DECLINING GATES, BEYOND A JOKE.

[Wild Bill]

I like the idea of splitting the payment of a season ticket into 2

For once bang on CC!

I couldn't quite justify forking out £219 back in May to renew my season ticket (just had a baby, season only just finished, end of the month etc), so let it lapse. Paid on the gate instead and saw six league matches (including the £3 programme game) and three cup matches too at home.

I could afford £107.10 recently though for a half season ticket, so bought one. Total revenue for the Club £195.10 for league matches where I'd of happily paid £110 twice for two half season tickets. I would have also probably seen more games, spent more on beer, brews and food and created a bit of noise to boot.

I agree we should offer some great deals on season tickets next season but if its poorly promoted it will fall on death ears like the £3 programme match a couple of months back.

[SupermarketShrimp]

Now, I'm talking here from a position 65 miles away, but pure and simple, the club doesn't do enough to push it's product and the fans sit back and complain about it rather than assist.

When I first started coming to Morecambe games, you were welcomed in, someone would know in JB's or the York that you "were new here" and kind of hypnotise you to come back. All of a sudden someone would ask if you wanted to go on Gary Hockings bus to the back end of beyond with nothing but Ockers, a lenor bottle and a trip to Mustafas.

Now, you're going to struggle to get that again due to being a bigger club, however little things just don't happen anymore.

The club used to post a match day poster for each and every game that dedicated fans used to print out and put in the window, notice board at work etc etc. That's gone.

We have the best community set up in the league - that doesn't seem to push through - we should have a club rep at every school once a season dishing out free tickets to kids. The kids come a few times they keep coming - and drag mum/dad/significant other with them.

Family days - gone. We used to do daft stuff more through boredom than anything else, inflatables in the away end at Tamworth, fancy dress, all gone. Granted the main protagonists are married, kids, not the time but there are plenty of passionate young new fans at the ground when I come up.

Pies - fucking hell the pies - ask anyone outside of an LA postcode about Morecambe. They'll mention 3 things in order. Cockle picking disaster, Eric Morecambe/Jim Bowen, Pies being the best in the league. Where pray, can these pies be bought to takeaway and devour at home?

Basically, some good old fashioned door knocking is required and let the town know it's frankly got a good football team with a great manager and some great fans when they put their mind to it. And tell whoever bitches about the drum to get a life, we play what 8 games at night at home a year? If they want to file a noise complaint, let them, I doubt they'll get very far.

The football - you know what, we will lose some as well as win some. For every 4v3 there will be a 6 or 7 stinkers. Welcome to watching live sport. It's been that way since forever for every club in every sport across the world.

All the stuff above was done without having anyone paid to push the club commercially.

Put simply, the club wants to blame the fans for spending a fortune on new facilities and them not turning up, and the fans want to blame the club for Westgate not having a big chuffing North Stand.

The last time there was a serious connect between the club and the fans was the free Dagenham game. That was over 1000 days ago. 3 years and a week to be precise.

To quote every parent ever to squabbling siblings "Do I need to bang your heads together or are you going to get along"

[Gone_Shrimping]

For me, we are stagnating off the field. The problems identified in the first season with facilities in the home end after the move persist and as patience wears thin, people eventually find other things to do.
We are now a very small fish in a big sea, as opposed to a bigish one in the Conference.
Results are frustrating at home, the Yeovil win was possibly the best result and performance for months, we have had some high scoring games but always lost!! So the football will have a bearing.

A late push for the play offs would certainly help generate interest, but as already stated the Daggers cup defeat and subsequent lost revenue with fixture postponements have certainly stalled the season in winter. However, the better weather usually sees us perform accordingly, and maybe we are due some luck??

PMG has been good for us, as the club has been good for him, is it me or if someone came along with an offer would he snap it up if it was right.
We appear to have run out of steam in the boardroom, understandably after years of striving to achieve. The board backed Sammy and we got in the play offs, but since Sammy departed we have cut our cloth more accordingly (still not enough mind) and the reality of this living only slightly beyond our means has meant mid table with an outside tip at the play-offs.

New broom possibly? Fresh impetus with new eyes? Someone with money to buy the club but the passion to move it forward, via new ideas, schemes, incentives and shake up the format of how we operate in the business community and on and off the field?

Meanwhile, we are in a newish ground, which has alienated many but improved the facilities for the few, and have a manager who is working miracles just to keep us where we are now.

Certainly a season ticket for £150, paid in two instalments of 75 a time, with the first payable in August,advertised in the usual places, but also on lampposts, in shops, get the girls from upstairs in Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Aldi, Arndale Centre, Penny St in Lancaster, Carnforth, Kendal through he summer, like the Sky guys, stopping people and getting them signed up wouldn't hurt??
If we could sell 1500 of them, the programmes and pies and beer sales would surely justify the discount, not to mention the future sales if we manage to have a half decent season??

Speculate to accumulate??
Enthusiasm and new ideas go a long way?
The product can be great as we witnessed on Saturday, and at Notts County and Wycombe away and for one half against Exeter, we need to get people back in the habit!!

Some good points being raised.

I've thought in the past that the Football Club should take "pop up" shops at peppercorn rents in both Morecambe Arndale and Lancaster St Nicholas in the Summer to sign up season ticket holders and sell merchandise especially when the new kits come out.

When was the last Fan's Forum ? It would be useful if one could be arranged soon for fans to put ideas forward to PMG and MD.

[Keith]

To quote every parent ever to squabbling siblings "Do I need to bang your heads together or are you going to get along"

'LOL' faces, but you are right. We need some dialogue as a starting point. The rest of the post is spot on too.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Does anyone know if the lottery collectors that go out door to door ever take anything regarding the Football Club and its fixtures etc to hand out to their customers ?
I would think a good % of the lottery customers have never set foot in the Globe and it wouldn't do any harm to leave a sheet advertising up-coming fixtures maybe with a discount as bait !

[Seasider9601]

When was the last Fan's Forum ? It would be useful if one could be arranged soon for fans to put ideas forward to PMG and MD.

It was after the last AGM mate, around March/April last year?

I've mentioned before about us having a stall in The Arndale at Christmas time to sell off merchandise, match tickets, half season tickets, give out match flyers etc etc.

All good ideas us fans put forward and we know that the powers that be do read this forum.

Would be useful if some ideas we keep raising could at least be tried once in a while or for PMG and/or MD to think they were worth trying.

Something certainly needs to be done asap to promote OUR football club and get people coming back regular.

[Christies Child]

Maybe it's about time that we the fans made demands for a fans forum where questions could be put to certain members of the board about issues that are being raised on an increasing basis on SVs.



Shareholders get their chance at AGMs to quiz the Board.....

[Gone_Shrimping]

Maybe it's about time that we the fans made demands for a fans forum where questions could be put to certain members of the board about issues that are being raised on an increasing basis on SVs.

Rod and one or two other directors do read this forum so lets hope they organise one.

[John L]

Does anyone know if the lottery collectors that go out door to door ever take anything regarding the Football Club and its fixtures etc to hand out to their customers ?
I would think a good % of the lottery customers have never set foot in the Globe and it wouldn't do any harm to leave a sheet advertising up-coming fixtures maybe with a discount as bait !

Yes, my son does and I see that every sheet handed out that lists the winners also prominently shows the next three home fixtures.

[Keith]

I think 'pop-up' shops before pre-season for a few weeks would be a good idea. Get the product back in to the minds of the people who've gone missing.

What about, instead of the free kids with adult season ticket deal, we give a free child's season ticket with every child replica shirt purchased? This still works out as a good deal for parents but will result in more kids wearing Morecambe shirts around town and sells more too.

I've said for many seasons, sell season tickets in instalments through the summer. Get people buying them when they are missing the football and feeling the optimism that we all get before the season starts. Split the cost in to three payments and it becomes more affordable during times that are tough for many people. Once a fan has bought a season ticket, they are much more likely to keep coming down. Perhaps even get really radical, for example a standing order of £5.50 per week (£23.83 per month) season ticket. It would cost a little more than an annual, 'one off' cost ticket, but is likely to be more affordable to many people and it gives predictable cash flow to the club all year around. With computerised systems, it shouldn't be difficult to pick up if someone cancels their standing order, so the ticket can be stopped. But in reality, it is the type of standing order that people just leave running for ever.

[Phil Anderer]

I think 'pop-up' shops before pre-season for a few weeks would be a good idea. Get the product back in to the minds of the people who've gone missing.

What about, instead of the free kids with adult season ticket deal, we give a free child's season ticket with every child replica shirt purchased? This still works out as a good deal for parents but will result in more kids wearing Morecambe shirts around town and sells more too.

I've said for many seasons, sell season tickets in instalments through the summer. Get people buying them when they are missing the football and feeling the optimism that we all get before the season starts. Split the cost in to three payments and it becomes more affordable during times that are tough for many people. Once a fan has bought a season ticket, they are much more likely to keep coming down. Perhaps even get really radical, for example a standing order of £5.50 per week (£23.83 per month) season ticket. It would cost a little more than an annual, 'one off' cost ticket, but is likely to be more affordable to many people and it gives predictable cash flow to the club all year around. With computerised systems, it shouldn't be difficult to pick up if someone cancels their standing order, so the ticket can be stopped. But in reality, it is the type of standing order that people just leave running for ever.

Would need to be a direct debit if it's going to run indefinitely, otherwise the ticket holder will suffer when the cllub reduces the ticket prices. (Surely they won't go up at any point, will they? )

[SupermarketShrimp]

I think 'pop-up' shops before pre-season for a few weeks would be a good idea. Get the product back in to the minds of the people who've gone missing.

What about, instead of the free kids with adult season ticket deal, we give a free child's season ticket with every child replica shirt purchased? This still works out as a good deal for parents but will result in more kids wearing Morecambe shirts around town and sells more too.

I've said for many seasons, sell season tickets in instalments through the summer. Get people buying them when they are missing the football and feeling the optimism that we all get before the season starts. Split the cost in to three payments and it becomes more affordable during times that are tough for many people. Once a fan has bought a season ticket, they are much more likely to keep coming down. Perhaps even get really radical, for example a standing order of £5.50 per week (£23.83 per month) season ticket. It would cost a little more than an annual, 'one off' cost ticket, but is likely to be more affordable to many people and it gives predictable cash flow to the club all year around. With computerised systems, it shouldn't be difficult to pick up if someone cancels their standing order, so the ticket can be stopped. But in reality, it is the type of standing order that people just leave running for ever.

Whereas this is all fine and well all we are doing is creating weird and wonderful ways for the existing fanbase to buy what they'd buy anyway.


You need to move fans through from not attending to coming a few times a year, to coming to 10 games instead of 5, to getting a season ticket, etc etc.

The kids absolutely drive it. All the regulars I know started from getting a freebie aged 8 or 9 and it going from there.

The biggest thing that we could do with is a third round tie against Premier League opposition, that'd add 500 minimum to the home gates for a year or two like it did last time, even a League Cup game against one would do again. That's why the result against Dagenham was so galling.

[Keith]

True, but if we could lock in some of the semi-regular fans, that would help. It's the 'declining gates' that are causing concern at the moment, even more than the lack of attracting new blood (although I admit, both are important).

[SupermarketShrimp]

True, but if we could lock in some of the semi-regular fans, that would help. It's the 'declining gates' that are causing concern at the moment, even more than the lack of attracting new blood (although I admit, both are important).

Declining gates are because the old fans aren't being replaced by new ones. As you get older your priorities change and commitments become too much to go and watch a football team each and every week. Well, that's what happened to me.

[Caged Lion]

I'm sorry, but stands, drinks, pies, ticket deals and the rest of the 'matchday experience' are just bells and whistles. We go to the Globe to watch football.

I work as an accountant and, as much as we try to give the best service we can, If I mess up a set of accounts the client will leave and it's almost impossible to get them back.

It's exactly the same with Morecambe FC. We are a football club. People want to come and watch football and be entertained in doing so. If they can have a great tasting pie and not have to queue for an expensive pint in nice looking, plush facilities then that's just fantastic.

The last few times I've been to see my team play (and as an exile I don't go regularly) nobody plays in the same position! I get the feeling that in the last few years Jim isn't able to find his best 11 and as a result he can't get excitement going.

For me, the best sight in football is seeing a winger take on a full back. I used to love watching Thommo back at CP be sucked down the right hand side by the North Stand. That's a nostalgic view that will live with me but it's something which hasn't been recreated.

Barky, Devitt, Ellison and Molyneaux play in 6 or 7 different positions each game, sometimes even in one game! Until the basics are done right I can't see the attendances rising and then it's just a spiralling nightmare back into non-league.

What a good post.

We go to see our players exhibit some skill and play with passion. Jim tinkers too much. I only want to watch Ellison be a bad boy and score whiplash goals, I only want to see Barky and Devitt rip the opposition to shreds, I only want to see Miller do something tricky, and shame on me, I only want to see our defenders stand up like men and be the epitome of Gentleman Jim himself

I also want to return to the days when our fans sang songs and had fun. Since the stewards and other know-it-alls decided to evict the kids who were a bit boisterous the atmosphere has been utter shite.

We need to showcase our better players to get the fans back. Not have them sitting on the bench playing tiddlywinks.

It's a bloody shambles at Morecambe these days, but I still want to cheer the lads on and still have enough patience with Freez to eventually tell me who scored and how they did it. He goes into 'I'm a fan first and foremost' orbit after a cracking goal.

This is Morecambe and probably why us dedicated fans love the club. We are shite, but it really is who we are and we don't pretend to be better

So let's just enjoy the moment?

After all, it's the only one we have

[KenH]

We go to see our players exhibit some skill and play with passion. Jim tinkers too much. I only want to watch Ellison be a bad boy and score whiplash goals, I only want to see Barky and Devitt rip the opposition to shreds, I only want to see Miller do something tricky, and shame on me, I only want to see our defenders stand up like men and be the epitome of Gentleman Jim himself

It's no coincidence that Devitt and Miller are firing on all cylinders again. They've recently been able to form a partnership. Last season, the same happened with Little Jack and Kev for a few games. When there's some consistency and some players stay in the same formation/position, they start to play well together. Look at Barky who's not scored lately, no surprise he's been in different positions, so neither him nor the players nearby can build up a rapport. Jim has our players in all kinds of positions from one match to another - it's no surprise there's so little fluency. It was apparent with Paz a while ago - he managed to have 3 different positions in a single game. I know it has to be done with a small squad and injuries etc., but I do think Jim's been messing about too much and should have the courage of his convictions to pick a preferred squad and stick with it rather than chopping and changing. I always thought the same about Podge - he was never given his own position and played in all manner of positions and formations - he never looked to be part of the team, but clearly now, he's been given a position and players around him know him and have gelled with him - shame it didn't happen here.

[RedRedWine]

I agree with what a couple of people have said re: instalments for season tickets. I can see it being attractive to a few people who either pay every week currently, but I don't see how it attracts new fans or old ones to return. We already have an easypay scheme where a two year season ticket is paid for over a season by a monthly standing order - The instalments roughly equate to two games a month... Which is what you'd generally what you'd see in a normal month. The second season you pay nothing. I've had this type of season ticket for the last two season tickets (4 seasons)... Does anybody else bother with it?

As I opened; we need to drive season tickets. Does anybody know what our turnover is from season ticket and match day admittance? Or what it would need to be to break even?

I think we have around 650 season ticket holders currently and guesstimate we that number again who are regularly paying to get into games each week at the moment. Realistically what do we think is the number of floating fans that no longer attend? 600-800?

[mrpotatohead]

Its a very clear 550 or so down per match on last season, this is a horrible nosedive in fans and cannot simply be down to boring tactics, we hovered around the 2000 mark for several years since we moved, this seasons nosedive is spectacular , don by nearly 30 per cent, the club have done nothing to keep the existing fans, let alone attract new ones, promises of improvements at the last fans forum never materialised, the ''shanghai'' bollocks made us look ridiculous , and the club do nothing.

[marky No.1]

The silence is deafening

[Gone_Shrimping]

Not just us.

1,200 at Accrington last night and they are in the play-off positions and hadn't had a home game for 2 months until last night.

[Wild Bill]

Its a very clear 550 or so down per match on last season, this is a horrible nosedive in fans and cannot simply be down to boring tactics, we hovered around the 2000 mark for several years since we moved, this seasons nosedive is spectacular , don by nearly 30 per cent, the club have done nothing to keep the existing fans, let alone attract new ones, promises of improvements at the last fans forum never materialised, the ''shanghai'' bollocks made us look ridiculous , and the club do nothing.

Think our early season attendances were on par with last season until the following happened:

Fans started fighting in the home end
Home form took an nose dive
The shameful exit from the FA Cup
Bad luck with the fixtures (too many southern teams visiting and lots of cancelled Saturday fixtures)

I don't think we have actually lost 550 fans, but at least 200+ aren't coming as often as they could. The fighting in the home end lead instantly to a 150-200 fans either deciding not to bother at all or move to other areas of the ground.

Its wrong to say the club haven't done nothing. What about the Cambridge match or the discounted cup games? They have to be careful as any further drop in revenue could be disastrous.

As others have said it needs to be a joint effort from fans, players and the club to get folk coming back.

[Shrimpy]

Its wrong to say the club haven't done nothing. What about the Cambridge match or the discounted cup games?

door
bolted
closing
horse
stable

[SupermarketShrimp]

Its a very clear 550 or so down per match on last season, this is a horrible nosedive in fans and cannot simply be down to boring tactics, we hovered around the 2000 mark for several years since we moved, this seasons nosedive is spectacular , don by nearly 30 per cent, the club have done nothing to keep the existing fans, let alone attract new ones, promises of improvements at the last fans forum never materialised, the ''shanghai'' bollocks made us look ridiculous , and the club do nothing.

Think our early season attendances were on par with last season until the following happened:

Fans started fighting in the home end
Home form took an nose dive
The shameful exit from the FA Cup
Bad luck with the fixtures (too many southern teams visiting and lots of cancelled Saturday fixtures)

I don't think we have actually lost 550 fans, but at least 200+ aren't coming as often as they could. The fighting in the home end lead instantly to a 150-200 fans either deciding not to bother at all or move to other areas of the ground.

Its wrong to say the club haven't done nothing. What about the Cambridge match or the discounted cup games? They have to be careful as any further drop in revenue could be disastrous.

As others have said it needs to be a joint effort from fans, players and the club to get folk coming back.

The Cambridge match. What a farce that was. "You can get in for 3 quid if you do all the following and submit it in triplicate, oh and we won't tell you about it until it's too late to push it properly"

The cup game was actually pretty well attended.

You raise a very good point about the fight.

[Wild Bill]

Its a very clear 550 or so down per match on last season, this is a horrible nosedive in fans and cannot simply be down to boring tactics, we hovered around the 2000 mark for several years since we moved, this seasons nosedive is spectacular , don by nearly 30 per cent, the club have done nothing to keep the existing fans, let alone attract new ones, promises of improvements at the last fans forum never materialised, the ''shanghai'' bollocks made us look ridiculous , and the club do nothing.

Think our early season attendances were on par with last season until the following happened:

Fans started fighting in the home end
Home form took an nose dive
The shameful exit from the FA Cup
Bad luck with the fixtures (too many southern teams visiting and lots of cancelled Saturday fixtures)

I don't think we have actually lost 550 fans, but at least 200+ aren't coming as often as they could. The fighting in the home end lead instantly to a 150-200 fans either deciding not to bother at all or move to other areas of the ground.

Its wrong to say the club haven't done nothing. What about the Cambridge match or the discounted cup games? They have to be careful as any further drop in revenue could be disastrous.

As others have said it needs to be a joint effort from fans, players and the club to get folk coming back.

The Cambridge match. What a farce that was. "You can get in for 3 quid if you do all the following and submit it in triplicate, oh and we won't tell you about it until it's too late to push it properly"

The cup game was actually pretty well attended.

You raise a very good point about the fight.

No I agree the Cambridge match was poorly promoted and over complicated but it is a bit harsh to say the club have done nothing.

From an outsider looking in though it appears that power to make decisions and get ideas off the ground are in the hands of too few people.

[SupermarketShrimp]

No I agree the Cambridge match was poorly promoted and over complicated but it is a bit harsh to say the club have done nothing.

They've paid it lip service at best. I get more emails regarding having a wedding at Westgate rather than about Football. Which is ironic because when I got married, I stopped being able to go to the football.