Attendances

[Suffolk Blue]

Leaving aside West Ham the average "exaggeration" by quoting season ticket holders who aren't there seems to be 10%-15% which is what you'd expect. The report also states that no rules are being broken by electing to do this. Again no rules are broken as long as the amount of revenue on which tax should be paid is correct. Simply put there are no rules on this.

As you say Jonty its fascinating that these are Prem clubs who in reality do not not rely on their gate attendances for their wealth. Its more to do with the perception of their club by their supporters which can only benefit the club in terms of its marketing of its product by accentuating the positive.

West Ham is slightly more interesting and might require further investigation. What can be said is that their move from Upton Park to the Olympic Park was not without its share of critics and the club has always felt the need to justify its presence there. There may be more PR involved in their case.

[mr_grey]

It doesn't matter - the point is that the clubs are getting the income, whether they are no-shows or not.

Yes i know it doesn't matter from an income perspective as revenue is revenue whether you are buying a ticket or buying a a team shIrt from the shop. It is all income that had to be declared in annual returns.

Im discussing this from a purely marketing strategy that some clubs will declare attendances based on tickets sold and tickets reserved for sponsors / guests etc regardless of whether they actually attend the game or not. This is nothing to do with declaring income etc and is purely a clever marketing strategy. Attendances provide an indication of how well a club is perceived to be doing and can impact future sponsorship deals and even player targets. If you are interested read this article. It happens https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... sales.html

Every game is a complete sell out irrelevant of how many fans are in the ground!

[Suffolk Blue]

Yes i know it doesn't matter from an income perspective as revenue is revenue whether you are buying a ticket or buying a a team shIrt from the shop. It is all income that had to be declared in annual returns.

Im discussing this from a purely marketing strategy that some clubs will declare attendances based on tickets sold and tickets reserved for sponsors / guests etc regardless of whether they actually attend the game or not. This is nothing to do with declaring income etc and is purely a clever marketing strategy. Attendances provide an indication of how well a club is perceived to be doing and can impact future sponsorship deals and even player targets. If you are interested read this article. It happens https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... sales.html

Every game is a complete sell out irrelevant of how many fans are in the ground!

Having been to the Olympic Park to watch the Iron play lower table dross, I can assure you that the all of their games are definitely not sold out.

[HenneysKnee]

FWIW as someone who doesn’t live in Barrow I do feel the club could do a lot more promotion of games in the town itself never mind elsewhere. Came to Barrow a couple of weeks ago and there’s a massive electronic advertising board just past ASDA…..advertising fixtures at Haydock Races, unless it’s some ridiculous price why aren’t we using that service to advertise our games?
I know we are still understaffed compared to probably the majority of EFL clubs, and as much as it’s true you can’t beat winning games to grow your crowds we do need to put some effort in as well. Keep hearing older people aren’t returning because of Covid/Cashless issue so what are we doing to encourage the younger generations to start supporting Barrow?

[Hong Kong Bluey]

I think there's 3 of those electronic advertising screens in Barrow now with another going up on Hibbert Rd/Abbey Rd corner. It seems an obvious place to advertise games etc but so far I haven't seen any. JF Hornby & Co have an ad on there so Paul Hornby obviously knows of their existence

[boyliegladbach]

FWIW as someone who doesn’t live in Barrow I do feel the club could do a lot more promotion of games in the town itself never mind elsewhere. Came to Barrow a couple of weeks ago and there’s a massive electronic advertising board just past ASDA…..advertising fixtures at Haydock Races, unless it’s some ridiculous price why aren’t we using that service to advertise our games?
I know we are still understaffed compared to probably the majority of EFL clubs, and as much as it’s true you can’t beat winning games to grow your crowds we do need to put some effort in as well. Keep hearing older people aren’t returning because of Covid/Cashless issue so what are we doing to encourage the younger generations to start supporting Barrow?

Think the one on Duke st/walney Road junction is £20+vat per day

[Sea Dog Sam]

Barrow 2,846? Bearing in mind that Hartlepool brought over 600 and that Saturday's fixture was our first (Proper ) EFL home game since 1972 that attendance is shocking! And worrying

[Ghostof72]

Keep hearing older people aren’t returning because of Covid/Cashless issue so what are we doing to encourage the younger generations to start supporting Barrow?

We're making it difficult for them to attend that's what! Random folk having to pay a group of kids into the ground or see them turned away, its hardly inviting, mind in the eyes of those young lads its probably easier than having to visit the ground twice a week!

For all we know one of those kids could go on and become chairman of the club in time, I wonder how Tony Shearer first began following the side, I suspect heading down to Holker Street with his mates and a few quid in his back pocket. If only life was that simple!

You're certainty right about the lack of marketing, we haven't done anything for years! Other than people putting up fan made posters in workplace I don't recall anything resembling a campaign. Someone mentioned previously that the floating fans will take it or leave it, having no loyalty or emotional attachment to the club, i think it is this that makes it difficult for those involved in the club to contemplate, it is a different mindset to themselves, this group will simply choose on any given day if they can be bothered. With that in mind it needs to be right under their noses and easy to make a spur of the moment decision. All this, you can do this on that day but not on the other is madness.

Hopefully the new commercial lad and media guy will address it, however they'll have their hands full as others have commented there's a lot to work to do, low corporate numbers, poor choice in the shop, comments suggesting it's hard work to spend money etc

I hope the lower than expected attendance figure this weekend encourages a rethink on the cashless approach and focuses the mind on a considered marketing strategy as I believe Saturdays gate could and should have been a lot higher.

[litefoot]

Here are the weekend's attendance figures for League 2 -

Bradford City 17,624
Swindon 9,450
Bristol Rovers 7,071
Port Vale 6,986
Leyton Orient 4,860
Walsall 4,210
Mansfield 3,793
Barrow 2,846
Colchester 2,772
Rochdale 2,679
Salford 1,460

Makes you wonder how we can compete with the likes of Bradford and Swindon. Of course it doesn't tell the whole story, as Salford are probably richer than all the rest!

As a Swindon fan, I'm massively surprised we got 9,450, unless it's fans getting behind the club after the Lee Power era (the new owner was driving around town in a bus last week flogging season tickets). Don't think Carlisle brought more than a couple of hundred.

The range on Saturday isn't really any different from the uncompleted 2019-20 season with Bradford pulling in more than anyone else then a few teams including us who are a couple of thousand ahead of everyone else then about a dozen teams getting 3-5k and half a dozen getting under 3k.

https://www.worldfootball.net/attendanc ... 19-2020/1/

[Bingo]

Constantly round and round in circles we go we have this debate every season. The club never take up any suggestions, there is so much that can be done.

It's just negative and excuses.. we have never had it so good but we could have it even better

[Hadrian]

I have made an enquiry of the EFL whether declared attendances according to a league regulation are calculated and if so how. I will report back on any response.

Supporter Services have been back in touch with the following reply:

Tickets sold and seats allocated are commonly used across the domestic game to calculate attendance figures.

The EFL requires certain information from clubs which relates to gate receipts, and attendees are monitored for safety purposes, however there is no obligation on clubs to announce a specific figure publicly and this is at their discretion.

So, no policy from EFL, as inferred from others' posts.

[andyg]

Only a minor thing really but why don't we put up signs throughout Barrow and the on the A590 say from Ulverston onwards that point towards our stadium. Throughout my area of Manchester Altrincham do it and, believe it or not, there are signs to Old Trafford and the Etihad. It just triggers the mempry of people that there maybe a game on/or about to take place in a day or so time and helps away fans and newbie supporters coming for the first time to get there.

[Falstaff]

Only a minor thing really but why don't we put up signs throughout Barrow and the on the A590 say from Ulverston onwards that point towards our stadium. Throughout my area of Manchester Altrincham do it and, believe it or not, there are signs to Old Trafford and the Etihad. It just triggers the mempry of people that there maybe a game on/or about to take place in a day or so time and helps away fans and newbie supporters coming for the first time to get there.

Probably no reason why we couldnt except the cost of providing and installing the signs as well as needing planning permission which also costs money

[andyg]

As far as Altincham are concerned it is only a small sign half way up lampposts. I wouldn't have thought that would break the bank. Can't see planning permission being a major issue apart from time to make that decision obviously!

[Fazered]

Only a minor thing really but why don't we put up signs throughout Barrow and the on the A590 say from Ulverston onwards that point towards our stadium. Throughout my area of Manchester Altrincham do it and, believe it or not, there are signs to Old Trafford and the Etihad. It just triggers the mempry of people that there maybe a game on/or about to take place in a day or so time and helps away fans and newbie supporters coming for the first time to get there.

Barrow sign only needs to say “Barrow AFC at the end of the cul-de-sac“