HOW DO WE GET THE CROWDS BACK TO ST MARYS??

Posted by Worzel....


'How do we get the crowds back to St Mary's?........Let's not get the blame for the team's failure......please encourage friends and family to get behind the team and turn up to the home games......who knows with a bit of proper support the kids will be encouraged and enthused.......without it they probably believe it is them that's not good enough and that they are responsible for the mass desertion...then we're in a downward spiral.

Its now time for the part-time fans to become true supporters - where are you when we need you?'




Hear hear.....

First the club could keep us abreast of the news. Let us know where we stand. Then at least we can give our support without having too many hopes and aspirations. Everyone has a right to know as the club is ours and not theirs. They are temporary custodians and will leave when the price is right. On the other hand our true supporters will love our club for ever.
Show us the respect we deserve and give us a reason to go and watch even as we struggle so badly. A lot of us have been here before and if necessary will be here again and again just as long as we feel part of the action. Recently we have felt left outside as if we were an inconvenience that won't go away. Respect us and we may just surprise you by turning up and helping you get us moving in the right direction once again.

They could always give half price tickets to parents that take their kids or half price to the kids. They are our future after all.

Pinched from another site...

Is The Credit Crunch Worse In Southampton ?
Wednesday 08 Oct 2008 12:14:05

Is Southampton the worst affected area in the country by the credit crunch ? the answer is yes judging by the drop in attendances at St Mary's.

I have heard many excuses in recent weeks as to wh our crowds have been dropping like a stone, mots of them seemingly to be centred around the credit crunch, however a quick look at the Championships attendance averages over both last season and this show that Saints are out on a limb when it comes to plummetting crowds.

Last season saw Saints average 21,253, this season 15,757, you do the maths its as near as damn it a 26 % drop and its on a downward spiral, our last attendance against Norwich of 14,480 is 32% down on last seasons average an amzing drop.

But how does that compare with the rest of the division, taking a few random samples from Club who were in the Championship last season

Norwich 1% drop
Ipswich 7% drop
Sheff Utd 5% Drop
Sheff Weds 9% drop
Burnley 0.5% Drop
Watford 13% drop
Palace 7% Drop
Plymouth 10% drop
Preston 13% plus
Barnsley 16% plus

Thats a fairly comprehensive sample and whilst i would say that with many clubs there are certain games that would push up their averages etc, it still gives us a good overview of how attendances have been affected, if we take those 8 clubs that have shown a drop then the average drop is 6.5 percent, we are more than four times the average.

But even more worringly we are double the next club with a drop in attendances, Watford are with 13% drop are now virtually on a parwith Saints attendance wise, a shock for the system for those that winged in 2003 about not being able to go to Villa Park and was it right that Watford should get the same number of tickets as us.

So our drastic reduction in support is not down to the credit crunch but other factors, the credit crunch has seen an average drop in the Championship of about 6.5 % ( in truth I havent included clubs like Cardiff who are showing a 34% increase nor any of the other increases, but 6.5 5 is there or thereabouts, but our gates have dropped by 27%, so either our fans are feeling the crunch more than others, and all recent surveys showed that our supporters were amongst the most affluent in the country with regard to household incomes, so I dont think this is the case, or taking away the 6.5 % affected by thecrunch nationally, 20% of our supporters cant be bothered to turn up for other reasons.

This being the case, and dont forget that other clubs are also affected by periods of disenchantment, Norwich and Preston are two that spring to mind, yet their fans havent deserted in such droves, the conclusion is that for most money or lack of it isnt the reason for non attendance.

So what is the reason, well it cant be the football as its generally agreed that this seasons team is playing the most attractive football in five years or more, it cant be just general disenchantment with the game, as the divisional trend is nowhere near ours, so is it down to the fact that

1. The fans are unaware of the plight of the club and the potentially fatal situation if they dont attend.
2. They genuinely dont care that the club is in crisis.
3. They hate one man, Rupert Lowe so much they are prepared to gamble with the future of the club to see it fail.

In truth its a combination of all three alongside the perception of the club amongst supporters at present, to be blunt the position of the club would be a lot more stable and brighter if even last season' average was maintained , even if it took the 6,5% average drop.

The circle has to be broken, will it be the fans who step up to the plate or the Chairman, manager & players who bring the fans back by showing leadership both on and off the field.

I have pleaded the case for supporters to return. I myself am unable to go because of severely low income and large family. For me to take Sparkle and Twizzle for Watford game means bills not being paid. I love my family and I love my club nearly as much. I am prepared to suffer financially to go and watch my team if it can stabilise the fall in attendance. The feeling one gets when approaching your stadium to see a game is to a degree like that of going to see your kids when born. Of seeing them when they take their first step The dismay after a heavy defeat is like that felt when your child is sick and you are unable to produce a magic cure. You want so much to mend the patient but don't know how.
What you don't do is walk away. Leave the sick child to suffer alone. Leave him or her with the knowledge that you only care for them when they are fit and healthy. I am definitely not a Lowe supporter. I am a Saints supporter and will be going to cheer on the team at the Watford match. I just hope that there are a few more parents prepared to go to the aid of their ailing club before it is too late.
Brian (SFCFE)

Contender for October P.O.T.M.!!

SaintMike wrote:Contender for October P.O.T.M.!!

WINNER ME THINKS

Pinched from another site...

The only real solution to Saints' attendance problem By Rob Casey
Posted on Sunday 12 Oct 2008 09:19:00

Attendances at St Mary’s are in freefall and it seems everyone’s got an opinion on what should be done about it. However, the official line at Southampton FC is that this is a problem we’re just going to have to get through, like the rest of the country. But is it?

The decline in the economy could not come at a worse time for Saints, and with the stadium down to being less than half full these days, the club know that the majority of our supporters are staying away. But there’s no guarantee they’ll be coming back, price drop or no price drop.

The 14,480 crowd for the Norwich game was the fourth successive time St Mary’s has had its lowest attendance record broken. So there is clearly a problem. And what should be done about it?

Let’s explore the options…

Many fans believe that a reduction in ticket prices would encourage stay-away supporters to return, generating more of an atmosphere in the ground, giving more encouragement to the team, potentially improving performances, results and therefore giving even more incentive for other supporters to come back and fill the ground. It’s an optimistic dream, but if it works then it would kick-start a positive spiral which has recently been whirling in the opposite direction.

However, this is a gamble, as David Luker, Head of Supporter Services at the club, explained to the Daily Echo:

“Reducing ticket prices doesn’t actually mean that you would generate more sales. Added to this, given our well documented financial situation we need to generate extra revenue.

“The average adult ticket price is £24. By reducing this to £18 we would have to sell an additional 33 per cent of tickets to make the bottom line the same. As there is no guarantee that we could actually increase sales enough to generate extra revenue, this would be a huge gamble for the club at the present time. Added to this, by reducing the price this much we effectively would remove the price benefit of the season ticket holders. I’m not sure this would be a popular move.”

If the gamble failed, it could signal disaster, as Saints are in no position to take risks with the financial status of the club. However, isn’t it more of a gamble to do nothing? We’ve been led to believe that the credit crunch will get worse before it gets better, and if this is affecting ticket sales, then it may be too late for Southampton FC by the time the economy picks up again.

Another suggestion made by supporters has been cheap prices for kids. Not only are they enthusiastic and vocal, but they are the future of the club and need to be encouraged now, as a long-term strategy. If we are so passionate about investing in youth when it comes to the players, why not adopt a similar strategy when it comes to the supporters?

Luker expressed similar reservations to this proposal: “We already run Club and School Saints programmes via our Community Department and these offers are normally located in The Chapel Stand. We cannot do this every week, though, or we start to erode the price benefit of the junior season ticket.”

Sadly, on both issues he has a point. It probably is too late now to change the ticket prices for this season, as it devalues the season tickets at both adult and junior level. To disappoint these fans would ultimately prove disastrous if it affected next year’s season ticket sales. Who would trust that they’d be making a saving, at a time when paying hundreds of pounds in a lump sum is a serious financial decision?

This therefore raises the question: Why wasn’t this anticipated at the start of the summer? It’s easy to say this now in hindsight, but we knew the economy was heading for a down turn and that whatever happened Saints would struggle this season. A lowering of ticket prices then would potentially have solved this problem, given that it was only on the last game of the season that St Mary’s sold out at all. This is evidence that the support is there, they just don’t feel they can come to every match.

That said, I am convinced that there are other factors at play here. I cannot agree with this particular opinion, but it does seem that many people feel that they will not come and support the club, while Rupert Lowe remains in charge. The sad fact is that many believe it would be better to see the club collapse than to support this man. It’s an extreme prejudice, but it’s one seemingly held by thousands. And it’s going to take a lot to talk them round.

It seems to me that for as long as results and performances on the pitch are mediocre, then only the hardcore fans will bother with the club. In football terms and financial terms, things are bad. You would have to really love the club to pay these prices week in, week out. However, if either or both of these situations improve, then attendances will surely follow. It is a fact of life, applicable to football and finance also, that things ebb and flow. There will always be good times and there will always be bad times, in relative terms at least.

The real problem would come if relegation occurred or recession developed into depression. Either scenario could cripple the club and send us into administration. Therefore, with little to no control over the economy, we just need to focus on staying in this division and building towards the future, as we are doing with Poortvliet et al.

The attendance problem is serious. I accept that fully, and appreciate that it could cause untold damage to our finances at the club. However, I believe in what is happening on the pitch, and to some extent believe that in adopting a low risk strategy, the club are aiming at financial stability, which should see us through these tough times.

Hence, I agree with the club, I’m afraid. A ‘solution’ to this current state is to keep supporting the club as best we can, keep encouraging the stay-away supporters to believe in Southampton FC, despite their misgivings, and wait for things to pick up again. It could take years, it could all turn around in a few matches, but whatever happens, supporters need to support their club. That’s the only way we can get through this.

He always talks sense. Just like we try to do. Even when you don't necessarily agree his reasoning always seems sound.

From the Echo website....a few interesting comments at the bottom I think!!

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/3761711.Forget_Rupert_Lowe_____Saints_need_YOU_now_/

Rob Casey's view...

Have Saints now become a charity case? By Rob Casey
Posted on Friday 17 Oct 2008 00:03:00

It is clear that Southampton FC are in trouble. You don’t need me to tell you that. And neither do you need me to tell you what you should do about it. I think it’s fair to say that I have ranted on long enough about how important it is for the fans to get behind the team and put their feelings about the board to one side, for the sake of the club’s survival. If that message hasn’t worked by now, it never will, especially as the Saints Trust are also imploring the fans to get behind the squad. Therefore I would like to make a different case.

I fully support the work of the Saints Trust and whole-heartedly agree with the words of their chairman, Nick Illingsworth. However, rather than lecture fans on the importance of supporting the club, I would rather offer some reasons why supporting the Saints this season might actually turn out to be a joy, rather than a chore.

We are a football club, not a charity case. That said, the loyal fans of the club are rightly calling for action, as illustrated by the statements made on Thursday by the Saints Trust, summarised here:

“The question of Rupert Lowe and his standing at the club is not for this moment in time. Supporters have to put their reasons for non attendance behind them and help the club in its hour of need. No Saints supporter should be in any doubt that this club is in its most dire hour for over half a century.”

“We supporters need to start showing that the Club does indeed belong to the fans and that without them it wouldn’t exist. At this moment in time, it’s a question of survival both financially and on the pitch and the fans can play a big part in both.

“The Saints Trust calls on every Saints supporter to make every possible effort to attend this Saturday’s game against Watford. If the Club are to have the continued support of the bank, they need to show that, as a business, they are an ongoing concern; to do that they need to be trading profitably and the best way to do that is if they can show that the supporters are still behind them.”

I echo these words, yet fear that our beloved club is turning into a charity case. I do not want any fan to be obliged to turn out for the game on Saturday. I want them all to want to come. Or at least as many as possible. And for good reason, because they could witness a decent game of football, with a more than reasonable chance that Saints will win it.

The reality is that Saints will only survive with the support of the fans, and that by staying away to spite Lowe, we are indeed cutting off our own noses, as the proverb would have it. However, it is also a reality that support needs to be sustained and pity support is not something that can be sustained. Asking fans to help out the club may sadly not be enough. Fans need a reason to support their team, and it seems that the imminent threat of administration is not quite the reason that many thousands are looking for.

I would say that fans should only come and watch Saints on Saturday if they want to. And they should ask themselves what got them into supporting the team in the first place, because I genuinely believe that whenever I ask myself this question, the answers are to be found at St Mary’s, and no less so at the moment. It’s not always great football and it’s not always successful, but on its day it is both of these things and much, much more.

To me, the Saints are not a charity case. They are an important part of my life. And I know that if you’ve read this far, then you’ll agree with me. That’s why I’ll be looking forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

What more can be done by the club to persuade the stay-away fans to return? Is there anything, or is it just a case of hoping that results pick up?