To those not renewing their Season Ticket

What needs to happen to make you reconsider?

This is a genuine question and not a “judged” post.

I can fully understand the reasoning behind everyone’s decision’s due to how poor things are atm.

These are a few things I’d like to know or see happen before they announce anything.

1. An “honest” explanation from Neerav down to Sormaz of the reasons why it’s gone so wrong this season. No bull5hit.

2. A clear insight as to where the club stand currently financially (what is realistic position next season). Are they planning on being here for the next 5 seasons? What’s the 5 year plan if so should we not manage to get ourselves up.

3. Player recruitment (is the philosophy going to change next season)

4. Manager appointment. How can we renew when the season is so bad yet we are going into a situation where they are asking fans to put faith in them early without knowing who we will have in charge next season. If it’s Conor’s to lose……tell us. At least that way fans can judge what’s right for them individually.

There’s a lot of uncertainty going into next season with a lot of money for fans to pay without knowing what’s going to happen.

 

They need to make me enjoy, not dread, going to oakwell.

Obviously a key part of that is the match itself. They need to demonstrate that things will change.
But it's not just that. They need to address what they've ignored for years now. The pathetic parking arrangements. The pre match entertainment. The half time entertainment. It's a fairly long list but it does need addressing

 

Play better football.

 

Most will say that pre match entertainment does not matter as they are not at Oakwell early. But those of us who have to park in the car park would tell you that an alternative to sitting in your car with the engine running would be welcome.

 

Bingo. It won't affect everyone but for those that it does I think a lot are losing patience and thwtmit massively affects the decision whether or not to renew because it can make the day so tiresome

 

At least bring the prices down to a level which reflects the standard. Stop using the club as a personal experiment. Be professional. Bring in professionals that can teach them the ropes, actually show effort

 

I live too far away to be a season ticket holder.

To get me to go to more games though they’d need to make it a positive experience when I take my son:
- Easier to park at the ground, or at least not make it more difficult
- More reasonable food options if they want us to eat there rather than bring a pack up
- A chance he might actually see our team win
- A positive atmosphere rather than lots of swearing and depression (see above)

For now, despite the regrettable broadening of my son’s vocabulary, we’re more likely to go to away games - at least there our fans actually want to be there.

 

It’s definitely a long slog with a young one if you are in the ground early; and if travelling from some distance away that’s the only real guarantee you’ll see the whole of the match.

 

Some feeling that those running the club have a vague semblance of a plan to move the club forward. That includes investment on the playing side and a sensible managerial appointment.

 

1. Games to be limited on Tuesday nights. I can’t make them. I know that’s not our fault but does make me second guess about forking out for half the games.
2. An honest admission that this season wasn’t good enough and there’s a plan in place to challenge next season, a plan that is totally different to what had recently been.
3. An ambitious managerial appointment

That'll start.

 

All reasonable questions.

 

Just remember all those that don’t renew its not just based on one poor season under their stewardship- it’s a culmination of failing and failing again. It’s a wonder fans have stuck with it this long,

 

1. Get rid of all the players that have clearly given up (Benson, Phillips, Humphrys etc).

2. Board sell up. I don’t think there’s a malicious bone in their bodies, they’re not greedy baskets or whatever the morons want to sing about them. But they are useless at running a football club.

I can only assume they will be looking for a way out. What’s the point of losing millions a year in something that’s going downhill rapidly?

I understand we’re not an attractive proposition at the moment and it might be tough to get rid. But I live in hope. After the last few weeks yesterday was the tipping point for me personally. I can’t see me rocking up at oakwell until these lot are out of the building.

 

If I’m being honest with myself I have to admit that I have not enjoyed visiting Oakwell for quite a while. In fact, I did a ‘pros and cons’ exercise in my mind following the latest debacle yesterday, and the justifications for renewing I came up with were that I spend time with my family and friends, I like the people I sit with, and I’ve supported the club for a very long time, and will always care about it. The other side of the equation is that the football is not only unsuccessful but is also unbelievably boring; the Sky deal has meant me missing quite a few games and, more than anything, I abhor the abandonment of team building and its replacement with a (failing) scattergun player trading model. I am fortunate in that cost is not a problem but, if it was, that would probably sway my decision. As it is, I’m genuinely undecided, and I’m not hopeful that the club is likely to do anything of a positive nature that makes my mind up to renew.

 

Play Football would be a start,

Play basic football would be a good start.

 

I think those questions are pretty much ‘spot on. I’m not a huge fan of Radio Sheffield but I was listening to Rob Staton on the way home from yesterday’s game and his piece on how the BFC Board needed to re-engage with the support and set out their hopes and ambitions, nailed it for me.

It is often difficult for a large institution to be open with its ‘customers’ and there can be a tendency to drop into corporate speak and talk a load of nonsense, but the situation between the Club and its support is so problematic at the moment that they really do have to try a very open approach.

 

Due to my lad getting older and having part time work alongside his studies, he is likely to be available less and less on Saturdays and possibly little if at all midweek games.

Even if we’d won the league at a canter this season, I’d have had to consider whether renewing this summer is worthwhile at all as my younger daughter who also comes is very much a fair weather fan (literally), and I wouldn’t come to games on my own if neither of the kids were coming.

So chances are I wouldn’t have renewed regardless - but the way I’m feeling at the moment I wouldn’t have anyway. It isn’t just how bad we are, how poorly things are handled - it’s the apathy. The defeats and poor showings still annoy me - but I’ve stopped caring as much as I used to. I’ve had the passion killed as a supporter. I don’t crave success, I crave the club I grew up supporting, battling Barnsley. At the moment I just can’t see what there is to get behind and support. All I see is managed decline - badly managed at that - and a club shrinking and disappearing into the doldrums with barely a whimper. The club have distanced itself from its fans, whether intentional or not. The sense of community and being at one with the area has gone too.

I don’t know what Barnsley football club is anymore. I’ll always be a Barnsley fan; whether or not I’m a regular paying supporter anymore - we’ll see how I feel.

Come the end of July I might have a fire ignite again you never know. I certainly won’t be renewing early bird this time though.

 

The sacking of DC is their explanation of where it's gone wrong this season. In the same way that the sacking of Collins last season is where they felt it had gone wrong last season. It's the only lightening rod they can utilise when things go wrong. Sormaz won't agree to being grilled by the Chron or Radio Sheffield. He'd rather it was in-house by the same Comms Team that referenced Antony Kane as an ex-Red. Even if the explanation was 'honest' would it result in improved performances going forward. Spectemur Agendo and all that.

 

Until that coward grows some balls and faces the media the club isn't getting another penny from me. The leadership from him and from flatman is diabolical. Both cowards

 

1. Make the game-day experience welcoming, easy to navigate, and enjoyable. Small things like car parking, scoreboards, etc. may seem like small hygiene factors, but they add up to a good or bad experience. However, I would suggest making it easy to access and exit the car park. Many clubs have stewarding extending to the main road network; we seem to only operate inside the park. Other things like team sheets on the scoreboard, pre-match and HT entertainment all help.
2. Hospitality (not the paid events) but have a fans clubhouse or facility that is comfortable. As a start, it must be indoors. Good beer, drinks options, and food make it worthwhile to come early. Accommodates friends and new acquaintances. I liked the old Redfearns, where you could get pie and peas, watch footy, and chat with mates in comfort. It wasn't perfect and not easy to get in, but it was better than today and could have been even better in the future.
3. Make the team competitive. I am not preumptious about is winning everything, promotion every year but i would expect in L1 to be competing to win the league, finish second or competing at worst for a top 6 position. No guarantee but we need to be competitive. In Championship i would strike for top half consistency and aim for consolidation. If we are in the bottom third we need to see competitive ambitions to steer clear of relegation.
4. On-field entertainment. Winning is great, but entertaining the crowd is also a good second best.
5. I would need to feel the love again. I don't feel it. The club seems a distant 'product'. I dont know what the direction is and nor do i see a clear strategy in action. Seeing that we have some ambition no matter at what level is inspiring. To not even understand the direction we are going is worrying and demotivational. We have no innovation either.
6. I am not asking for cheap, and this isn't a high priority for me, but I think making it affordable and building a home atmosphere that is based on higher attendances can only rub off to attract others. I know people in my family who would go if it was more affordable.