Midweek low crowds

[Blackpool Shrimp]

with the champions league fixtures affecting ours and a lot of other clubs crowds midweek why don't the club look into playing monday nights when we move to the globe arena....we might not just attract the armchair viewer but also supporters from other clubs like blackpool,preston and blackburn for example who might have a game on the tuesday or wednesday night

[George Dawes]

yeah monday or friday nights it obviuosly makes a difference when the champions league is on


we need to try and catch all these liverpool man united man city everton leeds celtic rangers suppoters who live in morecambe and do have a intrest in MFC but only as there 2nd team


who just sit in there locals boozers when MFC are playing, id like a bookies at the new ground and maybe look at prices being reduced in standing areas to a straight £10 and try and do deals for the unemployed people who've been made redundent who when back working again then wont mind helping back and buying season tickets


wishfull thinking maybe

[Burnley Shrimp]

yeah monday or friday nights it obviuosly makes a difference when the champions league is on


we need to try and catch all these liverpool man united man city everton leeds celtic rangers suppoters who live in morecambe and do have a intrest in MFC but only as there 2nd team


who just sit in there locals boozers when MFC are playing, id like a bookies at the new ground and maybe look at prices being reduced in standing areas to a straight £10 and try and do deals for the unemployed people who've been made redundent who when back working again then wont mind helping back and buying season tickets


wishfull thinking maybe

Monday evening probably comes too quick after a Saturday game to do it regularly and Friday is an option for Saturday, not an option for a midweek fixture. When would you play the Saturday game if you move the midweek fixture to a Friday evening?

How low would you put the prices to attract more folk? We currently have the lowest admission prices in the league so to drop to a tenner, would it really make much difference?

I agree with deals for unemployed people because that is a current social trend we can't ignore. A lot of decent hardworking folk are out of work through no fault of their own. However how low would the ticket prices have to be to attract someone who is counting every penny?

I personally think that to attract supporters to our core supporter base (which currently hovers around 1500 to 1700) and keep them, something significant has to happen. e.g. A consistent winning team, a significant event such as promotion or a major trophy win or even a move to a plush new stadium, hopefully combined with one of the aforementioned. If we can achieve that, which currently seems a definite possibility, then I think our core supporter base will rise to yet another level and midweek crowds will rise as a consequence. If all that fails then that may be the time to seriously look at other options such as slashing season ticket prices such as several other teams have tried.

I'm sure our Chairman and Directors have gone through all these options themslves countless times and we just have to trust that they will do the best for the club and the fans. They haven't made a bad job of it so far!

[Lurchy]

Are the club really trying hard enough to get new supporters in? The club are often asking current supporters to bring new people and to advertise the club. But Morecambe FC offer little incentive to incourage these new fans. If the club could get the Blackburn/Everton/Liverpool/Man Utd/Man City/Bolton/Burnley/Preston/Blackpool fans to come to Christie instead of getting on a coach, out of town, we would have huge potential. Some of the aforementioned clubs do great deals on season tickets and match tickets.

At the moment we seem to have roughly the same amount of core fans as we did in our final years in the conference. (Sorry can't find the stats to compare). Especially when you think of the increase in attendance of away fans. So the success and higher level of football hasn't really help increase attendance long-term.

Yes we may be the cheapest in the Football League (on a matchday, but are our season tickets the cheapest as well?), but the whole Football League is overpriced for the working class, especially in the current financial climate.

I do think we are a well run club with a fantastic board and chairman. I just think employing someone with a good experience of promoting entertainment would be money well spent.

[thegentlegiant]

Agreed mondays or fridays would be better for attn reasons.

i do however disagree with a bookies being in the new stadium, there is one just down the road!!

[heysham_mfc]

It will never happen you can't be playing Saturday/Monday or Friday/Saturday what if we had a match on the friday night and then we had an away mathes at somewhere like Torquay the next afternoon. Don't think in the long run it would get better attendances apart from friday night games more people might come if they can't go on a Saturday. Also are clubs allowed to play fixtures whenever they like and you have to remember away fans not as many will travel for a night game.

[campdave]

. If the club could get the Blackburn/Everton/Liverpool/Man Utd/Man City/Bolton/Burnley/Preston/Blackpool

I realise the consensus is you should support your local club, but people aren't going to give up following the club they've followed for years just because we're doing better than when they picked their team when they were in school.

I started following Morecambe just over six years ago, and attendances over 1500 were considered decent back then, more often than not they seemed to hover round 1200-1300. Now we seem to have a hardcore of around 1500 who pretty much turn up every week. So we are building crowds, but it's going to be a slow process - people won't just give up allegances to other clubs overnight.

[1953]

As I have mentioned before on the subject of admission prices, I,(as a pensioner),feel that the current ratio between adult & concession [77%] could be reduced to say:- 60%. Might well attract more through the turnstiles!! {enough to cover the 17% loss of income and more} Food for thought you directors.

[George Dawes]

get on this



i was speaking to a Oldham fan today at work and apparently there doing a deal on season tickets if you buy one at the end of the season for a limited time only for 1/2 weeks before the world cup

you can have a full refund back if England dont win it




i cant believe it

[steve mfc]

. If the club could get the Blackburn/Everton/Liverpool/Man Utd/Man City/Bolton/Burnley/Preston/Blackpool

I realise the consensus is you should support your local club, but people aren't going to give up following the club they've followed for years just because we're doing better than when they picked their team when they were in school.

I started following Morecambe just over six years ago, and attendances over 1500 were considered decent back then, more often than not they seemed to hover round 1200-1300. Now we seem to have a hardcore of around 1500 who pretty much turn up every week. So we are building crowds, but it's going to be a slow process - people won't just give up allegances to other clubs overnight.

Totally agree with you that nobody would or should give up the team they have always supported, but most of the people who say they support Utd, Liverpool or whoever actually don't go to the games, basically armchair fans.

These are the ones who should give their local team a chance, watching football on T.V comes a poor second to attending a football match, sadly i think there's little chance of prising the remote control out of their hands and getting them down to Christie Park.

[Burnley Shrimp]

get on this



i was speaking to a Oldham fan today at work and apparently there doing a deal on season tickets if you buy one at the end of the season for a limited time only for 1/2 weeks before the world cup

you can have a full refund back if England dont win it


i cant believe it

Should that not be a refund IF England win it and not the other way round? If it was as suggested above expect Oldham to go out of business just after the World Cup. If it was a refund if England win it then the powers that be at Oldham could get a lot of their money back by putting a wedge on England to win it if they look particularly strong as the tournament progresses. Not exactly fire proof but a form of insurance against total disaster.

[George Dawes]

yeah your right, if they win it sorry

you can have a full refund back if England win it

[heysham_mfc]

. If the club could get the Blackburn/Everton/Liverpool/Man Utd/Man City/Bolton/Burnley/Preston/Blackpool

I realise the consensus is you should support your local club, but people aren't going to give up following the club they've followed for years just because we're doing better than when they picked their team when they were in school.

I started following Morecambe just over six years ago, and attendances over 1500 were considered decent back then, more often than not they seemed to hover round 1200-1300. Now we seem to have a hardcore of around 1500 who pretty much turn up every week. So we are building crowds, but it's going to be a slow process - people won't just give up allegances to other clubs overnight.

I am now in my 5th season of following Morecambe I used to come down to Christie Parki and watch us when my 1st team were not playing (Wigan) but over time I got more and more interested in watching Morecambe and bought a season ticket and started to go to away mathes. Now I class Morecambe as my 1st team and only watch Wigan when Morecambe are not playing or are at an away game which I am not going to.

[Car Wash Kev]

Firstly I would like to say how I underestimated just how many people, and of such different ages read SV. The reason I am interested in what facilities will be available at the new ground car wash (or whatever it will be called) is because I like to watch football from the open stand as I think you get a better view from the side and I don't want to sit down. It will be interesting to see what the club pricing policy will be . If they charge more but don't offer anything extra it may put people off going. The club needs to think about walk-up paying fans and not just concentrate on the prawn sandwich brigade!

[Caged Lion]

I personally think that to attract supporters to our core supporter base (which currently hovers around 1500 to 1700) and keep them, something significant has to happen. e.g. A consistent winning team, a significant event such as promotion or a major trophy win or even a move to a plush new stadium............

For a fledgling league club we need to have winning team. We don't have thousands of fans who are staying away because we used to be a Premiership team. We need to get into Div 1 where bigger clubs generate greater interest among the local population. The new stadium will definitely draw in some new people and they may stick around if we continue to play attractive football.

It will be a slow process but the club is heading in the right direction.

[heysham_mfc]

http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D3/attend.html
here are the attendances
we are still getting an avarge of 2,000+ so thats good but ground only 33.5% full hope if we still have a chance of making the play offs in the last few games of the season then we will get better attendances.

[Burnley Shrimp]

http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/D3/attend.html
here are the attendances
we are still getting an avarge of 2,000+ so thats good but ground only 33.5% full hope if we still have a chance of making the play offs in the last few games of the season then we will get better attendances.

I think that if we can be in with a sniff of achieving something towards the end then attendances will soar. The Rotherham home game could be a biggy if we can just maintain a run of decent form and not drop off the pace.The next game against Port Vale should definitely be over 2K. Hopefully we are guaranteed a large attendance for the last game at Christie so maybe the average could improve towards two and a half K. That would be pretty good averaged out over a season and must be a record for recent times.

[ezz]

I was thinking the same thing, because we're never actually in the play-offs just always outside maybe with a couple more wins on the trot will attendance fly up with us actually being in the play-offs spots. Obviously proven by play-offs game, cup games, wembley in the past there can be big crowds at MFC I think it'l just take a lot of hype and buzz for it to happen and untill we establish ourselves firmly in the play-off positions they won't get higher than 2000 for most games.
2 more wins please Sammy and lets see what happens!!

[campdave]

I am now in my 5th season of following Morecambe I used to come down to Christie Parki and watch us when my 1st team were not playing (Wigan) but over time I got more and more interested in watching Morecambe and bought a season ticket and started to go to away mathes. Now I class Morecambe as my 1st team and only watch Wigan when Morecambe are not playing or are at an away game which I am not going to.

Sure, hopefully we'll get the odd person like your good self, but it's a long process to get people changing the team they've followed all their life, and buses full of Preston/Blackburn/Man Utd fans aren't suddenly going to turn right at the Shrimp Roundabout instead of heading for the M6.

What the club have is the best marketing opportunity of a lifetime with the new stadium to try and get as many people as possible to come in for a look to keep coming back regularly. What that solution, is who knows. But hopefully with the other commercial aspects of the new ground, we won't be as dependant on attendances than we have been previously.

[shrimper]

. If the club could get the Blackburn/Everton/Liverpool/Man Utd/Man City/Bolton/Burnley/Preston/Blackpool

I realise the consensus is you should support your local club, but people aren't going to give up following the club they've followed for years just because we're doing better than when they picked their team when they were in school.

I started following Morecambe just over six years ago, and attendances over 1500 were considered decent back then, more often than not they seemed to hover round 1200-1300. Now we seem to have a hardcore of around 1500 who pretty much turn up every week. So we are building crowds, but it's going to be a slow process - people won't just give up allegances to other clubs overnight.

I am now in my 5th season of following Morecambe I used to come down to Christie Parki and watch us when my 1st team were not playing (Wigan) but over time I got more and more interested in watching Morecambe and bought a season ticket and started to go to away mathes. Now I class Morecambe as my 1st team and only watch Wigan when Morecambe are not playing or are at an away game which I am not going to.

I'll give you a wave on Sunday, mate.

[heysham_mfc]

I'll give you a wave on Sunday, mate.

we have our secret weapon

[Mark S]

Funny

A now local lad who is Bradfordian (Bratfud season ticket holder) through and through brought a group from Trumacar School on Tuesday night.

He really enjoyed the game (especially as a neutral) but could not believe the lack of local support.

I couldnt argue and to be honest was a little embarrassed.

[Burnley Shrimp]

Funny

A now local lad who is Bradfordian (Bratfud season ticket holder) through and through brought a group from Trumacar School on Tuesday night.

He really enjoyed the game (especially as a neutral) but could not believe the lack of local support.

I couldnt argue and to be honest was a little embarrassed.

I couldn't agree more and sometimes can't understand why we can't get a few hundred more. However only a few years ago we would have been really pleased with that many on a cold Tuesday evening particularly with Man Yoo live on telly in a big game, so hopefully things are improving and will continue to improve.

I'm not having a go at the Bratfud fan who brought the kids but without their unbelievable season ticket give away just how many would they have pulled in in the same circumstances? More than 1.5K no doubt but then Bratfud City is about 6 times larger than Morecambe.Pro rata against population I'm fairly sure they wouldn't have more than us!

We are currently averaging over 2,100 per match which isn't bad and will rise if we keep up our current form. What we have to remember is that we are trying to compete against teams, many from larger population conurbations, with recent histories in the Championship (and above) and we are punching above our weight. I personally think we will pull in more at the Globe if we can keep playing the decent football we currently are.

[Robert Jackson]

We hear so much talk about places like Liverpool and Newcastle being soccer "hot beds".

Well I just think that this area is a soccer "cold bed". Only about 1,500 home fans at Christie Park and Lancaster City's reward for winning 12 games in a row was a crowd of 184 for the 13th.

It may well be difficult economic times, etc., but there just seems to be a basic lack of interest throughout the area.

[heysham_mfc]

We hear so much talk about places like Liverpool and Newcastle being soccer "hot beds".

Well I just think that this area is a soccer "cold bed". Only about 1,500 home fans at Christie Park and Lancaster City's reward for winning 12 games in a row was a crowd of 184 for the 13th.

It may well be difficult economic times, etc., but there just seems to be a basic lack of interest throughout the area.

the thing is this is not a footballing area by that I mean our local teams have never played at the top level the best gates Morecambe have had have only been in the FA cup and the play offs so it's not like we have loads of fans out there if we want better attendances we need to give people a reason to come not just for the big games but we need to get more people in when we are playing the likes of Dagenham Barnet and Torquay they like us don't have a very big fan base. What we need is a offer of some sort to get people in maybe do something like quid a kid or half price tickets if bought before the day of the game. If it doesn't work then there isn't anything anyone can do about it but if you don't try you'll never know.