Increasing attendances - the way forward?

[PatMan]

We all wonder what we have to do to get bigger attendances, from playing better football, to the lack of facilities at the ground.

If ya look at the present runaway leaders, even they are struggling to attract numbers this season. They already have good facilities, and a team playing well/scoring plenty - but still cant attract huge crowds.

The one thing we have in common? Proximity to a Premier league club maybe?

And yes I know that West Ham & Charlton are both having a bad season, but its still premier league teams. And with Charlton's very aggresive policy for shipping in fans from this area, is it any wonder Fleet struggle?

[BustaGut]

Originally Posted By: PatMan

We all wonder what we have to do to get bigger attendances, from playing better football, to the lack of facilities at the ground.
If ya look at the present runaway leaders, even they are struggling to attract numbers this season. They already have good facilities, and a team playing well/scoring plenty - but still cant attract huge crowds.
The one thing we have in common? Proximity to a Premier league club maybe?
And yes I know that West Ham & Charlton are both having a bad season, but its still premier league teams. And with Charlton's very aggresive policy for shipping in fans from this area, is it any wonder Fleet struggle?

I think it worse than that if you take Arsenal and spurs into it, they are only a hour or so to get to.

[jc]

The latest offer is free entry for a maximum of two children with a paying adult at this Saturday's game - as advertised on the front of this week's Messenger.

 

Unfortunately, the advert makes reference to a 'promotion push' - that's put the mockers on it!

[Barrie Fries]

Originally Posted By: jc

The latest offer is free entry for a maximum of two children with a paying adult at this Saturday's game - as advertised on the front of this week's Messenger.

Is this another exclusive for our Media partner? Surely we should be using all possible avenues to announce this

[Jeff]

The local papers annoy me. Was reading one of the free 'Gravesend' papers last night and they had a full report on Dartford's last match (complete with pics of Eddie McClements) but not one word about the Fleet.

The fact that Dartford get more coverage than us in our paper is just downright wrong.

[thatguy]

that does suprise me, as they seem to run reports about us when we lose, yet when we are winning, not a peep. A total turn around.

[Harry J Allstars]

It was probably the News Shopper, I wouldn't use that newspaper to wipe my [****!!****] with.

 

 

Anyway wasn't this thread meant to be locked?

 

[chris blanc]

The extra I get through my door seems to be the Dartford Extra with a gravesend wrap around cover. It's rubbish

 

Locked why Harry?

 

 

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Was this offer available to anyone who turns up or did it require a voucher from the Messenger, jc?

 

I'd happily bring my 8 yr old daughter again (& my 11 yr old son) on free entry, but they're not sufficiently keen or interested to justify regular £6 entry each.

[jc]

There was no mention of a voucher, so it's available to anyone, it seems.

 

The fact that the announcement of this offer has thus far only been seen in one place (forum aside), and that only two/three days before the match, doesn't bode well for its success, it has to be said.

[eufckev]

Just been into town lunchtime, and noticed posters have been displayed in the Thamesgate and St. George's centre. This is good to see.

 

I was wearing my Fleet shirt today, and people have been stopping to ask what team my shirt was, a few said that they would come to the game tomorrow, so us as Fleet fans should wear something that represents our club (this was said by someone on another post I think) to persuade more people to come to the matches.

[jc]

My apologies.

[Harry J Allstars]

Originally Posted By: chris blanc (GN

The extra I get through my door seems to be the Dartford Extra with a gravesend wrap around cover. It's rubbish

Locked why Harry?

Gary asked for it to be locked in his original post.

He is an evil dictator.

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: Harry J Allstars

He is an evil dictator.

I thought that was Fleet Fanatic?

[chilled out entertainer]

no, he is just on the dark side. as such he is against the regime.

[chris blanc]

Originally Posted By: Harry J Allstars

Originally Posted By: chris blanc (GN

The extra I get through my door seems to be the Dartford Extra with a gravesend wrap around cover. It's rubbish

Locked why Harry?

Gary asked for it to be locked in his original post.

He is an evil dictator.

I guess it can be, but all the time there are worthwhile comments being made on the subject, I dunno why it should be deleted.


We have a poster in the window here at the Grand (I put it up when my boss was away) and get thousands of people in here

[Roy gnfc]

It doesn't help attendances when even "whitebuckets"opening page gives todays game v. Burton as an AWAY fixture

[WhiteBucket]

Originally Posted By: Roy gnfc

It doesn't help attendances when even "whitebuckets"opening page gives todays game v. Burton as an AWAY fixture

Whoops. On my keyboard the H and A are very close!

Now amended, though probably a bit late!

[kmj]

I agree that the timing of today's offer was a little on the late side. Also, if the children admitted for free count towards the overall attendance, then it doesn't appear to have generated the higher crowd numbers desired.

 

As the standard of coverage in a freesheet newspaper is going to be brief and possibly a bit dated, I think that it is more reliable to focus on the two main paid-for local papers. Personally I consider that the coverage we receive in both the Gravesend Messenger and the Reporter is of a very good standard. I also feel that the air-time that we receive from Radio Kent is excellent and objectively we get a lot more time devoted to us than any side other than Gillingham. I don't think that we should be critical of the media coverage we receive (apart from TV of course).

[Alan W (GNFC)]

1. 6317 [120022/19] oxford united [n/a] [n/a]

2. 3358 [63803/19] exeter city [3756 -11%] [3879 -13%]

3. 2724 [51757/19] york city [2845 -4%] [2784 -2%]

4. 2635 [52709/20] cambridge united [2607 +1%] [2579 +2%]

5. 2403 [43259/18] aldershot town [2304 +4%] [2311 +4%]

6. 2142 [36412/17] stevenage borough [2178 -2%] [2171 -1%]

7. 2130 [38343/18] weymouth [n/a] [n/a]

8. 2113 [35928/17] rushden and diamonds [n/a] [n/a]

9. 1821 [32780/18] burton albion [1724 +6%] [1731 +5%]

10. 1810 [34385/19] woking [1950 -7%] [2021 -10%]

11. 1652 [29741/18] kidderminster harriers [1775 -7%] [1788 -8%]

12. 1613 [29028/18] halifax town [1749 -8%] [1708 -6%]

13. 1572 [29868/19] dagenham and redbridge [1243 +26%] [1260 +25%]

14. 1561 [28102/18] morecambe [1780 -12%] [1767 -12%]

15. 1263 [21471/17] tamworth [1247 +1%] [1258 +0%]

16. 1208 [21739/18] st albans city [n/a] [n/a]

17. 1179 [20043/17] gravesend and northfleet [1092 +8%] [1110 +6%]

18. 1178 [21199/18] stafford rangers [n/a] [n/a]

19. 1171 [21077/18] forest green rovers [977 +20%] [916 +28%]

20. 1152 [20744/18] altrincham [1048 +10%] [1064 +8%]

21. 1136 [20456/18] grays athletic [1444 -21%] [1458 -22%]

22. 1112 [21120/19] crawley town [1533 -27%] [1534 -28%]

23. 1099 [20887/19] southport [1244 -12%] [1217 -10%]

24. 979 [15664/16] northwich victoria [n/a] [n/a]

 

Our attendances are up 6-8% on last season and only Daggers, Alty & FGR have done better (FGR = new stadium, I guess). ok, we've had a much better season the pitch and we still should have increased further, but I think the table above (courtesy of Confguide) demonstrates that the majority of clubs are struggling to maintain/ increase fanbase at our level - a good comparison is Burton, who have had a similar seson to us - and their attendances have risen by slightly smaller % to ours.

 

(Figures are average this season, average all games last season and average same stage last season).