Realistic season ticket target 5k

To be honest, I don't think it's doable whilst at BP ?

There are still quite a few that need more than just the 'Holloway' effect to lure them back.
The playing budget will be interesting for next season, certainly a couple of big signings would go a long way to increasing sales. But although 5000 ST's is a big ask given the circumstances, however, good results and if we are constantly in a play off or above position and increase of 1500 - 2000 on the average gate IS doable.  

Try to sell 5000 and be disappointed we only sell 4,000 or set a target of 3,000 and be delighted when we scrape in?

I'm an exile with young kids but I'm tempted. I want to be able to get away tickets if we do as well as it feel we might and I want to back and support the team and club. That's down to IH and the players though. The last time I dipped my hand significantly our chairman said it was the worst thing to ever happen to the club. So I'm waiting for something to tip me one  way or the other because I'm just not sure I can justify the expense. If I get one I'll be getting 4 as my lads and my Dad will come. Tip enough people like me who've never had one before in the right direction and who knows what we could do.

Bring in temp toilets then?  Pretty sure I've been to quite a few grounds in recent years that have had temp toilet facilities which were far better than the ones in the Main Stand.   Festivals, marathons etc.  They all don't have a permanent toilet block yet the somehow manage it.

We've been hiding behind this excuse for 25 years.  Yes, we need a new stadium.  But we haven't got one and despite the current favour within the local council for one, we don't have a guarantee for one in the near future.

You saying it's a sticking plaster like it's a bad thing.  Are you advocating we just do nothing in the hope we get a new stadium?  That's the approach that has contributed to where we are now, in my opinion.  Surely it's better to address the issue at hand!

I'd be tempted to link sales directly to playing budget. If we sell 3k IH gets a competitive budget and we'll play positive attacking football. For every 250 above that he gets another chunk of cash added to his budget. Get it on local radio and in the press with IH fronting it all talking about how great it will be and the fantastic players he's lining up as and when his budget goes up. Be innovative with pricing as well, target kids, do anything to make a day at BP more enjoyable.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Bring in temp toilets then?  Pretty sure I've been to quite a few grounds in recent years that have had temp toilet facilities which were far better than the ones in the Main Stand.   Festivals, marathons etc.  They all don't have a permanent toilet block yet the somehow manage it.

We've been hiding behind this excuse for 25 years.  Yes, we need a new stadium.  But we haven't got one and despite the current favour within the local council for one, we don't have a guarantee for one in the near future.

You saying it's a sticking plaster like it's a bad thing.  Are you advocating we just do nothing in the hope we get a new stadium?  That's the approach that has contributed to where we are now, in my opinion.  Surely it's better to address the issue at hand!

I agree that temporary toilets would solve one problem but the overriding aim must be a new ground. Anything spent on BP is wasted money IMO. If we don't get a new ground then future ambitions to the level our club can perform at will be severely limited. Limited capacity, limited parking, limited facilities etc and the list goes on. Any redevelopment of BP would need the support of the council in planning permission and this is not an automatic thing just because we have an existing ground. I think a lot of of people have either forgotten or weren't aware that when a new ground was first mooted all those year's ago it was as a result of a discussion with the council of the time. The club wanted to develop BP and the council expressed their preference for a new ground and offered their help in getting one.

Quoted from rancido

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.

I was more referring to temporary toilet blocks, and eateries that could make more use of the open corners.

I agree a new stadium is the way to go, but you have to invest a bit at BP if a new stadium is years away.

A thorough clean of the front facade wouldn't go amiss.

Let's face it - we are going to see the best of Ollie and his team whilst we are at BP so let us make it the best we can and keep the mud on the mud and sell ice creams in the open corners.

I'd sell fish and chips in the corners. Haddock of course. Maybe a curry. I'd sell the Mariner in the ground and have tickets for the half time draw sold in the stands. Why not offer free bus travel on production of season ticket on match days. I'd have a ticket office in Louth.

Isn’t saying don’t invest anything in BP just a ridiculous thing to suggest?

There’s zero evidence that we’ll be in a new stadium within 5 years other than a few sound bites.

We’ve failed to invest in the stadium for years, instead chasing a dream that was never materialising, meanwhile, had some TLC been paid and a few minor alterations BP would still be decent, let’s face it, two of the stands are more than adequate. As stated, simply hiding behind the excuse of ‘we won’t sell any until we get a new ground’ is wearing thin. Fact is, the club has had such low expectations for so long they’ve been happy with 2500 ST and accepting of our level, rather than thinking outside of the box or investing to move the club forward.

Aside from the recent few weeks with Holloway, the same folk have been running the show for years now and with few new approaches or ideas.

We’ve missed chances to capitalise on previous peaked interest, we churn out the same offers, we’ve lacked any real vision and so the cycle continues.

Fact is, cryarsing about spending on BP or settling for low numbers because we play there isn’t good enough and becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

We’re not going anywhere any time soon so as a club we need to think cleverly to entice new ST.

As I’ve said, I don’t know what would make someone get a ST aside from the obvious on field success (but we failed to capitalise on that last time, unlike other clubs). Does anyone know why someone who’s never had a ST and then decided to buy one? I’m curious about their motives, it’s a positive naturally but still curious as to how they arrived at their decision.

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

Don’t disagree but the football in the main since 2016 has been pretty crap overall

The club have done virtually everything possible to scupper season ticket sales over the last 10 yrs at least.

I gave mine up after a number of years due to two main reasons;

1. The amount of offers, discounts given at one time virtually made it cheaper to become pay per game than it did to buy a season ticket up front. If i missed a couple of games through holidays/ work then i was out of pocket over the season.

2. The prices only ever went up. Never an incentive or recognition for holding an ST through the dark times, price freezes if we had a sh1t year, a price hike if we had a good one.

Took the p1ss.

Doubt very much if i will buy another one anytime soon unless there was a real threat of a sell out every week then i would have to, apart from that i will take the offers, miss the odd games through commitments and attend as much as i can possibly can as a pay per game supporter.