Hello fellow Mariners, first post here, so here goes.

As my username hints at I am not really in a position to purchase a season ticket anymore (a blessing from what I have seen on ifollow this season/last season), but I was wondering if anyone knew if buying a season ticket brought other benefits (not just escaping the wife for a couple of hours  ;) )? Such as discounts with local business etc.

If not are the club missing a trick here (not a rhetorical question I promise)?

I doubt at the moment the football being served up is going to shift anywhere near the amount of seasons tickets that we have done in the past few seasons so would you buy one if you knew that you would benefit from discounts etc. with local businesses and the like?

UTM

Nope sorry

putting them on sale is the only initiative the board have regards ST's.

Quoted from moosey_club

putting them on sale is the only initiative the board have regards ST's.

I guess we should be grateful they are that forward thinking, are they on sale yet?  ;)

Quoted from Malta_Mariner_90

I guess we should be grateful they are that forward thinking, are they on sale yet?  ;)

Monday with a seasons highlights DVD as an incentive

Quoted from Malta_Mariner_90

I guess we should be grateful they are that forward thinking, are they on sale yet?  ;)

Unfortunately due to an unforseen end of football season coming up we have missed the early slots at the printers who are now busy printing 91 other teams orders...expect them on sale in July with delivery of the physical tickets early August.  

Quoted from The Boys Paddock

Monday with a seasons highlights DVD as an incentive

I beleive this seasons highlights will be shown on a club Snapchat message  ;D

We should've had them on sale months ago when we were on good form. I'm sure Fenty said they were going to be on sale before the end of the season (for once) but that hasn't happened, it never does.

Fact is there are only 5 EFL clubs that rely on income from fans to survive more than we do (yes really! https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/match-day-fans-more-important-1899781.amp )You'd think the club would do everything possible to attract and keep fans, sell season tickets and build something but beyond the usual 'please renew' tweets in July, there is nothing. The club haven't been proactive at all in building a fan base and attracting those fans back that chose to stay away. We need to completely change the pricing structure of season tickets and match day tickets and offer more incentive to buy a ST, really publicised and market them to sell them, given free replica a shirts to students at every local primary school etc and that's just a start. There's absolutely no reason why we can't attract more fans no matter what is happening on the pitch. When we were fighting to stay up in the 09/10 season, we were getting 7000 because the club really marketed themselves, pushed for ticket sales and the local media got behind the club. We also had initiatives like the battle bus etc. We need to see more of that kind of thing again.

Fenty said the club should do its talking on the pitch
and yes, what's happening on the pitch will always be a good marketing tool if it's going well but it needs to go beyond that. Given how much were dependent on fan income you'd think the club would do everything possible to increase gate numbers and therefore improve the playing budget which would enable us to buy better players, which would in turn would increase gate numbers further. Instead were in the opposite cycle.

As I said, regardless of what's happening on the pitch our attendances could easily be much higher with a bit of forward thinking and clever marketing.

Maybe we should crowd fund to pay for some advertising if the club won't do a good enough job themselves.

[quote=4152]
Fact is there are only 5 EFL clubs that rely on income from fans to survive more than we do


Which makes it even more remarkable, if not completely baffling that there has been no serious long term effort at all by the club to increase revenues from the only real revenue stream we have (ignoring the TV money at our level).

Season ticket initiatives and GTFC eh? Nah it`s worked brilliantly for 40 years just the way it is :-/

Season ticket sales could be at a record low, going to be interesting to see the clubs marketing plan and initiatives to boost season ticket sales, oh wait there won't be one.

Quoted from Malta_Mariner_90

[quote=4152]
Fact is there are only 5 EFL clubs that rely on income from fans to survive more than we do


Which makes it even more remarkable, if not completely baffling that there has been no serious long term effort at all by the club to increase revenues from the only real revenue stream we have (ignoring the TV money at our level).

It would be interesting to see what the income streams are from those  clubs that don't depend on ticket sales. Do they have grounds that have non-football related income such as conference centres, large catering facilities for weddings etc or maybe even bars that are open on other than matchdays ? BP is very limited in all these areas and that is why a new ground is imperative for the future survival of this club.  At the moment BP is like a factory that employs staff all week long but only has production 23 days a year. You can come up with as many incentives to sell tickets and ST's as you like but you still need to maximise your facilities to supplement that income.

Quoted from Davec

Season ticket sales could be at a record low, going to be interesting to see the clubs marketing plan and initiatives to boost season ticket sales, oh wait there won't be one.

Will be very interesting.
I hazard a guess there wont be a dramatic difference from last season.

Could depend if there's a price increase 🤔

Quoted from rancido

It would be interesting to see what the income streams are from those  clubs that don't depend on ticket sales. Do they have grounds that have non-football related income such as conference centres, large catering facilities for weddings etc or maybe even bars that are open on other than matchdays ? BP is very limited in all these areas and that is why a new ground is imperative for the future survival of this club.  At the moment BP is like a factory that employs staff all week long but only has production 23 days a year. You can come up with as many incentives to sell tickets and ST's as you like but you still need to maximise your facilities to supplement that income.

A lot of truth in what you say, but even BP in its present state isn't maximising its potential revenue. Why can't it have a bar open every evening selling craft beers having the footy on tv, weekly quiz nights, weekly pool tournament or such? Why can't McMenemys be known as the best place to eat fish and chips every evening of the week and be full like Steels? Why can't a sector between the Pontoon and the Youngs Stand be open every day with catering kiosks offering the best street food in Grimsby and Clee for the hungry worker at lunchtime that remembers how good his gourmet burger, jerk chicken or samosa is on matchdays? Why can't there be kids clubs at the morning of matchdays engaged in healthy activities then eating, drinking at the ground and spending in the club shop? All maybe not perfect off the top of my head ideas, but at least they're ideas, and could increase, as you say, production on only 23 days a year..

Quoted from Stadium

Will be very interesting.
I hazard a guess there wont be a dramatic difference from last season.

In your opinion what number would you class dramatic? I sadly expect a drop off 10% so in effect around 300 who won`t renew unless something changes very quickly.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

In your opinion what number would you class dramatic? I sadly expect a drop off 10% so in effect around 300 who won`t renew unless something changes very quickly.

Probably around that figure but what's the uptake generally of new applicants who havnt held one before?
Will a drop of 10% worry the club to initiate some sort of marketing scheme?
When is the on sale date?

Commercially this football club is so lazy and has been for as long as I can remember.

I bet we dont sell more than 2300 this season, there were quite a few new ticket holders last season, cant see many of them wanting to renew.

Quoted from Bigdog

A lot of truth in what you say, but even BP in its present state isn't maximising its potential revenue. Why can't it have a bar open every evening selling craft beers having the footy on tv, weekly quiz nights, weekly pool tournament or such? Why can't McMenemys be known as the best place to eat fish and chips every evening of the week and be full like Steels? Why can't a sector between the Pontoon and the Youngs Stand be open every day with catering kiosks offering the best street food in Grimsby and Clee for the hungry worker at lunchtime that remembers how good his gourmet burger, jerk chicken or samosa is on matchdays? Why can't there be kids clubs at the morning of matchdays engaged in healthy activities then eating, drinking at the ground and spending in the club shop? All maybe not perfect off the top of my head ideas, but at least they're ideas, and could increase, as you say, production on only 23 days a year..

I was just about to post the same thing (honest)

Just keep hanging around for a non existent new stadium is not doing anybody any good.

Just imagine that Blundell Park  IS a new stadium and get on with it!

The car park and surrounding streets can easily hold enough visitors. McMenemys can be the "conference facilities." It is not ideal, but its not bad.

The pitch can hold outdoor events, so that is a plus. Are there any interior spaces that could be re-allocated?

I held my wedding reception at the ground and everyone thought it was great  (apart from the wife who doesn't like football) - views over the pitch and the relative novelty of a football stadium.

If the current board were running a new stadium, lets be honest what would the difference be?? The novelty factor would soon wear off and we would be back to where we are now.

Quoted from rancido

It would be interesting to see what the income streams are from those  clubs that don't depend on ticket sales. Do they have grounds that have non-football related income such as conference centres, large catering facilities for weddings etc or maybe even bars that are open on other than matchdays ? BP is very limited in all these areas and that is why a new ground is imperative for the future survival of this club.  At the moment BP is like a factory that employs staff all week long but only has production 23 days a year. You can come up with as many incentives to sell tickets and ST's as you like but you still need to maximise your facilities to supplement that income.

I agree it would make an interesting comparison to see just what we might be missing out on in respect of non match day revenue streams.

It would probably also be worth thinking how many potential customers we would attract on to a new ground on a non match day. Great it will be a new stadium, but it is a new stadium in Grimsby, probably not such a sought after destination for the conference circuit I imagine?

But the main point I was trying to make was that I would have thought that if any company has a particular revenue stream which generates most of its income it relies on it would make sense to maximise this, from the outside at least there seems to be so many ways they are not doing this.  

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I was just about to post the same thing (honest)

Just keep hanging around for a non existent new stadium is not doing anybody any good.

Just imagine that Blundell Park  IS a new stadium and get on with it!

The car park and surrounding streets can easily hold enough visitors. McMenemys can be the "conference facilities." It is not ideal, but its not bad.

The pitch can hold outdoor events, so that is a plus. Are there any interior spaces that could be re-allocated?

I held my wedding reception at the ground and everyone thought it was great  (apart from the wife who doesn't like football) - views over the pitch and the relative novelty of a football stadium.

If the current board were running a new stadium, lets be honest what would the difference be?? The novelty factor would soon wear off and we would be back to where we are now.

I know I keep mentioning this but I cannot see the Council allowing any planning permission for any further development at BP that would increase footfall on other than match days. The major point , although a lot don't see this , is car parking. The existing car parking is totally inadequate and parking on the surrounding streets would raise so many objections as to be not even worth considering. It's one thing saying that people who moved in the surrounding streets knew there was a football ground there when they bought their properties but a totally different scenario when you start using that same ground for 365 days a year.

Quoted from rancido

I know I keep mentioning this but I cannot see the Council allowing any planning permission for any further development at BP that would increase footfall on other than match days. The major point , although a lot don't see this , is car parking. The existing car parking is totally inadequate and parking on the surrounding streets would raise so many objections as to be not even worth considering. It's one thing saying that people who moved in the surrounding streets knew there was a football ground there when they bought their properties but a totally different scenario when you start using that same ground for 365 days a year.

I dont think we are talking about holding Adele concerts are we? Business meetings with a few dozen guests. A meeting place for various associations and groups. I have been to business meetings at the ground before and the parking was ok.

Do we hang on doing absolutely nothing more or less, and make the most of what we have, or do we wait another 10 years for a super duper new stadium with bells on?

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I dont think we are talking about holding Adele concerts are we? Business meetings with a few dozen guests. A meeting place for various associations and groups. I have been to business meetings at the ground before and the parking was ok.

Do we hang on doing absolutely nothing more or less, and make the most of what we have, or do we wait another 10 years for a super duper new stadium with bells on?

But surely a few business meetings with a few dozen guests is hardly likely to get the bank balancing bouncing and even 100 guests will obviously not affect the parking. The fact that you have attended business meetings there shows that  BP is already known for that application.It's extra income streams that are going to attract £1,000's not £100's that we need and that will require investment in a site that should be flattened not enhanced. It's not that I'm being negative, just pointing out the flaws in going down that path.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I'm not sure there'd be many more than a dozen people for an Adele concert😉😂
I dont think we are talking about holding Adele concerts are we? Business meetings with a few dozen guests. A meeting place for various associations and groups. I have been to business meetings at the ground before and the parking was ok.

Do we hang on doing absolutely nothing more or less, and make the most of what we have, or do we wait another 10 years for a super duper new stadium with bells on?

I'd be interested to see if anyone has actually done any research into the conference and events market in NEL. How much are we missing out on? It's one of those things that was always trotted out when talking of the benefits of a new stadium, but unless the extra revenue (including extra ticketsales which I assume would go up a bit) covers the cost of building, a new stadium means we'll be worse off not better off.

My suspicion is no proper research has been done on any of it.

Quoted from rancido

But surely a few business meetings with a few dozen guests is hardly likely to get the bank balancing bouncing and even 100 guests will obviously not affect the parking. The fact that you have attended business meetings there shows that  BP is already known for that application.It's extra income streams that are going to attract £1,000's not £100's that we need and that will require investment in a site that should be flattened not enhanced. It's not that I'm being negative, just pointing out the flaws in going down that path.

I ran a non football event at BP a few years ago for around 150 guests and I have to say with all sincerity from start to finish nothing was to much trouble for GTFC in terms of helping me and answering questions as they came up . I will likely run another event this year and Blundell Park will be right at the top of my venue list due to the service they provided previously . The major stumbling for me at the time was the ground not having a lift but I think that`s in the process of being rectified? Once again when you see customer feedback like mine being so positive you just wonder WTF they are thinking with the lack of advertising for a really good central location for functions?

Quoted from rancido

But surely a few business meetings with a few dozen guests is hardly likely to get the bank balancing bouncing and even 100 guests will obviously not affect the parking. The fact that you have attended business meetings there shows that  BP is already known for that application.It's extra income streams that are going to attract £1,000's not £100's that we need and that will require investment in a site that should be flattened not enhanced. It's not that I'm being negative, just pointing out the flaws in going down that path.

Why don't we need £100's?  Say there is 1 event on a week, 52 weeks of the year and on average each one ONLY makes £200... That's still £10,400 which I assume will almost be 1 member of staff paid in the club house.. Every little helps.

Quoted from lukeo

Why don't we need £100's?  Say there is 1 event on a week, 52 weeks of the year and on average each one ONLY makes £200... That's still £10,400 which I assume will almost be 1 member of staff paid in the club house.. Every little helps.

But to hold it every week, we'd probably have to employ somebody else to manage and run it, we only have a very small team of admin staff as it is. Plus you've then got to advertise it in order to get the numbers. The cost of all this is probably close to £50k.

Quoted from lukeo

Why don't we need £100's?  Say there is 1 event on a week, 52 weeks of the year and on average each one ONLY makes £200... That's still £10,400 which I assume will almost be 1 member of staff paid in the club house.. Every little helps.

There you go, “ sponsor a GTFC employee “. Pay towards the wage bill therefore freeing cash to spend on players. 😉

Quoted from lukeo

Why don't we need £100's?  Say there is 1 event on a week, 52 weeks of the year and on average each one ONLY makes £200... That's still £10,400 which I assume will almost be 1 member of staff paid in the club house.. Every little helps.

Somebody working in the club shop for 40 hours on the living wage will cost at least £16,000 plus the clubs NI contributions. More like half a member of staff based on your figures.  What total cost of the event is that £200 profit based on ? Would that be after tax? I'm no accountant but to clear that amount that could go to the club then the event would need to be at least £1,000. Not a great sum for these kind of events and then you have to find 52 of these events every year. I know every little helps but that is hardly going to boost the club's non-football cash flow.

Have you considered applying to join the board Rancido? Your 'can't do' attitude marks you out as just the kind of doom-mongering 'why even bother' young go-getter we like running our football club.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

Have you considered applying to join the board Rancido? Your 'can't do' attitude marks you out as just the kind of doom-mongering 'why even bother' young go-getter we like running our football club.

I'm certainly not a doom monger but I do take a practical and objective view to what is said and can be achieved. It's got nothing to do with a " can't do " attitude, more like what you can do and take that as far as you can.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

I'd be interested to see if anyone has actually done any research into the conference and events market in NEL. How much are we missing out on? It's one of those things that was always trotted out when talking of the benefits of a new stadium, but unless the extra revenue (including extra ticketsales which I assume would go up a bit) covers the cost of building, a new stadium means we'll be worse off not better off.

My suspicion is no proper research has been done on any of it.

Oh i am sure Extreme have a totally radical folder full of research on this subject helping to rubber stamp the PP development.............
which coincidentally must be nearing completion now, better get my ice stakes sharpened for the grand opening of the ice rink  :o

There are other things that can be done.  Such as using BP to hold events such as tribute bands.  Went to a couple in Lincoln held at the Lincoln Castle over the weekend a while ago, both nights were packed.  

Quoted from Meza

There are other things that can be done.  Such as using BP to hold events such as tribute bands.  Went to a couple in Lincoln held at the Lincoln Castle over the weekend a while ago, both nights were packed.  

Knowing our board they would book a Joe Dolce tribute act. At least, one of the board members will know the words to Shaddup your face.

Quoted from Cambs Mariner

Knowing our board they would book a Joe Dolce tribute act. At least one of the board members will know the words to Shaddup your face.

😂😂😂

Quoted from Cambs Mariner

Knowing our board they would book a Joe Dolce tribute act. At least one of the board members will know the words to Shaddup your face.

i think a tribute act would be dearer than the genuine Joe Dolce nowadays  ;D

Quoted from Cambs Mariner

Knowing our board they would book a Joe Dolce tribute act. At least one of the board members will know the words to Shaddup your face.

;D ;D ;D

The only "Season Ticket Initiative" we need is sign some decent players for our level this summer.

Quoted from Cambs Mariner

Knowing our board they would book a Joe Dolce tribute act. At least, one of the board members will know the words to Shaddup your face.

https://youtu.be/Wzb35dgR1oY

Quoted from promotion plaice

The only "Season Ticket Initiative" we need is sign some decent players for our level this summer.

Don't we do our PR on the pitch?

It was just an example and for me a club like ours I think we should do anything possible to make sort some of profit, whether it's big or small.

Just getting the fucckers on sale would be innovative for us. I’ve seen both Scunny and Plymouth have theirs on sale already and they don’t even know which division they’re playing in next year. We, along with Blackburn, were the first club in the football league to be guaranteed which division they’d be in next year, and we all really knew from mid-Jan onwards.

Tragic.

Quoted from Cambs Mariner

Knowing our board they would book a Joe Dolce tribute act. At least, one of the board members will know the words to Shaddup your face.

You know,every now and then I read a line on here that totally slays me.Well done Cambs bl00dy brilliant ;D

Quoted from lukeo

It was just an example and for me a club like ours I think we should do anything possible to make sort some of profit, whether it's big or small.

Don`t panic the tried and trusted renewal packs will be sent out shortly works every time :o

Quoted from ska face

Just getting the fucckers on sale would be innovative for us. I’ve seen both Scunny and Plymouth have theirs on sale already and they don’t even know which division they’re playing in next year. We, along with Blackburn, were the first club in the football league to be guaranteed which division they’d be in next year, and we all really knew from mid-Jan onwards.

Tragic.

Look you the printers could`nt get the right ink or someone in the office lost the homosexual packet that the printers number was written on in 1970 what`s your problem ;D

;D

Give it a while next Monday and I’ll have forgotten all about this last season (...and the other 20 years) and I’ll be at BP with £350 to hand over!


Acc Stanley have done 1000 already, season’s not even over, only confirmed safety last week.

All of this only confirms what a lot of us are saying, GTFC is a reactive club and definitely not proactive.

No amount of red crosses makes it less true. The club are miles behind everyone else largely down to its custodians (not just JF)

I’m surprised the club didn’t get the EFL family charter thing. It’s been the same 5 families and friends in all the clubs roles for years.  ;)

Quoted from ska face

;D

Give it a while next Monday and I’ll have forgotten all about this last season (...and the other 20 years) and I’ll be at BP with £350 to hand over!


Acc Stanley have done 1000 already, season’s not even over, only confirmed safety last week.

But will you find BP now the floodlights will be removed? I mean this could be a marketing ploy by GTFC to hide the ground from it`s own fans to cut down on criticsm I bet you never considered that did you?

Quoted from 1mickylyons

But will you find BP now the floodlights will be removed? I mean this could be a marketing ploy by GTFC to hide the ground from it`s own fans to cut down on criticsm I bet you never considered that did you?

Quite right too. The fans have held this club back for too long.