Firstly, there seems to be a very rose tinted view of the atmosphere in the County Ground prior to this season. It wasnt all that great though it was certainly better than it has been this season. Then again, the results were better too. If the performances and results are as bad as yesterday, the crowd will be quiet whereever they are sitting.
We (The Trust) were shown a list of prices towards the end of last season, a couple of weeks before they were announced. We did question why there was no discount in the Town End and the answer was that they wanted to reward people who committed to a season ticket by letting them sit where they wanted rather than having to settle for where they could afford.
I think that's fair enough to be honest, and we do have cheaper tickets in the Town End if you buy on match days but most people still seem to prefer to sit in the better seats, they just want others to go in the Town End and create an atmosphere.
If you look back to before the old board jacked up the prices in 2001 or 2002 the make up of the crowd was much as it is now with the Town End being fairly empty most games. Town End tickets (including season tickets) were cheaper then. It was only when the side stands were jacked up to levels which were completely unaffordable to many people that we had the mass migration into the Town end.
What this tells you is that reducing Town End ticket prices alone will not lead to a big increase in the number of fans in that area of the ground, it will just mean those who already sit there will pay less. As long as the side stands remain reasoinably priced they will be more popular with most fans.
The only way to guarantee to move people back into the Town end is to price them out of the side stands which would be a very backward move in my view. It would reduce the crowds overall and cost the club money. Whatever you say about the atmosphere (which I agree has been dire), our average crowds are up. We still got over 7,000 yesterday despite the poor run of form. From a business point of view the season ticket initiative has been a great success, and it is from that point of view that it will be judged by the board.
Longer term, what would be a good solution would be to redevelop the Town end so that the facilities there match what people expect when they go to a football match in the 21st century. (i.e. an unobstructed view, decent leg room, etc...) Also make it unreserved seating so people can group together rather than being spread out.
