Quinny....you're wrong!!!

Our support can be broken down like this:
HARDCORE SUPPORTERS: 16,000....go to meaningless friendlies, and crappy carling cup games against league 2 opposition on a wet and cold tuesday night.
GOOD SUPPORTERS: 20,000.... go to most games, but wouldn't really be arsed to go to the aforementioned games.
CASUAL SUPPORTERS:....not too fussed about going to the match, but will go to the big games. Would prefer to spend their hard earned down the boozer.

This, in my opinion, is where Niall has got it absolutely wrong. He's pleading to, and insulting people, who don't give a toss either way about going to the match! Because these people are casual supporters, it wouldn't matter if we were top of the league, and had Lionel Messi playing for us......THEY'RE CASUAL SUPPORTERS!!!......THEY'RE NOT BOTHERED!!!....THEY'ED RATHER GO TO THE PUB!!!!!.......and they're WELL WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS to do so....without getting lectured off Mr Quinn every time the gate falls below 40,000!!

If Niall wants to see the ground full...let the unemployed in for a pound.
If Niall wants to see the ground full, get some heating in the concourse, cut the exhorbitant food and drink prices. and cut the admission prices.
If Niall wants to see the ground full, he has to tempt back the casual fan. Maybe he should trying using a carrot, and stop waving his big stick about!

And before anyone starts having a go, I'm one of the hardcore! I've only missed three home games in forty years.....including ****ty carling cup games, and friendlies!

 

Davros, geat supporter though you are, I disagree fundamentally.

I was going to open yet another thread but let's tag my comments on here.

Fair comment, Spoony. Gates are fairly decent. But they do not reflect the club's ambition, IMO.
Quinny has come in for a lot of stick on the SMB for daring to appeal to fans to come to the SOL. That reaction absolutely boils my piss.

OK - let's look at the negatives:
1 – Smaller catchment area than the big London clubs like Ars, Spuds or Chelski.
2 – Less affluent catchment area than the big clubs – fact.
3 – Far less success (none) – yo-yo is demoralising for supporters. The big clubs have never dropped out of the PL.
4 – The “it’s Sunderland, a ****-up is inevitable” mentality is justified amongst the fanbase.

But counter that with:
5 – The financial basis of the club has changed dramatically. Chairman is inspiring; owner is willing and proven so far. No reason to suspect that may change.
6- Canny manager (at long last, although MicMac may have done just as well under the current regime) who deals cleverly in the transfer market and has been known to adopt perfect tactics (e.g. V ManC at SOL)
7 – One of the best stadiums in the country with perfect views from every seat.
8 – Chairman again: a very clever and intelligent footballing bloke who loves the area, is a proven achiever for SAFC and has given his heart and soul to dragging the club and Sunderland upwards. (e.g Milllibrand ffs – that is thinking outside the box IMO).

If I were Niall Quinn I would be far more personal and more direct in my appeal. I would be saying something like this:

“FFS, people of Sunderland, I have bust my bollox for your club and for this area. I know from my playing days that a big and noisy crowd drives your team onwards. Really and truly.
All I ask from you is that you make the effort to join our success at the SOL and do your part to help me, the club and the team to achieve real success. We could really go places. This is a fantastic time and opportunity to do so.
But if you do not come and help, and we do not make the big time, then it will be you who are to blame for lack of support.
Not me.”

 

Sunderland tickets are already 50% cheaper than some clubs.

I am willing to bet that if the pubs turned off thier illegal (for now) streams, you would see more people go to the games. Not all of them, and not all the same ones will go to a game every week, but more would go.

Say 10.000 people watch the games in the pub, 2000 might buy a ticket if the game wasnt broadcast in the pub. thats still a significant increase in attendance.

 

This is an argument never to be settled , with a million sides, and a million legitimate and worthy opinions.

The unemployed thing i don't buy into one bit.

Before i'm shot down in a fireball, i know that there will be many, many Sunderland fans unemployed, and actively seeking work, and if there was a way to give them guys areduced price ticket then all well and good.

There's also on the flip side an incredible amount of people in this city, indeed this country, who CHOOSE to be unemployed, and who are more than capable of working but are happy to take and take.

If i found out one of these folk was sat in the seat next to me, half price or less, the fella would most likely end up wearing a balti pie, or worse.

Sadly, it's impossible for the club to see and prove beyond doubt who the deserving cases would be, and i genuinely feel for people who's personal and legitimate personal issues keep them away from not only the football, but all of the things you miss out on in life if finances won't allow.

 

The unemployed thing is the biggest insult to the working class people you could have said. I'm away in the navy and can't afford a season ticket with a family support an still get to game whenever I can. And you are saying they should get tickets for a pound.

If they got off There arse and worked try might be able to afford tickets and if I was a season ticket paying 360+ on it and found out people were getting them for 18pound I'd give it straight up. Why should people work all year round for a ticket then people get one cheap for sitting on the backside.

Fair enough people can't afford it, and I respect that, but we should never give in to the unemployed when people spend well earned cash on it.

By the way i prefer watching it in the pub even Though I go when I'm home,

 

Quinny has his job to do - Get people into the ground and run the club
We as supporters have a job to do - Get behind the lads via any means possible.

Today's economic climate has a serious affect on supporters getting to the game which should be accounted for.

As for comment about a pound entry for the unemployed, as a season ticket holder paying full whack up front for the good of the club, I wouldn't be happy about that! Its a tough world out there and going to football games for entertain is a luxury not a god given right!

 

(to a point!)

 

Totally agree, Briucey's

But NQ must feel frustrated that Sunderland folk are not responding to this season's success.
Maybe they never will, even if SAFC wer to be contending for PL Winners. I have no idea.
Maybe his estimates were wrong, although the financial aspects may be irrelevant. It's morale and support that he is chaisng IMO, not extra gate receipts.

I just don't want the Big Fella to feel that he has lost the battle, and for him to walk away. He might do.

 

If people cant afford to go to the match through unemployment then tough **** IMO. If your unemployed (and Ive been there) you prioritise your outgoings and going to the match is not a priority. I would not be happy if an adult of working age sat next to me was regularly getting into the ground for a lot less than me!

The price of tickets however is another debate as to what represent good value. 25 odd quid or whatever it is on a match day basis is a lot to fork out every two weeks especially when games have daft KO times. Regardless of what other clubs charge it does not represent good value. The Bundesliga is the way to go!

Personally I will always try to get to the match be it home or away if I can be there. Had to knock a lot of away games on the head this year due to trying to save for my wedding. Again it boils down to priorities if you can attend the match. Hopefully when the saving has stopped I can pick it up again.

 

Lol now ya married mate you'll be lucky to get to any match

 

Spoony, I don't doubt you mate. Not for a moment.

I, too, have slept under newspapers with no job.

But it’s not the jobless or the financially constrained that we are talking about. It's those who can afford to attend at the SOL but who prefer to go to the pub instead.

 

exactly!!

 

Ironically our attendances have remained pretty consistent the last few years. Still the 7th highest in the land. Not bad for a club that has won **** all for 38 year.

At the end of the day, i agree about the casual support. If they want to come, they'll come, if they don't they'll sit in the pub. That's just the way it is.

 

I hear what your saying, but its a tough call IMO. At the end of the day its down to choice.

Where also do you draw the line with this argument? After all you cant say to a pub its ok to show away games, but not the home games. Plenty of the people who attend home games watch a lot of away games in the pub, myself included. Managed to get to 6 away games already this season, but have seen the rest in the pub. Should I be denied to watch my team play away? Another argument could be that the club are happy enough for games to be changed for Sky/ESPN. Are they bothered in the slightest if local pubs show these games. Its double standards really.

 

Not yet mate. However getting married at the SoL in July so plenty of money into Quinns kitty

 

I see where you're coming from, but the stadium has lots of fans in who pay less than you or me. You'd need a canny few balti pies, to fling at the kids, the under 22s and the OAP's!!

 

Quinn is not wrong, the man has done more for Sunderland fc than anyone else I can think of. I agree with some points about support, there are a lot of casuals out there, but we need to support Quinn not knock him, he has supported us, now it's time we supported him.

 

On another note, I personally think all games should be broadcast live with revenue split evenly between all clubs. This would even things up finacially and allow clubs in more deprived areas to lower their ticket prices. In Germany all games are televised, but stadiums are full because ticket prices are low.

 

Sounds like a canny idea.
The people who are now paying full price would pay less and the ones struggling to go, could afford it.