Realistic season ticket target 5k

Looking way back over the years the highest average attendance at Town was back in 1949/50 season in the old division 2. It was 18056. I realise it is completely different these days and would not expect to ever see those figures, but it shows that there is good support when things are going well

If we could climb back up there with a new ground as well 10K average would be feasable with probably half that in season tickets

Quoted from pen penfras

But what would actually motivate people to buy tickets who don't turn up now? In 97/98 we had a lot more people at Wembley and a far more successful season than 2016, but that didn't lead to big ticket sales. Our facilities haven't improved since then, and relative to other teams they're worse. There's little we can do in and around the ground, without a significant cost, that will improve the matchday experience enough to get people to buy tickets. We already have cheap tickets compared to most clubs.

Without a new stadium, I just don't see us getting a significant upturn in support, unless we suddenly become a regularly winning side

I don't have the answers.  I have ideas that I think would help improve things but they're ideas that are floating around in my mind, they're not guaranteed to work.  
This thing about matchday experience, what is that exactly?  Are we talking about the facilities that we have at the ground?  Because that's easily fixed in my eyes.....classic example, the toilets at the back of the Main Stand.  Both the gents entrances are in the pathway to bars.  It's far from ideal, causes congestion and isn't particularly nice.  The ladies toilets appear to total about 2 and that I can see there's a single disabled toilet.  Again, this an idea and hasn't gone any further than transferring from my brain to the keyboard but why did we not just either knock up a new toilet block in the large corner between the Pontoon and the Main or bring in something temporary?

I don't for a second think that having better toilets will bring people into the ground but we hide behind this matchday experience as a legitimate excuse for our failings when it comes to attracting fans.  The matchday experience is something we can control.  Our catering is crap, let's do something about it.  People made suggestions, the club came back with excuses.  People want proper ale before the game, are the club moving on this?  We've got 3 massive corners between stands that we could be utilising for this matchday experience yet instead we use it as a car park, somewhere to put a mini-bus and a storage point for training goalposts.  

If fans want a better 'matchday experience' lets do something to improve it then.  

If people are seriously put off coming to Blundell Park because of the parking situation then lets think about how we can change that.  Can we do a park and ride that's effective, can we link in with the local council to make it plausible?  Can we link in with Stagecoach so it's cost effective?

The problem is that we've got the same people with the same train of thought coming up with the same excuses.  As a result we get the same weak attempt at a sales push and the same average sales.  I'd wager a bet that with no promotion other than just putting the prices out there, we would sell 2,500 tickets every summer because it's the people who've always done it.

Said this for a while, the club need to appoint a proper Chief Exec, someone who's got experience and skills to move the club forward.  I'm sure the current occupants of a lot of roles at the club are nice people doing their absolute best, but be it because they're stifled or they're just not that way inclined, they don't have enough creative outputs.   This is an area that the club have to invest in.

Quoted from pen penfras

But what would actually motivate people to buy tickets who don't turn up now? In 97/98 we had a lot more people at Wembley and a far more successful season than 2016, but that didn't lead to big ticket sales. Our facilities haven't improved since then, and relative to other teams they're worse. There's little we can do in and around the ground, without a significant cost, that will improve the matchday experience enough to get people to buy tickets. We already have cheap tickets compared to most clubs.

Without a new stadium, I just don't see us getting a significant upturn in support, unless we suddenly become a regularly winning side

As you were quick to call balderdash on the notion of not capitalising after Wembley I’ll call balderdash on this.

Minimal evidence a new stadium will improve gates, whilst nobody disagrees with the need of a new stadium, a team not 40 miles away did little to their stadium to improve faculties yet shifted double the usual number here, a club who historically have had smaller attendances than us.

It can be done. Simple fact it, we’re flipping woeful at capitalising, and have been for years. Not just the current custodians either.

How results go generally depends on ticket sales, at every level of football but much like many have happily accepted average and this notion of ‘well we’re in a position that is befitting of a club like us’, we’ve also done the same with ST sales, accepting 3000 is a lot, which it is but surely we want to improve that year on year.

Naturally team performances and feel good factors impact sales but so do the offers and incentives to buy one. We joke but 10% off in the club shop, some 2 4 1 vouchers for a pub few people use, a fiver off of a shirt etc isn’t really selling it to new folk.

Us silly illegitimates that get one regardless don’t really care and to be honest, the guarantee of a ticket for the odd big game I guess is enough, and the lack of hassle of getting a ticket every week helps but what does actually encourage someone to buy a new ST? Someone who never has before...performances yes (although apparently capitalising on a Wembley win and feel good factor isn’t something to be used as an example so I guess that rules that out), facilities? Possibly but again, however many folk have a pop at BP, two stands at least aren’t anywhere near as bad as they could be.

It’s a genuine question really, just why do people decide to buy a ST? Lack of stress buying tickets? Feeling more connected to the club? Shows a level of commitment? Who knows...

5000 looks a huge ask. Possibly overlooking the exile position. The support at Wembley was inflated by many exiled Mariners who travelled huge distances for a special occasion. We had family from overseas come over specially and of the ten tickets sold to my family on the first occasion, eight will never watch games regularly. Now we are playing attractive football I can convince my sons and grandsons to come with me from Norfolk and even make a big effort to get to mid week games ( we all made the Stevenage  game) despite their  school and work commitments.

Genuine question - have we ever sold 5,000 season tickets?

Quoted from diehardmariner

I don't have the answers.  I have ideas that I think would help improve things but they're ideas that are floating around in my mind, they're not guaranteed to work.  
This thing about matchday experience, what is that exactly?  Are we talking about the facilities that we have at the ground?  Because that's easily fixed in my eyes.....classic example, the toilets at the back of the Main Stand.  Both the gents entrances are in the pathway to bars.  It's far from ideal, causes congestion and isn't particularly nice.  The ladies toilets appear to total about 2 and that I can see there's a single disabled toilet.  Again, this an idea and hasn't gone any further than transferring from my brain to the keyboard but why did we not just either knock up a new toilet block in the large corner between the Pontoon and the Main or bring in something temporary?

I don't for a second think that having better toilets will bring people into the ground but we hide behind this matchday experience as a legitimate excuse for our failings when it comes to attracting fans.  The matchday experience is something we can control.  Our catering is crap, let's do something about it.  People made suggestions, the club came back with excuses.  People want proper ale before the game, are the club moving on this?  We've got 3 massive corners between stands that we could be utilising for this matchday experience yet instead we use it as a car park, somewhere to put a mini-bus and a storage point for training goalposts.  

If fans want a better 'matchday experience' lets do something to improve it then.  

If people are seriously put off coming to Blundell Park because of the parking situation then lets think about how we can change that.  Can we do a park and ride that's effective, can we link in with the local council to make it plausible?  Can we link in with Stagecoach so it's cost effective?

The problem is that we've got the same people with the same train of thought coming up with the same excuses.  As a result we get the same weak attempt at a sales push and the same average sales.  I'd wager a bet that with no promotion other than just putting the prices out there, we would sell 2,500 tickets every summer because it's the people who've always done it.

Said this for a while, the club need to appoint a proper Chief Exec, someone who's got experience and skills to move the club forward.  I'm sure the current occupants of a lot of roles at the club are nice people doing their absolute best, but be it because they're stifled or they're just not that way inclined, they don't have enough creative outputs.   This is an area that the club have to invest in.

Completely agree. Everything at BP seems to have been put on hold awaiting the new stadium which may or may not materialise.

In the meantime, as you say, the club should do something about the things that put people off attending. These days it is much simpler to find temporary solutions to problems.

Yes it would cost a few bob, but the toilet situation and eateries are easily fixed, as is the sound system.  We are going to be at BP for some seasons yet so let's get it spruced up with better facilities.

I would think 4000 season tickets would be feasible if Ollie fronts the campaign.

Talking of a new stadium what was the upshot of Mr Day's talks with the council? We really do need some concrete proposals soon.

We will still get our tickets as usual. We always do in the hope that the money will generate funds for who ever at the time has been manager. It’s never been about the ground having been improved or not, it’s about our Grimsby Town football club that means so much to us being able to hopefully move forward. This year it looks like it is going to happen and I hope other people will make the commitment also. UTMM!!

Quoted from rancido

Genuine question - have we ever sold 5,000 season tickets?

Doubt it.  

But had anyone gone under 4 minutes before Roger Bannister?

So to date then, other clubs build new stadiums whilst we struggle to build new toilets.  

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Completely agree. Everything at BP seems to have been put on hold awaiting the new stadium which may or may not materialise.

In the meantime, as you say, the club should do something about the things that put people off attending. These days it is much simpler to find temporary solutions to problems.

Yes it would cost a few bob, but the toilet situation and eateries are easily fixed, as is the sound system.  We are going to be at BP for some seasons yet so let's get it spruced up with better facilities.

I would think 4000 season tickets would be feasible if Ollie fronts the campaign.

Talking of a new stadium what was the upshot of Mr Day's talks with the council? We really do need some concrete proposals soon.

You say the toilet situation, as an example, is easily fixed which is debatable. The whole toilet areas would have to be reconfigured and the existing drainage system examined to see if it could be handle an increased through put. If it couldn't, which is quite likely, then very expensive remedial work would need to be carried out. Surely an expensive course of action on an outdated site anyway. This is a classic example of using a sticking plaster to sort out a simple problem when it is apparent to virtually everybody that the only ly, cost-effective, long term solution is a new ground.