This season with 15,000 new fans

[Pj2000]

Well now the season is coming to an end, there was a core support of approx 5000 at withdean and 1700 away on a good day, how do find these either returned or new supporters , questions -

Are they here for success only and prem football,
Do they know the songs ( when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road"

Do they follow away ,

Maybe they spend all the time txt ing ,

Do they know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch us and going to a porta cabin loo to dry out,

We have no loyalty points for doing any of that,

Well like your response ,


Seagulls seagulls ,

 

[surrey jim]

Heard OSR being sung last night.

 

[Notters]

when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road

Anout the 85th minute yesterday.

 

[Rugrat]

I'm one so I'll answer.

Went to every game at Goldstone that I could afford (on my paper round money) wasn't all but a fair number
Didn't go to Gillingham - couldn't get there as I recall
Moved abroad so didn't go the Withdean
Came back when Falmer in pipeline so decided to wait
Make 5 or 6 away games a year
No I didn't sit in the rain at Withdean but don't feel any less a supporter but recognise myself as being 2nd class so that's OK

 

[pork pie]

Well now the season is coming to an end, there was a core support of approx 5000 at withdean and 1700 away on a good day, how do find these either returned or new supporters , questions -

Are they here for success only and prem football,
Do they know the songs ( when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road"

Do they follow away ,

Maybe they spend all the time txt ing ,

Do they know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch us and going to a porta cabin loo to dry out,

We have no loyalty points for doing any of that,

Well like your response ,


Seagulls seagulls ,

What about the 10's of thousands of fans who went to Cardiff and other big matches? I am sure we have lots of new JCL fans, but we also have lots of returning fans who are willing to go to a real ground, but were not happy to rough-it at Gillingham or Withdean. I know this for a fact as lots of people I used to go with donkey's years ago, now go again.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I'm sure there must have been at least 12,000+ active fans who went to Withdean more than a handful of times a season (including the 4,500 STH) over the years.

The direct debit and lush surroundings have convinced fans to go to more games and/or buy a season ticket.

 

[Sheebo]

I'm sure there must have been at least 12,000+ active fans who went to Withdean more than a handful of times a season (including the 4,500 STH) over the years.

The direct debit and lush surroundings have convinced fans to go to more games and/or buy a season ticket.

Exactly. 15k 'new fans' - f***ing stupid comment - i assume you're palace in disguise OP?

I reckon in terms of 'new fans' ie someone who's never been to an albion game before or didn't 'follow' them from home but not go to games you're looking at 2 / 3k MAX - prob less.

This myth of 'new fans' is annoying - [MENTION=18774]Rugrat[/MENTION] is a prime example - he's not a 'new' fan atall but a returning one.

 

[Pj2000]

Yes know it is walking down the shoreham road, but last night was the east stand there or not, Watford fans were right our support was "sh.t , the corporate section are just there for eats and drinks, gus never went on touch line till second half, we are not prem , when you are manager at this level sometimes you need to motivate and shout and believe ,no one ever won a battle by sitting on their arse , if that was so we never have the Falklands , sorry but I'm 50 now and supported this club from 6 years of age, I cannot belive what I now see , we dont need f ing great escape song sung we are not escaping . Support the club and fight when all is lost and not just second half. If we are not committed and ready to go up say so six matches ago , don't cheat us to buy tickets for Barnsley when it will mean nothing , we are all hard up and have spent all we have spare this season , message to club how about a refund for Barnsley as you knew it would mean nothing to the season.

 

[severnside gull]

I have to say that the superiority complex adopted by a few self-labelled diehards pisses me off.
I haven't lived in Brighton for nearly 40 years but I made a few games at Gillingham and at Withdean and I've even been to the Amex three times.
I get to around a dozen away games a year depending on who is in our league (it's a geographical thing).
I only know the old songs.
I am proud of all that the Albion represent and have achieved and I am delighted and proud that we could attract so many new supporters (even if a few of them boo). I really hope we can retain them and build on those numbers next season.
Does that make me a bad fan or a good fan? I neither know nor care. All I know is that I am a fan and I frankly don't give a flying F*** what other people might think of me

 

[Albion Rob]

I would guess that the 'hard core' was around 9,000 across the full Withdean spectrum. for example, I was a STH for the first six years then decided to see out my 20s playing Saturday football (not really something you can do in your 50s). I also think we lost a lot of young supporters who either just didn't see Brighton as an option and were lured by the Premier League or whose parents probably didn't think it was worth taking them becuase as the OP said it was cold and wet and would put them off. You also shouldn't underestimate the fact that it was so hard to get a ticket for Withdean at first - I think that really put a lot of casual supporters off and they never really came back.

I think we're not attracting a lot of young kids to the games, a lot of the people who got disillusioned are back and we've attracted a fair few curious people who whose love for the club will grow each year. We've also attracted some fans who might have enjoyed the novelty this season but want to do other things on Satudays and that's fair enough.

I think we're in good shape - people who have drifted away are coming abck, the hard core remains and we're picking up a lot of casual fans and kids who will hopefully get more in to the Albion. As ticket availability for passing fans increases we'll see a lot more people who might just happen to be on holiday in the area and fancy taking in a game or dads who don't follow the Albion taking their kids just so they can see some live football once or twice a season.

A bright future? You bloody bet!

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Probably a maximum of 2k are "new" fans - the rest have probably been following/supporting the club for a while but just havent had much of a chance to go to games - the Amex has changed that and the club is getting a bigger following - and we will have an extra 4,000 or so fans next season - the futures bright, the future is blue and white.

 

[marshy68]

Well now the season is coming to an end, there was a core support of approx 5000 at withdean and 1700 away on a good day, how do find these either returned or new supporters , questions -

Are they here for success only and prem football,
Do they know the songs ( when was last time you heard "lads and lasses walking up the the shoreham road"

Do they follow away ,

Maybe they spend all the time txt ing ,

Do they know the depth and feeling of sitting in the rain soaked to watch us and going to a porta cabin loo to dry out,

We have no loyalty points for doing any of that,

Well like your response ,


Seagulls seagulls ,

I got 250 loyalty points for being a Withdean season ticket holder.

I think these threads are a bit pointless - would you be happier in the amex with only 5,000 people in the ground?

I took my GF to a few games this year at the amex - she didnt have a clue about footy - but now enjoys the experience - even persuaded me to drive to burnely away....

We need JCL and prem glory boys the more the merrier.

 

[00snook]

Great, another pissing contest thread on who is the oldest and therefore most die hard, and proper fans.

I went to Goldstone as a kid, not Gillingham, Withdean occasionally (cause it was shit) and now the Amex.

Guess in a "new fan JCL"

And damn proud to be one.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

.
Does that make me a bad fan or a good fan? I neither know nor care. All I know is that I am a fan and I frankly don't give a flying F*** what other people might think of me

i think the world of you!

I think this is one of those veiled threads questioning " where were you when we were shit" tyoe things.

Who cares...time moves on.

 

[Randsta]

I don't see the point of these threads? ...as a club gets more successful and goes up the leagues they attract more fans it's just how things work! More fans = more money = more success! unless you get a sugar daddy which we sort of have in a way
What's your point here?

 

[Notters]

don't cheat us to buy tickets for Barnsley when it will mean nothing , we are all hard up and have spent all we have spare this season , message to club how about a refund for Barnsley as you knew it would mean nothing to the season.

WTF? No-one made you buy your ticket way in advance, there were/are 6,000 available. I'd still go if it wasn't for the early kickoff.

Yes know it is walking down the shoreham road, but last night was the east stand there or not, Watford fans were right our support was "sh.t ,

Have you been to Vicarage Road?!

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I said this on another thread last night but it seems relevant here. I would love us to have 30,000 'new fans' if it means The Amex is full every week with a great atmosphere. You have to accept that at ANY public event there will be fanatics and casual observers. I occasionally go to the theatre or to watch live music or to the cinema. I'm not really that keen on any of them, but I don't expect to be made to feel like a second-class guest at any. There are probably people who love those things who laugh at my ignorance when I'm there. But so what? A full venue with people of varying degrees of passion is SO much better than a half-empty one. If some people want to give football a try in a fun and exciting atmosphere at a wonderful stadium then what's the problem?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The 'reward' for all of us who put up with ten years of Withdean, Gillingham etc is that The Amex means something and is really special. To somebody who has turned up for the first time this season I imagine it's just another football ground. That's good enough for me.

This with golden knobs on!!!!!

 

[The Giant Bolster]

Yes know it is walking down the shoreham road, but last night was the east stand there or not, Watford fans were right our support was "sh.t , the corporate section are just there for eats and drinks, gus never went on touch line till second half, we are not prem , when you are manager at this level sometimes you need to motivate and shout and believe ,no one ever won a battle by sitting on their arse , if that was so we never have the Falklands , sorry but I'm 50 now and supported this club from 6 years of age, I cannot belive what I now see , we dont need f ing great escape song sung we are not escaping . Support the club and fight when all is lost and not just second half. If we are not committed and ready to go up say so six matches ago , don't cheat us to buy tickets for Barnsley when it will mean nothing , we are all hard up and have spent all we have spare this season , message to club how about a refund for Barnsley as you knew it would mean nothing to the season.

Football nowadays has an all round appeal, whether that is the people that want to go and pay huge amounts to have a bit of a corporate feel or whether it is for women and children who now feel as if they can go to a game of football without feeeling intimidated.
The main point that you seem to be missing here is that everyone goes to the stadium for 1 reason only, Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club, which is a fantastic thing to say. We have this opportunity to make this club great, so instead of whinging at who is a new supporter or not. Lets embrace this change and make the Albion a force in English football.

 

[severnside gull]

I think this is one of those veiled threads questioning " where were you when we were shit" tyoe things.

Who cares...time moves on.

Indeed. I am a long standing fan but in no way am I superior to someone who was attracted to the new stadium and the team's current success. After all my first game was watching Albion at what was then their highest level, appearing in the old Division 2 (now the Championship).
Many of those new supporters will hopefully be committed fans for as many years as I have been.