Attendances next season.

Who will be going next season i fear season tickets sales will plummet a lot of fans cannot face another season in the conference.
People are out of the habit of going to games, illegal streams free to watch.
Hurst is the not the most inspiring of managers.

But no Fenty will give us a boost but has his 20 years of misery killed off any enthusiasm for going.

I’m guessing gates around 1690-2000 maybe more against Notts County and Chesterfield.

At a guess I'd say ST sales above 2000 with attendances over 3000 for league games, more for County, Chesterfield etc.

I’d say we’ll hover around 3000...

At least, hopefully, we won’t have to endure that insufferable girl private Fenty telling us that because of diminished attendances he is the only reason the club is staying afloat whilst knowing he is 100% lying...

To be honest I think after a season+ of no live games as long as the 1878 guys get the feelgood factor and engagement going early I actually think we'll be o.k. and at similar levels to the season we came up.

3000. Just over. I bought a ST last year and if theres a reduction due to that i’ll get one again. But i cant and wont pay 400 for a non league ticket

I think with new owners coming in and a bit of savvy marketing to rejuvenate the fan base we could be surprised by season ticket sales

Quoted from Hagrid

3000. Just over. I bought a ST last year and if theres a reduction due to that i’ll get one again. But i cant and wont pay 400 for a non league ticket

I bought a season ticket and all being well they'll be no price increase, the only thing I'd like is COVID permitting to get my old seat back.

As long as fenty and co are NOT in charge i will be buying 3 season tickets

I think around 3,000 for the first few games depending upon who we sign and what 1878 do to BP. After that, it's down to results and performance, if the team is looking good then 3,000+ say 3,500, and poor results down to 2,000 to 2,500.

Season ticket sales will depend on price, as Hagrid says, and again on who we sign and what 1878 do an say. The hope factor and bounce back to L2 may help sales. The other thing is that while a hardcore of fans will go others now do something different on match days.

The sales of ifollow will show how many fans are willing to pay to watch, beit from home, and of course, this year crap on the pitch. We also have the Fenty fiasco of will I sell or won't I sell. I'm too discussed to go into that again. But again this may have a negative effect, but some post on here without Fenty in the box they will return.

Domt think we get Ifollow in non league DB

Hopefully lots will rally around the new owners and attend matches. We need everyone we can get to pull together because as bad as this is, it's not as bad as last time, for the simple reason that the albertros will have exited stage left.

Quoted from Hagrid

Domt think we get Ifollow in non league DB

What I meant was that the viewing figures on ifollow this year would give an indication of how many fans actually are willing to watch live games. I know in some homes it may be more than one, I think the average follow sales are around 1,000 per match so that may translate into over 1,000 fans attending games many of whom may buy season tickets.

Season ticket sales will be below 2000, but if no crowd restrictions we could easily start with 4500+ which could drop off or by at least 25% within a few weeks, all dependant on the first few results. Decent crowd for opening game as people have been missing actually going but without a winning start enthusiasm will soon disipate.

I won’t be renewing my season ticket    Just can’t face this non league again    Pick the odd game just gutted really

Quoted from jungleland

I won’t be renewing my season ticket    Just can’t face this non league again    Pick the odd game just gutted really

i completely understand your choice, and fear many will be the same

I do have a question, if the club came out and said between 150/200 Like bradford do for ST's do you think there would be a large uptake?

How much parachute payment will we get - 1st year 100% of Basic Award - 2nd year 50%  but how much will it equate to in £ s d

As shít as non league is, L2’s hardly been anything special has it?

You still only get a few hundred in the away end most weeks, less than that from your Morecambes, FGRs and Cheltenhams. Atmosphere on its arśe, stewarded to death then get maybe 30 seconds on Quest about 10 to midnight.

The quality of football is dire, pitches dire, the whole lot was a bit of a let down after coming back from 6 years in the wilderness. The only thing I’ll miss is the League Cup which gives you a decent chance of pulling a big draw if you can scrape past the first round. Even then, you’re only playing against a Prem youth team.

The situation’s what you make of it. At least we can go into next year with a bit of positivity after having that cancerous lump Fenty removed, we just need to keep it going.

Quoted from golfer

How much parachute payment will we get - 1st year 100% of Basic Award - 2nd year 50%  but how much will it equate to in £ s d

About £500k first year, £250k second I think?

I agree with Ska face,  I will still go to games (when I can due to work commitments) I’d imagine the amount of season ticket sales will depend on the situation with the new board, there is a massive opportunity here to get fans on board and really go for it, we need a total clear out, this could be a new dawn for the club.

I had it in my head that we were going down around December/January time, I just had this feeling, I’m not happy with going down but I’ve sort of accepted it, that day at Burton I was devastated but this time I feel different, I do feel let down but that pain what I experienced last time we dropped out of the league isn’t there.

Depends what happens on the pitch. We could do a Lincoln or we could do a York.

Think the club is at a bit of a crossroads and a lot of people are really p1ssed off with what has gone on since we got back into the league. I personally haven't bought a season ticket for the past 2 seasons, although I still attended a good percentage of games the season before and got into the Ifollow thing at the start of this one. Stopped watching a while back and didn't listen to the commentary either, it was too depressing.

Have to admit that I have no passion for non league and hated it last time. Never ever thought we would be daft enough to end up back there yet again and if nothing were to change regards ownership and direction, I doubt I would be attending much.

Having waited years for some fresh blood and new ideas on the board, it's absolutely typical GTFC that we are going to start the new era in non league. It's a massive kick in the bollox, but myself and the regular attendees I go with all feel that we want to support the new guys, despite our impending relegation.

I hope that there is more thought going into the pricing structure of season tickets and more incentives to purchase one, but ultimately, if we remain crap on the pitch, the crowds will suffer. A lot of people have been turned off by the whole matchday experience, from the poor facilities to the poor football on offer and the feeling that we have been taken for granted with nothing in return.

Quoted from Hagrid

i completely understand your choice, and fear many will be the same

I do have a question, if the club came out and said between 150/200 Like bradford do for ST's do you think there would be a large uptake?

This is a very good point. At this point I am unlikely to renew. I have been a Hurst fan but he has been hugely disappointing on his return. Whilst I will definitely attend some games, the commitment of a season ticket And feeling compelled to go when you are in the middle of the league playing some obscure southern team is Something I cannot stomach at this point. I could be persuaded if some feelgood factor was introduced but after donkeys years of going in the last few years I have become increasingly disinterested Also, my mates are showing no interest in renewing. I truly feel sorry for the new owners as the national league is a really difficult product to sell. Discounting the season tickets may help, offering incentives to those of us stupid enough to buy season tickets this year Could help For me the Loyalty has been tested to such a degree that in my heart I want to keep going but my head says I don’t really enjoy it anymore

I wont buy a season whilst Hurst is manager, whilst loyalty plays a part football is about being entertained, sadly the uninspiring and dull leadership of Hurst shows on the field with dull negative football and poor decisions which I find frustrating and unentertaining.

Quoted from ska face

As shít as non league is, L2’s hardly been anything special has it?

You still only get a few hundred in the away end most weeks, less than that from your Morecambes, FGRs and Cheltenhams. Atmosphere on its arśe, stewarded to death then get maybe 30 seconds on Quest about 10 to midnight.

The quality of football is dire, pitches dire, the whole lot was a bit of a let down after coming back from 6 years in the wilderness. The only thing I’ll miss is the League Cup which gives you a decent chance of pulling a big draw if you can scrape past the first round. Even then, you’re only playing against a Prem youth team.

The situation’s what you make of it. At least we can go into next year with a bit of positivity after having that cancerous lump Fenty removed, we just need to keep it going.

Agree with this!

What I'd like to see is some concessions for kids, OAP's, exiles, shift workers etc... but we must get a good start.

Ska's point about the league cup is a really good one as you could be playing a big team relatively early in the season which if you do well against them gets momentum going for a period of time afterwards.  

I really feel there won't be fans in grounds next season either, maybe apart from a month or two, and I think we'll be having this conversation next year too.

York City is a comparable club for assessing attendances.

They have been in NL before as well, have limited funds, poor leadership, crappy ground and similar catchment area.  

They have been a division lower for the last couple of years.  I have been surprised at how high their attendances have been.  

In 2019-20 their average was 2,705 in NL North.  This was higher than 18 clubs in the National League above them.

Other ex League clubs had good or decent average attendances,  Notts County (5,210), Stockport (4,342), Wrexham (4,057), Chesterfield (3,670) and Yeovil (2,951).  

Challenging for promotion keeps the fans or brings in others.  All this attendances reflect low average away numbers.

In summary, if we are at the right of the table then anecdotal evidence above suggests that we we will get better support than expected now.

I've never been a big fan of Hurst and his recruitment in January would appear to an extent to be poor. However as Fenty, according to many posts on here, is not popular with the football playing community and PD did not say how much cash would be available or how much was spent in the transfer window.

We don't know who his first-choice targets were and who was available, so given the players who came in how much was Hursts' hands tied? I am in no way saying he is blameless but there is a whole load of mitigating factors to consider many of which we do not know the answers to.

As I said I'm not a big Hurst fan but you have to give him the benefit of the doubt. The Bolton game showed what could happen when things go right and I know that 1 swallow doesn't make a summer. Recruitment will be a big factor, as well as price, for season ticket sales and for attendances as a whole.

I just think the past is the past with lessons learnt and it's a new beginning, a new era and a new start for the club.

Quoted from cmackenzie4

I agree with Ska face,  I will still go to games (when I can due to work commitments) I’d imagine the amount of season ticket sales will depend on the situation with the new board, there is a massive opportunity here to get fans on board and really go for it, we need a total clear out, this could be a new dawn for the club.

I had it in my head that we were going down around December/January time, I just had this feeling, I’m not happy with going down but I’ve sort of accepted it, that day at Burton I was devastated but this time I feel different, I do feel let down but that pain what I experienced last time we dropped out of the league isn’t there.

Interesting that you say that because I too was completely devastated at Burton and again like you this time it is somehow not as bad. We’ve hit rock bottom but there’s now only one way to go and that is up. We’ve got a capable manager and I’d suggest he’s as good as we can get given our circumstances, and we’ve got new owners too. They will surely modernise the club, run it properly and hopefully we can bounce back quickly. In a strange way I’m almost excited about the new season. This is what being a GTFC fan does to you!! #UTM

I bought season tickets last year and will do again for the next season. Would hope that the new owners consider something to acknowledge those ST holders for a season where we did not get to see any games live and also not looking to increase ST prices.

It will be interesting to see what the new Board will do to get fans back into the ground.

I think we're all talking about this while emotions are raw.

After a heavy defeat I've often said I won't be going to the next match... only to buy a ticket for the next match after I realise I need GTFC in my life.

Time is a healer. It won't repair our relegation but after a season of not being able to attend games, and then a pre-season where hope will, once again, gradually build... I'll be desperate to return to BP.

I'm an exile so can't really buy a ST, but I would if I knew I could get back on Saturdays and Tuesday nights.

I'm clearly not feeling as negative as some others on here (I should be livid, really - being relegated to non-league once was ridiculous, a second time is criminal) but what I've learnt over this past year is that I just want to go to games.

If it means fifth division games, then so be it. I'm not so scarred by our previous endeavours in non-league. There were some great away days and we still talk about players and teams from that era quite highly — certainly higher than we talk about the teams we've had back in L2.

Honestly, how many players have we signed in the past 5 seasons would you have kept over the likes of Bogle, Amond, Disley, Pearson, Arnold, Nolan, etc?

I know I'm just looking for the positives in a bad situation but I can't let myself wallow in misery any longer.

We have a new, positive consortium about to take over, and I really do believe that a good bit of PR and a bit of time to let things heal will play in our favour.

I'm less concerned about the unglamorous trips to Wealdstone and Kings Lynn and more concerned about getting back to BP, seeing family, friends and having some Grimsby fish and chips. I've really missed all that in the last year.

That's speaking as an exile, of course. I know some fans won't be able to bear more non-league but, as ska face has already said, these past five seasons have been barren in terms of quality and entertainment.

I actually think I had more fun in those years we were pushing for promotion in non-league. We were winning more and we had likeable players. And the fans really came together.

I'd like to think we'll sell something like 2,500 season tickets, based purely on the fact that, for many, going to the games is routine, and part of their life. For others, it'll be to just enjoy going to games again.

A clean sweep. A clear-out. Start again, with a better, more ethical board.

Fans will be swayed a lot more if the new owners looked more into the matchday experience. Too many fans see going to games now as a chore or habit rather than a day out with friends or family. The introduction of fan zones, having a beer and food inside the ground, maybe meet players that aren't in the matchday squad, fun things for kids to do or similar ideas would get many more people into the ground. Ultimately results on the pitch make a difference but the matchday experience needs a total upgrade and hopefully the new owners will quickly look into this

Lots of external factors to consider too. Will restrictions be in place and masks and temperature checks etc be required? Will online coverage still be available? Will you have to get there earlier and leave in sections? A lot of people have got out of the habit of going and we have spent over a year being told "crowds are bad". It's going to take a while to get back to "normal" for everyone. That's assuming that everyone is even in work and able to afford to attend games as they used to.

Quoted from RichMariner

I'm an exile so can't really buy a ST, but I would if I knew I could get back on Saturdays and Tuesday nights.

You could purchase a ST, then donate it to the trust, who could then pass it on to someone who can not afford one

Ska face summed up my feelings about league 2. And given we’ve been relegated behind closed doors it doesn’t really seem that much of a big deal. Yes it’s a disaster, but we’ve been hovering for most of the time we’ve been up and frankly I haven’t enjoyed it at all.

Quoted from Tangerine Chris

You could purchase a ST, then donate it to the trust, who could then pass it on to someone who can not afford one

Do the Trust run a scheme like this? I'd be prepared to do that (assuming the incoming owners are sensible in how they price STs).

Quoted from Zero_as_a_limit

Do the Trust run a scheme like this? I'd be prepared to do that (assuming the incoming owners are sensible in how they price STs).

I think the difficulty will be determining who would be given them. They would become a mini Benefits Agency.

Quoted from jaygy

Fans will be swayed a lot more if the new owners looked more into the matchday experience. Too many fans see going to games now as a chore or habit rather than a day out with friends or family. The introduction of fan zones, having a beer and food inside the ground, maybe meet players that aren't in the matchday squad, fun things for kids to do or similar ideas would get many more people into the ground. Ultimately results on the pitch make a difference but the matchday experience needs a total upgrade and hopefully the new owners will quickly look into this

This is something that will be happening.

Big swing for me would be match restrictions and  away day possibility. If we get to a point by July where crowds look like they will pretty much be unrestricted meaning we can also go away then I think I will commit to one.
If the govt are still fcking about with trials and limiting numbers and enforcing seating patterns/ restrictions then I wont.

Would really want to get behind the new owners, so that going through is also a must.

For me hurst does not inspire me neither does non league football might go to the county c
game that would’ve it for me.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

I think the difficulty will be determining who would be given them. They would become a mini Benefits Agency.

Maybe the club would let the trust raffle the seat off on a weekly basis, 50p a go, all proceeds to the youth team or something similar

Whatever your thoughts of the rights or wrongs of this; don’t you think there is a big possibility of some form of lockdown again during some of the winter (key footy) months, say October onwards?

I would guess at season tickets of around 2k to 2.5k at best, and attendances around the 3.5k Mark initially, after that depends on results

Well I wasn't going to get a season ticket but now Fenty is going I'm having one.
UTM

Quoted from TAGG

Well I wasn't going to get a season ticket but now Fenty is going I'm having one.
UTM

PS
The new owners should give us that have a ST now a BIG discount next season  

Drop the price of season tickets and the fans will come back, as long as that girl private fenty and his merry men are gone I'll be buying 3 UTM

GTFC will always have a diehard 3-3500 **

**That would be 1500 if our disgraced ex president was still in power**

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

Maybe the club would let the trust raffle the seat off on a weekly basis, 50p a go, all proceeds to the youth team or something similar

Yeah. That’s not a bad idea.

I expected to be far more devastated than I am about the relegation. Because we have been struggling since rejoining the league, because the drama off the pitch has been more enjoyable than anything on the pitch, because we are finally departing ways with Fenty and because, for me, I had some really good times in the National League, well I’m not that bothered.
The last few months of 2019 I was going to games more out of a combination of habit and season ticket, but was often sat in BP bored stiff. With the imminent takeover and fresh ideas of the consortium I feel genuinely hopeful for the future.

My opinion is that live football attendance will boom when all COVID restrictions end similar but obviously not on the same scale as post the Second World War. I think people are sick of watching dull Premier League games on tv with commentators talking up dreary matches with predictable outcomes. While we will obviously miss out to some degree by being out the league increased crowds will filter down into non league so providing we are challenging for promotion our usual 4500 average is achievable.

With a new board and fresh idea's better training ground and fitter players( I have been listening to Hurst  )

We will have a better chance of winning most games so from the start we will get about 3--4 thousand which will only grow because we are winning.

A new stadium not in 20 years but 4 or 5 a.real feel good factor and instead of being abused on here and ignored everywhere else by the disgraced Fenty .

We start again and the only way is up and the whole club and fan base are united as one.

What a difference it will be.