AWAY DAYS - Costs and numbers debate

[WYNESS101]

Not even enough for a mini bus?

[Hearach]

Have just been speaking with a County supporter. He couldn't believe there is no supporters bus to such an important game on Saturday. He told me that the club subsidises supporters bus and they only pay £10 each. Surely in this case a minibus could be booked with the club making up the difference as a gesture of goodwill. Only a thought. If it is good enough over the bridge....

[old caley girl]

Have just been speaking with a County supporter. He couldn't believe there is no supporters bus to such an important game on Saturday. He told me that the club subsidises supporters bus and they only pay £10 each. Surely in this case a minibus could be booked with the club making up the difference as a gesture of goodwill. Only a thought. If it is good enough over the bridge....

It's not the club but a generous sponsor (Weldex) who subsidise their buses. If anyone knows such individuals who would be willing to do the same for us then we would be delighted to hear from them. 

Btw a smaller bus is not much cheaper and even a self drive minibus costs and we need to provide drivers. I personally cannot volunteer for this ap present due to significant work pressures. 

[Hearach]

As I said could the club not step in to ensure that a supporters bus/ minibus is run to every away game by subsidising the shortfall?

[12th Man]

Would supporters be interested in driving a 16 seater minibus down by any chance?

Could a minibus be provided or hired from a registered charity or community transport if a price could be agreed? 

[izzy]

What a very sad state of affairs . These are the fans of the team holding the Scottish Cup.

Not a junior school team . It's shocking that this is what we would be reduced to .

[WYNESS101]

Would supporters be interested in driving a 16 seater minibus down by any chance?

Could a minibus be provided or hired from a registered charity or community transport if a price could be agreed? 

Even one of the clubs minibus? Can the media team no ask to take one of the minbus down and fit in a few extra fans who are wanting to go to the game

[L_G]

I agree it's really sad to have to cancel buses and with the size of our club this shouldn't be a problem, especially after such an amazing season last season.  It's simple maths and there are just not enough people to make it viable. A few people have mentioned minibuses but is anyone volunteering to drive them?  I'm in London this weekend so I can't make the game but it's just simply a numbers game.  The numbers wouldn't have paid for even half of the bus this weekend and CJT just can't afford to continue subsidising to this level. Sponsors may be an option but I think we have to just encourage more to travel and then we won't have this problem on a week to week basis.  I hope that those who hoped to attend this weekend will be able to make alternative arrangements.

Any ideas to promote the travel will be much appreciated

 

[johnh]

As the person running the as I am disappointed as anyone.

Some of the solutions are impractical:

How are the club, who have great difficulties with running the club at a break even level, supposed to fund the deficit?

I don't drive, so who has volunteered to drive a minibus?

We don't a Roy McGregor or a Weldex, so who wants identify a sponsor?

Who has agreed to book a space on the bus Partick Thistle, on 24 November 2015, leaving at 9:45 (Social Club) and 10.00 (Stadium)?

Answers hear or on 07951 309504

 

[izzy]

Invariably when we leave stadium for away games there is a minibus parked apparently unused.

I don't know how many seats there are but I suspect there would be enough for the regulars who

are keen to travel to support their team . The problem is who if it's not their job would be willing 

to take on the responsibility of transporting fans especially over winter period .Also do you not

need a special licence to drive a certain size of vehicle ?

As I've said above its a sad situation we find ourselves in but if that's the way it has to be I would

be all for it so the few regulars like myself can get back to looking forward to our away days .

I am not volunteering myself for driving but I'm sure there is someone more than capable maybe

the Club could stretch to a small payment for their trouble .

We are now clutching at straws but before we find another way of spending Sat. afternoons and fans

dwindle even more lets try to find a solution .

As this is second bus cancelled this season and we are not half way through I don't feel very encouraged .

 

[Hearach]

The deficit we are talking about the club funding would not be a huge amount.  As a valued member of the staff has just left the club could their salary not be used for this purpose? Fans pay out a considerable amount every season to support the team. And perhaps if the fans saw club assisting in this way they might feel more appreciated. People might put their names down for the Partick game however they cannot then be sure a bus/ minibus will definitely be going.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Hearach

[izzy]

As things stand every away game I feel we are being kept in limbo because of the uncertainty 

of the situation... ie .. are we going /are we not . Is there really nobody in the higher ranks of the club

with a contact to a large company who could go with begging bowl in hand and ask for them to

subsidies buses . As has already been pointed out our rivals OTB can manage it .

Who owns Weldex ??? Roy MacGregor  ???

 

 

[izzy]

As the person running the as I am disappointed as anyone.

Some of the solutions are impractical:

How are the club, who have great difficulties with running the club at a break even level, supposed to fund the deficit?

I don't drive, so who has volunteered to drive a minibus?

We don't a Roy McGregor or a Weldex, so who wants identify a sponsor?

Who has agreed to book a space on the bus Partick Thistle, on 24 November 2015, leaving at 9:45 (Social Club) and 10.00 (Stadium)?

Answers hear or on 07951 309504

 

Certainly no one blaming you for situation John .You do a fantastic job and I know you will 

be as disappointed with where we are at because it is a very enjoyable day out .Even more

so when we win .Its just getting very frustrating for regulars who put lives on hold waiting

to see if bus running or not . In reality if not possible after success of last season what 

is the likelihood of a happy outcome .

[Sneckboy]

As things stand every away game I feel we are being kept in limbo because of the uncertainty 

of the situation... ie .. are we going /are we not . Is there really nobody in the higher ranks of the club

with a contact to a large company who could go with begging bowl in hand and ask for them to

subsidies buses . As has already been pointed out our rivals OTB can manage it .

Who owns Weldex ??? Roy MacGregor  ???

 

Ironically, it's our former chairman, Dougie McGilvray who founded Weldex and is their current CEO.

[davie]

Hearach, it's not the business of the club to effectively pay for supporters to attend away games where they incur little or no benefit from any investment. Obviously this is different for one off high profile games where the club have (and I presume will continue to) help. The club will continue to provide what benefit it can to boost home crowds and income that can be invested in our club. 

This is a supporters problem. I know John Horne struggles manfully to keep the busses running but there needs to be a commitment from fans here to support that. Possibly if it was publicised in a wider context, booking offered in a variety of methods and suppliers sought with an absolute focus on minimum cost it might help, as might an attempt to pull fans out of what appears to be a fairly powerful lethargy. At the end of the day though, it's a supporters problem of use it or lose it. Starting soon.

[izzy]

As things stand every away game I feel we are being kept in limbo because of the uncertainty 

of the situation... ie .. are we going /are we not . Is there really nobody in the higher ranks of the club

with a contact to a large company who could go with begging bowl in hand and ask for them to

subsidies buses . As has already been pointed out our rivals OTB can manage it .

Who owns Weldex ??? Roy MacGregor  ???

 

Ironically, it's our former chairman, Dougie McGilvray who founded Weldex and is their current CEO.

I rest my case !!

[Hearach]

Hearach, it's not the business of the club to effectively pay for supporters to attend away games where they incur little or no benefit from any investment. Obviously this is different for one off high profile games where the club have (and I presume will continue to) help. The club will continue to provide what benefit it can to boost home crowds and income that can be invested in our club.

This is a supporters problem. I know John Horne struggles manfully to keep the busses running but there needs to be a commitment from fans here to support that. Possibly if it was publicised in a wider context, booking offered in a variety of methods and suppliers sought with an absolute focus on minimum cost it might help, as might an attempt to pull fans out of what appears to be a fairly powerful lethargy. At the end of the day though, it's a supporters problem of use it or lose it. Starting soon.

I say it IS the business of the club to get support up - home and away. If there is no supporters bus for away games then that is pretty shameful and reflects badly on the club. I would also think that the game against Motherwell is a vitally important one albeit not high profile. I am certainly not having a go at John and CJT - what I am saying AGAIN is that the club should step in. I would never expect my trips to away games to be paid for by the club . Who would abuse the club they support in that way?  As for using it or losing it - I use it all the time. Unfortunately it looks like I am also losing it. I would also say - appreciate fans or lose them. It works both ways.

[Alex MacLeod]

So Hearach are you suggesting buses should be ordered and paid for regardless of whether they are filled? If I was living in Inverness area I'd be happy to pay £15 return for away travel. As it is I dont live there and usually have to pay a lot more than that for home and away travel. The problem here is, as Davie say's, people dont seemto want to travel for one reason or another and I'm inclined to think its not the bus cost that puts them of but other reasons only known to the folk who've stopped travelling.

I had a look at a couple of self drive hire companies and it appears the average to hire a 17 seater minibus is around £200 a day. Add to that the cost of fuel at around 15/20 mpg and the cost per person becomes a good deal more than current asking price. These can be driven by anyone with D1 classification licence.

[davie]

Hearach, it's not the business of the club to effectively pay for supporters to attend away games where they incur little or no benefit from any investment. Obviously this is different for one off high profile games where the club have (and I presume will continue to) help. The club will continue to provide what benefit it can to boost home crowds and income that can be invested in our club.

This is a supporters problem. I know John Horne struggles manfully to keep the busses running but there needs to be a commitment from fans here to support that. Possibly if it was publicised in a wider context, booking offered in a variety of methods and suppliers sought with an absolute focus on minimum cost it might help, as might an attempt to pull fans out of what appears to be a fairly powerful lethargy. At the end of the day though, it's a supporters problem of use it or lose it. Starting soon.

I say it IS the business of the club to get support up - home and away. If there is no supporters bus for away games then that is pretty shameful and reflects badly on the club. I would also think that the game against Motherwell is a vitally important one albeit not high profile. I am certainly not having a go at John and CJT - what I am saying AGAIN is that the club should step in. I would never expect my trips to away games to be paid for by the club . Who would abuse the club they support in that way?  As for using it or losing it - I use it all the time. Unfortunately it looks like I am also losing it. I would also say - appreciate fans or lose them. It works both ways.

Hearach, I hear what you say, but your post that I replied to stated that "the deficit wouldn't be a huge amount, it could be paid for by using the salary" etc. That's getting the club to pay for the attendance of supporters (at least in part) to away venues that they accrue no benefit from. I have no doubt that the club appreciates supporters and it does a myriad of things to "get the support up" by various pricing initiatives and more - at home games that generate income for the club. . At no point did I think you were having a go at John. As I said before and maintain this is essentially a supporters matter. It is the fans who are not using the bus - how can this be a lack of appreciation from the club that in your opinion should "work both ways"? If you and CJT and others work to recruit fans to fill the bus, it will travel.

[12th Man]

A community bus was simply a plan B, 

I was even looking into driving one to the home games from Culloden but you have to have an initial volume of interest first to kick start it, (some places do Midas training for free)

Is this transport actually advertised anywhere else bar here. Is it in the match day programme? If it was then you would potentially have a sponsor as they would have somewhere to say that they are sponsors as well as the advert.

I get emails from the club but not from CJT would that help things if an email was sent out to all supporters regarding the transport or what ever you want.

No point expecting the club to line a bus companies pockets just to 1/3 fill a bus.Contact a different bus company and you would run the bus with lower numbers/ make more profit when it's fuller.

The supporters club in Greig St have the same problem for evening home matches Ive heard,   personally I would prebook 2 or 3, 8 seater taxis instead of hiring a bus if a low turnout is expected, the usual bus ticket fee would cover the costs per taxi inc return.

At least there will be central belt fans at the match and hope the ones not going on the bus manage to car share etc.

[12th Man]

So Hearach are you suggesting buses should be ordered and paid for regardless of whether they are filled? If I was living in Inverness area I'd be happy to pay £15 return for away travel. As it is I dont live there and usually have to pay a lot more than that for home and away travel. The problem here is, as Davie say's, people dont seemto want to travel for one reason or another and I'm inclined to think its not the bus cost that puts them of but other reasons only known to the folk who've stopped travelling.

I had a look at a couple of self drive hire companies and it appears the average to hire a 17 seater minibus is around £200 a day. Add to that the cost of fuel at around 15/20 mpg and the cost per person becomes a good deal more than current asking price. These can be driven by anyone with D1 classification licence.

Arnold clark £89 for the day large mpv 9 seats. Plus fuel + 10p per mile over 250 miles and its not rejecting tomorrow's date.

[Hearach]

So Hearach are you suggesting buses should be ordered and paid for regardless of whether they are filled? If I was living in Inverness area I'd be happy to pay £15 return for away travel. As it is I dont live there and usually have to pay a lot more than that for home and away travel. The problem here is, as Davie say's, people dont seemto want to travel for one reason or another and I'm inclined to think its not the bus cost that puts them of but other reasons only known to the folk who've stopped travelling.

I had a look at a couple of self drive hire companies and it appears the average to hire a 17 seater minibus is around £200 a day. Add to that the cost of fuel at around 15/20 mpg and the cost per person becomes a good deal more than current asking price. These can be driven by anyone with D1 classification licence.

£15?  It is £20. And I don't grudge a penny of it. Wpild be quite happy to pay more if it guaranteed a supporters bus 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Who the feck subsidise me ?

What if I pay for my travel costs and somebody sponsors the extras ?

[Alex MacLeod]

Would probably be cheaper to pay for your travel than your extras

[+HawkeyeTheGnu]

Would probably be cheaper to pay for your travel than your extras

it would be cheaper to pay for everybody's travel...