: Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:17 am
Dave Lister wrote:
And I would be very surprised if any significant portion of those directly chose not to come because of the day of kick off due to the fact they prefered to watch another sport.
I wouldn't argue with that. Most of those missing are probably not watching any other sport at the times we're playing regardless of which day we play. What you lose on the swings I think you gain on the roundabouts in this respect. My personal preference is Sunday afternoons, but it's not as strong as it used to be. I've seen every home game so far this year, and expect to do so for the rest of the season.
The biggest problems as I see it are related to marketing and media apathy. I can't recall if it's on this thread or another one but Gutterfax's recent suggestions for targetting local media even if it means spending a bob or two seem sound enough to me. At the moment it just looks like not enough is being done. I also think we need to establish a regular matchday and time for a few years. Sundays would be my personal suggestion if only because so many of our Saturday afternoon fixtures tend to get shifted anyway for one reason or another. (I know some Sunday games would also move to Saturday evenings to suit Sky.) I also think it might help to play on a day when there are fewer other sporting counter-attractions. anyway, I don't think the Saturday/Sunday issue is the biggest factor attendance-wise.
I also feel the whole ticketing and pricing situation is a big negative. There simply has to be a stand or part of a stand with unallocated seating so walk-up ticket purchases can sit together without having to buy together in advance, and whilst I acknowledge the need to minimise staffing costs by closing some stands I think it's shortsighted and short-term to open less than half the seats in the ground. We're effectively sending out the message that we don't expect to get more than 4,000 turning up. The ticket pricing in recent years is another problem IMO. At Griffin Park I think there were always two basis prices - one for the seats and one for the terrace. (There may have been a small number of premium seats in the centre of the stand.) Prices didn't fluctuate, there was a difference of three or for quid between the two and they rose a bit each season. Since we've been at The Stoop the prices have gone up and down like Bill Clinton's trousers. One year existing STHs were offered a generous discount, which when not repeated left them feeling ripped off. Last year there wre ridiculously cheap tickets which were the equivalent of supermarket "value" lines and probably have the subliminal effect of making people think the product must be cheap in every way; instead of attracting newcomers this possibly just encouraged existing STHs to renew at a rock bottom price, and once again they'll have felt cheated now the prices have gone back up again. And finally there are just too many price bands with the cheapest about a third of the price of the dearest to sit in the same stand! Keep it simple - one premium price for reserved seating in the centre blocks near the halfway line and one standard price for unallocated seating in the end blocks or behind the goal.
