15,323 came yesterday, with Reading bringing 568. Not quite the 3000 we took to the Madejski for the opening fixture I hasten to add ( yeah okay it was first game of the season, but we often take 1800 plus to Reading ) Getting the calculator out, I make that ( picture Tory boy from Harry Enfield with tongue out spitting ) 14,755 town fans in attendance. How many season ticket holders do we now have, around 10,500? The figures were not released this season, so it's hard to read I am guessing the 1 win in 9 made a lot of people think the fixture was a write off, and not attend? This game was a category B game, with the next two vs Bolton and Blackpool both category C. Well done to the ticket office regarding this, we're at least offering a lot more C games which border on the affordable price for the fan who attends a few games a season. However, the take up of C games to my knowledge this season has been very poor, Yeovil/ Blackburn and Huddersfield all spring to mind! Not that I am in anyway a favour of this A / B / C rubbish, but it's good to see the club are trying to fill the ground more so for the next two fixtures. It also ( pathetically ) has a direct knock on effect for away fans, so Bolton and Blackpool will be charged £21 a pop I think too. That will make a few more come no doubt. Now I'm in Thailand, so I cannot speak for most and also I live in Bristol so usually stick with the away games. What are the factors putting people off attending? * The whole " success will bring people back in drones " clearly isn't amounting to anything, so is price the main factor? * The poor marketing at the club? * The removal of the telephone booking service for this season? * Are people staying away because of the style of football? While I'm not a fan of sky and having football at stupid times etc, we seem very much not to be favoured by them for any games. Is this Evans related I wonder!?
Sorry guys but if you think £50 for a game is expensive then you wont want to get promoted. Cue the abuse.
Still suffering the hangover of the past 5 years, it will take a while to attract the fans to part with cash again. Style of football doesn't help but I think in general its people have gotten into the habit of not attending and t will take more than another mid-table season to attract them back.
I think it's multiple factors really but don't think the club has helped itself with the prices or the tiered ticketing, for me it just doesn't work. People go to games in the main because it's a time that is most convenient for them to go not because of the price but then the price is enough to then put someone off. So fans who I would say are more fair weather supporters won't even bother looking because it's that extra effort in knowing how much the tickets are. If the tickets were a set price of say £24 per game every game more people would go because you know what you're going to pay. It was like that a few years back. And now because of this we're struggling to attract a new generation of fans IMO, it's just been poor management. Obviously the recession, how poorly the club has done and the style of football hasn't helped aswell
I think it mainly down to the fact that we have neither entertained or been successful for the past few years, Mick has addressed these issues to a certain extent but it will take a little while to attract those fans that have left back.
Many problems contribute; Match day ticket prices are to high (should be around £22 for standard adult seat SBRL/SARL) Getting tickets is now more difficult Poor season after poor season Quality of football is not the best Many do not have the spare cash for every other Saturday to blow upwards of £35 quid More worryingly I do not think the club is doing enough on match days; the whole experience yesterday did leave me wondering about this issue, for me the club does not look after its fans, its the little things like running out of beer at H/T, poor service at the bars etc, the TV screens are poor quality (SBRL) and full of ME corporate of ****e, (bring back soccer Saturday). Just look at the Suffolk Punch fiasco..! ME has kept us in business but alas the club has sold its soul.!
I agree with many of the good points made already. I prefer to go to the away games now as the atmosphere even in the North Stand these days is rather muted and sterile! I do go to about eighth or nine home games a season but then again I was a season ticket holder for twenty years before I gave it up when PJ was in charge. The whole match day experience is pretty dull
The atmosphere was great on Saturday. I'd rather have 14,000 odd people who support the team, win or lose, than a load of hangers-on clogging the stands and moaning. If they don't come and we play like we did this weekend, then it's their loss. They can watch it on The Football League Show. Provided the BBC can be arsed to make the programme, that is. The only way we'll get bums on seats is by winning. Most people, by their nature, are glory-hunters. Obviously it's different in places like Norwich, where families send the men-folk to the football to stop them bothering the livestock, but in deepest, darkest Ipswich, you need to give people something for their money and we haven't been serving that consistently since the pre-Magilton years.
Just a bit concerned as we really do need the revenue the extra ( sadly it's getting towards 50% frequently ) will bring in especially in the next few years under FFP. I would like to think season tickets will be lowered for next season, if only a token gesture of 5%.
Or perhaps Ipswich is a poor area where people prefer to spend on booze and ciggies instead? Or maybe nobody is interested in football in Suffolk anymore?
Hey guru good to see you are still the original defender of the faith. The OP lended itself to a little banter but alas no takers this time.
Decent effort, to be fair we haven't been mugging each other off for a while or calling each other our sisters cousins brother etc. What is going on. How do you think your lot will finish up this season? Hooper has been a great signing.
I think we'll survive, somewhere between 12th and 16th. I don't expect it to be comfortable, nor for our performances to improve, but there are worse teams about. Need a serious rebuild in central midfield in the summer, and then hopefully we'll start to play a bit. Hooper undoubtedly the pick of our signings so far, but Olsson has made the left back position well and truly his too.
