Attendances

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Noticeable that the crowd at Daggers today was all but identical to the crowd at our place, so if we have problems so too do D&R.

 

Also notice that the Canvey v Grays crowd was less than half the crowdat the reverse fixture played on Bank Holiday Tuesday last week - rather demonstrates the impact playing on the Tuesday had on the crowd (albeit that that wont have been the sole reason for the bigger gate at Grays)

[Jimmy]

Dagenhams attendance was clearly influenced by the slight matter of West Ham v Chelsea.

[Alan W (GNFC)]

But then ours was affected by Charlton (& the Gills).

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

Exactly - Which means we need to be more creative with KO times , and why the Friday night experiment is worth a try.

[Jimmy]

The percentage of support that go to West Ham instead of Dagenham is far greater than ours who go to Charlton.

 

The same principle applies but the numbers are different.

 

The Friday night game may well attract people who don't come on Saturdays but it has also meant numerous regulars can't attend.

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

Is not the just the fact the Charlton Arsenal game was on the same time as ours, it was the fact that it was live on the box at exactly the same KO time.

 

This not only deprived us of the Charlton and Arsenal ( And there are a few) fans that attend the Fleet , but a whole host of other casual football fans, whom decided to either stay in the pub or stay at home with the family to watch a premiership game for nowt than pay 12 quid to watch a conference game.

 

 

I am not sure that Fridays will work, but it has got to be worth a try, as we can't carry on letting the crowds slip any further.

If the crowds go up because of it , then it will be a worthwhile experiment even if it means pissing off a few regulars.

 

 

PS. I made it to the ground on Monday about 5 mins before KO and the tube I was on was full of unhappy Hammers on their way home, so if any of them wanted to make it to both games they could, and also the armchair Hammers fans could watch the WHUFC first and still go to the Daggers.

My gripe with our club is, I don't think we always look at the bigger picture when we do things.

[Harry J Allstars]

Quote:

Wobbly Wayne rides again said:P.S. I made it to the ground on Monday about 5 mins before KO and the tube I was on was full of unhappy Hammers on their way home, so if any of them wanted to make it to both games they could, and also the armchair Hammers fans could watch the WHUFC first and still go to the Daggers.

I tried to go to both but couldn't get tickets.

Quote:

Wobbly Wayne rides again said:My gripe with our club is, I don't think we always look at the bigger picture when we do things.

If your talking about fans supporting two clubs then a conversation took place between me and some club officials a few weeks ago.

Roly Edwards: If you want to watch a team thats going to win every week then there is only one team in this country doing that (or words to that effect).

Me: Yeah and I gave them up to watch this lot.

Brian Kilcullen: Well we're trying to tell people that they could do both.

[Jeff]

They could in theory do both but could they afford to do both?

[Riverview Red]

Lots of interesting theories

 

However,we must all understand that support is traditional and unless you are challenging for a title and/or playing fantastic attractive football you will not attract more than your hardcore.

 

We currently are doing neither !

 

Hence the drop in attendances, the novelty of moving into the Conference has gone and we are now almost down to a hardcore of say 800 supporters + the away followers.

 

Fortunately the hardcore seems to have grown from about 500-600 of 5 years ago to the 800 we have now (I hope).

 

There is no magic formula to increasing the crowds and attracting all the floating football fans and part timers unless you can offer something special.

 

Coupled with this we have terrible facilities in a ground that looks ready to be demolished. This is one of the criticisms I hear from friends who are floaters and make the comment that "how can they charge £12 to watch football in that s**thole"

 

The hard truth I'm sorry to say.

[Harry J Allstars]

I don't agree with the you'll need success to bring more fans. There are other ways to get people through the gates, cheerleaders for example.

[Slartibartfast]

Quote:

Harry J Allstars said:
I don't agree with the you'll need success to bring more fans. There are other ways to get people through the gates, cheerleaders for example.

Harry, if you want to see dancing girls try a rub and tug joint, if you want to increase attendances you have to win your home games.

[David Holden]

Quote:

Harry J Allstars said:
I don't agree with the you'll need success to bring more fans. There are other ways to get people through the gates, cheerleaders for example.

Should also make it an easy day for the guys from Operation Ore!

[Jimmy]

"Ah, Mr Glitter - we've been expecting you"

[KShep]

Well the cheerleaders look like happening!:) The '£12 to go and watch that?' is the reply I get whenever I ask anyone new to go to the Fleet! I know the club have thought through the finances and seen this as the next logical step, and compared to them am clueless about the money involved, but taking off the £2 could bring so many more fans in!

 

£12 isn't much more than a tenner, but it seems like it! Handing over a £20 note to get in as opposed to a £10 one has a big bearing on some people.

Someone made the point on here a few weeks back about how people look at the notes they have, and dont count the coins- For example, paying for you and your son for a tenner and a fiver, or a £20? The change won't count for most people.

[FleetFanatic]

Absolutely, it's a psychological thing.

I recall reading a debate on this in the lower leagues,

where the point was put that the entrance fee of the club in question had risen from £6 to £9 in the space of 18 months (2 seasons from the end of one) .....

 

£6 'almost seemed like a fiver' whereas £9 'felt like a tenner' was the general consensus.

 

A similar thing would seem to be happening to us,

no matter how daft or illogical it seems.

[JimGNFC]

The only way of testing this theory is surely to put the prices back down to £10 and see if more people come through the gate.

 

Prices may have increased to £12 but having lost 2-300 through the gate, I cannot see how the Club is making any more money then if they were to charge £10 and have several hundred more people attending games. Would anyone care to agree/disagree with this statement?

 

The trouble is now those several hundred people have been lost how easy is it going to be to pursuade them to return?

 

Other than the price increase, the only other factor to have affected attendances is surely the closure of The Plough end. All in all, its disappointing attendances are down in what is its first season (for a long time) as a full-time Club. The move to full-time, would in my opinion be a real incentive for people to continue turning up, regardless of higher prices.

[UP FLEET]

On the subject of more fans, and revenue, it may have been mentioned before, but here goes.

The plough takes so much money every time we are at home, why cant the club see this and do something about it? Surely by spending money you will get it back. BY MOVING THE TURNSTILES. How much would it cost to put two or three turnstiles to the left as you walk in and say two for the away travel further up the back of the stand. Cost I’m sure they will argue, but how much? Sponsorship/part cost with, a local builder, its only brickwork and labour, in the summer this can be done by us and the brickwork by the tradesman. The profit must out way the spending. The open club at Dagenham works, 50p to get in the money is there to be made.

The world cup is coming up why not get a large roller screen on the stage, open up in the evening, lay on a buffet on match nights, make the place more like a pub rather than a empty hall. We have no memorabilia around the walls, go to accy,kettering, their club houses where very nice and welcoming, ours isn’t.

If we are going to be at stonebridge road for a few more years lets speculate to accumulate, but no one at the club is doing this, sure spend money on the team, this is after all what we want, a good team. But we have the opportunities to make extra revenue and as per normal we do nothing about it. WHY LET THE PLOUGH HAVE IT.?

 

[Jeff]

Quote:

UP FLEET said:
memorybillier(spelling)

That's cracked me up!

[UP FLEET]

yep, couldn,t be arsed to spell check.But done it now just for you. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

[Jeff]

Nice. Didn't realise that you could do that once you have already posted.

 

Your point made sense though.

I often wonder why I feel like I am standing in a glorified scout hut on matchdays.