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Some good points there Foxstreetfiveseven but let’s look at other considerations that need looking at since the early sixties and the Barrie Thomas era. True some fans did stop going but as the club fell down the league structure it was hard to judge attendances as a result of Barries transfer because the club was on a downward spiral. Also attendances rose pro rata when different eras since brought promotions, we have seen 7 or 80000 + gates at different times over different decades for some league games. We have seen a crowd of over 17000 for a league cup tie with Arsenal in the same decade Barrie was sold, we saw 19000+ against Newcastle in the mid seventies long after both Clemence and Keegan had been sold so some big crowds have been achievable since Barries time with us but regular 10000 gates did drop off it’s true but don’t forget other reasons were to blame too.
As working families found more income to spend on leisure football wasn’t the be all and end all of people’s lives anymore. Most working families began buying cars for the first time ever therefore gaining more independence and freedom of choice to do other things with their leisure time and this has continued over the years. People play more sport themselves, people go away for more weekends, they take longer holidays and a lot of these abroad. There are more things in life for people to do then ever before so following the local football team, particularly one that is struggling does not seem so attractive anymore and don’t forget the spectre of Sky and it’s constant live Premiership coverage if you are willing to pay and it would appear a lot of people are. Yes there are diehards and always will be but if the Iron had an upturn in fortunes then crowds would rise pro rata again so things are not quite as cut and dried as you make out IMO about the future of fans never reappearing. The hostility to The owner from a lot of the current fan base is undoubtedly massive right now but as Blackpool fans proved awhile back that if the owner eventually moves on then crowds will return and we should keep remembering that. Plus I feel that if by some miracle we find ourselves competing near the top of the National League next season then the home attendances will be more healthy then they currently are. That’s my take on it anyway.Point taken. But if enough people abandon the club I wouldn’t put it past Swann to do something really extreme. Such as notifying the National League that he wasn’t in a position to guarantee the club could fulfil it’s fixtures due to the financial position.
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Topics: 100Well if he does that then he really is a poor businessman because other clubs are run on smaller budgets then us due to smaller fan bases and manage to keep going.
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Crowds will depend on results and ambition whatever league you play in, so 1200 may be right.
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Topics: 100Glanford Park Avenue would be a good moniker for a non-league club!
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I find it hard to believe we were paying £4000 per week in interest to Swanns company, Coolsilk and that one of our directors was paid £190,000. I wonder who that was? And then we have been losing £90,000 a week. The Swanns have been an absolute recipe for disaster since they stepped foot into our Club. Please give us our land and assets back and sell up and walk away ASAP.
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I am having difficulty in undewrstanding what you are trying to tell us supporters to do foxstreetfiveseven.
You start off by telling us that you have fallen out with going to matches four years ago, and not attended a game since. Then it appears that you are saying to us, that if we do not go to games, the club will no longer exist.
So please tell me did you think the same way when you stopped attending????, there will always be a few fans like Uptheiron69 for example that will sit like dummies in the middle of winter watching his team get beaten week after week, but why continue when things get worse week by week, have you noticed that the team has failed to SCORE A BLOODY GOAL IN SIX OUT OF THE LAST SEVEN MATCHES, LOSING ALL SEVEN GAMES, with no enjoyment or entertainment for our once loyal supporters.
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A ridiculous post!
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The difference Barton is that I completely lost interest in football altogether. I don’t even bother watching MOTD on a Saturday night, something unthinkable years ago. Whereas others, who would still love to go are being stubborn and deliberately boycotting the club just because of Swann. Cutting your nose off to spite your face so to speak.
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The difference Barton is that I completely lost interest in football altogether. I don’t even bother watching MOTD on a Saturday night, something unthinkable years ago. Whereas others, who would still love to go are being stubborn and deliberately boycotting the club just because of Swann. Cutting your nose off to spite your face so to speak.
What would you suggest the fans do? Just accept paying the same entrance fee week after week for a poorer and poorer standard of football in a stadium that hasn’t had a penny of investment in years?
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The difference Barton is that I completely lost interest in football altogether. I don’t even bother watching MOTD on a Saturday night, something unthinkable years ago. Whereas others, who would still love to go are being stubborn and deliberately boycotting the club just because of Swann. Cutting your nose off to spite your face so to speak.
No matter how much we support our club, the club is not ENTITLED to our money. It needs to EARN it.
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‘Whereas others, who would still love to go are being stubborn and deliberately boycotting the club just because of Swann. Cutting your nose off to spite your face so to speak.’
A little black amd white IMO. Couple of observations:
I wonder what the percentage is of people who would love to go but choose not to, purely because of Swann? Some say it but I’d wager a good chunk are staying away for a number of reasons, economic, social, personal, etc, that include Swann. Easier and more direct to say on social media it’s purely down to Swann, particularly on Twitter where you can’t write a thesis.
As you say yourself, you’ve stopped going because you lost interest in football altogether. There are likely to be a combination of factors why the majority of fans are staying away, to a greater or lesser degree. There’s a bit of hyperbole about staying away purely because of Swann, I think. That’s not to say he, and the way he’s run the club, aren’t huge factors, I’m sure they are. Perhaps this also partly explains his stepping back? An attempt to lure back the stayaways? Gonna take a lot more than that though!
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I am one who will not be renewing my season ticket or those for my young family members next year purely down to Swann. Give us our ground back and walk away completely and there will be 3 season tickets renewed for next season tomorrow, until then no chance. Call me stubborn if you wish, but I see it as the only meaningful way I can make a stand. Protests etc are all good, but no message will be more powerful in my opinion then when season ticket sales are at an all time low and circa 50% down on this years.
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Topics: 100To be perfectly honest and I am not making this point just because we have been relegated.
It’s time that the National League became EFL Three.
All the Clubs are full time – half of them are ex EFL clubs.
Make it L3 – with 4 up and 4 down between L2 and the new L3.1 user thanked author for this post.
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Topics: 100Having a North/South divide would alienate our southern supporters NI.
They’ve not exactly been turning out for the away games down there, have they.
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Topics: 100It’s odds on that we will be in a regional league next season.
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You missed out on the best burger in the world!
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