Attendances

[rigger]

12 hours ago, Ossydave said:

I know a LOT who fit the criteria 

By a LOT are you talking, 10's, 100's or 1000's, In my experience my figure would be in the 10's. 

[Mattyblue]

10s as in who you know? Or only 10s of the total away support will be non season ticket holders?

If it’s the later, you are way off for games where we are taking a decent following.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, blueboy3333 said:

I'd rather give my hard-earned cash to Rovers than a team I don't support. 

x 1000.

When I was at Boro on Saturday I noticed half ST's were on sale at approx £275.

Rather puts into perspective people moaning at our full season ticket prices starting at £320.

[K-Hod]

2 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

I'd rather give my hard-earned cash to Rovers than a team I don't support. 

100%. Irritates the life out of me seeing Rovers fans from Hyndburn going to watch Stanley this season......

[JHRover]

34 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

x 1000.

When I was at Boro on Saturday I noticed half ST's were on sale at approx £275.

Rather puts into perspective people moaning at our full season ticket prices starting at £320.

https://www.mfc.co.uk/news/early-bird-season-card-deadline-is-today

Adults in the North West, North, South and Family stands at Middlesbrough cost £397 for a full season.

If I remember correctly our cheapest was £319 but that only applied in the Riverside stand. For the majority who sit in the BBE or JW stands it was £349. So almost £50 cheaper over the season.

Not really anything to moan about I agree, but all it does is show we're in a similar ball park to others.

[Mattyblue]

Ours are £250 for 11 games in the Jack Walker. £23 a game 

Boro’s are £275 for 12.

Both seem dear to me and if I was a floating fan who wasn’t sure I could make all 11, I’d carry on buying tickets game by game.

Edited December 12, 2018 by Mattyblue

[AAK]

17 hours ago, Rogerb said:

Waggott said there were 2500 who bought Preston tickets but had not been to a single home game this season how many other away matches attended wasn't disclosed

Few of us who went, had only been one home game this season, some none, but went preston, quite a few who go away games From Craven in Darwen don't go home games.

[AAK]

14 hours ago, Ossydave said:

No to both. 

It's my daughters birthday the day before so otherwise occupied. 

Even if I'd gone to that I wouldn't be buying a half ST though,for the reasons I gave in the survey. 

I've missed literally 2 away this season, won't be going Leeds but will be at most others in the foreseeable. 

Get the free ticket and give it to someone on facebook or something pal, someone who maybe can't afford tickets.

Edited December 12, 2018 by AAK

[AAK]

It's simple, make season tickets really cheap for one season to entice people back. Show you want them back. Bit like Huddersfield and Forest, worked for them as below, average attendances.

Huddersfield 15/16 -12,631

Huddersfield 16/17 with cheap tickets - 20,165

Forest 17/18 - 19,000

Forest 18/19 with cheap tickets - 27,699

In both cases added 8-9 thousand to average attendance. If that happened to us we would be averaging around 20k, similar to our division one seasons after being relegated in 1999.

Edited December 12, 2018 by AAK

[JHRover]

34 minutes ago, AAK said:

It's simple, make season tickets really cheap for one season to entice people back. Show you want them back. Bit like Huddersfield and Forest, worked for them as below, average attendances.

Huddersfield 15/16 -12,631

Huddersfield 16/17 with cheap tickets - 20,165

Forest 17/18 - 19,000

Forest 18/19 with cheap tickets - 27,699

In both cases added 8-9 thousand to average attendance. If that happened to us we would be averaging around 20k, similar to our division one seasons after being relegated in 1999.

In both of those cases, and Bradford too, the massive reductions were made following or during periods of success.

Bradford did it shortly after promotion from League Two and their run to the League Cup final. Huddersfield did it ahead of Wagner's first full season and did all the promotional stuff with creating a singing section next to the away end. Forest did it following their takeover ahead of Karanka's first full season whilst throwing silly money at transfers so everyone expected them to be pushing for promotion. Not sure how cheap Forest have made their tickets but I know there's good deals there for young adults and students (better than can be found at most clubs).

I suppose some could argue that Bradford and Forest have vastly greater catchment areas than we have to tap into but that doesn't explain the Huddersfield one where as you point out their gates were below ours the season before and then almost doubled. That's what good marketing does. I very much doubt Huddersfield limited their promotional material to posters round their town centre, they were pushing it all over the place in all sorts of ways to get as many as possible buying into it.

No doubt a full house every week assisted them on the way to promotion and has probably, in conjunction with their time in the Premier League, resulted in a new generation of fans who will be getting into the habit of going every week. Financially they probably did ok out of it with 20,000 paying less for tickets but spending on food, drink and merchandise whilst there.

Maybe it is asking a lot for us to go to those prices but the proof it there that it works.

Sadly I think that the boat has been missed. The positivity of last season and promotion was the time to do it, yet we had no imaginative pricing, no serious promotion, delayed our sales window and put prices up by 17% whilst closing another stand. All things you wouldn't do if you were serious about significantly increasing crowds.

You would have got them on sale as soon as practically possible, at the very least during the promotion run-in, at the latest of the Oxford game, you would have kept prices frozen or at most increased them ever so slightly, embark upon a significant promotional campaign over several months, and don't annoy people by shutting stands. I wasn't a fan of the DE as it was as there weren't enough people in but the result we've got with a cluster in the JW lower and it seems some no longer going to games is a poor outcome.

People will respond to periods of success as Oxford showed. If this season pans out as expected and we finish mid-table that will be a success (in my opinion) but it isn't the sort of success that will entice people to flock to the ground. Promotion, play-off campaigns, significant investment and impressive recruitment are what makes people take an interest and bumping up prices rather than trying to fill the place up more appears to be opportunity missed.

Edited December 12, 2018 by JHRover

[Rogerb]

With this survey being sent by the club to absentee fans could be Waggott preparing a defence when tasked later in the season on why he has failed to meet his attendance estimate. Not my fault Madame. We did a survey and they won't come back because of you!

Most sane people know why attendance is down without needing a survey.

[philipl]

Depends on the questions asked.

I would want to know what could tempt fans back with a multiple answers allowed tick box.

[Ossydave]

On 12/12/2018 at 09:27, rigger said:

By a LOT are you talking, 10's, 100's or 1000's, In my experience my figure would be in the 10's. 

I reckon I could go through my Facebook and easily identify 50+ people I've seen away this season that won't have been a home game. That's just me though, it would be into the thousands I'm 100% certain if we looked at the bigger picture. 

[Ossydave]

On 12/12/2018 at 10:31, K-Hod said:

100%. Irritates the life out of me seeing Rovers fans from Hyndburn going to watch Stanley this season......

I went Stanley last week in the hospitality ?

Must say it was a bloody good do as well. 

£2 a pint of San Miguel in the lounge during happy hour, which was way more than just an hour. Then £1 a pint after the game. 

[perthblue02]

On 12/12/2018 at 20:55, Rogerb said:

With this survey being sent by the club to absentee fans could be Waggott preparing a defence when tasked later in the season on why he has failed to meet his attendance estimate. Not my fault Madame. We did a survey and they won't come back because of you!

Most sane people know why attendance is down without needing a survey.

I would imagine those responses to the survey that mention Venky's will be straight in the virtual shredder.

 

[Blackburn Bob]

First to admit im a floating fan, if its a big game ill go whatever the price within reason.  If its a tenner a ticket probably go most home games whatever the oppo, 15 quid some, over 20? depends on my mood and the weather

[JHRover]

It needs to be easier and more attractive to go to Ewood. When Rovers aren't playing I will often make a late decision to go to Stanley. I can decide at 2:15pm whether I'm going or not, drive up (similar distance as Ewood from home) yet park right across the road, wander across Whalley Road and within 15 minutes of leaving the house be at the turnstile with a ticket in my hand  for £15 or 20 and still have time to grab a pint and have a choice of the Crown, the gazebo or sometimes the club house. Whichever one there is a reasonable choice of beer, decent enough price and decent atmosphere.

Now if i were applying the same to going to Rovers home games and making a decision on the day I would look at it differently. I couldn't make a decision that late as I would probably miss kick off due to having to park some distance from the ground and having to walk down. When there there is usually a queue at the ticket office which means having to stand waiting for 10 minutes+ which is the last thing I would want to do especially when the weather is like it is  A ticket would likely cost the best part of £30 if lucky with the surcharge included. If there is time for a pint the choice is either Blues Bar and having to pay to get in or the Fan Zone where they only sell Fosters, both at a high price and I begrudge paying daft prices for poor quality beer.

The Stanley 'experience' in terms of convenience, cost, quality of ale etc. all superior to what is on offer at Rovers. 

Now that is partly because Stanley is a small scale operation and as such things like parking are much easier and I get that bit, and the football on offer in the Championship is way better than the League below in my opinion, but other elements - like the price of tickets, means of buying tickets on the day, selection and price of beer, bar offerings at the ground - could all be adjusted at Rovers to make the experience a better one. 

I've said many a time that if Rovers offered a bar which sold decent beer at a reasonable price I'd be in there pre-match every week but I won't spend money at Rovers given the choice and price there is in place there is at present. 

It all comes down to how much you want it. The little things - like Stanley doing a deal with Bowland Brewery to supply them with 'Accy Ale'. Any reason Rovers couldn't give 3 Bs up Tockholes a ring and get an order on for a few barrels per home game? There's more to it than that but you have to start at the basics and making things better. Get the fans down to Ewood as early as possible and try to keep them there after full time. 

 

Edited December 13, 2018 by JHRover

[blueboy3333]

2 hours ago, Ossydave said:

£2 a pint of San Miguel in the lounge during happy hour, which was way more than just an hour. Then £1 a pint after the game. 

It's good to see a Boycotter taking advantage of the offers on at other local clubs. 

Rovers till I die 

[JBiz]

39 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Any reason Rovers couldn't give 3 Bs up Tockholes a ring and get an order on for a few barrels per home game? There's more to it than that but you have to start at the basics and making things better. Get the fans down to Ewood as early as possible and try to keep them there after full time. 

See this is a really good point, up the food and drink on the concourses. Crap Fosters and one bitter option, we always have gone in the WMC because the price/choice/atmosphere is better prematch.

Its all a bit plastic and expensive - you also mentioned about small outfit having an advantage but it’s been done at Ewood before. Anyone remember the Wainwright cask/barrels in the gaps behind riverside? £3 a pint. When was that?  

[old darwen blue]

Also go in the Ewood WMC pre match with father. That McEwans cold lager hits the spot!

The last time I had a pint on the ground I handed it back twice as could still taste pipe cleaner in it. I’ll never have a pint on the ground again. 

Edited December 14, 2018 by old darwen blue

[K-Hod]

6 hours ago, old darwen blue said:

Also go in the Ewood WMC pre match with father. That McEwans cold lager hits the spot!

The last time I had a pint on the ground I handed it back twice as could still taste pipe cleaner in it. I’ll never have a pint on the ground again. 

Get a bottle of Heineken, they can't mess those up!

[MCMC1875]

12 hours ago, Ossydave said:

I reckon I could go through my Facebook and easily identify 50+ people I've seen away this season that won't have been a home game. That's just me though, it would be into the thousands I'm 100% certain if we looked at the bigger picture. 

I was talking to 2 lads before the PNE game. Never met em before. They'd been to every away game but not been to Ewood this season. Also met a friend of mine from Blackpool at PNE, he's never been to Ewood this season.

Edited December 14, 2018 by MCMC1875

[BlackburnEnd75]

37 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

Get a bottle of Heineken, they can't mess those up!

Paying £3 plus for a bottle makes me die a little inside

[rigger]

19 hours ago, Ossydave said:

I reckon I could go through my Facebook and easily identify 50+ people I've seen away this season that won't have been a home game. That's just me though, it would be into the thousands I'm 100% certain if we looked at the bigger picture. 

So our average away following is about 2000. By your statement that would mean about 50% of the away following don't go to home games. I think you are wrong there.

[Mattyblue]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

So our average away following is about 2000. By your statement that would mean about 50% of the away following don't go to home games. I think you are wrong there.

As I said before, depends on the game. Night match at Derby? Largely ST holders.

A game like Preston there will be a shed load of non home attendees.

Take my cousins as an example, they like ‘events’. Juicy away games with a day on the ale, Burnley at home, a big cup tie etc. As much as it annoys me they would never go to Ewood at nearly £30 for a run of the mill Rovers v Sheff Wed .

There are loads like that.