Fortress Reebok?

[Il Pirate]

As a wanderer since the early 60's, there have been many seasons over the years when I didn't miss a game home or away. As you get older, maybe go to uni, get married, kids etc, priorities change. New fans come through of course, but the cost of going to a game these days is a very large portion of many peoples weekly income. In the 70's and 80's it wasn't anywhere near the price of cost/income as it is now. The current economic climate has a big say in what people can and can't do with their money. Do I go to the match or get my 3 kids new uniforms and shoes for when they go back to school? It's a no brainer. Imo true supporters support their team no matter where they may be in the world, either sat in their front room in Bolton or in their appartment in Sydney, Montreal, Singapore, wherever. Me? I'm holed up on the Isle of Wight and have been for over twenty years. I strive to get to around half a dozen matches a season, usualy away ones. But don't ever, ever, tell me I'm not a true supporter because I don't go to the Reebok for every match, it's impossible for me to do so and probably imossible for many more fans who would like to be at a match but can't for a variety of reasons. The atmosphere will imrove with better football, more wins, and of course more people attending, but this will only happen if people can afford to spend their hard earned money on something which is now (and has been well documented before), a luxury; and not something which was part of the working man's social fabric of 25 years ago.

[FaninOz]

No problem with any of that, I think we'd all like to see a full, and rocking Reebok every week, but it isn't the first time FiO has made comments criticising folk for not going, and has indeed been much more explicit about it than that.

Historically true, but not this time. I just made a general comment that the attendance was very poor, and I do believe that the lack of a full stadium shouting on the Wanderers does have an effect on the teams performance.

The Megson haters haven't returned so far, but on the other hand would the glory hunters return if we were winning all home games 4-0 and challenging for europe again and would the ground then be full? An interesting thought for me!

However, I tend to agree that its the "more of the same old games problem", the cost of going and the lack of any closness to the "common man" for the overpaid players that best explains the reason for low crowds across the premiership. Perhaps it has had its day.

[BWFC_Insane]

I wonder what our average home crowd over a 50 year period is. I can't believe its much in excess of 20,000. If that.

There are some fans who watch on illegal streams/in pubs now every week.

But I think a lot of the drop of would have happened no matter what we did as the novelty has just worn off. Sam Allardyce could still be here and we could still be 6-8th in the league and we'd still see the same levels of crowds. Folk got bored with the premiership for a whole variety of reasons. Personally I think there was a general feeling the club had hit its "glass ceiling" but that was coupled with a lot of other things.

Plenty of people only started coming when it looked like we'd do something under Allardyce and those folk would eventually get bored. Its inevitable really.

Personally I think the club should stop worrying about attendance. Its done everything it possibly can. I think attention should now be on how to create the best atomosphere in the stadium with whatever number of fans turn up!

[Armchair Wanderer]

Personally I think the club should stop worrying about attendance. Its done everything it possibly can. I think attention should now be on how to create the best atomosphere in the stadium with whatever number of fans turn up!

Don't know whether they did it last season but this year they've started doing little things at halftime. Watching the opera bloke dodging the sprinklers was entertaining.

I'm going to the Emirates game so will report back if they do anything better than we do.

[thebish]

Personally I think the club should stop worrying about attendance. Its done everything it possibly can. I think attention should now be on how to create the best atomosphere in the stadium with whatever number of fans turn up!

Don't know whether they did it last season but this year they've started doing little things at halftime. Watching the opera bloke dodging the sprinklers was entertaining.

I'm going to the Emirates game so will report back if they do anything better than we do.

they don't... they have a pre-kick off name-guessing game for the arsenal players (for the tourist fans I think) - where they shout out the first name and the crowd guesses the surname... (not sure they do it for the carling cup ) the naswers are in the programme though - which is cheating...

[as]

We've averaged over 20k for a decade now.

Crowds aren't that bad.

Preston managed 9k at Deepdale the other week, just to put things into perspective

[boltonboris]

We've averaged over 20k for a decade now.

Crowds aren't that bad.

Preston managed 9k at Deepdale the other week, just to put things into perspective

Aye. Burnley were getting between 9-11 thousand for most league games before they got promoted

[Bruce Rioja]

they don't... they have a pre-kick off name-guessing game for the arsenal players (for the tourist fans I think) - where they shout out the first name and the crowd guesses the surname... (not sure they do it for the carling cup ) the naswers are in the programme though - which is cheating...

Ahh, that'll be why they got rid of Eduardo then.

[Gaz Tomorrow]

The problem with us aswell as our dipping home form, is our geography. We're in very close proximity to Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool and Everton all of whom have been doin consistently better than us. Blackburn seem to be suffering as well, Ewood Park is around 31000 capacity and they're pulling in 21000.

[thebish]

they don't... they have a pre-kick off name-guessing game for the arsenal players (for the tourist fans I think) - where they shout out the first name and the crowd guesses the surname... (not sure they do it for the carling cup ) the naswers are in the programme though - which is cheating...

Ahh, that'll be why they got rid of Eduardo then.

indeed!!

when it came to eduardo - knowing the tourists wouldn't know his name

they used to announce..

ED

and the crowd would add..

WARDO

[Bungle]

they don't... they have a pre-kick off name-guessing game for the arsenal players (for the tourist fans I think) - where they shout out the first name and the crowd guesses the surname... (not sure they do it for the carling cup ) the naswers are in the programme though - which is cheating...

Ahh, that'll be why they got rid of Eduardo then.

indeed!!

when it came to eduardo - knowing the tourists wouldn't know his name

they used to announce..

ED

and the crowd would add..

WARDO

This kind of pre match "entertainment" I think we can do without!

[Prufrock]

they don't... they have a pre-kick off name-guessing game for the arsenal players (for the tourist fans I think) - where they shout out the first name and the crowd guesses the surname... (not sure they do it for the carling cup ) the naswers are in the programme though - which is cheating...

Ahh, that'll be why they got rid of Eduardo then.

indeed!!

when it came to eduardo - knowing the tourists wouldn't know his name

they used to announce..

ED

and the crowd would add..

WARDO

So it wasn't

"Eduardo"

"ALVES DA SILVA"

?

[Gary the Enfield]

they don't... they have a pre-kick off name-guessing game for the arsenal players (for the tourist fans I think) - where they shout out the first name and the crowd guesses the surname... (not sure they do it for the carling cup ) the naswers are in the programme though - which is cheating...

Ahh, that'll be why they got rid of Eduardo then.

indeed!!

when it came to eduardo - knowing the tourists wouldn't know his name

they used to announce..

ED

and the crowd would add..

WARDO

So it wasn't

"Eduardo"

"ALVES DA SILVA"

?

No. They struggled with Abu............

It's shit.

[Randy Watson]

lot of young kids at the reebok now, who dont realy get behind the team so much. not saying it has owt to do with how we play but i dont see the point in bringing a kid who aint arsed at all especially girls.

theres a little brat who sits next to me staring aimlessly at the crowd, running up and down the stairs every 5 minutes to get food and kicking over my feckin coffee with no appology (from her or the father), just proceeding to dance around in the puddle. must cost the father a fortune in scran and tickets/travel etc. and she clearly dosnt give a toss. it makes my blood boild!

rant over

[Bungle]

lot of young kids at the reebok now, who dont realy get behind the team so much. not saying it has owt to do with how we play but i dont see the point in bringing a kid who aint arsed at all especially girls.

theres a little brat who sits next to me staring aimlessly at the crowd, running up and down the stairs every 5 minutes to get food and kicking over my feckin coffee with no appology (from her or the father), just proceeding to dance around in the puddle. must cost the father a fortune in scran and tickets/travel etc. and she clearly dosnt give a toss. it makes my blood boild!

rant over

A. "No way are you going to the match on Saturday, i've been looking after the kids all week and i'm sick of it!"
B. "Well what if I take the kids? Then you can have a few hours peace and quiet in the afternoon."
A. "Sounds good. OK, you can go, but only if you take the kids."
B. "Fair enough."

[CAPSLOCK]

Coffee?

I'd wind me neck in if I were you

[General Mannerheim]

lot of young kids at the reebok now, who dont realy get behind the team so much. not saying it has owt to do with how we play but i dont see the point in bringing a kid who aint arsed at all especially girls.

theres a little brat who sits next to me staring aimlessly at the crowd, running up and down the stairs every 5 minutes to get food and kicking over my feckin coffee with no appology (from her or the father), just proceeding to dance around in the puddle. must cost the father a fortune in scran and tickets/travel etc. and she clearly dosnt give a toss. it makes my blood boild!

rant over

coffee - id have tipped it over your head, you puff!

[Randy Watson]

lot of young kids at the reebok now, who dont realy get behind the team so much. not saying it has owt to do with how we play but i dont see the point in bringing a kid who aint arsed at all especially girls.

theres a little brat who sits next to me staring aimlessly at the crowd, running up and down the stairs every 5 minutes to get food and kicking over my feckin coffee with no appology (from her or the father), just proceeding to dance around in the puddle. must cost the father a fortune in scran and tickets/travel etc. and she clearly dosnt give a toss. it makes my blood boild!

rant over

A. "No way are you going to the match on Saturday, i've been looking after the kids all week and i'm sick of it!"
B. "Well what if I take the kids? Then you can have a few hours peace and quiet in the afternoon."
A. "Sounds good. OK, you can go, but only if you take the kids."
B. "Fair enough."

Every week?

[Randy Watson]

the coffee situation was just an occurance! the majority i have to drive coz my lazy bell end brother cant be arsed!

[jimbo]

lot of young kids at the reebok now, who dont realy get behind the team so much. not saying it has owt to do with how we play but i dont see the point in bringing a kid who aint arsed at all especially girls.

theres a little brat who sits next to me staring aimlessly at the crowd, running up and down the stairs every 5 minutes to get food and kicking over my feckin coffee with no appology (from her or the father), just proceeding to dance around in the puddle. must cost the father a fortune in scran and tickets/travel etc. and she clearly dosnt give a toss. it makes my blood boild!

rant over

Pretty sure when I was 4 and being taken to games by my mum and dad that I wasn't overly vocal and passionate. Had a tendency to fall asleep at night matches as well. Maybe they shouldn't have bothered just so the atmsophere didn't suffer too much. Then maybe I'd when I got older I'd have ended up going watching Blackpool with people from school.