looking awful crowd for Palace

[Norfolk N Chance]

Only 8.2K so far between both sets supporters!

[Muttley]

It's a week away, and we've got another home game before that for people to think about.

I'm sure Rovers have graphed the typical profile of when tickets are bought, and so know exactly when they need to make a push on marketing a particular game.

[roversam]

Norfolk N Chance wrote:

Only 8.2K so far between both sets supporters!

I dont think all the crowd will be awful Norfolk   i think there will be quite a few decent folk there as well  

[watto-drfc]

voucher in free press for kids £2.50 admission

[Dutch Uncle]

Norfolk N Chance wrote:

Only 8.2K so far between both sets supporters!

Boring I know but I just have to comment here

In our last 13 seasons in the league before dropping into the conference the average attendance never rose above 3000. Although much improved during our time in the conference the overall average was still under 3000 over those 5 years. The only individual home league attendance in those 18 years greater than 5000 was the game with Yeovil on the day they won their place in the league - and more than 1500 yokels were there.

Now 6 years later we rightly think 8200 is a disgrace

The times they are a-changing

[RobTheRover]

To balance that though, Dutch....

None of those seasons were in the second tier
The facilities are markedly better now
We never had a wage bill of £4m a year to finance
Fans expectations were nowhere near as high

Doncaster should be able to support a comfortably mid-table CCC football team.  That lost generation of fans will be felt for a long time to come.  The club could do a lot more though, in my view.  

Not only handing free tickets to youngsters, how about handing out free shirts?  Retail is about £30 so they probably cost the club something like half that, and once a kid has the shirt they feel virtually one of the squad!  

Or Family Season Tickets (2 adults and 2 kids for £600, with additional kids priced at £30, and each kid gets a shirt), and extend the family enclosure?  

Or how about a Pay-On-The-Day loyalty scheme?  Register for the scheme, and if you buy tickets for 5 home league games you get the 6th half price (works out at 2 free games over the course of a whole season).  A card could be presented and stamped when tickets are collected, if the CRM/SMC's ticketing system cant handle it electronically.  Give a bit of the loyalty benefit STHs get to those who turn up every week but elect to pay as they go.

Small measures, with a small amount of cost to the club, but the potential for a big return is there.

[Guernsey Exile]

RobTheRover wrote:

To balance that though, Dutch....

None of those seasons were in the second tier
The facilities are markedly better now
We never had a wage bill of £4m a year to finance
Fans expectations were nowhere near as high

Doncaster should be able to support a comfortably mid-table CCC football team.  That lost generation of fans will be felt for a long time to come.  The club could do a lot more though, in my view.  

Not only handing free tickets to youngsters, how about handing out free shirts?  Retail is about £30 so they probably cost the club something like half that, and once a kid has the shirt they feel virtually one of the squad!  

Or Family Season Tickets (2 adults and 2 kids for £600, with additional kids priced at £30, and each kid gets a shirt), and extend the family enclosure?  

Or how about a Pay-On-The-Day loyalty scheme?  Register for the scheme, and if you buy tickets for 5 home league games you get the 6th half price (works out at 2 free games over the course of a whole season).  A card could be presented and stamped when tickets are collected, if the CRM/SMC's ticketing system cant handle it electronically.  Give a bit of the loyalty benefit STHs get to those who turn up every week but elect to pay as they go.

Small measures, with a small amount of cost to the club, but the potential for a big return is there.

Get these ideas sent to Gareth, good ideas in there mate - maybe we should bombard the commercial dept

[donny dave]

http://www.drfc-vsc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&Itemid=57&catid=999999&id=69355#69355

[Dutch Uncle]

RobTheRover wrote:

To balance that though, Dutch....

None of those seasons were in the second tier
The facilities are markedly better now
We never had a wage bill of £4m a year to finance
Fans expectations were nowhere near as high

Hi Rob

The reason I said my post was boring was that it was just another of those 'look how far we have come - things were worse in my day - 29 of us living in a paper bag' type of posts  

Things are different now for all the reasons you correctly give

And yes all the suggestions, whoever they are from, are excellent

Best time ever to be a Rovers supporter, even in Leidschendam

Here's to 3 more points today

[Superspy]

RobTheRover wrote:

Not only handing free tickets to youngsters, how about handing out free shirts?  Retail is about £30 so they probably cost the club something like half that, and once a kid has the shirt they feel virtually one of the squad!  

that doesnt just apply to kids, im 23 next week and i love playing 5 a side with my mates in my rovers shirt...makes me feel awesome  

[RobTheRover]

Dutch Uncle wrote:

RobTheRover wrote:

To balance that though, Dutch....

None of those seasons were in the second tier
The facilities are markedly better now
We never had a wage bill of £4m a year to finance
Fans expectations were nowhere near as high

Hi Rob

The reason I said my post was boring was that it was just another of those 'look how far we have come - things were worse in my day - 29 of us living in a paper bag' type of posts  

Things are different now for all the reasons you correctly give

And yes all the suggestions, whoever they are from, are excellent

Best time ever to be a Rovers supporter, even in Leidschendam

Here's to 3 more points today

I wasnt having a dig, mate, just pointing out that the level you play at brings different risks and rewards.  A income from a bigger home crowd is offset by higher wages at this level, and with additional income streams limited by not owning the stadium or supplying the scram on the concourses then the club are playing the game with one hand tied behind their back.  Quite remarkable, and testimony to SOD, JR and everyone at the club, that we find ourselves in mid-table at all, actually.