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The missing 10,000


Amesbury Saint

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Watching Saints has been more fun for sometime. Yes I know its L1 but its good to watch Saints win regularly.

 

so what more does the club need to do this season before SMS is full?

 

Draw Man Utd/Aresenal/Chelsea in the next round of the FA Cup.

If the last league match of the season needed a win to get into the play-offs then it might get close but otheriwse its down to the luck of the Cup I think.

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I would quite ike some sort of creative promotion next season, something similar to Southend saying they will refund season tickets if England win the world cup. Maybe if we don't get promoted this season the club says anyone who buys for next year will get 30 percent off next years season ticket if we get promoted.

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If we get close to the playoffs they will all come flooding back.

 

Basically we have a "hardcore" of 16,000 who will turn up no matter what.

 

Then about 20,000 - 25,000 fair weather supporters.

 

Actually its around 13k who will turn up no matter what. Remember last season? lowe? shyte team? boittom 3? -10 points?

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Creative promotion is the way forward. They made a decent start with the family tickets but they could do a lot more.

 

If you buy a ST or membership before a certain date and we're promoted next years ST or membership is half price.

 

Every five tickets a member buys he gets to bring a friend for free.

 

Give ST holders a free ticket to bring a friend.

 

Give ST holders free travel for one away game.

 

Kids for a quid in the family centre.

 

I know not everyone likes familys at football but Norwich have basically got 20k everyweek because they really do everything they can for kids, if we had the same sort of attitude and filled the family section everyweek that would be a help a lot.

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Creative promotion is the way forward. They made a decent start with the family tickets but they could do a lot more.

 

If you buy a ST or membership before a certain date and we're promoted next years ST or membership is half price.

 

Every five tickets a member buys he gets to bring a friend for free.

 

Give ST holders a free ticket to bring a friend.

 

Give ST holders free travel for one away game.

 

Kids for a quid in the family centre.

 

I know not everyone likes familys at football but Norwich have basically got 20k everyweek because they really do everything they can for kids, if we had the same sort of attitude and filled the family section everyweek that would be a help a lot.

 

I agree that kids at football is not everyone's cup of tea but then most of us were kids when we started going!! and besides which, they are the next generation of season ticket holders. If I were Cortese, I'd be giving out free tickets to schools and encouraging parents along at reduced rates as well, certainly whilst were in the low 20 thousand's coming through the turnstiles.

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Just to follow up on the kids theme. My generation went to the Dell week in week out for £2 in the milton for years. Now the club do a sure start special once a month where under 5's get in for £2 and their parent goes free. Next game is Tranmere. My 3 year old will be at her 4th game this season and she loves it.

 

I was a boycotter last year, even participated on the marches and then went to the pub, but have been home and away to 7 games this season. Fans will come back as the buzz around town builds.

 

There will always be a fickle element who will always want to just watch top flight. Even Leeds don't fill Elland Road and their support is well documented for this league, we are not far behind them I might add.

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If we get close to the playoffs they will all come flooding back.

 

Basically we have a "hardcore" of 16,000 who will turn up no matter what.

 

Then about 20,000 - 25,000 fair weather supporters.

 

With apologies to William :

 

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers . For he today that drags his sorry carcass down to St Marys with me shall be my brother ; be never so vile . This day shall gentle his condition . And Saints fans at home now sat in front of a television set shall think themselves accursed they were not here , and hold their manhood's cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Liebherr's day.”

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I would go every week if I did not live so far away, and the fact that my wife was a season ticket holder and we have two young kids near on make it impossible. We do as many away games as possible.

 

I would prefer to go to away games at the moment, we are much better on the road, but saying that last game I went to was MK Dons at home. Next hopefully Leeds and Colchester away.

 

They will all start to come back when we start reaching the top of the Championship.

 

Even those passionate Newcastle fans have many empty seats and they are top of the CCC.

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These will be the bastrads that get the ticket to the final of JPT ahead of me!!!

 

If we get to the final no one will have a problem getting tickets. The allocation will probably be around 35k for a Sunday morning and in all honestly we'd be pushing it to sell that many.

 

Our last proper big away game was derby in the play offs and there where still tickets available for that the day before.

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With apologies to William :

 

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers . For he today that drags his sorry carcass down to St Marys with me shall be my brother ; be never so vile . This day shall gentle his condition . And Saints fans at home now sat in front of a television set shall think themselves accursed they were not here , and hold their manhood's cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Liebherr's day.”

 

 

agree, the more the better for me , I dont begrudge those that cant /dont make it - but it is their loss....this season is even more enjoyable for me, having gone witnessed the last few seasons week in week out.

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If we get to the final no one will have a problem getting tickets. The allocation will probably be around 35k for a Sunday morning and in all honestly we'd be pushing it to sell that many.

 

Our last proper big away game was derby in the play offs and there where still tickets available for that the day before.

 

Do you really think that? If we stay on our current good form and win through to a Wembley final v Leeds I would have thought we would have no problems selling 40k-plus.

 

It will be the old ST-holders plus 1 or 2 extras gag; not sure where that leaves anybody else now that we don't have a membership scheme?

 

Presumably they would go to some sort of purchase scheme but that only covers home games and assumes that all your sales are recorded against your customer number. I always ask for this but not sure how reliable it actually is.

 

We have been to 4 homes and 4 aways so far this season so guess it might be something like 8 home, 8 away by March time.

 

I am nervous now about getting 3 tickets for a JPT final at Wembley or, dream on, a possible play-off final.

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I know of a few 'posh' people who used to claim to be Saints fans when we first moved to St Mary's and were riding high under GS. Now thse same people never go and never ask me about Saints at all.

 

But I'll bet my house on the fact that when the good times return they'll be back slavering with indignation at not being able to get tickets 'cos "we've been Saints fans all our lives"

 

These people are nothing more than slimy barstewards to a man (or woman). We don't want them and don't need them at all. Unfortunately the Saints will need their money so I suppose it's inevitable that genuine 'thich 'n thin' fans like us will have to put up with the creeps all over again. Yuk!

 

"Come OUR day, the B------S will be back"

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I know of a few 'posh' people who used to claim to be Saints fans when we first moved to St Mary's and were riding high under GS. Now thse same people never go and never ask me about Saints at all.

 

But I'll bet my house on the fact that when the good times return they'll be back slavering with indignation at not being able to get tickets 'cos "we've been Saints fans all our lives"

 

These people are nothing more than slimy barstewards to a man (or woman). We don't want them and don't need them at all. Unfortunately the Saints will need their money so I suppose it's inevitable that genuine 'thich 'n thin' fans like us will have to put up with the creeps all over again. Yuk!

 

"Come OUR day, the B------S will be back"

 

Think thats a bit harsh - what about the 5000 who go now but did not last season when we were sh!te? that was not 'protest' that was not perceiving it as value for money and not wanting to see us lose. If we get back to te prem, yes we wills ee full houses, because more folk are prepared to pay for te higher quality than the lesser quality we have in the lower divisions - its simple really, but Football fans all like to think they are somehow the best of teh bunch. It takes all sorts and everyone has their own threshold.

 

How many woudl we have going to a ground share in Eastleigh to wtch AFC Southampton had we gone tits up without Marcus? 300? So waht of teh rest of the 15000 so called 'Die Hards'? Its all relative.

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I remember the first home game I made it down for last season was when we beat Norwich 2-0 on a tuesday night and the attendance was 14,480. I was rather shocked and saddened by the sight of a half-empty st marys with the corners empty. It felt completely dead compared to the season before, especially the last day against sheffield united.

 

So basically, although I am still waiting to see the Itchen north open again I am just glad that we have moved on from that.

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My problem is this.

 

our family came from the st Mary's area at the beginning of the last century, were around when the club was formed in the 1880's have always followed the club in whatever form of league we have been in.

 

So we have had no choice it is our tradition there is no other club, we don't worry or even care what is happening down the road, if we are playing Manure or Mansfield we don't watch them we come to watch our team.

 

As for the missing 10,000 couldn't give a toss they are the losers, we are watching the rebirth of our club we are on the way up, we have great times ahead and we are here at the beginning of our climb back to were we belong.

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Just for some perspective :

 

Leeds averaged 39k when near the top of the Prem between 2000-2003, 36k when they got relegated from the Prem, 29k in the CCC and then, 22k in their CCC relegation season. The had 26k first season in L1 and were down to 23k last season, though that's still 1000 people more than when they were dropping out of the Championship. A significant proportion of glory hunters, then.

 

Man City got 26k, 22k and 27k in the late 90s in the Prem, 26k and 28k in the 2nd tier, then 28k in getting promoted from what is currently League One in 1999. Their attendances then jumped to 32k back up in the CCC and back up in the Prem and with a larger ground they have averaged around 42k over the last 6 seasons (between 39k and 46k). Pretty strong support as attendances went up as they went down and went and stayed at higher levels when they came back!

 

Norwich had pretty much consistent attendances around the 15k/16k mark all through the 90s (18k in the two seasons after they were 3rd in the the Prem). They had between 18-20k in 2002-4, and that leapt to 24k when they got up into the Prem and went down with us. Somehow (the answers being "there's nothing else to do" and "competitive pricing") they have kept those 24k fans right the way down into League One. Very strong support (since they reached the Prem for a season).

 

Saints :

30,600 in the last 4 Prem seasons except post-Cup Final when we got 1000 more. 23.5k in the first two CCC seasons, then 21k after we blew it in the Play-Offs and nearly 18k last season. We're pretty linear when it comes to the correleation between league position (in terms of the entire Prem/FL) and crowds actually.

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I think I'm excused as I live in Italy, but you have to think of the perceived value for money when, as for the last few years the football has been rubbish, the feeling that we have been taken for a ride and the general demoralisation. I don't think it's a question of "glory hunters", just that people said "blow it, I've better things to do with my limited money".

 

Anyway, I'll be swelling the Exeter crowd, but be warned, I haven't seen them win in 3 years of early season and Christmas games!

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I think I'm excused as I live in Italy, but you have to think of the perceived value for money when, as for the last few years the football has been rubbish, the feeling that we have been taken for a ride and the general demoralisation. I don't think it's a question of "glory hunters", just that people said "blow it, I've better things to do with my limited money".

 

Anyway, I'll be swelling the Exeter crowd, but be warned, I haven't seen them win in 3 years of early season and Christmas games!

 

Stay away? :) :confused:

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the missing ten k...↲↲are made of more than ten k fans that go to less than all the games

 

That's probably close to being correct. No matter what league we're in, I am restricted to just a handful of games a season due to shiftwork. The blessing with League One is that I can just turn up and buy a ticket on the gate. Back in the Premiership, that was virtually impossible.

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