Any info about next years as of yet? Will you all renew at all? and for those who did not renew last year will you do next now we have had a change on manager?

 

I will be renewing

Bolton are certainly not alone in this but the atmosphere amongst the fans at the Reebok for the last few years has been absolute dog shit. There has been so little hope or optimism around the club that I think a lot of supporters understandably think why bother putting themselves through it. I agree that cheap season tickets will help, but the roots of the problem run much deeper.

 

I read an article on here a while back which said Bolton were still searching for their sole since moving to the Reebok. I agree with this and I think a lot of our fans have become disillusioned with the whole premiership experience and the hype which surrounds it. Its definately not been much fun this season!

 

 

One word. Saturation.

Cheaper prices = larger attendances

 

Look at Germany, they charge ?5 - ?10 a ticket, ?1.50 a pint and they are getting twice the numbers that the prem is getting. Huddersfield town offered ST for ?100 a ST in league 1 last year and they sold over 10,000, nearly as many as us last year. Many BWFC fans have got out of the routine of going to the Reebok as a/ The atmosphere has been really shite b/ You can watch the game on the internet or in the pub for free c/ The football has been shite.

 

It will be difficult getting the lads back in numbers without a drastic upturn in form / player signings or drastically reduced prices. If we where to offer ST at ?190 then i am confident that we would sell 20,000 ST as appose to 12,000 at current prices. The extra sales would make up some of the lost revenue in the price reduction. Additional revenue from sponsership hoardings etc would also help bridge the gap. The money we would be down would make up a less than 1% of turnover and if the extra crowd / atmosphere help us get a few extra points then it will have paid itself off.

 

If we where to down and needed to raise prices then i think we would still be looking at 8,000 St sales in the champ, wouldnt be much difference from keeping prices the same.

 

I feel the need to do something drastic because next season will be bad - Hull, Pompey and Burnley all had worst average gates than us and have all gone down. Newcastle, WBA and one from Notts Forr, Cardiff, Leicter and Bpool. All bar Bpool will get better gates than us. It will be us and Wigan fighting out in the shittest gate competition.

Cheaper prices = larger attendances

 

Look at Germany, they charge ?5 - ?10 a ticket, ?1.50 a pint and they are getting twice the numbers that the prem is getting. Huddersfield town offered ST for ?100 a ST in league 1 last year and they sold over 10,000, nearly as many as us last year. Many BWFC fans have got out of the routine of going to the Reebok as a/ The atmosphere has been really shite b/ You can watch the game on the internet or in the pub for free c/ The football has been shite.

 

It will be difficult getting the lads back in numbers without a drastic upturn in form / player signings or drastically reduced prices. If we where to offer ST at ?190 then i am confident that we would sell 20,000 ST as appose to 12,000 at current prices. The extra sales would make up some of the lost revenue in the price reduction. Additional revenue from sponsership hoardings etc would also help bridge the gap. The money we would be down would make up a less than 1% of turnover and if the extra crowd / atmosphere help us get a few extra points then it will have paid itself off.

 

If we where to down and needed to raise prices then i think we would still be looking at 8,000 St sales in the champ, wouldnt be much difference from keeping prices the same.

 

I feel the need to do something drastic because next season will be bad - Hull, Pompey and Burnley all had worst average gates than us and have all gone down. Newcastle, WBA and one from Notts Forr, Cardiff, Leicter and Bpool. All bar Bpool will get better gates than us. It will be us and Wigan fighting out in the shittest gate competition.

 

 

What's the prize?

By the way, Wigan will win it hands down

Cheaper prices = larger attendances

 

Look at Germany, they charge ?5 - ?10 a ticket, ?1.50 a pint and they are getting twice the numbers that the prem is getting. Huddersfield town offered ST for ?100 a ST in league 1 last year and they sold over 10,000, nearly as many as us last year. Many BWFC fans have got out of the routine of going to the Reebok as a/ The atmosphere has been really shite b/ You can watch the game on the internet or in the pub for free c/ The football has been shite.

 

It will be difficult getting the lads back in numbers without a drastic upturn in form / player signings or drastically reduced prices. If we where to offer ST at ?190 then i am confident that we would sell 20,000 ST as appose to 12,000 at current prices. The extra sales would make up some of the lost revenue in the price reduction. Additional revenue from sponsership hoardings etc would also help bridge the gap. The money we would be down would make up a less than 1% of turnover and if the extra crowd / atmosphere help us get a few extra points then it will have paid itself off.

 

If we where to down and needed to raise prices then i think we would still be looking at 8,000 St sales in the champ, wouldnt be much difference from keeping prices the same.

 

I feel the need to do something drastic because next season will be bad - Hull, Pompey and Burnley all had worst average gates than us and have all gone down. Newcastle, WBA and one from Notts Forr, Cardiff, Leicter and Bpool. All bar Bpool will get better gates than us. It will be us and Wigan fighting out in the shittest gate competition.

 

20% more, actually (42 against 34)

 

stop making stuff up, it doesn't help you be taken seriously

 

how do you work that out

 

i'd be interested what percentage of our hoarding income you think comes from those that aren't on camera

Edited May 10, 201016 yr by Casino

What's the prize?

By the way, Wigan will win it hands down

 

 

20,000 @ ?190 = ?3.8M

 

12,000 @ 350 = ?4.2m

 

So we risk ?400k (which is fuck all for a football club) to get 8,000 extra season ticket holders. But in addition we must average about 18,000ish home fans per game so on your number at least 5,000 pay say ?25 per game

 

20,000 @ 190 = ?3.8M

 

12,000 @ 350 = ?4.2m plus 5000 @ ?25 19 times = ?6.57M

 

So by these figures (whcih exclude away fans) we would be better selling 12,000 @ 350 and then averaging 18,000 per game by ?2.77m, so unless the 2000 extra fans you get in spend ?2.77M which works out at ?72.89 each per game the club is better off. All these numbers are off the top of my head and ignore cheap tickets for kids old folk etc etc.

 

I am all in favour of doing something to get more fans back to the reebok but at some point you have to say the club have tried a lot of things and people just come up with another excuse, the club is better in my opnion spending a bit more time looking after the fans that do turn up rather than trying to attract people who seemingly have found something better to do on a Saturday afternoon/evening/lunchtime/sundayafternoon/evening.

 

My personal opnion is that by fucking about with kick off times it has got a lot of people out of the habit of playing their weekend arround the saturday game and they now make a choice and sometimes choose not to go to the game. Everyone talks about the pubs in town showing the game ruining the atmosphere, the fact is BWFC will receive millions more from the sale of TV rights to sandwog TV than they will be getting lads to the game and flogging a few pies (even at ?2.10 per pie)

20% more, actually (42 against 34)

 

stop making stuff up, it doesn't help you be taken seriously

 

how do you work that out

 

i'd be interested what percentage of our hoarding income you think comes from those that aren't on camera

 

I saw the european attendances last week and it looked roughly double - I appreciate that it was not across a season.

 

Match day advertising programmes / hoardings etc + additional revenues from food and drink + club shop + bookies etc would help bridge the massive discount. If the difference after that is ?2m then this represents either 3% - 4% of turnover or 3 places higher in the league.

 

Just think more bums on seats would give us a better atmosphere and could potentially be the difference between a draw and a win and maybee an extra few points.

 

Just think more bums on seats would give us a better atmosphere and could potentially be the difference between a draw and a win and maybee an extra few points.

 

That's the problem. It isn't bums on seats that create the atmosphere it's folk-who-know-the-songs-to-sing on seats that do that.

Just think more bums on seats would give us a better atmosphere and could potentially be the difference between a draw and a win and maybee an extra few points.

 

i've highlighted the words i think are important

Cheaper prices = larger attendances

 

Look at Germany, they charge ?5 - ?10 a ticket, ?1.50 a pint and they are getting twice the numbers that the prem is getting. Huddersfield town offered ST for ?100 a ST in league 1 last year and they sold over 10,000, nearly as many as us last year. Many BWFC fans have got out of the routine of going to the Reebok as a/ The atmosphere has been really shite b/ You can watch the game on the internet or in the pub for free c/ The football has been shite.

 

It will be difficult getting the lads back in numbers without a drastic upturn in form / player signings or drastically reduced prices. If we where to offer ST at ?190 then i am confident that we would sell 20,000 ST as appose to 12,000 at current prices. The extra sales would make up some of the lost revenue in the price reduction. Additional revenue from sponsership hoardings etc would also help bridge the gap. The money we would be down would make up a less than 1% of turnover and if the extra crowd / atmosphere help us get a few extra points then it will have paid itself off.

 

If we where to down and needed to raise prices then i think we would still be looking at 8,000 St sales in the champ, wouldnt be much difference from keeping prices the same.

 

I feel the need to do something drastic because next season will be bad - Hull, Pompey and Burnley all had worst average gates than us and have all gone down. Newcastle, WBA and one from Notts Forr, Cardiff, Leicter and Bpool. All bar Bpool will get better gates than us. It will be us and Wigan fighting out in the shittest gate competition.

 

 

Partially right about German football though in my experience the matchday tickets are a bit dearer than you indicate ie 15-20 euros for Bundesleague matches.

 

Where it is a MUCH better experience apart from the huge support is the lack of restrictions regarding drinking/smoking & being a bit boistrous in the

 

SAFE standing areas that they allow for the youth & diehards. I went to watch Cologne at home recently on a Fri night, thanks to the volcano in Iceland, &

 

was greatly impressed with the level of freedom allowed to the punters (pretty ironic) the match its self was pants but heyho what a great night .

 

The issue of safe standing terracing is a no-no in England for historical reasons nevertheless the technology exists to make it possible but they (the powers that

 

be) won't have it whatever you write on your fookin 'customer' questionaire

 

ps ?2.50 a pint now thanks to the sinking pound, although much better beer.

I saw the european attendances last week and it looked roughly double - I appreciate that it was not across a season.

 

Match day advertising programmes / hoardings etc + additional revenues from food and drink + club shop + bookies etc would help bridge the massive discount. If the difference after that is ?2m then this represents either 3% - 4% of turnover or 3 places higher in the league.

 

Just think more bums on seats would give us a better atmosphere and could potentially be the difference between a draw and a win and maybee an extra few points.

 

Another point due to the contract with DeVere's BWFC won't see any increase in income due to pie and beer sales other than perhaps a chance to raise the price of the contract next time.

 

Do you not think that BWFC already squeeze as much money from advertising as possible? hence the introduction of those tv screen style advertising hoardings infront of the ESL.

I just renewed my and one for junior north leeds white (yeadon/menston division) affilated to Pudsey division

 

 

?400 for both, works out at ?10.50 per game...how is that not brilliant value ?

 

I bet it was over ?10 to watch Bolton in the lower divisions 20 years ago.

I just renewed my and one for junior north leeds white (yeadon/menston division) affilated to Pudsey division

 

 

?400 for both, works out at ?10.50 per game...how is that not brilliant value ?

 

I bet it was over ?10 to watch Bolton in the lower divisions 20 years ago.

 

Stop talking sense FFS.

Whichever way you slice it, I reckon we've lost around 6 thousand fans in the past 5 years (our average this season is just under 22 thousand, compared with over 26 thousand 5 years ago - when we weren't giving the whole south stand to away fans). Wouldn't any other business - for, sadly, that of course is what we are - look to do something radical to address that sharp decline? Yes, we now give very cheap season tickets to young people - a very good thing, as they're the future support base - but that proved last season not to be enough. Just keeping prices the same again isn't going to do it I'm afraid, especially in the middle of the worst recession since the 1930s. Why didn't we use the ?2 million or so we retained by winning on the last day to knock 100 quid off all adult tickets? (20,000 potential season tickets multiplied by 100 - even our ticket office can do those kind of maths). Just a thought.

Whichever way you slice it, I reckon we've lost around 6 thousand fans in the past 5 years (our average this season is just under 22 thousand, compared with over 26 thousand 5 years ago - when we weren't giving the whole south stand to away fans). Wouldn't any other business - for, sadly, that of course is what we are - look to do something radical to address that sharp decline? Yes, we now give very cheap season tickets to young people - a very good thing, as they're the future support base - but that proved last season not to be enough. Just keeping prices the same again isn't going to do it I'm afraid, especially in the middle of the worst recession since the 1930s. Why didn't we use the ?2 million or so we retained by winning on the last day to knock 100 quid off all adult tickets? (20,000 potential season tickets multiplied by 100 - even our ticket office can do those kind of maths). Just a thought.

 

Because whatever we do the stayaway fans come up with another excuse not to turn up.

 

price

manager

style of play

ground

location

trains

bus service

fans zone

pubs by ground

pubs in town

 

As a business we get so much money from TV the lost revenue from tickets does not really hurt us...that is a sad fact.

So we just give up? Let people carry on watching on their laptops or in the pub? As people have said before, once the habit is broken it's not easy to get it back. People start to ask why they should stump up 30 quid for a matchday ticket, 3 quid for a pint of piss, spend 30 mins getting off the car park blah blah. I'm a season ticket holder living in London and fear if I stopped now I'd struggle to keep on making the effort.

 

Even the post-Owen bounce isn't gonna be enough for many...unless we do something to really tempt people back. You're right, TV money is what sustains our club (and many others), so we can surely afford to make tickets dirt cheap. I don't care that they're already cheap in comparison to many others (though often we're not comparing like with like - most other Prem clubs have a much richer fan base to draw from, or a geographically wider one). I just feel that every unsold seat in a 28,000 seater stadium, in a town of our size, for a club of our history and tradition is a massive sign of failure on the club's part. Blaming the stayaways isn't gonna get em back - trying something different just might.

Even if ?100 was knocked off the price of a season ticket, how many extra do people think we would sell? - an extra 500 or so, or an extra 3000? - I would guess at the lower number.

 

Price is only part of it, there are other factors. As pointed out above, kick off times cause a big problem. I had an ST until 2 seasons ago. I have a 360 mile round trip for home games. If games kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday, then it's no problem, but as we ned up having over a third of our homes games on Sundays, it makes it a no-no for me. It's nothing to do with price

 

Sorry, but that's just the way it is

Edited May 14, 201016 yr by CWP

and its ok saying its only a million or its only 500k, but we spend more than we take in as it is

So we just give up? Let people carry on watching on their laptops or in the pub? As people have said before, once the habit is broken it's not easy to get it back. People start to ask why they should stump up 30 quid for a matchday ticket, 3 quid for a pint of piss, spend 30 mins getting off the car park blah blah. I'm a season ticket holder living in London and fear if I stopped now I'd struggle to keep on making the effort.

 

Even the post-Owen bounce isn't gonna be enough for many...unless we do something to really tempt people back. You're right, TV money is what sustains our club (and many others), so we can surely afford to make tickets dirt cheap. I don't care that they're already cheap in comparison to many others (though often we're not comparing like with like - most other Prem clubs have a much richer fan base to draw from, or a geographically wider one). I just feel that every unsold seat in a 28,000 seater stadium, in a town of our size, for a club of our history and tradition is a massive sign of failure on the club's part. Blaming the stayaways isn't gonna get em back - trying something different just might.

 

llok back a few posts and see the prices in comparisons with other NW football teams, yes we're more expensive than the inbreeds at Blackburn and Wiggin but compared to the other teams from near by we're pretty competetive even more so when it's for Prem footy too.

 

Blackburns dirt cheap tickets have improved attendances but it hasn't helped Wiggin any.

 

As the gloss of being in the premier league has worn off our gates have gradually decreased, it's not like we were averaging anywhere near the same when we were at burnden in the prem.

So we just give up? Let people carry on watching on their laptops or in the pub? As people have said before, once the habit is broken it's not easy to get it back. People start to ask why they should stump up 30 quid for a matchday ticket, 3 quid for a pint of piss, spend 30 mins getting off the car park blah blah. I'm a season ticket holder living in London and fear if I stopped now I'd struggle to keep on making the effort.

 

Even the post-Owen bounce isn't gonna be enough for many...unless we do something to really tempt people back. You're right, TV money is what sustains our club (and many others), so we can surely afford to make tickets dirt cheap. I don't care that they're already cheap in comparison to many others (though often we're not comparing like with like - most other Prem clubs have a much richer fan base to draw from, or a geographically wider one). I just feel that every unsold seat in a 28,000 seater stadium, in a town of our size, for a club of our history and tradition is a massive sign of failure on the club's part. Blaming the stayaways isn't gonna get em back - trying something different just might.

 

you say try somethign different, i say they tried cutting prices and sadly it has nt worked.

 

what should they try differently as i am at a loss.

llok back a few posts and see the prices in comparisons with other NW football teams, yes we're more expensive than the inbreeds at Blackburn and Wiggin but compared to the other teams from near by we're pretty competetive even more so when it's for Prem footy too.

 

Blackburns dirt cheap tickets have improved attendances but it hasn't helped Wiggin any.

 

As the gloss of being in the premier league has worn off our gates have gradually decreased, it's not like we were averaging anywhere near the same when we were at burnden in the prem.

 

and what happens next year, and the year after that?

 

what happens when they have to put the prices back up again!

 

oooh feck, is the answer.

you say try somethign different, i say they tried cutting prices and sadly it has nt worked.

 

what should they try differently as i am at a loss.

 

 

only way to increase attendances is success.

 

success costs money.

 

money we will have less of, if we continue to reduce tickets or freeze tickets, whilst overheads and wages continue to rise.

are there any "im not going whilst megson is in charge" on here?

 

if so will you be getting one now? if not whats the genuine reason?

Yeah, they did try something different with the 49 quid tickets for kids - and we got a big increase in the number of teenage lads turning up (which strangely seems to have pissed some people off, but that's another story). What we haven't really done is slashed prices for adults - in the way B'burn have in the last 3 years. And if you look at their crowds, it's worked. 4 years ago they were where ours have fallen to - around the 20 thousand mark (in fact, some league games they were only getting 16 or 17 thousand). This season they're up towards 26 thousand. And yes, I know they give 7 thousand or so when Liverpool or United or City (or Bolton that great Sunday) are in town, but generally there's been a significant increase.

 

So why don't we do something similar - or better? Really send a signal - like the first 10,000 season tickets at a hundred quid each. Or have a loyalty scheme - for those who've had a ST for 10 years or more, have this next one for half price. I'll declare an interest here - I'm about to buy my 20th ST (10th in a row from London...and one of my early ones was the 87-88 Div 4 season). I'm not trying to claim a medal or anything, just saying that people like me - and there are plenty - should get something back once in a while. And before you start saying, there's another 500k or a million he's giving away, I'm probably talking about 6 months to a year of Danny Shittu's wages. Case rested.

Yeah, they did try something different with the 49 quid tickets for kids - and we got a big increase in the number of teenage lads turning up (which strangely seems to have pissed some people off, but that's another story). What we haven't really done is slashed prices for adults - in the way B'burn have in the last 3 years. And if you look at their crowds, it's worked. 4 years ago they were where ours have fallen to - around the 20 thousand mark (in fact, some league games they were only getting 16 or 17 thousand). This season they're up towards 26 thousand. And yes, I know they give 7 thousand or so when Liverpool or United or City (or Bolton that great Sunday) are in town, but generally there's been a significant increase.

 

So why don't we do something similar - or better? Really send a signal - like the first 10,000 season tickets at a hundred quid each. Or have a loyalty scheme - for those who've had a ST for 10 years or more, have this next one for half price. I'll declare an interest here - I'm about to buy my 20th ST (10th in a row from London...and one of my early ones was the 87-88 Div 4 season). I'm not trying to claim a medal or anything, just saying that people like me - and there are plenty - should get something back once in a while. And before you start saying, there's another 500k or a million he's giving away, I'm probably talking about 6 months to a year of Danny Shittu's wages. Case rested.

 

285 notes for an adult ST seems pretty slashed to me!

No, it's been pretty much around that level for the past 3 or 4 years. Which compared to how petrol prices or beer prices have risen in that time, is a pretty good deal. But it hasn't worked has it? And things are probably gonna get tougher for people economically this year. And there are more ways of seeing EVERY Wanderers game without actually going to the game than there were 5 years ago. And and and.

 

I just think we should be aiming higher and trying to reach out to a wider fanbase. Maybe most of the stayaways are forever lost for all but the occasional game now. I don't know. Maybe we need to draw in completely new fans. What I do know is that 6 or 7 thousand empty seats are no good to anyone are they?