats the point of reduced prices if the kids can't just turn up to the games off thier own back. Are we supposed to run free transport as well? Awfully costly for no guaranteed return.

 

The falling attendances are part and parcel of being a club in exile. We should be using these statistics to back up our campaign to get back in the borough.

[BFR]

Wexham School have local legend and STFC hero Glen Harris working there. It hasn't exactly seen a huge increase in the number of schoolkids coming along to watch the club

 

Expect a crap crowd on Saturday, what with the cricket being on

[Martin]

Perhaps another way to attract people to the game is to not have a big flaming thread at the top of our messageboard titled "No Fans, No Atmosphere, No Hope" which to the casual browser is not a great incentive to attend any future fixture.

 

Having said that our attendances and the atmosphere this season has been poor and it is something we as supporters should try and address.

[Matt]

It was Wexham Court Combined (now called Wexham Court Primary, I think).

 

I would look at targeting primary schools in Slough.

 

Good point about the added expense - I just wonder if something else could be attached. For example - vouchers are distributed to school kids, enabling them admission for £1. If they bring an adult with them (e.g who can drive them there, perhaps), then the adult is allowed in for a slighly reduced price (I realise here that the Ryman League enforce a minimum admission price, but is there any way at all around this?) Something like this maybe. I think it's certainly worth seriously discussing.

 

By the way Martin - schoolboy error (Slough Grammer) <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Martin]

Never could spell.

 

Too extent you prove my point though - you went to a Wexham school so seeing a team in Wexham was always going to be a more attractive prospect and an easier habit to fall in to.

 

I like the idea about reducing the price for accomanying adults. I wonder if we could do a family ticket of some sort. Will try and get this issue raised.

[GarySTFC]

Quote:

Martin said:
Perhaps another way to attract people to the game is to not have a big flaming thread at the top of our messageboard titled "No Fans, No Atmosphere, No Hope" which to the casual browser is not a great incentive to attend any future fixture.

I don't think the title of a thread on a message board will make that much difference to a floating fan and the other thing is, the title is true? It's plain to see for anyone so far this season.

We have three excellent websites promoting the club almost working against the two local papers which will have a much larger reader base than the combined efforts of the websites, so as BFR said, the negative reports over the summer and early season won't have helped.

The idea behind this thread, and it's proved popular so far, was to gauge other peoples thoughts on the attendances and atmosphere so far. I've been really disappointed with both, but appreciate there's only much people can do. If someone is happy to take on the filming, I'll come back in behind the goal, but until the offer for that comes forward, I'm not in a position to stop filming.

Moving forwards, I would like to see the Trust becoming more proactive in promoting the club. It's all been a bit quiet on that front recently which is disappointing. I know there is a promotion happening on Monday (more on that later, will be a big article in Saturday's programme), but no posters advertising matches, no nothing from anyone.

Do we want to boost our attendances? Do we want the club to survive? Of course we do, so let's not sit around waiting for the club to die and only action things once they've happened, let's get sorting this out now.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Saturdays attendence will be 2000+ when all of our FA Cup glory hunters return!

 

On the point of parents and kids, how about all acompanied kids free for leauge games, but then charge for the cup games as they would be hooked by then. Its that income that makes the difference as they are more likly to drag along mates.

[GarySTFC]

You can't do free entry for cup games and the prices have to be agreed by both teams which restricts things slightly.

 

Something needs to be done to encourage more juniors to matches though and I think we should be looking at kids for a quid for all matches. On the downside to that though, it does make the season ticket for U16's a bit pointless.

[charlie]

well not that its'll help much but i am bringing one of the girls from work on saturday...

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Gary re-read the post it says free for leauge and pay for cup.