Stay away fans are to blame if Ritchie leaves

Plymouth aside

we've played some of the best football I've seen in almost 30 years of watching us at Oakwell, with a young team, put together on a shoestring by an enthusiastic manager and against sides packed with million pound players fresh from the Premiership. infront of barely 11 thou.

I cringe every time one of our lads is interviewed on Radio Sheff. Howard almost having to beg for a better turn out at home. is your inbox getting regular spam from the club about getting your Leeds tickets early?

maybe we should put a band on at half time.

 

Fans would come if results would come. Also, anything into the tens of thousands is a decent attendance for this club. We will never match Leeds or Wednesday but I don't think our attendances have been that bad. Burnley are an established championship team in the play off places and their last two home games have attracted 10,461 and 11,530.

 

Agreed.

It needs work.</p>

Hope they see it in time.</p>

I'll write to them if you will. (Profanity free of course)</p>

 

and even when teh results were going our way in the first few games of the season, with everyone commenting on how well we were playing, attendances still didint increase much.

we have a small fan base, simple as.

 

RE: Agreed.

I think the best marketing the club can do is on the pitch. you cant polish a turd. maybe a 'named' signing might help, but as much as Im up for emailing Gordon about kid for a quid type stuff, I cant hide my disappointment and frustration at the rows of empty seats I see around the ground when we're entertaining to watch and getting the plaudits from the opposition even.

 

chopra

nuff said.

If wed signed this fella im sure people would have come to see him bagging goals for fun.

GS fault there.

 

Not sure it's that black and white ...

I'm a stay away fan having managed just one game last Tuesday against Plymouth. I've got my reasons for staying away, as all the stay awayers have. I'm sure some people have strong reasons and some have poor excuses - I could list mine and then you could tell me where I am on the fickle scale?

Stay away fan#1: Lives 3hrs from Oakwell, has young kids who all participate in various activities at the weekends and stay away fan#1 is committed through coaching/support of said activities with his kids until, say 1pm, every Saturday, making tarn by 3pm impossible.

Stay away fan#2: Lives alone in Monk Bretton. Has a full-time job, has no commitments to himself or friends/family on Saturdays, but he is bored of BFC and can't be arsed to turn up on Setdi.

Different scenarios I think. Both stay aways have their reasons and it comes down to what product is on offer. If it's attractive enough (Prem or play-offs) even the devoted dad from the south will hop in his Ranger and make the trip and maybe even take the kids. If, on the other hand, the team are languishing at the foot of the table, the board are being vague at best in terms of signings/manager's contract, etc, then even the ligger in Monk Bretton will find it difficult to make it.

I agree the hardened fanatics will turn up whatever. You and Dirk will get in your car come rain or shine and support the lads in true reds fashion. And God forbid should you hard core ever found yourselves in stay away fan#1's position you would either move closer to Oakwell, get a divorce or tell the kids to amuse themselves and find the 6hrs worth of petrol money to make sure you were always 100% behind his team.

All comes down to priorities and individual choice but it's a bit wide of the mark I think to blame the stay-aways for Ritchie's demise should it happen. All comes down to what product is on sale, and just as importantly how well it is marketed. If it's attractive enough you will sell out Oakwell. Beneath that there is a scale of die-hardness. You and Dirk obviously right at the top, but halfway down the pyramid is the unwashed of Monk Bretton who might just find the motivation to pop along on Saturday if he feels the board are displaying signs of commitment to the team, the fans and manager, to match that on the pitch.

By the way, I reckon the attractive football is why we are up at the 10K mark right now. If we were playing the dross we all witnessed 2-3 seasons ago, coupled with the shabby PR coming from the board we are getting today, we would be down at 6-7K.

 

Dont get me wrong

I've missed games this season due to other commitments, and Im not lauding it above anyone for clocking up the motorway miles whilst they're sat at home listening to 909 or similar cos I've done that in the last few years myself, and there'll be a few that havent missed a game for ages. but you cant complain about the football we're playing, without big name signings. nor the value for money for that matter, you just cant. hiding behind poor marketing or a queue at the East Stand bar or not being able to buy a match ticket online is pathetic when it comes down to it, there are a few thousand that live within a short bus or train journey that simply cant be arsed but expect loyalty in return.

we're playing fantastic, flowing attacking football in the Championship. enjoy it while you can, but dont be surprised if the players and the manager who have begged to see more of you at Oakwell arent around next season.

 

lack of box office signings

= poor attendances

id rather watch Chopra than Wright
id rather watch Mcphail than Kell

we havent even got a number 9

 

One other thing tho

stay away #3: buys a season ticket but for work, geographical and/or family commitments cant make every home game. fair do's to them, even tho they may or may not be 'counted' in the official attendance, thats as much as you can ask I guess.

 

I take your point

I was pleasantly surprised at the Plymouth game at how we played.  The passion and passing style of football was a pleasure to watch.  Sure there were weaknesses and we looked suspect at times but I really enjoyed the match.  I also took my Dad who lives locally, ex-season ticket holder who stopped going a couple of seasons ago as he just lost interest.  After Tuesday he has decided he will pop down a little more often and I will do my best to get up there soon as well.  So the attractive football is helping albeit in small ways. 

 

Is that Gordon Shepherd? You're starting to win people over...

...not many people speaking highly of him right now.

 

Last 20 yrs. Av attendances

<font size="2">

Season ending Av Attendance</p>

2006 9045</p>

2005 9775</p>

2004 9620</p>

2003 9758</p>

2002 13323</p>

2001 14465</p>

2000 15401</p>

1999 16269</p>

1998 18443</p>

1997 11407</p>

1996 8118</p>

1995 6526</p>

1994 7552</p>

1993 6417</p>

1992 7506</p>

1991 8934</p>

1990 9017</p>

1989 7224</p>

1988 7683</p>

1987 5870</p></font>

 

Agreed, i basically can't see a valid argument for not coming down to well this season

 

Why not extend it to 30 years?

And include our better years in the late 70's &amp; 80's</p>

or even back to the 50's when figures were much higher...</p>

 

Err...

2002</p>

2001</p>

2000</p>

1999</p>

 

Thats ********

99/00/01/02</p>

79/80/81/82/83</p>

fifties<font face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"> and before</font></p>

 

we lost them though

and in our current predicament little else matters at the end of the season.

 

RE: we lost them though

not disputed mate, it's just the inference is that we were 'arseholed' (cue) TF ponty type jokes !!

 

RE: Agreed, i basically can't see a valid argument for not coming down to well this season

The valid argument is massive disappointment! Euphria of promotion followed by a feeling of being let down when the squad that starts the championship campaign is on paper weaker than the one from the previous season. there is plenty of time for signing new players we are told they can come after the season starts! we should give the players who got promotion a chance! We are close to making a signing! We dont need any new players! We can still get loan players! we dont need a striker we need a central defender! A striker is still our priority! We were so close! And then ofcourse the manager decides to do the negotiating for new players from Spain! Where do his priorities lie!