How to increase the home crowds?

[absent friend]

This board enjoys, although it does not always show, a latent talent that could be tapped into for the good of the club by suggesting options for consideration re increased home crowds.

Postings on here are from far and wide and therefore maybe it is possible to benefit from some good scheme that has/are been used elsewhere that some one has experienced.

.

I have already posted that my feeling is that it could be via the school children dragging along parent and parent then becoming interest in their own right.

It is a selling game and the correct work would have to go into planning by the powers that be, reduced cost/cheer leaders/ player awareness/own section.

Having watched the Gretna FC documentary, I wonder if we are as involved in the schools as they are? If we are not we should be as all the little ones on the TV appeared to enjoy the players banter and no doubt urge their parents to go to the match as a result.

I do feel that this is something that should be addressed now as spectating in sunny September is more enjoyable than frosty November for a novice supporter, if we want to retain them.

[RiG]

The very first thing I would do is reduce the prices for kids to get in. £15 is not on.

Second, more advertisments in the local press.

A well advertised bus service from town to the stadium would be next on the list.

Finally, winning some games at Home would be a nice touch :015:

[Caley Fish]

Reduced ticket prices have to be a priority because as Rig said £15 is absolutely rediculous.

[CaleyJulz]

My kids love going to the football but the £15 a child is not on i am £30 for me 2 kids then myself then all the extras busses lunch in town juice etc at half time so a consiesson thing for kids would be great and rigs idea of a bus to TCS would be great .

[CaleyD]

The club need to become more "Customer Savvy" across the board. They have spent a lot of time and effort attracting more corporate people along/in to the club, but this has been at the expense of taking they eye of the ball with what your average punter wants/needs to get them along to games. We need both if we are to continue to be succesful on and off the field.

[Caley Mad In Berks]

I agree. Catch them young and you've got them forever. I started supporting Caley when I was 10 and here I am over 50 years later, with not only my two sons as supporters, but 5 grandchildren as well. OK, distance (and cost) from Scotland means we don't get to as many games as we'd like, but nevertheless, the spirit is willing!. I paid the princely sum of sixpence at Telford Street in 1951 (2.5 pence in today's funny money). Even allowing for decades of inflation, I'd be surprised if it computed to £15 today. I'm sure my local club here, Reading, has days when it reduces prices for kids to just £1. Mind you, now they're in the Premiership it might be different.

[Eye Settee]

Target a few schools each home game , give them free tickets, with a fiver off the next ticket they buy. It'll introduce a whole lot of new kids from all over the north andif it encourages even a few to come back it'll be worth it.

[Guest ictdave]

I remember the club sent tickets to Kinmylies in 2000 or around that time. I went with a few mates and enjoyed it so much i have been a season ticket holder since. and ive only missed a few games in those years

[us2]

I noticed that at some of the away matches they had a half time competition with some kids doing a beat the goalie type thing, this would get more children involved. The family fun day at the Stadium when we won the league was fun and the players didn't seem to mind being stopped for photos and stuff. I also wonder if it would be possible to move the holiday soccer school to a more central location like Bught Park or even the stadium after all if you get to have a go on your local pitch perhaps you might want to watch the professionals play on it. I agree with all the other posters ideas but the main one is please reduce the kids prices. I am sure this would result in more first timers and pester power works when it comes to buying I.C.T. kit and goodies.

[absent friend]

I was hoping that some teacher would reply with the intention of inviting the club to his/her school but maybe the club already have an active involvement with the schools.

The cost for the children ( if more than one) is high but does not appear to be much different from other grounds. The difference for us is that we are trying to elevate our spectating base from such a low starting point that the loss of a few kids tickets could be more important to our financial position than to other clubs so maybe the club does not have all that room for a sales manoeuvre.

CD has stated a fact but maybe at this time offering a positive solution would be of more help.

I do feel that we already enjoy a rich mix of men/women/children in comparison to most other clubs(From memory PT had a similar mix) and therefore it is from this healthy base we should be able to grow given the correct incentive.

The product is excellent (4th highest points total/superb defencive record/great goal scorer) - the venue is acceptable( a bit airish) - Inverness is booming(fastest growing house prices) - surely this can be sold to a larger number of people at this time.

[CaleyD]

In order to solve an issue, your first have to acknowledge it exists. That's the stage I think the club are at in terms of increasing gates and realising the potential to increase gates. To do this they need to refocus on the overall picture

Solutions....

1. Dealing with the Stewarding Issues that are raised week in week out.

2. Dealing with the Turnstile Issues that have been raised.

3. Enhancing the match-day experience (pre-match and half time entertainment).

4. Making it more affordable to all.

5. Improving our home record on the park.

Basically what has been mentioned above already.

[absent friend]

I take on board your points - on the subject of the (bar)stewards are they, in your opinion, losing us support or are they just a pain in the butt that has to be lanced in some way.

I thought that they only affected specific people and supportive sympathy, like a growing ripple in a pond, was now touching others.

I felt they were making the game unpleasant for some only.

Do you feel that that is not the case and indeed revenue in the way of potential supporters not showing up, is been lost due to them?

[CaleyD]

I don't think the Steward thing is as big an issue (in terms of number of people affected) as some people make out, but it is an issue, and prevention is better than cure. Even if it loses just 1 fan, that is one fan too many, especially when it is a rectifiable situation. Their needs to be a mutual respect between fans and stewards and a handful of them are damaging that.

[Guest kingkojak]

FECK CHEERLEADERS!!!!

some good ideas posted on this thread.. cheerleaders is not one of them!

if the club start that USA mickey mouse schite then i am not going to ANY more home matches. those prancing pompom waving tenny boppers make a cheap americanised feckin mockery of the game - and if you dont believe me youve obviously never been to Dens park!

NO to the feckin pompoms :008:

YES to schools 5 a side games at halftime

YES to half time crossbar challenge

YES to halftime fans penalty shootouts

and finally

YES to half time strippers :021:

[absent friend]

We now have overwhelming(?) support for a reduction in the kids ticket cost or to be accurate an attack on parents via kids power, in some way.

Someone also brought up the kit sales revenue if the children become interested as an additional benefit.

The bus idea is not just good, it is so necessary, you feel someone somewhere has overlooked this source of revenue. Not everyone has a car and has a problem in the car park, some use shank's pony but maybe can't manage the distance to the park or enjoy a wee dram but don't fancy the walk to and from the park.(yes I accept that some pubs put on transport)

Competitions can only be enjoyed if we get the kids in, in the first place, unless they are the competitors.

Cheerleaders - that's a no no then?

This is the point, I suppose, where the club will now respond explaining their direction with the inherent reasons for so doing.''Weer no reely sure, erly days yet. Ya know yersel, its no easy to make a decision!''

However, I feel, there is still LATENT talent out there who can pass on successful schemes in other clubs.

[Scotty]

It was mentioned on another thread .... but one factor in increasing the crowd sizes is to get season tickets available for sale before the end of the current season.

If safety from relegation is assured then it is reasonable to expect that the prices be announced 2 or 3 games before the end of that season ... give fans till the end of the season for 'early bird' specials, give them a few weeks after that to confirm first refusal on their existing seat(s), get a package together that is mailed out to existing ST holders or available to new or potential ST holders that not only has ticket prices but also includes details of the hospitality offers available for the next season ... in short, MARKET the club to an audience who are already (in most cases) pre-disposed to take these offers up .....

I would also like to see the club take a leaf out of Aberdeen's book and implement a voucher scheme for non season ticket holders .... attendance at 'lesser' games would then be required to qualify for tickets for games against Hearts, Celtic, Rangers (and maybe even our 'local rivals' Aberdeen !) etc. This would have no effect on the crowd for the 'big' games, but might add a few thousand bums on seats over the season for games against the likes of St Mirren, Falkirk, Dunfermline etc

[KingBeastie]

I thought I made quite a good cheerleader!

[davieB]

I've said it before, and it's been said on here, the £15 concession price is embarrassing.

All kids under 16 should be let in for a minimal fee...say £5, or even a token £1, provided they are accompanied by a full paying adult. Better to have an extra £, plus the inevitable extra £'s that will be spent inside the ground, than an empty seat. Not only are we then encouraging more people along, we are also building our fanbase for the future.

I also agree with Scotty about the voucher scheme. The number of people I see at the OF games, who I never see at any other games really pishes me off.

[Kingsmills]

The voucher system has served Aberdeen well for over 20 years now and would cost next to nothing to implement.

[nude_as_the_news]

I really like all the ideas here for reducing costs for children. How about reducing tickets for certain matches (to say five quid), then handing out vouchers for reduced parent and child tickets for the following game. Holding a competition for schools in highland region to design an away top would also generate quite a bit of interest, I reckon.

And it's not a new point, but why on earth are there no public busses to the stadium (e.g. ones running from the town centre)?! We also need a signal crossing on the road outside stadium, so people don't have to risk life and limb playing frogger to get accross. Why are these still issues?!

[Guest ICTangie]

[align=center]'Ask not what your country can do for you...'

Why don't we all bring a friend along to a match?

:popular02::popular02:[/align]

[maimie]

there are buses running from the town centre to the stadium though I'm not sure of the times but i will find out. The Social Club run buses too and there are also many pubs that run buses for a minimal charge.

The season ticket issue is a big one in that for this season and last we are one of the last clubs in the SPL to announce our ticket prices. This, I think, is not good for the Club. Someone mentioned the threat of relegation but surely they could have a contingency in place for such an event and as soon as it is known that we are safe prices could be announced. I also feel a more realistic way of being able to pay your tickets up is needed.

I am a great believer in the fact that the team are our biggest asset as far as the kids are concerned and that more must be done in this department. Getting in to schools is a major factor in attracting young supporters and should be one that is done now. I remember speaking to Grassa about this some time ago and at that time the team trained in the morning and golfed in the afternoon and he felt that to visit schools was to encroach on the players 'time off'. I would hope that that attitude has now changed!

The other thing they could do is to adopt a street league team - think of the rivalry then! it may also give them good preparation for coaching in the future.

While I agree that the match day prices for kids is far too high remember that a season ticket for centenary club members kids last year was only around the £40 mark - a real bargain in my view and better for the club in many ways than giving out free tickets to the same kids week in week out with no incentive to buy a season ticket and invest in the club and no problems about getting in to the 'big' games.

Many clubs find themselves in the same situation as us in trying to increase crowds but we have the advantage in that we are the only SPL club in the area and need to capitalise on that.

We could of course drive through the town tooting our horns and have our scarves flying out the windows....

[maimie]

Sorry if that was a bit long....

[amc]

The club do get out into the local community.

Just recently some members of the coaching staff were at the local school nursery with nessie the mascot all the kids are now

ICT FANS and had a great time.

This is age to grab them, Ill bet they all went home asking for some ict stuff

Question is there a nessie mascot toy for sale ?

[caleyboy]

Maybe you don't remember but from the first season at Caledonian Stadium the club gave free tickets to all primary schools in Inverness. Kids under 12 got in free to the terracing if accompanied by an adult. OK, crowds were smaller and we were allowed to use terracing but the gesture was there and it was widely used. For some unknown reason, this arrangement was terminated in 2000/2001. If this were to be implimented again, you would have to select the games and probably section off part of the away stand. I fully believe kids under 12 should have FREE entry with a full paying adult but the mechanics would need a great deal of thought.