Bumped into Malcolm Rowlett this afternoon.

[Coffin Ender]

Our gates are low? I thought our support was terrific last season. In the pre-CK days we'd often get 150/200.

[Cookie]

Our gates were good but I do believe the club need at least 850(maybe more,I forget the actual figure that was mentioned)to break even. We need more to help with financing for other better players.The gates were good,yes,but that 1000 mark is a minimun I feel to be able to clear the expenses & to have extra in the bank for such player purchases or increased wages.I know I harp on about this,maybe too often for some but I do like to see lots of people in attendance anyway as well as the financial reasons.Without a commercial manager it is left to us the supporter to try & do a little bit more for the club.This is a small but important way to do that I believe. Still,"Target 1000" will be back next season.Lets hope we can now get that figure up & thereafter push that target up to the 1200 mark at a later stage.Agree with lots that has been said above about the reasons why or why not these figures havent or can be achieved.

[Drummer]

Not disputing that Coffin Ender but you asked would anyone be unhappy and I quoted what I remember being said at the Presentation Evening.

 

Obviously FA Cup runs etc are what one might term "bunce" (very valuable and necessary bunce too) but the fact is that was the task set at the PE and I don't imagine that there will be much change on that.

[Cookie]

As for "targets" the club have set them out yes,but in reality terms a promotion alone I think WOULD be acceptable & give Trotty another bash at the job.I doubt not getting all the other targets would jeapordise his chances of a furher contract.But Promotion is the main target & if that were achievable alone, then Trotty will have done good for me anyway & I am sure the club would see it that way too.Trotty I am sure can get us that promotion.All the other targets are of course important to achieve too & theres no harm in asking for them to be achieved but that promotion is the one,first & foremost i.m.o.

[Gate Watcher]

Compare our gates last season with our support 10 years ago at step 3 and you are quite right CE. But compared to what we can get through the gate I would day when we dropped down into the four and five hundreds at times last season it was very disappointing. We have a much larger fanbase than we did 10 years ago. More people in the area know about the club. I think we should be striving for the 1000 crowds week in week out.

[blueblood]

This target of 1000 needs work. Cookie, Peter and myself tried the direct approach in Margate high street on a wet afternoon before, if memory serves me right, the Wombles game. The out come on the near deserted afternoon was 1) a soaking, 2)a bout of depression at the state of Margate's high street. We need to get together and organise a more concerted campain, If we are to reach not only a thousand but the 1500 we know we can get when things are going well. The more bodies that come through the gate the larger the clubs income. If we can sell each one of these extra people a burger, a pint or two, a cupper a match day program, a Golden gate membership, a 50/50 ticket, a shirt or hat/scarf then we really can make a difference and this inturn will relate to the quality that we see out there on the field. We can make a difference. UP the GAAAAATE

[Cookie]

Well said BB. We need to WORK at it. Not just TALK about it. I assume we will get a meet up with M.I.S.A before season starts BB to discuss possibilities. I know you said last season we should have met BB but the season was already over.However this season we should blitz the area and see what the outcome can be. I will be there if & when that meeting takes place.I would hope others will be able to attend also. Is it "watch this space" then BB?

The "promised" additional from last season fixture cards will be available & thats a start to increasing attendances. Now those things we discussed on here earlier in the year need looking at,discussed and set in motion.

[Cookie]

In the meantime,& it has been asked for on a previous occasion,does anyone know where a car mounted megaphone can be acquired? If so please contact me. Thank you!

(I guess you can see where I'm going with this!)

[Gate Watcher]

Where would you buy any megaphone for that matter?

[blueblood]

E-Bay

[blueblood]

When i spoke to KP about our High street adventure he did say he did not mind, provided we kept our canvassing on a professional line and were not to get in peoples faces.

[Cookie]

Ive tried E.Bay Graham. No joy!

[blueblood]

Do you or any body have any connections with our political classes. They surly use these items to blow there own trumpets at election times. Perhaps they would lend one or put us in the right direction.

[Cookie]

I dont want a trumpet BB, l.o.l. I shall have a word with my friend S.E or better still ask our political adviser J.M to ask around.

[blueblood]

They sell small hand held ones dressed in england colours at Asda, £10 each.

[ScratMFC]

Exeter have been in a similar situation to us.

 

They work closely with the local community. Injured/rested players often visit local schools as a 'special guest' visitor, (they visited my sons school, I ended up having to take him to see them afterwards)

 

The local paper often runs competitions to win tickets to matches, as does the local radio. They have buy one get one free ticket offers. There are estate agents here who donate to EFC if you buy your house from them. All this enhances their public image.

 

By raising the puplic awareness & especially targeting the kids, they have managed to maintain a high level of attendance, even after being relagated to the conference.

 

Ok their 0-0 draw against Man Utd did their bank balance no harm. But even after that, at the end of the season they had a total bank balance of zero, they where in that much debt! All it meant was that they cleared their debts 2 years early. They are still working on a very tight budget.

 

They have now instigated a programme called V10 to increase the clubs funds, & get them back into the league. Maybe we should adopt something similar to raise public awareness of MFC.

 

Personally I say target the kids. If you can get a kid to want to come, he/she will bring an adult along too, get an adult to come, they will more than likely come alone?

[Gate Watcher]

I think thats an excellent post Scrat. Estate agents are DESPERATE to increase their turnover and enhance their image so are the best people to tag onto. The only sticking point here is that KP is part of an estate agents himself. There could be a conflict of interests.

 

But local primary schools are a good target. Only problem is that Exeter being full time can direct players movements off the pitch a lot more than a part time club like Margate can. I dont know if any players here could give up the time although if something were arranged between a star player (Hockton, Trott or Brayley, or maybe Sesay on one of his days off) and the club this might be possible on a certain date. Obviously hand out some free tickets and if at all possible some sort of memento to remember the club by and maybe take a football lesson or something. If a player cannot go along then even just giving the school some free tickets and goody bags would be a good starting point.

[Cookie]

Thanks Scrat.We have had this mentioned previously but this year we really DO need to target this area. We need someone who knows where the "core" is & deliver on the clubs behalf.So any teachers out there, can you help with a central name & address please?

[seasidesteve]

you buy a megaphone at a megaphone shop everyone knows that gw

[ScratMFC]

Good point about EFC being F/T. Had totally forgotten that we where P/T (OK blond moment - guilty)

 

The biggest success EFC have had is the kids go free scheme. Where by a paying adult can take his/her kid for free.

 

At our current gate prices we would have lost a quid, but hopefully gained 8 quid for the attending adult?

 

If we are getting 700 at home matches then all those other seats are earning us nothing, so wouldnt it be better to give them away to try & attract new fans?