Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sat Aug 19, 2017 3:12 pm  

HamsterChops wrote:

A thought that the last 4 club owners have used to play on all our heart strings in order to make us part with our money. Those heart strings for a few of us now are toughened to the point they don't quiver quite so easily any more.

Come on, what do you want them to do, honestly? Not even bother to attempt to sell season tickets?
It's a sh*t situation for the club to be in but there isn't going to be some white knight riding in to save the day - we're stuck with what we've got. So you can p!ss and moan about Chalmers all you want, but if you want to continue having a RL team in Bradford to support then it's him or nobody.

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sat Aug 19, 2017 3:19 pm  

Nothus wrote:

Come on, what do you want them to do, honestly? Not even bother to attempt to sell season tickets?
It's a sh*t situation for the club to be in but there isn't going to be some white knight riding in to save the day - we're stuck with what we've got. So you can p!ss and moan about Chalmers all you want, but if you want to continue having a RL team in Bradford to support then it's him or nobody.

At no point have I said anything as absurd as they shouldn't attempt to sell season tickets. Now you're just taking comments to an extreme they weren't at.

The point I'm making is that they can't rely on the same old "if you don't give us your money, you won't have a club" motto that has been pedalled for years now. Fans are sick of it and are starting to ignore that line now. What they need to do is give you value for your money and give you an actual reason to hand over the pounds, which isn't empty promises or putting the responsibility onto the fans (again). What that value for money is? I don't know, I'm not a businessman. But all other companies understand that if you want customers to part with their money, you have to give them a reason to do so and not overcharge them. Season Ticket Price Freeze for a division lower with poorer teams, IMO, isn't value for money. To others, it will be. Plenty will blindly pay out of loyalty, it's up to them. Plenty will fall for that "it's your responsibility" line again, also up to them. But there are also plenty who've heard it too many times now and need something better to tempt them. Which is why the idea of 3,000 season tickets looks to me as totally unrealistic without some change to current philosophy of how they treat the fans.

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sat Aug 19, 2017 4:17 pm  

HamsterChops wrote:

The point I'm making is that they can't rely on the same old "if you don't give us your money, you won't have a club" motto that has been pedalled for years now.

Has Chalmers actually said that though? I've not seen him quoted anywhere saying that.

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sat Aug 19, 2017 4:27 pm  

Nothus wrote:

Has Chalmers actually said that though? I've not seen him quoted anywhere saying that.

No, I don't believe he has. In fairness, I was more aiming that towards fans that say it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did come out of the club (or via their favourite method of getting the coach to say it in the T&A) when sales aren't doing so well.

The rest of the points about the club remain though. They need a product worthy of the price. Relying on sentiment only works for so long and I think it's a river that's beginning to run dry.

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sat Aug 19, 2017 4:30 pm  

I don't let season tickets come into my decision making as far as the Bulls count.
A game stood on the terrace cost about 13.60 this year and about 18.00 in the stand.
As a non smoker I tend to use the price of a packet of fags that I see many wasting their money on and use that to judge whether something is worth it.

I have always stood at Odsal so think of £13 as a fair price although some of the displays stretched that a little. Some were appalling.

Do I buy a ticket to save money or do I do it to try and help the club over that tight winter spell. Both actually. I have been a supporter now for too long to let £13 a fortnight affect me.
Yes we have been badly messed about and many will walk but I either stick with them as I can't remember much else than being a Northern fan or I walk away. If I did walk then I would go and would not be on here anymore.

For me all I can do it give my trust again to whoever is running the club and hope we finally get someone who is true to their word. If not, then how much of that £150 have I wasted as I still went and enjoyed the build up. Being a fan isn't just about that 80 minutes it is about being part of a group of fans with the same hopes and wishes.

That is why the ticket means nothing in my thinking as it works out at someone else buying about 15 cigies a week. So i will moan and complain like others on here but feel I like to buy a ticket so the club get their approx £600k to add to other income then hope Chalmers can slowly build the club properly over the next few years.

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sat Aug 19, 2017 6:02 pm  

The 'problem' with the 3000 target is that it is setting itself up to be branded as 'failure' when it fall short, as it almost inevitably will.

How can I be so sure that 3000 target won't be reached? Well, there were 2800 diehards at the last home game. It would require every single one of those people, plus others who missed the game (obviously it was in the main holiday season, so there will be diehards who couldn't make it) to buy a ST, and clearly that won't happen. You're simply never going to get 100% of people buying a season ticket, for all sorts of reasons - not the least of which is the fact that many of us (myself included) have to miss several games a season for very compelling reasons.

Can the club find 'new' people to buy a season ticket? Theoretically, yes - but have they given anyone any really good reason to do so. I'd say not. We are in a lower division, remember!

I really wish they'd have set the target at a more realistic level, perhaps 2000 - at least in the public perception. Then when they work really hard and manage to sell, say, 2500, it can be 'spun' as a massive success. 'All our targets have been surpassed' etc...

Even if they really expected to sell 2500, announcing the target as 2000 would enable them to spin it as a positive success. As it is they are almost inevitably setting themselves up to fail

Of course, if they do sell 3000 Season Tickets then I will be forced to eat humble pie...

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sat Aug 19, 2017 7:19 pm  

At the very least, dropping the price (even a little) to reflect the fact we are playing in a lower league would have been a gesture. I am definitely a "floater". A £10/£20 reduction would have maybe swung it for me.

Call me tight if you like, call me unloyal, but why the f**k should we pay the same to watch Hemel Stags, Oxford, etc. (no disrespect intended).

Would you expect Bradford City to charge the same in the Premier League as they would in League 3? Would you expect people to pay it?

[Bulliac]

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sat Aug 19, 2017 8:45 pm  

paulwalker71 wrote:

The 'problem' with the 3000 target is that it is setting itself up to be branded as 'failure' when it fall short, as it almost inevitably will.

How can I be so sure that 3000 target won't be reached? Well, there were 2800 diehards at the last home game. It would require every single one of those people, plus others who missed the game (obviously it was in the main holiday season, so there will be diehards who couldn't make it) to buy a ST, and clearly that won't happen. You're simply never going to get 100% of people buying a season ticket, for all sorts of reasons - not the least of which is the fact that many of us (myself included) have to miss several games a season for very compelling reasons.

Can the club find 'new' people to buy a season ticket? Theoretically, yes - but have they given anyone any really good reason to do so. I'd say not. We are in a lower division, remember!

I really wish they'd have set the target at a more realistic level, perhaps 2000 - at least in the public perception. Then when they work really hard and manage to sell, say, 2500, it can be 'spun' as a massive success. 'All our targets have been surpassed' etc...

Even if they really expected to sell 2500, announcing the target as 2000 would enable them to spin it as a positive success. As it is they are almost inevitably setting themselves up to fail

Of course, if they do sell 3000 Season Tickets then I will be forced to eat humble pie...

To be fair, I petty much agree with that.

I don't know what the actual 'break even' figure is - it may be the one they have set as the target it may well be lower, but there is no reason to believe the 'target' figure is any more significant than just being a figure they feel is attainable. I don't know why they put so much significance on season tickets, to be honest nor exactly what difference it makes to the finances whether the fans pay by season ticket or on the gate, though I was once led to believe there is a difference in the VAY payable.

If we start well and actually look, at least, as though we may win a few more games than we lose then I think, with 'roll ups', a figure of 3K is perfectly possible, though I don't think the 'one big push for promotion' gag is going to fool anyone this time round, so best they don't try that one. The big problem for the owners is maybe how much to commit. If they spend very little on the team then many more may decide not to bother; spend too much and the finances may take a hit if the gamble fails. Finishing well this season would help though - it's never too early to start the feel good factor.

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sun Aug 20, 2017 8:22 am  

I'm not gonna buy a season ticket for the first time in god knows many years. (and NO I don't smoke)
The way I see it is - last December a lot of us had bought season tickets and it looked like we had basically thrown money into Mr Greens bank account.
Just think back for a moment, we'd paid our money up front like good little loyal fans; and the smooth talking businessman pocketed it and walked off into the sunset.
iirc It was the RFL's criteria to honour those season tickets not AC's.
I might be a tick paddy, but I'd be stupid to make the same mistake again (whether AC is honest/not - I don't know - but its bleedin obvious he is a businessman first - and he's not suddenly become a stout Bulls fan overnight)
How many of the 2000+ Bulls fans at the last home game were actually ST holders turning up only because it was already paid for. How many of those 2000+ actually chose to turn up and pay cash to watch an already relegated team get beat up?
Next season we'll start with the usual big-ish crowd and then (as always) its down to the players on the pitch whether we win and attract more fans/supporters.
To me, its a very simple plan - winning games attracts species.
More species = more income
More income = attract higher quality players = win games etc.
Its not rocket science.

On the other hand - a good performing team will retain fans even if they lose more games than they win
But a relegated team will definitely loose their fringe fans.
Twice relegated - well that team will loose even more fans
twice relegated, three times in administration, and rumours of dodgy businessmen/owners, and disproportionate punishment from the RFL - guess how many fans that team will loose.
We're now starting where we should have started last season - I'll always be a bulls fan - but now its upto the club, players (and no doubt the RFL) to convince me things will not get worse

Re: Fans Forum 16th August : Sun Aug 20, 2017 2:02 pm  

debaser wrote:

At the very least, dropping the price (even a little) to reflect the fact we are playing in a lower league would have been a gesture. I am definitely a "floater". A £10/£20 reduction would have maybe swung it for me.

Call me tight if you like, call me unloyal, but why the f**k should we pay the same to watch Hemel Stags, Oxford, etc. (no disrespect intended).

Would you expect Bradford City to charge the same in the Premier League as they would in League 3? Would you expect people to pay it?

In an ideal world no,however loyalty to your club sometimes overrides your common sense,that's sport I suppose..