Bums on seats

[Julz]

Arnie was dissapointed with the attendance. He cant understand where the people are. What can we do to Help. Maybe a brain storming meeting to get ideas? Or appeal to Central Coast pride, tell them the team needs them, do a letter drop with player profiles, make it personal. What do you guys think?

 

[midfielder]

There are a couple of threads going already ... but what the hech... is always worth talking about...

My guess over 2, 000 Scummers there ... meaning we have a core maybe 6, 000 who turn up come what may and and 2, 000 who come every now and then...

Like we have made 3 out of 6 grand finals, second going into the match, with a win making us equal first..remember the old Northern Spirit folk in this crowd like me and others from Sydney... Like what will happen if we have a bad year...

My only suggestions is to wear Mariner gear around town and call local talk back...

 

[pjennings]

I don't think the scum brought that much - maybe 1200. However, it was a poor crowd for a derby in December. Arnie mentioned the Ausgrid memberships. How many of those are actually being used?

If we could get a better conversion rate on those memberships then they would bring others - either friends that don't play and/or parents, or other family members that bring them to the ground.

 

[yellowcake]

Yeah, Arnie was clearly disappointed in post-match interview. I can't understand it either, except to admit that I contributed yesterday by having to attend a wedding. (Be fair, 6th year of membership, rarely miss home games and only ever missed 1 of our finals series matches played - Adelaide in 2005/6, but sometimes stuff happens).

Last season we were also playing attractive football and still only managed to draw 7539 to the Preliminary Final, with the GF berth and ACL at stake. And only 10166 to the home semi against the might of Brisbane 2 weeks before that. At least last night's crowd was more than these... but where were the rest of the 19238 people who came to the Jets semi in 2007/8?

It's not just us though. Brisbane, competition leaders and Champions, only got 23 more than us to their more-than-twice-the-size stadium in a much larger city on Friday night.

I bring people to games and keep encouraging all I speak to. I hear and see radio and (at least local) papers coverage. It seriously can't be prices and the stadium is a dream to get in to, out of and away from compared to SFS or Ausgrid.


No answers here, share Arnie's concern. Can see this situation being fodder for some to question the club's ongoing viability on the Coast.

 

[bikinigirl]

. i don't know what more can be done either ... the atmosphere has been good, we have been playing good football and perhaps most importantly getting results ... if that doesn't get people in i don't know what will

. i was out in the car a bit yesterday and had 2GO on (i don't often listen to the radio) ... and they were pumpin' the match big time

. can't imagine ticket prices is much of a deterrent

. perhaps the "derby rivalry" actually kept some people away ... i'll admit to never being to newcastle for a match (sydney many times and the gf in brissie though) - and this is mostly because of what i have read and heard about (and experienced at the 'tongue) which act as a dis-incentive to attend

. but for me, personally, i don't like early kick-offs - 7:30pm seems pretty good to me. for a 5:30 kick-off people are probably leaving home between 4 and 5 and i think it may be too early to drag yourself away from everyday activities (except of course for the 6k or so that have it hard-wired and taking precedence over all else)

. especially with the financial trouble the club must be sweating on this at the moment - i think they are trying pretty hard under the circumstances - the 'christmas party' for members was nice last night ... but i can only imagine what management were thinking after the crowd numbers

 

[marinermick]

8000 Ausgrid membership given out with a cap on 2000. 800 have been enacted.

 

[bikinigirl]

8000 Ausgrid membership given out with a cap on 2000. 800 have been enacted.

. i wonder how many of those 800 would have been members anyway (as part of a family membership i would assume) regardless of the Ausgrid setup

. seems like a wonderful initiative ... largely underutilised it would seem

 

[style_cafe]

Lingerie football at half time would get them in.. verhead:

 

[Forum Phoenix]

Mmm.

A few people lost interest/felt burnt in our more lack lustre seasons. I used to have several more friends with season tickets than I do now. But earlier kick offs are definitely harder I think. They impinge on peoples wrap up times of their social day time plans - especially when you consider getting there and finding parking etc I usually allow at least an hour before kick off, which for a 5:30 kickoff, means there's no go home and get ready or feed kids period after your daily outings. It all has to be pre planned and a big long day out. I know no less than a dozen people who didn't make the game due to social events and commitments on that day which left not enough time to then also get to the game.

Personally on Sat, I finished work at 5:30 and RACED to the game. But couldn't find a park anywhere. Drove around the Gosford hills for fifteen minutes desperately searching for a park and ended up settling on a piece of grass in a remote back street down towards Paddy's with the car sitting half in and half out of the many nonsensical no standing zones...

I now have a $206 dollar fine for my efforts. Wonderfully depressing Christmas present for a devoted supporter that one. If I had parked across someones driveway or somewhere even remotely dangerous, no problem at all. But it was just the most innocuous spot. Bloody upsetting. If I knew all monies raised on game days went to the club I'd cop these ticket blitz's much sweeter. As it is, it really got my goat.

I usually eat somewhere close and arrive early to avoid this, but with work it was completely unavoidable, and this makes late arrivals to games from activities or work a real issue.

BUT I got to see us win the Derby.

 

[Atomic]

The 5:30 kick offs are a pain for the reasons already stated. My biggest problem is that the local cricket comp finishes at 6:00. If I want to see a game at 5:30 then I have to miss 2 weeks of cricket.

Also, the sun on the eastern grandstand might be a factor (???).

7:30 kick offs on a Saturday FTW verhead:

 

[shipwreck]

Sun is definitely a factor, 1930 kickoffs are perfect, shame they seem to all go to Melbourne or Sydney..

 

[Ravana]

Also did looked like it might rain a little earlier on, a lot of people would of been scared off.

 

[pjennings]

Two weeks to Christmas and presents to get

Hmmm.... 3 match memberships look a good deal at $60.

Next three home games:-

NYE vs Gold Coast

Victory with Harry

Another derby


You know it makes sense!!!

 

[Jerem]

yeah the 530 thing (tho not an issue for me and m'lady)
is an issue, 530 sundy i can understand, but not satdy,
but its to maximise fox coverage, so win some lose some
it seems like we lost most on this one, most of our home games are
at that time cept NYE and the 4th. . .

then again, a small sample, we had for young kids (prolly 12-4yo)
who were in front of us, if the club can hold it together til that demographic grows up,
then well have a stronger "Hard wired" base in a couple of years,
good things take time, all i know, in allegiances, ive backed the right
horse!!! financial troubles or not. . . .

 

[MrCelery]

Weather, parking, other sporting events, weddings, funerals, all limp-wristed excuses.

If I and the Squadrunts can tootle down the F3 for the game with big black clouds overhead in Newcastle, the locals have no excuse.

Coasties should harden the f**k up and get serious about this fantastic team and club before you lose it.

Hard core fans please ignore - not directed at you.

 

[MrCelery]

snip...
then again, a small sample, we had for young kids (prolly 12-4yo)
who were in front of us, if the club can hold it together til that demographic grows up,
then well have a stronger "Hard wired" base in a couple of years,
good things take time, all i know, in allegiances, ive backed the right
horse!!! financial troubles or not. . . .

Good point. The many young kids in Bay 16 and elsewhere are a promising sign and can be moulded to become hard core fans. Just need to be even more of them.

The worrying factor is the lack (my opinion) of that young adult to middle age demographic.

Kids look to their parents during their impressionable years. For example my daughter doesn't care that she lives in Newcastle. She wants a Mariners shirt for Xmas because she wants to follow the team her Dad supports. Even if it means her friends support the arch rivals.

Parents are that young adult to middle age group.

 

[dibo]

Good point. The many young kids in Bay 16 and elsewhere are a promising sign and can be moulded to become hard core fans. Just need to be even more of them.

The worrying factor is the lack (my opinion) of that young adult to middle age demographic.

Kids look to their parents during their impressionable years. For example my daughter doesn't care that she lives in Newcastle. She wants a Mariners shirt for Xmas because she wants to follow the team her Dad supports. Even if it means her friends support the arch rivals.

Parents are that young adult to middle age group.

Our population is growing across most age groups, but the population from 25-39 is actually falling in Gosford LGA and it's flat in Wyong LGA.

I know from my peers at school, *most* (not even just some) people moved away to go to uni and not that many moved back. That might change as more people have kids and look to buy houses that are not too expensive for words, but I know that at the moment there simply aren't many folks in late 20s, early 30s at home games compared to other agegroups. On the flipside, we comprise the bulk of away travellers.

That is a hint at the club's biggest problem - we're the ones with incomes and no kids, so we've got money available. If we're not going to games, then the club ain't seeing it.

 

[MagpieMariner]

I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but how about trying to interest the Bears members? "While you're waiting for the Bears and watching Australia getting beaten in the cricket, come and watch the Mariners winning!"

 

[Atomic]

Weather, parking, other sporting events, weddings, funerals, all limp-wristed excuses.

If I and the Squadrunts can tootle down the F3 for the game with big black clouds overhead in Newcastle, the locals have no excuse.

Coasties should harden the f**k up and get serious about this fantastic team and club before you lose it.

Hard core fans please ignore - not directed at you.

You're missing the point of this thread. It's about increasing the number of bums on seats. If your solution is to belittle the people we're trying to entice to the games then we're doomed.

Comments like "limp wristed" and "harden the f**k up" are also counter-productive for brainstorming in this thread.

 

[adz]

I don't think there is a problem with ticket prices, kickoff times, weather too hot, too cold, too windy, too sunny, too cloudy, too humid, too dry... all of these are generally thrown around as excuses but they are pretty minor things really.

If people are going to say 5:30 kickoff is interrupting my Saturday activities of (insert boring crap here) as a reason NOT to go to a game then the problem lies elsewhere. People should rather be at the football, watching their team win/lose/draw, than anywhere else.

It just seems the passion for most people isn't there. We have a good little core crowd building now, and we have quite a few fence-sitters (or fairweather fans) who will go to the big games, but we need more people feeling like it is their duty to be at every game cheering their team on, no matter what. How? .... uhhhhmmmmmmm...