[ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

All things unofficial about AFC Rushden & Diamonds and general football talk.
bozzer
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Re: [ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

Post by bozzer »

AFC R&D Member No. 67
Trek
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Re: [ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

Post by Trek »

diamondgeezer1 wrote:
I just wonder where those fans are when we got 5/6/700 for games, why aren't they coming back?
I don't know perhaps they just have other commitments, if you know of any suggest you ask them! The important people turn up for every home game. :good:

http://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/north ... ttendances
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Re: [ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

Post by Oundle Diamond #2 »

diamondgeezer1 wrote:3/400 seems to be the average we've been getting the last few months.

I just wonder where those fans are when we got 5/6/700 for games, why aren't they coming back?
I imagine lots of fans from the RDFC days have moved away (taking myself as an example). Unsurprising, the lure of step 4 football to new people in the area isn't as strong as gutted supporters wanting to continue to support their old professional local team. I reckon attendances will decline into perpetuity until we get into the quality of football and larger fanbases of the National League. Putting on one of the worst games of football I've ever seen when we had 1100 in the ground last year for Barwell also costly.
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Re: [ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

Post by Trek »

Oundle Diamond #2 wrote: Unsurprising, the lure of step 4 football to new people in the area isn't as strong as gutted supporters wanting to continue to support their old professional local team.
How do you account for the tremendous support that the re-formed Hereford are getting then or the exceptional crowds at Step 5 club South Shields? The quality of football currently on offer at the Dog & Duck is the best it's been since the reformed senior team started in August 2012.
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Re: [ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

Post by Oundle Diamond #2 »

Trek wrote:
Oundle Diamond #2 wrote: Unsurprising, the lure of step 4 football to new people in the area isn't as strong as gutted supporters wanting to continue to support their old professional local team.
How do you account for the tremendous support that the re-formed Hereford are getting then or the exceptional crowds at Step 5 club South Shields? The quality of football currently on offer at the Dog & Duck is the best it's been since the reformed senior team started in August 2012.
Hereford were always one of the best supported teams in Non-League and no doubt benefit from having a stadium in their town. I'm sure there attendances will also follow the pattern we're seeing as fans from the old club move away.

On this forum alone, there are lots of fans who followed RD and have subsequently moved away. I don't think these will be equally replaced in our current position, given that the same pull factors that got us to support RDFC aren't here now.

What I'm ultimately saying is I think it's a natural pattern, no fault of the team who have done well over the last few years and have had some decent players, or the board for that matter.
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Re: [ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

Post by Mad Dog »

Interestingly about six months ago I was speaking to someone who used to occasionally go prior to 2011, whose sons were in the mini soccer on Saturday mornings and are now in the community teams. I was surprised to learn he hasn't been once to see us since reforming.

We didn't go into too many specifics, but one of the suggestions which was raised was for better targeting of the parents to encourage them along by making it cheaper to get in, along with a more informative campaign tailored towards them in particular with regards to matches.

It may be an idea already undertaken, but given we have a few hundred kids in the community teams, maybe we need to look at ways of converting them over to watching their local team as well as getting into playing football, even if we make a loss on the parents to reap the rewards in ten years time.
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Re: [ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

Post by Easton Diamond »

I have to admit I’ve been somewhat underwhelmed by our league attendances last season and at the start of this campaign compared to the first few years. The biggest league attendance last time around was 613 vs Kings Langley, a fair way off some crowds we attracted in the UCL days. A jump in adult admission fees of £3 in the last two seasons might have had an impact too. For the average football fan I think £9 is quite a lot of money for Step 4 football, although it seems to be the norm at this level. Obviously we as members were the ones who ultimately voted for it which is of course how our fantastic club works.

However, I think it’s often the case with phoenix clubs that after the initial excitement of the formation has worn off the crowds do decrease. Like us Scarborough Athletic has had two promotions since they were reformed and their attendances have also steadily declined, although they do play in Bridlington about 20 miles away. I suppose we won’t realise the full potential of our fan base until we move back home to the Rushden area. When that will be though remains to be seen.
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Re: [ Sat 24th Sep ] v Shaw Lane AFC, KO 3pm NPL1S HOME

Post by Dowlo »

diamondgeezer1 wrote:3/400 seems to be the average we've been getting the last few months.

I just wonder where those fans are when we got 5/6/700 for games, why aren't they coming back?
I haven't made a home game so far this season, but then again I don't live locally anymore. If I could come back each weekend I would but it's just simply not practical.

I just think it's a natural drift off of fans. The initial excitement of a phoenix club will draw people in but not all of them will then become fans who will attend week in week out for the long haul. A lot will pick and chose their games and only come to the "bigger games".

This is something I now personally find myself doing, as much as I would like to attend each week. I'm more inclined to attend a top of the table clash or a bigger cup game due to the distance I have to travel. Add to that we have been moved into the Northern section of the league with rules out most of the away games too.

We have had a fairly mixed start in terms of results, those who know the ins and outs of the club and the loyal fans who appreciate that we aren't going to storm off with the league and be winning every game will go and watch anyway. However if you are a local neutral/fair weather fan you will perhaps look at the table and results and not see us a particularly enticing team to go and watch as it current;y stands. (I'm aware that every game there has been at least 1 goal before people start saying "but the football is entertaining") The fact is people want to watch teams that win most games and are challenging near the top, which at this present moment in time we aren't. I suspect that as the season goes on and we get on a good run we'll see the crowds increase.

Me personally, I suspect my next game will be the away game at Spalding on November 1st. Meaning I'm still yet to get to the Dog n Duck this season and can I also take this opportunity to thank Mr League Fixture Secretary for putting one of the more "local" away games on a Tuesday night.
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