Dot Counting Bristol Rovers 10k - 7th Oct

[OX14]

I'm guessing TV? So game done by 2.30 meaning you can watch the 3pm kick off.

It's so the game doesn't run into the 3pm black out.

 

[Followtheox1]

So the big question is...
Did TVP get it right? Did we have top-class demonstrations of pavement dancing?
If not TVP cost us a lot of money.

It's a difficult one to know because if there was no trouble then it could mean they got it right as opposed to wrong i.e their presence prevented trouble. Personally having witnessed trouble both home and away with this fixture in the last few seasons when trying to get to/from the game with my kids combined with the fact that this is Rovers big day out, I am not surprised at the police presence and early KO. I know there is a bit of a pile on when it comes to TVP on here but surely this is exactly the type of fixture they should be focusing on. If there had of been issues with no police present then people would have been moaning too. I have no issue with the police presence yesterday (yes I understand there is a cost to the club but that is football unfortunately)!

 

[Scotchegg]

OK, I'll try to add a bit of perspective to this thread, based (as ever) on facts.

Was the home gate disappointing? Initially I thought it was SLIGHTLY disappointing. But in retrospect I have changed my mind, and think there are a few things we need to look at to add some context.

The attendance was 100% affected by the kick off time. We only had 416 walk up sales. That's 300/350 down on walk ups for the last three 3pm Saturday games, and I'd say is totally related to the kick off time. I'm personally aware of a few people who couldn't make it due to kick off time, and it would appear from posts on here and Twitter, so are quite a few other people. Add in those 350 walk ups that we'd normally get and we are at 9,789 and I would be absolutely certain that there would have been the extra 211 Oxford fans there, to take it to 10,000 if it were a 3pm kick off. I don't know the number, but it's apparent that quite a few people who would normally have attended chose the iFollow option due to the inconvenience as well. That option would not have been there if it had been a 3pm kick off.

To add further context the home attendance was 964 up on the Bristol Rovers game last season, which was a 3pm kick off, so it's still a big move in the right direction.

I think we need to be realistic here and recognise the positive increases in our attendances, which I'm pretty sure will increase further, rather than beating ourselves up because yesterday wasn't a few hundred more. We can lay the blame firmly at the door of TVP for yesterday, not at those Oxford fans who were unable to attend.

Our attendances are indisputably up, but we haven't hit the ceiling yet, they'll continue to rise. Keep the faith.

I've said similar elsewhere. I was disappointed that we didn't get 10k yesterday, simply because this is a mark that we should be aiming for with our bigger games. But we're up on around 1000 from the same game last season, and we are already averaging 8700+ which is over 300 up on last season, and 800 up on our average at this stage of last season too.

There is a clear upward trend, and if we continue playing the way we are, I wouldn't be surprised to see us comfortably exceed an average of 9000 for the season. To put it into context, we have only had averages of over 9000 three times in the last 50 years. The first two years in the old first division, 1985/86 - 12238 and 1986/87 - 10660, and what is now the Championship, 1992/93 - 9293. Continue as we were yesterday and we're on track to match the 92/93 figures which will be a great base to build from ahead of moving to the triangle.

 

[Eaststanding]

While it’s easy to pile into ‘the Police’ about early kick offs, and I can’t defend or criticise either force here because I don’t know the facts but why doesn’t the @OUSP Secretary submit an FOI request or simply ask the club why the police still insist on an early kick off? The blanket ‘because both clubs have naughty fans and it might kick off’ simply isn’t good enough. I’d be very interested to hear their response, I think we all would.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

You must really hate 19:45 starts in the week...

Imagine someone said to you ‘want to meet for dinner?’
‘Sure, what time?’
‘7:45?’

 

[SteMerritt]

Imagine someone said to you ‘want to meet for dinner?’
‘Sure, what time?’
‘7:45?’

To be fair you are speaking to the wrong person on this, my morning alarm for work is set for 06:03 I never conform to round number times when setting an alarm. If I was in charge we would kick off at 15:07 every Saturday...

 

[Wandering Yellow]

To be fair you are speaking to the wrong person on this, my morning alarm for work is set for 06:03 I never conform to round number times when setting an alarm. If I was in charge we would kick off at 15:07 every Saturday...

My alarm is set for 8.53am, I like to give myself a 7 minute zone of comfort to get out of bed at 9am. I have never achieved actually getting out of bed at 9am, but I'm forever hopeful.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

OK, I'll try to add a bit of perspective to this thread, based (as ever) on facts.

Was the home gate disappointing? Initially I thought it was SLIGHTLY disappointing. But in retrospect I have changed my mind, and think there are a few things we need to look at to add some context.

The attendance was 100% affected by the kick off time. We only had 416 walk up sales. That's 300/350 down on walk ups for the last three 3pm Saturday games, and I'd say is totally related to the kick off time. I'm personally aware of a few people who couldn't make it due to kick off time, and it would appear from posts on here and Twitter, so are quite a few other people. Add in those 350 walk ups that we'd normally get and we are at 9,789 and I would be absolutely certain that there would have been the extra 211 Oxford fans there, to take it to 10,000 if it were a 3pm kick off. I don't know the number, but it's apparent that quite a few people who would normally have attended chose the iFollow option due to the inconvenience as well. That option would not have been there if it had been a 3pm kick off.

To add further context the home attendance was 964 up on the Bristol Rovers game last season, which was a 3pm kick off, so it's still a big move in the right direction.

I think we need to be realistic here and recognise the positive increases in our attendances, which I'm pretty sure will increase further, rather than beating ourselves up because yesterday wasn't a few hundred more. We can lay the blame firmly at the door of TVP for yesterday, not at those Oxford fans who were unable to attend.

Our attendances are indisputably up, but we haven't hit the ceiling yet, they'll continue to rise. Keep the faith.

I find is disappointing that we maybe missed out on 1,000 sales due to the kick off time. At an average of say £15 a ticket that's £15,000 the club has missed out on before we talk about other missed revenue and the extra police costs.

I really hope the club stand up to police advice if we have to play Barton's b-stards again and tell them no. Rovers ignored it so why did we accept the 'advice'. How many more seasons do we play them at 12.30? Forever?

Like you, I think people got behind the club yesterday and it was the police's fault. I'm not a parent but so many will take their kids to games early morning, making it very difficult. Really hope the club learn from this.

 

[Sarge]

I find is disappointing that we maybe missed out on 1,000 sales due to the kick off time. At an average of say £15 a ticket that's £15,000 the club has missed out on before we talk about other missed revenue and the extra police costs.

I really hope the club stand up to police advice if we have to play Barton's b-stards again and tell them no. Rovers ignored it so why did we accept the 'advice'. How many more seasons do we play them at 12.30? Forever?

Like you, I think people got behind the club yesterday and it was the police's fault. I'm not a parent but so many will take their kids to games early morning, making it very difficult. Really hope the club learn from this.

Agree 100%

though there are no additional policing costs, they are the same for a Cat A home game, whether its an early KO or a 3pm KO .... OUFC still have to pay the same fee to TVP , even though TVP's 'advice' to move KO to 12.30pm significantly cost a sizable reduction in ticket sales and revenue . And TVP , to reiterate, get the same fee whether its 12.30pm or 3pm KO. The club should tell TVP to shove their advice, as Bristol Rovers do to Avon and Somerset police and their advice

 

[Eaststanding]

My alarm is set for 8.53am, I like to give myself a 7 minute zone of comfort to get out of bed at 9am. I have never achieved actually getting out of bed at 9am, but I'm forever hopeful.

Madness. Who sets their alarm on odd numbers? I bet your car‘s heater is set at 19.5c..

 

[OX14]

Madness. Who sets their alarm on odd numbers? I bet your car‘s heater is set at 19.5c..

My alarm is set for 6.37 am every morning not sure why just always have done.

 

[SteMerritt]

My alarm is never set on a multiple of 5. Ever. Always been that way, don't know why

 

[ExclusiveOxnews]

I've said similar elsewhere. I was disappointed that we didn't get 10k yesterday, simply because this is a mark that we should be aiming for with our bigger games. But we're up on around 1000 from the same game last season, and we are already averaging 8700+ which is over 300 up on last season, and 800 up on our average at this stage of last season too.

There is a clear upward trend, and if we continue playing the way we are, I wouldn't be surprised to see us comfortably exceed an average of 9000 for the season. To put it into context, we have only had averages of over 9000 three times in the last 50 years. The first two years in the old first division, 1985/86 - 12238 and 1986/87 - 10660, and what is now the Championship, 1992/93 - 9293. Continue as we were yesterday and we're on track to match the 92/93 figures which will be a great base to build from ahead of moving to the triangle.

I’m pretty sure 1992/1993 was nowhere near that number. Anything over about 8.5k will be the highest outside of when we were in the top league

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

My alarm is set for 6.37 am every morning not sure why just always have done.

What do you have the volume of radios/sound systems/TVs on…?!

 

[Sir Winston]

Agree 100%

though there are no additional policing costs, they are the same for a Cat A home game, whether its an early KO or a 3pm KO .... OUFC still have to pay the same fee to TVP , even though TVP's 'advice' to move KO to 12.30pm significantly cost a sizable reduction in ticket sales and revenue . And TVP , to reiterate, get the same fee whether its 12.30pm or 3pm KO. The club should tell TVP to shove their advice, as Bristol Rovers do to Avon and Somerset police and their advice

We’ve only got to play them once more this season and we’ll never play them again. We will welcome Bristol City next season and that will be a guaranteed 3:00pm kick off. If TVP are concerned about future fixture times, let’s have a hopeful look towards : Millwall, Birmingham City, Leeds, Stoke, Cardiff, Coventry, Swansea, Hull and LUTON to mention just a few. TVP should look in-house at their own wrongdoings and personnel rather than law abiding football fans

 

[Scotchegg]

I’m pretty sure 1992/1993 was nowhere near that number. Anything over about 8.5k will be the highest outside of when we were in the top league

I took it from an internet link, but just noticed that whilst other seasons referenced 26 games, that and a few other seasons only recorded one game! I did think it was unusual to have our third highest attendance figures in a random and slightly unforgettable season!!

But I guess this reinforces the point that attendances are on an upward curve and we will be on track for the highest average outside of the top flight for over 50 years if we carry on as we are.

 

[ExclusiveOxnews]

I took it from an internet link, but just noticed that whilst other seasons referenced 26 games, that and a few other seasons only recorded one game! I did think it was unusual to have our third highest attendance figures in a random and slightly unforgettable season!!

But I guess this reinforces the point that attendances are on an upward curve and we will be on track for the highest average outside of the top flight for over 50 years if we carry on as we are.

I was pretty young around then but went a lot, and it was regularly far from full even for the ‘bigger games’ apart from the odd Newcastle type. Even remember less than 8k for a swindon derby I think. Basically, that was still so close to the hooligan/Hillsborough days that attendances everywhere were much lower. Again I’d be fairly sure that the vast majority of clubs have seen big rises from those days.
It’s obviously good that we’ve seen a steady increase, but I’m with others of the view that Saturday was pretty disappointing for where we are in the league. We have a pretty decent core of 7/8k who will go regularly but I think the club are missing a huge opportunity at the moment.

 

[Headley]

Saturday was the first time I've noticed a police(presumably) drone.

It was flown above the carpark near the walkway to littlemore.

Has anyone noticed this at games before?

 

[OX14]

Saturday was the first time I've noticed a police(presumably) drone.

It was flown above the carpark near the walkway to littlemore.

Has anyone noticed this at games before?

Yes was present at the Port Vale game.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Yes was present at the Port Vale game.

Is the TVP action actually proportionate to the risk? It seems WAY over the top and often punishes ordinary fans.