Dot Counting Bolton 10k - 28 November

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

agreed - who knows whether its one, two or a roomful watching on a single ifollow match pass, though transparency from EFL regarding ifollow match passes sold would be a move in the right direction

And then there's the question of the numbers watching via a moody feed (including on a Saturday)...

 

[Sarge]

And then there's the question of the numbers watching via a moody feed (including on a Saturday)...

theres always those who slip through the net .... like in the old days at the manor -and the loose panel on the Osler rd terrace back wall/fence providing a free entry for those ITK ( until it was repaired)

 

[LeftSideLarry]

theres always those who slip through the net .... like in the old days at the manor -and the loose panel on the Osler rd terrace back wall/fence providing a free entry for those ITK ( until it was repaired)

People who watch iFollow through moody streams are stealing from the club they claim to support.

 

[holdsteady]

People who watch iFollow through moody streams are stealing from the club they claim to support.

Not much you can do about it, better to embrace the technology and try and offer a decent package that people are willing to pay for to monetise it for yourself than try and stick your finger in the damn and hold back the water, no one has successfully fought off any technological advance yet.

 

[Essexyellows]

People who watch iFollow through moody streams are stealing from the club they claim to support.

Not necessarily......... what if it is a ST holder who is watching a "moody stream" because they can`t access the kosher one?

How are they "stealing from the club"?

Asking for a friend obvs.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Not much you can do about it, better to embrace the technology and try and offer a decent package that people are willing to pay for to monetise it for yourself than try and stick your finger in the damn and hold back the water, no one has successfully fought off any technological advance yet.

People will pay for a worthy product or one that is easy to use. Lock them out and they’ll simply break in. If live football can be wiped out by a tiny little camera on the halfway line then it was never worth a damn to begin with.

It’ll come, but like everything it’ll only come as an absolute last resort at the last possible moment, when there’s no other choice.

 

[LeftSideLarry]

Not necessarily......... what if it is a ST holder who is watching a "moody stream" because they can`t access the kosher one?

How are they "stealing from the club"?

Asking for a friend obvs.

The club doesn’t include an iFollow pass with the package. So, ‘your friend’ is.

Morally, it’s simply not defensible.

 

[LeftSideLarry]

Not much you can do about it, better to embrace the technology and try and offer a decent package that people are willing to pay for to monetise it for yourself than try and stick your finger in the damn and hold back the water, no one has successfully fought off any technological advance yet.

Sure.

I’ve no issue with iFollow. I use it on occasion myself and I’m pleased that people who haven’t previously been able to watch matches due to circumstances can do so. I hope the clubs find more ways to maximise accessibility and quality of the service while balancing affordability, too.

I’d much rather pay the club £10 than pay some fella off Facebook for the service and have absolutely no idea what that money is funding.

Still, I bet they can’t wait to start moaning at the Board that they aren’t spending enough on players.

 

[MJB]

It’ll come, but like everything it’ll only come as an absolute last resort at the last possible moment, when there’s no other choice.

That’s what she said.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

And then there's the question of the numbers watching via a moody feed (including on a Saturday)...

On a Saturday, the problem is though if you are in the UK and cannot get to a game for some reason then a dodgy stream is the only choice you've got (except audio only commentary on iFollow). You can't listen on the radio if you are out of area (I am) and you cannot watch the game at all.

I subscribe to iFollow and despite having a season ticket I paid another £10 to watch last night's game because I am ill and couldn't get there in person. I don't have that option on a Saturday - I much prefer to watch in person of course but if I am still ill... ?

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

People who watch iFollow through moody streams are stealing from the club they claim to support.

Devil's advocate, what about the supporter living 200+ miles away with family commitments? Or the local supporter with a serious disability?

How would they best engage with OUFC on a Saturday afternoon (no Radio Ox available to an exile either)?

Perhaps their moody feed keeps them engaged with the football club from afar and/or through personal issues? Perhaps they even overly compensate with tat from the club shop, bringing in greater income in ways that they can?

I seriously doubt that someone who can realistically go to a game in person is opting for ifollow (moody or otherwise) instead. Anyone who cares enough to watch L1 football on their phone in their living room would surely, if at all practicable, go to the game in person.

What you're imagining is perhaps someone sat in their pants in their front room in Greater Leys with a few cans, who contributes nothing to the club. I'm imagining a supporter who lives in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne as carer for their mother, who gets to 5 games a season and buys all the replica gear.

The best thing for everyone would be to monetise it - fairly. The majority of us will continue to go as many games as we can. Those who can't will still get to be a part of it - without being treated as pariahs.

 

[LeftSideLarry]

Devil's advocate, what about the supporter living 200+ miles away with family commitments? Or the local supporter with a serious disability?

How would they best engage with OUFC on a Saturday afternoon (no Radio Ox available to an exile either)?

Perhaps their moody feed keeps them engaged with the football club from afar and/or through personal issues? Perhaps they even overly compensate with tat from the club shop, bringing in greater income in ways that they can?

I seriously doubt that someone who can realistically go to a game in person is opting for ifollow (moody or otherwise) instead. Anyone who cares enough to watch L1 football on their phone in their living room would surely, if at all practicable, go to the game in person.

What you're imagining is perhaps someone sat in their pants in their front room in Greater Leys with a few cans, who contributes nothing to the club. I'm imagining a supporter who lives in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne as carer for their mother, who gets to 5 games a season and buys all the replica gear.

The best thing for everyone would be to monetise it - fairly. The majority of us will continue to go as many games as we can. Those who can't will still get to be a part of it - without being treated as pariahs.

I agree with the first part of your last paragraph. I want the service to be made more accessible, so that people can enjoy the game online and pay a fair price for doing so. Even then, there will be people who just feel they shouldn’t have to.

I’m not looking to make anyone a pariah, I’m stating a fact. The games cost money to watch, so choosing to not pay is stealing from the club. I don’t think that’s debatable, surely?

If I can’t get to a game on a Saturday, I start my VPN on my computer, visit the OUFC website and pay £10 to watch the game. It takes zero technical ability to do that. I can absolutely be criticised for breaking the terms and conditions of the service by using a VPN, but I am paying.

 

[Chris1963]

Last night's game, for me personally, reminded me of another Tuesday 0-0 draw against Bolton just over 27 years ago on 19th November 1996, which happens to be the only occasion I saw Bolton play at the Manor. That match was in the second tier of English football, and Bolton won the title, scoring exactly 100 goals in the process, while we finished 17th. The crowd for that match was 7,508 so last night's figure really is remarkable considering that it was a division lower than 1996-97.

I can remember very little of the November 1996 match - it was probably a worse game than the one last night and I doubt whether we even managed to hit the crossbar then, as we did last night. However, one thing I definitely recall very clearly is arriving just 5-10 minutes before the kick-off and standing in a packed Osler Road terrace. The reason for having arrived a lot later than I would have liked was because of horrendous traffic jams in West London while sitting on the 'Tube' coach. After that, for future midweek home games I caught the X90 or Tube coach from the stop close to Hillingdon tube station, as the rush hour traffic has always cleared by the time that point is reached.