Attendances: A cause for concern

[JHRover]

4 minutes ago, Ben Frost said:

Then try to remove it and look at things from a different perspective for once in your life. 

Having STs on sale in February is ridiculous. It points to a desperate need for immediate cash.

 

We are the club that complains about FFP and falling attendances.

I've just suggested one simple, easy, obvious option to try and increase sales - put them on sale a lot earlier than June

I've got evidence that a League One club in a similar sized town in a similar part of the world can and do manage that and it is clearly working - they have shifted over 4,000 by mid-February and sold substantially more than we did last year despite just getting out of League Two.

Instead you want to make it into some sort of point about a 'desperate need' for 'immediate cash'

Maybe they just have more idea than Waggott and Venkys? Sales numbers would suggest so.

 

[Ben Frost]

13 minutes ago, JHRover said:

We are the club that complains about FFP and falling attendances.

I've got evidence that a League One club in a similar sized town in a similar part of the world can and do manage that and it is clearly working - they have shifted over 4,000 by mid-February and sold substantially more than we did last year despite just getting out of League Two.

Please display your evidence proving "we" are the club that complains about those matters? Because you make it sound like none of the other 92 ever mention it. I can't even remember when anyone from Rovers did mention anything about it.

BwD population is 149,000. Bolton is 263,000. So that's another lie from you to undermine the club, which you do on a regular basis.

Answer the real question, why do Bolton need next years ST money in February? Take your head out of the sand before you reply. 

[JHRover]

9 minutes ago, Ben Frost said:

 

Answer the real question, why do Bolton need next years ST money in February? Take your head out of the sand before you reply. 

Maybe they need the money to sort their pitch out then they can play home games after a snow shower.

[Mattyblue]

Didn’t realise potential support is now judged on the size of the 1970s created, arbitrary council area a club happens to be based in.

Edited February 20, 2022 by Mattyblue

[Wheelton Blue]

14 hours ago, Ben Frost said:

Then try to remove it and look at things from a different perspective for once in your life. 

Having STs on sale in February is ridiculous. It points to a desperate need for immediate cash.

Perhaps.

Or perhaps it points at having some business and administrative accumen...

On the back of a promotion and in the midst of a good season with an outside chance of the pay offs, Bolton are looking to capitalise for next season. The more ST they get signed up now, the more they could get as other fans follow suit, the more money they make. 

Under the risk of relegation, Burnley are looking to shore up their core support for next season should they go do down. If it looks like they're going to escape the drop, excitement will again build for another season in the PL.

On the contrary, our administration will likely leave it to the last minute, execute a half arsed marketing scheme, put themselves in a position where they have to process applications in a handful of weeks, and wonder why the uptake is low.

[Mattyblue]

More bundles!

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2022/february/21/a-fantastic-final-five-/

Eee, you have to laugh.

But, I suppose, this is more of a quarter ST as it can be bought anywhere, so fair enough, as even if just a few hundred buy one, they are in the tent for a potential full ST renewal in the summer. Makes much more sense than that frankly daft ‘Darwen End Double Decker’.

Though at £99-£120, it works out at £20 a game in the Riverside/BBEnd, £24 in the JWU, it’s substantially more pro rata than a half ST, so if a floating fan didn’t sign up for one of those, I’m not sure what kind of uptake you are going to get for this.

But, Swag… please, please let’s still see a PROPER one off cheap ticket game for the run in if we are still up there…

Edited February 21, 2022 by Mattyblue

[chaddyrovers]

A fantastic Final Five! | rovers.co.uk

Good fair price for people for the last 5 games. 

The Rovers players need your support for the final run in and you might just watch us get Automatic Promotion The Bournemouth home game could be the game that we get automatic promotion. 

COYB!

[rigger]

39 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

More bundles!

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2022/february/21/a-fantastic-final-five-/

Eee, you have to laugh.

But, I suppose, this is more of a quarter ST as it can be bought anywhere, so fair enough, as even if just a few hundred buy one, they are in the tent for a potential full ST renewal in the summer. Makes much more sense than that frankly daft ‘Darwen End Double Decker’.

Though at £99-£120, it works out at £20 a game in the Riverside/BBEnd, £24 in the JWU, it’s substantially more pro rata than a half ST, so if a floating fan didn’t sign up for one of those, I’m not sure what kind of uptake you are going to get for this.

But, Swag… please, please let’s still see a PROPER one off cheap ticket game for the run in if we are still up there…

I wonder if buying a final five ticket, will get you any sort of priority for buying play-off tickets ?

[MarkBRFC]

34 minutes ago, rigger said:

I wonder if buying a final five ticket, will get you any sort of priority for buying play-off tickets ?

Not sure that will matter to be honest.

A play off home semi final, and a final at Wembley there will be more than enough tickets for demand.

A play off semi final away game should go to ST holders + x amount of away games first.

[rigger]

27 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Not sure that will matter to be honest.

A play off home semi final, and a final at Wembley there will be more than enough tickets for demand.

A play off semi final away game should go to ST holders + x amount of away games first.

The most important word in your final statement is "should". The away semi, would probably see us allocated 5000 tops.  

[speedies gonna get ya.]

Really disappointed with this. I accept that it can't be better than season ticket/half season ticket holders but its not a considerable enough saving to entice anyone to consider it. 

Moreover, does this mean there is unlikely to be a one off very cheap ticket offer which historically does well? I hope it doesn't but suspect it will.

[rigger]

5 minutes ago, speedies gonna get ya. said:

Really disappointed with this. I accept that it can't be better than season ticket/half season ticket holders but its not a considerable enough saving to entice anyone to consider it. 

Moreover, does this mean there is unlikely to be a one off very cheap ticket offer which historically does well? I hope it doesn't but suspect it will.

There is more chance of plaiting sawdust, than a cheap game now. There is maybe one way, and that would be, if nobody bought the final five ticket.

[Mattyblue]

And few will.

What’s the point in buying it if you are a floating fan who doesn’t buy a ST/half ST because you know you struggle to make every game/night games/have other commitments?

If you can’t make just one of the five it straight away doesn’t become worth shelling out £100-odd quid, you’ll just keep your powder dry and you can weigh up your availability week by week as the season progresses.

There must be some method behind all this, but I’m buggered if I can work it out…

Edited February 21, 2022 by Mattyblue

[roversfan99]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

A fantastic Final Five! | rovers.co.uk

Good fair price for people for the last 5 games. 

The Rovers players need your support for the final run in and you might just watch us get Automatic Promotion The Bournemouth home game could be the game that we get automatic promotion. 

COYB!

Totally get the sentiment but your call for support will fall on deaf ears. Most people posting on a messageboard will by association be hardcore fans. I suspect the majority are already season ticket holders, or failing that will be unable to attend 5 games (perhaps location based) or are the in the very small minority who are boycotting so wont be turned by a 5 game bundle. Its the floating fan that is the target audience, they wont be posting on messageboards, they can give or take attending.

These bundles are not the way forward IMO, we have seen before even as recently as selling only 500k for the double header. Waggott said earlier this season in a fans forum that the EFL dont like bundles either plus he has the access to the numbers which prove that they dont work.

Floating fans dont want to commit to numerous games at once to get value, they dont want strings attached, thats why one off, no strings attached deals get better uptake.

Maybe I will be proved wrong this time but I remain skeptical.

[Wheelton Blue]

This seems like a '5 games for the price of 4' deal.

Any subsequent special one-off would seriously negate the value of this offer, though.

I'd be hacked off if I bought this only for say the Bournemouth game to be then discounted to £15 or so.

[Mattyblue]

I agree, I think this deal makes it unlikely there will be a £10/£15 offer to really get the place rocking in the run in.

Absolutely mad from where I’m standing, but doesn’t surprise me one bit with that lot running the club.

[JHRover]

The biggest and most important deal the club could release is on season tickets for next year.

It is those sales which will make or break our attendances next year (assuming we don't go up and get the tourists).

That article explains all about what a good young side we have and how well we have done this season and how good our home record is. All agreed. So make hay while the sun is shining and capitalise on the feel good factor.

Last summer we had miserable sales figures on season tickets and that is the reason why even after a good season we are still struggling to get much more than 11,000 home fans on watching. Hamstrung by poor sales of what is our bread and butter.

All sorts of reasons why sales were so poor but I hold those at the club primarily responsible for a ridiculous pricing system and botched sales process, including putting them on sale far too late.

If you can't sell season tickets when top of the league and with good home form then something is very wrong.

Bundles don't work and the only way we are going to get substantial increase in numbers between now and May is if there are really cheap tickets or we get through to the last couple of home games in with a realistic chance of automatic promotion. Even then we are talking one off crowds on cheaper tickets.

They should have one eye on next year and prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Prepare for us being in the Championship. Target those 3-4000 who have been turning up since December who don't have season tickets. Get them whilst they are turning up at Ewood. No good once we get to June/July and people are off spending their cash on summer holidays or are fed up with us missing promotion or selling our best players.

 

 

[RevidgeBlue]

This bundle would be fine in theory if we were still in the thick of the promotion mix by the last five games but my initial reaction is that it's far too late in the season. 

Automatic promotion already seems extremely unlikely. if we've also played ourselves out of play off contention by that time we'll be flogging a dead horse.

Smacks of trying to promote an offer for the Sheff Utd game in the immediate aftermath of a record 0-7 home loss v Fulham.

[Displaced Rover]

This is another pointless move that I'm semi convinced is to make it seem like they're doing something about attendances whilst secretly hoping it has no impact. 

Why would anyone who hasn't bought a ST/HST buy this at £20 a game? The issue at that point is clearly ability/desire to get to every home game. Miss one you're at £25 a game, miss two and you're at £33.

Everyone repeat again - Bundles. Make. No. Sense.

If they want to help the team, they'd be better off looking at a tenner a ticket for the last couple of games if we're still in the mix. 

[tomphil]

They really are adverse to doing cheap one off deals now it looks like the Sheff U one was the last.

This is another good deal on the face of it but it is still asking people to stump up £100 in one go.  Yet again it'll shift a couple of hundred at best when instead cheap single match tickets boost a gate by an extra 3k, proven.

[Miller11]

3 hours ago, speedies gonna get ya. said:

Really disappointed with this. I accept that it can't be better than season ticket/half season ticket holders but its not a considerable enough saving to entice anyone to consider it. 

Moreover, does this mean there is unlikely to be a one off very cheap ticket offer which historically does well? I hope it doesn't but suspect it will.

Me and @PeteJD13mentioned to Waggott that it was stupid to have cut off points for Season tickets and half season tickets. They should be available at any point at a pro-rata price. Rather than dressing this up as a 5 game bundle, push for sales of season tickets to help with the promotion push, and give them the other minimal season ticket holder benefits too. Priority on playoff tickets would be an incentive surely. Far better chance of people who buy them renewing next year too.

We actually discussed the possibility of us being in a position where the last 6 games of actually meant something and suggested making sure there was a deal available in that scenario, but this seems to fall into the nearly but not quite right category. Also messes up any chance of cheap tickets for a potential must win game/promotion party.

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Miller11

[RevidgeBlue]

15 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

 Priority on playoff tickets would be an incentive surely. Far better chance of people who buy them renewing next year too.

As a season ticket holder I'd be very annoyed to be battling for a play off ticket with somone who'd bought a bundle for the last 5 games who had equal priority.

[only2garners]

21 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

As a season ticket holder I'd be very annoyed to be battling for a play off ticket with somone who'd bought a bundle for the last 5 games who had equal priority.

It's only going to be the away semi-final game where there is going to be any pressure on ticket numbers, depending where it is. In any event the if the allocation is tight I would hope that the club would first offer tickets to full ST holders with some history of attending away games and gradually scale it down with anyone on the 5 game package at the back of the queue before open sale.

Thinking aloud I wonder if offering a free or heavily discounted ticket to any home semi-final game for any ST holders might help?

[speedies gonna get ya.]

Don't like talking about play off prices as I'm very superstitious when it comes to Rovers and it feels like tempting fate. 

But here goes, home leg should be £20 everywhere in ground and season ticket holders can buy a second ticket at £10.

[darrenrover]

What about a 'Summerfest' and Play Off Bundle, incorporating Boy George, Human League and a trip to Wembley?😜