Poor attendances

[wh]

for what its worth, I think the decreased gate has a lot to do with the cost of the pre season friendlies.

For the past couple of seasons we have had poor gates for the friendlies and then come the season we have not set the footballing world on fire early on which again doesnt temp people to come down the Lane.

Pre season should be a showcase to prospective and existing fans.

IMHO the pre-season period shapes the season (gate wise) or at least the first half. That should be our showcase, almost like an open house.

[cg]

Its not rocket science is it, bcfc? For my sins I also support the Baggies and when they did kids for a quid season tickets when Paul Thompson was chairman the home sections at The Hawthorns were full for most matches. Then under Jeremy Peace we went all la-di-dah and the fans disappeared (despite also getting rid of Megson's negative tactics). Community coaches in places like Handsworth and Smethwick can't even get kids to pay £2 for subs to play so there's no chance of their parents finding £30 to watch. WBA seem blind to this.

Price does matter regardless of what anyone says.

As for people being told to f*** off just for speculating why gates may be down this season...well, that kind of says it all really.

The subject of this thread is 'poor attendances' not 'blind loyalty'. Some supposed loyal fans seem to want to keep SGL as their own little territory - free from occasional fans, moaners and (gasp) 'glory hunters' who have ventured to Sixways.

So where does that leave my mate who is a season ticket holder at WRFC and MUFC, and a life member at WCCC but still finds to time to squeeze in about 10 WCFC home games a season and always brings his 10 year-old son? Presumably he should f*** off too. Pathetic. Grow Up!

[bcfcfan]

When I go down to SGL I normally attend with 2 friends who also live in Worcester ... 1 is a Plymounth fan and the other a Man City fan.

Do we have to f*** off too? Well sorry cuz I'll still go down the lane.

I'll be there against Solihull Moors.

[cg]

Wise words as ever Ealing

I dread the thought of you travelling back to London with the sentiments expressed here ringing in your ears ('f*** off') if you dare to express an opinion on the performance you've seen just because it doesn't fit what the likes of OB think it should.

[cg]

Good for you and your mates bcfc - sadly I suspect other newcomers and waverers may not be so hardy. Why should they when fans tell them the loos are 'where they were last week' and told to 'f** off by supposed loyal fans.

[bcfcfan]

I might even wear my Worcester Rugby shirt as I sometimes go to sixways !!!!!! How very dare I !!!!!!!!!!

[cg]

bcfc - you're a brave man - do it! (then buy a WCFC home shirt)

[jeremypitt]

ealing said:

"Against Huddersfield i had a guy wearing a rugby top ask me at half time where the toilets were .... "same place as last week" was my reply"

I'm glad no one said that to me when I went to my first game at SGL. If they had WCFC wouldn't have seen me again - and as a result would have lost 45+ years gate money and support. Shouldn't we be welcoming new faces?

I've found it difficult to contribute to this thread for a number of reasons. The main one being that I've often driven back from games over the last couple of years (both home and away) questioning my sanity. Sterile performances coupled with bad results will inevitably lead to lower gates.

Alarm bells have to ring loud and clear when the likes of Brooksider and Dave Shedster (to name but two) turn away from the club. These aren't floating fans - they're core support.

Another worry I have re attendances is the lack of kids at games. A few are there, relucantly, with their dads, but where are tomorrow's fans? The average age of the support rises each year, and dare I suggest one factor in the falling gates is sheer mortality.

These issues need debating and addressing, or there won't be a need for a new ground.

Yes that unnecessary and unwitty response to a newbie at SGL was totally out of order, and just the kind of stupidity that makes people decide that SGL is not the place for them.

I was going to mention that "natural wastage" could be another reason for falling gates, but decided against it for fear that Colin Leyland would cite me for ageism!! But it must be a factor.
It is good to see the likes of Darrell and Mazey et al lowering the average age and taking an active interest in the club, but the number of younger people is much much lower than it used to be.

Taking youngsters down with Dad just doesnt have the appeal that perhaps it used to either. Its just a sign of the times. I used to enjoy peeking through under the rails on the Brookside watching the linesman running up and down, and playing in the dirty black ash, or standing on the sawn down stump of the old wooden floodlight pylon before they extended the Brookside terracing. It was fun, and you could even sit on the rail in those days without fear of a safety announcement. When it rained we had the old tin stand to "shelter" in, and it was always fun to try and identify what was down under the seats - I always thought that the St Georges Dragon was down there somewhere!!!!!
These days little ones can't see over the advertising boards - when my youngest went down for his first game, he simply couldn't see, and spent the whole game writing out the rules of golf in his notebook!!! I think his second game saw him kicking a can around the canal end before a steward stopped him!!! His final game unfortunately ended with Andy Preece jumping up onto the canal end swearing and tryin to pick a fight with a supporter, and he hasn't shown any inclination of going again!!! As I said, that was just unfortunate, and one of those things that happened - no blame or negative connotations there.
What we don't seem to see are groups of 12-16 year olds down the Lane, maybe its just a sign of the times that there are more diverse things for them to do, and that does include going to Sixways.

[Mark]

[quote author=jeremypitt board=wcfctalkunofficially thread=1188818191 post=1189079038
What we don't seem to see are groups of 12-16 year olds down the Lane, maybe its just a sign of the times that there are more diverse things for them to do, and that does include going to Sixways.[/quote]

We were getting a group of kids of around that age last season but one or two people on this message board complained about their presence because they made a little too much noise with their drum!!

[jeremypitt]

No they were older, they were between 16 and 20. Some of them getting into the ground for a fiver instead of paying full whack!
Put it this way, I've never heard my lad or his friends considering popping down to see a game as a group in the way we did. We'd leave school on Saturday mornings, a couple of coffees in Heroes, a couple of diesels in The Crown, and on to SGL for a game, and we were 14'ish.

[cg]

"We were getting a group of kids of around that age last season but one or two people on this message board complained about their presence because they made a little too much noise with their drum!!"

..which drags us back to the point about a dwindling group of people who think WCFC is their club and their club only so feel comfortable insulting the occasional Worriers fans cos they don't where the loos are and telling others to f*** off.

How can that be construed as positive while the likes of Sheddy, KAFTAB, Suv - and certainly myself (at least in the past) have been accused of being negative?

Thing is, watching non League football can be a good news story: is it cheaper, more accessible, more local and simply more real than watching PL games etc. You can turn up on the day and leave the house last thing if you like and still get in. It is great and if you are hardneed to it, it is a pleasure.

But the atmosphere has to be right to draw in new fans and keep others.

How sad is it to hear that TAFKAB's son doesn't want to go again after seeing the manager scaling barriers to get at fans?

My dad (82 and a once City diehard) was so appalled by the language from both sets of coaches at the Chippenham game that he won't go again.

I'm not sure I want to take my 5 year-old son to a ground where this sort of thing happens or where the assistant manager wanders off to the dressing rooms to 'drop' an opposing player ... and there is no condemnation from the club

Or where even the PA announcers sound so out of touch they can't even run through a set of half time scores without making a litany of mistakes (so you're often none the wiser than when they started)....or even more ludicrously you can't buy sweets or chocs because for some strange reason they are stowed away behind the social club bar rather the Brookside tea bar where most people are stood!!

Sadly the last director who wanted to change these things was forced to resign.

[DrAgony]

Steve Carley joins in with his guess in the Worcester News, link below...

Perhaps we should be grateful for small mercies - namely that we haven't got a home fixture this Saturday. We'd be competing with England v Israel in a Euro Qualifier, England v USA in the Rugby World Cup and England v India in the decider of the 1 day series. Two of those games on free-to-air TV.

Should make the traffic lighter and easier for the faithful to get to/from Tamworth though!


www.thisiswcfc.co.uk/downthelane/downthelane/display.var.1661328.0.attendance_drop_is_hardly_a_surprise.php

[jeremypitt]

cg said:

"We were getting a group of kids of around that age last season but one or two people on this message board complained about their presence because they made a little too much noise with their drum!!"

..which drags us back to the point about a dwindling group of people who think WCFC is their club and their club only so feel comfortable insulting the occasional Worriers fans cos they don't where the loos are and telling others to f*** off.

How can that be construed as positive while the likes of Sheddy, KAFTAB, Suv - and certainly myself (at least in the past) have been accused of being negative?

Thing is, watching non League football can be a good news story: is it cheaper, more accessible, more local and simply more real than watching PL games etc. You can turn up on the day and leave the house last thing if you like and still get in. It is great and if you are hardneed to it, it is a pleasure.

But the atmosphere has to be right to draw in new fans and keep others.

How sad is it to hear that TAFKAB's son doesn't want to go again after seeing the manager scaling barriers to get at fans?

My dad (82 and a once City diehard) was so appalled by the language from both sets of coaches at the Chippenham game that he won't go again.

I'm not sure I want to take my 5 year-old son to a ground where this sort of thing happens or where the assistant manager wanders off to the dressing rooms to 'drop' an opposing player ... and there is no condemnation from the club

Or where even the PA announcers sound so out of touch they can't even run through a set of half time scores without making a litany of mistakes (so you're often none the wiser than when they started)....or even more ludicrously you can't buy sweets or chocs because for some strange reason they are stowed away behind the social club bar rather the Brookside tea bar where most people are stood!!

Sadly the last director who wanted to change these things was forced to resign.

To be fair my youngest is a sensitive lad, is not the biggest football fan and it was very much a one off moment - although he does want to go up the Villa, although he finds it all a bit loud!!!

One thing I miss is leaving the house at 2.45, parking up at my parents place, and saying hi to Dave Boddy as I walk through the turnstiles at 2.59!!!!

[cg]

So true - I think it is a heart warming part of going down The Lane that you're usually greeted by hard working directors like Dave Boddy as you turn up.

[althom]

And of course the Vice-Chairman Laurie Brown selling raffle tickets at the gate! Thats what non league football is all about.

[jeremypitt]

But it shouldn't be, in truth the Chairman and Vice-Chairman should be doing more important things during the day, entertaining guests and sponsors etc. Selling raffle tickets should be done by volunteer / supporters - as in the good old days, when Laurie Brown was a young volunteer / supporter.

[ab]

To be honest - and I think most people who read this and who go to the Lane would probably come to the same conclusion - the answer given 99.9% of the time to the question "Where are the toilets?" would be "In the corner, mate", or "Under the stand, ... you need to walk round the back ... etc etc".

[cg]

Yes Laurie's smiling face usually persuades me to part with a quid or two on raffle tickets - and I never check them - if I win I'd sooner the club keep the money to be honest - though part of me also agrees with KAFTAB in that the chair and vice chair really should be dealing with more weighty matters

[Deleted]

"the answer given 99.9% of the time to the question "Where are the toilets?" would be "In the corner, mate", or "Under the stand, ... you need to walk round the back ... etc etc"."

... and 0.1% would follow them into the toilets.

[si1268]

Here's a couple of reasons why I'v stopped going. Advanced appologies to the blue and white ostriches.

1) £10 too much for this league
2) Boring football
3) Poor results
4) Poor attitude of the management towards officials and supporters

I think the last one was the final straw

Will go back when City look like they're gonna win something. So probably not for a few seasons.

[salmon]

TAFKAB keeps on about over 16s getting in for a fiver, but i thought that if you are aged 16-18 and still at school, you are classed as a concession anyway therefore a £5 entrance fee and a transfer to the stands an extra £1, can someone confirm this please.

[blackpole]

si1268 said:

..... "appologies to the blue and white ostriches."

Will go back when City look like they're gonna win something. So probably not for a few seasons.

Does that constitute a "glory hunter" ?

Anyway, firstly, one of the slightly earlier threads indicated it was Ealing who told the Worrires supporter the toilets were "same place as last week" so I'd like to defend Ealing and say that it was me who said that .. Ealing is totally innocent! I'd like to point out that my indifference to those Worriers fans is because I listen all the time at work to a number of Worriers supporters who are always telling me about life at Sixways, and I should go there 'cos the atmosphere is great ... it may well be, but I go to City because i love the club, and the togetherness of the diehards - not the one off big game, or because of the atmosphere, but the loyalty and faith of those, like myself, who will always follow and support the City. Someone made a statement about fund raising initiatives at WRFC - they have the numbers to make them work, we don't - without Cecil, WRFC would still be little! I just pray that the new gound thing happens quickly, or I think we've had it!

[blackpole]

........... and we are certainly not ostriches! We know the situation!

[bcfcfan]

I can understand the annoyance of the die hards to be honest as I remmeber going to St Andrews when we were getting 5000.

However, I think people should be encouraged to come back to SGL and not treated with contempt if they happen to have come down for a big game. After all, it's money through the gates.

[jeremypitt]

salmon said:

TAFKAB keeps on about over 16s getting in for a fiver, but i thought that if you are aged 16-18 and still at school, you are classed as a concession anyway therefore a £5 entrance fee and a transfer to the stands an extra £1, can someone confirm this please.

There are a number of concessions, and certainly if you are still at school and over 16 then I'm sure this is still a concession. However there are plenty of kids well over 18 who walk straight through the under 16 turnstiles, never showing any proof of age or proof of concession.
The stand situation was changed a few years back after a number of volunteers manned the stairs of the stand to check that those in the stand had gone through the special turnstile to pay the additional pound (this was when there was no-one on the stairs and you paid stand entry at the turnstiles) I collected over £20 from people who would normally have sat in the stands without paying, and a number of other people turned round and refused to pay, after giving some serious abuse to me and other volunteers. These were regular supporters including season ticket holders, who were regularly cheating the club out of money, and had the audacity to give us volunteers abuse!!!
An honest concession is absolutely right, but the club can't afford to have supporters stealing £100 of its earnings every week. At least the stand procedure has now changed.

[jeremypitt]

blackpole said:

........... and we are certainly not ostriches! We know the situation!

Ostriches know the situation also, but prefer to bury their heads in the sand in order to escape it. Rather like Colin Leylands post suggesting people don't talk about why supporters are turning their backs on the club. Its not a question of knowing the situation, its a question of knowing why the situation is occuring, and doing something about it.
You make an interesting point that you overheard someone making a point about fund raising initiatives at Warriors, do you ever hear someone making a point about fundraising initiatives at City? and there are plenty, and they all need much more support. Teambuilder is a direct way for supporters to help the manager build a team by funding players, plus it has a prize draw which equates to a free season ticket being handed out every month, yet it can't fill the 200 places, just 200 places at a cost of less than two pints of beer a month. And who runs Teambuilder? Frank and Alan, two fine chaps, who are both retired and quite frankly deserve to be spending far more of their retirement enjoying time with their families, yet there's no-one wishing to take over the running of these schemes. I think Alan has been doing this kind of work since he was in his 20's - so where are the 20 year olds or 30 year olds willing to take on these kinds of tasks for the good of the club?
As I said earlier, its great to see lads like Darrell and Mazey taking an active interest in the club and moving the supporters club forward, because if a Telford United situation occured at SGL, its these guys who'd have to look to take ownership, or at least stewardship, of the new club and form the new board, just like the supporters at Telford and many other clubs.

[Deleted]

"Ealing is totally innocent!" At last somone has recognised the fact. Blackpole, please write to Governor, Wormwood Scrubs, Du Cane Road, Acton.

[jeremypitt]

Ealing, unfortunately due to our wonderful legal system, being innocent is not enough to get you sprung. Be prepared for a 20 year struggle through the appeals courts at a cost of around £250,000!!
The other alternative of course is for the modest sum of £50,000 I can arrange a helicopter with a rope ladder to drop down over the exercise yard, and then off to whichever tropical paradise you desire (note : St Georges Lane is no longer a tropical paradise now that the grass is growing again!!!)

[colinlayland]

Jem,not biting today,instead of writing long drawn out speeches on here, why don't you get down the lane and give us your support,I think we can find a little job for you to do.

[jeremypitt]

no bite asked for Colin - simply wondered what your opinions were on the poor attendances, I'm sure you have one, and thought maybe you'd like to put it forward. But clearly not.
Sorry but I won't get down the lane as I'm simply far too busy to take time out on Saturdays now, I have to thank AM for that really, without his "assistance" I'd still be struggling over this bloody kitcar build, now its flying, and Saturdays are a superb day for really getting the work done, and so enjoyable too - plus I've got a radio at the garage so I can catch up on the City result. And don't give me any of that guff about real supporters, come the AGM I'll be there.
Finally, who are the "we" you talk about?
If you are one of the "we" then I hope you will take note of some of the very constructive comments in this thread, which aren't bashing the club, aren't bashing the board, aren't bashing the manager, but are providing a fair bit of useful information which the club could take note of and act on.
So, if you aren't going to put forward your opinion (and I will steadfastly defend your right to have one and to voice it, which strangely was something thatr I thought you stood for too) then maybe you could say when "we" are going to do something? Or is that the answer, get down the lane, cos as an unreal supporter I've already done that for 30 years, and it hasnt worked.