Did anyone see the attendance for high flying, free scoring, big city club Port Vale against quite well supported Oxford? Just 4,596.
I am always disappointed that we don't break 3,000 for our home games. We have our best team since we joined the league. There have been a lot of goals flying in at the Pirelli. The league table looks good. I would have hoped that the casual supporters would be popping in to see what was going on.
I think that 2,500 - 3,000 is now realistic during these difficult financial times. You see less away supporters now aswell. Watching football must be a luxury to many.
A shame but we might not break 3,000 many times. Port Vale, Rotherham and Chesterfield perhaps. Other than that we may do it for the last half dozen home games if we are in or around the top 7.
Have you reached the same conclusion or do you still hope for 3,500 at games? Do you know people who used to go but don't anymore and why that is? I sometimes wonder if Pesch drained the enthusiasm out of many in those two dreadful ½ seasons.
Attendance Realism
posted on 17/10/12
Yes sadly this is down to a few factors im sure , reccesion , cost of fuel , greedy clubs charging excessive prices etc. I accept that football clubs dont run themselves and squad numbers are high , along with wages ,overnight stays , policing , and whereas ten years ago you could go to an away match and it cost £20- £25 inc. fuel and a pint , now its maybe £50 x 2 or 3 away matches per month = £100 - £150 people just havent got that spare money or so it would seem .
posted on 17/10/12
If the Brewers are still in or around the play offs the last third of the season, we may well see home games over 3000.
posted on 18/10/12
OS quoting recent survey that we are the second cheapest club to visit on a match (behind Plymouth) so although the cost of football across the land is relatively expensive, it is pretty cheap to follow Burton!
If we continue to play an expansive, attacking, exciting brand of football with more wins and draws than losses, then 'they will come'.
So far so good this season, if we can be in the same position after Xmas then 3k+ will, imho, be the norm
posted on 18/10/12
When you read in the Burton Mail that some parents are only having one meal a day, so that their children can have three, you realise that for a lot of families football is a long way down the list of priorities.
As said however, we are one of the cheapest clubs to visit and well done to Ben for keeping costs down. No doubt if we are still in the play-offs by the end of the year, the glory hunters will crawl out of the woodwork and come and support us. Likewise if Derby don't do very well we might pick up some support from there.
Sadly in the 50 years I've supported the club, the Albion have never attracted a great deal of support, which perhaps says a lot about Burtonians and those who would rather be armchair supporters of Man Utd and their ilk, rather than supporting their own town club.
posted on 18/10/12
Good topic Otep as this has been a concern of mine for a while, to see us getting a regular 3500+ would be nice but the main reason behind this is to increase our match day revenue, helping Ben / Gary have a larger pot to bring in better players.
My suggestions for achieving this are to:
• Increase the price of our match days tickets especially for away fans which is typical for other clubs within our division
• Offer a membership scheme giving discounts for regular attendees
• Gain affiliations with other local clubs offering a reduced match price for alternative ST holders from these clubs such as (Derby, Forest & Leicester)
• Offer season ticket holders greater benefits such as a ‘free’ away game plus the delta between a ST and a regular ticket would be increased promoting loyalty
Just some thoughts chaps but we must seriously look at our current options to progress.
posted on 18/10/12
I've just read the revised survey on prices at football grounds and it seems Plymouth Argyle sent in a wrong ticket price which makes the Albion the cheapest place to watch league football ! Obviously attendances are not what we would hope for and the economic climate makes it difficult for some to attend. I couldn't afford to anyway on a regular basis due to limited income due to my illness but many of my friends who were regulars for years don't attend anymore because they became so disillusioned under Pesch and have not returned to the fold. I think the club should be commended for keeping prices so reasonable but do think we should charge away fans a couple of extra quid as all the other clubs do.
posted on 18/10/12
The Burton public throughout the whole of history are notoriously apathetic. Personally I don't think we'd get regular gates of over 3,000 even if we were near the top of L1.
Everyones attendances seem to be down apart from the usual names in the Premier League. The current employment situation in the country doesn't help, but a bigger factor could be that a growing number of people are saying "I'm not paying it anymore".
To be more Burton Albion-specific I think alot of people have not forgiven what happened between January and April last season and for some of them when they remove football from their lifes routine it will be replaced by something else and will not be put back. Secondly the club only discounting £2.00 for students has led to a legion of 16-20 year olds to stop going to matches. I suspect closer analysis would reveal that while providing one of the cheapest days out in L2 for adults we are amongst the most expansive for students, pensioners and unemployed.
posted on 18/10/12
It is the economic climate gentlemen when it comes to going to away games.As regards to home attendances its always been the same total lack of interest from the Burton public.I dont think 3000 coming regular will happen at all.Theres loads of town folk always ask about the team in passing conversation because they know im a regular at games but thats as far as it goes.The only time you see good gates is when we have a good FA cup run and i find that very sad indeed.
posted on 19/10/12
Maybe if they actually started advertising the games outside the ground it might help.
Can't think of many grounds were they don't tell you who they play next.
Ben should certainly charge away fans the same as we get charge when we go away.
Oh by the way theres a christmas fair there next week.
posted on 19/10/12
Im not able to get out much at present, have we still not addressed the situation about advertising forthcoming matches ?