The Big Return

[Ferrite]

I thought the final part of the latest podcast was spot on when talking about how big crowds would be when they are allowed to return. How many of the normal 2-3,000 home fans will return on a regular basis?

Personally, I think there will be a significant drop: people will have found new hobbies, many of the older fans may no longer want to come back to stand/sit in a crowd, many of the younger people won’t be able to afford to come back and a further group may just have lost the interest they used to have.

The last year must have been really tough for SUFC and there are plenty of challenges still to overcome but I think that there needs to be a really big effort by the club to get the supporters in the ground and to keep them there. For example, some £10 games would go a long way to help getting people back in the habit, in my opinion, whilst other things like exciting signings, some big wins on the pitch towards the end of the season and any other good news regarding the club will go a long way to creating that buzz.

Here’s hoping!

[Northumbiron]

On the positive side many people will be desperate to get out to some sort of event.

But I agree, there needs to be some carrots dangled.

[Ferrite]

Northumbiron wrote:

On the positive side many people will be desperate to get out to some sort of event.

Yes, I think the first one or two games might see a mini-boom, be interesting to see if that settles down after a few matches.

[Ironawe]

Based on watching ifollow how many would come to watch? Barely a fee hundred. I’ve always said we have two types – supporters and customers. Some supporters may tail off but the customers turn 3k gates into 7k gates for big games. The standard of football and players brought in by the chairman will mean a big drop in numbers through the turnstiles. Play exciting attacking football in front of 3500 or the stuff served up for the last few years in front if 1500. I doubt Swann gives a toss either way now

2 users thanked author for this post.

Ferrite, alcazar

[Cliff Byrne’s Right Peg]

The lads highlighted an important issue and it’s got to be at the forefront of the club’s mind-I doubt it is though.

Exciting football is the obvious answer, but to honest the problem runs deeper than that. I think the club needs an overhaul on how it is perceived, and how it engages with the supporter base.

Where’s the drive for season tickets? Existing holders, members, casual supporters should be getting bombarded with early bird deals. Set the marketing department a target and let them start getting creative. I understand we don’t have the casual support of Bradford/Huddersfield to heavily subsidise tickets, but surely we get more
Creative?

In terms of casual offers: a few years ago we had tickets for £10- the crowd for port vale was over 7,000 ( It was a crucial game) and over 5,000 for Bury in January. Why have we never gone back to that? If it’s a matter of cost then I’d point to the overbloated squad of 35 players we’ve had for the last few years and show you a waste of money.

The overall match day experience needs improvement- as supporters we can play our part- but it would good to see the club actively encourage ways in which the home atmosphere can improve; provide a drum, flags, open up the clugston corner again? Not my preferred options but it’s worth exploring.

If we carry on our current trajectory I can see us struggling to hit 3,500 on a regular occurrence again.

4 users thanked author for this post.

lesgeo, Ferrite, alcazar, inspector

[alcazar]

Several things come to mind.
First off, Swann isn’t going to re-engage with fans any time soon, because that would mean admitting he’s wrong…and the idiot still thinks he’s right.
Unfortunately his club, his rules. Only time will tell if he is wrong, but the signs aren’t good🙁

Secondly mention of match day experience always makes me sigh.
We were having this conversation quite some time ago, and quite a few on here tried hard to highlight the negatives, from stanchions to catering, from toilets to bars, from stewarding to closure of certain areas, from car parking to leaving the ground.
Sadly that conversation was railroaded by a vociferous few who could not accept that the match day experience either could, or should, be better.
Those who then used pie-gate to try and sideline others’ views ought now to, if not apologise, at least admit they were wrong…and have played 100% into the chairman’s hands.

Thirdly, the media-led Pandemic.
Rightly, or wrongly, people’s behaviour has changed. The rules have changed. Normal no longer exists, and situations, rules, even laws change in the blink of an eye.
Will supporters come back to sit 2m from the next guy, wearing a mask? I, for one, will not. Part of going to games was the interaction between supporters and even opposing supporters.
That’s not coming back any time soon.
And what of over-the-top stewarding? Can we really see it being any better with covid regulations to enforce too? Nope, not for me…and I strongly suspect I won’t be the only one.
Add in those still petrified, and crowd numbers are going to take a hit.

And what does our erstwhile astute businessman do?
Alienates long time supporters live on the radio🙄🙄🙄

You could not make this stuff up.
It’s like comedy, but scarey because it’s our club going down the wrong route…and nowt we can do.

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inspector

[Deereyme66]

Agree with most of that Alcy, except the bit where you put your tin hat on… ‘media-led pandemic’.

[Iron-awe]

Good points by alcy but as you say DM the media led bit doesn’t ring true for me. It wasn’t the media causing over 127,000 covid deaths but a reluctance by the blonde fat scarecrow to get his arse in gear sooner and actually listen to scietific advice which he has done in later months. All the media did was report it. The truth hurts sometimes.

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SODIron

[Sanfran49]

For us I cannot see one. Above 3000 will be a novelty and not the norm – that is based on this shockingly naive approach to players selected and tactics used.

Same failures selected week after week, the defending for the 2 goals at Carlisle was woeful. The excuses in the Managers post match statement on the official web site was incoherent rambling of someone out of there depth.

[cassidystash]

Let’s have a look at the advantages of ifollow over the SVS:-
Cheaper
Seat more comfortable and never cold
No car park/fuel cost
Takes less time, no extra half hour to leave the ground
Food & drink cheaper and always in stock and ready, no queue
Toilets don’t smell

The Big Return – mmmmmmmmmmmm not sure.

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alcazar

[mistertonmick]

In my paper Neil said they were bigger and stronger than us.

[Northumbiron]

Those armchair fans ‘tash describes have been around for many years. It’s nothing new. Sure their numbers will swell but for every one who wants to watch via a laptop or iPad I’d argue there’ll be more that want to get back out there.

I’d be quite happy sitting/standing 2m away from someone in a mask. No problem.

Live sport is like live music. There is no substitute.

That’s why team performance is the key factor. That and the club valuing its fans.

Sadly that is where we are lacking.

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TwoWrights

[cassidystash]

Never been possible to watch from the comfort of your own home though NI. Just pointing out what Mr Swann is up against, some of those things he has the power to change. Can he also force some change in the crap football, that’s the same whether it’s on t’internet or live at the ground and that, as you say, could be the most important.

[Awaywego]

Not to long to wait to see if fans will return, The world championship snooker final will play to a potential capacity audience on the 8th of may. A venue with no Aircon and packed in close together, obviously some won’t return but get a attacking side and people will.

[Northumbiron]

cassidystash wrote:

Never been possible to watch from the comfort of your own home though NI.

I’ve never been comfortable watching from the comfort of my own home this season. Even sat in the warmth of my living room with a nice Rioja in my hand.

The temptation to do something else has been too great (must admit to being distracted on several occasions last night) whereas I miss the event (and wherever the Iron play it IS an event for me to go and watch) of attending a live game.

After a while it becomes no different to watching any other tv show, such as ….. (insert amusing name).

Just a personal view. As soon as I feel I can safely attend I’ll be back.

[Cliff Byrne’s Right Peg]

The issue won’t be attracting fans back who have grown accustomed to watching it on Ifollow, it will be those who have found other things to do on a Saturday afternoon and lost the interest altogether.

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alcazar, Deereyme66

[mistertonmick]

Up to the start of the season I had seen every league game at Glanford Park or Sands Venue, but with my age and at the moment problems with my eyesight I probably won’t be going back anyway, I would be very happy to watch it on iFollow if it is offered to people over a certain age or if you have medical problems and I can see something like that happening next season all through football, because getting money into clubs through iFollow is better than people stopping going or watching altogether.

[cassidystash]

“Even sat in the warmth of my living room with a nice Rioja in my hand.”

Something that Mr Swann should make available at the kiosk then for the discerning supporter?

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Northumbiron

[mistertonmick]

Have you seen that Mansfield Town are giving all their season ticket holder’s a new 21/22 third strip shirt as a gift for supporting them through this season.

[Cliff Byrne’s Right Peg]

I’m sure Mansfield were one of the first clubs to offer the ‘pay what you want’ incentive to supporters and nearly filled the ground.

[Deereyme66]

Big guffaw at the thought of the current SUFC doing either of those! Loss leaders? Too sensible!

[WonderGoals]

First match I bought from I follow was vs Crawley and I felt like smashing the keyboard over my head through sheer frustration.

Cox seriously needs to get a grip because one thing will really get fans back and that’s better football…if this farce carries on when fans are allowed back, I can’t see many bothering.

Why would you want to keep paying to go to a restaurant that was forever serving up sub par food ?

Same as football down at GP….if the crap continues, people will swerve it all together. There is only so much crap one can possibly endure before calling it a day.

[alcazar]

Deereyme66 wrote:

Agree with most of that Alcy, except the bit where you put your tin hat on… ‘media-led pandemic’.

You don’t watch a lot of news on TV then, or listen to it on the radio?
Because from where I’m sitting, the MSM is very much driving the response to the pandemic.
From repetition to fear mongering to twisted facts: they are doing it all.

[alcazar]

Iron-awe wrote:

Good points by alcy but as you say DM the media led bit doesn’t ring true for me. It wasn’t the media causing over 127,000 covid deaths but a reluctance by the blonde fat scarecrow to get his arse in gear sooner and actually listen to scietific advice which he has done in later months. All the media did was report it. The truth hurts sometimes.

127,000 deaths? Aye ok
127,000 Covid deaths? Nope.
And no flu deaths this year? You are having a laugh.

[Ferrite]

Lot of people presuming ifollow will still be an option next season – I’m not convinced it will be, at least not after the first couple of months.

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Northumbiron

[Anonymous]

alcazar wrote:

Iron-awe wrote:

Good points by alcy but as you say DM the media led bit doesn’t ring true for me. It wasn’t the media causing over 127,000 covid deaths but a reluctance by the blonde fat scarecrow to get his arse in gear sooner and actually listen to scietific advice which he has done in later months. All the media did was report it. The truth hurts sometimes.

127,000 deaths? Aye ok
127,000 Covid deaths? Nope.
And no flu deaths this year? You are having a laugh.

Who has said there has been no flu deaths?

For some reason the death toll has been much higher this year than normal. Must be those heart attacks, pneumonia (which can be caused by coronavirus anyway), falls off ladders and cancer being attributed to covid, which have been out of control when a novel virus has arrived for some reason.

[Iron-awe]

127,000 deaths? Aye ok
127,000 Covid deaths? Nope.
And no flu deaths this year? You are having a laugh.

[/quote]
So social distancing, wearing a mask and not mixing in large groups just helps keep Covid deaths down then alcy?, just remind everyone again how flu is spread? 🤔 DAH.

[Author]

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