Boby Brno Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 I think that the most important point that has been made on this thread is the need to simplify the whole process of attending games. If you hadn't been for a while and you felt like attending the next home game with a few mates, you would have to go online to find out the ticket office number, what category of game it was and when the tickets went on general sale. Assuming you could be arsed to do that, you would then have to ring round all your mates and ask them to commit to going to the game in advance so that you could book all the seats together. You would then have to pay for the whole lot on your credit card (assuming you have one) and then get each individual person you've booked for to pay you back. When you arrive at the ground, you then have to queue up for your tickets before queueing up all over again to hand the tickets to a turnstile operator! Is it any wonder people can't be bothered? But yet the solution is blatantly obvious. If you have a few cash turnstiles, it removes all these barriers to attending for people who don't go regularly. Other teams in the Premier League do it, so why can't BWFC? I think your points are valid for most of the season but this thread started amid concerns about Wednesdays match being poorly supported. Against City it was a tenner for season ticket holders and 15 quid for non season ticket holders, no tickets on sale the day of the match (police instructions) Nice simple and cheap but people still 'could'nt be arsed. The club are not perfect but they have done more than most clubs.
Guest as Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Spoke to someone from BWFC in Skopje. They know this website very well indeed. If that's the case - WE NEED A TICKET OFFICE IN THE TOWN CENTRE. You think they heard? I doubt it
BeeDee Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 If that's the case - WE NEED A TICKET OFFICE IN THE TOWN CENTRE. Didn't they used to sell tickets at the counter thingimy in the Market Hall?
jayjayoghani Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Didn't they used to sell tickets at the counter thingimy in the Market Hall? Yes. Closed and never replaced.
Mounts Kipper Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Bring back Ribble coaches from Moor lane bus station there was some riff raf on them coaches, dont think you needed to book just turn up morning of the match and away you went.
Guest as Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Didn't they used to sell tickets at the counter thingimy in the Market Hall? They used too, but most people I knew had no idea it was there :::::::::: BWFC - run by amateurs. If only they were as good with the fans & their needs, as they are keeping tabs on the purse strings, eh I remember when they built the hotel & told us it'd be raking it in for the club in the coming years. Well we're now an established PL team (until next year - Gary Megson indeed ) and the thing has achieved nowt. They floated us on the stock exchange and managed to almost bankrupt us. They claimed they could sell the land at Burnden and failed to even manage that. We upped sticks to a retail park in the middle of nowhere & then got slated for losing interest in watching football at a steward-happy breezeblock Well done to all at BWFC - under your guidance we'll be in the lower leagues and getting 6,000 a week on again in no time
bristol_wanderer Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 I don't think they care at all, we could carry this thread on for months and nothing would happen - anything that involves them actually getting off their arse and initiating something isn't on the cards. Fans met the club & they didn't listen...............so what's the point? They'll soon listen when the only people going to the match or serious die-hards & the odd day tripper who bobs in while his missus is shopping on Middlebrook. Someone mentioned Gartside being interested in what the fans want - if that's the case, then he should try and do something before we're in the Blackburn & Wigan clique of no fans & no noise. Unlike most of you, I don't have kids to feed or anything like that. But my simple reason for buying a ticket for Braga and not going (watched it in the pub) is that it's more of a chore than something I enjoy. I could have gone to the city game, but really couldn't be bothered - I hate that place and everything about it. The pubs are sh?t, getting a train back to Bolton is an hour wait sometimes and you get the feeling the club only care about the women & kids buying their f?cking cinema hot-dogs. I hope I f?ck it off completely soon - waste of time, waste of money & it's such a sh?t day out going to the Reebok now. "and a rice and easy chip shop would also help." with you on that one, MK It was probably me who suggested PG is interested, and I am confident in saying he is. All you have to do is to think through your points, put them in an email and send it. He may not reply, because there are times when he gets a lot emails from fans, but I know of a number of fans who have met or communicated with him on the back of an initial email. You need to keep trying, IMO he appreciates the input even if he can't get round to replying. Obviousdy, any numpty, abusive emails will be counter productive. pgartside@bwfc.co.uk There are too many comments around suggesting the club, or senior figures within the club aren't interested. They are (IMO), as anyone responsible for a company would be if it was losing customers and therefore money. Put yourself in their shoes, it is not easy running any company, they have worked hard over the years to get BWFC into a respected Prem club, with top players, whilst managing a crippling debt. Crowds have been down over the last four years, and to them I am sure it is hard to understand why (it is hard for me to understand why). It is far easier to moan about it and blame those running the club than it is to do something, or help to do something, constructive about it. A number of these ideas are easy to talk about in a thread like this, but not so easy when you sit down round a table and think about the full implications of them. For example, my personal favourite is the opening up of the premier suite, and I believe it is achievable but the following needs thinking about: Is there enough time to clean up the Premier suite and prepare for evening functions (thinking 3pm kick offs)? What about varying kick off times (5.15 kick off times presumably a no no for the Premier suite)? Would you want have this function available some games but not others? Would it work - would enough fans use it? Controlling access - ST and membership only - but a number of fans who might use it aren't either of these? If not ST holders/members - stopping away fans? DJ required? Extra hardware - sound systems, video screens etc.? That is just the tip of the iceberg. But go for it. We need those us who are interested to start to make a difference, and if there are fundamental issues, to be tenatious with the club in trying to resolve them. But also, our club are no worse than most others, and have responded well to fans issues in recent times (ticket initiatives, reduced ST prices, free travel to Arsenal, beer systems for HT, better pies).
no balls Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Is there enough time to clean up the Premier suite and prepare for evening functions (thinking 3pm kick offs)?What about varying kick off times (5.15 kick off times presumably a no no for the Premier suite)? Although I see your point regarding this, one poignant point being you mention evening functions. I haven't a clue how much the club make from these, but the fact is, if this would bring more people (and therefore more money) to the games it is surely worth more than the profit from they may make from a wedding/21st/barmitzva etc etc. This is one of the big problems in 21st century football I see from the comments in this thread. BWFC is a football club and I know they want to make a profit, but they should look at the football side of things as to profit from first as there appear to be so many disenfranchised folk out there, there will be no football club in my lifetime at this rate.
C86 Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 (edited) Shouldn't take much to have an "Cash point" type thingy where you can purchase tickets, bit like the the Fast Lane at ASDA. No doubt it would end up the "The Ticket office as fcuked up again" machine. Edited November 2, 2007 by Crew86
Mounts Kipper Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Although I see your point regarding this, one poignant point being you mention evening functions. I haven't a clue how much the club make from these, but the fact is, if this would bring more people (and therefore more money) to the games it is surely worth more than the profit from they may make from a wedding/21st/barmitzva etc etc. This is one of the big problems in 21st century football I see from the comments in this thread. BWFC is a football club and I know they want to make a profit, but they should look at the football side of things as to profit from first as there appear to be so many disenfranchised folk out there, there will be no football club in my lifetime at this rate. absoloutely spot on, the football side of the business should come first everytime, when we went to the meetings and mike needham said we could not have any of the suites because they maybe booked for partys, I thought is this a football club? you would make more money in 2 hours if the suite was full of ale drinking bolton fans and the added benefit of 3-500 fans actually coming back to support the club because of this would massively outweigh the financial returns of the occasional function.
Bobcat Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Is there enough time to clean up the Premier suite and prepare for evening functions (thinking 3pm kick offs)?What about varying kick off times (5.15 kick off times presumably a no no for the Premier suite)? Would you want have this function available some games but not others? Would it work - would enough fans use it? Controlling access - ST and membership only - but a number of fans who might use it aren't either of these? If not ST holders/members - stopping away fans? DJ required? Extra hardware - sound systems, video screens etc.? The upstairs rooms are have to be vacated for 6....shouldn't the same apply to the room downstairs we are talking about?? For kick off times eg 5.15..then we appreciate it can be used only before the game... As Scott's etc access only by ticket... Having been to boxing do's there the screen and sound system is already in place... as said before it was such a easy win for all...and the excuses given by the club were poor. Now my biggest gripe is that the Reebok feels like it's straight in..match..straight out..this would relieve that feeling a little... I also mentioned in discussions with the club...and i appreciate that this is also a council matter... that the walk from the train station to the ground that road should be full of burger vans...stalls selling merchandise...etc...creating a atmosphere before you get in the ground...
BeeDee Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 I agree the opening up of the premier suite is a good idea and I think would prove to be popular. As for tidying up for functions in the evening I dont buy that excuse. The Reebok stadiums primary function is a FOOTBALL stadium, and football should take priority over everything else. Wigan manage it for every home game. They have about 3 suites that I'm aware of they open for every home game. And how much equipment does it need? We dont want a DJ thats one of the things that kills a good sing song. Maybe a couple of projectors, a couple of bars (already in place) , open couple hours before game and job done.
C86 Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Kick off times are shite too, not the clubs fault but they do have a say....... For me Football was always a Sat afternoon and Tues/Wed nights, may be the odd Sunday at 11am cause we'd been playing up the year before Because the Sat 3pm matches are rare, most people have found other things to do on the "blank" sat's. That's why pre-seaon seems to be easy over the last few years. I remember when pre-season was like coming off crack.
C86 Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 The upstairs rooms are have to be vacated for 6....shouldn't the same apply to the room downstairs we are talking about?? For kick off times eg 5.15..then we appreciate it can be used only before the game... As Scott's etc access only by ticket... Having been to boxing do's there the screen and sound system is already in place... as said before it was such a easy win for all...and the excuses given by the club were poor. Now my biggest gripe is that the Reebok feels like it's straight in..match..straight out..this would relieve that feeling a little... I also mentioned in discussions with the club...and i appreciate that this is also a council matter... that the walk from the train station to the ground that road should be full of burger vans...stalls selling merchandise...etc...creating a atmosphere before you get in the ground... I'm sure the artists impression before we started work on the Reebok showed a "cafe style culture" around the stadium, sure I have the pic somewhere. It showed tables and parasols (brollies) around the concourse.
BeeDee Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 I'm sure the artists impression before we started work on the Reebok showed a "cafe style culture" around the stadium, sure I have the pic somewhere. It showed tables and parasols (brollies) around the concourse. Aren't they outside subway??
Mounts Kipper Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 The upstairs rooms are have to be vacated for 6....shouldn't the same apply to the room downstairs we are talking about?? For kick off times eg 5.15..then we appreciate it can be used only before the game... As Scott's etc access only by ticket... Having been to boxing do's there the screen and sound system is already in place... as said before it was such a easy win for all...and the excuses given by the club were poor. Now my biggest gripe is that the Reebok feels like it's straight in..match..straight out..this would relieve that feeling a little... I also mentioned in discussions with the club...and i appreciate that this is also a council matter... that the walk from the train station to the ground that road should be full of burger vans...stalls selling merchandise...etc...creating a atmosphere before you get in the ground... this to me is a real problem it is all a little to cold, if the club think the 90 minutes is all that matters they are not living in the real world, football is a social event drinking/singing/ meeting mates and being part of the fabric of the town and the football club is essential to develop loyalty, the club have to create this or and at the risk of becoming repetitive, reap what they sow, if the current trend continues, they have seen nothing yet.
no balls Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Do we think it's time to send a letter, well worded and constructive, to the club to re-open dialogue? They don't seem to be doing, so shall we be the bigger people & offer the hand of friendship?
trotter58 Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 I think your points are valid for most of the season but this thread started amid concerns about Wednesdays match being poorly supported. Against City it was a tenner for season ticket holders and 15 quid for non season ticket holders, no tickets on sale the day of the match (police instructions)Nice simple and cheap but people still 'could'nt be arsed. The club are not perfect but they have done more than most clubs. You haven't addressed the central issue. Pricing structure is only one of the issues complicating the whole process of actually attending a game. Attending the City game for example, was anything but 'simple'. How many people would have wanted to go and yet weren't able to because no tickets were on sale on the day of the game? Alternatively, if they'd wanted to purchase in advance they would have had to produce evidence that they were a bona fide BWFC supporter. A couple of people who post on here were caught out by that so what chance does the casual supporters have?
Guest as Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 Do we think it's time to send a letter, well worded and constructive, to the club to re-open dialogue? They don't seem to be doing, so shall we be the bigger people & offer the hand of friendship? It is, but do you really think there's any point? For all this 'the club does listen' nonsense, we've been highlighting the same problems on this site for years. And they're still there and nothing has been done about them. People met the club & by all accounts they're a pig-ignorant bunch of excuse makers who didn't even seem interested. I'm convinced they don't give a f?ck, so feel free to waste your time.
Smiffs Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 So then, a general summary........ 1. Shop/ticket office in our own town centre. Make it as simple as possible to et tickets, even up to an hour before KO. 2. Unreserved 15 quid seats for the whole of the North Stand. First come, first served. 3. Increased train/bus service to/from the town centre. 4. Outside 'entertainment' - vans, stalls, fruitcakes with 'The End is Nigh' sandwich boards. 5. Open up the Premier Suite with a tradition Bolton Wanderers theme for a couple of hours either side for a good ol' well oiled sing song. 6. Relax the hardline facist approach from the glorified shopping trolley collectors in orange jackets. And one point to add myself, don't hide behind the 'segregation' of the stands, tell it as it is, West Stand is for families and normals, North Stand for lads to be lads, East Stand for the rest. That way, everyone knows the score. And finally, how much affect has the smoking ban had?
SatanGreavsie Posted November 2, 2007 Posted November 2, 2007 absoloutely spot on, the football side of the business should come first everytime, when we went to the meetings and mike needham said we could not have any of the suites because they maybe booked for partys, I thought is this a football club? you would make more money in 2 hours if the suite was full of ale drinking bolton fans and the added benefit of 3-500 fans actually coming back to support the club because of this would massively outweigh the financial returns of the occasional function. absolutely f?cking bob-on I came away from them meetings thinking that the pre-match boozing site was a sure fire winner for all...and the excuse was to the effect of "we wouldnt be able to....". And I'm thinking who the hell is "we"? the club own the bastard place! And I hate to admit it but Wigan are a good example of what can be done, with their Marquee Club. And even if you have to clear up after the pre-match ale, how many extra staff on basic salary does that take? 20? For 3 hours? So a few hundred quid. Anelka has probably earned that during the course of a rather long fart.... I also mentioned in discussions with the club...and i appreciate that this is also a council matter...that the walk from the train station to the ground that road should be full of burger vans...stalls selling merchandise...etc...creating a atmosphere before you get in the ground again, bang-on
MickyD Posted November 3, 2007 Posted November 3, 2007 For the club to say "We're not allowed . . ." is bollocks if it's to do with selling ale pre-match. The pubs do it ffs! More like they've been told by the Middlebrook Management that their job is to stage football matches/concerts. The pub's job is to supply food/ale. If they started allowing BWFC to sell ale to allcomers they'd put many pubs out of business.
Mounts Kipper Posted November 3, 2007 Posted November 3, 2007 So then, a general summary........ 1. Shop/ticket office in our own town centre. Make it as simple as possible to et tickets, even up to an hour before KO. 2. Unreserved 15 quid seats for the whole of the North Stand. First come, first served. 3. Increased train/bus service to/from the town centre. 4. Outside 'entertainment' - vans, stalls, fruitcakes with 'The End is Nigh' sandwich boards. 5. Open up the Premier Suite with a tradition Bolton Wanderers theme for a couple of hours either side for a good ol' well oiled sing song. 6. Relax the hardline facist approach from the glorified shopping trolley collectors in orange jackets. And one point to add myself, don't hide behind the 'segregation' of the stands, tell it as it is, West Stand is for families and normals, North Stand for lads to be lads, East Stand for the rest. That way, everyone knows the score. And finally, how much affect has the smoking ban had? All these suggestions need acting on Immiediately by BWFC P.L.C. this is the people of bolton's club not eddie davies P.G. or warburtons they only hold the keys, the fans are the club and we will take the club back whether it is now or when we sink back down the leagues, it will be returned to the working class who are the traditional backbone of the clubs support, we will have a designated area to meet within the stadium for a drink before the game, we will have a cheap seating area designated for the people who want to show passion and sing, without orange coated monkeys hauling the weaker members of the crowd out just because they are bullys, BWFC PLC it will happen with or without your approval, the paying public will demand it and are already turning there back because you will not listen.
victor meldrew Posted November 3, 2007 Posted November 3, 2007 the club did have a ticket office/ shop in the maket place.......it was closed because not enough people used it !!!!!!
frank_spencer Posted November 3, 2007 Posted November 3, 2007 the club did have a ticket office/ shop in the maket place.......it was closed because not enough people used it !!!!!! No it was closed because the part of the building it was in was being turned into a building site!
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