Lack of Support - A RANT!

[sonic youth]

i say let's not

[Lumps]

not only has the atmosphere at Swindon been shit for the best part of 5 years (bar the odd game)

the numbers so far this season, have been fucking shit. For the most part we've been playing well and winning games....yet the attendences havent rised a single but, infact the opposite.

Success should bring in the fans and we've started the season well and our numbers arent going up.

The match against Tranmere, say 5 years ago would gave seen a crowd of at least 8,000 - we got 6,500.

Also, since the services of Mark Devlin were terminated we've not had ONE single ticket promotion to get the fans in. We havent offered discounted tickets, we havent offered  by one get one free, we havent offered extra cheap tickets to season ticket holders.

We have offered fuck all, bout time we did some positive PR and got some fans to come back in.

Do you think the whole "we're on the brink of financial collapse and all I can think about is salvaging as much of my money as I can, and while I'm about it I'll slag off all the fans representatives and most of the fan base at every opportunity" approach of the board might have put a few people off?

This is a board which has managed to turn Rob Tuck from the king of the happy clappers 18 months ago into a man who can't be arsed to go to home games.

It's not so much apathy as contempt.

[DiV]

not only has the atmosphere at Swindon been shit for the best part of 5 years (bar the odd game)

the numbers so far this season, have been fucking shit. For the most part we've been playing well and winning games....yet the attendences havent rised a single but, infact the opposite.

Success should bring in the fans and we've started the season well and our numbers arent going up.

The match against Tranmere, say 5 years ago would gave seen a crowd of at least 8,000 - we got 6,500.

Also, since the services of Mark Devlin were terminated we've not had ONE single ticket promotion to get the fans in. We havent offered discounted tickets, we havent offered  by one get one free, we havent offered extra cheap tickets to season ticket holders.

We have offered fuck all, bout time we did some positive PR and got some fans to come back in.

Do you think the whole "we're on the brink of financial collapse and all I can think about is salvaging as much of my money as I can, and while I'm about it I'll slag off all the fans representatives and most of the fan base at every opportunity" approach of the board might have put a few people off?

This is a board which has managed to turn Rob Tuck from the king of the happy clappers 18 months ago into a man who can't be arsed to go to home games.

It's not so much apathy as contempt.

maybe, but seriously how many fans keep up with all that shit....and how many just totally ignore it and dont get involved at all?

[Spencer_White]

J1mmy is Dachauer. He seems to have grown up a bit, but he still has a weird obsession with Germany despite never actually having been there.

DV, I dont think the atmosphere at the CG is that bad. After all, just 4 weeks ago Bournemouth fans were saying we had the best home atmosphere in the league, and Luton seemed pretty impressed as well. Those 50 Mansfield fans from last season must think were a complete bunch of nutters as well.  

There have been a few promotions, I remmember 1 vs Blackpool, Mansfield. But not enough. I agree.

As for your fair weather, the stories of liquidation are very very detrimental. They cant understand how a club can be in that situation and it definately puts them off.

[sonic youth]

dachauer isn't j1mmy. he's had a few accounts on here but generally lasts a week on average before he can't control his moronic tendencies.

the impact of the mismangement and negative press shouldn't be underestimated - despite everything last season, crowds never reached the same sort of levels as they did when we were doing well in 03/04. i'd suggest this is because it's common knowledge that the club is in such a state rather than anything else.

ticket promotions in the past have had minimal effect - remember handing out leflets one december evening dv? fucking waste of time that was!

unless we started giving away tickets to random people on the streets, the majority will stay at home and watch live football on television.

[DiV]

dachauer isn't j1mmy. he's had a few accounts on here but generally lasts a week on average before he can't control his moronic tendencies.

the impact of the mismangement and negative press shouldn't be underestimated - despite everything last season, crowds never reached the same sort of levels as they did when we were doing well in 03/04. i'd suggest this is because it's common knowledge that the club is in such a state rather than anything else.

ticket promotions in the past have had minimal effect - remember handing out leflets one december evening dv? fucking waste of time that was!

unless we started giving away tickets to random people on the streets, the majority will stay at home and watch live football on television.

the simple thing with tickets is to reduce the price. I know its not just that simple but last night Nottm Forest charged £5 for their game against Southend. I they had the biggest league attendence last night.

Now, I know they are well supported anyway, but do you not think more people would flock in at a reduced cost.

I dunno about you, but whenever Swindon games crop up in conversation, everyone always thinks about coming along...or mentioned in, then they ask me how much and when I tell them, they all laugh and its puts them right off.

Simple, alot of casual fans wont pay the price we charge for football....and there is pretty much fuck all chance of them doing every week.

[redbullzeye]

I agree with this DV.  In normal circumstances the board would get together and try and work out what a price drop would mean in terms of new fans coming through the gates.  This lot are only interested in milking the captive audience for as much as they can get.  They don't care about growing the fan base and any medium to long term plan.  Just to add - I'm not going to put myself out to go to home games because it sticks in my throat the thought that this lot still make money out of me.  When Mex and Yeovil got banned, I wrote an email to the club telling them I wouldn't be back until the guys were reinstated - that means anywhere they want to go noit a mealy mouthed ban from the Arkells.  I'll be a Leeds and as many away fixtures as I can get to but roll on the takeover.

[sonic youth]

i've never encountered that reaction DV but then the only people i know with an interest in football are you lot!

i tried to persuade a few people at college to come but none were interested, even if i got them free tickets. there just doesn't seem to be the "captive audience" as al put it, perhaps due to the nature of a town like swindon - good transport links to london, expanding constantly etc.

not defending the board at all here, just looking at the opposite side of the argument.

bradford are a perfect case in point. huge drop in prices and they're getting great crowds.

[flammableBen]

I've got a few watching on the telly in the pub supporter mates who often talk about going to games but act put off by the price, to be honest I think it's an excuse as much as anything else. They might go if prices were reduced to a tenner or less, but only if we were playing a big team. Couldn't see them going if we were playing Macclesfield on a cold/wet/windy/all of the aforementioned afternoon, even if it was free.

[Tails]

You'd be surprised how many people in Swindon would turn up if they could Sonic, I've spoken to so many who do follow the result but don't see the point in paying what is quite a lot for third division football. We've got a lot of potential to draw in casual fans, Swindon is a big town and it's getting bigger... It doesn't help that most people in the town now aren't originally from Swindon but I think if advertised, a lot of neutrals would come along and may even be converted.

Look at Franchise for example, hate to bring them up but their crowds are getting bigger and bigger simply because they are marketed in the right way and what were armchair Man U/Chelski/Arsenal fans are now regular attenders...

[Spencer_White]

Sonic, Id say our crowds last season were good, much better than 03-04. We averaged about the same, but playing mostly very poor clubs along the way.

If you have a look at the attendances over the years the big drop came when we went all seater. We used to get 11,000 in the 2nd div, we were on a par with Ipswich/Norwich/Southampton/Portsmouth.

The club charged too much for years after we went all seater. Although I dont think the prices this year are too bad at all. After all, we payed £19 to watch behing the goal at Port Vale 2 weeks ago.

[Tails]

Ours have steadied, even dropped a little bit while others have increased though.. So now we're about the same as most clubs in this league.

[sonic youth]

Sonic, Id say our crowds last season were good, much better than 03-04. We averaged about the same, but playing mostly very poor clubs along the way.

fair point about the opposition, some of the away followings last season were poor. looking back at 03/04 i thought the attendances were bigger but i think they're on a par, the largest were due to away followings from sheff wed, brighton etc etc...

i hope i'm wrong about the apathy around the town but the existence of people like nick martin make me think otherwise.

"close them down! make them pay! suffer suffer suffer!"

[neville w]

This is just my opinion,

Of the population who would consider going to football, there will be a percentage (mainly in the older age bracket), who consider the prices too high.

There will be some who genuinely can't afford it (and by that I don't mean are out on the lash instead, but under real financial pressures)

There will be some to whom the attraction of getting bladdered outweighs anything else and won't sacrifice that for anything

There will be a percentage who tell people that they're Swindon fans but go once or twice a season for the "big" games

Generally the age group who would have been regular watchers were not captured early enough. That'll either be people new to the area who don't have a Swindon Town 'history', or, in these days of wall to wall footy on TV find it easier to pick a glamorous team to 'follow' Many of this "TV footy generation " do not have the attention span to give over an entire afternoon to a single event

There will be a few people who prefer to drink instead of go to matches

There will be a small minority who are affected by the current club situation - many of these are keen enough to be visible on boards such as these, thereby giving us the impression that it's a widespread reason for non-attendance.

These groups may all start to come back if we are successful (in their eyes) - and by that I mean top 3

I therefore come to the conclusion :-

1) special offers will not be self financing
2) There are too many other distractions that don't involve getting cold/wet/angry/depressed
3) Lower league football in general is dwindling in its consumer attractiveness to the general public
4) the way to address this is to target youngsters. Every other commercial enterprise knows the importance of getting your customers on board early, and using pressure on parents. Thereby lies the future (and put all the little gits down the front of the Kingswood stand, out of everyones way

[Gazza's Fat Mate]

I wasn't at the game so can't comment but i have noticed that when people do sing they get moaned at for singing the wrong songs!!!!!