Shrimpsvoices

Was surprised how many vacant red seats there was in Block C.

Somewhat disappointed with the the attendance of 5100 which with 1600 from Wales leaves only 3500 home fans. I expected more and thought I read somewhere that is was near full capacity.

1) can C section seats not be put down to Hospitality, with people not coming out for the football?

2) half the Berlin Wall was closed

5) 3500 still not bad considering the crowds 4 seasons ago, still doubled.

Andy D wrote:1) can C section seats not be put down to Hospitality, with people not coming out for the football?

2) half the Berlin Wall was closed

5) 3500 still not bad considering the crowds 4 seasons ago, still doubled.

Very few people stayed in Hospitality during game time.

Still a poor home gate for me. We've had more in previous home games this season.

3500 home fans does seem a bit low for such a ‘high profile’ game. I’m sure we’ve had over 4000 home
fans in for less glamorous fixtures earlier in the season.

Crawley and Wrexham ...combined 8000 fans through the turnstiles

Few years ago would have taken 8 games to get that many

The club as come a long way in a short time

Must be averaging nearly 4000 this season which is decent

Crewe, Barrow and Doncaster will bring 1000 plus so should stay around the same average (4000 ish)

It doesn't help that you can't book block C seats online anymore. You have to phone or go into the club shop these days which is a barrier to people who want to book seats. But, yes, the sheer number of empty seats is a problem, some seats are always empty, in fact, entire groups of seats. I'm sure the club is losing money, especially when virtually no seats are ever available online in block D which must put off "casuals".

Maybe some people just can't afford luxuries like football at the moment due to cost of living

Things like mortgage , food and bills are far more important

Redalert1970 wrote:Maybe some people just can't afford luxuries like football at the moment due to cost of living

Things like mortgage , food and bills are far more important

I don't think it's anything to do with that.

I just think it is becoming more difficult to get into a football match. No tickets were on sale for the Wrexham game after Friday afternoon. Some people may have made a late decision on Saturday to attend but couldn't. I am umming and ahhing about going to Salford next Sunday but can you turn up at the Salford ground and pay at the turnstile ? I don't know so unlikely to go.

Redalert1970 wrote:Maybe some people just can't afford luxuries like football at the moment due to cost of living

Things like mortgage , food and bills are far more important

Not for everyone but if you can scrape the money together then simply buy a season ticket. What does it work out at for an adult on the terracing. 7/8 quid a game? Amazing value for the entertainment and drama provided throughout the 9 months of the season.

kids for next to nothing. The club are doing their best to make it affordable.

Gone_Shrimping wrote:

Redalert1970 wrote:Maybe some people just can't afford luxuries like football at the moment due to cost of living

Things like mortgage , food and bills are far more important

I don't think it's anything to do with that.

I just think it is becoming more difficult to get into a football match. No tickets were on sale for the Wrexham game after Friday afternoon. Some people may have made a late decision on Saturday to attend but couldn't. I am umming and ahhing about going to Salford next Sunday but can you turn up at the Salford ground and pay at the turnstile ? I don't know so unlikely to go.

Not sure but there is room for over 1,000 away fans so unlikely to turn money away if we haven't sold out by the day of the game.

Funny how far we have come when some are now disappointed with a 5100 crowd. It was only a league match against some conference team after all. Probably would have sold a few more on the day too. Fantastic support this season and easily our best supported year in L2

Phoenix Shrimp 2017 wrote:

Redalert1970 wrote:Maybe some people just can't afford luxuries like football at the moment due to cost of living

Things like mortgage , food and bills are far more important

Not for everyone but if you can scrape the money together then simply buy a season ticket. What does it work out at for an adult on the terracing. 7/8 quid a game? Amazing value for the entertainment and drama provided throughout the 9 months of the season.

kids for next to nothing. The club are doing their best to make it affordable.

In an effing nutshell, exactly, word perfect, EFL Membership isn't a God Given Right.
We really need to support Football League Status with all our hearts because, it definitely isn't a permanent if we don't.
COYS !

5,000+ a poor attendance?? A few years ago that would've taken us nearly four home games to achieve!! The supporters have mainly stayed with us after our relegation. It's so good to see so many turning up these days. Just a pity we seem to play better away from home nowadays.

Gone_Shrimping wrote: I am umming and ahhing about going to Salford next Sunday but can you turn up at the Salford ground and pay at the turnstile ? I don't know so unlikely to go.

We played them a few weeks ago and you could buy a ticket on the day at their ticket office which is just up from the turnstiles.

Dave (Barra) wrote:

Gone_Shrimping wrote: I am umming and ahhing about going to Salford next Sunday but can you turn up at the Salford ground and pay at the turnstile ? I don't know so unlikely to go.

We played them a few weeks ago and you could buy a ticket on the day at their ticket office which is just up from the turnstiles.

OK , that does make it easier to leave a decision on attending until the day of the game.

Interesting that Accrington had 2,146 Bradford fans in their gate of just over 4,000 on Saturday.

That is about 500 more away supporters than we can accommodate. An extra 500 at an average of £20 = £10,000 , take out the V.A.T. and we miss out on around £8,333 on games this season with Bradford , Wrexham , Barrow , Stockport to name 4. Last season in the EFL1 there would have been quite a few who would have brought more fans than we can accommodate. In addition to the lost gate money the food and drink sales would also be higher.

I thought there had been a planning application to remove the rear wall so that the away stand capacity can be increased. I wonder what happened to that.

redrobo wrote:Was surprised how many vacant red seats there was in Block C.

Somewhat disappointed with the the attendance of 5100 which with 1600 from Wales leaves only 3500 home fans. I expected more and thought I read somewhere that is was near full capacity.

The game was announced as a sellout the day before. Attendance numbers announced goes on ticket sales not footfall through the turnstile. So if someone holds a season ticket but does not attend, they are still counted.

Gone Shrimping, the planning application for removal of the wall and rebuild further out wasnt the issue, it was shelved because it was too costly. Maybe with new owners with slightly deeper pockets this is something that could be re investigated?

Gone_Shrimping wrote:Interesting that Accrington had 2,146 Bradford fans in their gate of just over 4,000 on Saturday.

That is about 500 more away supporters than we can accommodate. An extra 500 at an average of £20 = £10,000 , take out the V.A.T. and we miss out on around £8,333 on games this season with Bradford , Wrexham , Barrow , Stockport to name 4. Last season in the EFL1 there would have been quite a few who would have brought more fans than we can accommodate. In addition to the lost gate money the food and drink sales would also be higher.

I thought there had been a planning application to remove the rear wall so that the away stand capacity can be increased. I wonder what happened to that.

Going on your maths those 4 teams selling an additional 500 would only bring in £33,000 extra. I expect expanding the stand would cost a lot more so probably isn't really worth it unless we can get back into league one and rely on a few big away followings.

vvm wrote:

Gone_Shrimping wrote:Interesting that Accrington had 2,146 Bradford fans in their gate of just over 4,000 on Saturday.

That is about 500 more away supporters than we can accommodate. An extra 500 at an average of £20 = £10,000 , take out the V.A.T. and we miss out on around £8,333 on games this season with Bradford , Wrexham , Barrow , Stockport to name 4. Last season in the EFL1 there would have been quite a few who would have brought more fans than we can accommodate. In addition to the lost gate money the food and drink sales would also be higher.

I thought there had been a planning application to remove the rear wall so that the away stand capacity can be increased. I wonder what happened to that.

Going on your maths those 4 teams selling an additional 500 would only bring in £33,000 extra. I expect expanding the stand would cost a lot more so probably isn't really worth it unless we can get back into league one and rely on a few big away followings.

Long term it would be worth it but we are having to work on short term at present.

vvm wrote:

Gone_Shrimping wrote:Interesting that Accrington had 2,146 Bradford fans in their gate of just over 4,000 on Saturday.

That is about 500 more away supporters than we can accommodate. An extra 500 at an average of £20 = £10,000 , take out the V.A.T. and we miss out on around £8,333 on games this season with Bradford , Wrexham , Barrow , Stockport to name 4. Last season in the EFL1 there would have been quite a few who would have brought more fans than we can accommodate. In addition to the lost gate money the food and drink sales would also be higher.

I thought there had been a planning application to remove the rear wall so that the away stand capacity can be increased. I wonder what happened to that.

Going on your maths those 4 teams selling an additional 500 would only bring in £33,000 extra. I expect expanding the stand would cost a lot more so probably isn't really worth it unless we can get back into league one and rely on a few big away followings.

Yes , it was based on us going back to EFL1. There will always be quite a few big fish in there to increase the away attendances.

vvm wrote:

Gone_Shrimping wrote:Interesting that Accrington had 2,146 Bradford fans in their gate of just over 4,000 on Saturday.

That is about 500 more away supporters than we can accommodate. An extra 500 at an average of £20 = £10,000 , take out the V.A.T. and we miss out on around £8,333 on games this season with Bradford , Wrexham , Barrow , Stockport to name 4. Last season in the EFL1 there would have been quite a few who would have brought more fans than we can accommodate. In addition to the lost gate money the food and drink sales would also be higher.

I thought there had been a planning application to remove the rear wall so that the away stand capacity can be increased. I wonder what happened to that.

Going on your maths those 4 teams selling an additional 500 would only bring in £33,000 extra. I expect expanding the stand would cost a lot more so probably isn't really worth it unless we can get back into league one and rely on a few big away followings.

Expanding the ground by 3 sides would surely be a case of speculate to accumulate. If as Freeze has said, new owner(s) with business acumem to take a look at what else in happening in the town, link it all together. It would be financially viable and possible.

Surely the easiest and possibly cheapest way to provide more accommodation for away fans is to make the 'unused' section of the Berlin Wall more secure by installing some form of semi permanent barrier between the 2 Berlin Wall sections that could be closed when teams such as Holywood come calling but when normal teams visit the area is open to all home fans as at the moment.

Some kind of metal railings with a built in gate that could be open or closed depending on the game would be a cost effective way of increasing the away attendance...

The provision of amenities such as portable loo blocks and portable catering outlet would have to be overcome but surely that is something that could be resolved.

I can't understand how Accy could accommodate the 2000 plus Bradford fans unless they made almost the entire length of their 'newish' stand available to the travelling fans. Their away open terrace isn't as big as our current away stand....and will accommodate less fans...