Hands on Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 Two reasons: Most obvious is that in general most of us here have less money now than ten years ago so some might want to return but simply can't afford to. Less obvious is that although the population of Oldham has increased slightly the ethnic mix has changed. My suggestion would be to allow season ticket holders to pay by direct debit over the ten months from May to February with no interest added. Club gets full price and I'm sure more season tickets would be sold even if there was a small increase to compensate. Anyone buying late would have to pay the missed payments up front rather than a much higher price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SholverBlue Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I think even the price of football has changed a lot in ten years. I can't picture any Oldhamer completely unaffiliated with Latics that would turn up on a Saturday and pay £22 to get into the ground off the back of a few wins. I think the key thing we're missing is the enticement, which is usually an offer game (could be something seasonable, a one off 5er a match) then we pull them in with a decent deal like the Golden ticket the other season. The only difference is that now we're playing better football and on the up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Burns Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 They were both second round. And the increase in crowd due to progress on the pitch, despite a 33% price increase, was the point I was making. Think that was what I was trying to say too, round error apart. Early round cup games shud defo be cheaper for ST holders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 The Club has listened and appointed a new Commercial Director who will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategic plan, in conjunction with the Club’s Senior Management, to grow the fan base and maximise both match-day and commercial revenues. Although he doesn't start until next month, he can be contacted by email: mark.moisley@oldhamathletic.co.uk http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/article/new-commercial-director-appointed-2138600.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deyres42 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 We'll have more directors than strikers soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceStationLatic Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 My views...., generalising a fair bit to put some points out there.... Discounting for certain games or groups of games would do nothing apart from lose the club money while barely - if at all - lifting the attendance. It would just lead to the same fans that go anyway, paying less. Proper Oldham fans won't be sat at home every Saturday, taking a keen interest in every result and match, thinking 'you know what, if it was just £5 less for a match-day ticket, or £50 less for a season ticket, I'd go every week!' Remember, we couldn't even sell out Everton when we were the talk of the national, not just the town. And we only sold out Liverpool because of Reds in the home end. Fans from the good old days are floating and out there - most that do come are probably away-fan floaters, however. Many of those that are local are probably mostly that bit older, don't like the cold, and have the shopping/kids etc to contend with. The culture of 'going to the game for your local team' has gone. That's the problem. Ticket price is commonly used as an excuse, but they wouldn't - and evidence has shown when prices have been cut - still don't go anyway. The people that do go already are the same that can appreciate the superior quality of the football. The club needs to focus on making it 'hip' to back your local team, and on forging a new generation of fans. The new stand will provide an opportunity of course to change the image of an Oldham game - 'why would you pay £50-plus for tickets, programme, refreshments, parking and then freeze yourself to near death for an hour and a half'. Chesterfield are a good role model for this as some have mentioned. For the next generation, the club needs to get to schools. Dish out some free shirts for youngsters (try to get sponsorship or local authority backing to help subsidise it) because otherwise they'll all be wearing City and Chelsea shirts, watching Sky and playing Fifa before you know it. Once they're at stage, why on earth would you want to support a 'rubbish League One club' that often loses, when you can support a top Premier League club with big-name stars that are on your computer games and are 'cool'. Another option - get a designated family section and for adult season tickets in that section, chuck in a free child ticket, or a subsidised teen ticket? Want to support the Athleticos? sell Athleticos-branded tickets for #thegroup and their section. Discounts for teens and students. Love them or irritated by them, it's a miracle we have them at all. With my dramatic hat on, they are at present our only hope for a future generation of fans (most of the young teens and younger who go with daddy will just stop once they're older and he stops going). And yes it is a miracle, most of #thegroup have seen nothing apart from terrible home form and 16th-place finishes in League One. Now it's looking like something better, and what could be our only opportunity (smell the coffee, we miss the play-offs narrowly and LJ could well be gone this summer or next) to have a chance of getting out of this league (upwards) and generate a fresh fanbase, the frustration is evident and understandable from the original poster on this thread... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry1203 Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I came back this season because my mate who works as a physio for Barnsley got me a free ticket for the JPT game at home but the ticket was in the Barnsley end. I enjoyed what I saw and haven't missed a home game since and been a couple away. As I'm self employed, I have changed my whole working week so I'm free on Saturday afternoons. I've not been prior to this season for 3 years. I've always wanted to go but never felt it was worth it but now I do. Some might think you only go when we're winning but the place and team depressed me so I stopped going. You have to give people something worth going for. I have managed to get 3 of my mates to come tomorrow who stopped coming at the same time as myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disjointed Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 I came back this season because my mate who works as a physio for Barnsley got me a free ticket for the JPT game at home but the ticket was in the Barnsley end. I enjoyed what I saw and haven't missed a home game since and been a couple away. As I'm self employed, I have changed my whole working week so I'm free on Saturday afternoons. I've not been prior to this season for 3 years. I've always wanted to go but never felt it was worth it but now I do. Some might think you only go when we're winning but the place and team depressed me so I stopped going. You have to give people something worth going for. I have managed to get 3 of my mates to come tomorrow who stopped coming at the same time as myself. I hope your 3 mates get to see the decent football we have played at times this season. Hopefully not a performance like last week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted December 12, 2014 Share Posted December 12, 2014 stopped going as i quite simply can no longer afford to go i cannot justfy £44 for my self and my partner plus another £30+ for whichever of my children are staying with us that weekend add in the cost of parking pies ect and its a considerable amount from my now more than halved disposable income .if and its a big if we could find away to get two adults and at worst two 14-22 year old non working studentsin for less then iwould re consider . gone are the days when you could get an adult and a child in to games for less than a couple of pints Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beag_teeets Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 My views...., generalising a fair bit to put some points out there.... The club needs to focus on making it 'hip' to back your local team, and on forging a new generation of fans. For the next generation, the club needs to get to schools. Dish out some free shirts for youngsters (try to get sponsorship or local authority backing to help subsidise it) because otherwise they'll all be wearing City and Chelsea shirts, watching Sky and playing Fifa before you know it. Once they're at stage, why on earth would you want to support a 'rubbish League One club' that often loses, when you can support a top Premier League club with big-name stars that are on your computer games and are 'cool'. Another option - get a designated family section and for adult season tickets in that section, chuck in a free child ticket, or a subsidised teen ticket? Want to support the Athleticos? sell Athleticos-branded tickets for #thegroup and their section. Discounts for teens and students. Love them or irritated by them, it's a miracle we have them at all. With my dramatic hat on, they are at present our only hope for a future generation of fans (most of the young teens and younger who go with daddy will just stop once they're older and he stops going). And yes it is a miracle, most of #thegroup have seen nothing apart from terrible home form and 16th-place finishes in League One. Now it's looking like something better, and what could be our only opportunity (smell the coffee, we miss the play-offs narrowly and LJ could well be gone this summer or next) to have a chance of getting out of this league (upwards) and generate a fresh fanbase, the frustration is evident and understandable from the original poster on this thread... Sorry to cut bits out of your post but I don't like quoting massive posts and just saying "I agree" but I agree with so much of what you have written. I really like the bit about making it "hip" - such a good idea! We've all seen stuff about St Pauli and the like, I can't see why we can't try something like this? The tried and tested cutting prices, offers, one off deals have had minimal impact, I hope the new bloke tries some new ideas. You are right about the change to the culture of football too, instead of harping on about being a :censored:e 3rd division club we should try and turn this into a strength which brings me back to the "hip" bit. Football is a niche product with a fairly captive market, snare your customer once, properly snare them and as long as they have the spare cash and spare time then you have a customer for life. We have an issue that we have two of the biggest brands in this market on our doorstep, selling some of the best product that money can buy. Some people like the confidence of buying from market leaders, others prefer to seek out something different - these are the people in the local area we need to be targeting. There are loads of people who like football and have a loose allegiance to Utd or City, they will watch them on Sky but don't go to the games "can't get tickets"... or other excuses. Won't be easy but if we could somehow get some of these in via some as yet mystical means that I haven't yet thought of but along the "hipster" tip we could be on to something. I'm no Don Draper but what the club has to do is sell the idea that going to Latics is a rebel act, don't be like the sheep that just like Utd/City, think different, be a part of it rather than just watching it on Sky.. Real football, for real fans... I dunno this isn't my talent. Then there is the kids and schools, the above may work on them, some kids are contrary little bastards and if their mates support Utd/City they will support the other, many of them might not even know there is another option. I know the club, Boundary Blues and OACT do a lot in schools but I don't know whether this does extend into a recruitment drive that would shame the Hitler Youth? The Athleticos may help here, if kids could be shown that going to BP can be a fun activity even if we lose or the game is crap, that they can have a bounce around, burn some energy off, sing a bit and have a laugh they may get the bug? Every lower league club is competing in a market stacked against them but snaring the fans young, getting them to the games and keeping them is the way to getting their cash for the rest of their lives, we need to try stuff that hasn't been tried and try innovative stuff. It is likely to cost some money but you have to spend in business to get a return, just providing a product is not the way of getting people to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankly Mr Shankly Posted December 13, 2014 Share Posted December 13, 2014 Sorry to cut bits out of your post but I don't like quoting massive posts and just saying "I agree". I agree. No really, I'm all for making it a trendy thing to do. When I started going it was kinda hip anyway given there was :censored: all else to do except play kerby in the street or New Zealand Story on the Commodore 64. You're competing against so much entertainment and choice so it's harder to attract the semi-interested kid. A marketing drive aimed at being part of something special really needs to be kickstarted and cultivated, starting with using the Athleticos as a role model or 'club' to join. They've started something positive, the club should get right behind it and cultivate it properly providing funds and materials to make banners and other stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy_Fent Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 We have this discussion many times on this forum. The thing is that if I went to Latics for the Football I'd have probably given up a long time ago. The whole idea of going to the match and supporting a team to me should be much more of a social thing than about how good the standard of Football is. But in this respect what does the club have to offer? I was in the Frizzel bar last night it was cold, it was damp, there was nowhere to sit and in my opinion the beer was crap. Compare that to Glossop North End and a lot of other non-league grounds you have a nice warm club house with comfy seats which serves quality local ale. A lot of people may scoff at the idea of Non-League Football but the crowds at that level are on the up as a lot of people are becoming more disillusioned with the professional game. A couple of which I know personally who used to be season ticket holders. We can't compete with Utd and City in terms of Footballing ability but one thing we could do better than them is offer a personal touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) While Tommy_Fent makes a good point that the social side needs to be improved for adults (hopefully that will be drastic when the new stand is opened), IceStation has hit the nail on the head that it's all about young fans. You go to BP and can't help but notice the lack of teenagers and kids at the game. It's a sea of middle-aged to old men who have already got their team. They'll pay to watch them if they win and are competitive, and if they aren't very good and predictably mediocre they'll do something different with their Saturday afternoons. The club simply have to target young fans now with challenges from other clubs and general kids disillusionment with local teams, ticket prices rocketing and spending a couple of hours away from a games console. I think it's more than just go round to schools, colleges etc. it has to be about a social experience for young people, even more so than it is for adults, who are more results-based in their apathy. Cheap tickets are great to get young fans through the gates with a couple of mates, but the experience can be so depressing at BP that when they have to start paying more to get in there is no desire, and the person is lost. It's all well and good to get kids through the gate at a cheaper price, but it has to be supplemented with a good match experience to make it 'hip' and desirable at a higher price when they reach that age. Maybe the Athleticos can be part of that alongside other ideas that the club need to adopt to keep itself sustainable and make it a better age balance of fans. Edited December 14, 2014 by NewBlue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 While Tommy_Fent makes a good point that the social side needs to be improved for adults (hopefully that will be drastic when the new stand is opened), IceStation has hit the nail on the head that it's all about young fans. You go to BP and can't help but notice the lack of teenagers and kids at the game. It's a sea of middle-aged to old men who have already got their team. They'll pay to watch them if they win and are competitive, and if they aren't very good and predictably mediocre they'll do something different with their Saturday afternoons. The club simply have to target young fans now with challenges from other clubs and general kids disillusionment with local teams, ticket prices rocketing and spending a couple of hours away from a games console. I think it's more than just go round to schools, colleges etc. it has to be about a social experience for young people, even more so than it is for adults, who are more results-based in their apathy. Cheap tickets are great to get young fans through the gates with a couple of mates, but the experience can be so depressing at BP that when they have to start paying more to get in there is no desire, and the person is lost. It's all well and good to get kids through the gate at a cheaper price, but it has to be supplemented with a good match experience to make it 'hip' and desirable at a higher price when they reach that age. Maybe the Athleticos can be part of that alongside other ideas that the club need to adopt to keep itself sustainable and make it a better age balance of fans. Agreed, but you can have the smartest looking restaurant in the world, but if the food is off on the day (like yesterday's offering) many won't come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Agreed, but you can have the smartest looking restaurant in the world, but if the food is off on the day (like yesterday's offering) many won't come back.Or if one of the other diners moans so much it puts you off your food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewBlue Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Agreed, but you can have the smartest looking restaurant in the world, but if the food is off on the day (like yesterday's offering) many won't come back. Running with that analogy, it's less about the food for the kid, rather the experience, than it is for the adult who is paying for it. Get a few Xbox's with FIFA in the new stand (sell Latics branded editions too, I'm sure they do them!), give out a free shirt with cheap kids season tickets, 6 a side organised pre-match on Clayton fields by the club, kids section in the Chadd near Athleticos etc. Some novelty ideas there but the club have got to do something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP1960 Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Or if one of the other diners moans so much it puts you off your food. Surely no one on OWTB puts you off your egg and chips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShireBlue Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Market the club to make it appealing to the young 'uns, even if it's crap served up a lot of the time. I'm Lovin' It. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slystallone Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Discounting the usual leaning-to-negativity posters on this, there are again some very decent ideas coming forward. I agree the future has to be to tap into youth. It's surely an obvious one? we have, like so many other clubs, a fanbase on the ageing side. You have to fill in from the bottom as you lose from the top, so kids need to be encouraged to come; then encouraged to stay. We can't IMO pin all our hopes on the stand to become some sort of saviour, simply because it's shiny and new. We need initiatives and conserted drives aimed at young potential fans. There are good ideas being suggested in this and other threads. You know what'd be good? Some sort of fans rep who was able to gather up all the decent ideas and present them to club and see that they are driven through. If only eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Surely no one on OWTB puts you off your egg and chips? No but the bloke I sit next to puts me off Oldham. He's rude and ignorant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc0000 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 (edited) Under 16s free entry... Fill the place every week with kids... We will make money on selling them food and merchandise. In years to come a percentage will keep watching us and buy full adult season tickets. Its about the only thing we could do to make a realistic long term difference. Edited December 15, 2014 by oafc0000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaddy_Ender Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Under 16s free entry... Fill the place every week with kids... We will make money on selling them food and merchandise. In years to come a percentage will keep watching us and buy full adult season tickets. Its about the only thing we could do to make a realistic long term difference. Not a bad idea, what about first 500 kids in Chaddy are free, do it for the low key games what we got to lose ? Bigger games first 500 for a fiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mighty_bosh Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Under 16s free entry... Fill the place every week with kids... We will make money on selling them food and merchandise. In years to come a percentage will keep watching us and buy full adult season tickets. Its about the only thing we could do to make a realistic long term difference. Pretty much agree with this. When I was younger the thing that got me watching regular local football at Exeter was £2 tickets for under 16's. The football at the time was awful but you were able to take mates along who maybe didn't care much about the football but saw it as something to do for a couple of hours on a Saturday with the odd bit of excitement here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudemedic Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Under 16s free entry... Fill the place every week with kids... We will make money on selling them food and merchandise In years to come a percentage will keep watching us and buy full adult season tickets. Its about the only thing we could do to make a realistic long term difference. I'm not sure we will- how much of a cut, if any, do we get from the catering deal and the zero-hours contract sportswear firm? I was under the impression that they get to keep any profits but pay us for the privilege of supplying our fans' custom.Your point about getting the fans in who might watch us in the future is certainly valid though, although there will be disadvantages and negatives to doing it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC0AFC Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 realistically, how much from ticket sales do we make from under 16s? free with a paying adult or just free... get them in, increase attendances and increase chance of getting them paying in when older! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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