Attendances & Fixture Leaflets

[Tom]

I'd be more than happy to help any area, but not living in Slough hinders that a bit.

[GarySTFC]

Thing is, while we're playing in Windsor, surely it wouldn't hurt to do a drop round by the ground just in case? (Not aimed specifically at you Tom)

[Matt]

I don't see any reason why we can't build up a bank of volunteers for all corners of Slough. I for one can do Wexham and Upton (along with a few others I'd imagine) and we have lots of Langley and Cippenham-based fans for a start.

[GarySTFC]

I can and will happily do Farnham area (after October 16th, I'm free of study for a few months)

[Barry Scott]

why not hit up the schools just before Christmas andEaster to take advantage of the holidays?

[Guest]

COULD WE SUPPLY LEAFLETS TO THE PRINTERS OF THE LOCAL PAPERS TO INSERT INTO THE PAPERS WHICH COULD BE EASILY DONE AT THE ASSEMBLY STAGE

[Tom]

Thats a very good idea, especially as there is a number of free papers which get delivered to every household in the area.

 

As a point, I think it would be good to target the boxing day match as some form of promotion. This match could be the ideal opportunity to get people through the gate.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

The only problem with using the papers to distribute them would be the cost - and I for one imediately junk anything inside a paper - maybe because I am a miserable, grumpy old sod!

[Martin]

Sorry long post coming:

 

Gary - no point in advertising the Trust website. It is pointless. Very little information is published on there - our events are easily published through the programme and the current board has voted against publishing the minutes of the meetings on the website. In addition none of the current board are technically minded so hard to become more e-literate.

 

Matt - if the leaflets just "get thrown out" - it does not really matter what is on them. Although as I have said the website should have been there and with more time we could have got a design bod on it.

 

Tom - it has already been decided to do at least one more leaflet drop this season. It is part of an ongoing campaign to help keep the club in mind. I personally delivered leaflets to the St Mary's Ward to the same streets targetted in the local election.

 

Gary - the leaflet was always going to be done however we are dependent on the fixtures being published and on friendlies being announced because we wanted to tie the day in the High Street with a local away friendly so that no one would miss the game. Also given the fact it was the holiday season it was not ideal timing.

 

Personally I would not want to target the Windsor area as they have nothing to do with the Trust objectives and it will add fuel to the Windsor Slough and Eton fire.

 

Barry - for the next leaflet we will order more and I will personally deliver these to local schools.

 

P Bridle - this idea was discussed at the Board meeting. It was eventually decided that this was not cost effective. The newspapers charge for inclusion of these leaflets and you are reliant on the paperboys actually adding them to the papers and having done the deliveries in the Langley area I saw an awful lot of signs saying "no newspapers" so I would guess that the majority of these are just thrown away.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Does the club themselves have any advertising or promotions planned?

 

Because at the end of the day the less gate money coming into the club, the more our "sponsor" has to find out of his own pocket.

 

There is also the self fulfilling proficy of "that we cant afford to advertise due to droping numbers, so the numbers will continue to decrease" but how can this cycle be broken.

 

Those who mentioned about having a good cup run will boost numbers - but only whilst we are still in the cup - what were the gates after we were put out in the second round by Yeading - back to 300-350.

 

Roger is correct with what he says about seeing some wins, this will bring back a few - it is then how we add 50 new faces a season & keep them.

 

So many questions and no obvious answers!

[GarySTFC]

Thanks Martin, it's good to see the Trust board represented on here, just a shame you have to take all the flack....

 

To be honest, we should scrap the Trust site. Can you put it to the board to approve its removal? It saves us a meagre amount for the domain name registration, but I guess it is one less cost.

 

What are the Trust objectives? I had asked for the Trust site, but never got anything. Would be good to have those re-iterated, as I'm not totally certain what they are any more.

[GarySTFC]

Sometimes SR, it's not about getting the 50 new faces, but not pee-ing off some very useful people (done by trust & club) to the point where they don't come anymore.

[Martin]

Lets face it the club is pretty poor when it comes to marketting and self promotion - but I personally find it hard to criticise overly when there are so few people working for the club.

 

I will certainly suggest that the website is closed. I personally wish to see it utilised much more and will continue to chip away. I think minutes of Board Meetings should be published on there.

 

The main aims of the trust are:

 

To strengthen the bonds between the club and the community and to to represent the community interests in the running of the club

 

To benefit the community by promoting encouraging and further the game of football as recreation, sporting activity and focus for community inolvement

 

To further the development of the game of football and

 

To encourage the club to take proper account of the interests of the supporters and community in its decisions.

 

In order to better achieve these aims the Trust looks to facilitate andd encourage the return of the club to a permanent home within the borough.

[GarySTFC]

Thanks Martin (again). If the Trust board wish to utilise the site, I think Matt and Tom (speaking on their behalf) would only be too happy to assist, but there must be a regular (ish) stream of information coming through from the Trust to provide it with updates, otherwise there's little point - as I'm sure you'll appreciate.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Gary - The club has a long way to go with its communication to the fans which is non existant.

 

I have said on here previously that any other normal business would have no customers if it treated its customers like the club treats its fans, and it is only the loyalty of the fans to the club, not the management, that keeps them here - well most of them!

 

What has happened in the last couple of seasons is that the hard core of the fan base is now starting to ask questions of the club, where previously they would have followed blindly the direction of the club and its management.

 

It is this questioning that has lead some to realise that the management is out of touch with the fans and appears to have very little, if any idear of what the fans feel and want from the club.

 

This is demonstrated by the clubs lack of communication and a "seceret squirel" approach to any information that is allowed to be feed out to the outside world.

 

It is this mentality that has ailienated the papers who fail to get any news from the club and then go and make up stories either taken from this site or from the misinformed cllr stokes!

 

Whilst the club is failing to communicate to its fans and the outside world there will be very little chance of any new faces coming through the gates - why would the come? what is the club selling to them?

 

Roy and Bernard need to show some activity in increasing the gates as they are the ones we are told who have the intrests in the club at heart!?

 

Otherwise is it time to have some fresh blood and get rid of the out of date meat pies!

[GarySTFC]

Sorry SR, I should have indicated above, the useful people were existing supporters of STFC who now no longer feel welcome.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Gary - yes I am aware of what you meant and who you meant, and if the club is alienating them something is badly wrong!

[Guest]

I hope you don't mind the following suggestion:As a fan of a club who runs similiar ideas I KNOW that the best way to target people and get them through the turnstiles is as follows :

 

1. Vouchers in Local Newspaper - Sports section - no point mailshots to shoppers - 1 in 100 may be interested and thats a loss!!

2. Kidz for free day (I noticed you only charge a quid for kids anyway which is good but if advertised as Kids for free then you will get people in!!)

3. Circulate a number of free / cheap tickets to local kids teams.

4. Have the merchandise ready and raring to go - if they can con granny into buying them a scarf etc... then it will need to be used again !!

They are only suggestions but they are tried and tested in our area.

Good luck

[GarySTFC]

SR, it wasn't just the club though, it was a combination of both club and trust which was the concerning point for me.

[Barry Scott]

which is also the same point I've been brining up for months now. The club are seemingly saying "We don't care what you think, this is how it's going to be and you'll follow us anyway" which is precisely the wrong attitude to have. And as for the Trust? Well I haven't renewed my membership as I can't really see the point of it.