Next Season.

Where's the cash for all this coming from? The town don't back the club anywhere near as much as it should. We shouldn't have had 3,000 home tickets left on the morning of the Bolton away leg. We should have sold enough for the club to do a 25,000 tickers story. Our two and a half sides should be sold out every game. If people came and supported more the good team we've got, we'd have more cash to possibly have a better chance to get better players under longer contracts.

 

The team really do deserve our support, and a extra 3k on the average home gate would be absolutely amazing, something I'd really love to see. However, money is very tight at the minute, and people have other priorities, even those who do support the team. I went to 10 home games this season, and my wife and daughter were at quite a few of them. However, I was often out of the country, and my family sometimes wants to do things on a Saturday afternoon that don't involve sitting in Oakwell, especially from November to February when it's pretty chilly. I can appreciate that.

The cost of living is absolutely ridiculous. Judging by my return to the UK, rent or mortgage, energy bills, council tax, fuel and food swallow up the best part of £2000 every month, and we only have one child. Children are very expensive, and plenty of people have 2 or more. According to the government's own statistics, the average UK salary stands at £31k per year, which provides take-home pay of roughly £2k a month. It's hardly surprising a lot of people don't have spare money for football.

 

Absolutely the cost of living is shocking and if people genuinely cannot afford to go that's fair enough because Football is a luxury not a priority.

It's more about the people who say they are skint and can't afford it, but would all of a sudden miraculously find the cash if the circumstances were bigger like if we were in a Championship play off final or PL.

 

All good points MT. I do think our support has been impacted by covid (like everyone elses) but also by the sheer, wilful incompetence of the Conway Board.
There were reasonable level headed people on here saying they'd had enough. I'm sure most will have come back round this season but I'm equally sure there will be a fair number that still haven’t and maybe never will.
I'd love half an hour in a room with that t**t Conway.

 

I know what you mean, but I think we have to accept that we will always have quite a few floating fans who will pick and choose their games, or may not want to come unless we are playing at a certain level. If even 10% of the people who don't usually go but came to Wembley start attending regularly, then that's an extra 1k home fans right away. Hopefully that will happen.

Going back to your previous point, I also think that the stadium issues put a lot of people off the Bolton game, for reasons well documented on here. I think a new West Stand could easily add another thousand onto the average gate, giving more people the chance to sit with their friends and family in decent seating and with acceptable facilities. I love the West Stand, but a facility at a professional football ground in 2023, where it's borderline impossible to take a dump or change a tampon, is clearly no longer fit for purpose.

 

I disagree. Don't think he's a team player. And we are strong as a team, not just one or two individuals.

 

I was chatting to such people on the train on Monday. While I personally disagreed with their stance, I fully understand why they hold that position.

 

don't start blaming the fans.Given the horror of last season and the cost of living crisis I think we've done well with support this season, particularly given that were in the third division.

 

I think it'll have to be done in the next few years anyway regardless of what league we're in, as I'm guessing that maintaining such an ancient structure is a financial black hole.

 

What's miraculous about it? Premier League or Championship football is more attractive than League One. It's a simple case of a better product attracting more customers.

 

In short, the money has to come from the owners. The fan base will never grow if we're going to stay in this cycle of losing coaches and players every year and starting again.

No other clubs lose their coach every 10 months.

 

Apart from Watford that choose to!

 

This is the point I am making.

We play at league one fan says can't afford due to cost of living.

We get promoted to championship or even the PL and same fan is all of a sudden able to go.

Loads of people have genuinely been impacted by the **** world we are in and wouldn't be able to afford to go watch us regardless of League or opposition. But at same time there will be plenty who say they can't afford to go but wouldn't be saying it if we were playing in the top flight or FA Cup final etc.

 

because they're one off events?

 

The number of fans on here who seem resigned to losing Duff and Mads is a bit aggravating. Certainly in the case of Mads they may be right but is this really the time or place for all the negativity? We should be fighting tooth and nail (as I am sure the owners should) to keep the Duff and the spine of the team together for another push at promotion having got so close and not by some fluke either. All business is a risk and football, as we are constantly being told, is a business. No-one is saying take ridiculous risks and risk the club's future but if we continue to play it safe we are going nowhere and lack of ambition will not grow the club or increase the fan base. Owners should put up or shut up.
Retaining Duff and Mads for starters would signal clear intent that BFC is NOT becalmed and is prepared to sail into stormier waters to actually get to a destination. In turn, and notwithstanding the current cost of living crisis, this might well overcome the apathy that exists in those that could afford STs, pay-on-the-day fansa nd stay-aways from the recent dismal 'no ambition except to balance the books and profit from player development at the expense of League Position' policy and increase the gates.
Controversially I would rather see a club go down fighting by taking sizeable CALCULATED gamble at the right time (which IMO is now!) rather than constantly looking at the long term existence. That in itself is a gamble since times change and more and more things exist to draw people away from lower League football. One or two posts on here suggest the season has 'created' enthusiasm amongst some long term fans' kids. These are the lifeblood of a club ...success or rather the ambition to succeed is vital. Ultimately the hard core fan base would diminish. IF people are content to support a side that bumps along the bottom just to exist fine, but where is the joy, passion and attraction that is supporting that type of club?

 

People can't help speculating and it's fun to do so. Ultimately though you go with what you have on the 1st September. I trust the club to get it right this time regardless of personnel.

 

My wife and daughter loved it on Monday despite the result. They're very unlikely to attend every match, especially as my wife hates the cold (absolutely brilliant for a Russian!). But they'll probably both attend 5-10 matches next season, and my daughter is already proud of telling everyone that she's the only "proper" football fan in her class at school, as she actually goes to watch her team. Even attracting new fans who will attend 5-10 games a season is progress, as these all add up.

 

There are two reasons for people being resigned to losing Duff. First being recent history (Struber, Ismael) second being lack of assurances from the club (Khaled almost seeming resigned to losing the coach himself in his BBC interview).

I agree with what you say about needing to take a calculated risk. The owners need to put money in, and try to keep as many staff and players as possible. We tried 'living within our means' for a number of years, which has only resulted in losses, an empty bank account but also less bums on seats.

The biggest bums on seats signing would be a new contract for Duff. In the past, we've seemingly only sat and hoped that an offer doesn't come in for our coach. We need to do more, and make staying at the club an attractive option.