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Dwindling Crowds - MA or GO to blame?


Stu

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At the end of the transfer window, one of our regular posters asked:

hypothetical question.

 

 

30,000 crowds and Ashley Showing no ambition.

 

50,000 crowds and Ashley showing ambition.

 

 

which is more financially beneficial?

 

its something thats honestly concerning me. assuming we have to stay in the division for stability- is it ok to finish say 17th, and not bother how many come through the door? given so much money comes from other sources.

At what point does lower crowds start to eat away at the attractiveness/ value of the club to sell on?

 

edit- and stu, i might have mentioned it- if i lost 20% of the custmers in my business, i would be doing something about it.

 

Following a crowd of 'just' 47k for the opening home game against Arsenal and 43k for the second match versus Fulham, it was suggested that the downturn in supporter numbers was primarily due to the ownership of the club (MA) rather than the current economic climate (GO).

 

For comparison, last season's home game against Arsenal drew 51.5k (although a few thousand had left by HT :lol: ) and the corresponding Fulham game drew 45k.

 

If you take into consideration the timing of the matches (summer holidays, etc.) then the first two home games last season drew in 43.5k and 49.5k, respectively.

 

Yesterday, Arsenal had a few empty seats (as they also did in the Carling Cup during midweek) prompting Arsene Wenger to comment:

 

"The stadiums will be less quickly full and we have noticed that already."

"You can look at all the clubs in England and the Premier League seats go slower and slower out. We are maybe a special case because we had disappointing results but the other clubs had the same problem."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15049604.stm

 

Now, I would expect the attendance for our next few home games to increase on the basis of us playing more attractive football (although we are playing Spurs on SKY and Wigan), but the underlying economic issues are still prevalent...can NUFC continue to draw in 50k~ crowds with the current pricing structure or is it simply a case of the club needing to spend money on new signings to attract the crowds?

 

Or, is the national economy the fundemental reason why crowds are dropping off and is the Premiership in for a change in pricing?

 

 

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In the last 3 years, there's about 5000 regular fans who have packed it in for good and I think it will be very difficult to get them back regardless of what happens on the pitch.

 

I'm prepared to be shown otherwise, but I think our tickets are relatively cheap.

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It's difficult to speak on behalf of so many people too definitively, but many people I know don't go because of financial reasons.

 

They might feel they're missing out less if their team is playing badly, but they still always want to go - until they check the ticket prices. There is just more price sensitivity for the consumer right now IMO.

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I can only answer on behalf of myself and it's purely down to ownership, paid for 3 years and stopped going after that Bolton game, didn't renew and won't ever under these cowboys.

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Mix of reasons for me.

 

I used to have a season ticket but am sick of the regime so didn't renew in 08/09.

 

When I do go these days it's only ever on a freebie and whilst I'm not ungrateful for a ticket, I don't have the same passion at the match as I used to.

 

And we've had 2 kids in the last couple of years so justifying the money for tickets and a day on the ale is harder, especially when the match isn't as good crack as it used to be. And the hangovers are twice as painful.

 

So now I tend to just watch it on foreign telly down the boozer if its not on Sky, or at home if it is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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People can't afford it, that's all. The NUFC fanbase isn't made up of rich luvvies like those who support London teams or Man U. It's got little to do with Ashley, if the price of a ticket was slashed by half the ground would be sold out. Our ticket prices are a lot better than most clubs of our stature as well so it's not as if they are over priced either.

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People can't afford it, that's all. The NUFC fanbase isn't made up of rich luvvies like those who support London teams or Man U. It's got little to do with Ashley, if the price of a ticket was slashed by half the ground would be sold out. Our ticket prices are a lot better than most clubs of our stature as well so it's not as if they are over priced either.

 

You're so sure it's down to cash, yet our prices aren't that expensive. Sounds to me like you want it to be because people can't afford it.

 

Few replies, but two (myself included) point towards the owners.

 

General apathy, poor match day experience, ownership, negativity, contempt, money better spent on the kids are probably all factors. All wouldn't be an issue (for me) if it wasn't for the man that gets constantly excused for his disastrous tenure by many.

 

It's nice to know who the NUFC fans spokesperson is though.

 

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People can't afford it, that's all. The NUFC fanbase isn't made up of rich luvvies like those who support London teams or Man U. It's got little to do with Ashley, if the price of a ticket was slashed by half the ground would be sold out. Our ticket prices are a lot better than most clubs of our stature as well so it's not as if they are over priced either.

 

You're so sure it's down to cash, yet our prices aren't that expensive. Sounds to me like you want it to be because people can't afford it.

 

Few replies, but two (myself included) point towards the owners.

 

General apathy, poor match day experience, ownership, negativity, contempt, money better spent on the kids are probably all factors. All wouldn't be an issue (for me) if it wasn't for the man that gets constantly excused for his disastrous tenure by many.

 

It's nice to know who the NUFC fans spokesperson is though.

 

 

I'm sure there are people who refuse to go to games because they don't like Ashley which is fine, it's their money, they can spend it where they like. My view is if someone like Shepherd was in charge there'd be even more unhappy people in the long run because a local owner sometimes can't make the right business decisions because emotions cloud their judgement. Especially if they are thick as pig shit to start with.

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My view is that if Jack the Ripper was chairman and didn't treat us like muppets, we'd fill the ground every week.

 

He'd probably gain many apologists who'd excuse his previous misdemeanors as nothing compared to Hitler.

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Everybody that I know who hasn't renewed have all said it's because of Ashley.

 

Isn't it also the case that when times are tough and fans' personal finances are tighter, cancelling your season ticket/not attending is that much easier a decision to make if the owner is a disrespectful cock-end who treats fans and the club's history with utter contempt? :sadnod:

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Agreed, I think the Ashley regime has given lots of folk the opportunity to bail out. It's more face-saving to say it's because of Ashley rather than you simply can't afford it anymore.

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Like I said, I can respect people having their opinion but I'd rather have a fat cunt in charge who will improve us on the pitch and keep us financially stable than a prick who makes the right noises but runs off with the loot while leaving us in debt with an ageing squad being paid shitloads to under-perform.

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Agreed, I think the Ashley regime has given lots of folk the opportunity to bail out. It's more face-saving to say it's because of Ashley rather than you simply can't afford it anymore.

 

None of the people I know have problems with their disposable income though.

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Agreed, I think the Ashley regime has given lots of folk the opportunity to bail out. It's more face-saving to say it's because of Ashley rather than you simply can't afford it anymore.

 

None of the people I know have problems with their disposable income though.

 

I think if you asked a vast majority of fans whether we should have sold Nolan or given him a new contract most would have said give him a contract. Would that make them right?

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Agreed, I think the Ashley regime has given lots of folk the opportunity to bail out. It's more face-saving to say it's because of Ashley rather than you simply can't afford it anymore.

 

big time - there's also the element of people stretching themselves further when they feel things are headed in the right direction and/or the people running the club are at least trying to make that happen

 

average joe supporter (i.e. someone who doesn't spend their life analysis everything like us on here) will more than likely be just thinking "sold carroll, nolan and barton and spent fuck all, why should i bother with this cockney prick?" imo

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As always down to a mix of issues but I would guess the biggest will be the financial climate. Belt tightening is effecting most business's (apart from belt suppliers).

 

You also had those who came back for Keegan not renewing there 3 year deal.

 

I basically jacked it in when Keegan went and have been going as and when and other times watching in the pub. However this season our lass bought me a season ticket for my anniversary and my 22 year old daughter got one as well.

 

Totally loving being there again especially given the type of football we seem to be playing.

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