attracting the kids
 

we all know that the club really needs to be thinking about 10 years down the line and the next generation of Stanley fans. The club knows they need to do this and are probably trying to do this anyway, but how would you try to attract the fans of the future? The kid for a quid is obviously a good idea and should remain forever, not just the foreseeable future. Kids need to grow up with family members who support the club and then they might do, and they may pass it to their kids. Our present fanbase could have peaked at 2000 so we need second and third generation to get anywhere near 4500 - 5000. Post your thoughts, you never know who is reading them!

Re: attracting the kids
 

i know this might seem daft and the club says its not viable but how many shops in the centre of accy that sell stanley tops and merchandise i still think theyve missed the bandwagon in not putting a stanley store in the centre of acc even if its just temp up to christmas picture it kid walking through accy i wanna buy a footy top what one do you want mmmmmm ill have that one..well that on aint going to be stanley because its not in your face .visitor or tourist walking through accy they will say thats funny how come they dont sell accrington stanley tops in any shops .i knw they sell them in fraser eagle but not very many people walk past that way:confused: :Banane57: :Banane57: :Banane57: :Banane57: :Banane57: :Banane57:

Re: attracting the kids
 

Actually being the mum of two boys ( only one into football) you do have a point there ;)

Re: attracting the kids
 

Your very last sentence answered your question - so what is the point. As Fraser Eagle shop is in the middle of town - or it was last time I was in Accy maybe what the club should be asking the shop to do is promote the merchandise a little clearer ie big sign in window stating Accrington Stanley merchandise available here! The big problem with the shirts etc is the expense. Whilst I know the club try and keep costs down the shirts are just to darned expensive for kids especially if there is more than one wanting a shirt, then add on the cost of names and numbers on the back and it becomes prohibitive. When and if we get bigger and better and Whelan starts making our shirts at JJB in Wigan and selling them in his outlets around the place then the problem will exist. Tell me else you can buy a shirt from lower league and conference clubs. In the town where that club plays only. Only if they make the big time of Championship or Premiership are shirts sold outside of the town

Re: attracting the kids
 

i think 1 child free,accompianied by an adult would be a good promotion!!!

i have'nt got any kids but i think it would help!!!

what do the parents amongst us think???

Re: attracting the kids
 

It pains me to say it as a Dingle but Preston have a good scheme. All under 8's get free admission with an adult as long as they join the mini-whites club.

What's the situation about being a mascot at Stanley ? How does a child become one and what do they get ?

As a parent I can tell you that what attracts children goes against the grain of the more hardcore adult football fan. Gimmicks :D

Re: attracting the kids
 

A roof - pmsl [i so keep trying]:D

The only thing thats getting my 10year old daughter to go .... is mangan hehehehehe oh dear :o

Re: attracting the kids
 

mate, i've no problem with gimmicks aimed at getting kids in. They too will learn the ways of saturday afternoon when they're ready!!!
Pint,Stanley,pint,Pie,Pint,shout at ref,pint,cheer at goal,pint...........
you get the picture!!

Re: attracting the kids
 

Well I might agree apart from the following points, I rarely drink, I don't support Stanley and I used to be a ref :D

Re: attracting the kids
 

To answer your question about becoming a mascot, it costs £40, they get to warm up with the lads before the game and lead the team out with their favourite player. Also included is 3 tickets for the game and the kit can be bought for half price if they want one. My youngest did it a couple of times on his birthday and enjoyed every minute.
As for a juniors club - that was tried but fell flat on its face for one reason and another, would be worth trying it again though.

Re: attracting the kids
 

Interesting difference in mascots. At Burnley mascot duty is free of charge. Only junior season ticket holders can do it, they get put in to a draw at the start of the season. They get a free shirt but have to buy their own shorts and socks. They also get 4 free tickets for friends and family and a free programme. Meeting the players in the dressing room is obviously part of it, and if you are lucky like my daughter then you get to witness Ade Akinbiyi kicking hell out of a radiator to get warmed up !

I believe Wolves on the other hand charge £250 for a child to be mascot !!!!

Re: attracting the kids
 

250 quid??? daylight robbery!!! it makes you wonder how many mascots they've had.
That's diabolical.

Re: attracting the kids
 

Junior Reds would be a top idea, but I believe the reason for failure last time, amongst other things, was that nobody really had time to organise and arrange it. Would a very useful addition to the club if somebody was able to devote time and energy to the cause. Done right it could become a full time paying job (Stanley Community Officer - Junior Reds Co-ordinator coupled with training kids etc)

Re: attracting the kids
 

It's changed now AccyMad...It costs £80 now, see the official site on the sponsorship section!!

Re: attracting the kids
 

That's like describing satan on these boards :p

Re: attracting the kids
 

Another point is that under the law a child in the UK is a child until 18 years old, so why are teenagers who are either still at school or in further education and not earning money charged £8 to watch Stanley, ok its not that expensive, but it is if you are not earning, i think that there should be no youth rate at all, after all why should you be charged more once you are 13, do you all of a sudden come into money, teenagers these days who dont have much money are not going to spend £8 on going down Stanley, however they may spend £4 (who knows, but try it and see), i think it would be better to have more people paying less than only a few that are willing to pay more, i pay £8 for my son to go in even though i dont really agree i should pay that much for him, but its my chose to do so and i do because he loves watching Stanley.

Another plus point would have to be a roof, it was bitterly cold on Tuesday night and i nearly didn`t go because i knew it was gonna be a cold one, and i`m not one for missing home games, so if i nearly didn`t go how many occasional fans didn`t.

I also read once on here that the majority of fans that do go are from Accrington, whilst i wouldn`t dissagree with that there are also quite a lot from the surrounding area`s that go, so potentially there are a hell of a lot of locals that for one reason or another dont go, but has anyone been out and about and found out what the reasons are and what would attract them ? equally more publicity in nearby towns could have some impact, maybe not, but has it been tried ?, Stanley will always have its die hard fans of the present but it needs to be creating the die hard fans of tomorrow.

Re: attracting the kids
 

Bloody heck that doubled quick, oh well shan't be doing that for my daughters birthday this month then - priced out:(

Re: attracting the kids
 

Actually cheaper to buy her a season ticket at the Turf and ask for her name to be put down on mascot list :D

Re: attracting the kids
 

I so hope Erics got access to this board:eek: being poached already & cheaper:eek: sorry but mangans at accy she wont go else where yet...soooooooooooooo u get access to dressing rooms can u?:o

Re: attracting the kids
 

You would get to take her to the Christmas party and have a picture taken with the Beast :rolleyes:

Re: attracting the kids
 

She wont want that but errr i'll have one with the beast:D

Thats the beauty of FES behind the goals tho the view you have is tremendous;) :D

Re: attracting the kids
 

ah but how many people walk past fraser eagle not very many theres not very many kids shops past there plus its not very big so you cant promote much merchandise and i know shirts are expensive but its coming up to christmas and people spen a lot of money so its only a plus point if stanley try and get their share of the market .isnt stanley supposed to be run like buisiness .

Re: attracting the kids
 

It is but its the business side of the club that is not performing well.:(

Re: attracting the kids
 

Ooooo so glad she doesn't read that forum cos me thinks you have outdone the embarressing mum one this time!!! Actually that comment comes from seeing her face everytime you mention mangan...you know the one ...

"AWW MUM STOP IT" followed by :o :o :o

Re: attracting the kids
 

Did offer my time to help with this, went to one meeting and was never contacted again!! :rolleyes:

Re: attracting the kids
 

new era now. If you would like to think about it again you may find us more accomodating this time out. The reason last time would have been that nobody could be rsed to look at it and plan etc, but I want to encourage more and more people to take things uppon themselves, I want all those that go to the meetings just for a warm to start getting involved. Junior Reds is a must but it needs a leader, it needs somebody pro-active and a doer rather than a talker. You'll get whatever back up I can muster.

Re: attracting the kids
 

Hehehehehehe:D im cruel err not lol erm its payment back for her embarrassing me last season heckling Jagielka "Oi my mum fancies you" everytime he came close:o - hey i never went chasing him round for his sig hehehehe:D

She did same with an engine or 2 of firemen - telling em loudly my mum needs a firemans lift & it will take a few of you:eek:

Oh that girl realises now hehehehehehe:D

Re: attracting the kids
 

:p :p mel,sounds like she has a stand up comic career beckoning......

let's kill 2 birds with one stone and put her on in the bar spilling all your secrets....... that'd get a few punters in:p :p

Re: attracting the kids
 

Hehehehehe oh she is that alright lol tho her best moment [had to take several steps away & hide] was one of the first matches she went to, for some known reason she was chanting the wrong team:eek: right in middle of clayton end:o soon put her right lol

I haven't got any really lost Jaggers now lol She wants to be an ultra tho:confused: :eek: :D

Re: attracting the kids
 

Sorry, didn't realise it had gone up - that's a hell of a leap in one season and it's not like they get any more than they did for £40.

Re: attracting the kids
 

Maybe if we ask some of the kids who do come to Stanley regularly what they think would attract other kids to come along we might get some good ideas.

Re: attracting the kids
 

Off thread but that price hike for the mascot is ridiculous;was considering it but not bothering now.