Funny thing is, when I opened this page and tried to scroll down, the screen temorarily went a bit funny which resulted in the option 'lack of goals' being shown over a full page.....wonder if my PC was trying to make a point...... I don't personally go to home games, I live in Sheffield and play football on Sat afternoons, but I try to get to a few away games a year on a tues night if they're close enough, it is now 4 games since I last saw us score though which as definitely made me less inclined to turn up! if I had to offer an opinion i'd say it's a combination of all 3, money prob the biggest issue at the moment and one that is unlikely to change any time soon, fingers crossed on the other 2 though
Various reasons for me. The main issue with me at the moment is money, which has nothing to do with ticket price increases. Also, with a young family I rarely get to spend any time with the kids during the week due to work so I like spending as much time with them at the weekend as possible. I've got a lifetime to go and watch the Tigers, but you only get one chance to see the formative years of your kids growing up. The eldest is a Tigers fan, but having taken him to a match last season I'm not sure he's ready to start going regularly. I have persuaded the wife to come to at least one match this season with the boys even though she says she has no interest in football, so you never know - I may convert her and the youngest into the Tigers way of life. Another issue for me is that, for the last few years, the atmosphere has been dire at the KC. I have enjoyed the atmosphere much more at away games, so when I have had the money over the last few seasons I have tended to go to away matches.
Haven't voted in the poll because it is Hull specific - but my general views are as follows - for what they are worth: Football is in danger of killing the 'cash cow' because it is too expensive - so much so that an average family find it difficult to justify the cost of going to every game etc and, as such, teams are playing to half empty stadia (our game against Blackpool last week was very disappointing crowd wise - yes it was summer holidays and yes it was televised but that is no excuse)... I also think that the fear factor isn't helping - managers are so scared of losing (and therefpore the sack) that only the brave or the insane (Ian Holloway covers both) go for attacking expansive football that is so exciting that the team is a joy to watch win, lose or draw. Now that's entertainment! Atmosphere in the new style stadiums is sterile and only really gets to fever pitch for the most important of games - largely due to the two factors above. Solutions: Lower ticket prices and fill your stadiums - you will get some back from merchandising / refreshments on match-days plus you will hook in the next generation of 'fanatics' - Bring back terracing behind the goals thereby increasing affordability, attendances and, most of all, atmosphere 24 hours before kick-off give away any remaining lowest price seat tickets (usually first few rows) to local schools ... oh I nearly forgot ...................................................introduce topless cheerleading.
Same here. I know many who are now going to pick and choose the home games they go to for similar reasons. When people have to tighten there belts its things like football season tickets that get binned first. I am lucky in that money is not an issue. But i would not waste it like many do. For those out of towners its no surprise that fuel prices are also a reason for not coming for each home game. Football clubs in all the leagues need to wake up now. Very few games (even PL games) have the SOLD OUT signs up. Look at the gate for the Southampton v. Man Utd match last sunday ? Way down and yes i know it was live on sky but in days gone by that game would have been sold out live tv or not. If only that were the reason. It will only be a few who even think about it. Yes they will and the club will actually be better off from a money point of view. With less season tickets sold. Spot on John. ^^^^ this. Many more games like Bolton and the 20,000+ gates will be back. In saying that The Allams could do a promotion for the next 2 (awful looking) home games. Maybe a supermarket type BOGOF deal. Buy one and get one free for Millwall and Peterborough. With kids a £1 for both games. Oaps/UB40 people £10. Nothing to lose by doing it really. imo For what its worth - The current average league attendance for the championship so far this season comes in at Less than 17,500 (17,449 actually). Now thats pathetic when you think of the clubs in this league. Our friend from Leicester - Fosse Filberto is not far wrong. (((Ive been a supporter of topless cheerleaders for years, thats how i met Mrs T.))) But,, I am seriously considering selling my Leeds ticket to a mate who is desperate to go to that game. Reason is i hate giving a penny to Old man Bates. Whatever happens i can see it on Tiger Player.
To many ' new fans ' who don't realise that 8th in Division 2 is one of our best seasons ever ! ( ie last season ) I guess it's always been the same in Hull , lose a couple of games and quite a number of so called supporters stop going . Guess we have a loyal fan base of well under 10,000 when things go bad . Its Always been the same . Hopefully if we can stay in the top 6 then the part timers WILL come back. Some of us will go no matter what league we are in , guess we have about 5,000 loyal City Till I Die Supporters . FFS prices have only gone up a couple of Quid a game .. Having said that iv missed both home games myself this season BUT not by Choice ... Hopefully I won't miss another
I will think there are a number of fans who have stayed away during the holiday season. Will be interested in the number of half season tickets that get sold if we are in the top two at end of year.
Ps .. To many Kids are more interested in ****ing drugs ... A Huge amount of younger supporters have been lost .. Sitting down is **** as well. We need the North stand as standing / Hull City fans only . £10 for under 21 and £15 for over 21 .....
I think its a combination of a few things, money and apathy being the two prime candidates. Since falling out of the top tier we have had a level of instability (the club almost folded, the truth of the financial state, the deals some of the the now ex management/chairman oversaw etc etc). Old owners went and new owners arrived with promises of this and that. The new owners then made some very controversial decisions which again pressed the "here we go again" button in some peoples head. Old managers left and new managers arrived to save the club (Dowie, Pearson, Barmby) again no stability as they didnt stay long enough. (although Dowie stayed too long in my opinion). Most will also agree that the atmosphere at the KC throughout the last two previous seasons, can at best be described as flat. While City history story is being written, the recesion is biting into a lot of peoples lifestyle wages are static or in some cases stopped through redundancy, lack of overtime. while all the time the cost of living is accelerating, (fuel, energy, food) etc. The cost of watching Hull City then goes up, after the current owner stated publicly that he want to bring cheap entrance fees to people football, while i understand families if they move to certain parts of the ground will see their football pass costs cheaper, the non families or families who want to stay in their present stands, the cost actually went up. Again it didnt help the cause. But it isnt just the cost of the season pass that went up, the cost of travelling to the stadium has gone up, the cost of a beer/food when in the stadium has gone up. The two scenarios above may or may not be true as this is only my opinion as to why there are less people visiting the KC on matchdays. I do believe the fans will be back, when stability is proved at the club and when results are going our way. They will sacrifice something to find the cost of watching city again, but at the moment I feel a lot of the fans through the events of the last two seasons or so, coupled with the recession that a lot of fans feel they aint getting a bang for their buck.
It's pretty simple for me, i'm not working at the moment and the cost of a match day is too much. Rent, food and bills have to come first and that doesn't leave a lot.
Price increases in everything. Passes, tickets, beer, pies everything has gone up. People are fed up with it. They also have had two seasons where there has been little or no excitment. Winning by scrapping in by one goal doesnt get people excited. Look what a three goal win did last Saturday. For once there was a good atmosphere in the stadium. Also, I think the feel good factor of the Olypics has made people ask themselves if they really want to go and see overpaid footballers cheating, play acting etc etc when they have to pay through the nose to see it. Quite obviously 3-4000 dont and thats why the gates are down.
For the last 10-14 years i have always had a pass, but the last 3 years i just cannot afford a season pass. I pick and choose my games now. I went on saturday and must admit £28 is a stupid amount for any game of football. I think it's a mixture of the recession and people staying away until results and performances pick up.
Why do so many people spend time on here commenting and giving their 'expert' opinion when, after reading this thread, they don't go to games???
I thought the Bolton game would have attracted a bigger crowd so it will be interesting to see how many turn up for Millwall
I think it is far too early to be having a poll on this. The kids have only just gone back to school and money keeping them entertained has had to be found in many cases at the expense of Football. Also the recession has caused many not to renew their season tickets. It could pick up again now the School Holidays are over but I think we will struggle to get crowds of 20,000 this season
I don't think the school holidays have anything to do with it, personally. Only once last year did we get an attendance of less than 17,000, and that was for a Tuesday night match against Barnsley (approx. 16,600) We got nearly 20,000 for our opener against Blackpool too, and that was a televised Friday night game.
