The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

With the Diamonds having confirmed that they have a decent chance of being involved with the playoffs in the past couple of weeks, it will be interesting to see what sort of gate we get on Saturday for the Gateshead game. Hopefully recent results will bring back quite a few of those fans who deserted the club in the Hunter / Tippett / Hart / Hill days.

The other factor to consider is that I’d guess there are some tricky decisions ahead regarding ticketing policy for the Luton game, and this weekend’s game will help to give an idea of how many Diamonds fans might expect to get a ticket for that game.

Clearly, if Luton need a result for that game, the Hatters would be able to fill Nene Park on their own, so the question would be how much of the stadium they can be given – as it will be important for cash flow over the summer to gain as much revenue as possible from the game. The club might even decide it a good idea to start giving out vouchers at the weekend to allow cash customers to establish their position in the queue for the Luton Tickets – after all the following two home games are on dates when Luton don’t play, so there is always the risk we saw a few seasons back that Luton fans would come to one of those games to get a voucher.

If it does turn out to be a game where both sides need something for the game there will certainly be some “first game of the season” fans who want tickets – but distinguishing them from Luton fans might prove quite tricky – with them being so local “postcode segregation” won’t really work. Even then, I’m not sure we would muster 2000 Diamonds fans for that sort of game.

It's quite a quandary - but a much better situation than in recent seasons when we were already doomed to midtable obscurity by this point.

We must avoid a repeat of the "Cheltenham" situation. The game will be all ticket but there may be a danger that Luton fans without tickets could still travel.

The Airwair ends of the South and North Stand could be used for Lotun fans providing sufficient stewarding/policing was in place to maintain segregation.

I'll nail my standard to the mast here - if the match still has pulling power (and I think it will) we should:

- make it all ticket (no brainer)
- give Luton the whole of the Air Wair and the whole of the North Stand, relocating NS season ticket holders to the South Stand (or half and half these stands if stewarding can be done safely).

Give Luton half the ground .............or more if they can fill the seats. I know this might pee off some North Stand regulars, but if they are treated properly, explained why (need to maximise revenue in these hard times), given time to select seats of their choice well in advance of general sales, then there shouldn't be a problem surely??? It just needs to be handled right with good communication and effective customer care.

We should see this as purely a money making venture, if we were to get 3000 Diamonds fans to the game I'd be surprised. 3500 Luton fans? A piece of piss frankly. Wouldn't it be great to see the stadium sold out.............first time since Leeds that'd be wouldn't it???

I really hope we get a good turnout of home fans on Saturday, there will be few Gateshead fans there, my guess is we'll get about 1400 in total though - it hasn't got the pullingmpower has it? With the bigger games coming up (Oxford at NP, scum away) I think some people will save their money for those games, hope I'm wrong.

Wasnt the last time we sold out Nene Park against Hartlepool?

straydiamond wrote:Wasnt the last time we sold out Nene Park against Hartlepool?

6291 that day, not quite capacity; 6431 vs Leeds Utd.

Looking at the stadium layout at http://www.thediamondsfc.com/page/Buyin ... 84,00.html it appears the big issue would be selling out the PDB for the Luton game - 1800 spaces. To get anywhere near capacity we'd need to convince a lot of the returning fans that they'd be happy to stand - not easy for those with small children.

I note Stevenage are having all kinds of challenges sorting out ticket arrangements for the Oxford and Luton games as they have a similar issue - too much standing accommodation for the expected number of home fans.

Maybe it would be a good chance to try the 'Airwair experiment'... put the Luton fans in the PDB and the corners of the North and South Stands, and put the displaced home fans in the AW.

I hadn't really thought of that as an issue............standing being the only proper way to watch football obviously ;)

Irish Diamond wrote:Maybe it would be a good chance to try the 'Airwair experiment'... put the Luton fans in the PDB and the corners of the North and South Stands, and put the displaced home fans in the AW.

Agreed.

Stuart

wasn't hartlepool to win the league a sell out?? i was away so wasn't there myself but if it wasn't why not? I agree for finacial reasons we could be looking quids in and i had these same ideas earlier on in the year, the same with oxford (as the fixture was on boxing day)