[Football] Why fewer bums on seats at PL games?

[GT49er]

Albion actually called him …

Yes, we know you will defend the club to your dying breath - and fair play to you for that. But the fact remains that some people are not as happy as you about the arrangements. You use, in one of your posts on this thread, the phrase 'a bit of a faff'. The trouble is that to some people your 'bit of a faff' is 'a whole lot of faff'; for others, your 'bit of a faff' is proving to be 'just too much bloody faff'.
I acknowledge that NSC is only a small sample of the Albion fan base; the number of empty seats in a 'full house' is a rather more significant sample. At the moment, for the club, all is fine and dandy - nearly all of those empty seats have been paid for by STHs. If or when those seats are empty because STHs are not renewing, and the empty seats haven't been paid for, and new STHs are not forthcoming, the club may find that it's got its marketing not quite right. We'll see.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I don’t doubt its a benefit that’s been removed or that for some it’s a tipping point. I’m just curious to understand that for those that think Barber is lying as you do ( “it’s bull” “it’s not security” “pathetic” ) then what do you think is the real reason that they’re banned ?

Some people are petty. Some of the rules introduced are petty. I don't particularly think Barber is an out and out liar, I just think it is easy to sweep objections away with 'security' 'terrorism' etc. Yeah let's give into the terrorists and stop drinking so much tea. That is 'ridiculous'.

For the record, I actually think Barber is good for the Albion. Doesn't mean I can't think that a few of his decisions are petty.

 

[Weststander]

The moved for TV games can’t be helping, I’m pleased to see a fair few posts mentioning this.
We have played 7 home games in the PL, 5 have been 5.30 KO, 1 on a Sunday 2PM KO and only 1 3PM, the next 3 home games obviously not on a Saturday at 3PM.
I’m honestly not impressed with odd kick off times for home games, I’m sure someone will be along to tell me it’s the success of being in the Premier League, but this is bollox as we have played 8 away PL games and 6 games have been 3PM kick offs.
Happy days for Albion away support.

Damning home game stats, I didn’t realise it was skewed so much that way.

Not my choice on how to spend 4 hours of a Saturday evening, on repeat.

Glad I missed some of them. All losses and draws anyway.

 

[The aloof gatekeeper]

whilst the "prettendance" is the figure announced and published I would bet my house that the Clubs and Prem League collectively monitor and analyse the actual Bums on seats figures very closely so they are aware of any trends that are happening

I would expect that there are surveys and focus groups all done to understand why people do not attend, and while the clubs aren't going to necessarily publish results and actual figures I would be amazed if they do not have teams of people studying data every week.

Obvious reasons at the moment are Covid related, Weather, Christmas , Moving games to awkward times etc

I have had several "fan surveys" over the past few seasons, and there is a new one in my inbox today

This is a multi-billion £ industry, you bet they know exactly why people do not attend

They do. They have to, in fact; emergency services have to know exactly how many people are in the ground.

A few years back someone put in FOI requests for Premier League attendances. Manchester United's lowest was something like 58,000 for the visit of Southampton, despite them declaring the usual 75,000, of course.

 

[chaileyjem]

Yes, we know you will defend the club to your dying breath - and fair play to you for that. But the fact remains that some people are not as happy as you about the arrangements. You use, in one of your posts on this thread, the phrase 'a bit of a faff'. The trouble is that to some people your 'bit of a faff' is 'a whole lot of faff'; for others, your 'bit of a faff' is proving to be 'just too much bloody faff'.
I acknowledge that NSC is only a small sample of the Albion fan base; the number of empty seats in a 'full house' is a rather more significant sample. At the moment, for the club, all is fine and dandy - nearly all of those empty seats have been paid for by STHs. If or when those seats are empty because STHs are not renewing, and the empty seats haven't been paid for, and new STHs are not forthcoming, the club may find that it's got its marketing not quite right. We'll see.

I just shared in good faith an example of how the club have gone out of their way to enable my Dad to get to a match this season because He had similar issues as you in being phone resistant , needed extra support (they moved his seat because he’s no longer as mobile) , they rang him up to help and it made the difference. And also shared that tickets have been available for general sale for most home matches thus season a fair while in advance because you said in a post these were all reasons that were a barrier to you going to a game. Was just helping out a fan.

But fair enough about all the other stuff…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

They do. They have to, in fact; emergency services have to know exactly how many people are in the ground.

A few years back someone put in FOI requests for Premier League attendances. Manchester United's lowest was something like 58,000 for the visit of Southampton, despite them declaring the usual 75,000, of course.

This report is 3 years old, but shows Manchester United to be the least worse offender, at the time, for their attendance figure discrepancies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45158878

 

[nicko31]

Covid, especially transport. Packed trains with hardly a mask in sight

 

[BN9 BHA]

Damning home game stats, I didn’t realise it was skewed so much that way.

Post #118 from Green Cross Code Man, I believe he’s spot on.

 

[Weststander]

This report is 3 years old, but shows Manchester United to be the least worse offender, at the time, for their attendance figure discrepancies.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45158878

Thanks, lots of info there. Comments.

- The arrogance of Gold & Sullivan, ten figure no-shows for London derbies.
- We feature as a turn off when we visit stadia.
- The defensive Stains supporter disputing a police figure.

 

[Weststander]

Post #118 from Green Cross Code Man, I believe he’s spot on.

So do I.

I think the long pandemic shutdown got folk to reappraise bits of their lifestyle.

For football wall to wall on tv from the sofa in the warm was enjoyable.

Cancelling st’s, no travel costs or catering ripoffs … potentially huge savings.

Similar to the way the numbers playing 18 hole golf have plummeted in the last 20 years.

Money and time spent elsewhere.

 

[Hamilton]

As someone said, all of the above.

The pandemic has also led to me re-evaluating my love of the game. I'll always be an Albion fan and I'm not planning on giving up my season ticket, but I have less interest in football in general. Except for Albion games on streams I can grab, I'm not watching any.

Football lost me a bit.

Maybe others feel the same. Maybe others have found other priorities. Maybe clubs are more about business than communities now, including us. I mean, Albion are very slick, but they aren't fan-led. Take the steps you now need to go through to give a mate your unused season ticket. It's not particularly fan friendly.

I don't want this to be anti-Albion. It's not. We have some great football administrators in place, but it's all a bit cold really.

 

[BN9 BHA]

So do I.

I think the long pandemic shutdown got folk to reappraise bits of their lifestyle.

For football wall to wall on tv from the sofa in the warm was enjoyable.

Cancelling st’s, no travel costs or catering ripoffs … potentially huge savings.

Similar to the way the numbers playing 18 hole golf have plummeted in the last 20 years.

Money and time spent elsewhere.

Difficult for me to experience watching the Albion on TV when I have a season ticket and the away games have been at 3pm

 

[Westdene Seagull]

It has to be Covid as the main reason - I'm not bothered myself but I know lots of people are.

I've been to all the Amex matches this season but the kick off times have been horrendous for some of them. I won't be going to Boxing Day - who in their right mind thinks 8pm on a day of food and drinking and family is a sensible time for kick off ? A MORON that's who.

Regards the lack of ticket sharing, and this will probably get me a ban from NSC and set Paul Barber's wolves on me, there is a way ( without paying the stupid fees ). And here it is ( and I apologise for not getting back to the people that have PM'ed me about this, other things going on I'm afraid ) :

1. Make sure you've got the phone with the season ticket on it and a second phone - preferably the phone of the person you're gifting the ticket to

2. Bring up the QR code of the ticket

3. Take a photo using the second phone of the QR code ( screenshots don't work on QR codes )

4. If not using the phone of the person you are gifting to then email them the photo.

My son and I have tested this method of entry twice and it works perfectly. Might be worth a photo of the actual ticket as well so the person you're gifting to knows where their seat is.

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

Regards the lack of ticket sharing, and this will probably get me a ban from NSC and set Paul Barber's wolves on me, there is a way ( without paying the stupid fees ). And here it is ( and I apologise for not getting back to the people that have PM'ed me about this, other things going on I'm afraid ).

I don't think anyone will be sending the boys round to sort you out and I'm sure you're not alone in circumventing the rules in this way.

It is difficult, when fans see it as "their club" (which it never has been) while the owners largely see it as a business to do with as they wish, as we know all too well...

I think that's why Tony Bloom brought Paul Barber in, to give him, as a fan, a layer of security from the "hard" decisions that sometimes need to be made!

 

[sparkie]

I have got a ST which I haven't used yet this season, although my recent booster meant I was thinking about doing so. Omicron then came along and has made that less likely and I potentially don't see myself going back until we are back to low double-digit covid deaths per day.

That may mean a full year of not using the ST, which could mean the club cancel it even though I'm happy to keep the DD going until they do.

 

[Weststander]

Difficult for me to experience watching the Albion on TV when I have a season ticket and the away games have been at 3pm

Doesn’t stop the army of nsc’er streamimg games.

 

[Weststander]

It has to be Covid as the main reason - I'm not bothered myself but I know lots of people are.

I've been to all the Amex matches this season but the kick off times have been horrendous for some of them. I won't be going to Boxing Day - who in their right mind thinks 8pm on a day of food and drinking and family is a sensible time for kick off ? A MORON that's who.

Regards the lack of ticket sharing, and this will probably get me a ban from NSC and set Paul Barber's wolves on me, there is a way ( without paying the stupid fees ). And here it is ( and I apologise for not getting back to the people that have PM'ed me about this, other things going on I'm afraid ) :

1. Make sure you've got the phone with the season ticket on it and a second phone - preferably the phone of the person you're gifting the ticket to

2. Bring up the QR code of the ticket

3. Take a photo using the second phone of the QR code ( screenshots don't work on QR codes )

4. If not using the phone of the person you are gifting to then email them the photo.

My son and I have tested this method of entry twice and it works perfectly. Might be worth a photo of the actual ticket as well so the person you're gifting to knows where their seat is.

Liverpool’s new scheme this season - every sth’er notifies the club by 31/8 of up to 20 people who can share their ticket. The 20 do not need to be hitherto registered with the club in any way, nor members.

Completely free of charge.

The person allocated the ticket by their STH’er mate simply shows their own phone with the digital ticket for the game.

 

[Giraffe]

It is a combination of all things mentioned but I'd add my own view that I feel in general the disconnect between Premier League clubs/players and fans has become so vast (and we are better than most) that you just don't care about them quite as much. The greed in the game is quite astonishing and it is hard to get your head round being charged £7.50 for a cheap sausage in a cheap roll when they are paying £100,000 a week to some bloke to run around in his shorts. Fundamentally why are fans still getting ripped off when match day income is dwarfed so much by tv money which the stupid clubs just give all or even more than all straight to 25 chosen few.

Until there is a rebalance in football my love for the game has diminished a little I'm afraid which doesn't stop me going to see the Albion at home but means I have become slightly more picky with away games (still do most!) and absolutely less likely to buy any food/merch at a stadium.

 

[A1X]

We are the victim here of having a lovely ground with top quality facilities for the TV companies. They aren't stupid and know a good thing when it's going.

Not to mention close to London.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

As someone said, all of the above.

The pandemic has also led to me re-evaluating my love of the game. I'll always be an Albion fan and I'm not planning on giving up my season ticket, but I have less interest in football in general. Except for Albion games on streams I can grab, I'm not watching any.

Football lost me a bit.

Maybe others feel the same. Maybe others have found other priorities. Maybe clubs are more about business than communities now, including us. I mean, Albion are very slick, but they aren't fan-led. Take the steps you now need to go through to give a mate your unused season ticket. It's not particularly fan friendly.

I don't want this to be anti-Albion. It's not. We have some great football administrators in place, but it's all a bit cold really.

Well said.