While i have no doubt we're growing overseas, it's a damn sight harder to grow locally. We've essentially got a similar size supporter base to what we had when we were shit. That was great for then but merely okay for the size we are now. Then you add in the apathy our fans seem to have for anything other than the league games (including them if its midweek)... well it means thousands of empty seats. We don't have that surplus to step in when regulars don't go.
It is what it is. I'm not particularly arsed but I'm still surprised by how many can't see it for what it is. There's no shame in not having a ridiculously big fanbase. I feel like the club needs to be more proactive on this front though. Understand that and just get the ground full regardless.
Edit - FWIW i don't think the CL apathy is unique. Happens at a lot of other clubs too, though it does feel particularly notable for us.
And a few champions league trophies, like it or not.it is particular notable because of certain media outlets and those who infest it like to make hay every time it happens
i agree we are miles behind in the local fanbase with utd and liverpool it is what it is and will take a generation for it to change
And a few champions league trophies, like it or not.
Agreed mate. Sadly.of course mate that helps, based on last night its not going to change anytime soon
If the club did this, it would annoy me and I would probably register my objection by not renewing. Even though it would probably save me money. Daft, I know but that's how I would feel.
Question to you all.
How many of you wouldn't renew your season ticket if the CL matches were compulsary, and you were guaranteed CL match incentives(see above) and cheaper LC and FA Cup tickets.
Genuine question do you think that would encourage people from all over britain to travel on a wednesday to watch the champs league ?If the club wants to fill the ground for UCL games, they should automatically include tickets when you buy a season ticket WITHOUT INCREASING THE COST OF A SEASON TICKET. That would be a nice gesture.
If they automatically included it in season tickets and charged extra I'd be 100% against it. If they want more fans coming to these games they should use a carrot, not a stick!
Genuine question do you think that would encourage people from all over britain to travel on a wednesday to watch the champs league ?
Im not so sure myself
All of this plus of course the group we're in aren't particularly attractive draws.Whether we like it or not we have to be honest and recognise that we simply don’t have the reservoir of fans that the rags and Liverpool have. So if 15,000 decide they aren’t going then there aren’t 15,000 others who will willingly take their places. Maybe that’ll change in 20 years time but it’s not that way at the moment.
So why would 15k decide not to come? I think there’s a few reasons. The main one is that probably a third of our season ticket holders live a considerable distance away and for most it’s simply not practical. That was what stopped me and many others getting to midweek games when I worked in London Monday to Friday. Many younger kids won’t be there as it’s a school night and I bet there’s a couple of thousand of those at least. Even if you live locally, if you’re reliant on public transport to get home then you might well not bother.
Some will have limited funds and will only be able to afford their season ticket and not much else. Some (like me) simply don’t like the CL. It’s third on the list of trophies I’d like to win, behind the PL and FA Cup. I also dropped all Cup schemes as a protest against the last price rise, which was both unnecessary and I understand had originally been decided against by the club. So they’ll get less money out of me this season than last because of that. If I want to go to a Cup game I will but all CL games I can watch from the comfort of my own living room, which I already pay for. In fact I’ve so little interest in the CL that I only had the game on in the background last night while doing some reading I needed to do.
And if we’re expecting day-trippers to take up the slack then we need to make it a damn sight easier to get tickets. It’s hard enough for SC holders at the moment.