radgenaldo Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Anyone think that the efforts of the club to get more fans in will ever actually work? The 'kids go for free' sometimes or the 'bring a friend thing' seem to get the gate up for one game but how do they expect or plan to keep them coming back? I mean we're losing loyal fans at the games just now, probably 'cause its cold, expensive, and we've been playing pish tbh . But North Lanarkshire's got a population of circa 350,000 and even if you take into account the old firm and Airdie, Albion and Clyde, I think getting 3-4000 a game is laughable. Some English teams from much smaller towns get better crowds than us and they're in the shitey leagues. We need money for players and we need fans to generate the money but will our situation ever change in terms of gate numbers/crowds? What about having Polish pies or Congolese bovril to entice in half the population of Muirhoose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocky Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 22 quid to go watch us play Caley Thistle. Enough said i think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special aka Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 22 quid to go watch us play Caley Thistle. Enough said i think. I'd pretty much agree with that. Add on the accessories: travel, pie, bovril, prog, pint(s), etc., etc., and it's an expensive day out. Attending the recent Accies game cost me the best part of £100 all in .................. Enough said. As for getting attendances of 3,000 - 4,000 ? In a town with approx 30,000 souls less than 10 miles from Glasgow - home of 2 of the World's biggest football clubs - that isn't bad in my book. Doubt there's a league team in England based in a smaller town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al B Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 Coincidentally i've just posted this in another thread, but we're actually the best supported club in the SPL when you take attendance as percentage of population. Around 19% of the population of Motherwell attend Fir Park, which is higher than any other city/club in the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 :dissapointedsmillie: I thought we were gonna get another view of the 'Al_B formula' as for the crowd initiaitves I've posted else where ,yes, they boost the match attendance but I now don't think the way they are done they are never going to increase the fan base and as such the long term gates. Don't think you'll ever get by the argument that quite simply the product is too expensive and just no longer delivers the entertainment value required to get people to freeze their nads aff whilst getting herded around like criminals into all seated areas that just aren't comfortable. Oh and lets not forget that TV has all but killed off any hope of a real boost in atendances as quite simply there is far too much choice on offer and the fixture schedules are fukin ridiculous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLip69 Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 22 quid to go watch us play Caley Thistle. Enough said i think. I dont see the sense in cutting the prices for the Old Firm when they just about fill the ground anyway? All you are doing is reducing your turnover. Cut the price for the games where there isn't going to be a big crowd and entice the punters along. I'd half the price for matches against the likes of Hearts and Hibs that would surely add a fair few hundred extra to the crowd. Aberdeen and Dundee United might bring a few extra as well if they know they are going to be saving a tenner or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunnyMFC Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 I dont see the sense in cutting the prices for the Old Firm when they just about fill the ground anyway? All you are doing is reducing your turnover. Cut the price for the games where there isn't going to be a big crowd and entice the punters along. I'd half the price for matches against the likes of Hearts and Hibs that would surely add a fair few hundred extra to the crowd. Aberdeen and Dundee United might bring a few extra as well if they know they are going to be saving a tenner or so. That does sound like a good idea to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foghorn Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 The season ticket holder incentive must have added a couple of hundred on Saturday and this should be repeated later in the season. The team got great backing on Saturday and we all got the reward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special aka Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 The 'Well fans are out there; 35,000(ish) at the '91 cup final, 13,000(ish) at the 2005 CIS final and a full house at Fir Park for the Nancy game. Trouble is encouraging them along on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ML1 Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 That does sound like a good idea to begin with. A good idea unless you're in charge of finances , to make money at half price we'd need more than double the current away support , the game against Aberdeen last year where we all but qualified for Europe it was cheap gate and they were in the mix yet had a poor support by their standards IMO , they cant get anywhere near the gates they were getting 10 years ago and they have probably the best support outwith the OF. Cheaper gates would be a start but the product would have to improve as would policing / stewarding , the whole matchday experience basically . £20odd quid plus travel expense to be treated like a criminal , folk just wont pay it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaag Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 The 'Well fans are out there; 35,000(ish) at the '91 cup final, 13,000(ish) at the 2005 CIS final and a full house at Fir Park for the Nancy game. Trouble is most of them are just glory hunting local OF fans with nothing else to do on those days, so they thought they'd just jump on the bandwagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 I think the OF make up a very small minority of that. Most of them are folk like ourselves who can't make it to many games due to the distances involved, or have to pick and choose due to finances. The Dossers were flying in from around the globe for the Cup Final - that just isn't going to happen for ICT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cakes Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 I agree with weeyin, the Nancy home game was obviously a big attraction for 'Well fans everywhere. Not everyone can make it every second week because of location, costs or other commitments - things like the first home European game in thirteen years, Cup Finals or whatever are worth putting in the extra effort/expense, some people have to go to great lengths to attend. They don't happen very often, so everyone wants to be there. Though there were some OF fans in attendance (resplendant in 'Well scarves <_> There are fans out there, however the situation exists where people either cannot afford to attend or are unwilling to attend. IMO the crux of the matter is the price asked in relation to the quality on show. Pie summed it up nicely, the cost of a day out at the fitba is a fair burden to bear, especially in the current economic shambles we find ourselves in. On a side note, though relevant to the thread, Pie (again) has previously suggested tapping into the local immigrant population and I think this is worth further investigation. There are a fair amount of folk knocking about who are new to our country and maybe, with a wee bit of encouragement, some might adopt the local team. The more 'Well fans, the better. The more gate money for the club, the better. Sobriety may make me post a contradiction to this post but at the moment, that's where I stand on the issue. Aw the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malky79 Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 Coincidentally i've just posted this in another thread, but we're actually the best supported club in the SPL when you take attendance as percentage of population. Around 19% of the population of Motherwell attend Fir Park, which is higher than any other city/club in the league. It been pointed out before but 19% of the population of Motherwell doesn't watch the team. Add in Wishaw and Bellshill as two not much smaller towns that we also draw a fair bit of support from. We draw support from a fair whack of Lanarkshire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcalf Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 It been pointed out before but 19% of the population of Motherwell doesn't watch the team. Add in Wishaw and Bellshill as two not much smaller towns that we also draw a fair bit of support from. We draw support from a fair whack of Lanarkshire. Statistics eh? The Old Firm draw their support from all over the country so any %age attributed to them doesn't stand up either but for talking sake our attendance is equivalent to 19% of Motherwell's population, that's good going as already stated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special aka Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 It been pointed out before but 19% of the population of Motherwell doesn't watch the team. Add in Wishaw and Bellshill as two not much smaller towns that we also draw a fair bit of support from. We draw support from a fair whack of Lanarkshire. And it's the same with every town/city with a league team. Support is found in neighboring towns/villages and the county, but it's a quantifiable method of calculating a support to population ratio. Motherwell has Bellshill, Wishaw, etc., while the much larger towns of Falkirk, Kilmarnock, Paisley and Hamilton have Grangemouth, Deny, Irvine, Salcoats, Renfrew, Barrhead, Blantyre, Burnbank and more, respectively. Motherwell is the smallest town with an SPL club, while only Dingwall in the 1st Div has a smaller population. In addition we cannot underestimate the influencial impact of the Bigot Brothers on our potential support base. Like Hamilton and St Mirren our west central Scotland location will always ensure droves of local football supporters will wear blue or green favours. IMHO our support is better than is should be and the Club continues to punch above its weight. Compare our lot to St Johnstone, Dundee, Ayr Utd, Morton, Airdrie and Partick Thistle to name but a few and IMHO we have absolutely nothing to complain about ........ but we'll no doubt find a way 6th is Bluddy Good Going Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 We are where we are just now but I don't think it should prevent us from continually trying to hold or better where we are. Just using one example. For the first time in about 15 years we have another Lanarkshire side in the SPL. As Pie has pointed out and as can be seen even from the boards we draw support from Hamilton, Blantyre and Larkhall to name but three places in South Lanarkshire. Places Accies would like to think as their catchment area. What impact will their successes over us this season have or if they happen to establish themselves in the top flight for a period have? The season ticket promotions are only part of the package. We must continually strive to attract the next generation and to be fair I think they do a half decent job. Our niece's school for example have been given tickets for games, taken over to Fir Park for lunch, tours of the ground etc. I also liked the suggestion someone made a while back of putting together a welcome pack for any newbuilds in Lanarkshire. Perhaps a ticket for a game and a newsletter telling them about the club, forthcoming fixtures, prices, any promotions going on. Do a couple of follow ups. For 50p a house you might find that repaid by a few new season ticket holders or pay at the gate customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 As Andy P rightly says we should always try to improve the club and take it onto a further level. I think its wrong just to focus on the tight boundaries of Motherwell itself, which has a population I'd guess of around 30,000/35,000. We should also include Wishaw, Craigneuk, Holytown, Carfin, Newarthill, Cambusnethan, Overtown and Newmains. This takes us above other settlements such as Hamilton, Ayr, Kirkcaldy and Kilmarnock. You can then add in other towns like Allanton, Shotts, Bellshill, Uddingston, Lanark, Carluke. In short we should have a catchment area of around 180,000 which isn't far off the population of the former Motherwell District Council. Traditionally we've also drawn support from other places like Hamilton, Larkhall, East Ayrshire and West Lothian. In short the population base is there to support a top six club. Of course you then have to factor in the ever growing influence of the dreaded OF and make no mistake it is growing. That said the draw of English Premiership clubs is beginning to impinge on their potential support but that is of little consolation to MFC. How do we grow the fanbase? That's the subject of another post but its very complex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that hat Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 As with others on these boards I was originally a Hamilton based 'Well fan, but do those of you living in Motherwell know of any Motherwell based Accies fans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claret&Amber Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 What would be interesting to see is... how many people from Motherwell, Wishaw and Bellshill actually go to Old Firm games? Is it as many, or more than 4,000? I know the majority of folk "support" them, but how many actually get to a match? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 What would be interesting to see is... how many people from Motherwell, Wishaw and Bellshill actually go to Old Firm games? Is it as many, or more than 4,000? I know the majority of folk "support" them, but how many actually get to a match? An excellent point and one which I was thinking about earlier today. Its not a case of weaning these characters away from Ibrox or Parkhead but out of their armchairs. We must improve the matchday experience to attract them. The club is doing alot through schools initiatives and this must continue. However, this should be extended to those who live outside of Lanarkshire. I know of several families who would bring their youngsters along if the package was right. Other points in brief: * A winning team increases attendances * Prices need to be reduced dramatically especially for non OF games * Better treatment of season ticket holders * Improved admin & ticketing arrangements * Fans need to be encouraged to spend more of their cash at FP as opposed to other local establishments * A real effort needs to be made to attract back lapsed fans * Return the Cooper Stand to Well fans (I've changed my view on this) * Market the club more aggressively to incomers to the area A lot of ideas there many of which others have mentioned. As a first step the club needs to get together with the fans starting with a clean slate. In some ways if it gets the basics right then the rest might follow. Not an easy task but it can be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcalf Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Very few OF fans leave Motherwell these days, town's full of bangers who wear the shirts yet never venture to a game, not even at Fir Park as used to be the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggischomper Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Get fitba' off the telly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherwell Football Club Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Many of my OF supporting do go to games, which is fair enough. And the majority of Of supporters are only so due to fitting in with their particular sect. Having nothing to do with the game itself. I'd guess that more people travel to Motherwell to watch the team than people from the town itself. With other local towns such as Wishaw, which has almost as big a population as Motherwell, to draw support from, Attendences have been rather poor. It is almost definately down to the cost these days. One thing I will say. Give it 5-10 years, and If we are still in the top flight i'd say we will have about 2000 more to add to our average attendance. The work that the club does in the community is one thing that I firmly believe will succeed in growing our fanbase in the coming years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 While cost is a factor, I still think the simplest solution to increasing the gates is to have all games kick off at 3pm in a Saturday afternoon. The staggered kick-offs and saturation of live games on the telly means only the diehards are going to attend a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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