Matchday Experience : Suggestions

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by Gally, Jan 23, 2023.

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  1. Gally

    Gally Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    I thought we'd create a suggestions thread. Matchday experience means different things to different people but what would you do to improve things at Oakwell?
    This isn't for moaning but for positive suggestions of what you would like to see or what you've seen that worked well at other grounds, maybe even in other sports (non-suggestions will be removed :) )
    What have you seen at other grounds that you thought was impressive?
    Add a heading so we could collate all the suggestions easily.

    Food

    What food would you like to see? Bare in mind the club would need to invest in equipment in some cases for 23 games a season. So it also needs to be realistic.
    Are there any local food companies or products you would like to see do a concourse takeover for instance?

    Kids Entertainment

    How could the Kids' area be improved?

    The Match / Half time entertainment
    What would good halftime entertainment look like to you?

    Drink
    What do you think of the selection of drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) that you find at Oakwell


    Fanzone

    What's missing in the fanzine?
    What could be improved?
    What do you think of the entertainment in there?

    Venue
    How could the stands, and indoor areas be made more hospitable?

    Around the ground
    Improvements around Oakwell, getting in/ out etc.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2023
    Gally, Jan 23, 2023
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  2. matoakwell

    matoakwell Well-Known Member

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    Drinks / Environment
    I've not gone early to a game since Redfearns was closed. For me, that was perfect (if a bit small). Warm, dry with decent pies, beer etc and TV with occasional guest speaker. That is what we should have back.
     
    matoakwell, Jan 23, 2023
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  3. Gally

    Gally Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    I'll start :)

    Fanzone

    We really need a permanent structure or marquee to make it viable in the winter months (with some heat like gas propane blowers).
    More seating and tables need to be put out and provide a consistent experience every week.
    Having more interesting food at every game would be good. There are generally pies for sale each match but the difficulty has been when outside caterers come along; they don't sell enough to make it worthwhile.
    I think the entertainment, singers etc. the club put on are usually very good and it's very popular when players are interviewed on stage by Dave Cooper.

    Venue

    One of the big problems with the east stand lower is the big open area above the turnstiles. Finding a way to close that off would make that whole area a bit more hospitable in winter.
    Alternatively, we created some plans for a bar within the east stand lower concourse towards the north end.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2023
    Gally, Jan 23, 2023
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  4. Bossman

    Bossman Well-Known Member

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    Venue

    We definitely need somewhere warm and comfortable to have a pre match pint, I really enjoyed meeting up with mates who’d I’d not normally see other than at the games. Redfearns was perfect for this.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 23, 2023
    Bossman, Jan 23, 2023
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  5. gaz

    gaz97 Well-Known Member

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    Venue

    Definitely need something indoors but with a outside area for the odd warmer match days , a large social club built on the old grove st school land would be ideal.
     
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    gaz97, Jan 23, 2023
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  6. granty the red

    granty the red Well-Known Member

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    Fan Zone
    Definitely need something more permanent for the fanzone. Like you say more seats and tables. Decent priced drinks, a few tellys for the early kick off. Could have a couple of food vans outside it.. different every home game so not repetitive and gives more people a decent choice of food, maybe also look to cater for vegan/dairy free.

    Kids Entertainment
    The kids club I think needs a bit of attention. There use to be a number of games consoles in there. Only 1 now so very few kids get to have a go. Could stick a proper pool table in there instead of the fold up one. Maybe a few little games/quizzes with small prizes for kids. E.g guess where the ball is, name the football stadium, guess the full time score etc. little things like that could make a difference to the kids. I would also have the bar bit open again with a small selection of food and drink. The parents/guardians could sit and have a pie and a pint while the kids enjoy the games etc. maybe again a tv for the early kick off.
     
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    granty the red, Jan 23, 2023
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  7. LiverpoolRed

    LiverpoolRed Well-Known Member

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    Kids Entertainment
    Toby back might be good
     
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    LiverpoolRed, Jan 23, 2023
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  8. granty the red

    granty the red Well-Known Member

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    This would be a brilliant idea also.
     
    granty the red, Jan 23, 2023
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  9. Orared

    Orared Well-Known Member

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    Venue

    One thing I'd like to see improved is getting out of the car park before 5.30
    As a disabled fan I need to use the club car park but unless I leave the match 15 minutes early I end up queueing till around 5.30
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 23, 2023
    Orared, Jan 23, 2023
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  10. leeupo

    leeupo Well-Known Member

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    Around the ground

    Open the Beevor Court gates for pedestrians, no point putting anything on in the ground whilst making it more difficult to get there in the first place.
     
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    leeupo, Jan 23, 2023
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  11. Mr Badger

    Mr Badger Well-Known Member

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    Food

    Allow food vans selling various types of take away food either by the Ponty or the East Stand.
    Food MUST be affordable and good quality and preferably local.
    Fish and chips, pork pies and mushy peas, burgers, curries, pork rolls .... you get the drift. No Pukka pies !!!
     
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    Mr Badger, Jan 23, 2023
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  12. Con

    Connor Well-Known Member

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    Fanzone

    Get the elsecar suppa club in to organise and run the fanzone . Definitely need something indoors with decent food and beers on .
     
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    Connor, Jan 23, 2023
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  13. Gor

    Gordon Ottershaw Well-Known Member

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    Food

    When I went to watch AFC Wimbledon a few years ago, it looked like a food fair outside the home end. There were about 9 or 10 different stalls selling all kinds of different food and drink. It was brill and there was such a good atmosphere. It encouraged loads of their home support to arrive early and make a day of it. We have plenty of room around the ground and plenty of local food and drink providers. The only thing we lack is the weather, but for the games at the beginning and end of the season it’d be great to see something like that at Oakwell.

    They went one step further at Wimbledon, by having the gate open at half-time, so people could go outside and buy from the stalls then too, as well as at the end of the match. I had to leave that game at half-time and it was amazing to see all the fans wandering up the street to the chippy or pub for 15 minutes, before going back to the ground for the second half.
     
    Gordon Ottershaw, Jan 23, 2023
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  14. Arc

    Archerfield Well-Known Member

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    Food

    The food vans is a good shout. The club could offer pitches on a trial basis at minimal cost or look to partner with the traders based on their turnover. This is how most of the concessions in stores/airports work.

    This would avoid any initial investment costs, improve the quality and variety of food on offer and hopefully improve the experience. Offering pitches both outside and inside the ground may now be possible if the catering is in house.

    Venue
    Creating an indoor, more spectator friendly space within the rear of the East Stand could be done relatively cheaply. The place is weatherproof so creating a space should be doable. All it needs is a few big screens, tables and chairs and a bottle/can bar, oh and heaters as that place is colder than the arctic.
     
    Archerfield, Jan 23, 2023
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  15. Sim

    Simon De Montforte Well-Known Member

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    AROUND THE GROUND
    Close Oakwell Lane half an hour before kick-off and half an hour after the final whistle. Same as they do for Schwabisch Gmund Way. Its an accident waiting to happen.
    Switch the lights on or replace the bulbs at the bottom of the Ponty End car park.
    Put a pedestrian gate in the Beevor Court access gate.
    Let food vans park just outside the ground like they do at Reading for example.
    Pay for a traffic control policeman at the bottom of Grove Street/Pontefract Road junction. Half an hour before ko and again after final whistle.
     
    Simon De Montforte, Jan 23, 2023
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  16. Sca

    Scawsby Red Well-Known Member

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    Any initiative probably needs to be done as cheap as possible. So off the top of my head for

    The Match / Half time entertainment
    I'd like to see a small pitch 5/6 a side game for kids during half time. Featuring either local teams or local schools playing each other.
    In theory that's 46 local teams of varying age groups that can play per season.
    I'd also have ticket offers for the kids families or classmates for when their team or school is featured.

    You could extend this further into other areas such as meet a player before or after the game see the changing room etc. I'm not sure what is and isn't possible to arrange on a matchday.

    By planning ahead you could really engage the local schools or teams prior to matchday and who knows, turn some Barnsley kids into Barnsley fans.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2023
    Scawsby Red, Jan 23, 2023
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  17. Dalestykes

    Dalestykes Well-Known Member

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    General
    Ask the CEO and the Owners to read Tracey Crouch's Fan Led Review of Football. Commit to its overall recommendations (and say so publicly) and then look at implementing the ones where you take fan engagement seriously without waiting for Government regulation/legislation - as have a number of EPL and EFL teams.
     
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    Dalestykes, Jan 23, 2023
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  18. JamieBreweryStander

    JamieBreweryStander Well-Known Member

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    Around the ground
    Allow pedestrian access to and from Beevor Court would be great.
     
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    JamieBreweryStander, Jan 23, 2023
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  19. hor

    horsforthtyke Well-Known Member

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    Half Time Entertainment

    Might be pitch wear and tear related but how about reinstating the old 5v5 kids games they used to have? Tag it on to the flag waving experience (presume most of those are kids teams?).

    Failing that (in all seriousness) dizzy penalties. Never ever fails to entertain
     
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    horsforthtyke, Jan 23, 2023
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  20. jud

    judith charmers Well-Known Member

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    FOOD

    Surely we can attract some of the Market Kitchen Stalls to sample there food…….the food and service at oakwell is absolutely crap
     
    judith charmers, Jan 23, 2023
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