| Match attendance — 3 questions. 17:42 - Mar 20 with 15872 views | A_Newby |
I attend virtually every home game and sit in the main stand. Over this season as I have looked across to the Pearl Street stand there appears to be fewer and fewer fans there. Those in the Pearl Street may look across at the main stand and think the same.
However, when the match attendance figures are announced the home support figure seems to stay steady.
Does anybody know how the attendance / home attendance figures are calculated? Is it actual numbers of people passing through the gates (tallied automatically) or is it the number of season card holders plus the number of match day tickets sold?
Next season, come what may, would it make economic sense to only sell season cards for the main stand and Sandy terrace and potentially mothball the Pearl Street, only to be used if we were to get a massive FA cup tie?
What do current season card holders think of this, in particular those who sit in the Pearl Street stand?
Next season, again no matter what league we are in, there is likely to be a need to reassess the prices of our season cards. I think that the price will have to at least remain the same or even be increased.
In January this year I looked at what the other clubs in league 2 charge for season cards and compared them to the Dale. In general, we were cheaper than all clubs except Salford, although it is difficult to directly compare as each club has its own age categories.
One thing that was evident was that whilst Dale has 5 main age categories, prices shown below for the main stand, most other clubs also have a category of “young adult” between youth and adult categories with a price located between the two.
Dale Prices Main Stand
Young children Free
Junior 11 and under £35.00
Youth 12 to 21 £85.00
Adult 22 to 64 £310.00
Senior 65 and over £260.00
Our problem is that a young person supporting the Dale when going from 21 to 22 years of age, sees an off-putting massive increase in season card price in a single jump from £85.00 to £310.00 which other clubs avoid.
To encourage our young adult supporters to remain loyal I would suggest that we too need a young adult category (22-25) even if it means slightly higher prices for the other categories. Any thoughts?
PS No, I wouldn’t fall into the young adult category, and it would be at least 7 years before any of my young Dale supporting relatives reach that age.
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 18:18 - Mar 20 with 7684 views | Plattyswrinklynuts |
An alternative option for fans next season (if we are relegated) would be to mothball the Willbutts side of the ground & put away fans in either a block of the Pearl st or for very low away followings possibly in part of the main stand for most games. On the pricing of season tickets I wouldn’t be against a mid way price for young adults, presumably the board are keeping their counsel not knowing where we’ll be playing next season. I must say though that it would be difficult to justify current prices either for ST’s or POTD if we were to go down. |  | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 18:32 - Mar 20 with 7633 views | judd |
It's a well known fact, well in Bradford at least, that we fiddle our attendances to avoid paying tax.
I wonder how that sad fooker is nowadays |  |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 18:58 - Mar 20 with 7520 views | kel |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 18:32 - Mar 20 by judd |
It's a well known fact, well in Bradford at least, that we fiddle our attendances to avoid paying tax.
I wonder how that sad fooker is nowadays |
Still crowd c**ting on the League Two forum. |  | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 19:03 - Mar 20 with 7504 views | 442Dale |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 18:58 - Mar 20 by kel |
Still crowd c**ting on the League Two forum. |
Remember posting on there when Plymouth came to Spotland with a good following (day Joe Bunney got the winner on his debut) and their fans wouldn’t accept the announced following. Our Bradford fan chipped in about how we had for it, so I asked if he’d like the thread to be forwarded to our Chief Exec who’d made warnings previously. Quick climb down. |  |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 19:06 - Mar 20 with 7499 views | kel |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 19:03 - Mar 20 by 442Dale |
Remember posting on there when Plymouth came to Spotland with a good following (day Joe Bunney got the winner on his debut) and their fans wouldn’t accept the announced following. Our Bradford fan chipped in about how we had for it, so I asked if he’d like the thread to be forwarded to our Chief Exec who’d made warnings previously. Quick climb down. |
You’d have thought he’d have grown up by now but, alas, he’s still exactly the same. His little hissy fit on their Crewe game on the thread teeming with crowd c**nters is most amusing though.
https://www.thefootballforum.net/threads/league-2-away-support-thread-2022-23.8/ | | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 19:47 - Mar 20 with 7375 views | TVOS1907 |
Hi A Newby
Is this the club doing some market research ahead of next season?
I'm sure you know one way or the other. |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 20:11 - Mar 20 with 7300 views | EllDale |
I wrote on another thread a few months ago that, should Dale be relegated, the Willbutts Lane stand would probably be mothballed unless the visiting club eg Chesterfield or Halifax may be expected to bring over a thousand fans with them.
Having said that, the Pearl Street End were in fine voice last Saturday.
One pricing category I’ve seen at other clubs this season is where season ticket holders at other clubs enjoy a discounted rate eg £10 for attending midweek matches.
The question of season ticket prices can surely only be calculated once the club has decided how much they want to charge for admission to single games though.
How much do they think people will pay to watch Wealdstone or Dorking? |  | | |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 20:26 - Mar 20 with 7247 views | Trev |
We rarely need all 4 stands open in league 2 nevermind if we drop into the non league abyss. People are very precious about where they sit so anything other than closing the Wilbutts will probably not be well received. | | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 20:48 - Mar 20 with 7189 views | Dalenet |
Slightly off topic but relevant to attendances. Bradford have sold all of their 3244 allocation for 15th April. Should the club look to offer them the Wilbutts end of the Pearl Street too to bring a bit of extra cash in? I know it caused uproar when we did it for Sunderland.....but things have changed and needs must. | | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:01 - Mar 20 with 7150 views | judd |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 20:48 - Mar 20 by Dalenet |
Slightly off topic but relevant to attendances. Bradford have sold all of their 3244 allocation for 15th April. Should the club look to offer them the Wilbutts end of the Pearl Street too to bring a bit of extra cash in? I know it caused uproar when we did it for Sunderland.....but things have changed and needs must. |
Sunderland were nowhere near a sell out. | |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:02 - Mar 20 with 7142 views | 442Dale |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 20:48 - Mar 20 by Dalenet |
Slightly off topic but relevant to attendances. Bradford have sold all of their 3244 allocation for 15th April. Should the club look to offer them the Wilbutts end of the Pearl Street too to bring a bit of extra cash in? I know it caused uproar when we did it for Sunderland.....but things have changed and needs must. |
Amazed it hasn’t been made all-ticket by the police if they’ve sold out. | |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:08 - Mar 20 with 7109 views | Dalenet |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:02 - Mar 20 by 442Dale |
Amazed it hasn’t been made all-ticket by the police if they’ve sold out. |
They only went on sale on Saturday and sold out today. They are in the mix for promotion and will want to get behind their team. And besides which, we know we are their favourite away ground  | | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:16 - Mar 20 with 7076 views | TVOS1907 |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:08 - Mar 20 by Dalenet |
They only went on sale on Saturday and sold out today. They are in the mix for promotion and will want to get behind their team. And besides which, we know we are their favourite away ground |
Not surprised - they haven't lost at Spotland since we had the likes of Adam Le Fondre and Rory McArdle banging them in! | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:21 - Mar 20 with 7066 views | judd |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:08 - Mar 20 by Dalenet |
They only went on sale on Saturday and sold out today. They are in the mix for promotion and will want to get behind their team. And besides which, we know we are their favourite away ground |
Let's get the pigeons shitting again | |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:35 - Mar 20 with 7032 views | D_Alien |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:01 - Mar 20 by judd |
Sunderland were nowhere near a sell out. |
Not a sell out by Sunderland, but it was by someone at Dale |  |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:40 - Mar 20 with 7025 views | judd |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 21:35 - Mar 20 by D_Alien |
Not a sell out by Sunderland, but it was by someone at Dale |
All 50 commemorative mugs sold out. | |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:11 - Mar 20 with 6976 views | A_Newby |
Hi 442,
When I first checked your link, I thought it was for this year and not 2022 and that I had missed the deadline. When (if) there is a season card panel for this year I will put my name forward and hopefully take part. | | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:14 - Mar 20 with 6963 views | 442Dale |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:11 - Mar 20 by A_Newby |
Hi 442,
When I first checked your link, I thought it was for this year and not 2022 and that I had missed the deadline. When (if) there is a season card panel for this year I will put my name forward and hopefully take part. |
Maybe email the Trust to find out the status of any plans for this? | |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:16 - Mar 20 with 6944 views | A_Newby |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 19:47 - Mar 20 by TVOS1907 |
Hi A Newby
Is this the club doing some market research ahead of next season?
I'm sure you know one way or the other. |
Hi TVOS,
No, my post is not the club doing some early market research.
However, if it was, I would applaud the intention but not the execution.
It would be far simpler for the club to approach the trust and ask them to put forward the suggestions in their monthly newsletter to get the opinion of a wider RAFC supporting audience. | | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:20 - Mar 20 with 6920 views | TVOS1907 |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:16 - Mar 20 by A_Newby |
Hi TVOS,
No, my post is not the club doing some early market research.
However, if it was, I would applaud the intention but not the execution.
It would be far simpler for the club to approach the trust and ask them to put forward the suggestions in their monthly newsletter to get the opinion of a wider RAFC supporting audience. |
Indeed it would; 442 makes a good suggestion.
Why do a small number of posters keep starting replies with the 'Hi' salutation? Probably a coincidence. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:23 - Mar 20 with 6911 views | judd |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:20 - Mar 20 by TVOS1907 |
Indeed it would; 442 makes a good suggestion.
Why do a small number of posters keep starting replies with the 'Hi' salutation? Probably a coincidence. |
Hi
Or possibly? | |
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| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:29 - Mar 20 with 6892 views | A_Newby |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 20:26 - Mar 20 by Trev |
We rarely need all 4 stands open in league 2 nevermind if we drop into the non league abyss. People are very precious about where they sit so anything other than closing the Wilbutts will probably not be well received. |
Elldale and Trev,
As you both say opening all 4 stands is not necessary for most of our matches and you’re right mothballing the Wilbutts Lane stand is probably the simpler solution.
The only reason in my original post for selecting the Pearl Street end over the Wilbutts Lane stand for mothballing is that having watched games from all 4 sides of the ground I think that the Wilbutts Lane stand has the better view.
Only my opinion, others may prefer watching football from behind a goal.
With regards to ticket and season ticket prices in the national league see link below.
https://fanbanter.co.uk/every-national-league-clubs-season-ticket-prices-for-202 | | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 22:49 - Mar 20 with 6847 views | EllDale |
Interesting to see that season tickets for over 70s are free at Boreham Wood. I suspect that fan demographics in certain parts of Spotland would rule out that idea as the club would lose too much money!
What would people consider to be a fair price for a season ticket next season bearing in mind the comparisons on that link?
I think that Dale fans may have been spoilt over recent years although some would say that they’re paying virtually the same price now as they were to watch League One football three years ago! | | | |
| Match attendance — 3 questions. on 09:12 - Mar 21 with 6444 views | fourfourtwo |
Presuming/Assuming anything at present with the current set up would be an dangerous game in my opinion.
We are so in the dark, only the lord knows exactly what is going on within Spotland at present.
I have never felt such a lack of faith with the club & the set up as I presently do. | | | |
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