[Club YouTube] Barnsley v Reading Highlights

Barnsley v Reading Highlights


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Y1vJLC3aY

View on YouTube...

 

It’s not a good look that Skys created. So easy to stay at home and watch it on the telly, and that’s evident in the attendances.

If you’re a bit late from work, don’t fancy a late night, weather doesn’t suit you, it’s just so easy to bin the game and watch from home. I’m guilty of feeling a bit under the weather, so not bothering to make the effort.

I know my ST is paid for, and the club will be getting some kickback from Sky, but empty grounds just look so bad, and no one watching that tonight would feel it a must to be part of the Oakwell massive for the next game.

The lower leagues are a different animal to the prem and top end championship (although Sunderland looked a bit sparse tonight). Top clubs can fill grounds AND have armchair supporters at the same time. For the rest of us, I can’t see this ending well.

 

I was at Oakwell last night, but I agree entirely with you.

 

I agree but I blame the EFL and EFL clubs not sky. Sky only offer money, the EFL and it's clubs choose whether or not to accept that offer

 

If we'd won nobody would be bothered about empty seats, red shorts, TV screens in Ponty. Funny old game.

 

I disagree with regard to the empty seats. Win or lose, it’s an awful look, especially for a club that’s hopefully challenging for promotion. If Reading had beaten us, they would be in the top 6 instead of us. Yet they brought a very small following as well.

 

No I agree. Should have said ‘Sky Effect’ really.

 

Looking at the seating map in the Ponty when I bought cup tickets yesterday I'd say Saturday's game will be even less attended than the Reading game. Can't blame Sky for that one and it's only a tenner a ticket.
Apathy towards the club has well and truly set in it seems. Bleak times ahead without some big changes.....

 

Early round home cup games have been poorly attended for years tbf, I gave up with the league cup and paint pot a bit back.

Our home form is definitely helping make people’s mind up to watch at home though mate. Second consecutive season of poor results at Oakwell. It’s not a happy place.

 

Remember playing Everton in the league Cup in 2013 even that was a poor turn out.

 

. Bleak times - you could well be right. It must be very worrying for the owners, who are doing their best with offers such as bringing a friend for free, or for a tenner, or free upgrades last Tuesday on children's season tickets, if the children weren't attending. None of these offers seems to make very much difference. The club gets criticised at times for prices being too high, but gets very little response when offering free, or heavily discounted, tickets. Those in charge must be scratching their heads over what they can do next. I did my usual 90 mile round trip for the Reading game and was a little surprised to see just how many empty seats there were. I'm sure that the Sky Sports+ intervention has made a big difference. I took out my first ever Sky contract, via Now TV, for a total of £25.99 a month in HD, for 6 months, chiefly so I could watch a fair number of away games that I would not have attended. I still go to all the home games, except for Bristol Street Motors competition. Regarding lack of interest generally, it's not like the mid-60s, when we were down near the bottom of Division 4. We are still doing pretty well overall one division higher than that, despite the disappointing home results. I'm struggling to come up with a solution re attendance figures now.I expect that improved results at Oakwell will produce some sort of improvement in attendance figures, but I fear that the experience of this season - when so many games have not kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday, will have a massive impact on season ticket renewals.

 

People have complained (rightly) about the lack of 3pm Saturday home games but when we finally got one last week loads didn’t bother to turn up. I know the weather was poor but I don’t remember in years gone by it making that much difference, especially when folk have already paid for tickets. Maybe it’s my memory playing tricks……

 

All down to momentum/ regime.

We supported on a mindset of going to Oakwell every other Saturday and an occasional Tuesday. You get into a rhythm.

Modern fans don't get that, and 2 months between 3pm Saturday kickoffs gives them ample time to try other pastimes.

3pm Saturday will drop off the radar of many younger fans.

 

Don’t forget the dodgy firesticks and ticket prices along with general cost of living and let’s be honest we have been terrible at home for the best part of a season and a half now.

Something will have to change be it ticket prices being made cheaper or heaven forbid players actually have wages brought back to more reasonable levels which as been the major issue for years now causing clubs untold issues but it’s always the owners/fans that need to keep things going.

 

I get that but I don’t see other clubs with so many empty seats. It doesn’t seem a general theme, we appear to be one of the worst affected.

 

That's my impression too, though it's hard to be sure. It seems likely that next season's official attendance figures will be a more accurate reflection of the actual attendance figures, as it is likely to be only the diehards who renew season tickets, unless we happen to win promotion, which is still a possibility, though far from being a probability. I'll renew, all being well, irrespective of the division in which we find ourselves, but I can certainly understand the attitude of those who won't.

 

Dodgy fire sticks are more to blame than Sky for killing attendances and people staying away. At least Sky pump a certain amount of money into club along within ticket sales. Dodgy stick supporters don’t contribute anything financially unless I am missing sumat.