nebakke
Well-Known Member
I've said it before, and probably will again.. But I think we hit a core schism here... For most markets, but in particular for a relatively small market such as ours, the club likely has to attempt to cater to a very broad base.
In daily talk, we all seem to be fairly proud that we such a broad club, words like "family-oriented" and "locally engaged" tend to get throw n around. But it looks to me like this approach is also one of the things that wedges in between the fans.
Looking just at this board - not to mention some of the comments posted elsewhere and heard in conversations with other fans. There's an, understandable, push for the games to get moved to later in the day for example. That's easy for those of us who haven't established a family yet, or whose family is more... Mature...
But for the rest of us, it can become problematic to make the late games regularly. I would love to take my son to more games, but went last weekend with a friend, who has a son the same age. We both went alone because the game was just too late for the boys, getting home at 22:30 can get to be a bit much for them.
Now that's fine once-in-a-while, but I certainly couldn't/wouldn't be doing it every weekend.
The coast is full of people like us, "Young families" is probably our strongest demographic, most of us also commute. For me, much as I love following the Mariners, it really is no competition if I am given the choice of watching them play or spending time with my family.
Another issue is the stigma around football support... This is very much a matter of education though and the "few, the stupid few, the idiotic band of RBBrothers" to paraphrase, who threw flares every weekend for the last couple of months, don't make it any easier to change that perception. One story about family dads walking with their kids, being accosted by hyped up supporters, is enough to drive away a several families, I think.
Anywho, my point is, I think a drop in prices will always help, especially for the family segment, but I think the club needs to work out what they want to aim for.
I suspect though, that a growing, relatively peaceful, engaging active supporter segment would help ensure that the "occasionals" keep coming back as well. For them, I "bikinigirl" is right, I think the cost is already keeping them as occasional visitors, but that obviously doesn't matter so much... I think we need to work out how to engage active supporters more and then the rest will follow.
Unfortunately, this is probably the hardest crowd to engage as many need to grow up in the club or somehow be convinced to feel strongly about the club... I suspect many of those who could be supporters are engaged in competing "sports" such as NRL.
My 5c worth anyway...
In daily talk, we all seem to be fairly proud that we such a broad club, words like "family-oriented" and "locally engaged" tend to get throw n around. But it looks to me like this approach is also one of the things that wedges in between the fans.
Looking just at this board - not to mention some of the comments posted elsewhere and heard in conversations with other fans. There's an, understandable, push for the games to get moved to later in the day for example. That's easy for those of us who haven't established a family yet, or whose family is more... Mature...
But for the rest of us, it can become problematic to make the late games regularly. I would love to take my son to more games, but went last weekend with a friend, who has a son the same age. We both went alone because the game was just too late for the boys, getting home at 22:30 can get to be a bit much for them.
Now that's fine once-in-a-while, but I certainly couldn't/wouldn't be doing it every weekend.
The coast is full of people like us, "Young families" is probably our strongest demographic, most of us also commute. For me, much as I love following the Mariners, it really is no competition if I am given the choice of watching them play or spending time with my family.
Another issue is the stigma around football support... This is very much a matter of education though and the "few, the stupid few, the idiotic band of RBBrothers" to paraphrase, who threw flares every weekend for the last couple of months, don't make it any easier to change that perception. One story about family dads walking with their kids, being accosted by hyped up supporters, is enough to drive away a several families, I think.
Anywho, my point is, I think a drop in prices will always help, especially for the family segment, but I think the club needs to work out what they want to aim for.
I suspect though, that a growing, relatively peaceful, engaging active supporter segment would help ensure that the "occasionals" keep coming back as well. For them, I "bikinigirl" is right, I think the cost is already keeping them as occasional visitors, but that obviously doesn't matter so much... I think we need to work out how to engage active supporters more and then the rest will follow.
Unfortunately, this is probably the hardest crowd to engage as many need to grow up in the club or somehow be convinced to feel strongly about the club... I suspect many of those who could be supporters are engaged in competing "sports" such as NRL.
My 5c worth anyway...
