[Archived] Charlton Preview!

[Mike E]

Unfortunately just over eight thousand was what was inside the ground on Saturday Mike.

Your source (as the only person asserting it)?

[tomphil]

Seeing as one end of the ground hold approx. 8k could the whole of the crowd on Saturday have fitted in one end without hardly any overspill ?

[Mike Graham]

Seeing as one end of the ground hold approx. 8k could the whole of the crowd on Saturday have fitted in one end without hardly any overspill ?

Yes, or almost. :-)

[oldjamfan1]

Yes, or almost. :-)

Not really very scientific that PB. I would tend to agree with those saying circa 10k, but that is simply 'gut feeling' based on what I think 8k looks like!!

[gumboots]

Im still amazed that nobody from the club has bothered to ask why I'm not there this year. Not just me but the other 1000 or so who haven't renewed their tickets. Surely that, if nothing else, shows how low fans rank in their thinking. In the past they have been reminding you even if you intended to renew and were just waiting a week or two. Now we are disappearing in our droves and nobody is asking why

[Mattyblue]

Im still amazed that nobody from the club has bothered to ask why I'm not there this year. Not just me but the other 1000 or so who haven't renewed their tickets. Surely that, if nothing else, shows how low fans rank in their thinking. In the past they have been reminding you even if you intended to renew and were just waiting a week or two. Now we are disappearing in our droves and nobody is asking why

Can any 'lapsed' fan from previous years give an insight into if the club would do this in times past?

It would seem like standard marketing to me; as the season gets close to KO send another reminder to those who haven't renewed by post or email on the lines of 'We see you haven't renewed, here are easy ways to do so'. If still no movement, follow up with a call asking why.

In fact, I have often heard that fans who have been attending for years but lapse for whatever reason, don't ever hear from the club in any format again once they stop going, good to see the fabled database is put to use!

[Paul]

When my eldest lad stopped going, moved out of the area, an ST holder from age 4-19, we heard nothing. When the youngest stopped, ST holder from 4-13, I couldn't convince him to enjoy footie, we heard nothing.

I once posted the club don't sell tickets, fans buy them. I think that changed but feel it's swinging back that way. The marketing of this season's STs was pathetic.

[tomphil]

About 8 yrs ago I didn't renew due to a messy relationship split and I received 2 calls over the summer as I remember. The first one was from a marketing company, may have been because we used to pay DD. The next was from a lad 'on behalf of Blackburn Rovers, just a reminder and was there a problem' or along those lines. Both very pleasant when I explained why.

Also emails as a reminder and a letter/emails again for half ST's. No idea what it's like these days but it's odd they've not tried to contact lapsed people. The ST pack this season was as basic and sparse as I've ever known it to be. It's all probably because they don't employ a marketing company anymore or something.

[gumboots]

I remember one year being in the car on my way back from my hols when mark Hughes "rang" me reminding me about my season ticket. A gimmick but it showed someone had checked and there was a bit of imagination about. Now, unless I go looking, I wouldn't even know about offers or whatever. I might, like others, be tempted by a one off game but if youre not telling me about them, I won't be. And I'm someone who would go to matches. Imagine if you're a more casual purchaser. How would you ever be tempted into attending?

[AllRoverAsia]

I remember one year being in the car on my way back from my hols when mark Hughes "rang" me reminding me about my season ticket. A gimmick but it showed someone had checked and there was a bit of imagination about. Now, unless I go looking, I wouldn't even know about offers or whatever. I might, like others, be tempted by a one off game but if youre not telling me about them, I won't be. And I'm someone who would go to matches. Imagine if you're a more casual purchaser. How would you ever be tempted into attending?

It's always easier to sell property with vacant possession.

[oldjamfan1]

I kept three season tickets going for several years, despite living in Glasgow. However, I finally stopped them in the second year of Kean's tenure and bought tickets on a match-by-match basis. Apart from a standard reminder letter I heard absolutely nothing, despite sending in a very detailed explanation as to why I had given up my STs (it wasn't just Kean, too many games were being moved away from 3pm Saturday kick-offs, making it impossible for me to get to them and thus negating the whole point in having a ST) and inviting someone to contact me to discuss things. I was effectively inviting them to persuade me to change my mind!

As a CEO myself heads would roll if anyone in my organisation treated a customer like that!

[tonygreenbank]

I still can't see how the mindset of "injuries made us better" works.

People could've said the same about Marshall being injured and replaced by Lawrence or Mahoney, especially if either of them went on to have a cracker.

Football is about taking chances and after last season Evans deserved the bench. It just so happens that Lowe played badly, got injured (allegedly) and was replaced. It's also critical to mention that Evans form has made the difference more than injury.

As for Spurr, despite looking one paced and rusty, he came in to replace Olsson who'd looked distinctly dodgy in 3 games. I still haven't seen a reply to the post I made about Spurr getting more crosses into the box and to players in the Fulham game than Henley and Marshall combined.

Injury to Olsson now would be a critical blow if Spurr is out for a long time, not a blessing in disguise.

When our fanbase stop assuming that they are essentially better managers than actual professionals, discussions may go away from "he picks his best by accident" or "he scores despite his tactics" etc

Nothing wrong with having a personal opinion on a player but to take that opinion as fact and shape it into a stick?

Excellent post Jbizzle. My thoughts entirely.

[bluebruce]

Im still amazed that nobody from the club has bothered to ask why I'm not there this year. Not just me but the other 1000 or so who haven't renewed their tickets. Surely that, if nothing else, shows how low fans rank in their thinking. In the past they have been reminding you even if you intended to renew and were just waiting a week or two. Now we are disappearing in our droves and nobody is asking why

I think they know why, and don't see the sense in getting their ears burned off hearing it.

[gumboots]

But the reason may not be the same in all cases. Mine is because it's not economic sense as much as it's about frustrations with the goings on. Others have moved home or can't get to night matches or attend on Sundays or whatever. If they emailed or wrote they could ignore the replies anyway. We're not even getting the cosmetic exercise any more.

[den]

But the reason may not be the same in all cases. Mine is because it's not economic sense as much as it's about frustrations with the goings on. Others have moved home or can't get to night matches or attend on Sundays or whatever. If they emailed or wrote they could ignore the replies anyway. We're not even getting the cosmetic exercise any more.

I haven't had a season ticket for the last couple of seasons Gumboots - and I've never heard a thing from them either. It's no big deal, just a bit surprising that after 50 odd years of huge support they're seemingly not bothered.

[Mattyblue]

What I do find amazing is that fans who have maybe only stopped going a year or so ago, don't even get a season ticket pack through the post.

I went to a Test match at Headingley a few years back and every year since I have recevied a pack from YCCC advising me of their deals for membership, domestic and international matches.

Now as a Lancastrian I aint going to be signing up anytime soon, but it's a good example of where we are going wrong.

[Paul]

Oh yes. About ten years ago we did a couple of seasons taking the kids to Old Trafford (LCCC) and still get emails from them.

[sambo]

The last few years I've renewed very late (end of July/August). However, I've never been contacted by the club or enticed back.

Maybe the odd generic email everyone gets, but nothing that would sway the more casual fan.