A question about improving support

[2b2bdoo]

Why can clubs from other less well off areas attend games, home and away in bigger numbers than us ?

It's tough for a lot of fans at lots of clubs

I thought bulut would kick the inertia a bit but it's still there

I don’t know, maybe we just don’t have the hard core following anymore. Maybe our fans have been to most these grounds several times now and don’t want to go again. I don’t think there are many I haven’t done in the championship now, I think just Preston and Rotherham. Who knows.

Trip to Millwall not really the same as boro or Sunderland is it.

I think this is more about home attendance tho.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I don’t know, maybe we just don’t have the hard core following anymore. Maybe our fans have been to most these grounds several times now and don’t want to go again. I don’t think there are many I haven’t done in the championship now, I think just Preston and Rotherham. Who knows.

Trip to Millwall not really the same as boro or Sunderland is it.

I think this is more about home attendance tho.

Well that arguement can be made by lots of clubs fans , it's not particular to us

We will be very lucky to take 1000 to Millwall

Swansea City took more fans to Sunderland last season than we did

Our home and away support is not what it should be and that's the point of the thread

[RichardM]

Our home and away support is not what it should be and that's the point of the thread

Do you have any constructive ideas for how attendances could be improved?

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Do you have any constructive ideas for how attendances could be improved?

Well there aren't any really apart from those mentioned

Maybe a change around of the family stand to improve the atmosphere

Apart from the team higher in the table and realistic prices .....we can't be certain of the first but we already have the second .....can you think of any ?

[PontBlue]

Our family stand is very sparsely populated. We need to get the kids early so they become fans for life. We should also be targeting under represented groups to grow our fan base.

Whatever happened to the community area where community groups used to get discounted/free tickets?

As others have mentioned a discount after buying x number of matches may help. I also don't get the dynamic pricing, I think QPR were in the top tier this season despite being near certs for relegation.

Finally, I know some have said pricing is fair but is it really when compared to competing forms of entertainment? For match day pricing £20s plenty as it isn't about finances with the bulk of club incoming coming from other sources and they should also do away with the extra pricing charges when buying digital tickets.

[RichardM]

Well there aren't any really apart from those mentioned

Maybe a change around of the family stand to improve the atmosphere

Apart from the team higher in the table and realistic prices .....we can't be certain of the first but we already have the second .....can you think of any ?

I made some suggestions in an earlier post

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Bristol City used to offer a package to local schools and clubs where the kids could have an hour long coaching session near the stadium with a Bristol City academy coach then go to the match. Cost about £5 per kid and £10 for parents I think. Don't know if they still do it.
Anything we can do to get kids supporting their local team has got to be good.

This would be great.

Getting local kids supporting City is the way forward long term.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Our family stand is very sparsely populated. We need to get the kids early so they become fans for life. We should also be targeting under represented groups to grow our fan base.

Whatever happened to the community area where community groups used to get discounted/free tickets?

As others have mentioned a discount after buying x number of matches may help. I also don't get the dynamic pricing, I think QPR were in the top tier this season despite being near certs for relegation.

Finally, I know some have said pricing is fair but is it really when compared to competing forms of entertainment? For match day pricing £20s plenty as it isn't about finances with the bulk of club incoming coming from other sources and they should also do away with the extra pricing charges when buying digital tickets.

The Community Group many years ago tried to work with the local communities through the trust to increase local people attending games

But as is typical with these sort of ideas some fans moaned we were favouring minority groups which was complete nonsense however it was such a pain in the arse that the volunteers thought they couldn't be dealing with the hassle of people moaning and whingeing

If the club offered cheaper tickets somebody would moan , it's what some people do instead of actually doing something

I think the club is spot on with ticket prices , we seem to be settling on around 18000 home fans on average and unless we are pushing the top two that's going to be the way it is

Maybe tinkering around with student deals , free transport , better food , free beer etc etc may help but not much

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I made some suggestions in an earlier post

Sorry I didn't read them

[Ninian1962]

I was asked this question on another message board and I thought I would share here in the hope some ideas might develop.

whilst the home support is steady , following the recent liaison , what’s been suggested in respect of improving home support ( considering it’s no longer just about finances ).

Also the same question in respect of away support which has gone down significantly?

There was a meeting with Mehmet Dalman and the head of departments ahead of the game Saturday about this very subject and I am waiting to hear ,the outcome but they are looking at this seriously, I would imagine some deals would be on offer to encourage fans but no doubt the club will then get feedback or complaints from Season ticket holders.

Its not easy unless we are winning every game and at top of league or in the Premier league. So what can we do? The CCSC suggested that we open the club more on non matchdays, make sure the shop is open, maybe later until 8 pm when fans are home from work. Maybe open a cafe that fans can visit at the stadium, get the Museum finished and open, generally make the stadium more accessible to visitors /fans on non match days.

I think we have the pricing right at our ground but please reply with any ideas you have that might increase home attendances.

As for away we really have had it tough in the first 5 games. Ipswich, Leeds, Sunderland Middlesboro , Blackburn , only Leicester and Birmingham have been less than 4 hours away...I am sure our away support will pick up , its very expensive to do an away game and fair play to those that do attend, some never miss a game.

If you remember Corky , some years ago when you were involved the Trust invited 9with the club`s consent and support) groups of local communities to attend games by giving them a relatively small number of free tickets to attend under the supervision of their community leaders. At the time it was to demonstrate to them that the club was not the racist, nasty experience that they had been led to believe it was. As a result a small number of them returned as regular fans.
Worth repeating now to fill some of the empty spaces in the Family Stand?

Keith

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Some German clubs include the cost of public transport to and from the ground in the ticket price.
Doing that might help get a few more people in.

Wasn't there a scheme a few years back where you could buy four or six tickets for different matches at a time for a discount?

Another option would be discounts on bulk (4+) buys for one match so a group of people can come together.

Sorry just read this

I think ticket and bus deals might help some but we have laid on buses before

[Pedro de la Rosa]

Well that arguement can be made by lots of clubs fans , it's not particular to us

We will be very lucky to take 1000 to Millwall

Swansea City took more fans to Sunderland last season than we did

Our home and away support is not what it should be and that's the point of the thread

We have had all of our biggest trips of the season in the space of a few months. We nearly took 1000 to Ipswich. That's bloody impressive.

[Ninian1962]

The Community Group many years ago tried to work with the local communities through the trust to increase local people attending games

But as is typical with these sort of ideas some fans moaned we were favouring minority groups which was complete nonsense however it was such a pain in the arse that the volunteers thought they couldn't be dealing with the hassle of people moaning and whingeing

If the club offered cheaper tickets somebody would moan , it's what some people do instead of actually doing something

I think the club is spot on with ticket prices , we seem to be settling on around 18000 home fans on average and unless we are pushing the top two that's going to be the way it is

Maybe tinkering around with student deals , free transport , better food , free beer etc etc may help but not much

Sorry Paul, didn`t see this before posting a similar response

Keith

[fingers]

It all comes down to cost of tickets in my opinion, yes I think ours are reasonable compared to other clubs but seemingly people still think it’s a lot, it’s an expensive day out.

Travel could be more issue.

I’d echo the travel issue. Took the train from Bridgend on Saturday with my 10 yr old boy. The walk up from central station not great so after the match thought we’d catch a train back to Central from Ninian station - jam packed and couldn’t get on it. Had to walk back in the dark which didn’t bother me but my boy wasn’t happy. Got to Central station, got on train and there was a problem with the doors - stuck on there for 25 minutes, boiling hot, no air conditioning, toe to toe. Got into Bridgend and missed our last bus (yes, last bus 6:30pm!). Got a £10 taxi and got home 3 hours after final whistle, just 20 miles down the road from CCS.

Now there’s a whole separate thread needed for the abysmal state of our public transport, but if that’s my experience (and more importantly my 10 yr old’s experience), how are we going to make ‘the day’ more attractive if you have to spend almost 4 hours travelling 20 miles each way? There used to be a Zeelo coach service from Bridgend direct to CCS before Covid, not sure what happened to that.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Sorry Paul, didn`t see this before posting a similar response

Keith

No worries

This is not say a community group type initiative might not bring rewards of new fans this time ?

It's worth considering

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

We have had all of our biggest trips of the season in the space of a few months. We nearly took 1000 to Ipswich. That's bloody impressive.

I am not doubting the loyalty of our away support I am saying it should be more and plenty of fans think so too

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I’d echo the travel issue. Took the train from Bridgend on Saturday with my 10 yr old boy. The walk up from central station not great so after the match thought we’d catch a train back to Central from Ninian station - jam packed and couldn’t get on it. Had to walk back in the dark which didn’t bother me but my boy wasn’t happy. Got to Central station, got on train and there was a problem with the doors - stuck on there for 25 minutes, boiling hot, no air conditioning, toe to toe. Got into Bridgend and missed our last bus (yes, last bus 6:30pm!). Got a £10 taxi and got home 3 hours after final whistle, just 20 miles down the road from CCS.

Now there’s a whole separate thread needed for the abysmal state of our public transport, but if that’s my experience (and more importantly my 10 yr old’s experience), how are we going to make ‘the day’ more attractive if you have to spend almost 4 hours travelling 20 miles each way? There used to be a Zeelo coach service from Bridgend direct to CCS before Covid, not sure what happened to that.

Maesteg supporters club come down through there and pick up at coytrahen and Tondu I think ?

Max at the crown should know ?

Will that help ?

[Canton Kev]

The club has always been pretty poor at advertising itself. When’s the last time you saw a CCFC billboard, poster, TV/internet ad, etc in and around the city centre?

I can’t think of anything in the last couple years advertising upcoming fixtures, ticket prices, kit releases, etc.

I’m sure a few posters in central station with the dates for the next 5 home fixtures and the prices would pay for itself with increased sales.

I think there’s a bit of a preconception at the moment that football in the UK is an expensive day out but our prices are actually very reasonable, especially for families. Central station has a huge range of people going through it on a daily basis from all over Cardiff and beyond. I’d wager there’s a few in that crowd looking for something to fill their weekend with.

[Tuerto]

The club have to become more active in the community and wider areas. I don't think that they understand that if they want people to support the club then they have to go out and work their nuts off in order to get more people watching, and more importantly, getting the bug that has the side affect of ruining or making your Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

It would have to be a sustained effort, over a long period of time, they have to understand that it's up to the club to entice people, offer incentives, sell the bloody product. There are plenty of boys and girls junior leagues where the club could get involved in coaching, putting things on that aren't directly involved in football. We have NHS workers, Council Workers, Shop Workers etc. Surely the club could offer incentives for people who work in these places to get cheap tickets, bring family members, friends etc. The club could do deals with shops, so if someone buys a product over a certain amount then they can get a Ticket half price.

Leaflet the City centre, or atleast have a presence in the centre of the city with amusement type things that attract kids and parents, where they can speak to people who work for the club. Make the kids feel special, wanted, be interested in them, then sell their parents a ticket or two at a reduced price. There's loads of events in South Wales where the club could have a presence. This would take years to work, but it's the only way to get people involved. Make them feel wanted and offer incentives.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Like the rugby , football in South Wales is a big event thing and always has been

Cardiff City have a huge population to draw on but a lot of them simply are not interested in turning up regularly

We got big crowds v Leeds in the fa Cup but after beating them the next home game saw ninian Park half empty again

It's always been the same

It's quite embarrassing really

I think the stadium is too big , nearly 20000 Saturday wouldn't have been bad in a 25000 seater ground

Nothing wrong with the prices I just think south wales sports fans talk the talk but that's about it

Why have you never mentioned this a thousand times before?

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Why have you never mentioned this a thousand times before?

Well if people want to try and get more bums on seats they need to know what has been tried , what worked and what didn't

Feel free to offer suggestions you old prune

[RichardM]

The club has always been pretty poor at advertising itself. When’s the last time you saw a CCFC billboard, poster, TV/internet ad, etc in and around the city centre?

I can’t think of anything in the last couple years advertising upcoming fixtures, ticket prices, kit releases, etc.

I’m sure a few posters in central station with the dates for the next 5 home fixtures and the prices would pay for itself with increased sales.

I think there’s a bit of a preconception at the moment that football in the UK is an expensive day out but our prices are actually very reasonable, especially for families. Central station has a huge range of people going through it on a daily basis from all over Cardiff and beyond. I’d wager there’s a few in that crowd looking for something to fill their weekend with.

There was an advert for season tickets on the electronic hoarding in Adam Street by the railway bridge a couple of months ago

[insider]

Why are loyal away fans charged a pound to purchase an away ticket ?

[fingers]

Maesteg supporters club come down through there and pick up at coytrahen and Tondu I think ?

Max at the crown should know ?

Will that help ?

Too far the other way mate, I’m in Cefn Glas, but thanks anyway

[JamesWales]

I would say the club gets a lot right, more than most clubs, and the general ticket prices are decent really, and things in the family stand are great, as are the bands in the Canton etc. But still, the following are a few ideas off the top of my head;

Get fans in earlier. Have deals on beer, make the concourses more pleasant. Some drop down seats, some more decoration etc. Just do it up a bit.

Overhaul the prices and service at the food and drink stands. I hate feeling ripped off by my football club. Get better prices, have a cash bar too for people that want to pay that way. Just be less corporate.

The £2 per ticket fee leaves a sour note.

Allow standing in the Ninian lower near away fans

Link up with TfW to better advertise the services from Grangetown and Ninian Park. Maybe even get extra services or price deals

Try and get some fans to volunteer tidying up with litter etc around the ground after games

Improve the pre match music a bit.

Offer a better post match experience to watch results or the next game etc - tied into making concourses better.

Become more of a 24/7 venue for City fans. Show away games in concourses, have the odd gig under the stands etc, maybe offer space for fans with start up businesses etc

Change the shirts every two seasons, not every season, so one summer a new home kit, the next summer a new away kit etc..

Let fans display flags in the ground more.

Introduce more student prices to attract them

Invite more local schools

Reduce the price for mascots.

More parking for disabled fans. This is a big issue for some.

Lots of this stuff costs money but I think in many cases it would result in greater income, better relationships between fans and club etc.

I get the club is a business but I always resent feeling exploited by them, which I sometimes do.