Cracked Record

Like Doncaster's concerted effort

Their Chairman writing in person to everyone in the postcode region, blanket coverage on the local radio station and in the local rag, massive swathing discounts and give aways, brand new stadium and still getting 5,000 a week?

Apath amongst the working class Im afraid. Its the cant be arsed attitude. Priorities include Netto offers, SKY Splus X Factor and voting on the latest mobile, a new outfit from Primarni and some coin to get bathered on a Friday and Saturday night. Football is simply not in vogue in former mining communities Im afraid.

 

No..like Bradfords.

Not doing em much good on t'pitch like.</p>

</p>

 

Football sold out to

a new more lucrative crowd in the 90s. Football became trendy for the so called middle classes and **** the grass roots. &pound;15 for a match ? it should be that as a maximum anyway. Oldham at home in the 96/97 season should have been played on New years day was postponed an played at the end of the season... that was a match for a fiver not &pound;15. I'm not picking on our club, it's across the board, &pound;30 to watch Watford... I said to my wife that we'd go to some aways this season... then I saw the prices &pound;24, &pound;27, &pound;29 etc... times 2 &amp; travel and food.... er I've a mortgage and kids at Uni sorrythey may be selling but at those prices I'm not buying.</p>

Also I think it's poor to criticise people for the choices they make. When I was younger you could do similar types of things including getting pissed and still have enough money to go to the match. Away matches were all decided by the likelyhood of being 'kicked in' the ticket cost was very rarely a consideration.</p>

 

Has the season started?

I didn't realise because I didn't hear owt on Radio Sheffield!

 

Oh **** me...

I've missed ten matches and I've been listening to Radio Sheffield... shame on the board for not letting Radio Sheffield tell me.

 

Some good points in this thread, i'd just like to tell my own story for anyone who's interested and maybe this could explain where some other 'stay away fans' are.

As birthday presents, in 97 my father bought season tickets for him, my brother and myself. His resons for this were not because we were all hardcore barnsley fans (i was 11 at the time and didnt support n e one) but because we all loved football and he thought we'd enjoy some premiership action. After this season we were all converted, loved the atmosphere and couldnt wait to come back next year. We had season tickets untill the 02-03 season. The reason we stopped was because i moved away to university and to support myself have to work some saturdays. I graduate this year and am moving back home and will definately be getting a season ticket, probably with my brother.(cannot wait)

I'm not suggesting that all 'the stay away fans' are at uni but i'd guess that during the prem season alot off the crowd were made up of young kids like me and my brother who had been bought tickets just because we were in the prmiership, alot of these kids may have lost interest straight away, not had tickets bought for them the following season, or maybe students who have to work weekends etc. We may have to wait for another return to the premiership in order for the next generation of 'kids' to fill those empty seats.

Excellent point about the marketing side of things, don't think my dad ever recieves mail from the club about season tickets/community days etc.

 

If we do make the playoffs

one of the things I'll enjoy most will be listening to Rayjo Deedar fookin squirm.</p>

And if we do make it back to the Prem, I hope Uncle Gord tells em they can stop artside till hell freezes.</p>

 

didnt' radio sheffield make barnsley remove the 3 times less comment after they denied the claim?

 

Went to see Nice play Toulouse 10 euros to stand behind the goals

Same price at Monaco.

 

I know this thread has been played to near death now, but one thing that happened today was the interest rate being adjusted, and that reminded me that the interest rate changes are perhaps a good reason why the crowds are so low.

Its the same reason why the high street stores are worried to death about not getting a bumper Christmas - some of them generate half their annual profit from the pre Christmas sales.

Its the same reason why house prices are now stalling and are predicted to fall next year by up to 10%.

INTEREST RATES / CREDIT CRUNCH. The harsh realities of the current economic climate are now starting to bite - my mortgage repayment has gone up (prior to today's drop) by 85 quid a month since last summer - that's equivalent to a dad and a lad coming to a game twice a month. I am currently lucky enough to be able to absorb the increase but a lot will be struggling by now.

When hard times come, the first things that go are life's luxuries, and going to football matches can hardly be called a necessity - it is defo in the luxury bracket.

Me and my mate keep talking about when the next recession comes, and the fact that it's on its way. (it's being cheerful that keeps us going).

It's been so long since the last one that many of today's kids don't know what it means to go without. And what will definitely be interesting is to see how hard it hits Sky 'cos paying 50 quid to watch telly every month when you are struggling to pay the bills would be the first thing to go for thousands of people.

 

If a recession gave football clubs a reality check then perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing to happen. I think there could be a mini recession but I also feel most of the world's leading economic nations have enough controls within their economies to make this relatively short term (between 1 and 2 years). I also doubt very much if it would be something as horrific as the 1920s/1930s or the 70s and early 80s.

In this country housing demand still outstrips supply which should keep house prices relatively bouyant (most people's biggets asset) and there are sill job opportunities out there if people are prepared to look.

This thread is well worn I agree - but I don't thgink anyone specifically has stuck their neck out and said 'Yes, Barbnsley people are more fickel than other fans and that's why our crowds are what they are'. There simply is no evidence of this regardless of whether you think our crowds are good or bad.

 

correct me if I'm wrong....

and I'm sure some smart arse (SM) will, but weren't we getting about 13-14k under S**** P***** in 2001/2 and we were absolutely f-ing dire and had ******* like mitch ward, kevin the gayest football ever donovan and super shirker alex neil. Now we are doing well and can barely get above 10k.

I did not have a season ticket that season and I think it was £14 in the Ponty and its now £20. Surely price has summat to do with it?