http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/wanderers/w..._the_answer.php

 

 

BOLTON Wanderers are banking on new boss Gary Megson delivering results that will lift them clear of the relegation zone and ease growing concerns over a dramatic drop in attendances.

 

Crowd figures at the Reebok have slumped to a record low as the Whites have struggled at the wrong end of the Premiership.

 

And, while they are considering a range of incentives to boost gates, they don't expect any significant improvement until the team starts climbing the table.

 

"The stark reality is that the club is struggling on the pitch," commercial director, Gareth Moores, said.

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New manager; the euphoria of Munich; The reality of Middlesbrough: So can Wanderers avoid the drop?

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"We're in the bottom three and a lot of supporters have voted with their feet.

 

"What we need to do is deliver results, which I'm sure we will.

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"We've seen some terrific performances recently, which we are all confident will soon start to translate into results."

 

The attendance of 17,624 for Sunday's clash with Middlesbrough was the lowest for a Premier League game since the Reebok opened in September 1997, down almost 800 on the previous low for the Aston Villa game a fortnight earlier.

Why are supporters staying away? Tell us what you think in the Comment box below

Why are supporters staying away? Tell us what you think in the Comment box below

 

And although the drop was almost entirely accounted for by the number of visiting supporters, the crowd was 3,500 lower than the correspondiong fixture last season, despite an incentive offering season ticket holders a chance to bring a friend and get a free ticket for the forthcoming UEFA Cup game against Aris Salonica.

 

"Previous incentives, when we have reduced ticket prices, have been very successful," Moores said. "But we had comments from season ticket holders asking What is in it for us?' So instead of reducing the ticket price, we did it slightly different for the Middlesbrough game and offered the incentive to the season ticket holders.

 

"Unfortunately, that was not anywhere near as successful, but we'll certainly review the situation and might consider doing something similar again, although it's not necessarily a pricing thing. Results and performances are the main factor."

 

Attendances are currently averaging 20,558 - down 13 per cent on last season's average which was 6.5 per cent down on the previous year's - despite a 10 per cent drop in season ticket prices. A variety of factors have contributed to the decline: the lack of a big name signing, 10 home games in the first three months, and the managerial turmoil.

We want all supporters to give the club their backing and there are a great number who are and many more will as soon as results start to come

- commercial director, Gareth Moores

 

But it is results - Wanderers have won just one of their first 13 Premier League games - that are proving a turn-off for the fans.

 

"The Aston Villa game was sandwiched between two cup games and clearly attending Premier League football is a (financial) burden on every family," Moores acknowledged. "Many selected one or both the cup gmes and chose to sit at home and watch the Aston Villa game on Sky.

 

"We have had a lot of home games in a short space of time. But we can't get complacent. What will bring people back to the Reebok is good football and winning games.

 

"We can slash prices - as we did for the first European game (against Rabotnicki) when we only charged ?5 - but even that didn't fill the stadium."

 

The Boro gate - more than 10,000 down on the Reebok's capacity - came just three days after 4,000 Wanderers fans cheered the team's dramatic 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup. But Wanderers acknowledged that many of those who travelled to Germany had taken a financial hammering.

 

"There were a lot of positives to take from that, which might have suggested there'd be an attendance bounce," Moores said, "but, on the other hand, a lot of people spent an awful lot of money going to Munich and there are, clearly, more attractive fixtures than Bolton-Middlesbrough.

 

"It is a concern for us, absolutely. But it isn't just a Bolton Wanderers problem. There has been an attendance decline across a number of clubs in recent years. The one thing we have to recognise is that our position in the league is far lower than the position we have enjoyed in recent years.

 

"We want all supporters to give the club their backing and there are a great number who are and many more will as soon as results start to come.

 

"Season ticket sales were down to just under 14,000 in the summer but we had just come off the back of four years as the fifth best performing team in the Premier League. Sam Allardyce left the club and a lot of people thought we had reached the top of the mountain."

 

I know this has been done a million times before, but what exactly is Gareth Moores getting paid for? Attendances have nothing to do with the poor league form, think back 5 years Mr Moores.

 

Why won't they just listen to the fans and do the 3 things necessary that we know will boost the attendances. Althought I can't prove it, Im pretty sure that if the 3 points below were implemented then the the Reebok would be sold out most games. (one thing for sure, it would boost attendances much more than any of the ideas them at the Reebok have come up with.

 

1) Change the ticket prices, I know people say its all about setting the price at the right amount to maximise the money we make, but maybe its time we changed our approach and realised that having a sold out Reebok with a decent atmosphere is more important. If that means cutting back in other areas, then so be it.

 

All tickets, regardless of who we play should be ?20 adults & ?10 kids. Stop all the f?cking about with different category's and different prices for each stand.

 

2) I know we cant have a terraced standing stand, but sureley there are ways round it. Im fed up of going to the game and being told to sit down or to stop swearing. Now I can understand people not wanting someone stood up in front of them everytime the ball goes out of play or theres a chance and I can see why parents don't want their children hearing the F word every other sentance, but is it that hard to seperate the two and please everyone?

 

Why not just make it known that if you want to stand, sing, swear then go in a certain part of the stadium (North lower) and if you dont want that, then sit in one of the other stands. It keeps everyone pleased and stops everyone (both sides)getting p?ssed off.

 

Gartside can have word with the orange warriors and tell them to turn a blind eye on the standing in the North Lower. Its not as if we would be the only ones at it, every ground in the premiership there is a certain part that stands throughout the game.

 

If anyone at the Reebok is reading this, you should of sat yourself in the Bolton end in Munich, the atmosphere was brilliant and its because people could stand, its that simple.

 

3) The Supporters bar in the Premier Suite a couple of hours before and after the game. I don't want to hear excuses why it can't be done, if the attendances and atmosphere mean as much as you say it does, you will find a way to sort it.

dont know if any one fom reebok is reading this, but if you are, get rid of moores and get this lad in, he made more sense in this post than a months worth of your stategy meetings and graphs and statistics bollox.

spot on

great post but you are preaching to the wrong people, we all know that what you are saying is correct its the knobs at the club that wont or choose not to listen

He's got to be taking the piss if he's thrown this sentence into the article:

 

There were a lot of positives to take from that

He's got to be taking the piss if he's thrown this sentence into the article:

 

That would be Mr.Moores trying to justify his salary

 

Does anyone think, on the sly, he realises what an awful job he is doing?

It has been pointed out clearly to the bolton board what the hardcore fans are thinking, they have taken no notice of virtually every point that was raised, there is nothing more that can be done by the fans, my main worry is the decline has not yet bottomed out and I can seriously see within 5 years a club close to bankruptcy if things do not change.

"Unfortunately, that was not anywhere near as successful, but we'll certainly review the situation and might consider doing something similar again, although it's not necessarily a pricing thing. Results and performances are the main factor."

 

this part is hard to understand, he is saying basically the idea didn't work but after "a review" they might do it again? why? no review needed answers are posted above. perfomances, although like too see good ones, are not why people are not going, the whole experience of attending a match needs to be good. used to have a great time when we were a lot worse than we ae now

That would be Mr.Moores trying to justify his salary

 

Does anyone think, on the sly, he realises what an awful job he is doing?

 

It's a cast iron certainty. But why should he walk away from a salary like he's on, I know I wouldn't.

he's right in a way.

 

this might be the ultimate extreme but United and liverpool do not reduce ticket prices or have a supporters bar or any of that jazz. OK standing in the Kop and stretford end may be over looked but thats only a small percentage of the ground.

 

the ST prices this year are less than last season but we sold less. the only thing changed has been our performances at the end of last season. ticket prices are the same as last season but our attendance on Sunday was way down on last years equivalent match as we're doing shoite!

he's right in a way.

 

this might be the ultimate extreme but United and liverpool do not reduce ticket prices or have a supporters bar or any of that jazz. OK standing in the Kop and stretford end may be over looked but thats only a small percentage of the ground.

 

the ST prices this year are less than last season but we sold less. the only thing changed has been our performances at the end of last season. ticket prices are the same as last season but our attendance on Sunday was way down on last years equivalent match as we're doing shoite!

 

Come on Frank, your being daft now. How can you compare like for like?

Garrp is spot on,although i think we could be getting 25,000 near enough every home game by just dropping prices.

I don't think ?20 would be low enough this season when we have got less than 14,000 season ticket holders though.

For example when we play Fulham midweek in January,people won't pay ?20 for that in their thousands.

he's right in a way.

 

this might be the ultimate extreme but United and liverpool do not reduce ticket prices or have a supporters bar or any of that jazz. OK standing in the Kop and stretford end may be over looked but thats only a small percentage of the ground.

 

the ST prices this year are less than last season but we sold less. the only thing changed has been our performances at the end of last season. ticket prices are the same as last season but our attendance on Sunday was way down on last years equivalent match as we're doing shoite!

you cant compare us and them, some of the points would make sense if we were on the subject of why are we not attracting new fans but we arent, it is the concens that fans are stopping going and there is a subtle difference between the two problems

Garrp is spot on,although i think we could be getting 25,000 near enough every home game by just dropping prices.

I don't think ?20 would be low enough this season when we have got less than 14,000 season ticket holders though.

For example when we play Fulham midweek in January,people won't pay ?20 for that in their thousands.

 

 

George I understand what you are saying, but isn't that because people are no longer enjoying it? If you are going every weekend at ?20 a pop, enjoying yourself having a good sing song with a decent atmosphere, rather than sat in a morgue, surely you would go Fulham at ?20 midweek?

Thing is, are we saying we should drop prices because we can afford to thanks to tv money, or because its the only way to get fans in? If its the latter then presumably we'd have to drop them even further if we went down and stayed down (ie beyond the parachute money period)? But that's not on - as I pointed out in a previous thread, the walk up price at Rotherham v Bury recently was ?20. You can pay that in bigger games in the Conference now.

Thing is, are we saying we should drop prices because we can afford to thanks to tv money, or because its the only way to get fans in? If its the latter then presumably we'd have to drop them even further if we went down and stayed down (ie beyond the parachute money period)? But that's not on - as I pointed out in a previous thread, the walk up price at Rotherham v Bury recently was ?20. You can pay that in bigger games in the Conference now.

 

 

I don't think its just the one reason. They could make all tickets ?5 each, but we still wouldn't sell out long term if things at the Reebok stay the same. The match day experience needs changing drastically with points 2 and 3 I posted above, not ?rsing about with some of the things they have been doing.

Personally I think you're all making excuses.

 

Low turn-outs are nothing to do with ticket prices, atmosphere or stewards - it's down to the absolute garbage offered on the pitch, usually by both teams.

 

The simple fact is that all but the very die-hard want to be entertained and I'm afraid modern day football is rarely about entertainment. Sad, but true.

Personally I think you're all making excuses.

 

Low turn-outs are nothing to do with ticket prices, atmosphere or stewards - it's down to the absolute garbage offered on the pitch, usually by both teams.

 

The simple fact is that all but the very die-hard want to be entertained and I'm afraid modern day football is rarely about entertainment. Sad, but true.

 

Ok, so can you explain how our attendaces last season (when we qualified for Europe) were considerably less than what they were 4/5 year ago when we were fighting relegation?

 

and by entertainment I take it you mean by winning? not the entertaining football we played under Little Sam?

Ok, so can you explain how our attendaces last season (when we qualified for Europe) were considerably less than what they were 4/5 year ago when we were fighting relegation?

 

You prove my point perfectly. Last season results may have been better but the quality of foobtall was dire. At least 4/5 years ago when we were fighting relegation we had a bit of flair.

You prove my point perfectly. Last season results may have been better but the quality of foobtall was dire. At least 4/5 years ago when we were fighting relegation we had a bit of flair.

 

I tried my hardest, honest, but I just can't take you seriously.

You prove my point perfectly. Last season results may have been better but the quality of foobtall was dire. At least 4/5 years ago when we were fighting relegation we had a bit of flair.

 

Done to death this but give me dire winning football in the UEFA Cup over flair in the mid regions of the Championship any day.

Edited November 15, 200718 yr by bolty58

The lad talks sense

 

But it's pointless even talking about what can be done anymore, just ends up with fans on here arguing between themslves.

 

They're not going to reduce prices anymore than they already have done, despite us getting more against Rabotnicki than Boro. I think they might underestimate how notoriously tight working-class Lancastrians are.

 

They'll never open a supporters bar, despite having the facilities already in place. It's easier to make excuses than to even look at how it can be achieved.

 

And more inportantly, they've already got the Sky money & their big slaries in place, so why the f?ck shouold they even bother listening to fans who are forever critisizing them?

 

Well done to Gareth Moores - you make politicians sound intelligent ::::::::::

he's right in a way.

the only thing changed has been our performances at the end of last season.

 

 

Oh, so we haven't changed from having the most successful manager in our history to having LSL? That's what made many minds up. Putting an untried guy up in charge of OUR team was football suicide.

Oh, so we haven't changed from having the most successful manager in our history to having LSL? That's what made many minds up. Putting an untried guy up in charge of OUR team was football suicide.

 

really? at the time most thought LSL was a good appointment as it provided continuity.

 

the poor performances since january has had a massive impact on how going to see the wanderers is viewed.

 

Yes cheaper tickets would have some impact, but if we were riding high in the table and playing sexy football week in week out people wouldn't be staying away in droves!

really? at the time most thought LSL was a good appointment as it provided continuity.

 

the poor performances since january has had a massive impact on how going to see the wanderers is viewed.

 

Yes cheaper tickets would have some impact, but if we were riding high in the table and playing sexy football week in week out people wouldn't be staying away in droves!

 

 

That is what the likes of Gartside and Co. hoped would happen. They got it wrong!

 

We still got to UEFA cup irrespective of post January results compared with pre January.

 

Sexy football, entertaining football, call it what you want. The truth is, you can't beat winning. If you win ugly, it doesn't matter!

That is what the likes of Gartside and Co. hoped would happen. They got it wrong!

 

We still got to UEFA cup irrespective of post January results compared with pre January.

 

Sexy football, entertaining football, call it what you want. The truth is, you can't beat winning. If you win ugly, it doesn't matter!

thing is i agree with what you're saying but my point is that if we played like arsenal and dicked teams week in week out tickets prices of 25-40 quid wouldn't affect the attendances. but we don't play like that so prices and other things need to be looked into