Getting the crowds back in

[bazzer9461]

Can’t remember where I saw it mentioned but I’m sure all PL clubs can comfortably survive without fans in the stadiums as the tv revenue is worth that much to them. That’s why Bournemouth weren’t overly concerned about their stadium being only around 11k.

But the club ran losses every season. If Max Denim pulled out and left the club with the debt, who in their right minds would buy them.....they would go the same way as Bury and Macclesfield. Oh and if Bournemouth did I wouldn’t lose any sleep over them.

 

[holdsteady]

I hope so. If there is one thing this has proved it is that a spectator sport without live spectators is a sorry thing.

The IPL cricket has just started. Normally it is played in packed, noisy stadiums and is worth watching. This year it's being played out of India behind closed doors and frankly is as dull as ditch water - yes the ball is still being clouted about, but without the crowds there is very little excitement. I have found the same with the televised football - even the games with multiple cameras, fake crowd noise, banners on the seats etc are just missing the vital ingredient that made them worth watching.

Their is something sad about watching a game on tv and seeing a goal scored, penalty given or red card in front of empty stands, it just doesn’t feel like it matters as much. Plus the you don’t realise quite how boring a lot of football matches/other sports are when not much is going on until you watch it on tv with no actually one there, endless sideways passes across the back four is sleep inducing.

 

[holdsteady]

If you want to watch live you can always go to games below the elite level, which strangely goes all the way down to national north/south. You have to wonder how some ramshackle old ground can have a couple of hundred people in safely but a much bigger ground is unsafe to have a few hundred more.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

If you want to watch live you can always go to games below the elite level, which strangely goes all the way down to national north/south. You have to wonder how some ramshackle old ground can have a couple of hundred people in safely but a much bigger ground is unsafe to have a few hundred more.

Yes, I could (and desperation might drive me to do exactly that eventually!) - but like you I am rather unsure how safe that really is at the moment. I'd feel like a plonker if after being extremely careful for months I caught the virus going to a football match featuring a couple of teams I wasn't that bothered about!

 

[MalaysiaYellow]

What stupid fees have our club paid?

High Wages, not fees

 

[werthersoriginal]

Some one should point out to him that under that reasoning Burnley should get about £50 from the tv rights deal, as no one tunes in to watch Burnley.

Burnley! Always div 3 in my day. They’ll be back there soon enough I’m sure

 

[Pillox]

Yes, I could (and desperation might drive me to do exactly that eventually!) - but like you I am rather unsure how safe that really is at the moment. I'd feel like a plonker if after being extremely careful for months I caught the virus going to a football match featuring a couple of teams I wasn't that bothered about!

Many are not old and ramshackle these days. They have advantage of access to all 4 sides of pitch. Perimeter of pitch is 250-300m, so spreading out shouldn't be difficult, risk much lower outdoors than shops/pubs etc. But everyone should make their own decisions based on risk/benefit.

 

[Marked Ox]

If you want to watch live you can always go to games below the elite level, which strangely goes all the way down to national north/south. You have to wonder how some ramshackle old ground can have a couple of hundred people in safely but a much bigger ground is unsafe to have a few hundred more.

The NL North/South play off team owners kicked off last season demanding to be part of "Elite" football so that their promotion play offs could be played. They are regretting it now I reckon. Dorking Wanderers were one who really pushed for it and are now moaning about it.

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

What stupid fees have our club paid?

Well we haven't have we, and our wage bill is quite modest as well apparently.

 

[holdsteady]

Many are not old and ramshackle these days. They have advantage of access to all 4 sides of pitch. Perimeter of pitch is 250-300m, so spreading out shouldn't be difficult, risk much lower outdoors than shops/pubs etc. But everyone should make their own decisions based on risk/benefit.

We have the benefit of that to though. Not much difference between our ground and a non league one in terms of access, hard to justify 500 in one and not the other.

 

[bazzer9461]

High Wages, not fees

Possible
But not as high as some

 

[Bath Yellow]

Looks like we will just have to get used to watching our games on ifollow. With the infection rate now over 6000 for the second day running its possible that if this continues we will have another lockdown with no matches at all, sad that it is, its something we will have to get used to for a long time to come.

 

[NottsYellow]

Do we know how many people watch on Ifollow?
There are a lot of Oxford fans around the country who do not have season tickets and only attend possibly only 5 home games a year. Does this number amount to 10,000? On the basis 30,000 attend Wembley perhaps 10,000 enthusiastic supporters who follow our results is a reasonable estimate.
So do all these 10,000 watch on Ifollow and pay the £10?

 

[holdsteady]

Do we know how many people watch on Ifollow?
There are a lot of Oxford fans around the country who do not have season tickets and only attend possibly only 5 home games a year. Does this number amount to 10,000? On the basis 30,000 attend Wembley perhaps 10,000 enthusiastic supporters who follow our results is a reasonable estimate.
So do all these 10,000 watch on Ifollow and pay the £10?

I doubt it’s anywhere near that, a day out at a match is a more enticing draw than watching a one camera feed online of what resembles a training match in an empty ground. Plus 4000 have already paid, and then of what’s left some will live in the same house so will watch it on one device. It would be interesting to see the figures though.

 

[guyellow]

I doubt it’s anywhere near that, a day out at a match is a more enticing draw than watching a one camera feed online of what resembles a training match in an empty ground. Plus 4000 have already paid, and then of what’s left some will live in the same house so will watch it on one device. It would be interesting to see the figures though.

There is also the family factor, in our house 3 people would normally go to watch a game but we only need one ifollow pass to all see it streamed so the numbers could be significantly down.

 

[Pompeyyellows]

I’m one of those who attend maybe 30% of our home games and 20% of our away games, but I will gladly pay £10 a game and have done so far, and will continue to do so regardless of results. Even us at our worse is still more desirable than watching soaps on catch up lol ?

 

[OUFC94]

Sorry if this has already been asked and sorry if I seem naive, I’ve skimmed through the thread but may have missed it. How exactly would the club make any money from these test games anyway? Season tickets have already been paid for so the club wouldn’t get any additional revenue, if anything wouldn’t it actually cost more having to steward it etc.

 

[Scotchegg]

Sorry if this has already been asked and sorry if I seem naive, I’ve skimmed through the thread but may have missed it. How exactly would the club make any money from these test games anyway? Season tickets have already been paid for so the club wouldn’t get any additional revenue, if anything wouldn’t it actually cost more having to steward it etc.

They wouldn't make anything but it would have given assurances that we could have got increased numbers in. The club wants to be in a position where paying customers come in in top of the season ticket holders, and that starts with test events.

 

[Sarge]

Yeah I love radio oxford coverage Sarge. Do I get the full coverage via ifollow Sarge, seemed to cutout a bit at half time and seemed to go off pretty quickly post match but that might be have just been a problem my end.

Audio only seems to be okish ...the ifollow footage is a bit hit n miss (and has adverts interjected

 

[Pillox]

We have the benefit of that to though. Not much difference between our ground and a non league one in terms of access, hard to justify 500 in one and not the other.

500? Where did that come from. Step 4 its 200.

Fans can't access all 4 sides at the kassam.

The main difference and biggest problem is the indoor concourses, which non league largely don't have.