I can now find streams on various sites for “free” (malware and lag included) for our Saturday games for the first time this year, not that it’ll put me off going but over the coming seasons you can imagine it being more of an impact on attendances
The club is trying, I guess it takes time, maybe they should do a fans census. Our attendance can be enhanced by making the membership scheme linked to more discounts and ticket offers. Draw people in and market it as fun entertaining day out.
I defer to PTs posts in the past. He has good insights which are no doubt picked up on by the club.
I suspect the biggest pulls for non-Walsall supporters will be kids asking to go. That has been well enabled in the past, I think transport is a big factor, could more be done to link in places around the town with buses or a special train?
There are a lot of people leaving towns (like Walsall) across the country, some people may simply live too far away for mid week games.
Also, do ISSA members still attend home games regularly? I noticed a lot of ill feeling towards the owners last season and pre-season, upset with the locker and LP. Have the performances shifted that disgruntlement or am I imagining things?
Attending football matches becomes a habit and following that an addiction. Braking that addiction as with any addiction is hard to do, and unfortunately we have in recent years managed to do just that with a lot of our older fans, who no longer have a craving to attend matches on a regular basis.
Sounds stupid, but actually true. How do I know this? Because I’m one of those fans!!
It would take a major overhaul of the club to rekindle my interest I’m sorry to say.
I don’t think you can group ISSA members like that to be fair, too many members, they all have their own opinions and do their own thing. I am on the committee and am a season ticket holder.
I don’t recall any problems from ISSA regarding the locker, there have been a few disagreements with LP, but if people aren’t going to tell the truth then that will happen.
Well you come on here a lot. I would say you are very interested. I think if I were you I would get down there and see some genuinely good footballers (for the level) who are playing their hearts out for us fans.
That for me is a very important point. The last few seasons that we gave tickets to schools in let’s call it the ‘black period’, we have played absolute rubbish and the consequence is the kids go straight back to their x boxes and never come again. The thing this season is maybe with the way we are playing the kids who come with a parent will mither them to come again and again, just a thought and a hope.
That 30k in no way can be used as a ref point - just thinking back to the tickets me and my mate brought / arranged / sorted Was around 20
Guessing we all had folks who tagged along in some way ? Great day bar the football
Including Fammily, parents, siblings, friends, few kids. Since Wembley I think it would be safe to say only 6/7 have been to another Walsall game. And none of that 6/7 are anywhere near double figures for attending games other than me and my mate. And as you know @Andy_Petterson there have been periods where I’ve opted for IKEA and Dunhelm (a) on a Saturday
I’m not trying to just pick arguments with you I promise.
I see it a bit differently to that, although I admit it is only based on my own experiences and I could be wrong.
I think the hardest part is getting the parent/s to go or want to go. When I started going I didn’t care about the football, I just wanted to go with my Dad wherever he went and be like him.
I have to think the same has happened with my kids, I have put a lot of time in with them teaching them why we support Walsall but if I had chosen something else to do with my Saturday afternoons, I am guessing they would have followed me doing whatever that was. They have grown up in Cannock which is full of Dingles, and they have never once swayed, even though it has mostly been rubbish football for them (until now) They have forced me to some games over recent years I didn’t even fancy myself much.
My lads are the same @Blazing_Saddler, the only reason I’m a saddlers fan is because my grandad, Dad, brothers were/are all saddlers fans. My 3 lads ( who all post on UTS) are all saddlers fans, all there kids ( my grandkids) are all saddlers fans. We also have our own WhatsApp group with family and friends who all go regularly so that’s about 20 all together and that I suspect is how most saddlers fans are coherced into watching through family and friends. You can only get so many that way so it needs (A) a team worth turning up to see and (B) a little nudge from Trivela to encourage people.
Definitely having a team worth watching will help. You can’t expect it to be great all the time but my boys who are now 12 and 14 have only ever really seen rubbish.
They still talk about Oztumer and Dobson’s last minute goal v Northampton. They are really enjoying this season though, so I am I!
I don’t think there is a quick fix to increasing attendances, money is very tight for a lot of people more than ever now, that doesn’t help. We make a lot of sacrifices as a family to follow Walsall.
It’s hard when we’re basically charging the same for a ticket as Blues and West Brom who are both down the road from us and play at a higher level. I guess profile is another issue…
Not that I particularly like Wrexham - but you’ve got to admire their efforts in raising profile. Maybe the question we should ask is how do we raise our profile?
‘Welcome to Walsall’ as a Netflix documentary anyone? Walsall FC propaganda in every Poundland across the country? - Not sure if I’m keen on any of those or if they would work.
Carlisle United had over 8,000 at their last home game, considering it was against Harrogate and they are bottom of the league any body know what’s going on there?
It probably helps that there isn’t another League team for miles so they have no local competition.
You have to go south to Barrow or east to Newcastle before there’s another League team.
They do and they run coaches to away games amongst other things the fall out came when Pomnocchio wanted them to lie to fans and they rightly refused was my understanding of it at the time.
Yup, City of over 100,000 people, and absolutely no competition for miles.
Queen of the South say hi
Aside from being 40 miles away…. they’re not in the English league.
Yeah I just wondered, I know they are massive for the away coaches I had a vague impression there was a group of supporters within ISSA boycotting home games because of the LP lies and redacted minutes.
Totally understand now thats in correct. More out of hope that 1k worth of supporters might turn up one day if there could be a hatchet burying with LP SLO and ISSA. I Understand that isn’t the case…
Am I right in thinking that Walsall is more populated then Wolverhampton and west brom? Id totally love to know what the attendance would be if we ever got to the premiership