I'm ready to pack it all in

RE: I wonder if fitzytyke is the one who writes letters to fans who complain nt

Im not happy about the way BFC is run either. A good example of their ineptitude is that having paid £1400 for tickets and travel for the playoff final I didnt even get to sit with my 10 yr old son on the journeys there and back. He could have been sat with a paedo for all I knew.

The club is firmly in the last century on that score.

As for the playing side then thats where we differ. I know we dont sign a contract to support the reds and neither does any other set of fans but If we can turn out to watch them when theyre playing well then...........

You know the rest.

 

Then go away then

 

What happened with your son?

 

He was sat further up the coach with a complete stranger. I was in the guides seat at the front. Of all the twenty odd travel tickets I bought only a few people managed to be sat together on coaches. It was like a cattle market at Oakwell that morning with no coach or seat numbers allocated.

 

I don't think it hurts to express an opinion

The club could learn a thing or two from fans. Why is it that someone like me has got to this stage? (and I'm by no means the only one!) I consider myself to be a dyed in the wool Reds fan, as you put it..... maybe the club should be asking itself why fans feel so detatched from the club; why we only get 9,000 home fans, why there's not a week goes by without someone on here bemoaning service at BFC, why kids are separated from adults on long journeys to Wales, why my mother (senior citizen) was not deemed by the club to be worthy as an escort for an U11 at the family day, why the transfer of one ticket to another stand so that a family can sit together is seen as such a problem for the club, why the club is still selling cheap tat in the shop at extortionate prices?? We learn nothing from other clubs - the marketing of the club is abysmal. It's not just the results that are bad, it's the whole Oakwell experience. The reason I made that post last night is because I am totally gutted that I feel this way about something that is such a massive part of my life. It's not about threats to withdraw support, it's about my opinion.

 

RE: I don't think it hurts to express an opinion

That is the bit that's the most worrying about what you said. I take it some young kids in your family were shoved on another coach to the play off final than the adults in your family? If that is the case then it's not right at all. Club could have stop the risk of that happening by giving you a designated coach instead of queueing for ages in a long tailback.

 

Not mine, Fitzytykes post above

Was his story re being separate from son on coachtrip.

 

Not mine, Fitzytykes post above

about being separate from son on coach trip.

 

Im totally with you on the commercial side of things.

They leave a hell of a lot to be desired.

Seriously though, tell me what you expected of the Reds this season. Lets be honest and say that we were very fortunate to reach the playoffs and entered the championship by the skin of our teeth so you surely didnt expect us to walk the championship?

We were always going to struggle this time. We were never promised a footballing spectacle each week. IF we stay up then this season will be deemed a success.

Why you ask do we only get 9000 home fans? Thats more than we had for many a season in the 80s and 90s so if anything its an improvement.

The club will never go anywhere if the support comes and goes with the teams form.

 

I expected a struggle

I even expected us to go down/ be there or abouts - and my support doesn't depend solely on form (I've seen relegation before and it didn't put me off). However, if we go down, I can't see a silver lining. Whatever happens I see another season of the same. I didn't expect a season where in my opinion we:-
Treated our manager so abysmally
Where we managed to dissolve arguably the best team spirit we have ever had in a side
Where we make our incoming managers job virtually impossible by announcing his appointment at THE worst possible time
Where I have had to battle (and in the end gave up), in an attempt to bring my daughter with her friend to the family day (because of initial senior citizen rules which were later revoked).
You're right we were quite fortunate to go up, but there are a million things at the club that could be better... we don't make Oakwell a fun place to be - we re hash the Toby Tyke march towards the away fans that wasn't funny 12 years ago,- God we even have a competition to hit a shed that's got a window in it (except you're not allowed to go thru the window??!! Why not turn the sodding thing 'round then?!!)
Not only do we alienate fans who bother to go, but we don't attract fans with incentives (Milton Keynes shirt/ season ticket deal, Birmingham free travel deal etc etc).
I know where you're coming from - I never thought I'd hear myself saying this stuff, but maybe I've just grown too old & grumpy for oakwell!!

PS One thing the club did get right was the Crossbar challenge - Good to have kids on the pitch. (clap) God postivity has crept in!!!