Attendances

[MCMC1875]

2 hours ago, pk1875 said:

Stuart Caley has for too long and continues to play a part in the dwindling match day atmosphere, from over zealous stewarding, stand closures and ridiculous adjustments to kick off times. He is a yesterdays man, too long in the tooth and out of touch with the clubs needs to improve revenue by improving match day experience.

He wants to remain in his comfort zone and smaller subdued crowds enable this. Maybe it's time the club looked at bringing in a younger more in touch and forward thinking Stadium / Safety manager, one who embraces larger crowds and improved atmosphere.    

Don't forget the "Club Evidence Gatherer" employed by the club who used to film the Rovers fans in the Darwen End. Letters taped to seats threatening withdrawal of season tickets for persisitent standing when standing by visitors was/is ignored week after week, season after season. More akin to secret police than a stadium/safety management department.

Edited February 20, 2019 by MCMC1875

[Proudtobeblue&white]

It's things like this that continue to make me feel that the fans are the last to be considered in the Blackburn Rovers experience. We are treated with absolute disdain by the club. The Loons are still so far removed from the club, leaving people in every day charge who seem to cost cut with one hand, yet do nothing to increase revenue substantially with the other.

I am a reluctant occasional attender nowadays, having been an avid supporter for forty years. The atmosphere is awful. The club do nothing to improve it, in fact go out of their way to make it worse with the stand cuts. The decision to kick off at noon against PNE is another snub to our fans, not theirs. It makes no economic sense in my view. I work one Saturday morning per month. If it falls on that day, I would have to try and swap with a colleague, but otherwise I wouldn't be able to attend at that time.

Having been summarily evicted from the upper BE, seen prices rise, seen a vociferous section removed from the DE, I am not encouraged to attend more often under the continuing regime. I still hate what they have and continue to do. They have held tenure over a disaster. Whilst we yet again have a period of relative stability under the Loons, as we all know, with a whim, it could all change in an instant. 

I've backed TM till the summer in the poll as he deserves more time to perhaps try and secure transfer funds for a push at promotion next year. If he cannot secure those funds, then in my view we will have another relegation fight on our hands. I still have doubts as to whether he is the man with the connections to secure the players we will need, but he should be afforded an opportunity.

As to our club. Caley/Waggott et al clearly don't have its best interests at heart with decisions about kick off times, stand closures, timings and costs of ST sales. As has been stated by many, the time to launch was before the Oxford game at the same price as last year.

I suppose what I am saying is that the likes of me are not being wooed by the club to return. Whilst I continue to support the team, I find better things to do with my time on match days. If they read this forum, take note!

 

[Mattyblue]

It seems that non 3pm weekend matches also being on the red button took clubs by surprise this season (maybe read the small print in future!), so it will be interesting to see if these nook kick offs carry on next season.

[MCMC1875]

6 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

It seems that non 3pm weekend matches also being on the red button took clubs by surprise this season (maybe read the small print in future!), so it will be interesting to see if these nook kick offs carry on next season.

Surely no conflict if the club is not trying to increase attendances.

[Mattyblue]

I’m taking about if PNE only bring say  4500 instead of 7500 due to it being 12pm and red button.

Having second division matches at £30 shows there is little appetite for big home gates.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Mattyblue

[MCMC1875]

15 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I’m taking about if PNE only bring say  4500 instead of 7500 due to it being 12pm and red button.

Having second division matches at £30 shows there is little appetite for big home gates.

Surely, from the club's point of view, big Rovers numbers are easier to steward than big visitor numbers?

[Mattyblue]

I’d say it’s more that they know they can make a quick buck from 7500 Leeds and Preston fans over the long term graft of increasing home numbers.

[MCMC1875]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

I’d say it’s more that they know they can make a quick buck from 7500 Leeds and Preston fans over the long term graft of increasing home numbers.

Ahh got you.

[JHRover]

They are either living in denial and genuinely believe that mucking around with kick off times, putting it on tv and putting prices up/shutting home areas doesn't negatively impact on home crowds or they're just coming out with it to try and shrug off any responsibility and instead blame the supporters for a lack of 'commitment'.

Another one is the illogical claim that leaving season ticket sales until May or June rather than getting them out now like many rivals have done also has zero negative impact on numbers sold. What have we got to lose by breaking the tried and tested formula and get them out months earlier? Even if it sees no increase in numbers sold, it will still give people more time to budget and get themselves sorted. 

Life on easy street, Less numbers is lower risk, early kick off means it can be over and done with early and everyone can go home to bed relaxed that the day has passed without major issue.

[Mattyblue]

Leeds don’t know what league they’ll be in next season, but theirs are now on sale (at frozen prices).

Edited February 20, 2019 by Mattyblue

[MCMC1875]

Steve Waggott has said (last Consultation Meeting or November meeting with Rovers Trust?) "We have done all we can on attendances". 82 pages on here say they haven't scratched the surface.

Edited February 20, 2019 by MCMC1875

[old darwen blue]

Maybe he means he has done all he can!

[Mattyblue]

It’s because he still doesn’t understand the fanbase and the demographics that Rovers operate in.

He’s still obviously in a city mindset for a town club. A bit of success on the pitch at Coventry with an odd offer thrown in, due to their floating fanbase across the city (9th biggest city in the country) and Warwickshire, it would do the trick. It won’t here.

If he did say that the club has ‘done all it can’ then expect continued season ticket price rises as the loyal core are squeezed.

 

 

Edited February 20, 2019 by Mattyblue

[Bigdoggsteel]

If it was a tenner a ticket every week, how big a crowd would we get? 

[Mattyblue]

An initial spike but it would soon wear off. The Rovers match going support has always been season ticket holder based, no real tradition in recent decades of large number of on the day tickets being sold.

Cheap season tickets would be the route to take if the club really wanted to increase crowds. £200 season tickets have been proved to substantially raise crowds for similar sized clubs to us in this league.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Mattyblue

[Guest]

Need to do what Huddersfield did. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

An initial spike but it would soon wear off. The Rovers match going support has always been season ticket holder based, no real tradition in recent decades of large number of on the day tickets being sold.

Cheap season tickets would be the route to take. £200 season tickets have been proved to substantially raise crowds for similar sized clubs to is in this league.

That would be very reasonable, I just wonder what would happen if it didn't have the desired affect and there wasn't a huge increase. I would say that maybe the people just aren't there one way or another, but then I think back to the Oxford game. 

I just wonder if 200 pound tickets and a 20,000 seater stadium would lead to a much better atmosphere. 

[Mattyblue]

Oh it would.

Its all about how you market it and timing. Say the plan was to do it next season, but then we collapse now till May and finish 19th then I could see it flopping. No momentum and a real downer around the place.

However, we surge and finish say 7th and the club makes the right noises (and signings) for a promotion push then you’d sell big numbers.

 

[JHRover]

1 minute ago, Mattyblue said:

Oh it would.

Its all about how you market it and timing. Say the plan was to do it next season, but then we collapse now till May and finish 19th then I could see it flopping. No momentum and a real downer around the place.

However, we surge and finish say 7th and the club makes the right noises (and signings) for a promotion push then you’d sell big numbers.

 

Exactly what Huddersfield did - brought in Wagner, knocked tickets down to £150 and marketed it as the 'Wagner revolution'. Targets for sales, progress shared with fans, encouragement to try and reach milestones, exciting signings to go with it. All about timing. Sitting around doing nothing until May and then hiking prices up another 17% and shutting another stand won't get people queuing up. Nor will signing a couple of free agents from League One and other players who clearly aren't going to improve the team.

Edited February 20, 2019 by JHRover

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 minute ago, Mattyblue said:

Oh it would.

Its all about how you market it and timing. Say the plan was to do it next season, but then we collapse now till May and finish 19th then I could see it flopping. No momentum and a real downer around the place.

However, we surge and finish say 7th and the club makes the right noises (and signings) for a promotion push then you’d sell big numbers.

 

Ya, true. Once you sell  a season ticket, the person is always likely to turn up on a Saturday

[Bigdoggsteel]

49 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Exactly what Huddersfield did - brought in Wagner, knocked tickets down to £150 and marketed it as the 'Wagner revolution'. Targets for sales, progress shared with fans, encouragement to try and reach milestones, exciting signings to go with it. All about timing. Sitting around doing nothing until May and then hiking prices up another 17% and shutting another stand won't get people queuing up. Nor will signing a couple of free agents from League One and other players who clearly aren't going to improve the team.

Would we get away with dropping the price to 200 this summer and branding it as the "Mowbray revolution"? The "Mowbray slow build with lingering question marks over the defence" doesn't quite have the same ring to it 

[pk1875]

They miss a trick with late season ticket sales, £200 per adult season tkt on a 12 month DD would see far more sold in my opinion...

 

Under 8s Free with a paying adult

Under 18s £75 with a paying adult

18-21 £125 

Not exact figures but the club need to be more imaginative... We are a Mid table division 2 team in a very poor small town with a large percentage who don't see football as their main sport.

Edited February 20, 2019 by pk1875

[Paul]

6 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

I’m taking about if PNE only bring say  4500 instead of 7500 due to it being 12pm and red button.

Having second division matches at £30 shows there is little appetite for big home gates.

I thought we sold 6000+ at Deepdale at £30?

[Mattyblue]

5500 at £24. 3pm

[perthblue02]

2 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Would we get away with dropping the price to 200 this summer and branding it as the "Mowbray revolution"? The "Mowbray slow build with lingering question marks over the defence" doesn't quite have the same ring to it 

On the back of the successful BRFCS poll where only just over 4% want TM to go , they could reduce the season ticket prices to your suggested value and use the advertising strapline  "The only Mowtivation you need"

Edited February 20, 2019 by perthblue02