New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Andy Holt has tweeted he's been in discussions about new walk on prices that will start from 1 January 2016!

Prices to be on the official site "Next Week"

Nice to see him coming straight in and getting stuck in to attract more/new fans!!

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

So you're presuming the prices'll be going down a bit?? If so could be a good move - even just a couple of quid less could make a difference, if someone hands over 20 quid & gets 2 or 3 quid back in change they're likely to have it ready in their hand to buy say a half-time draw ticket or programme

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Sounds promising to me.:)

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

People like Macca have been saying for years we should charge say £10 and get double the crowd rather than £20 and getting what we get now!

I think in previous years the club hasn't had the money to try this incase we didn't get double the crowds and lose money...Lets hope with the club now on a better financial footing we can do this!

Exiting times!

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

What, people are off already!:eek::rolleyes:

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Thing is if they reduce prices, it will ONLY work if maximum effective publicity is used in accy @ surrounding areas. imho.

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If we're affordable and have a winning team we have literally taken every excuse away from the Accrington public. Personally I'm hoping for concessions to be slashed dramatically and kid for a quid. With so many colleges and unis nearby £15 for students is far too high. With no debt we can try something long term....it has always baffled me when we try reductions for one game and complain they don't come back. A long term well advertised approach is worth a go.

We talk about lost generations to Blackburn and Burnley post 62 but we've been in the league ten seasons. In that time we've lost another generation. If you were 8 that glorious day in Woking you're 18 now.

The fight back begins now!!!

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Agree Alvin under 18,s students and under 12,s are the future make these more affordable and just maybe we can attract new younger fans.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

........ The news gets better and better :) Something I have been saying for years.

Fantastic.

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I hope the seats at the Clayton end will fill up again soon. We are in dreamland at the moment. if somebody had said this was going to happen last year we would have laughed them off the forum. Andy Holt is making good on his promises so we need to respond and encourage every one we know to come to the ground.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Prices cuts mean less income but could help grown the fan base long term. Football pricing is 'relatively inelastic', half the price and double the crowds is never going to work.

A roof on the away end would be a good idea, a lot of those York fans will be put off coming here I reckon.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

I'd rather they spent money on the facilities for the Main Stand and Clayton End first if they was to spend it anywhere!

Most away fans will come no matter what, What we need to do is upgrade our own facilities which will (hopefully) get the people of Accrington coming week in week out rather than an away fan that comes once a season!

Lets be honest the £20 entrance fee is for the football alone nothing else! How many people would be deterred going for a beer at half time behind the Clayton End with no real roof for shelter?

Let's put our own fans first!

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

York's away end is open to the elements exactly the same as ours, they also have the option of sitting down undercover but they make you pay an extra quid for the pleasure :rolleyes:

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Yeh forgot about that, perhaps we should do similar?

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

So improving facilities won't attract repeat away fans but will for home fans? As Stanley rely on away fans' cash more than any other Pro club (taking a wild guess) they should be treated with more respect.

The facilities are poor at the Clayton End, especially the toilets, but there is a roof at least. The bar is hardly used compared to any other ground.

As for York's ground, they are building an multi million pound new one for all to enjoy.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

So we should look after a fan that comes once a season over a new fan that would potentially come 23 times a season?

I never said ignore the away facilities, just concentrate on home fans facilities if we want to build our home support!!

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Away fans come every single game, the fact it is different fans doesn't matter.

Luton brought a load this season, they came August two years in a row and enjoyed it in the Sun. That was a lot of income, multiple times the home fans walk on receipts. To a greater or lesser extent there are 22 clubs like them, and 17 will always return next season. However, one bad experience at a ground and some fans will just write that team/ground off as not worth going/deserving of their cash.

I want improvements for home facilities more than most, but laughing at away fans running during torrential rain is myopic and harmful.

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If they come every game then it doesn't matter too much then about the away facilities?

The thing with us being in this league so long a lot away fans stop coming simply because it's not a "new ground to tick off" and they have been plenty of times before, not always due to the poor facilities, not to mention how southern this league is!

I'd much rather get the home facilities sorted and boosting our own fan base rather than be relying on Luton/Portsmouth "payday"

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I agree, as long as more than 1 away fan turns up the facilities are vindicated.

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Even more important with current form. Starting to get new people on, the last thing you want is for them not to come back because of facilities

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[QUOTE=baldy;1154336]If they come every game then it doesn't matter too much then about the away facilities?

The thing with us being in this league so long a lot away fans stop coming simply because it's not a "new ground to tick off" and they have been plenty of times before,

I remember Portsmouth didn.t bring as many last season than the previous one and there are reasons why you don't go back again as an away fan. like Mansfield having to buy tickets in advance for a half empty ground, Doncaster where you pay a fiver to park or walk miles to the ground are as good reasons not to go back again as stanleys poor away facilities are.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

£15 Adults
£10 Over 65 and under 16s
Under 12s go free with a paying adult!

Can't grumble at the adult prices, Think £10 is steep for a 13 year old but another good move by the new ownership!

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Worth trying & really hope it works, only problem is a lot of people don't see us as an established league club but still as just little Stanley - i was telling someone about the price for last week's cup game & their reaction was '£15? That's still too much to watch Stanley' - i don't know how we get through to people like that, yes if they come & watch a good game while we're doing so well they might just enjoy it & come again but it's getting people through the gate in the first place that's the problem

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I think that pricing is about right. Like other people have said, it feels better getting change from a 20 pound note.

1478 was the average attendance last season. So far it's 1481 this season, would be good if we could get the right side of 1500 soon.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

The prices have gone up £5 for some people on the face of it:

2015/16 Admission Prices

Adults £20
Concessions (Over 65′s & Students*) £15
Under 18′s £10
Accompanied Under 12′s^ £5

The club needs to ensure reductions are consistent with the old prices, it would be good if students were £10 (maybe but not stated) and 16/17 year olds should not be full price, as you have to be in education/training until 18 these days, so none will have a job and the price should not got up for them if going down for most.

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I was in total disagreement when the price for concensions went up to 15.00.
Bury now apply a system employed by the premiership clubs with the price depending on who the opposition is example Wigan 16.00 while lesser teams cost 12.00. The proposed cost cutting is a good idea but will it attract more time will tell. I must say that after watching Bury, Bolton and Man City the two games that I have seen Dag & Redbridge and York this season have been the best for entertainment and quick passing football. ( Man City was a lot of possession but played at walking pace)

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The club need a USP

Forest green have it with their amazing catering

Afc Wimbledon have it with the nostalgia, club bar and location (London)

If we had a USP it would make a huge difference

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The problem with cutting the prices is that we don't just need to increase the attendance we have to increase the attendace just to retain the same income. If we average 1500 per game at £20 per head and say 600 of them are paying that £20, so I'm excluding season tickets and consessions for simplicity, we would have to average 1700 per game just to retain comparable income.

If we have less than 600 out of 1500 on average including away fans then I would be shocked because the match day income must be really low.

The obvious solution is to roof and seat the away end, take the seats out of the Clayton end and charge £20 for a seat and £15 for the terrace. That way if we have a big away following we can justify charging £20 as they have a seat. This happens at nearly all away grounds in League 2 where seats are more expensive. Barnet they closed the terrace for away fans, Stevenage the away end is seated, Orient was seats only but at least Crawley gave us the option. In the past I think Morecambe have closed the terrace on occasion although I haven't encountered it.

The other option is the two tier system where games with a big away support are more expensive like now and games with a small support are cheaper. Either way we can't affford to lose income as this may impact on wages if they are a percentage of income as it seems to be.

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Said this for a while. People don't understand the level at which we compete. They don't see us as being on a par with the likes of Pompey, Luton and Plymouth.

Three promotions in six years was unbelievable but left us in the situation where Coley's sides have always been light years ahead of the club's infrastructure. Outsiders still see "little Stanley" and think it's akin to being charged £15/20 to watch Clitheroe....which obviously you wouldn't do.

We had the USP when the Ultras were in full force. We had an old school atmosphere that you couldn't get at Rovers and Burnley. How many of those excited children at the front don't come anymore?

There should be a massive push on the fact you cant watch professional league football cheaper anywhere in the country. :)

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

The obvious solution as you put it sounds great but what will the cost be and will any future revenue cover that, Mr. Holt I,m sure will have some ground improvements in mind we,ll have to wait and see but personally I would like to see a growth in the corporate areas were we are really limited at present like or loathe the prawn sandwich brigade it,s along with sponsorship were the real money is and hopefully as the club progress,s on and off the field hopefully the support will grow as well.

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It would be the cost of a roof and bolting seats to the terrace like the front of the Clayton End.The ones in the Clayton end would be a start. How many away fans are put off by uncovered terracing in bad weather like last week and this week. It could be the same v Carlisle on Boxing Day as they usually bring a fair few.

I agree regarding hospitality but how do we improve the infrastructure to generate sufficient income? How do we provide a matchday experience that justifies paying a lot more than we do just now for corporates? We can go on about how our name is known throughout the country and how we are fighting against adversity at every turn but sometimes I think we are the only ones who thing that. Sometimes it seems that we revel in being tinpot.

The truth is we are an established league 2 club who can more than hold our own and have done for many years. Times have changed in football with TV and the premiership as kids are force fed "superstars" by Sky and now BT. We will attract a few more fans but we won't miraculously double our crowds even with a good team. Certain big games will attract big crowds but in general we have around 1000 regulars on a good day but we will always be up against it as we are playing against Blackburn at home and sometimes Burnley away on tv. After watching the game in the pub neutrals are more inclined to stay there than head to the Wham.

I don't know the answer but I doubt cutting the price by a fiver will boost the crowd by a thousand or more nor will we make thousands more by tinkering with the hospitality. the one thing I do know is we can't just accept what we have and give up trying.

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Alvin is correct

When the club systematically killed off the ultras, it lost a big USP

But that doesn't mean it can't be recreated and/or the club could find an alternative

I know 2 tranmere fans who never travel away from home, but because of forest greens unique catering they promised each other they would make the trip.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Agree entirely. Many of my local friends, and fans from other clubs that I meet on the trains on Saturday, find it difficult to understand that we can produce such good football from a seemingly shambolic background over the last few years.

Disagree entirely. We simply cannot go on blaming the proximity of other teams for our abysmal attendances.

How can Stockport County manage an average attendance of over 3000 when the Etihad and Old Trafford are only about 7 miles away?

And let's remember that the average attendance at Ewood Park fell from 25,000 in 2010 to under 15,000 in 2012. That's 10,000 disillusioned football fans. Surely some of them could/should have been attracted to the Crown Ground or whatever name it had during those years.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

It's easier to keep a support in adversity than try and attract fans from other teams when they are playing. Why do you thing Rangers had 50000 crowds in the fourth tier of Scottish football?

There will always be fans lost when teams get relegated from the Premiership but how many go to lower league clubs. The Premiership is so hyped that some people would go to any Premiership game just to say they have been to one. Kids are more inclined to be drawn to bigger teams to see players they have heard of than a league two side where you only read about it in the Accy Observer.

Also football is a habit, break that habit and often you don't miss it because there are plenty of other things a person can find to do. Once you get on a run of not missing a game in a season you are more inclined to go to keep it running but break that run and it's easy not to put yourself out. Just because you stop watching Blackburn doesn't mean you want to watch another team. Some do but most don't.

It is difficult now to build a fan base because there are so many other options to kids on a Saturday and that is the only way we will ever do it. We lost more than one generation by folding. If we had reformed right away as other clubs do now then we might be in a better position but that didn't happen.

We need to do something but I'm at a loss to think what. We couldn't fill the stadium when we let people in for nothing so I don't think cutting the price by a fiver will do much in terms of income or the attendances we would need. I will do my bit chalking up the miles each season but when I'm down you wouldn't know there was a game on when drinking in the town most matchdays. Advertising is one thing but it only works when you promote the "product". Get rid of the tinpot image and joke club and that might help. If I had a pound for every time I heard "who are they" I could get in for free each game and that's up here in Scotland.

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We really need to push the u12s get on for free in January, It might take 5/10 years but if we start now and get the kids coming and getting involved with the atmosphere on The Clayton End, that's how they get hooked, (well one of the reasons I got hooked anyway!)

I'd like to see the club do a really big push on the half season tickets, £130 for an adult and with that you get an u12 in free!!

Let's get a few players into Asda/Tesco in the run up to Christmas and really push it and get them sold as "Christmas Presents" soon as they're hooked next minute they'll be asking when the season ticket prices are out for next season!

For too long the club has expected the people of Accrington to just turn up on a Saturday, Lets get the players into the community/town centre more and be more visible!

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

I agree with most of what you are saying but The Clayton End does not have the same dynamics anymore. Compare our early days in the League before those damned seats. There was plenty of room behind the goals and Jase orchestrated the ultras with a passion that is sorely missed. Kids had flags and banners they felt part of the group and could move about. now the space on the terrace is cramped, the spectacle is not the same and those seats are in the way. Getting kids in can be the easy part if you let them in for nothing it's keeping them there.That's why I'd rather they roofed the away end and seated it instead.

The idea with the players is also good in principle but how often do you see the players in the sports bar after the game looking like lost sheep. You can just about see the relief when they get "permission" to leave. If we have players there then they need to be enthusiastic about it. Perhaps more work in schools might pay dividends with kids especially if it's football related. If we are going to get players into the community then they have to do more than just stand about. Why not hand out a few free tickets in the town. It doesn't have to be very many just a way of raising interest among the people. Do it with an adult and child ticket then there could be more chance of attracting people instead of expecting the child to convince someone to pay the full price. Do a free draw for a pair of tickets in the Crown some nights perhaps. It's easier to keep people coming than to get them there in the first place.

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Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

You are correct with the off field situation especially at Ibrox however I would liken the situation more to Blackpool rather than Blackburn. The situation is not fully resolved but most of the parasites have been removed and the crowds are back over the 40000 mark in the league even against lesser opposition. Not many of the people I knew who stopped going to Ibrox went to see other Scottish Clubs and some still won't go to away games that used to go most weeks.

Up here after the "who are they" it's "are they a real team" and "are they from Liverpool". Nobody mentions finances or gambling. We seem to suffer fom lack of TV exposure. It's probably single figures for live games in the 10 years we've been back and most of them would be cup or playoff games.

You're right regarding attendances once we got back in the League but a table topping team will always attract more than a team struggling at the bottom. I don't remember attendances being that high in our first season and it didn't improve as things went on. Perhaps the chase to get in the league was more attractive than being there and struggling?

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I don't recall attendances being any higher in the play-offs season either, not even particularly brilliant for the play-off semi. Newcastle in the League Cup probably the closest we've ever got to a sell-out since promotion? And of course that night was the start of the end of the Ultras :(

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From what I remember of the playoff season was it not a case that we came from way behind because of postponed games so we weren't near the playoff places until near the end of the season and by then we played 15 league games in March and April.

That wouldn't have helped the crowds that season. Plus the result in the first leg meant the crowd was poor in the second.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Duncan mentions earlier on that it doesn't feel like matchday in Accrington, and he's right. The thousand or so hardy souls make their own way to the ground and go pretty much directly there. In the 'good old days' of 10 years ago the Oaklea was bouncing pre match and had good numbers sat outside - but beyond that it still didn't feel like matchday.

I'd like to see a concerted effort by all to start to build the pre match atmosphere around town. Rather than the odd group here and there, how about 4-500 revellers enjoying a few pints in the town beforehand?

This could be coupled with a big push on handing out leaflets around the town centre and all local supermarkets. A 'kids are free' emblazoned effort and handed out to every single child wielding parent in the borough from 9am til 12pm - followed by the drinkers :)

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

on the original topic of the new walk on prices, great opening move by Mr Holt and shows that he is willing to address issues at the earliest opportunity. I suspect that this move is more about trying to get bodies on the ground to get behind the promotion push rather than anything financial.

In the past we've harped on about whether the club has any sort of business plan to move forwards with ...
Adult prices = short term
Concession prices = medium term
kids prices = long term (and short term as well for the accompanying parents)

The under 12 price simply has to stay at free or a nominal quid. You can never underestimate the nagging of a child, or the need for a parent to do something with their child. These children are our future and will have little or no understanding of our past struggles or scandals. The ASFC we have now IS a football league club and our standing to little uns is untarnished. Many people say that we should get into the local schools - we are into the local schools. Take a look at the Community Trust stuff, it's great what they do and what they accomplish. I don't know why that's not being converted into young bums on seats and that is an area that needs to be addressed.

Converting late teens is a tricky one, and I would imagine involves alcohol. Colleges can't be ignored from he community trust angle.

Above all else though people need to made to feel like they are missing out on something. A winning team obviously helps with that but atmosphere and comradeship should be taken into account. The Ultra spirit of 5-10 years ago was massive, had it continued at that pace we WOULD be seeing a far larger amount of 16-20 year olds behind that goal. Can it be reborn? At the time it relied on the efforts of the few. Those few were young men shorn of responsibility and rich with time and cash and energy. Fast forward to the present and the few that remain couldn't be expected to do the same again, are others capable?

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Not to mention the full kit that they want for Christmas that in 6/12 months he will want another because he has grown out of it!

Could we do a deal for u12 to get a kit abit cheaper next season...once 1 kid has a Stanley shirt his mate will want one etc not to mention it's free advertising for Plastic Box Shop!

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its really a hard one this what can we do or what should be done issue. a reduction in walk on prices may help and improved toilet and catering may but is this just an excuse people make for not attending I just don't know. if the crown was knocked down and a new 6000 all seater stadium was built would crowds increase after the initial surge. the football on offer this season is excellent but its a pity the opposition are mostly southern based. Cambridge and Dagenham are games regulars might think twice in attending on a ****ty day never mind someone thinking they,d give it a go. promotion I,m sure would push our fanbase up to 2000 plus a larger away following which would give a better atmosphere especially for the younger fans who have heard more swear words in the playground than at the crown. my lad used to find it funny hearing grown men making prats out of themselves at football. as far as toilets are concerned I remember going to millmoor and saltergate where the smell still lingers up my nose.

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:confused::confused::confused:

And the relevance of referring to grounds closed in 2008 and 2010 is ..... ?

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Stanley 1st Home Saturday crown back in the league in 2006 was 1,639. There was a slump in crowds after gaining promotion not a surge. The surge was the year before when walking away with the division.

After one poor game at home in the Football league the crowd dropped by 1,000 and the novelty had worn off. It would be near impossible to quickly return to the 3,000 crowds of mainly home fans sometimes seen in 2005/06 as that was on the back of possible promotion to the football league for the first time and going unbeaten for half the season. Promotion, even as champions, to the third division doesn't have the same novelty.

Any significant increase in crowds is likely to take a decade.

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At the start of that fantastic season the crowds were about the same as now they surged dramatically after the televised away win at Exeter and then along with some local derbies and the top of the table syndrome they peaked at just over 3000 tell,s it,s own story me think,s.

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the reference is that these grounds are fairly recent and did not want to go back to the 1950,s when I first went to football as peoples requirements have altered a lot since then. the point is people attended games dispite them and people will not turn up just because of excellent toilet facilities. just another excuse not to go.

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Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

[QUOTE=Chewbacca;1155074]There was a slump in crowds after gaining promotion not a surge. [QUOTE]

Your figures do not agree with this site:
England historical attendance and performance

Although the above site rather oddly seems to refer to calendar years rather than seasons. If "3,000 crowds of mainly home fans sometimes seen in 2005/06" is correct, there must have been some very poor attendances to arrive at the figures reported on the above website.

Can anyone provide a more accurate picture than that seemingly portrayed by this website?

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The site looks ropey, the last two years figures don't make sense.

In 2005/06 the last 6 attendances at home were: 3014 ,3320, 2642, 2119, 1946, 3041; in a league with an average of 1800 and far fewer away fans than div 2.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

[QUOTE=Revived Red;1155238]Sorry but I have no idea what you are trying to say. You rightly suggest that people's requirements have altered since the 1950s - but then you suggest that people attended games then despite the poor facilities. So you seem to be saying that they should still attend games despite the poor facilities.


sorry for delay in getting back to you lap top problems. between my brain and finger I seem to loose my thread. its clear to me if whats on offer on the pitch is good people will go to football dispite any other problems if they can afford to do so. as for this family argument its still really a dads and lads thing although more girls are interested than 20 years ago. my wife and daughter would no more go to football than I would go shopping on a Saturday afternoon. same also can be said for the cinema, you go to watch a film you fancy not for the popcorn.

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[QUOTE=monkey hanger;1155346]I must be one of the exceptions, I'd rather be at the football any day of the week than go shopping - must get it from me mother, at the age of 80 something she's still attending every home game & the odd away game - it's in the blood ;)

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

New walk on prices have started!!

With 3 home games now let's get the news out there to people at work, Neighbours, Mate in the pub...

Could be a massive help come May!!

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Putting up the prices for 16 and 17 year olds is a bad idea, I'm no sure why the club are persisting with this price hike. I thought it was an oversight but apparently not:
Admission Prices ? Accrington Stanley FC

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Not the best idea they ever came up with?:rolleyes:

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Probably would have been better keeping the over65 at £15 or knock it down to £13 and using the extra £5 we would get from that to subsidise the students/u18s as that's the age we need to be attracting the most!

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

The U16 just needs changing to U18 and no harm done.

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These new prices may cause problems with the Carlisle game if their fans have already paid £20 for the tickets already sold.

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Promising..... although Saturdays are not so easy for me now.
I haven't been on here for ages but glad that Stanley are still chasing the top places.
A couple of games in hand as well!
It's a pleasure to nip on here, where people seem to be civilised with each other!
More power to your elbow!
Giac

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Oh and meant to say that it's nice to see a fan site where people are civilised with each other. Keep up the good work!

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Which fan site was that then :confused::D

Re: New walk on prices from 1st January!
 

Aye I think I know what you mean!
Some fans football sites are just not cricket.......