| Rochdale directors talk about..... 22:30 - Apr 19 with 3894 views | RAFCBLUE |
.....inclusion. They talk about filling the ground with lots of keen, enthusiastic young people who will follow this club for 20 to 30 years; long after they have stepped down from the board.
They are not stupid people. They have made, in their own right, a good return from their specialism be that Church Heating, Toys, Estate Agency or other business interests.
But, it is clear that they have misunderstood the people that they represent.
Rochdale is one of the poorest towns in the UK. The people who buy a season tickets are the loyalist of supporters.
This club and its manager talk about beating the odds on a shoestring budget. Tonight there were 7,000 empty spaces earning zero revenue.
Let's be honest. The demographics are unimportant. RAFC needs as many paying fabs and attendees as it can muster. Race, colour, creed and finances are unimportant- but getting behind a club week in, week out are.
Promote inclusion. Fill the ground as often and as well as you can. Zero empty space means zero lost revenue.
Price elitesly and in ten years this club will suffer. Without Hill we proved that small attendances means bottom division football.
Hill talks about not wanting to be like Stockport or Wrexham. Both those club have as good, if not better home support.
Build this club. Don't price people out.
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 22:37 - Apr 19 with 3827 views | rochdale1987 |
I'd say I'm astonished but i'm not, about the fact that tonight was supposedly a student pound entry night, yet there were no signs at the turnstiles whatsoever promoting this! Some things never change... [Post edited 21 Jun 2016 1:16]
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 22:41 - Apr 19 with 3795 views | nordenblue |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 22:37 - Apr 19 by rochdale1987 |
I'd say I'm astonished but i'm not, about the fact that tonight was supposedly a student pound entry night, yet there were no signs at the turnstiles whatsoever promoting this! Some things never change... [Post edited 21 Jun 2016 1:16]
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It's all come to be expected missing out on opportunities it happens countless times every season sadly
Tbf some people at the club could fook up a one piece jigsaw. | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 23:10 - Apr 19 with 3687 views | Ninco |
What's the answer though? I've been watching Dale for nearly 40 years and we've never had decent attendances. It's not like we had them once and they drifted away, and we need to get them back. They were never there in the first place.
I am sure the directors understand that we need bigger gates, but they seem to have tried every possible promotion scheme you can think of to get people in and while it may boost attendances at one game, people rarely come back once the promotion has finished.
No director can force people to do what they don't want to do and if the people of Rochdale don't want to come along and support their team, and they would rather watch one of the other teams or go to the Trafford Centre on a Saturday, there's not much the club can do to change that.
We are in an unfortunate position at Rochdale as there are too many clubs in the area and we will never be able to compete with Premiership football. I think the best that we can hope for is that one day, we get in to the Championship as at least then, we may get to play some teams who bring a decent size following to us. Sadly, I think whatever level Dale play at, it will be the same loyal die hard fans who make up our support, and boosting attendances to the level we need is very unlikely. Particularly in a financial climate where money is tight and people are expected to find £22 per game. | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 23:19 - Apr 19 with 3623 views | roccydaleian |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 23:10 - Apr 19 by Ninco |
What's the answer though? I've been watching Dale for nearly 40 years and we've never had decent attendances. It's not like we had them once and they drifted away, and we need to get them back. They were never there in the first place.
I am sure the directors understand that we need bigger gates, but they seem to have tried every possible promotion scheme you can think of to get people in and while it may boost attendances at one game, people rarely come back once the promotion has finished.
No director can force people to do what they don't want to do and if the people of Rochdale don't want to come along and support their team, and they would rather watch one of the other teams or go to the Trafford Centre on a Saturday, there's not much the club can do to change that.
We are in an unfortunate position at Rochdale as there are too many clubs in the area and we will never be able to compete with Premiership football. I think the best that we can hope for is that one day, we get in to the Championship as at least then, we may get to play some teams who bring a decent size following to us. Sadly, I think whatever level Dale play at, it will be the same loyal die hard fans who make up our support, and boosting attendances to the level we need is very unlikely. Particularly in a financial climate where money is tight and people are expected to find £22 per game. |
"but they seemed to have tried every promotion scheme you can think of" No they haven't, their's been a number of ideas posted on this forum that could have been tried, that ship has now sailed.... |  | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 23:31 - Apr 19 with 3564 views | D_Alien |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 23:10 - Apr 19 by Ninco |
What's the answer though? I've been watching Dale for nearly 40 years and we've never had decent attendances. It's not like we had them once and they drifted away, and we need to get them back. They were never there in the first place.
I am sure the directors understand that we need bigger gates, but they seem to have tried every possible promotion scheme you can think of to get people in and while it may boost attendances at one game, people rarely come back once the promotion has finished.
No director can force people to do what they don't want to do and if the people of Rochdale don't want to come along and support their team, and they would rather watch one of the other teams or go to the Trafford Centre on a Saturday, there's not much the club can do to change that.
We are in an unfortunate position at Rochdale as there are too many clubs in the area and we will never be able to compete with Premiership football. I think the best that we can hope for is that one day, we get in to the Championship as at least then, we may get to play some teams who bring a decent size following to us. Sadly, I think whatever level Dale play at, it will be the same loyal die hard fans who make up our support, and boosting attendances to the level we need is very unlikely. Particularly in a financial climate where money is tight and people are expected to find £22 per game. |
With one game to go, our average attendance is 200 down on last season (3309, 3111) and within those figures our average home fans won't have increased. My take on it is that for several months between November (the Bury cup capitulation) and March (the signing of Holty) there was a real feeling of "us and them" and whilst that was starting to change again with the announcement of the stadium deal, it feels like we're right back to square one again.
It's not so much "what's the answer" as the Dale board not even asking the right questions. They seem to have decided that the loyal die hards aren't worth cultivating, which is a huge error of judgement.
I believe there's several hundred, possibly a thousand Daleys who could be persuaded to start attending regularly again in L1. That doesn't sound much, but it'd be a start and from there it's all about momentum. When we've played championship sides like Leeds and Notts Forest in cup games, we've had 5000+ Daleys in the ground, so there is potential to get somewhere near that figure if we made it to the championship. An average gate in the region of 6000 wouldn't be out of the question, and that would at least be respectable.
But first, the Dale board need to start asking the right questions, or more pertinently, asking the right people the questions. Us. They need to get us "onside" and not only when we're in the ground supporting the lads on the pitch. We're the best ambassadors and we're the ones who introduce our sons & daughters to the delights of following Dale. That just won't happen otherwise, free entry or not. |  |
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 00:44 - Apr 20 with 3416 views | swiggy |
OK, read all the posts about season tickets and thought it was about time I said my piece. Never had good home support, sorry 40 years isn't long enough, 14000 at home vs Halifax in 1969 when we won 1-0 and a line of coaches snaking over Blackstone Edge the week after for the return, aahh nostalgia.
Anyway back to the present, if I'm not mistaken in the BBC annual "price of football" survey, Rochdale were the top or at least near the top for value for money, I.e the cheapest, £23 for entrance, pie and a programme, if that's the case how can we be one of the dearest for season tickets? I used to work in Huddersfield ( missionary to Yorkshire) and they are no more passionate than Dale fans albeit more of them, so: £179 for the first 15000 ticket holders vs £314.50 for standing in the Sandy Lane, no brainer. We need a rethink in order to retain the fans we have rather than alienate them. | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 06:30 - Apr 20 with 3298 views | TalkingSutty |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 23:31 - Apr 19 by D_Alien |
With one game to go, our average attendance is 200 down on last season (3309, 3111) and within those figures our average home fans won't have increased. My take on it is that for several months between November (the Bury cup capitulation) and March (the signing of Holty) there was a real feeling of "us and them" and whilst that was starting to change again with the announcement of the stadium deal, it feels like we're right back to square one again.
It's not so much "what's the answer" as the Dale board not even asking the right questions. They seem to have decided that the loyal die hards aren't worth cultivating, which is a huge error of judgement.
I believe there's several hundred, possibly a thousand Daleys who could be persuaded to start attending regularly again in L1. That doesn't sound much, but it'd be a start and from there it's all about momentum. When we've played championship sides like Leeds and Notts Forest in cup games, we've had 5000+ Daleys in the ground, so there is potential to get somewhere near that figure if we made it to the championship. An average gate in the region of 6000 wouldn't be out of the question, and that would at least be respectable.
But first, the Dale board need to start asking the right questions, or more pertinently, asking the right people the questions. Us. They need to get us "onside" and not only when we're in the ground supporting the lads on the pitch. We're the best ambassadors and we're the ones who introduce our sons & daughters to the delights of following Dale. That just won't happen otherwise, free entry or not. |
It's alright the Directors talking,but it's also the manner in which they talk to supporters. Do they speak down to them In a patronising manner or get on their high horse? Do they act in a manner that indicates they have a 'right ' to address fans in any manner they see fit, they need to remember the fans are not their employees and show supporters respect.
I think we also had one elderly director offer to take somebody out on the car park a few years ago, he needs to be careful because if he picks on the wrong one, talking to people like that will end up badly. That seems to be the attitude though and reveals the 'us and them' that seems to have infiltrated the boardroom since Hill brought the upturn in fortunes.
Let's be clear here, the reason the Club is on its uppers is as a direct result of Hills managerial skills. Without him we probably wouldn't have the Stadium and be languishing in the a National League. It's not wise to burn the bridges with supporters because one day the manager could be gone ( sooner than we realise) and then who will they turn too
To be fair, after the last couple of days I think it's time we all got away from each other for a few months, the close season is coming around at a great time. [Post edited 20 Apr 2016 6:44]
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 10:10 - Apr 20 with 3036 views | nordenblue |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 06:30 - Apr 20 by TalkingSutty |
It's alright the Directors talking,but it's also the manner in which they talk to supporters. Do they speak down to them In a patronising manner or get on their high horse? Do they act in a manner that indicates they have a 'right ' to address fans in any manner they see fit, they need to remember the fans are not their employees and show supporters respect.
I think we also had one elderly director offer to take somebody out on the car park a few years ago, he needs to be careful because if he picks on the wrong one, talking to people like that will end up badly. That seems to be the attitude though and reveals the 'us and them' that seems to have infiltrated the boardroom since Hill brought the upturn in fortunes.
Let's be clear here, the reason the Club is on its uppers is as a direct result of Hills managerial skills. Without him we probably wouldn't have the Stadium and be languishing in the a National League. It's not wise to burn the bridges with supporters because one day the manager could be gone ( sooner than we realise) and then who will they turn too
To be fair, after the last couple of days I think it's time we all got away from each other for a few months, the close season is coming around at a great time. [Post edited 20 Apr 2016 6:44]
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To be fair since the days of forums and t'internet etc i think fans have become too nosey and involved with the ins and outs of every minor detail at football clubs.
I've found personally I enjoy it more now just turning up now and then and just watching the game without all the sideshow attached to the club,sometimes you can know too much it seems. | | | |
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 10:23 - Apr 20 with 2997 views | D_Alien |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 10:10 - Apr 20 by nordenblue |
To be fair since the days of forums and t'internet etc i think fans have become too nosey and involved with the ins and outs of every minor detail at football clubs.
I've found personally I enjoy it more now just turning up now and then and just watching the game without all the sideshow attached to the club,sometimes you can know too much it seems. |
I agree with that to some extent, but t' internet isn't going to go away and the directors can't just bury their head in the sand. In their own business "empires" they're king, but a different attitude needs to be adopted towards Dale supporters.
I think they still see us as a cloth cap and whippet brigade, when the reality is that many of us have qualifications, careers and life experience beyond their capabilities.
That's the reality, and talking down to us is like the way the NHS used to treat patients in the 1970's - just turn up, take your knickers down and we'll operate without bothering to tell you what we're doing or why. Who'd stand for that in 2016? | |
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 10:26 - Apr 20 with 2968 views | DomDale |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 10:23 - Apr 20 by D_Alien |
I agree with that to some extent, but t' internet isn't going to go away and the directors can't just bury their head in the sand. In their own business "empires" they're king, but a different attitude needs to be adopted towards Dale supporters.
I think they still see us as a cloth cap and whippet brigade, when the reality is that many of us have qualifications, careers and life experience beyond their capabilities.
That's the reality, and talking down to us is like the way the NHS used to treat patients in the 1970's - just turn up, take your knickers down and we'll operate without bothering to tell you what we're doing or why. Who'd stand for that in 2016? |
Bury fans. |  |
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 11:38 - Apr 20 with 2887 views | rod_leach |
I'm not surprised or too bothered by the season ticket prices. Maybe the early bird discount is the only black mark for me. We've got where we are by running to a budget. We may have made £1.3m profit, but we had £1.8m transfers in there so without those, which aren't guaranteed, we're not in a position to splash the cash, really.
I'm not convinced that reducing the prices of tickets will bring that many more in. Is it worth risking it for a season or two? I'm not sure. |  | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 13:24 - Apr 20 with 2755 views | DaleFan7 |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 11:38 - Apr 20 by rod_leach |
I'm not surprised or too bothered by the season ticket prices. Maybe the early bird discount is the only black mark for me. We've got where we are by running to a budget. We may have made £1.3m profit, but we had £1.8m transfers in there so without those, which aren't guaranteed, we're not in a position to splash the cash, really.
I'm not convinced that reducing the prices of tickets will bring that many more in. Is it worth risking it for a season or two? I'm not sure. |
Saying there is no price increase when in reality for most season ticket holders there is and being one of the most expensive clubs in the area including Premiership and Championship clubs a lot of people won't renew (me included). Can the club afford to lose that money in the long run? | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 14:57 - Apr 20 with 2646 views | 442Dale |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 11:38 - Apr 20 by rod_leach |
I'm not surprised or too bothered by the season ticket prices. Maybe the early bird discount is the only black mark for me. We've got where we are by running to a budget. We may have made £1.3m profit, but we had £1.8m transfers in there so without those, which aren't guaranteed, we're not in a position to splash the cash, really.
I'm not convinced that reducing the prices of tickets will bring that many more in. Is it worth risking it for a season or two? I'm not sure. |
Questions have been asked around how many they expect to sell in each category, this would then indicate where it fits within the budget.
The response to the news about pricing should also give the club some indication over whether those figures are achievable.
Any fan should be very bothered by the reaction in the last couple of days. |  |
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 15:38 - Apr 20 with 2604 views | robbowood |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 10:23 - Apr 20 by D_Alien |
I agree with that to some extent, but t' internet isn't going to go away and the directors can't just bury their head in the sand. In their own business "empires" they're king, but a different attitude needs to be adopted towards Dale supporters.
I think they still see us as a cloth cap and whippet brigade, when the reality is that many of us have qualifications, careers and life experience beyond their capabilities.
That's the reality, and talking down to us is like the way the NHS used to treat patients in the 1970's - just turn up, take your knickers down and we'll operate without bothering to tell you what we're doing or why. Who'd stand for that in 2016? |
At the shareholders AGM shortly I will be interested to see exactly when the directors will see me (and everybody else ?) "as a cloth cap and whippet brigade" | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 15:46 - Apr 20 with 2586 views | 442Dale |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 15:38 - Apr 20 by robbowood |
At the shareholders AGM shortly I will be interested to see exactly when the directors will see me (and everybody else ?) "as a cloth cap and whippet brigade" |
The shareholders are but a very small percentage of the fanbase.
You'd hope that won't be the next time we hear any further comment on the matter. | |
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 17:14 - Apr 20 with 2513 views | NorthYorksDale |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 23:10 - Apr 19 by Ninco |
What's the answer though? I've been watching Dale for nearly 40 years and we've never had decent attendances. It's not like we had them once and they drifted away, and we need to get them back. They were never there in the first place.
I am sure the directors understand that we need bigger gates, but they seem to have tried every possible promotion scheme you can think of to get people in and while it may boost attendances at one game, people rarely come back once the promotion has finished.
No director can force people to do what they don't want to do and if the people of Rochdale don't want to come along and support their team, and they would rather watch one of the other teams or go to the Trafford Centre on a Saturday, there's not much the club can do to change that.
We are in an unfortunate position at Rochdale as there are too many clubs in the area and we will never be able to compete with Premiership football. I think the best that we can hope for is that one day, we get in to the Championship as at least then, we may get to play some teams who bring a decent size following to us. Sadly, I think whatever level Dale play at, it will be the same loyal die hard fans who make up our support, and boosting attendances to the level we need is very unlikely. Particularly in a financial climate where money is tight and people are expected to find £22 per game. |
"It's not like we had them once and they drifted away, and we need to get them back."
I disagree, they are there and are still going today (at different levels obviously )...... The problem is they're not all going to the same games.
There are many many fans that are limited to 10, 20, 30% of games per season......some will be because that's all they can get to, but I'd wager the majority are down to cost, convenience etc......the question is how do you get them to the ground on a more regular basis.
To me, the answer is give them a ticket for all the games, they'll be at a significantly larger proportion than they are today. Pricing that ticket as they do currently is not going Giving them a ticket they can justify the cost of. |  | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 18:21 - Apr 20 with 2408 views | rod_leach |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 14:57 - Apr 20 by 442Dale |
Questions have been asked around how many they expect to sell in each category, this would then indicate where it fits within the budget.
The response to the news about pricing should also give the club some indication over whether those figures are achievable.
Any fan should be very bothered by the reaction in the last couple of days. |
I've been quite surprised by the response to be honest. Our STs have never been the cheapest, but then we're not deep in debt, unlike other local clubs who sell them cheaper.
I'm not sure what people were expecting but it wasn't that far from what I was expecting.
Early Bird discount would have been good, of course, and it's removal, linked to the announcement that they hadn't gone up, when they had for many of us, seems to be at the root? | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 18:24 - Apr 20 with 2402 views | dingdangblue |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 17:14 - Apr 20 by NorthYorksDale |
"It's not like we had them once and they drifted away, and we need to get them back."
I disagree, they are there and are still going today (at different levels obviously )...... The problem is they're not all going to the same games.
There are many many fans that are limited to 10, 20, 30% of games per season......some will be because that's all they can get to, but I'd wager the majority are down to cost, convenience etc......the question is how do you get them to the ground on a more regular basis.
To me, the answer is give them a ticket for all the games, they'll be at a significantly larger proportion than they are today. Pricing that ticket as they do currently is not going Giving them a ticket they can justify the cost of. |
Like a Season Ticket type thing? And price it well below what you would pay on the day? Maybe even offer a bigger incentive like if you buy it early before a certain date you get an extra discount? A sort of gesture to thank the loyal 1000-1500 fans who try and get to every game? Nah cant see that catching on. |  |
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 18:55 - Apr 20 with 2331 views | batfink |
There's a Facebook group post asking why people don't go, the consensus from those that would go but dont seems to be the cost and let's face it being a dale fan isn't cheap. [Post edited 20 Apr 2016 18:59]
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| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 19:07 - Apr 20 with 2297 views | since58 |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 18:21 - Apr 20 by rod_leach |
I've been quite surprised by the response to be honest. Our STs have never been the cheapest, but then we're not deep in debt, unlike other local clubs who sell them cheaper.
I'm not sure what people were expecting but it wasn't that far from what I was expecting.
Early Bird discount would have been good, of course, and it's removal, linked to the announcement that they hadn't gone up, when they had for many of us, seems to be at the root? |
shake ur fookin head .I;ve sacked the Gold Bond as well which I;ve been in since its conception. | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 19:07 - Apr 20 with 2294 views | batman |
Did the Club get it wrong by announcing their results prior to setting
The season ticket prices.
My guess is that there would be less of a fuss being made if the Finacial Results had
Been delayed. The Club could have cited the issue around the purchase of the stadium
For not publishing on time.
The way I look at it, is that Dale are akin to a corner shop.
You use Mrs Miggins' shop for convenience and expect to pay more than the local supermarket
as you like the fact she's just down the road and very friendly. You know you can get
the same product, or even better, by driving to the nearest Asda/Tesco for far less.
As long as Mrs Miggins doesn't try to overcharge you, you will always go there. You
appreciate she still has her rent/wages/overheads to pay so you are more than happy to
Help keep her as part of 'your local' community. Dale have to compete with the plethora of
Other clubs near by, who can quite easily put loss leaders out there to get you to buy the more
Luxury items to boost their bottom line.
The other issue being, that if the club reduces the ST price in line with some of the suggestions
On here, then what happens when money becomes tight again. I'm sure there would be a
Much bigger outcry and dis enchantment with the club, if say the price went down this
Year by £100 only for it to be lumped back on in 2 years time.
I do believe the Directors will revisit this issue and make some minor concessions, but I
Wouldn't hold your breath for anything significant. | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 19:34 - Apr 20 with 2246 views | roccydaleian |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 19:07 - Apr 20 by batman |
Did the Club get it wrong by announcing their results prior to setting
The season ticket prices.
My guess is that there would be less of a fuss being made if the Finacial Results had
Been delayed. The Club could have cited the issue around the purchase of the stadium
For not publishing on time.
The way I look at it, is that Dale are akin to a corner shop.
You use Mrs Miggins' shop for convenience and expect to pay more than the local supermarket
as you like the fact she's just down the road and very friendly. You know you can get
the same product, or even better, by driving to the nearest Asda/Tesco for far less.
As long as Mrs Miggins doesn't try to overcharge you, you will always go there. You
appreciate she still has her rent/wages/overheads to pay so you are more than happy to
Help keep her as part of 'your local' community. Dale have to compete with the plethora of
Other clubs near by, who can quite easily put loss leaders out there to get you to buy the more
Luxury items to boost their bottom line.
The other issue being, that if the club reduces the ST price in line with some of the suggestions
On here, then what happens when money becomes tight again. I'm sure there would be a
Much bigger outcry and dis enchantment with the club, if say the price went down this
Year by £100 only for it to be lumped back on in 2 years time.
I do believe the Directors will revisit this issue and make some minor concessions, but I
Wouldn't hold your breath for anything significant. |
If Mrs Muggins said to me "your son is 17 now, so we're putting the prices up by 100%" i'd be telling her to stick her shop....
As for your other point, and after saying it again, we don't know if discounted ST's will work or not, because it's never been tried has it.
What i do know is that if the ST holders i spoke to last night don't renew like they said they're not, it could be a very potless summer at the club. | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 19:57 - Apr 20 with 2207 views | batman |
The point being is that you accept that your son one day will have
to pay the extra £100, but it's just a case as to what age 18/21 ?
I agree the age limit is too low for now and it may be one of the
concessions made by the club. | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 20:08 - Apr 20 with 2182 views | roccydaleian |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 19:57 - Apr 20 by batman |
The point being is that you accept that your son one day will have
to pay the extra £100, but it's just a case as to what age 18/21 ?
I agree the age limit is too low for now and it may be one of the
concessions made by the club. |
I hope you're right, but i aint holding my breath. | | | |
| Rochdale directors talk about..... on 20:41 - Apr 20 with 2127 views | dalestats |
will there be a response to the trusts letter or any back down. I doubt it unfortunately. A golden chance to put season ticket prices at a realistic price and have casuals tickets at a reasonable price blown away. Surprised snd disappointed that such ignorance has been displayed from the club. | |
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