getting to the bottom of small cup crowds

[Blue Booth in da Heath]

so who does what on here, and what would help make crowds bigger and better.

the thread should be non judgemental.

are cup games too dear?

is the hassle of getting tickets too much?

would family tickets make it more affordable?

does the extra time and travel put you off?

would you sooner just watch on the tv?




does the opposition matter, ie obscure euro teams do nothing for you?

would a cash turnstyle help people make an on the spot decision?

does relocating your seat annoy you?

or can you only afford premier games, and budget accordingly?

i personally love the cup games, but take county on sunday, i was frustrated with our cagey approach against lower opposition, i don't think mancini's approach really excites fans, and a more swashbuckling approach would help.

I'm a season ticket holder. Three of us go, when it ain't a league game, just two of us go because the other chooses the telly.

I've been to all the Euro games because my old man's been up for it. But for me, I'd would've wagged County n Aris if it weren't for the double loyalty points purely because of the number of home games coming up (so well done City!).

The biggest killer for attendances for me is the freakin faff if u ain't got a card. My mate came to the County game on a whim (for the first time in prob 20 yrs with me. Getting a ticket was a royal pain in the arse (and as he put it - 'I got fuckin Megan 3 times and she was proper miserable'!

Upshot, you can't get a card and go to a game if buying on match day if you haven't got one already!?! Madness!

IMHO - should be a standing/community area where people can just rock up and pay.

Why so many barriers to a sale by a corporate organisation is totally beyond me - I can't think of another organisation focussed on getting punters through the door make it such an arduous task?!

Sort it City as I reclon every supporter who makes the effort to get in the ground (of my age group at least (38) started off with paying at the turnstile. Make it easy and they will come.

 

[peoffrey]

The FA Cup IS the greatest competition. However short of a mandatory £10.00 for adults and £5 for kids at every tie up to the semi finals (in order to get bums on seats) what else will work?

A great team playing attacking football? Perhaps have tickets on sale in more places, too.

The Hamburg game was £7 for Parent and two Kids. What an atmosphere that made.

 

[DenisLawBackHeel74]

I think there is a mixture of things really.

1. Money & Structure...there should probably be more structure in ticketing and pricing for cup games, there should be points and other incentives, discounts on group bookings and reward type points to spend on other games or merchandise in the club shop. A loyalty rating should perhaps be gained which (independent of ST points) provides a basis for a pecking order for cup tickets in later rounds....ie. people who attend most cup games get first choice on tickets for later rounds....this should be renewed each year.

2. Style of Football....often the cup games have been drab affairs, easier to get fans to attend if you can guarantee the atmosphere of say both cup games versus the rags last season.....I genuinely had a tear in my eye at the home leg of the worthless...all those former blues there etc etc..

3. Time....people lead busy lives these days, between work, socialising, and children many fans can't fit in attendance at all home cup games and league games.

just my 2p

In regards to number 1 with a seperate cup loyalty scheme, how exactly do you think this would be fair? Corporates or any rich businessmen could simply pay the £15 for Notts as well as all the other cheap cup games and not bother going. People like this could then possibly have more loyalty points than a season ticket holder of 10 years who went to maybe half of the cup games due to money.

So if we got to a final moneymen who have simply flashed the cash for 4/5 FA Cup games (they dont even have to attend) have a better chance of a final ticket opposed to a season ticket holder than attends 2/3 of the games.

Wouldn't be fair.

I would use data from the electronic entry system on the gate to determine attendance, not cash receipts for tickets.

I proposed splitting loyalty for PL and loyalty for cup games so your ST holder who doesn't attend many cup games would accrue less points than somebody who attended all the cup games and this would put them at a disadvantage when trying to get tickets for later cup games.. the points would be zeroed at the beginning of each season and the process would begin again.

I think it would be quite fair.

 

[tonea2003]

5k everton fans to 5k lower league fans no difference same atmosphere for me.
and i wasn't putting everton and barca together, i was saying the better the team we play the more anti you become

Whatever floats your boat.
Look at the thread about the 2 County fans thanking City,imagine that from Everton

think you need to get real mate, angels and devils in all support

 

[lancs blue]

Can't be arsed unless it really matters or the opposition is of major standing.

Juventus - eg.

I was made up when I saw we were playing Juventus, I thought the game would be a sell out as Juve are one of the biggest Clubs in the world. Not the best team but a huge club all the same & I was gutted that we didn't fill the ground against them. To be fair though Juve didn't sell out their allocation either. If we want the crowds we have to win trophies in STYLE consistently in my opinion.

We didn't fill the ground when we played them in 76/77 either, just under 37,000 IIRC and no TV coverage. Maybe that says something about our fanbase!

 

[Manx Blue]

The FA Cup IS the greatest competition. However short of a mandatory £10.00 for adults and £5 for kids at every tie up to the semi finals (in order to get bums on seats) what else will work?

A great team playing attacking football? Perhaps have tickets on sale in more places, too.

The Hamburg game was £7 for Parent and two Kids. What an atmosphere that made.

It was indeed a cracker Peoffrey....but Hamburg played their part too.

If Fulham or Salzburg etc turn up with under 100, people think we are guaranteed the win, and we don't put as much (supporting) effort into it.....This IMO translates into the players piss arsing around on the field.

Have an opponent with a full house on our own patch and we have to raise our game, and the players respond in kind.

But full houses are the way to go....I think everyone agrees that. I just don't think the club will agree to slashing tickets on a regular basis, but, I could be wrong!!<br /><br />-- Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:25 pm --<br /><br />

A great team playing attacking football? Perhaps have tickets on sale in more places, too.

The Hamburg game was £7 for Parent and two Kids. What an atmosphere that made.

It was indeed a cracker Peoffrey....but Hamburg played their part too.

If Fulham or Salzburg etc turn up with under 100, people think we are guaranteed the win, and we don't put as much (supporting) effort into it.....This IMO translates into the players piss arsing around on the field.

Have an opponent with a full house on our own patch and we have to raise our game, and the players respond in kind.

But full houses are the way to go....I think everyone agrees that. I just don't think the club will agree to slashing tickets on a regular basis, but, I could be wrong!!

Just an add on...I remember listening to Simon Jordan on 606 earlier this season. he was going on about these reduced deals at various clubs, and was saying that they actually COST money.

This is because you lose money on the actual game (say City v Hamburg). However you're trying to entice people into the ground and come on a regular basis, but the percentage of those who return and actually buy a season ticket, or bring their children to every other game (say) is so small it costs in the long run.

 

[dazmoston]

nothin to do with money the game was £15 for an adult thats very little in this day and age,if people dont want to go fair enough ya not obliged to go but quit with the excuses like this and like 1 person admitted on here.. ya just cant be arsed..despite what we all think that all city fans are loyal and passionate they are far from it ,as its proved in cup games.there was what 27.000 there sunday and about 5-6000 was county fans..i was there sunday and a every home and away game regaurdless of the oppossition...and the 30.000 other fans that think like this are the loyal ones...attendence's like sunday is why we will not be taken seriously as a big club...once we win something the crowds will flood in but for me i dont want them type of fans there if you support city i want the fans that will be there through thick n thin not the jolly come lateleys jumpin on the glory band waggon the type of fans we've slated united for for many years..but they'll be no avoiding this cos its part of the parcel when ya get success..til then the 30.000 hardcore fans just keep goin and getting behind your team.