Phil Gartside has told Bolton fans to turn up in force if they want to keep the players happy.

 

Even though Bolton are pushing for a UEFA Champions League spot, crowds have been 2,000 down on last season and 5,000 below The Reebok Stadium's 28,000 capacity.

 

And Gartside is worried Bolton's failure to sell out their ground will have a negative affect on the players.

 

The chairman is particularly concerned about Nicolas Anelka, who has experience of playing in front of packed houses at Arsenal, Real Madrid and Liverpool.

 

"If we want to keep players like Nicolas Anelka happy, then we've got to give them the support they deserve," said Gartside.

 

"Fans have to realise they can help the players, especially the likes of Nicolas who are used to playing in major stadiums in front of big crowds.

 

"We need to improve the atmosphere here."

 

Gartside accepts that ticket prices are driving the supporters away and plans to use money from a new television deal to keep costs down, but he insists the fans must also play their part.

 

"We can't keep discounting tickets," he explained.

 

"Some of the TV money will go towards keeping the cost of football down, but we need the fans to get behind us now."

Edited February 8, 200719 yr by HomerJay

Thought i'd email Mr Sharrock and make sure he would be putting the feedback to the club.

 

From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To: gsharrock@theboltonnews.co.uk

Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 11:37 AM

Subject: Gartside Comments

 

 

Gordon,

 

Can you please reassure me that something will be done regarding the response to comments made by Phil Gartside yesterday. Clearly there is a lot of angry feeling from supporters. Actions needs to be taken and the club must be presented with our feedback and put in a situation where they HAVE to respond to our gripes. I would hope either yourself or someone from the BEN would highlight the clubs error and point out that the club should start to treat the fans better, as we are being referred to more and more as customers nowadays. Which business would speak to their customers in such a way?

 

 

Regards

 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

----- Original Message -----

 

 

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxxx,

 

Thank you for the correspondence.

I can assure you that Bolton Wanderers and Phil Gartside are fully aware of the the unprecedented wave of reaction to the chairman's comments regarding the stayaway fans. We have asked for a response but, at the moment, they are making no comment.

We expect a response in the next 24 hours an we will take it from there.

 

Regards

 

Gordon

Edited February 8, 200719 yr by jimmyjoojar

unless your owd eyes can't see that far, you'll have noticed that as often as not, theres nobody in the away lower bit

 

and explain besiktas?

 

bolton fans - looking for somebody to blame for not being able to make some noise

 

ffs, we made more racket with 6 thou on in the 80s

Well sell tickets for the lower first ffs. It's not rocket science you ageist!

I agree it's pretty sterile but that is a whole new thread relating to it being all seater, change in demographics at a match, people having to drive as it's out of town and so less likely to have an ale induced singing voice, folk not liking you shouting and bauling next to them and getting an orange jacket to tell you off etc etc. Besiktas is a great example of people still with passion for the game but weren't they stood up? And the geography of the stadium is very different. This standing up issue seriously does need looking into. Excuse the pun but, to ban it was overkill.

Oh and I might add I did start a thread to try and make it less friendly for away fans by not announcing the away scorer. I'm so glad they listened to my opinion.

unless your owd eyes can't see that far, you'll have noticed that as often as not, theres nobody in the away lower bit

 

and explain besiktas?

 

bolton fans - looking for somebody to blame for not being able to make some noise

 

ffs, we made more racket with 6 thou on in the 80s

 

The atmosphere in the stadium was better when the away fans & the east Lower were side-by-side, I don't know how you can say otherwise. Now, they're sat next to the wooly-woofters in the West Stand, who don't make a noise for the whole 90 mins.

 

The bottom bit of the away end should be sold first really, as it would help the atmosphere having fans near enough to actually interact with each other. Remember that Wolves game on a Friday night years ago, great banter between the 2 sets of fans in the South & East Lower..........although it did result in a spot of fisticuffs outside afterwards.

 

Getting a banter between the West Lower & the away fans is like getting you to visit a gym, or not bothering with that 3rd helping of burger & chips for tea

Edited February 8, 200719 yr by as

Scarily, and although I don't in my wildest dreams expect to come within 5-10 points of a Champions league place, should we get into the Champs, which we won't, I don't even think we'd sell out at the Reebok.

Scarily, and although I don't in my wildest dreams expect to come within 5-10 points of a Champions league place, should we get into the Champs, which we won't, I don't even think we'd sell out at the Reebok.

It would all depend on who we play:

 

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Rangers, Celtic would all sell out

 

FC Brondby, Dukla Prague, Schalke 04 etc wouldn't

It would all depend on who we play:

 

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Rangers, Celtic would all sell out

 

FC Brondby, Dukla Prague, Schalke 04 etc wouldn't

 

I hope so as I got one of their away kits for Christmas...

It would all depend on who we play:

 

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Rangers, Celtic would all sell out

 

FC Brondby, Dukla Prague, Schalke 04 etc wouldn't

 

Not sure about that .... Celtic & Rangers would be sell-outs only if we let the away team have 10,000+ tickets.

Real Madrid & Barcelona ? Dubious - probably around 25,000, depending on ticket prices.

Anyone else ? No way.

 

I'm still puzzled why, when BW had a home friendly with Sao Paulo, only 2,000 could be bothered at a cheap ticket price with nothing else much on that afternoon. Sure it was only a friendly, but how often do the Whites play any Brazilian team and how often do fans get to see such a team live ?

 

On similar lines 28,500 saw England U-21's at Derby the other night. Apparently 4 previous U-21s there have had crowds around 30,000. How many would be at the Reebok for such a fixture, presumably with the FA setting prices ? That's not just about BW fans, since the Reebok is easy to get to for any England fans in the North-West & West Yorks. I'd guess 15,000 or so .... so what's the problem ?

 

But as someone reminded us in the BEN debate, BW average crowd in the top division in 1978/79 was 23,000 (top attendance around 32,000 for ManU, I think) - at Burnden, near town centre, terraces, cheap prices, Worthy in his prime, players not overpaid primadonnas ....... admittedly rubbish toilets & refreshments though (:::::::::::.

On similar lines 28,500 saw England U-21's at Derby the other night. Apparently 4 previous U-21s there have had crowds around 30,000. How many would be at the Reebok for such a fixture, presumably with the FA setting prices ? That's not just about BW fans, since the Reebok is easy to get to for any England fans in the North-West & West Yorks. I'd guess 15,000 or so .... so what's the problem ?

Just over ten thousand.

 

I went. It was rubbish.

 

http://www.thefa.com/England/U21s/NewsAndF...02/09/23736.htm

These are the words of a man who chose to visit Australia during the January transfer period. I fuc.king hate being told how to support my club

I hope so as I got one of their away kits for Christmas...

 

Ha ha! Weren't they Tranmere supporters?

Ha ha! Weren't they Tranmere supporters?

 

I think so, and they're certainly from Birkenhead. Playing Manchester Academy (not sure whih one) a week on Friday.

Ha ha! Weren't they Tranmere supporters?

 

I'm going watching them on 23rd, it's at the Academy 1 which is a bit big for a band like them so won't be sold out, I blame the fans. Full circle.

Getting a banter between the West Lower & the away fans is like getting you to visit a gym, or not bothering with that 3rd helping of burger & chips for tea

 

you will insist on putting two sugars in my brews

 

now lad, get that photocopying done

interestingly, 50% of folk reckon what he said is reet

 

over half of those think he shouldn't have said it

In the words of a wise person...there's things you think, and things you say.....

In answer to AS's post about lack of banter between away fans and West Lower patrons; you're right, there is very little. Not because we're scared to, though. More to do with it being a family stand. As such, many of the lads around me who used to do the old 'banter' stuff with the away fans are now:

• grown up
  
• with family
  
• both
  

It is precisely the reason the away fans were put there.

 

I wrote to the club at the beginning of the season which saw the away fans at our side. I warned that someone might get hurt if anything ugly happened. Later on that season my son was hit by a coin. The season after a chap in the seats behind me got a coin in the face.

You'd be welcome to all this stuff if it's what entertains youbecause it certainly didn't entertain me!

just sent this to gartsides bw e-mail address

 

 

 

mr gartside,

although i agree with your call for more fans at the reebok,i feel a lot of the problems lie at the clubs feet.

the ticket office is second to none in its ineptitude,faults include slow service, admin charges at ??1.50 are a joke.

in a recent example i attended a game with 5 members of my family,who at the time five of which had season tickets.

i had mistakenly brought an out of date season ticket,and although i told them the present one was at home on the fireplace,they still insisted on me paying to get in.

this was at three fifteen,and they knew the ticket had not been activated that game.

secondly the stewarding leaves a lot to be desired, you put a band next to supporters to gee them up,and when they get involved the orange coated warriors go in heavy handed.

why not try a small section of unreserved seating,then those who wish to be more lively would not inconvenience the sit down brigade.

football support is dying because,the more passionate supporters were and still are being alienated by the new breed of "supporter".

and by the time clubs realise this it may well be too late to get them back.

Edited February 8, 200719 yr by BWFCOLINH58

PGartside@BWFC.co.uk

Bolton fans don't deserve class players like Anelka playing in a white shirt...moaning bastards. If we were only allowed to have the quality of players in the team to match the quality of fans, we wouldn't be in the premier league that's for sure. Did you feel the atmosphere and passion of the Marseille/Besiktas/Plovdiv fans in their own stadiums?and they were only playing a small no-mark club from England that they had never heard of. What would they be like at a local derby.

Gartside has put his hand in his pocket to pay the megabucks transfer fee and wages.

Maybe the fans of Anelka's next club will appreciate him more. I wouldn't be surprised if he f*cked off at the end of the season. We don't deserve a chairman like Gartside either, he is a Bolton Wanderers fan as well.

well put zozzy, but their supporters are allowed to be passionate.

we are not.......

just sent this to gartsides bw e-mail address

mr gartside,

although i agree with your call for more fans at the reebok,i feel a lot of the problems lie at the clubs feet.

the ticket office is second to none in its ineptitude,faults include slow service, admin charges at ??1.50 are a joke.

in a recent example i attended a game with 5 members of my family,who at the time five of which had season tickets.

i had mistakenly brought an out of date season ticket,and although i told them the present one was at home on the fireplace,they still insisted on me paying to get in.

this was at three fifteen,and they knew the ticket had not been activated that game.

secondly the stewarding leaves a lot to be desired, you put a band next to supporters to gee them up,and when they get involved the orange coated warriors go in heavy handed.

why not try a small section of unreserved seating,then those who wish to be more lively would not inconvenience the sit down brigade.

football support is dying because,the more passionate supporters were and still are being alienated by the new breed of "supporter".

and by the time clubs realise this it may well be too late to get them back.

 

Good post Colin, i only hope Garty gives it the attention it deserves.

I think that there's a certain amount of truth in Gartside's thinking, but as stated before his tact, along with Allardyce's, is awful.

 

An example on the communications aspect, (and I think I've posted before) Marple White went to Spurs in that League cup game on a Tues, taking a day off work to do so, when we got beaten 6-0 or whatever the score was. We dropped lots of players and were dire. Marple (who's followed the team everywhere week in and out since 80's) wrote a letter complaining and got a letter back from Sam / Garty, calling him spineless. All it needed was a reply saying they appreciated he'd given up his time and money, the reason for the second string playing was to keep fresh legs for the league and they were sorry for the performance.

 

But they didn't as the "little people" don't matter to Garty etc, but soon they'll realise that if you p??ss enough people off (like those who turned up for Charlton, only to b??gger off), sooner or later it starts to add up...

 

And it's not a new thing, since I started going as a kid, the Bolton board has been notorious amongst supporters for not listening and alienating itself from the supporters. They need to realise that has affected generations of local people - and this much hyped and publicised brand called "Premiership football" isn't enough on it's own to bring people back at current prices / atmosphere leverls etc.

 

Having said all that, I see Zozzy's point of view; there are only so many offers the club can make to fans and they'll NEVER EVER please everyone. This may seem contradictory considering what I've said above, but Bolton supporters do seem to be ridiculously high on the scale of moaning and there's always an excuse for folk not to go to the game.

 

BWFC are on the right lines and hopefully will get there eventually, they just need to consult their customers more and the offers etc may be targeted better; I applaud the club for the ??5 tickets etc, but for some it may be too little, too late. Most of all, let's hope they stop treating Bolton-folk with disdain.

 

As for me I'll still be there as I've still got the disease....

In answer to AS's post about lack of banter between away fans and West Lower patrons; you're right, there is very little. Not because we're scared to, though. More to do with it being a family stand. As such, many of the lads around me who used to do the old 'banter' stuff with the away fans are now:

• grown up
  
• with family
  
• both
  

It is precisely the reason the away fans were put there.

 

I wrote to the club at the beginning of the season which saw the away fans at our side. I warned that someone might get hurt if anything ugly happened. Later on that season my son was hit by a coin. The season after a chap in the seats behind me got a coin in the face.

You'd be welcome to all this stuff if it's what entertains youbecause it certainly didn't entertain me!

 

I enjoyed having the away fans next to the East Lower, it was part of going to the match. They moved them to be near the little police control centre effort in the corner of the South/West Stand. I'm assuming that's the reason anyway.

 

As for moaning, fans are the lifeblood of any football club, so our opinion means more than anything FIFA, UEFA, The FA, The Premier League, or anyone else says. Chairman regularly bite the hand that feeds them, and I couldn't care less if Warrington Phil was in the TSB in the 80's, he's still a c??ck.

 

Bolton aren't a big club, who attract fans from all over the country, like many of the teams we're competing against in the Prem.

Edited February 9, 200719 yr by as

Unfortunately, I no longer get pleasure out of being told where I can and cannot go by some arrogant copper nor do I want some idiot telling me when I can and can't sit in the stadium and I certainly don't want to pay ??38 for the privillage. Maybe I'm just getting old

However Zozz, he goes on about atmosphere, yet when ever anyone tries to start any, his orange warriors come in mob handed or the "granny" behind gets all upset that you have dared to show any passion. A full house will not create an atmosphere, so I dont know why he went down this route to be honest, it has had the opposite effect. I have been at stadiums with under 20k and experienced some of the best atmospheres anywhere....Burnden v Wolves, Besiktas, even Watford last Saturday was good, and there was only about 30 of us singing!! Yet fill the Reebok and it will still be poor whilst fans like yourself, Colin, and many more are not allowed to show any passion for the team you support.

 

The club should be applauded for the reduction in ticket prices, and even as a ST I would not mind another match being reduced if it encourages more people to the match, however these people need to be allowed to show some passion for their team, if they are going to be inticed back and hooked like the rest of us were.

Even Captain Kev's having a sly dig about full-houses in his BBC Column: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6338187.stm

"As a player, though, I tend to notice the groans - people getting on your back - more than the roars.

 

That said it is an incredible feeling when you walk out into a full stadium - it really can make a huge difference and raise the team."