A bit worrying

[Dai Brainbocs]

The snag is that they could get locked into a cycle where it is never the right time to make a decision, given that you can't just decide to go ahead with a project like this one day and start the next up.

[Behindu]

The snag is that they could get locked into a cycle where it is never the right time to make a decision, given that you can't just decide to go ahead with a project like this one day and start the next up.

The point has been made, as have countless others. Don't expect it to be accepted - there is only one line of thought allowed on here remeber.....

[brendywendy]

I can no longer remember who advocated what.

Bit worrying.

I advocated waiting to see how this season panned out before deciding on the expansion.

I then pointed out that demand had fallen which wasn't a good sign.

Several toys came out of several prams about that suggestion.

Games didn't sell out, kids for a quid schemes were invoked, the ticket office commented that it was getting harder to sell tickets.

The question of whether demand has fallen has been answered.

The question of whether to expand remains open and should do until the end of the season, unless we are relegated before then at which point it should be torn up immediately.

the club advocated that too, by postponing till the end of this season.
arent our home gates up or the same as last year?
we havent done any kid for a quid games have we?
we gave away free membership cards(10 pound) to two of the less exciting games, and probably got more in than for corresponding ones last year
and considering the"horrific" season we are having this time round, i am pretty impressed with our crowds
and i really cant see the club upping the gate numbers erroneously as this would result in them paying out more in tax when less money had in fact been taken.

the question has been answered, the answer just isnt what you are saying it is.

[Schards#2]

I can no longer remember who advocated what.

Bit worrying.

I advocated waiting to see how this season panned out before deciding on the expansion.

I then pointed out that demand had fallen which wasn't a good sign.

Several toys came out of several prams about that suggestion.

Games didn't sell out, kids for a quid schemes were invoked, the ticket office commented that it was getting harder to sell tickets.

The question of whether demand has fallen has been answered.

The question of whether to expand remains open and should do until the end of the season, unless we are relegated before then at which point it should be torn up immediately.

the club advocated that too, by postponing till the end of this season.
arent our home gates up or the same as last year? NO

we havent done any kid for a quid games have we? YES

we gave away free membership cards(10 pound) to two of the less exciting games, and probably got more in than for corresponding ones last year NO GATES AREN'T BIGGER DESPITE FREE MEMBERSHIP CARDS

and considering the"horrific" season we are having this time round, i am pretty impressed with our crowds THEY ARE AS GOOD AS CAN BE EXPECTED BUT THERE IS LOWER DEMAND THAN LAST YEAR

and i really cant see the club upping the gate numbers erroneously as this would result in them paying out more in tax when less money had in fact been taken. WHO'S SUGGESTING THIS?

the question has been answered, the answer just isnt what you are saying it is. YES IT IS

2/10

[Skyline]

As I pointed out earlier in the thread, up to the Derby game we had averaged 97% attendance in the home stands. Given that the Newcastle game was only 81 short of a full house, even if the Newcastle end was completely full then that average cannot have come down. So that's the first third of the home games out of the way and we're still damn near hitting capacity in the home ends.

Based on this, if demand really is falling as you keep insisting it is, then I think we should be grateful, otherwise we'd not have enough capacity to fit everyone in that wants to come.

[Behindu]

Based on this, if demand really is falling as you keep insisting it is, then I think we should be grateful, otherwise we'd not have enough capacity to fit everyone in that wants to come.

To be fair to Schards i think that is exactly the point he wants to make. His belief is that we are turning away fewer people than last season, hence demand is lower in his view.

Which is a view that I think is fair and could be argued.

Where I diverge from Schards is that it's of any major significance to whether we expand. And given that we're full as damn it every week I'm amazed anyone has wasted as much time as he has on even trying to argue the point.

[AF1]

[Behindu]

The mods have the power...

And have been asked.

But seem unwilling to act.

[Woodcote Royal]

Based on this, if demand really is falling as you keep insisting it is, then I think we should be grateful, otherwise we'd not have enough capacity to fit everyone in that wants to come.

To be fair to Schards i think that is exactly the point he wants to make. His belief is that we are turning away fewer people than last season, hence demand is lower in his view.

Which is a view that I think is fair and could be argued.

It's the view of a sad individual grasping at straws to justify his stance that the stadium should not be extended this summer. End of.

[Royal Lady]

Well argued there Timothy.

[philM]

Attendance for the first 6 league games is down around 3% (5000 out of around 140,000 total). Considering who we have played this year compared to last year the fact that it is down by so little suggests to me that demand is actually up this season.

Time will tell.

[Behindu]

Attendance for the first 6 league games is down around 3% (5000 out of around 140,000 total). Considering who we have played this year compared to last year the fact that it is down by so little suggests to me that demand is actually up this season.

Time will tell.

We've had 2 pretty small away followings this season which knocks the total down, but it's only home attendances that are key. We know that the small size of the stadium artificially cuts attendances as we could sell 2000 more tickets to away fans for the majority of games.

[Woodcote Royal]

Well argued there Timothy.

Thanks

[Riseley]

This thread has more mileage than Woodcote's helicopter and has reached similiar heights.

[STAR Liaison]

Just to add an insight after talking to RFC management about how to let people know that, as we are not selling out well before the games this season, those who want to come and assume they will never get a seat should actually try to get one. In that context it was made plain that any extension will allow more flexibility both in pricing and marketing and essentially, from my point of view, give the room to allow people to bring friends along.

Whilst it is possible to move your seat as a season ticket holder to bring friends to a game, many do not do it (I know I certainly do not bring friends anything like as often as I did before 2005/6) but with a larger East Stand that would be easier. The decision is not yet made about when to extend but at the moment we are caught with too much demand to make it easy to expand the support, but doubts about how much of the support was first year syndrome and hence the need to expand the stadium.

So in effect, and not surprisingly, all the points made on here are relevant so maybe we should all go on a recruitment drive to bring new people in to make the decision to expand a no-brainer, and that is something all of us can do to influence the decision rather than just hitting the keyboard on here

[Riseley]

Just to add an insight after talking to RFC management as we are not selling out well before the games this season.. The decision is not yet made about when to extend.

So Schards was right after all. I knew it all along.

[Huntley & Palmer]

So in effect, and not surprisingly, all the points made on here are relevant so maybe we should all go on a recruitment drive to bring new people in to make the decision to expand a no-brainer, and that is something all of us can do to influence the decision rather than just hitting the keyboard on here

You would think that recruiting people would be easy. I and three others have struggled to sell our spare tickets for games to friends, even at a paltry £20.

[Behindu]

You would think that recruiting people would be easy. I and three others have struggled to sell our spare tickets for games to friends, even at a paltry £20.

You have the wrong friends !!
Whenever I've had spares I've had a choice of people wanting to buy them, and I've been asking 'sensible' prices a bit below full price but not so low as to leave me out of pocket.

[The 17 Bus]

Many that gave up due to the high prices will be difficult to get back, football is a habit, and it is not a habit i missed, in time I will return, not sure when.

JM and RFC milked the fans for all they could in the first season, and continue to do so, as many of the 18k st holders last season had not been regulars for long, many walked away after one season.

The way the fans were treated will take some time to be forgotten, the club have not really managed to spend on improving the squad, not totally blaming the club, but others managed to sign players and are no bigger, this grinds too, and has been pointed out on here by a few people.

The cow has been fattened for slaughter, all it needs now is a new farmer, what a shite analogy

[Behindu]

JM and RFC milked the fans for all they could in the first season, and continue to do so, as many of the 18k st holders last season had not been regulars for long, many walked away after one season.

Did they ?
I thought the churn was pretty much what you'd expect from most seasons. There's always a sizeable number don't renew.