Interesting Therory...

[Whitterz]

Sitting in the pub on sunday, I got chatting to an Albion fan regarding Falmer, and local football. He put it to me that alot of the local clubs will suffer from reduced attendances once the stadium is built, as all the Brighton fans of old will go flocking back.

That got me thinking. Once the initial "buzz" of the new stadium has gone, will those fans still be flocking back to home games?
I wonder...

As I understand it, alot of the old following have favoured the likes of Eastbourne Borough, Lewes, Crawley etc. due to the loss of the Goldstone, and the inheritance of the lack lustre Withdean. These fans have been paying reduced rates to watch local football over the years. And dare I say it have sided thier "allegiance" with these said clubs. On top of that, these fans are a good 10 years older, now have partners,kids, and have generally settled down in life. Now I know that this wont always be the case with fans living in Brighton, as BHA ARE thier local club. I also understand that alot of fans still travel to Withdean from the surrounding areas.

I put it to you NSC, will club be able to claw back the fans of old, and will those fans go back in numbers once the long awaited stadium has been built?

 

[brightonbluenose]

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

As I understand it, alot of the old following have favoured the likes of Eastbourne Borough, Lewes, Crawley etc. due to the loss of the Goldstone, and the inheritance of the lack lustre Withdean. These fans have been paying reduced rates to watch local football over the years. And dare I say it have sided thier "allegiance" with these said clubs.

I'f they were that easily swayed in the first place, then it won't take much to bring them back.

 

[Whitterz]

Thank you for your wonderful conclusion?

 

[Whitterz]

I'f they were that easily swayed in the first place, then it won't take much to bring them back.

But its been a long time now. Home comforts and all that

 

[brightonbluenose]

Thank you for your wonderful conclusion?

Sorry,,,,,couldn't resist x

 

[Everest]

He put it to me that alot of the local clubs will suffer from reduced attendances once the stadium is built, as all the Brighton fans of old will go flocking back.

He thinks fans will go even though they can't pay at the stadium in cash? What planet is he on?

 

[The Large One]

As someone from Brighton, it's not going to change my considerations one bit. My trips to Lewes were/are only when the Albion aren't playing.

I'm not saying I would be speaking for everyone, but I wouldn't mind betting that, with people from Brighton, this might also be the case for many.

 

[kevtherev]

I think long term a lot depends on where we are in the football league ladder.Succesfull Albion teams, playing attacking football and winning, always attracts the crowds. But negative boring football, even if winning matches 1-0 is a turn off to the johnny come latelys. Football has never been so popular as it is at the moment and this is a trick that should not be missed by the club, give the fans what they want and they will come. Football is a results buisiness, but it is also entertanment and people pay their hard earned money wanting to be entertained, well the ones between gates of 8,000-16,000 do anyway.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Conference football isn't cheap. When for a couple more quid you can watch higher level football (I hope...) in the best ground in the country (at least for a while), people will come back from the Eastbournes, etc.

 

[Whitterz]

Conference football isn't cheap. When for a couple more quid you can watch higher level football (I hope...) in the best ground in the country (at least for a while), people will come back from the Eastbournes, etc.

county?

 

[Conkers]

I can't see Falmer impacting on other local clubs attendances at all to be honest. One of the main reasons people stay away from Brighton is because of the stadium. These "stay-aways" are hardly likely to be watching non league football in a stadium worse than Withdean are they?
99% of the new fans are going to be those that don't go to football currently (or that's my theory anyway).

 

[Husty]

county?

Best medium sized stadium by a mile

 

[Mackenzie]

As an exile, I will make more of an effort to go to home games once our wonderful stadium has opened. My eight year old daughter has been to at least fourty games with me of which NONE of them have been at Withdean....I've been to Withdean about twenty times, however we'll be going to the CS (also my 4 year old son) at least ten times a season when it's built, as well as our usual ten or so away games per season.

 

[Jim in the West]

Some of the categories who WILL come back:

1. The over 60s - especially the real veterans. Withdean on a cold/wet Saturday afternoon is NOT conducive to the elderly (and I wouldn't blame them). When I first started to watch The Albion in the late 60s my Dad took me in the South Stand and there were loads of OAPs. I'm very hopeful that parts of Falmer will have the atmosphere of the old South Stand, and the senior fans will be able to once again watch footie without getting cold and wet;

2. Families with young kids....again, the weather is a real turn-off for those groups;

3. Students (given proximity of University of Sussex and Brighton Uni);

4. The fair-weather fans who have just got ground down by the whole dispiriting Withdean experience;

5. The corporates - quite frankly, although the club do their best, the corporate side is a bit of an embarrasment at Withdean.

 

[SirDouglasLoft]

Sitting in the pub on sunday, I got chatting to an Albion fan regarding Falmer, and local football. He put it to me that alot of the local clubs will suffer from reduced attendances once the stadium is built, as all the Brighton fans of old will go flocking back.

That got me thinking. Once the initial "buzz" of the new stadium has gone, will those fans still be flocking back to home games?
I wonder...

As I understand it, alot of the old following have favoured the likes of Eastbourne Borough, Lewes, Crawley etc. due to the loss of the Goldstone, and the inheritance of the lack lustre Withdean. These fans have been paying reduced rates to watch local football over the years. And dare I say it have sided thier "allegiance" with these said clubs. On top of that, these fans are a good 10 years older, now have partners,kids, and have generally settled down in life. Now I know that this wont always be the case with fans living in Brighton, as BHA ARE thier local club. I also understand that alot of fans still travel to Withdean from the surrounding areas.

I put it to you NSC, will club be able to claw back the fans of old, and will those fans go back in numbers once the long awaited stadium has been built?

I could easily have followed Eastbourne Borough, as there only around the corner from me, but it has never even been on my mind, there's only one club for me!

 

[Bry Nylon]

Some of the categories who WILL come back:

Reasons in red why we shouldn't be so certain that they will come flocking back.

1. The over 60s - especially the real veterans. Withdean on a cold/wet Saturday afternoon is NOT conducive to the elderly (and I wouldn't blame them). When I first started to watch The Albion in the late 60s my Dad took me in the South Stand and there were loads of OAPs. I'm very hopeful that parts of Falmer will have the atmosphere of the old South Stand, and the senior fans will be able to once again watch footie without getting cold and wet;

Drive to a Park and Ride. Queue up for ticket, queue up for a filthy bus with filthy seats driven by an i-Pod wearing customer service operative, queue up to get off the bus. Queue up to get into the stadium. Repeat the same after the game.

2. Families with young kids....again, the weather is a real turn-off for those groups;
Drive to a Park and Ride. Queue up for ticket, queue up for a filthy bus with filthy seats driven by an i-Pod wearing customer service operative, queue up to get off the bus. Queue up to get into the stadium. Repeat the same after the game.

3. Students (given proximity of University of Sussex and Brighton Uni);
Drive to a Park and Ride. Queue up for ticket, queue up for a filthy bus with filthy seats driven by an i-Pod wearing customer service operative, queue up to get off the bus. Queue up to get into the stadium. Repeat the same after the game.

4. The fair-weather fans who have just got ground down by the whole dispiriting Withdean experience;
Drive to a Park and Ride. Queue up for ticket, queue up for a filthy bus with filthy seats driven by an i-Pod wearing customer service operative, queue up to get off the bus. Queue up to get into the stadium. Repeat the same after the game.

5. The corporates - quite frankly, although the club do their best, the corporate side is a bit of an embarrasment at Withdean.

Drive to a Park and Ride. Queue up for ticket, queue up for a filthy bus with filthy seats driven by an i-Pod wearing customer service operative, queue up to get off the bus. Queue up to get into the stadium. Repeat the same after the game.

 

[Locky]

Going to falmer wont be just about the football.......it will be about the whole experience.
Many people I have spoken to, say they havent been since the goldstone went but will definately return once the new stadium is built.
It may impact on some of the other local teams, but I feel the fan base is still there and attendances will rise accordingly.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I think long term a lot depends on where we are in the football league ladder.Succesfull Albion teams, playing attacking football and winning, always attracts the crowds. But negative boring football, even if winning matches 1-0 is a turn off to the johnny come latelys. Football has never been so popular as it is at the moment and this is a trick that should not be missed by the club, give the fans what they want and they will come. Football is a results buisiness, but it is also entertanment and people pay their hard earned money wanting to be entertained, well the ones between gates of 8,000-16,000 do anyway.

The only problem with that is during our most successful period in our history it coincided with a decline quite rapidly in attendances (79-84)

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Drive to a Park and Ride. Queue up for ticket, queue up for a filthy bus with filthy seats driven by an i-Pod wearing customer service operative, queue up to get off the bus. Queue up to get into the stadium. Repeat the same after the game.

Which park and ride bus is that? Not the brand new bus I've been travelling on lately, with the nice young lady driver.