Attendances

[Slartibartfast]

All right Oxfords 11,000 was exceptional but our 1,000 was really pathetic compared to the other matches played in the conference today.

It isn't the cost and it isn't the standard of play and it certainly isn't the league position so the obvious conclusion is that the people of Weymouth, Cambridge etc, yes even St Albans got 2,800, are more deserving of a decent football team than we are.

[Unrecognized Genius]

I was amazed & bitterly disappointed by the turnout. Expected 1200ish when giving a very conservative pre match estimate to a friend who drove up from Surrey.

 

We won't survive long term in the Conference National with gates like these; simple as that.

 

I don't think the way the way the fixtures pan out sometimes, with huge gaps between home games, helps maintain the interest of Mr Lardarse, but the fact we were so far adrift of everybody else's attendance today has to be a huge worry. FFS even Tamworth got double our attendance.

 

Thought it was quite poignant at the end today when the Crawley players turned to applaud their fans who were ignoring them & walking out.

 

PS Anyone know what happened with Sacha at the final whistle when Blackburn pulled him back from the departing Crawley supporters at the Swanscombe End?

 

EC

[coupwotcoup]

Nearly 4,500 at Telford too..Plus a crowd of nearly a 1,000 in the Eastern Counties League. They Ryman North crowds were bordering on the pathtetic really. Is the mindset of the Greater London/Suburbia man changing I wonder? Is Boxing Day football a dying social occasion in said areas?

[Hempstead Gaz]

Whilst the club may well be making a lot of effort to spread the gospel and increase attendances, sadly very little appears to be having any effect.

A good cup run would have helped, but clearly we need much more than a competent team and a solid top half table league position.

The board do have to address this problem as a matter of urgency.

We have done this subject to death before, but it really does have to get sorted out.

I'll start - kids free for the rest of the season, probably not that many kids season ticket holders will be affected.

[Ian_D]

But what about those who are, like me for instance? I dont want my team to refund my money because I know they need it, but would be very annoyed if that was to become the situation.

[Hempstead Gaz]

There are ways arond this, Ian, the board need to apply common sense and a little lateral thinking, half price kids season tickets for next year, etc, etc. It's not a perfect solution, but we must take radical remedial steps to solve the problem.

This is one instance where sitting on the fence doing nothing is clearly the WRONG thing to do.

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: coupwotcoup

Is the mindset of the Greater London/Suburbia man changing I wonder? Is Boxing Day football a dying social occasion in said areas?

Good point... Dagenham's crowd of 1,800 against Grays, while outstripping ours, was still pretty mediocre for a team second in the Conference playing their very near neighbours.

The lack of a decent local rival (Ramsgate got 1,700 against Margate) is a major problem for these holiday matches, but I do think the Home Counties/M25-area supporter is probably the laziest in the country.

Maybe they were all queuing up outside the Next sale, idiots.

[eufckev]

Once the Thames Gateway project thingy is complete, it is said that the population of the catchment area will quadruple, so in five/ten years time, our attendences could be around the 2000-3000 mark.

Maybe a glimpse of hope in the future!

[Slartibartfast]

Originally Posted By: kevthegnfcfan

Once the Thames Gateway project thingy is complete, it is said that the population of the catchment area will quadruple.
Maybe a glimpse of hope in the future!

Not a very pleasant glimpse.

If the population of the catchment area doubles, never mind quadruples, then I for one am f*ck*ng right off.

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: kevthegnfcfan

Once the Thames Gateway project thingy is complete, it is said that the population of the catchment area will quadruple

Four times as many lazy sods that'll clog up approach roads to retail parks and not bother with football!!

[KShep]

Half-price season tickets, whilst radical, seem a very good idea, SO LONG AS IT IS PUBLICISED. We need to recognise the places in Gravesham that get seen lots, and take advantage of them. We need to work with the Council to get them to help us publicise ourselves. Publicity is going to be one of the factors that could make or break our push for bigger attendances. There's little point in releasing a range of innovative ideas if only 1,000-2,000 hear about them. for one think we should hire Kenny to walk around Gravesend souting the offers out

[Hempstead Gaz]

Or have a stand at Bluewater at this time of year.

Expensive, but well worth the outlay.

130,000 per day visiting - at least some would be interested.

It is big ideas like that we need, not givaways in the Distorter.

 

[Bill Kent]

I thought it was a 3pm ko, as did a couple of mates of mine. One phoned me to say it was a 1pm ko. so it was a bit of a mad rush to get to the ground. I now wonder how many casual fans thought the same. All down to advertisng really.

 

[ooh!!bodyform]

1759 i think was the attendance at deadwood although most were margate fans and the bulk of the ramsgate fans are peeps who prob have never seen ramsgate play,just looking for trouble and found it highly amusing to throw full bottles of drink over margate fans on the way out,spitting at us and swearing at people with young families and then had the ordasity to start punching margate fans in the face as we left the ground about 6 stewards and no police presence at all

 

all in all a big dissapointment from the way ramsgate handled the whole day, 2 portaloos for nearly 7-900 margate fans no snack bar for hot drinks and food hand stamped if you wanted to use the bar and the snack bar at the ramsgate end had 3 staff,sorry, chavs who couldnt serve more than 3 people in 15 minutes!!!

LOOK OUT IF YOUR VISITING RAMSGATE ANYTIME SOON

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Whilst being very happy with our current position, it should be noted that we're only just ahead of last season at this stage - last year we had a record of P24, W10, D5, L9, F32, A32, pts 35.

 

This season, we have 1 more victory & 1 less defeat giving us 3 points more. Goals scored has dropped by 1 and goals conceded by 2. We are 7th this season as compared to 9th last season.

 

Last season we took only 14 points from our last 18 games mind you, and (touch wood) I cant see us falling away so badly this season, although without a consistent partner for Charlie up front, a play off place is also probably beyond us. The January transfer window may change that vie of course.

 

 

[chilled out entertainer]

that bluewater stand idea is a brilliant one, we could have had calendars and shirts and all such thing s on display. and a knowledgable salesperson could have tempted a casual looker into to going to a game, bringing a friend or just raise the profile of the club.

People in and around the south east are going to be seen as lazier because there is much more choice of things to do in a close proximity than some parts of the country. football may come as low as three or four on someones to do list compared to a northerners number one.

we all know that oop north its dull as assholes and football is their only entertainment.

[Slartibartfast]

Originally Posted By: chilled out entertainer

People in and around the south east are going to be seen as lazier because there is much more choice of things to do in a close proximity than some parts of the country. football may come as low as three or four on someones to do list compared to a northerners number one.

What about whippet racing, wife beating and eccky thump?

[chilled out entertainer]

true. i apologisae to any northern readers of this forum for neglecting to research my northern activity comment fully!!!

[BustaGut]

Quote:

People in and around the south east are going to be seen as lazier because there is much more choice of things to do in a close proximity than some parts of the country. football may come as low as three or four on someones to do list compared to a northerners number one.

You dont think it maybe because that we have so many quality Football Clubs within a hour or so journey? With a great deal of them being prem football???? and is as simple as that

[chilled out entertainer]

look at how many league clubs there are in a 40 mile radius of bury. tons of them. most easier to get to than ,for example tottenham.