Plenty on here don't go, but are clearly fans - or why would they spend their time posting stuff about BWFC?

 

It really is down to opinion. I'd say they're not, you say they clearly are. There is a danger when trying to attract those with a casual interest that you ostracise those who go more regularly.  I'm sure the club have this in mind.

There are degrees of fandom I guess, but the club matters to them in some way, just not enough to go to games regularly.

 

I'm glad we're not the kind of club which attracts day-tripping glory hunters, but I would like to maximise our support base. The whole experience, for me, is better when the ground's full and there's some atmosphere. For the players too, I would think. And it's no coincidence, surely, that the most successful teams generally are the best supported?

Lets take the next home match against QPR. A seat in ESL is around £25. Add to that a few beers, getting to the ground and there's no change out of £60.

 

You could sit in your local, watch it on the telly and spend £20 on beer therefore a saving of £40. We need to get folk to the match on televised days along with non TV days and perhaps reducing prices for TV games may be a start. How much do we get from sky for televising the match and could this be used to subsidise tickets?

£35 on ale and transport - fuck me how pissed do you want to be to watch a match?

£35 on ale and transport - fuck me how pissed do you want to be to watch a match?

I get the train to the match at £10

Ticket £25

Beer before match, beer and food after match £25

 

I could drive up but as I can't get to every home match I try to make the most of it when I can.

I get the train to the match at £10

Ticket £25

Beer before match, beer and food after match £25

 

I could drive up but as I can't get to every home match I try to make the most of it when I can.

Well thats hardly representative of the majority of Bolton fans, who live within a £2 return bus journey to the Reebok, and dont need to spend £25 on food and drink

Well thats hardly representative of the majority of Bolton fans, who live within a £2 return bus journey to the Reebok, and dont need to spend £25 on food and drink

I'm not sure your definition is all that representative either. £5 in a joe baxi from the pub to Scott's, a tenner before the game, a few pints in the game then a piss up after. It's not just a game, it's a lifestyle choice

£35 on ale and transport - fuck me how pissed do you want to be to watch a match?

 

 

Are there rules?

And it's no coincidence, surely, that the most successful teams generally are the best supported?

 

But success breeds support. Forest prior to Clough, were a middling Second Division (Championship) club with crowds below ours. Even in their promotion season, we had better attendances. It's a lot more difficult to persuade casual supporters to watch a mid-table Championship team than it was to watch a successful team in the Premier League when we had virtually capacity crowds one season. If the club is going to make concessions, then has to be linked to season ticket holders, because they are the ones who turn out regardless of which league we're in.

What killed our support was the late 1970's through to late 1980's decline, a lot of younger fans turned to more successful clubs as a result of their Dad's, mums, brothers etc lack of willingness to go. I don't care if you area season ticket holder (like me), go to the odd match for various reasons, as long as you turn up when you can, you never know, you may want to come back more often.

I don't like this what's a true fan lark, my mum hasn't been since the early 1970's, but didn't miss a match during the 50's, 60's etc, but she bleeds wanderers, and is as pissed off as I am when we lose

What killed our support was the late 1970's through to late 1980's decline, a lot of younger fans turned to more successful clubs as a result of their Dad's, mums, brothers etc lack of willingness to go.

 

you can say that, but we turned out 20k a week for season after season in the prem

 

maybe plenty of 'ours' just come to watch the other team

 

take your point about your mum, mind

 

mine didn't go for the last 25 years of her life but the back page of the BEN was her first stop after the comings n goings page

Our low attendances are down to more than just the cost. If the tickets for home games were only £10, then we still wouldn't get much bigger crowds than we have now, we would probably just get a shortfall on current revenue. It's not just a Bolton Wanderers problem this, but clubs all over the country are seeing the same thing and that's why we see more and more community based projects happening. It's all about getting "fans" hooked at an early age. An entire generation was lost in the 80's, and this has a knock on effect for a long time afterwards as the people who didn't go in the 80s may not be inclined to go now, or even worse take their kids along now. Our youth support has improved over recent years so hopefully that will lead to further increase in the core support in decades to come. There is no quick fix.

 

As for "floating fans" is there really such a thing?  -  if there is, then why would they pay £10/£15 to come and watch Bolton (who, lets be fair are shit) when they could watch Chelsea/Arsenal/Man Utd etc in a pub free of charge and have a couple of beers?

An entire generation was lost in the 80's, and this has a knock on effect for a long time afterwards as the people who didn't go in the 80s may not be inclined to go now, or even worse take their kids along now.

 

I'm not sure that we can keep blaming the 80's decline for the fluctuation in support. After all, the ground was full when we were in the Premier League and tickets weren't exactly cheap. There was even talk of a cap on season ticket sales at one point, in case we froze out the casual supporter!

I'm not sure that we can keep blaming the 80's decline for the fluctuation in support. After all, the ground was full when we were in the Premier League and tickets weren't exactly cheap. There was even talk of a cap on season ticket sales at one point, in case we froze out the casual supporter!

 

I suppose you're correct, I just can't think of the reasons why our crowds are so low. Perhaps it's the age old thing of "apathy" from the folk of Bolton towards the team - and if that is the case, then there is very little we can do to reverse it, in the short term, I think

I suppose you're correct, I just can't think of the reasons why our crowds are so low. Perhaps it's the age old thing of "apathy" from the folk of Bolton towards the team - and if that is the case, then there is very little we can do to reverse it, in the short term, I think

 

I think our location is a huge factor. We can't sustain the support because we have two clubs on our doorstep that win trophies. One of them just happens to be one of the biggest clubs in the world and the other is one of the richest.

 

Perhaps we should be comparing ourselves to other Lancashire clubs who don't win anything and that respect our support is pretty good.

I suppose you're correct, I just can't think of the reasons why our crowds are so low. Perhaps it's the age old thing of "apathy" from the folk of Bolton towards the team - and if that is the case, then there is very little we can do to reverse it, in the short term, I think

 

I think this is correct.

 

As a kid I grew up with us being shit and having small crowds.  Suddenly we were good for the first time in my life and the crowds grew and grew.  We got into teh Premier League and it was exciting.  The crowds were excellent ... and then the novelty started to wear off, crowds started to drop, the football got shitter and the crowds have continued to drop.

 

Even in the last couple of seasons in the Barclays Premier League we weren;t even selling out against Man Utd at home.  That would've been unthinkable not too long ago.

 

Even if we were to go up this season I imagine we'd sell out very few, if any, games in the PL next season.

 

We'd probably need another relegation and more years in the wilderness of the lower leagues before a triumphant and exciting return the the top flight to get back to those days of playing in front of a full house again.

The debate about crowds is hard you can talk all night about them there are loads of factors to take on board,but at the end of the day we are the best supported club in northwest/lancs (taking mancs and scousers out).

I'm not sure your definition is all that representative either. £5 in a joe baxi from the pub to Scott's, a tenner before the game, a few pints in the game then a piss up after. It's not just a game, it's a lifestyle choice

I agree - Quite often I will get a lift/bus/taxi into town, have a few pints, jump on the train then get the bus home.

But I cant see why anyone would think BWFC should cut their prices considerably to attract supporters who want to spend £25 on ale, and then cant afford £25 for a match ticket

Edited August 19, 201313 yr by bwfc2003

But I cant see why anyone would think BWFC should cut their prices considerably to attract supporters who want to spend £25 on ale, and then cant afford £25 for a match ticket

 

 

That's where I'm at.

 

These folk who moan about the cost of football saying it's £25 for a ticket, add on a programme, beer, and a pie and you're looking at £60.

 

Bollocks.  It's only £60 if you want to spend £60.

£35 on ale and transport - fuck me how pissed do you want to be to watch a match?

 

 

Are there rules?

 

Somewhere past the point of having to watch the game through one eye, but before the point of pissing my trousers because I'm unable to 'free willy' in time...

Casino seems to have this pretty spot on. We're pretty much at the point you'd expect attendance wise. Any examples of us getting high crowds seem to strangely correlate with us having a good side after being in the doldrums, or being in the top division. I can't believe some people are criticizing the club for having a ten pound scheme with junior clubs. Working with your community and encouraging youngsters to support Bolton, some people are never happy.

Well thats hardly representative of the majority of Bolton fans, who live within a £2 return bus journey to the Reebok, and dont need to spend £25 on food and drink

You need to spend at least £50 on booze to get through an afternoon at the Reebok.

Malaga V Barcelona 25th   €115 for this one and €95 for the cheap seats. And we think were ripped off!!!!

£35 on ale and transport - fuck me how pissed do you want to be to watch a match?

 

Whatever - it's never been enough over the last 3-4 seasons. The pain still seeps through.

 

Do we need more people on seats or do we need more/steady gate income?  They are not always one and the same, & certainly not with some of the suggestions on this thread.

There was mention of "exiled Bolton fans". Exiled, as in can't be arsed? If it is that then it surely won't be maintainable in the long term as free/cheap tickets can't be handed out infinitum.

 

With respect..

We do need more bums on seats, that's the hypothesis of the thread - ie filling the ground more! 

 

'Exiled' means fans who, for whatever reason, no longer live in the town, it doesn't make someone better or worse for moving away!!

There's plenty who have moved away and can be more than "arsed" to be every bit as much of a fan as anyone else!

On your final point, no one is asking for tickets to be handed out to all and sundry; just for them to be handed out fairly.  

just for them to be handed out fairly.  

 

eh?