Home Match Day Thread +++ 12/10/2019 L1 OUFC v Doncaster Rovers +++

[ZeroTheHero]

Errm, threads develop a life of their own sometimes? And that is often when the most interesting discussions happen.

 

[horseman]

See there you go off on one again about it being pessimistic.

We all want more fans in to support the team and raise revenue, but you also say its right to sell players when we could be on the cusp of a good season, my point is we don't have to sell in January if the balance sheet has been done properly this season, you won't encourage fans to come along to watch the team if it's going to be dismantled in the January window, we will go full circle again and another season wasted.
The players also need to reassured that the club are serious about moving forward, they might then want to stay and be part of a winning team.

This!!! have been saying the same for many seasons now, keep the squad together with the odd tinker or 2 and have a proper go...keep breaking up the team is partly why we've struggled for 2/3 seasons...sell the club and it's vision and ambition to your targets and stop asking them for a season with us and we'll let you move higher up..stop letting other clubs use us to get fit and improve their players before they reap the rewards...if the players are ambitious and the club expect fans to believe they are also then realize those ambitions together.

Don't say we are an ambitious club/owners and nobody will be going only to the opposite and stop stating/threatening 3 months in advance that we may indeed sell 1 or 2 come january and then expect most fans to jump onboard the yearly merry go round.

 

[BristolOx]

This!!! have been saying the same for many seasons now, keep the squad together with the odd tinker or 2 and have a proper go...keep breaking up the team is partly why we've struggled for 2/3 seasons...sell the club and it's vision and ambition to your targets and stop asking them for a season with us and we'll let you move higher up..stop letting other clubs use us to get fit and improve their players before they reap the rewards...if the players are ambitious and the club expect fans to believe they are also then realize those ambitions together.

Don't say we are an ambitious club/owners and nobody will be going only to the opposite and stop stating/threatening 3 months in advance that we may indeed sell 1 or 2 come january and then expect most fans to jump onboard the yearly merry go round.

Before Scotchegg gets there - there are instances you can’t deny where there is almost nothing that could be done. Roofe, Lundstram, O’Dowda and even Nelson.

However as others have imitated, Whyte would have been happy fighting for his place in our team.

In terms of bringing players up to speed, we’ve cut down on loanees this season dramatically, with Taylor looking like it’s set to go permanent & Cadden initially (and now again more recently) looking to become permanent. Woodburn is a Liverpool player looking to ply his trade in the top league.

So we’ve created an exciting squad of which I hope we aren’t looking to do any selling business in January. To be honest I’d expect a statement of intent from Robinson soon saying hands off in January - otherwise we have a right to be disconcerted.

To back scotchers up however, we are still a league 1 club. Whether or not our owners have a trillion or a few million to spend, we HAVE to have a model that is based on sustainability - simply for the livelihood of the club, if tiger fell off a boat all of a sudden and we’re 30mil in debt with an outlay of 4m a season we’d just end up another Bury which cannot be overlooked.

That said, personally I’m quite content at the moment, given results continue as they have the past 4 weeks & we hold onto our best assets in January with a look for promotion. Then we’re in an interesting position come the summer, which players would be happy to play with us in the Championship & which players are ready for the step up into the Prem.
Again getting way ahead of myself, we’re still in October ffs.
COYY!

 

[Gary Baldi]

or you (the club) could try engaging with them and perhaps gauge an idea as to why they are not coming rather than perceive it's just because they can't be arsed but again this relates only to current fans rather than the wider audience which are the very people you need to attract.
Years back i said that once current fans/floaters get out of the habit of coming (whatever the reason) it is hard to get them back and over the years not only as this been largely ignored but there's been alot of a sit back and do nothing attitude when it comes to engaging with much needed new fans.
They'll come now as we've just won a game or 2 is Lazy and very short sighted.

Then listen to fans here, lots of us are saying the football is good, the radio are saying it's good, we've scored a lot of goals this season, we have a young and exciting team, we are developing home grown players, the club are offering flexi-tickets, refunded a match day ticket in an offer earlier in the season, promoting in social media officially and by Directors etc etc.

What more do you need? A free hot dog and beer?

 

[TailsWeWin]

Before Scotchegg gets there - there are instances you can’t deny where there is almost nothing that could be done. Roofe, Lundstram, O’Dowda and even Nelson.

However as others have imitated, Whyte would have been happy fighting for his place in our team.

In terms of bringing players up to speed, we’ve cut down on loanees this season dramatically, with Taylor looking like it’s set to go permanent & Cadden initially (and now again more recently) looking to become permanent. Woodburn is a Liverpool player looking to ply his trade in the top league.

So we’ve created an exciting squad of which I hope we aren’t looking to do any selling business in January. To be honest I’d expect a statement of intent from Robinson soon saying hands off in January - otherwise we have a right to be disconcerted.

To back scotchers up however, we are still a league 1 club. Whether or not our owners have a trillion or a few million to spend, we HAVE to have a model that is based on sustainability - simply for the livelihood of the club, if tiger fell off a boat all of a sudden and we’re 30mil in debt with an outlay of 4m a season we’d just end up another Bury which cannot be overlooked.

That said, personally I’m quite content at the moment, given results continue as they have the past 4 weeks & we hold onto our best assets in January with a look for promotion. Then we’re in an interesting position come the summer, which players would be happy to play with us in the Championship & which players are ready for the step up into the Prem.
Again getting way ahead of myself, we’re still in October ffs.
COYY!

Cadden and Taylor looking to become permanent? That’s news to me.

 

[BristolOx]

Cadden and Taylor looking to become permanent? That’s news to me.

I’m sorry I can’t be arsed to fight the sources. Pretty sure both are Robinson statements though.

 

[LondonRoader]

Then listen to fans here, lots of us are saying the football is good, the radio are saying it's good, we've scored a lot of goals this season, we have a young and exciting team, we are developing home grown players, the club are offering flexi-tickets, refunded a match day ticket in an offer earlier in the season, promoting in social media officially and by Directors etc etc.

What more do you need? A free hot dog and beer?

There lays the problem, after all the good stuff you have said attendances are not improving enough.

 

[bazzer9461]

Cadden and Taylor looking to become permanent? That’s news to me.

Robinson did say in a tweet he would look to sign Cadden and Taylor is a good time possibility

 

[Gary Baldi]

There lays the problem, after all the good stuff you have said attendances are not improving enough.

So then I propose telling fans to most definitely not to come and instead pish off forever, and let the rest of us enjoy the excellent football and turn up as late as possible, allowing us what go to spend more time in the pub or with our friends and families. If those cockwombles still have a pouty on because the stadium is soulless or the manager is a gobbo or Timmy is the Chairman, eff them and their sorry lives. Just call into Rad Ox when we lose and have a nice time doing it.

Is that better?

 

[LondonRoader]

So then I propose telling fans to most definitely not to come and instead pish off forever, and let the rest of us enjoy the excellent football and turn up as late as possible, allowing us what go to spend more time in the pub or with our friends and families. If those cockwombles still have a pouty on because the stadium is soulless or the manager is a gobbo or Timmy is the Chairman, eff them and their sorry lives. Just call into Rad Ox when we lose and have a nice time doing it.

Is that better?

What ever rock your boat ?

 

[Scotchegg]

if the seats are going to be empty anyway how are you losing thousands in match day income by more people attending?

my "suggestion" was for 4 games with a 50% discount offered on the 5th as a follow up

I know you missed it out, but your suggestion was 4 games at £1 followed by the 5th at half price.

We have around 4000 season ticket holders and roughly 2000 casual fans, each paying an average of £13 per game. That brings in an average of £26000 per game on top of existing season ticket sales.

If we did £1 a game and increased our casuals from 2000 to 6000 (exceptionally optimistic), then we'd lose £20000 per game or best part of £100k over the course of your promotion. In order to break even, we'd have to hope around 600 of those new fans attended every game until the end of the season paying full price.

On top of all this, you'll P**s off the season ticket holders who have paid early to get a reduction and then see great discounts offered to casual fans. So discounted deals have their place, but it's not as easy as just giving away tickets.

 

[brassmonkey]

Target the students (brookes and uni), language schools and tourists. Tap into the millions of visitors oxford pulls...

 

[Big Ronaldo]

We know your feelings on reduced price tickets scotchers, just because you keep repeating your point of view, it doesn’t mean that people agree wholeheartedly with it.
As a season ticket holder, I want to see the ground full. That is my desire - Atmosphere of a full ground. Not yawning empty spaces where the crowd used to be.
I am not young, I look around me in the East stand and see many fans like me. I would like to think that there will be a vibrant, thriving club long after I slither off this shiny ball.
But in order to breathe life into this club, we have to bring young fans in to watch this team somehow and give them something that impels them to want to come regularly. Be a part of it, provide an identity with the club that doesn’t fade.
How you do that HAS to involve getting these kids in whatever the cost, for they are the ones who will drive this clubs future.
Now IS the time to reach out into the community and use those unsold seats in a positive drive to draw in those young fans.
They may not even know that they are our supporters yet, but what is the harm in using something that you generate NO f*****g income from to promote future sales? Surely you see this??

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

I know you missed it out, but your suggestion was 4 games at £1 followed by the 5th at half price.

We have around 4000 season ticket holders and roughly 2000 casual fans, each paying an average of £13 per game. That brings in an average of £26000 per game on top of existing season ticket sales.

If we did £1 a game and increased our casuals from 2000 to 6000 (exceptionally optimistic), then we'd lose £20000 per game or best part of £100k over the course of your promotion. In order to break even, we'd have to hope around 600 of those new fans attended every game until the end of the season paying full price.

On top of all this, you'll P**s off the season ticket holders who have paid early to get a reduction and then see great discounts offered to casual fans. So discounted deals have their place, but it's not as easy as just giving away tickets.

Ignoring the counter theory and numbers I proposed which ended up looking very healthy indeed for the club with additional revenue of gbp250k?

 

[Kiewhite]

To me it’s simple visit schools primary and secondary give the kids free tickets to attend a league match with a paying adult and some off the family’s might enjoy the day and decide to come more often. If through a season you visit every school in oxford and 1 or 2 % come again on a regular that is A LOT of new fans attending. I remember a few seasons back you could print off posters/flyers to promote every home match we had. There are actually plenty off ways for the club and us fans to help get people in seats and although some off Us might not agree on everyone’s and mine included opinions we are all wanting the best for are club. Let’s just hope at the Rochdale game the club takes are opinions on board and actually trie some out

 

[ljs]

The club producing a poster for every home match and putting it on the website so fans can print off, must surely be the easiest free advertising going.

Maybe you could have a word with your club contact scotchers?

 

[horseman]

I know you missed it out, but your suggestion was 4 games at £1 followed by the 5th at half price.

We have around 4000 season ticket holders and roughly 2000 casual fans, each paying an average of £13 per game. That brings in an average of £26000 per game on top of existing season ticket sales.

If we did £1 a game and increased our casuals from 2000 to 6000 (exceptionally optimistic), then we'd lose £20000 per game or best part of £100k over the course of your promotion. In order to break even, we'd have to hope around 600 of those new fans attended every game until the end of the season paying full price.

On top of all this, you'll P**s off the season ticket holders who have paid early to get a reduction and then see great discounts offered to casual fans. So discounted deals have their place, but it's not as easy as just giving away tickets.

ok so you have around 6.000 paying customers what are you going to do to entice others to attend, have them enjoy the experience and want to return again? as i said previously the peterborough refund was an idea BUT would appeal to a very limited number of CURRENT fans and i would have thought given it was early season that there would be a fair chance that if anyone was buying a st they would have done so already...That aside how would that entice new support?
Next came the buy 6 for £100 which again may appeal to a limited number of CURRENT support BUT if your seats are empty as people are not attending did anyone really expect such an offer to attract NEW fans? Both of those promotions were just going to take extra money from existing fans (your 6.000) if you got very lucky...You wanted and expected someone who does not attend to part with £100 as an individual but what if he/she had family that's what £300 ? because we'd won a game or 2 and how many hours does the average person have to work in real terms to have that money spare to spend,let alone on something they are not yet relating to?.

You say 4.000 extra casuals is very optimistic why is it?

 

[Scotchegg]

We know your feelings on reduced price tickets scotchers, just because you keep repeating your point of view, it doesn’t mean that people agree wholeheartedly with it.
As a season ticket holder, I want to see the ground full. That is my desire - Atmosphere of a full ground. Not yawning empty spaces where the crowd used to be.
I am not young, I look around me in the East stand and see many fans like me. I would like to think that there will be a vibrant, thriving club long after I slither off this shiny ball.
But in order to breathe life into this club, we have to bring young fans in to watch this team somehow and give them something that impels them to want to come regularly. Be a part of it, provide an identity with the club that doesn’t fade.
How you do that HAS to involve getting these kids in whatever the cost, for they are the ones who will drive this clubs future.
Now IS the time to reach out into the community and use those unsold seats in a positive drive to draw in those young fans.
They may not even know that they are our supporters yet, but what is the harm in using something that you generate NO f*****g income from to promote future sales? Surely you see this??

I have no issues in targeting potential future fans, schools, colleges, universities, industries etc and offering tickets to games. But that is very different to the lazy idea of making tickets a quid and expecting people to flock in (especially when that would result in significant loses).

On previous threads going back a couple of years, I've suggested discounts for newly registered fans, loyalty rewards (go to 5 games and get the 6th free), bring a friend for a fiver etc. So I'm far from being against discounted offers, but they need to be thought out better than some of the options being posted.

 

[Gary Baldi]

There is always more the club can do, but it has to be part of a strategy where the club follow up, promote future offers etc to capture the supporters imagination. I'm not marketeer but these things are a longer term thing to do - from planning, execution and follow up. Just lowering prices to get bums on seats, for a business that is a big loss leader, without something significant to gain in the long term is no goer. As fans, we have to be less naive on the business consequences of what some are proposing, especially in light of some our criticism at the losses the club makes.

As someone whose jobs is 3 or 4 jobs in reality, it's hard to execute on strategies like the above as you generally spend a lot of your time fire fighting crises than planning a grand venture.

 

[Matt W]

I'm from a family of non football fans, but fell in love with OUFC in 2 ways - I used to deliver the Oxford Mail in my village and reading the back page 6 days a week with news of life of OUFC between 1988 - 1991 did it for me. Also we had free tickets via school, my first ever game was a derby game at home to Swindon, all of us kids were in the little stand on olser road right down next to the away fans! I think we lost 4-2 and Martin Foyle broke his leg. The main point is my parents didn't seem to know football existed let alone taking me to a game - the free ticket really helped cement my connection.