You don’t think the recruitment has been disastrous during the last two windows then? Said all along that it was critical to have a real go at getting out of L1 this season. Next term it’ll be a helluva lot stronger league. Real opportunity wasted for me.
but game day experience isn’t only about food, drink etc. it’s the whole package. So what you’re now saying is you do value the game day experience, just not interested in some parts of it. Those ‘some’ parts maybe what others value more.
I love this from Henry Winter. He's discussing Ipswich, but there are lessons to be learned..... https://x.com/henrywinter/status/1786755550027321553
I personally agree. I'm happy either way if the football is decent and I'm on my own I don't care but that's become less and less and I bring my kids more and more who get bored easy but equally are as easily entertained if there's something to do/watch/eat whilst waiting. I want them to come and enjoy the football and part of it is giving em something to do till it's engrained into them that "this team is your families team" and "it's something you'll take your kids to in the future", otherwise without the next generation those numbers will fall as we all fall. It all goes hand in hand, families and young folk want a bit of entertainment, certainly takes the kids heads out of their phones and most importantly it generates something the club desperately needs, revenue. It's clear transfer have been woeful and clear that players sales in some part are paying club costs like wages etc propped up by the board covering the rest of the operating losses. We can't say for certain that increasing revenue will mean they'd then inject money for the transfer pot but without improvements off the pitch I don't see the football experience that folk want to see on the pitch having a chance at improving, especially in league 1 where you have to get smart with money because we'll just end up continuously losing money and cost cutting rinse and repeat till the money goes away completely. Lot of potential Derby games next season, if local fans know they can come to a fan zone with decent entertainment they'll come early. If it's local food trucks etc it's also putting money into local businesses too. It also gives us the opportunity for traction on social media with accounts like footy scran hyping up our infamous flatbreads, means Travelling fans will spend their money on us. I do think the football has to come first and many folk will probably show up 10 mins before kick off after a few pints in tarn but if it's done right and done affordable it drags people up earlier and staying later. It also encourages other sources to want to come to oakwell, from the sounds of the sale of oakwell meeting the club has authority to use it for other events and make money off of oakwell eg a fight for Calum Simpson etc, a well run engaging environment will encourage sponsors to put there names up everywhere and inject more money into the club, and if it is being used a lot more the club can then put pressure on the council to do something about the west stand and make the improvements needed to finally reopen the bottom end.
great post. The football match is of course the core product. How enjoyable the experience is helps attract new fans, brings in more revenue and makes it more fun for more people. The experience will be different for different people whether kids, corporates, casual supporters or die hard fans. This needs to be taken into account as does diversity. Now imagine if the experience isnt good.