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Attendances What would it take to improve them

#1 User is offline   derbyshire 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 09:31 AM

As a football fan for many years , but only living in this area for the last 10yrs or so, I wondered if anyone could tell me why the gates are not better than they are , and what you all think it would take to get a core of say 10,000 , or even 8000 or 9000 .

I am not wanting to start a big thing out of this it's just curiosity on my part. The Proact is obviously a vast improvement on Saltergate, the team is playing some very good football and are hoping for a place in the play offs , and there were the Wembly games and promotions, ( ok and a relegation ).

Is the reason that Chesterfield are not really a football town or is it that they have not had a sustained run of success , or is it that there are other teams nearby that take the support.

As i say I am just curious to know what you fans think I don't want to start arguments , just wondered what your thoughts were and what you think could improve the gates , apart from the obvious , playing in the Premier league and champions league, and not selling leading goal scorers .

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#2 User is offline   CFC91 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 09:37 AM

Cheaper tickets midweek would help midweek crowds which tend to be 1000/1500 lower than weekend. £27 to see us v Donny was a disgrace too in my eyes hence the lower than anticipated home crowd.

But I am a big believer that if the football and results are right then people will come eventually. We have come along way in recent years and are building slowly a decent fanbase.
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#3 User is offline   lindo-spireite 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 09:48 AM

£27 for a league one game is a disgrace, they deserved the lower gate
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#4 User is offline   JonB 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 09:51 AM

View PostMersey Paradise, on 06 February 2015 - 09:37 AM, said:

Cheaper tickets midweek would help midweek crowds which tend to be 1000/1500 lower than weekend. £27 to see us v Donny was a disgrace too in my eyes hence the lower than anticipated home crowd.

But I am a big believer that if the football and results are right then people will come eventually. We have come along way in recent years and are building slowly a decent fanbase.

That was only a small proportion of seats in the West Stand though wasnt it? You could sit in the Kop, East Stand or West Stand wing bit for cheaper.

One problem we do have is that our location makes it easy to go and support historically bigger, more successful teams....and the Sheffield clubs. I have family that support Sheffield Wednesday and no end of mates who support Forest, Derby then the armchair lot supporting Man U, Chelsea, City, Liverpool etc who wouldnt even contemplate going to watch town..not even to Wembley etc. Not sure any amount of success and the new ground will attract a number of folk from a certain peroid when town werent great and Saltergate wasnt an attractive proposition.

For what its worth though you do now see a lot more kids wearing Chesterfield kits which is an encouraging sign...it wont be a quick change but i can see a change towards folk supporting the club.

Not convinced lower ticket prices will make a massive difference...no real evidence to suggest games in the past where its been cheaper have been all that better attended. Despite all the fuss around the Scunny replay it wasnt that much of a change in attendance even the fa cup\derby thing and over the years this has been the case as well. Didnt the Droylesden replay that was a quid to get in only get about 6000 or so?!?

This post has been edited by JonB: 06 February 2015 - 09:54 AM

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#5 User is offline   DMU Blue 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 09:54 AM

A sustained period of good football, progression and high win percentage.

Look at Mansfield who have done the opposite over the past few years. Whilst they've never had huge gates they now struggle to get a gate of 3.5k. Sticking with Cox has crippled them to an extent where if they go down again they'll probably never resurface.

Regardless of the price people need to feel like they're getting good value for money so the whole match day experience must be worth parting with 10, 20, 30 quid
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#6 User is offline   valemadness 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:08 AM

View PostMersey Paradise, on 06 February 2015 - 09:37 AM, said:

Cheaper tickets midweek would help midweek crowds which tend to be 1000/1500 lower than weekend. £27 to see us v Donny was a disgrace too in my eyes hence the lower than anticipated home crowd.

But I am a big believer that if the football and results are right then people will come eventually. We have come along way in recent years and are building slowly a decent fanbase.


It was £22 in the kop and away end. £27 was for the highest priced seats in the west centre stand.
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#7 User is offline   derbyshire 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:11 AM

Thanks for the replies lads
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#8 User is offline   CFC91 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:14 AM

View Postvalemadness, on 06 February 2015 - 10:08 AM, said:

It was £22 in the kop and away end. £27 was for the highest priced seats in the west centre stand.


Still 5 blocks so a good 2500 seats at £27 and East Stand/West Corners were £25.

Crazy crazy money. £23 if you booked online for cheapest adult seat isn't something to brag about either.

Been done to the death but you could have go to watch Derby v Blackburn for £19 last week - who do you think the floating Derbyshire football fan will go and choose to watch?

and no I don't agree with Derbys elasticity of demand pricing policy but atleast it offers fans the chance to reasonably cheap tickets.
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#9 User is offline   Spire-Power 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:24 AM

View PostMersey Paradise, on 06 February 2015 - 10:14 AM, said:

Still 5 blocks so a good 2500 seats at £27 and East Stand/West Corners were £25.

Crazy crazy money. £23 if you booked online for cheapest adult seat isn't something to brag about either.

Been done to the death but you could have go to watch Derby v Blackburn for £19 last week - who do you think the floating Derbyshire football fan will go and choose to watch?

and no I don't agree with Derbys elasticity of demand pricing policy but atleast it offers fans the chance to reasonably cheap tickets.

There has been a lot of games recently, Xmas too, and fans dont have bottomless pockets. I personally think £20+ is too much to ask for L1 football. ST works out about £15 a game which is fine by me.
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#10 User is offline   Spire-Power 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:27 AM

View Postderbyshire, on 06 February 2015 - 09:31 AM, said:

As a football fan for many years , but only living in this area for the last 10yrs or so, I wondered if anyone could tell me why the gates are not better than they are , and what you all think it would take to get a core of say 10,000 , or even 8000 or 9000 .

I am not wanting to start a big thing out of this it's just curiosity on my part. The Proact is obviously a vast improvement on Saltergate, the team is playing some very good football and are hoping for a place in the play offs , and there were the Wembly games and promotions, ( ok and a relegation ).

Is the reason that Chesterfield are not really a football town or is it that they have not had a sustained run of success , or is it that there are other teams nearby that take the support.

As i say I am just curious to know what you fans think I don't want to start arguments , just wondered what your thoughts were and what you think could improve the gates , apart from the obvious , playing in the Premier league and champions league, and not selling leading goal scorers .

Up the Spireites

In a word, Promotion. I reckon our gates would compare with Rotherham's if we made it to the championship. For eg my bro, who hasn't attended games regularly for 30 years, said he would go if we played at that level.
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#11 User is offline   JonB 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:27 AM

View PostMersey Paradise, on 06 February 2015 - 10:14 AM, said:

Still 5 blocks so a good 2500 seats at £27 and East Stand/West Corners were £25.

Crazy crazy money. £23 if you booked online for cheapest adult seat isn't something to brag about either.

Been done to the death but you could have go to watch Derby v Blackburn for £19 last week - who do you think the floating Derbyshire football fan will go and choose to watch?

and no I don't agree with Derbys elasticity of demand pricing policy but atleast it offers fans the chance to reasonably cheap tickets.

Of which the vast majority will be sold to season ticket holders already so only odd seats that you would pay £27 for and you would have to choose to pay that price as many more cheaper tickets are available should you want to pay less. Not saying the pricing is right but you would only pay that if you really chose to.

Derby v Blackburn was a Tuesday night with a ticket off on so cant compare to a local'ish game on a Saturday for us if we're being fair. Also a lot of Derbys cheap prices are only well in advance and not that many available. A floating fan is more likely to go at short notice if they fancy watching a game at which point its going to be more expensive going to Derby especially throwing in travel from Chesterfield. Its like this age old media hype line of how cheap it is going to games in Germany...you try getting hold of the cheap tickets! They are massively limited to club members normally with other strings attached. When i've been to games at Hamburg and Hertha Berlin its been £30\£40 for tickets and you dont see the media german football love in mentioning that!
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#12 User is offline   Trigger 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:30 AM

View Postderbyshire, on 06 February 2015 - 10:11 AM, said:

Thanks for the replies lads


I speak to loads of people that just don't like football. I know that's the same everywhere but with us a only being a smallish town, it takes it's toll. Then there's a pretty high %age of people over the age of 75-80 who prob aren't that bothered either. Then there's the unemployed (not by choice) that can't afford it, and also the layabouts (by choice) that don't prioritise spending £22 watching town very highly. Throw in the other local clubs factor and I think 6-7% of the population is ok for this level. Reach the championship and virtually every game will sell out with the higher away support.

Oh, and valemadness isn't a lad :-)
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#13 User is offline   whittman 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:32 AM

View PostJonB, on 06 February 2015 - 09:51 AM, said:

That was only a small proportion of seats in the West Stand though wasnt it? You could sit in the Kop, East Stand or West Stand wing bit for cheaper.

One problem we do have is that our location makes it easy to go and support historically bigger, more successful teams....and the Sheffield clubs. I have family that support Sheffield Wednesday and no end of mates who support Forest, Derby then the armchair lot supporting Man U, Chelsea, City, Liverpool etc who wouldnt even contemplate going to watch town..not even to Wembley etc. Not sure any amount of success and the new ground will attract a number of folk from a certain peroid when town werent great and Saltergate wasnt an attractive proposition.

For what its worth though you do now see a lot more kids wearing Chesterfield kits which is an encouraging sign...it wont be a quick change but i can see a change towards folk supporting the club.

Not convinced lower ticket prices will make a massive difference...no real evidence to suggest games in the past where its been cheaper have been all that better attended. Despite all the fuss around the Scunny replay it wasnt that much of a change in attendance even the fa cup\derby thing and over the years this has been the case as well. Didnt the Droylesden replay that was a quid to get in only get about 6000 or so?!?

The 3 sides of Saltergate for town fans were rammed its because Droylesden only brought about 150 that the ground didnt reach the just over

7000 capacity
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#14 User is offline   JonB 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:34 AM

View Postwhittman, on 06 February 2015 - 10:32 AM, said:

The 3 sides of Saltergate for town fans were rammed its because Droylesden only brought about 150 that the ground didnt reach the just over

7000 capacity

Fair enough...seem to remember being more packed in on the Kop than for that game but even other games where there was bring a mate for whatever, or cheaper offers available the vast majority of the time it was the same folk going but just getting in cheaper. I remember doing bring a mate for a quid or something like that and i went with the same lads i always did and we just split the total cost between us.
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#15 User is offline   CFC91 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:34 AM

View PostJonB, on 06 February 2015 - 10:27 AM, said:

Of which the vast majority will be sold to season ticket holders already so only odd seats that you would pay £27 for and you would have to choose to pay that price as many more cheaper tickets are available should you want to pay less. Not saying the pricing is right but you would only pay that if you really chose to.

Derby v Blackburn was a Tuesday night with a ticket off on so cant compare to a local'ish game on a Saturday for us if we're being fair. Also a lot of Derbys cheap prices are only well in advance and not that many available. A floating fan is more likely to go at short notice if they fancy watching a game at which point its going to be more expensive going to Derby especially throwing in travel from Chesterfield. Its like this age old media hype line of how cheap it is going to games in Germany...you try getting hold of the cheap tickets! They are massively limited to club members normally with other strings attached. When i've been to games at Hamburg and Hertha Berlin its been £30\£40 for tickets and you dont see the media german football love in mentioning that!


I know but it still isn't cheap in East Stands and Kop has steadily rose in the years. Not cheap for some to attend. Can only make 15/16 home games a season so a season ticket isn't really viable either.

Regards Germany, I went to Wolfsburg in November (17 euro) and am going to Frankfurt (15 euro) and Darmstadt (14 euro) this month so cheap tickets are available for those who want them - didn't join any memberships or anything. Think the only place i've struggled getting cheap tickets for in Germany is Dortmund - so like you say, the cheaper tickets are out there if you want them.

We aren't the only ones at it, paid £25 at Swindon the other week, it is the same again tomorrow. Not something I want to do all the time so now pick and choose and put the £50+ i'd spend going to the match aside for my summer holidays or a weekend away.

In our group most do the same, used to be a good 20 regulars now there is 5/6 maybe. I'm sure we aren't alone
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#16 User is offline   newboldsteve 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:35 AM

its just to expensive to attract floating fans personally I would make it free for kids under 12 and a fiver till they sixteen we need to convert them young
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#17 User is offline   60s 70s Spireite 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:41 AM

View PostMersey Paradise, on 06 February 2015 - 10:14 AM, said:

Still 5 blocks so a good 2500 seats at £27 and East Stand/West Corners were £25.

Crazy crazy money. £23 if you booked online for cheapest adult seat isn't something to brag about either.

Been done to the death but you could have go to watch Derby v Blackburn for £19 last week - who do you think the floating Derbyshire football fan will go and choose to watch?

and no I don't agree with Derbys elasticity of demand pricing policy but atleast it offers fans the chance to reasonably cheap tickets.

I have lived in Chesterfield since birth, over 60 years, and I can't think I have ever met such a person as a 'floating' Derbyshire fan who would be prepared to go down to watch Blackburn on the basis of price- even it was only £19 a shot. The only time people perhaps float away from Chesterfield to Derby is when the latter are in the Premier League.

Of course one of the main reasons that Championship clubs can charge lower prices is the flow of income form sponsorship and TV deals- which dwarf those available to clubs like ours. As for your group now down from 20 to 5 or 6, its hardly a general trend is it? Otherwise we would be down to crowds of 1500.
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#18 User is offline   JonB 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:47 AM

View PostMersey Paradise, on 06 February 2015 - 10:34 AM, said:

I know but it still isn't cheap in East Stands and Kop has steadily rose in the years. Not cheap for some to attend. Can only make 15/16 home games a season so a season ticket isn't really viable either.

Regards Germany, I went to Wolfsburg in November (17 euro) and am going to Frankfurt (15 euro) and Darmstadt (14 euro) this month so cheap tickets are available for those who want them - didn't join any memberships or anything. Think the only place i've struggled getting cheap tickets for in Germany is Dortmund - so like you say, the cheaper tickets are out there if you want them.

We aren't the only ones at it, paid £25 at Swindon the other week, it is the same again tomorrow. Not something I want to do all the time so now pick and choose and put the £50+ i'd spend going to the match aside for my summer holidays or a weekend away.

In our group most do the same, used to be a good 20 regulars now there is 5/6 maybe. I'm sure we aren't alone

Football costs have gone up all over the place for numerous reasons but partly because fans want to see clubs being successful and we need to pay our part towards it. Its a bit of a vicious circle in that you need to get so much over the gate to break even etc and set prices accordingly based on an average attendance but if folk dont go then you lose money so you cant do much about the ticket prices. I would hazard a guess our prices arent that much out of line with the rest of League 1 and potentially a few league 2 clubs especially considering the facilities we now have at the Proact compared to a number of league 1 and 2 grounds! I know RPL used to drag out his put prices up to fund better players stuff but to an extent he is right...we cant go on about having x players in the squad of a certain quality and wanting to be successful playing attractive football then at the same time expect to get in for next to nowt whilst DA etc keep chucking money in.

I've seen folk comparing us to how its cheaper to get a Man City season ticket likes its a fair comparison to a club who are working to 40000/45000 attendances and middle east billions to top it up!

Yes there will be places in Germany you can go cheap but its when the Media go on about how a ticket\season ticket only costs x at Bayern Munich..you try getting one!! Same with Dortmund as you mention. The others are like comparing to the smaller clubs around....mid table Frankfurt is a bit like getting cheap tickets at somewhere like Sunderland which is easy. The media dont do this...they like to use the handful of 10/15 euro tickets available to specific types of club members to watch one of the top clubs. That said the way its going this season you may be able to get a ticket a bit easier for Dortmund next season watching them in the second division!

View Postnewboldsteve, on 06 February 2015 - 10:35 AM, said:

its just to expensive to attract floating fans personally I would make it free for kids under 12 and a fiver till they sixteen we need to convert them young

How are you covering the losses from doing this though? Its easy to say but over a season its going to be a more than decent amount of cash that needs to be covered elsewhere. Potentially the cost of one other player in the squad for example.
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#19 User is offline   Spire-Power 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:48 AM

View Post60s 70s Spireite, on 06 February 2015 - 10:41 AM, said:

I have lived in Chesterfield since birth, over 60 years, and I can't think I have ever met such a person as a 'floating' Derbyshire fan who would be prepared to go down to watch Blackburn on the basis of price- even it was only £19 a shot. The only time people perhaps float away from Chesterfield to Derby is when the latter are in the Premier League.

Of course one of the main reasons that Championship clubs can charge lower prices is the flow of income form sponsorship and TV deals- which dwarf those available to clubs like ours. As for your group now down from 20 to 5 or 6, its hardly a general trend is it? Otherwise we would be down to crowds of 1500.

I think our attendances are decent. If gates are to go up the team will need to mount a strong challenge for the play offs (without Doyle). That means getting results away at County and at home to Preston, neither of which will be easy. We are 5th but its worth bearing in mind we are 3 points from 12th, so we need to go on a run
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#20 User is offline   Trigger 

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Posted 06 February 2015 - 10:51 AM

View PostMersey Paradise, on 06 February 2015 - 10:34 AM, said:

I know but it still isn't cheap in East Stands and Kop has steadily rose in the years. Not cheap for some to attend. Can only make 15/16 home games a season so a season ticket isn't really viable either.

Regards Germany, I went to Wolfsburg in November (17 euro) and am going to Frankfurt (15 euro) and Darmstadt (14 euro) this month so cheap tickets are available for those who want them - didn't join any memberships or anything. Think the only place i've struggled getting cheap tickets for in Germany is Dortmund - so like you say, the cheaper tickets are out there if you want them.

We aren't the only ones at it, paid £25 at Swindon the other week, it is the same again tomorrow. Not something I want to do all the time so now pick and choose and put the £50+ i'd spend going to the match aside for my summer holidays or a weekend away.

In our group most do the same, used to be a good 20 regulars now there is 5/6 maybe. I'm sure we aren't alone


It's £25 to get in tomorrow?? Fk that! I was really tempted to go down on the day but al spend it next to the radio and save the cash. Might get an teamarmand jumper instead...
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