Fleet Attendance

[Mepis]

Many of us over the last couple of days have mentioned our attendance, we are asking 2500 each game before we consider full time status, so what can we do, i was very disappointed with our home support on Saturday, just over 2000 is very poor for such a high profile game, even Gills & Charlton were away which should have helped, jc said that we have only managed one other 2000 odd league game two years ago the question is why, i moved from Northfleet in 1974 but still travel from Medway as do many others, i have tried to bring people along but they are just not interested.

We have Barnet next month in what should be another 2000-2500 gate we know they will bring 300 or more.

I have said before unfortunatly i do not think or believe that this region has the potential to support a league team, the interest is not there, i just wish it was.

Any views i am sure there is.

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

You can't artificially create fans overnight.

 

We need a sustained period in the top flight of non league football, preferably at the right end of the table.

 

we have made great strides, in recent years, and now have many people attending the Fleet on a regular basis who used to previously make the trek up to the London clubs each week.

 

It takes time to win people over, we are building up the hardcore number of fans.( Tripled in last few years ) Yes we would all like it to grow faster.

But be patient, we are moving in the right direction.

 

It can be done..

Keep the faith and keep spreading the message. Anyone who attended the game on Saturday, will be coming back for more.

 

If we do get league football, we would put Gills to shame with our attendances.

[Robbo]

Totally agree that if the club at least stays round abouts where it is at the moment the fanbase will gradually expand. However, that doesn't mean we have to just sit back and wait for it to happen. We can help it on its way with more promotion of the club and other kinds of things. I mean at the moment I'd say we're actually punching above our weight in terms of attendance to league position.

[Hempstead Gaz]

We are in need of a high profile PR guru. Paul Harrison appears to be that man as he has declared publicly on this forum. However, we must remember that we most only attract publicity of the right kind - good press brings in the best sort of fans, bad press brings in the worst kind!

Brian has now gone public that Fleet want to go it alone - a decision which should be applauded by every Fleet fan. we must all be patient, we have no moneybags sponsor bankrolling us - nor do we particularly want one as we have all seen the damage they do when they pull out.

Brian and his fellow directors have always followed the path of slow steady progress and build on what we have got.

The last 6/7 years have seen a phenominal improvement in the playing side, the pitch, the ground, the support and the standard of league in which we are playing.

to come back to the original point , 8 years ago we would have been pleased with a crowd of 750 for a league game, we are now averaging 1560+, so we ARE going in the right direction.

Let us keep the faith and support the board and Manager. We WILL get there eventually.

[Harry J Allstars]

Over the next twenty years the Gravesham area is meant to grow with 20,000 new people coming in. (That'll be 1,000 a year then) Some of, not all but some, will make there way down to the Fleet. I would be happy with 5% of those, so thats.....

 

100% = 20,000

10% = 2,000 (half it)

5% = 1,000.

 

So in twenty years time we'll have 1,000 new fans and thats when we can go full time.

[chilled out entertainer]

do 5 percent of the current population go to the fleet?

[David Holden]

I don't know where you get your figures from Harry, but they bear no resemblance to the council's figures. In their document on Kent Thameside they are contemplating the building of 30,000 new homes which at the accepted average of 2.5 persons per home is an extra 75,000 people over the next few years.

 

Now some of those houses will be in Dartford, but as there will be a shiney new road going past the ground we can try to claim those as well.

 

Now we only need to get a paltry 2% of those new people to come along and there's an extra 1,500 people.

 

But all that's in the future and we must increase our gates now, so let's keep those idea's coming.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Try kids for free when accompanied by an adult until the end of the season.

Watch the crowds increase.

Not all, but some will become hooked, and buy season tickets next year.

They will tell their mates.

Who will also come.

Some will read the local or national papers, or watch Meridian or BBC South East, or listen to RK.

It's all related. It doesn't take rocket science.

Sell a good product to an audience who has heard the product is good and the audience will buy the product.

Company reps have been doing it for years.

Let the club start "selling" the club to a wider audience.

Paul Harrison has the right qualifications to start the ball rolling.

Let us get that average home gate up to 2000 by May 2005.

Onwards and upwards.

[Hempstead Gaz]

I'll start the ball rolling with a couple of suggestions.

1. Kids 4 free with a paying adult.

2. Sell a 'kids' pack at subsidised or cost price - signed Fleet football, woolly hat and scarf. say £15 or £20

3. Start a Junior Fleet fan club - lots of interaction with the players etc.

Get the web site up and running inside 2 weeks. I'm not an expert, but i know people who are. It can be done.

Let us get the ball rolling now - the start has to come from the boardroom.

[Ray ellingham]

Southend are charging 25.00 for a kids season ticket and 2.00 each game if with an adult

[chilled out entertainer]

i like that junior fleet idea, could be very beneficial for the club, would creat a lot of interest.

[David Holden]

Quote:

i like that junior fleet idea, could be very beneficial for the club, would creat a lot of interest.

Just off the top of my head how about something like this

[chilled out entertainer]

ha ha very funny!!! was it bought into by our local kids? I have never heard of this club,, maybe a few posters could be made and put up, thats if there is a junior club for this season of course!

[David Holden]

I think what I was trying to show is that we keep regurgitating the same old ideas (Kids for Free, Junior Fleet) saying that they are bound to work, and ignoring the fact that we have tried them and there isn't a lot of evidence that they have worked.

 

Now you could say that perhaps we haven't worked them as well as we could, and I wouldn't argue with that, but what we really need are some fresh ideas that are going to catch the punter's imagination and make them want to come and pay their money.

[UP FLEET]

How about trying to get Asda involved, for example ; a free entry for every £100 spent through the tills, in the form of a voucher, along with advertising in the store.

 

Dont forget we have an Asda store either side of us.(greenhithe/gravesend)

Has anyone at the club thought of approaching Asda/B&Q etc etc

[Mepis]

As i started this, have we ever had an open day meet the Board, Manager, Coaching Staff and Players a general public relations day, a few give aways, 100 tickets at half price for new supporters, generate some interest in the Council get them to advertise the Club.

[MHL]

I've seen lots of good intentions from the people on this Site. I think the apathy of Gravesend people (as pointed out by someone else on another thread), conmbined with support for London Clubs is difficult to shake off.

While the over pricing of tickets in the Prem downwards will drive London Supporters away. The problem is the adulation of children for Super star players with massive profiles. Sky will show the big games every weekend, and arm chair fans and Kids would rather watch Lampard, Rooney or Henry then the Fleet.

Or London fans who prefer a warm pub, decent atmosphere, with beer on tap and a seat in front of the Big Screen.

 

The blanket coverage of football is to the detriment of the smaller clubs.

 

Sounds ridiculous and cynical, but could the Club House not show some Prem/Championship games before or after the Fleet?

[FleetFanatic]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but whenever I've gone into the clubhouse the footie has always been on.

[UP FLEET]

yep and good it is to after the match ,sitting in the warm watching the results roll in, and then the live match.

[FleetFanatic]

Quote:

I think what I was trying to show is that we keep regurgitating the same old ideas (Kids for Free, Junior Fleet) saying that they are bound to work, and ignoring the fact that we have tried them and there isn't a lot of evidence that they have worked.

Now you could say that perhaps we haven't worked them as well as we could, and I wouldn't argue with that, but what we really need are some fresh ideas that are going to catch the punter's imagination and make them want to come and pay their money.

The problem with kids for free, etc is that essentially the only people who really benefit from the idea are those who already bring their kids to games.

The concept of kids for free needs to be revised - as myself and others have suggested lots of times - target 1 or 2 schools for each home game, bung them 100 free tickets & get new people into the ground. Even if they only buy a programme, we've got some extra revenue in. They might even like what they see and return as a paying customer.

Then again, perhaps we are going about things in the wrong way - instead of bringing people in for free, perhaps we simply need to look at the way the club markets itself?

A concept that I'd like to see is the marketing of the club as a local brandname - Planet Fleet anybody? The website & clubshop could both go under the same name, get the catering back inhouse & use the same brandname for the bar & burgervan!

Maybe get some of the club merchandise into the local stores - some sort of sale or return deal with the likes of Asda or JJB Sports? Perhaps one day the club might have a store of its own in the town!

It's all about increasing the visibilty of Gravesend & Northfleet FC in the borough.