Mid-week Attendances - What Can Be Done?

[Man From U.N.C.L.E.]

Really disappointing to see the crowd down from 4,615 on Saturday to 3,399 last night when we're on a good run and it's only early October, so not too cold yet. Hate to think how many we'll get on Tuesday nights over winter!

 

I'm not criticising Vale fans for not turning up as watched it myself on iFollow, as live in Manchester. Sure quite a few did the same and this must have impacted the number of MK Dons fans who turned up. The stands looked so empty last night and atmosphere was non-existent which wont encourage people to turn up in future.

 

However, what are the club doing to proactively encourage people to turn on for mid-week matches and help spur on the team? Smurf seems to have gone very quiet this season!

 

How about making it £10 for all pay on the day mid-week games, as must be only season ticket holders turning up at the moment. £10 per fan will be more than we get from the iFollow deal and will help generate more atmosphere, plus increase money spent in the ground.

[smithie]

I can't see the problem myself, there were only 15, 000 empty seats.

 

N. Smurthwaite.

[robf]

Really disappointing to see the crowd down from 4,615 on Saturday to 3,399 last night when we're on a good run and it's only early October, so not too cold yet. Hate to think how many we'll get on Tuesday nights over winter!

 

I'm not criticising Vale fans for not turning up as watched it myself on iFollow, as live in Manchester. Sure quite a few did the same and this must have impacted the number of MK Dons fans who turned up. The stands looked so empty last night and atmosphere was non-existent which wont encourage people to turn up in future.

 

However, what are the club doing to proactively encourage people to turn on for mid-week matches and help spur on the team? Smurf seems to have gone very quiet this season!

 

How about making it £10 for all pay on the day mid-week games, as must be only season ticket holders turning up at the moment. £10 per fan will be more than we get from the iFollow deal and will help generate more atmosphere, plus increase money spent in the ground.

 

I agree with all of those points.

[Santa]

I used to get the train down for almost every midweek game when I had a season ticket, but I haven't had one for a couple of years.

 

I also work a lot further away from the train station so I'd have to finish work at 4 at the latest to get across town (Trafford Park roadworks are a nightmare) to stand in the vestibule area of a crowded train full of people going back to Macclesfield and London. If I'm lucky I can get home for 11.30, then when I've sat and wound down it's usually after midnight when I get to sleep. Then up again for work the next morning.

 

I was happy enough doing that in my younger years and I still would be for a tasty midweek fixture but for now it's just too much of a chore.

[CAVALIER]

Improve the experience. Try and attack teams.

[mbycars]

Improve the experience. Try and attack teams.

 

The thing is we've been on a decent run and had quite a decent amount of shots in those games.

I thought it was a really poor attendance in the circumstances and if Vale fans want a decent side, fans need to turn up and help create an atmosphere to spur the team on. I don't know what went wrong last night but we were decent until Manny went off and then the injury to Monty made it impossible to get back in the game. Hopefully the players can put that one behind them but without Manny we need someone to push the play forward with more purpose.

[TJHValiant]

Despite the low figure..it was the 5th biggest in the division for a team hardly renowned to bring big numbers to us.

[Sandyford_Lion]

Despite the low figure..it was the 5th biggest in the division for a team hardly renowned to bring big numbers to us.

 

This is now footballs problem, not just the Vale

 

Stop at home and possibly watch the Vale on tv

or a champions league game

OR £23 is it gate money on a cold damp night !

 

Unless it is a big game or we are top of league in March

we will not see a big attendance at the Vale

 

Smurf should come out and tell us how many paying fans there were last night although if it were £10 a ticket I don't think we would have doubled

the number attending.

 

There is no sense in playing midweek league games, certainly in winter.

 

Solution :

 

Create a division 3, reduce the numbers in each league and play weekend only league games. Leave midweek games to silly cup competitions for the reserves at £10 a go

I would include the league cup in that too. Certainly rounds 1 / 2 / 3

[pjg1876]

Although some may disagree, I imagine there are still some supporters in S-o-T who also go to the Bet365 when that other team from the city play at home. For those with no particular allegiance to one or the other, sure most of them won’t turn up at Vale Park for a night game against MKD

[PV1973]

I don't think that even doing a special deal for when we have consecutive games would work either. We've tried it in the past and its not yielded much return in the attendances.

[pjg1876]

Also too many options to watch games elsewhere. Last night all Championship games on Sky, Champions League on BT, even Vale v MKD on iFollow. Why should people go out on a cold night to watch a game. BTW, I would rather be at VP so I was at the game last night.

[beasty77]

It does baffle me why the Football League arrange games when the Champions League is on. Im not saying it would add an extra 1k to the gate, but wouldn't it be common sense to arrange games when Champions League isn't on, as i know a few Vale fans who like watching Man Utd. Also i agree to charge £10 to get in on Tuesday night games.

[Thevalefan]

It's too expensive. No other reason.

 

Two of us went the game last night. Both not got season tickets.

 

Luckily I can get cheaper tickets most weeks, but - if you can't...

 

x 2 adult tickets = £44

X 2 pints before the game = £7

 

So it would have cost us £51 to watch the game and have one beer each. Even £44 without a beer is a dear doo!

 

£51 to go to Burslem on a Tuesday night and watch us lose 0-2.

 

Luckily I managed to get all this for only £17. Therefore, I’ll pay it no problem and don’t feel too bad about the result afterwards. If you spent £44 getting in last night, or more if a big family – you’d feel robbed and not bother again until we’re doing well.

 

Tuesday’s should be £10 admission and the football associations subsidise the lost revenue to clubs. It would be a fraction, a tiny % of what they make each year. Footballs dying in the lower divisions and no one seems to care.

[Phil]

It's too expensive. No other reason.

 

Two of us went the game last night. Both not got season tickets.

 

Luckily I can get cheaper tickets most weeks, but - if you can't...

 

x 2 adult tickets = £44

X 2 pints before the game = £7

 

So it would have cost us £51 to watch the game and have one beer each. Even £44 without a beer is a dear doo!

 

£51 to go to Burslem on a Tuesday night and watch us lose 0-2.

 

Luckily I managed to get all this for only £17. Therefore, I’ll pay it no problem and don’t feel too bad about the result afterwards. If you spent £44 getting in last night, or more if a big family – you’d feel robbed and not bother again until we’re doing well.

 

Tuesday’s should be £10 admission and the football associations subsidise the lost revenue to clubs. It would be a fraction, a tiny % of what they make each year. Footballs dying in the lower divisions and no one seems to care.

 

 

How do you manage to get them cheap? Is it a legal way?

[Thevalefan]

How do you manage to get them cheap? Is it a legal way?

 

A season ticket someone couldn't use and then a ticket bought cheap off a mate.

 

Are you undercover bill?