2010/11 Season Tickets

[nevillew]

The actual average home attendance would be interesting to know and see how/if it goes up, rather than overall average

Buy a programme tomorrow - relevant info for the season to date is there

[Barry Scott]

I've been thinking about the comparisons that have been made to Reading and have wondered why we may can't replicate this. I've decided the problem with the club is down to the council and even the way Swindon is as a whole.

There's little pride in Swindon of Swindon. The residents often join in with the attitude of our town being a bit shit and the council have done nothing if anything to help this. Afterall, our town centre is unfortunately nothing to be proud of.

Towns like Reading were in a similar situation except over the years the town has had a lot of work done upon it. Things like this restore pride in a town. If you're proud of where you live it's easier to support something that symbolises where you live and what your town is about.

With the state of Swindon and the on-going debacle that is "regeneration" it can only further damage morale and good feeling about the town from it's residents. Therefore, with little for the population of Swindon (in general) to be proud of in the town (excusing the football club) it's harder for everyday residents to show pride in their club.

Reading's regeneration was/is a success. Therefore there's more pride in their town and a willingness to get on board any bus which champions that love.

Look at Brighton, they're a very proud town, they're getting a new Stadium. They'll sing about it from the roof tops and the stadium provides and apt venue.

In other words Swindon needs regeneration and pride restored within the town for any big following to occur. The residents need to feel pride about the place they live and they will then use the club to help them show that pride. I think.

[Ardiles]

Their attendances dropped for 3 seasons after they moved to the new ground. They were averaging about 11,000 at Elm Park and dropped to 9,000 in the new ground. After about 5 years of League 1 football Madjeski got bored and opened the chequebook for Pardew. The season they got promoted they needed a 19,000 average to break even and fell well short of that.

Having looked in to this a little further, it's clear that Reading's new stadium (which they moved to in 1998) was a significantly more decisive factor than I thought when it came to the increased gates.  As Jonny says, they averaged 12,000+ as a 3rd tier club in 2000/01 as a 3rd tier club, and then 14,000+ the following year during their promotion season.

So it's interesting that the board are waiting to assess the uptake of their latest (excellent) offer before deciding on the nature/size of the ground redevelopment.  Maybe they should throw a little caution to the wind, build a 20,000 and watch it fill up.  There does appear to be a precedent.

[Batch]

Why did the likes of Reading and Swansea attendances go up after a new stadium was built, but the likes of Darlington become a total disaster.

Did the initial expectation and eventual success on the pitch do it, tapping into the latent support in their regions? Was it simply Darlo and Oxford* over stretched and knackered there team/have crap business models?

Just curious, we don't want a big new shiny white elephant.

*yes OK Kassam shafted them.

[Ardiles]

I think there may be something in what Barry Scott says regarding Reading's case.  The completion of the Madejski coincided more or less with the completion of the Oracle and the new road out to the motorway...so there probably was a feeling in the town at that time that it was going places.

There's less of that in Swindon, but I do sense a feel-good feeling at the club itself, so hopefully people can just buy in to that instead.

[reeves4england]

Regarding people's concerns over the attraction of these tickets to new fans, here's a couple of quotes from the Adver comments section:

"I haven't had a season ticket since 94, but next season I will be buying one and for my son as well. Exiting times ahead, so get on board and be part of it."

"Just signed up so that I can say thanks to the Board. Occasional visitor this season; Season ticket next."

Hopefully plenty more will jump on board! If I'm back in Swindon next year I'll get one, but I won't know that for a while yet.

[jonny72]

I'm not sure that Reading's new stadium is relevant as we're not getting a new stadium - the plan is to re-build the current stadium stand by stand. Its difficult to say what effect doing it that way will have. On the one hand it will mean kicking off 3 seasons with a new stand and on the other its just the same old stadium.

I guess a lot depends on the actual re-development plans, which maybe we'll see before the end of the season.

[RobertT]

Talk Talk, on your point around the margins.

It's quite correct to say that per game on ticket revenue they get less from you if you attend more than 50% of the games.  It's not as clear cut as that though.  I converted to a season ticket last season for the first time, what I have found is that I much more willing to buy food and drink on site now, such as at half time.  The effect is to make it feel like I am not using up any money to attend to attend so I am much freer in my general spending on matchdays now - more pub money, more beers in the ground etc.

On top of that, the risk of me not attending is lower, I'm much less likely to drift away in a bad run and we all know it's tough to get fans back.

Finally, cash in advance can be worth more than regular payments even if the sum total of the regular payments is more.  I can invest that cash and earn interest on it or pay off debt and reduce an interest burden many times more.

Overall, most people who convert will not have attended every game, so the overall risk is low and is probably outweighed by the benefits.

[iffy]

Season Tickets are better for the business because income is much more predictable. This is better in terms of raising finance and repairing the balance sheet.

Also, from a marketing point of view, you have the name and address of a season ticket holder which allows for much clearer marketing. You don't know anything about people buying matchday tickets.

[suttonred]

Season Tickets are better for the business because income is much more predictable. This is better in terms of raising finance and repairing the balance sheet.

Also, from a marketing point of view, you have the name and address of a season ticket holder which allows for much clearer marketing. You don't know anything about people buying matchday tickets.

Bar out of towners who buy over the phone. Can honestly say i've never had a call, and only around 2 or 3 emails in total since they've had a database.

[Talk Talk]

I've been thinking about the comparisons that have been made to Reading and have wondered why we may can't replicate this. I've decided the problem with the club is down to the council and even the way Swindon is as a whole......they will then use the club to help them show that pride. I think.

Sorry Barry, I don't buy any of that. I know what you are saying but I think the motivation to attend football matches at your local club is not related to the status or 'feel good factor' of the town/city/village/hamlet that it is based in.

I think it is down to:

- Whether you are interested in football (which excludes probably 50% of Swindon and surrounds, including most women and girls)
- Whether you want to watch live football and/or spend your Saturdays doing this instead of something else (that's probably another 30%)
- Whether you feel any allegience to STFC by virtue of birth or location (that should exclude another 25% and includes the Prem supporters and commuters)
- If you can be arsed or not - as in are Swindon doing well? And this is where I think the difference is. If you take the population of Swindon as 200k and another 100k from surrounding areas, that's a potential gate of 300k x 5% = 15k.

Meh. Do shite, 7k attendances, do well/be exciting/Championship, 15k tops.

Nothing to do with the resemblance of the town cente to something Bomber Harris promoted in Nazi Germany or whether the Outlet Village gets a new retailer in.

And to his Robness - yep, I agree with you about "the fringe".

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*** DISCLAIMER I made these percentages up, but my guts tell me that they are about right. Mind you, my guts are full of hot chilli at the moment ***

[Simon Pieman]

For once I agree with TT. Plus no matter what shit hole place you come from, a team can make you proud of that geographical association. People used to comment on our football records, now its all about the magic roundabout or lack of speed cameras. No wonder it's labelled a boring town   

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

For once I agree with TT. Plus no matter what shit hole place you come from, a team can make you proud of that geographical association. People used to comment on our football records, now its all about the magic roundabout or lack of speed cameras. No wonder it's labelled a boring town  

But ermm we're twinned with Disney World. That's got to count for something right?

[jonny72]

You've only got to look at the Fulham and Leeds games to see that the fans are there if everything is right - quality of football, opposition, success, price etc. Going back further pretty much the entire town was behind the club at the Leicester play off final - a sell out crowd and most of the town celebrating when we won.

Its going to take some time to repair all the damage that was done prior to Fitton's arrival but we're going in the right direction. According to my quick internet research the attendances this season will be the highest in over 10 years and the signs are that they will increase next season.

[leefer]

Some truth Sie...but as someone who travels the country Swindon is seen in a better light than what we may think,especially the older Generation who remember the railways...oh and fukin Diana Dors..if i has a pound for everytime someone has mentioned her.
Swindon has a better reputation than we may think outside of Wiltshire.