ghostofcecere Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 The reason most people don't go anymore is because it's just so boring. I was in the Chaddy on Tuesday and all you could hear was people chattering, it was like nobody was there to watch the football. Watching Latics has become a total bore, and people don't like paying out good money to be bored, they can get that at home for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlossopLatic Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 IMO Latics tepid performances at home have alienated fans, and even OWTB posters. Until this is sorted out some fans will find other forms of entertrainment for their money, will more people buy season tickets for next season if they think they have 8 or 9 home wins out of 23 matches to look forward to ? We know we can all see this! we've discussed it to death I just don't think that us giving up and going home is going to solve this I'd like to think the fans can make a difference to change things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeylandLatic Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Nope. It's 2012. People don't want to pay a fortune to watch :censored: football in a ground with :censored: facilities and a :censored: atmosphere. It's not rocket science - no investment means continual decay and decline. But for £3 a game people still aren't going to watch it either. Is £3 a fortune now? The draw of lower league football in my opinion is dying regardless of the cost. The reasons for this: SkySports. I'll put this first as they're a massive contributing factor to the fall in interest in lower league football. The Prem is in your face every 2 seconds of watching a sky tv channel, "SUNDERLAND ARE PLAYING PLAYING STOKE AWAY FROM HOME AND IT'S GONNA BE UNMISSABLE!!!!" etc etc. Meanwhile live games in the football league get a small mention whilst someone is down injured or during stoppage time when it goes out for a goal kick. The importance of every kick in the Prem is emphasized despite it being a dead contest for years for most of the participants whilst the Football League is only covered in terms of the big teams that sky wishes were in the Prem (Leeds, Sheffield clubs). All this results in the average casual fan having no real link to the football league sides, not seeing their results or games as important unless it's a derby or '6 pointer'. If you don't feel it matters would you go to a game as none diehard fan? It's unlikely. So beyond this psychological bombardment there is also the crippling financial situation created by Sky and the FA but that isn't relevant to why people have fallen out of love with the football league, directly anyway. Spiralling wages, agents, loyalty. How can you feel attached to something when you can't relate to a big part of it? ie. the players. Gone are the days of building a squad over 5+ seasons, replacing those who retire or move on with a couple of signings and youngsters coming through the youth system whilst maintaining the same core of players, gradually improving. What's the average stay of a player now at most lower league clubs, 2 seasons? How does a rapport or bond develop between fans and players when this is the norm? Add into this the ridiculous wages at pretty much every level holding the clubs to ransom and it's difficult to truly like today's journeyman footballer. Everybody's out to get the best financial deal for themselves, little seems to revolve around loyalty or enjoyment of the game as it had done in the past, money has become the main issue (don't get me wrong I realise in 'yesteryear' money talked as well but it can't be ignored that with the rise of the agent this is now the most important factor for the majority in their career paths). So we have a situation where we get a new team every 1-2 seasons of overpaid journeymen holding the club to ransom and then moving on for a better deal when the chance arises, does this really make the average joe want to pay their money at the turnstile regardless of the price they're paying? My point is, i don't think money is the prime issue anymore. It's peoples feelings towards lower league football in general. In my case I genuinely can't afford to go to games right now unless there is a deal on like the Golden ticket in which case i will take it up, but the point stands for those who didn't pay £3 a game to see us play. Money clearly isn't the base issue here. The none diehard fanbase and even some of those who have been going regularly for years, maybe decades no longer feel the link between themselves and the players they are supposed to support. Add to that the aggressive marketing and advertising of the Prem by Sky and lower league football is in a really bad position for attracting fans. I've said for years the football league needs to break away and stop fighting over the crumbs offered by Sky. it needs it's own sponsorship, it's own marketing and to forget about the Prem. There is no future for L1 and L2 and the lower clubs in the Championship if the current situation continues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlossopLatic Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) SkySports. I'll put this first as they're a massive contributing factor to the fall in interest in lower league football Sky has been covering the Prem for 20 years yet in that time lower league football attendances have improved partly down to better stadia (obviously not in our case) and partly down to the carrot being dangled by the premier league, which brings me on to this. I've said for years the football league needs to break away and stop fighting over the crumbs offered by Sky. it needs it's own sponsorship, it's own marketing and to forget about the Prem. There is no future for L1 and L2 and the lower clubs in the Championship if the current situation continues. That would be killing the goose that lays the Golden Egg part of the fun being a fan of a lower league club is that the dream can come true and we can come up through the leagues and have our day in the sun again. Thats part of what keeps me going even though it looks a million miles away at the moment its still possible that it could happen one day. We don't have to kill ourselves to get there either Plus for how many years have people said their is no future in the lower leagues they have been going bust for a hundred years and no doubt will still be going bust for the next 100 years. Peoples interest in football isn't dying. Edited March 29, 2012 by GlossopLatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc1955 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I can't really blame him. Other than Celebration Sunday's demolition of Grimsby; have we since managed to play well and get good results in any of the cheap ticket offers? Another missed chance to encourage more fans through the gate no taken advantage of; through sub-standard performances on the pitch. Sanme old, same old really - typical Latics. The thing is, what did he expect........that we were going to come out and play like world beaters. OK, perhaps the players could have shown a little extra effort granted, but, we are where we are in the league because it's where we deserve to be and the truth is we are a predictably poor side competing in a league where standards are dropping year on year. The Golden Ticket has done what it said on the packet.... it increased the attendances during a glut of home games against supposedly inferior teams over a short space of time. The said increase of 893 is absolute bollocks, without the offer we would have been down to around 2000/2500 for the last couple of games. If we could have played better and got positive results early doors perhaps we could have been looking at crowds approaching 6000 towards the end of the promo. Whilst we did get some extra punters through the gates, all we have acheived, I fear, is to remind the Oldham public that we are still crap and still extremely boring to watch!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I think he has vocalised what many have thought. I have to say I would not have done it, but I admire the honesty. What I suspect strongly, is that the Chron have blown this up a bit too. They have got form haven't they. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazlatic Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I think he has vocalised what many have thought. I have to say I would not have done it, but I admire the honesty. What I suspect strongly, is that the Chron have blown this up a bit too. They have got form haven't they. They might have but... Why should players care about OAFC if we consistently offer 12 month contacts, proving OAFC doesn't really care about them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singe Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 They might have but... Why should players care about OAFC if we consistently offer 12 month contacts, proving OAFC doesn't really care about them? I do take the point you are making, but it is hardly something unique is it, it's is the norm across all the lower divisions generally. We'd be up there and no paddle if we did not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_Og Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 "I've said for years the football league needs to break away and stop fighting over the crumbs offered by Sky. it needs it's own sponsorship, it's own marketing and to forget about the Prem. There is no future for L1 and L2 and the lower clubs in the Championship if the current situation continues" ITV Digital wasn't a roaring success... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazlatic Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I do take the point you are making, but it is hardly something unique is it, it's is the norm across all the lower divisions generally. We'd be up there and no paddle if we did not. Seems like circumstances have overtaken us. I guess that an option for another season is a step in the right direction. A modicum of commitment I guess. Surely we should back our own judgment from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bossrocks Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) SkySports. I'll put this first as they're a massive contributing factor to the fall in interest in lower league football. The Prem is in your face every 2 seconds of watching a sky tv channel, "SUNDERLAND ARE PLAYING PLAYING STOKE AWAY FROM HOME AND IT'S GONNA BE UNMISSABLE!!!!" etc etc Couldn't read your post without thinking of this: "THE GIANTS OF CHARLTON PLAY HOST TO THE TITANS OF IPSWICH (making them both seem normal sized)". Brilliant! At the end of the day, £15+ for a Latics game is poor value for money. I keep going in the hope of seeing a Sheff U performance but sometimes it feels like a chore and I appreciate other fans not being up for it. Knocking the Lookers down and the generally poor match-day experience - yes they all contribute but if we start playing decent football and have a realistic promotion push, the fans will slowly come back. For me, the most comparable entertainment is going to a gig - for £15-25 I can go and watch one of my favourite bands perform for a couple of hours and be guaranteed a good time. For the last few seasons its felt like a lottery as to how we're going to play. Edited March 29, 2012 by bossrocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlossopLatic Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Perhaps if we start a rumour about somekind of strike at the ticket office people might start panic buying season tickets for next season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticMark Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Perhaps if we start a rumour about somekind of strike at the ticket office people might start panic buying season tickets for next season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Perhaps if we start a rumour about somekind of strike at the ticket office people might start panic buying season tickets for next season Free jerrycan with every season ticket ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaticMark Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Free jerrycan with every season ticket ? . . . and a Greggs pasty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 (edited) . . . and a Greggs pasty! If they sold 2 for 99p in the main stand that might add a few on the gate. Edited March 29, 2012 by BP1960 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midsblue Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) Let's just accept that the club had a great opportunity to entice and retain extra fans through the golden ticket but activity ON field cocked it up. Be this bad luck because most of our influential players were crocked at the time - Simpson, Furman and Wes - but overall the players failed us on the pitch. Admittedly the state of our stadium and matchday experience in general isn't the most enticing. A decaying three-sided ground with piss poor facilities puts people off and the drudge dished up on the pitch is the nail in the coffin! Unless Corney comes up with something fresh and exciting regarding the stadium then OAFC as we know it will wither on the vine. We need an injection, a catalyst or even reincarnation of the current club to grab the next generation of fans. Last year with the new badge, the pomp of "We Are Latics" and promise of a new dawn came that opportunity but the mixture of inconsistency (yet consistently poor and boring) on the pitch, silence regarding stadium redevelopment and no new investor put end to that. We're an animal in pain...... The question is does Corney give it the injection to return it to good health or the injection to put it to sleep? Whilst we f*** around deciding, increasing numbers are starting not to give a :censored: either way! Edited March 30, 2012 by Midsblue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisA Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Can we just remember as well that Corney said these players were starting to resent playing in front of small crowds. So he sticks an offer on and the crowds do rise quite a bit and how do they repay him? 3 defeats, a draw, a win and 4 goals. They're taking the piss. I'd include the management in that as well. At home from game to game we can be very predictable. The slow start as the opposition take the initiative, the lack of drive from midfield. Can we only play this pressing game with our first 11? Are the rest not good enough to run and close players down? Certainly seems that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukka Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Midsblue' timestamp='1333086068' Last year with the new badge, the pomp of "We Are Latics" Am I the only one who found the "we are latics" branding bizzare? Its obviously been done by a company who wanted to "brand" the club. The fans do that themselves through songs. The "we are latics shop" - eh? That doesnt even work as a sentence. Oh when the blues SHOULD have been adopted by the club on shirts. Invented by fans, for fans. A club isnt branded in the same way as a normal company. Onfield results completely skew that. I applaud the effort, but I just wonder why money was spent on it? Edited March 30, 2012 by pukka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lookers_Carl Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Am I the only one who found the "we are latics" branding bizzare? Its obviously been done by a company who wanted to "brand" the club. The fans do that themselves through songs. The "we are latics shop" - eh? That doesnt even work as a sentence. Oh when the blues SHOULD have been adopted by the club on shirts. Invented by fans, for fans. A club isnt branded in the same way as a normal company. Onfield results completely skew that. I applaud the effort, but I just wonder why money was spent on it? It beats keep the faith any day in my opinion, but can still see your point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pukka Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) It beats keep the faith any day in my opinion, but can still see your point. I preferred Keep the faith - the giant flag at Wembley coined it from a latics standpoint so it was already adopted. But each to their own. (It was too cheesy for me though) Edited March 30, 2012 by pukka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie_J Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I don't see what Corney could possibly have hoped to achieve by letting his mouth run (again). He's childishly petulant; perhaps part of the reason it's the other amigos that have got all the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoafc Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I fear for the season ticket sales for the next campaign. With existing members wondering is it worthwhile after the recent offers, the poor home form of the team ( 8 home losses so far is unacceptable ) and no sign of any stadium improvements, barring a bit of emulsion thrown around. Add to this, not knowing which players we will be watching next season. The close season will be a telling time for OAFC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futchers briefs Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Some fans' favourite saying of "I pay my money, so I'm entitled to have a say......", surely, the same must go for the Chairman, who is reported to be losing money, is more than entitled to express his opinion. Good for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristolatic Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 Initially, I was a bit nonplussed that SC came out with a public outburst. Then I thought about it. Whenever a team puts in poor performances that have shown no passion or desire, managers will give the players a public roasting. Dickov has done it more than once and you could see the anger in his face. And he's not the only one; think of McCarthy, Allardyce, Grayson, Holloway and others who've been practically purple in the face with their team's efforts (or lack of them). We, as fans, get royally hacked off (I don't agree with booing the team, mind), managers vent their spleen, so why shouldn't a chairman do the same? SC is pumping a lorryload of cash into the club and he is right to expect some kind of return on the investment. There are a great many (including some on here) who are only too quick to have a poke at SC but, stop to think, if he had baled out with the other two Amigos, where would we be now? It doesn't bear thinking about. So, yes, I go along with him showing his frustration and annoyance and, if the players don't respond, do they deserve to be here? They should be playing their guts out to win new contracts or they'll be in the dole queue. I don't have problem with one year or short term contracts. It stops players falling into the comfort zone and gives the club a buffer. Do we want any more Feeneys on our hands where they turn out to be worse than crap and we have to shell out money to get rid? No, make them play for a place, play for a contract and do the club, fans, management team and board proud of them win, lose or draw.. And expect a bollocking if they can't be arsed. Now let's go and give Notts County a good spanking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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