Brian Howard calls for more support at Oakwell

I repeat

the Doncaster Rovers approach of mass advertisment did nothing for their attendances, John Ryan was offering a season ticket with a free boob job at one point and he got the same response as we get - cant be arsed. Priorities:

1. Pubs
2. Netto booze isle
3. Bookies
4. Travel Agents
5. Primarni
6. PetsRUs
99. Barnsley FC.

 

Infrequent offers wont work

It needs to be cheap and stay cheap, maybe get the price back up once you have 'em back again and into the habit.

2 words

Bradford City.

 

With your reference to DRFC

They have 5,200 season tickets holders a massive increase on the seasons before.

 

Sorry S.M. if it was £4 to get in and nobody new about it, nobody would go. It's not rocket science at all and for a businessman not to understand that concept is very bizarre. Inside or outside of football, each match is a product with a potential market. That market will continue to shrink while the club continues to aim their frustrations directly at their loyal customer base.

I haven't seen many initiatives come out of BFC that have had me thinking "that's a great idea, well done BFC" On the pitch things are good, financially things are improving dramatically in terms of reducing debt and liabilities. Marketing the product is continually going backwards in my opinion. Lashing out is not the way forward. Telling the local community that they're constantly letting their club down is just ****** if you ask me.

This is a consumer society, if you can't sell to it, then you have to ask yourself why. or you could try asking the consumers what they want, rather then tell them.

And it's not always about the price, it's often about the experience, the service, feeling part of it, feeling like you are valued etc.

For me it's the final piece of the jigsaw that's missing for what has been an unquestionable revival led by the current board.

 

Where does the money for signings come from?

when we're giving money back to season ticket holders cos your pay on day punter can get in for next to nowt? we're the cheapest in the Championship already and in the bottom 4 for attendances.

The fact is its much much deeper than the price. Its the mentality of the community. People simply dont have watching live football high up on their priority list. All their disposable left goes on getting hammered, going abroad to get hammered, getting a new outfit to go out in and get hammered and dog food.

 

And I repeat

I'm not talking about our average attendance, im talking specifically about the games where the price was lowered. How can the club possibly hope to see a big increase for those games when they don't tell anyone about the special offer?

 

Then maybe the marketting department at Oakwell should market the club

I know, crazy suggestion isnt it

 

More to do with having a new stadium to sit in

and 5 thou is still embarrassing considering Doncaster has a bigger catchment area and Ryan has chucked millions at it.

 

don't be stupid

the prices were reduced and the people of barnsley should have flocked in their thousands. Ok so they didn't know that the prices were reduced but they should have just guessed

 

RE: And I repeat

The games weren't even advertised in the club's programme (apart from the 6 lines that was mentioned in the supporters trust editorial). I'm sorry but if you don't tell people about the offer how the hell are they supposed to find out?

 

Its not the stadium..

They have hardly any paying customers, they had under 6 thou for one game, so 5,200 season tickets and away support doesn't leave many paying. The crowds haven't increased since the stadium move, they averaged more in their last couple of seasons at Belle Vue. They have to realise during the nineties when they were on a downhill slide no-one wanted to watch them so they went elsewhere which is why so many support Leeds. I have asked people myself why do you support Leeds when your from Donny, the general reply "because Donny were in the conference and all my mates were watching Leeds in the Premiership" Glory hunters at their best.

 

Mass advertising?

What about *some* advertising ?

 

It was advertised

on the official website (allegedly the most pervasive channel and the direction of travel) the local newspaper (not sure the circulation but guessing large percentage of Barnsley folks either buy it or read sumbdi elses copy) at the games preceeding and surely by word of mouth from everyone that goes and knows. Now, it wasnt mentioned on Radio Sheffield, more their problem than ours being a publicly funded organisation, and I cant remember if it was sent via text. But Im struggling to see many other avenues that can make a big difference. The club could print leaflets perhaps, but there's a cost associated to that on top of the hit of reducing entrance fee in the first place.

Not to mention at the start of the season the Open Day where several thousand came to spread the word and the number of new signings and the £50 kid season ticket.

I live and work in Barnsley, I look around the place and I see from day to day what constitutes Barnsley life. I dont see people just waiting for a nudge to realise that there is still actually a football club and that its doing well. Most households have SKY and will have caught at least a glimpse of where we're at. There was a time when the view on here was get into the Championship and we'll be sold out. Then it was get top half and we'll be laughing. Now, the argument is we need to market the arse out of the product to get people to come. I just dont see it, sorry. People have voted with their feet and the vote isnt one for football, its apathy all round.

 

RE: It was advertised

My point still stands then. That didn't work. They need to come up with something else. Asking die hard fans who go anyway how to improve attendance isn't the answer, they need to actually ask the community why they are staying away. I'm sure they'll have there eyes opened if they did that.

Then they can go about addressing the problems that probably lie within the club as opposed to it being everyone elses fault.

Let's stop focusing on cutting the price for 90 minutes twice in a season, look at other possibilities. Engage the community in different ways. People in the community stopped listening to BFC a long time ago and it isn't just because we aren't in the prem, it's all the other ***** that has come since, all the other false dawns and while this isn't the current boards fault, it is their problem to overcome.

 

i think alot of the problem is the armosphere there aint one anymore iam a ticket holder have been for years and the atmosphere down at oakwell is terrible.

If fans turned up and the atmosphere was decent that will entice some back

 

My young lad brings offers home from School by Hudderfield Town, do Barnsley do this around the local area?

 

not very often or not often enough!

 

Im not so sure the club can do much

to alleviate the mentality keeps people away from games, I think its more deep seated than blaming Dennis, Doyle and Parkin. I actually bought into the idea that a successful football team would be a popular football team, but I suppose there's levels of success. If we were in with a shout of the playoffs with 3 home games left, I suspect we would hit 14,000, opposition dependent. That is about as much as we can hope for outside the Premiership. I posted a link to a Times article about lack of atmosphere at Old Trafford and I have to say I agree largely with what was suggested. Society now expects for £20 some entertainment, and in football and at Oakwell there's no guarantee of that. What was once a working class sport has now adopted middle class pricing, but Barnsley is like the community time forgot. Benefits dependancy, alcohol dependancy and ingrained routine. The middle class Barnsley public have moved away and either dont live near enough to attend every week, have filled their weekends with middle class things that 'prevent' them from attending or I suspect in some cases have adopted another club. Whats left behind doesnt respond to advertising and creative methods, they'll come if we play Wednesday or United or have some pre arranged piss up before or after. Investing in a season ticket is so low down on their priority list the club doesnt stand a chance of 'raising its profile' no matter what.

Im not suggesting just give up, Im pointing out potential reasons and realities that contradict the typical anti club Super Tyke simple view that he bores me to death with.

"I didnt go cos I didnt know" - f-uc.k me pink.

 

How ive i said i dont care about going to games, i was saying that i find £21 for a match that could be hit or miss is hard to fund, im currently saving up to move in with my partner, property isnt exactly cheap these days!

Like others mentioned, when you have supporters there you have the chance to sell them other things, programmes, club shop etc but other than an offer of £15 for a match in the worst weather possible what have BFC tried to do.

How can they not think £35 for two games is a good offer and a fair price, definately better than me not turning up for either game!

 

You just said that people want to be entertained

Why then do we have no half time entertainment, no pre match entertainment, TV's not used to their potential and music played over the tannoy that was last popular when GS was a lad?