Bees v Dorking 23rd March

[barnetpete]

This is a very good point.

Regarding whether or not the SA are being fobbed off or not - it is hard to know for sure when the SA do not report the frequency or the content of their meetings with the club. But I would certainly not regard a lack of desire to offer ticket promos as an example of the SA being fobbed off - we have done many over the years, with no noticeable impact on attendances.

Problem is promotions are always half baked and/or last minute. It’s clear TK doesn’t believe in marketing, feels it’s not a good ROI, but that’s looking at each promotion in an individual basis, as a one off and when it’s been last minute. I am sure there are plenty of commerical managers/comms staff etc who have tried to put in long term plans for increasing the brand awareness but been hampered.

I’m sure Dan Martin did a podcast (Beespod maybe?) a year or two back when he said he’d fill the hive / get attendance substantially up within 4/5 years (from vague memory)


But then again it’s the fans fault, always want to moan and should be encouraging mates along rather than the club having to do anything!!

[wearebees]

I think the point is that tomorrow is Non-League Day, and England are at Wembley down the road. There are plenty of football mad people who would jump on an offer. It's not always about gaining new regular fans. Yes the experience may not always be perfect, but I think you are over exaggerating the effect. Anyone attending on Non-League day does not expect a PL experience. Friends I've bought have always enjoyed it, and come back. Granted, it may not lead to everyone coming back (most won't, but it would at least create a feel good factor), but even if just some get the buzz and enjoy the experience of a smaller, friendly ground then what's the harm? The club should have been on this one months ago to showcase what the lower league experience can offer (meet Mr Bumble, meet players in the bar, close to the pitch etc). We all started somewhere. My first experience of the Underhill tea hut was awful (so my dad tells me), but it didn't stop us as we liked what the lower league football offered as an experience.

[CrawleyBee]

The team deserve to run out to a packed Hive at least once this season, tomorrow would have been a good chance.

[John Hunt]

I’m sure Dan Martin did a podcast (Beespod maybe?) a year or two back when he said he’d fill the hive / get attendance substantially up within 4/5 years (from vague memory)

We'll be well gone by then Pete. Maybe the Jacksonville Jaguars training sessions will fill the Hive while we fill Underhill.

[MCB]

One thing I'm certain of is that BFCSA will be bringing this up every single meeting.

TK has regularly said that the only thing that will increase our crowds is success on the pitch. Well he may want to rethink that now.

Have we had thid least amount of offers this season Vs any other? I can't remember a single offer for any game.

[beew]

They used to do 3-4-2 and 2-4-1 offers going back to Underhill days. There's been nothing for quite a while.

[thebeekeeper]

One thing I'm certain of is that BFCSA will be bringing this up every single meeting.

TK has regularly said that the only thing that will increase our crowds is success on the pitch. Well he may want to rethink that now.

Have we had thid least amount of offers this season Vs any other? I can't remember a single offer for any game.

Is there potentially a feeling within the club that there's not much point investing in offers at The Hive, now that the focus is on returning to Barnet? I'm not suggesting that's the right approach, but I could imagine it being seen as flogging a dead horse, considering the lack of success with previous promotions.

[11bee717]

I remember the bogof season tickets, which were awfully taken up. As supporters we also have a duty too and too manny people just simply point fingers at the club

[Tuesds]

I remember the bogof season tickets, which were awfully taken up. As supporters we also have a duty too and too manny people just simply point fingers at the club

If the club takes that view then it’s completely stuffed. It is not a charity. As fans we are no less ‘dutiful’ than those of other clubs.

Other clubs with faster-growing crowds do not have more and more people attending because their fans have a greater sense of honour and commitment; they are being given reasons to go and to spend money on their club.

By all means let’s encourage newcomers, let’s encourage each other to turn up etc., but ultimately, as the owner knows very well, no-one forced him to take over the club and lapsed fans/infrequent attenders are not breaching a contract by not attending.

So grumbling about them might feel good for a few moments, but ultimately it’s down to the club to attract supporters and retain supporters.

[adher36]

I remember the bogof season tickets, which were awfully taken up. As supporters we also have a duty too and too manny people just simply point fingers at the club

Spot on.

We are also a club where they gave free tickets out at the turnstiles of the classic sold out Brentford match for the following home game. Only 1300 bothered to be in attendance 5 days later.

Our fair weather fans are the problem far more than the club. There's only so much TK can do.

[MCB]

I remember the bogof season tickets, which were awfully taken up. As supporters we also have a duty too and too manny people just simply point fingers at the club

Spot on.

We are also a club where they gave free tickets out at the turnstiles of the classic sold out Brentford match for the following home game. Only 1300 bothered to be in attendance 5 days later.

Our fair weather fans are the problem far more than the club. There's only so much TK can do.

The club also gave vouchers for free entry to the next game I took 8 kids to last seasion (7 on their first visit to the Hive). They enjoyed it so much 5 wanted to come.

The club refused to honour them, the kids never came back.
I've barely come back since either. It's just so demoralising when you make bringing new fans to game part of the pact you make when supporting a club like Barnet FC.

[thebeekeeper]

I remember the bogof season tickets, which were awfully taken up. As supporters we also have a duty too and too manny people just simply point fingers at the club

Spot on.

We are also a club where they gave free tickets out at the turnstiles of the classic sold out Brentford match for the following home game. Only 1300 bothered to be in attendance 5 days later.

Our fair weather fans are the problem far more than the club. There's only so much TK can do.

Barnet isn't a fan-owned club, it's a business owned by one person, and we are customers of that business. There isn't any other company that would blame customers when people don't buy their products - it's the job of the company to make their products more appealing, so people want them.

Though words like 'product', 'customers' etc don't sit well with us as football fans, the truth is that football is no different. Catchment area obviously plays a part, but fundamentally clubs that grow their attendances do so because they're successful on the pitch and well run off it.

So, for me, the idea that our fans are somehow to blame for the low crowds doesn't stand up. The responsibility to draw people in lies with the club itself.

[pgbee]

I remember the bogof season tickets, which were awfully taken up. As supporters we also have a duty too and too manny people just simply point fingers at the club

Spot on.

We are also a club where they gave free tickets out at the turnstiles of the classic sold out Brentford match for the following home game. Only 1300 bothered to be in attendance 5 days later.

Our fair weather fans are the problem far more than the club. There's only so much TK can do.

Barnet isn't a fan-owned club, it's a business owned by one person, and we are customers of that business. There isn't any other company that would blame customers when people don't buy their products - it's the job of the company to make their products more appealing, so people want them.

Though words like 'product', 'customers' etc don't sit well with us as football fans, the truth is that football is no different. Catchment area obviously plays a part, but fundamentally clubs that grow their attendances do so because they're successful on the pitch and well run off it.

So, for me, the idea that our fans are somehow to blame for the low crowds doesn't stand up. The responsibility to draw people in lies with the club itself.

100% this. Many clubs have grown their fan base over the last couple of years at lower levels, Dulwich Hamlet being one and they regularly get around 50% more for a home game than we do and they're only top half Isthmian, their whole match day experience is way better, as it is at Horsham where I go regularly now.

[hoofer2]

Looking forward to the game. Seeing the players click again as they return to fitness. Naive defending pushing everyone up Tuesday that cost the goal.

Thompson or Okimo need to hang back.

One nil will do, but would like to see a bold attacking starting lineup

[erichitchmo]

Our fair weather fans are the problem far more than the club. There's only so much TK can do.

How does this attitude remotely help matters or encourage these “fair weather” fans to return?

The fact is that the matchday offering at The Hive is very poor and discourages existing and new fans from attending regularly.

Most other clubs have managed to attract support in the last few years, but we have not. Why is this? Is it fair weather fans or something else? It can’t all be on us…