Increasing attendances

Outback Ozzy · 13-10-2007, 21:29

Just an idea that maybe could be taken up by the club.
Next weeks match for Wigan Athletic is Portsmouth. The club, thinking that they may have a low attendance have said that season ticket holders can bring a friend for a fiver. So that is me attending Accy on Friday and Wigan on Saturday to keep 'er indoors happy. Now I appreciate this may be a non-starter, but as we all know, the true number of season ticket holders is more than 118, nearer 400, if we get half that number bringing a pal, then maybe, we can start to entice more bums on seats so to speak. I know it is too late probably for Fridays game against Macclesfield, but what about the first home game in November? The club have 2 to 3 weeks to forward plan.

Over to Eric and co.

Pendle Red · 13-10-2007, 22:53

Not a bad idea I know Burnley have tried similar things!
I think the downside could be that it may not neccesary increase the attendance you just may find that the people who would normally pay on the gate may turn up with a season ticket holder thus actually reducing income into the club?
So in terms of teams where season ticket holders outnumber people who pay on the gate it probably does have a dramatic effect?
I think the concept would probably work better for perhaps a Cup game and rolling out reduced admission to everyone?

Pendle Red · 14-10-2007, 09:41

The other way to increase attendances is already there with the Junior membership scheme perhaps it just needs to be ratified?
The Centre of Excellence is now operational, as well as the Half Term Soccer Schools and I would imagine the Community team are now out and about in the Schools, maybe if it does not already happen maybe Members of the first team could attend certain sessions give the kids a chance to meet a Pro in the flesh capture their imagination and hand them free tickets for the next home game where they can attend f.o.c. so long as they are accompanied by a paying Adult which is the Scheme, as I have found on many many occassions children are very persuasive in terms of Parents parting with our hard earned cash for what they want and it also gets the kids out in the fresh air and at the end of the day they are the future of the Club. I don't know if the Club do a half season ticket but with Christmas coming it could prove to be an ideal boost in terms of cash or maybe offering people the chance to pay for it over the course of a few months?

lancsdave · 14-10-2007, 10:06

Quote:

Not a bad idea I know Burnley have tried similar things!

And to be nonest none of them work very well.

There are 2 things that increase atendances more than others, success being the main one. The other one as the club found out last season is free admission. Even then they managed not to get a full house but I suggest that was more through a combination of ground layout/bad organisation than lack of people turning up.