Views from the Sieve

It's not quite where the thread starts but there are some great ideas in this thread on how t attract more fans (there are some fairly-unworkable ones too). Take a look at the posts from Seagie and ProgressiveTara (both Morecambe fans).

http://www.theconferenceforum.co.uk/thread/52292

In my opinion we need to look at;

. Installing something on the main road to tell people that this is our home, we are here and this is when we are playing.

. More competitions for the kids - be a mascot, free tickets etc. Get this into the schools and sports clubs across the borough and the results into every London paper we can afford.

. Money off vouchers for games sent out in papers etc.

. The free u10 thing is great but isn't publicised anywhere obvious enough (should also be avaliable as pay on the day).

. Reduce the lines of crap merchandise. It's not focused enough on what fans want. Shirts, scarves and caps is what sells. Make em cheaper and make the shop more like a kiosk on matchdays. Bring stock out and entice people in.

. The bar is shite. End of. Drop the members/ non members entrance fee. Get some music on in the place and make it welcoming. It's not somewhere I necessarily want to visit on matchday, the pubs in the area are far better.

. I'd also take a look into the deal for the carling stand. Its got to be 12 years old already and are the brewery still paying to sponsor it? While you're there, the sieve could do with a proper sponsor.

. Kids meet and greet days in the school holidays. It will sell merch and the fans get to meet their favourite players.

. I would also unoffically rebrand the club "THE family club". I came over for the wrexham game with my family and it was nice to feel welcomed again. We should be selling that and trying to wrestle that off of clubs like West Ham who are trying to use that as a selling point.

. Sponsored play on the pitch tournaments at the end of the season - sold as corporate and fan experiences. Even 50 quid a player, eight teams for instance is still decent money.

It's not that difficult. I have no marketing experience but the above would generate cash for the club and raise the profile.

Perhaps the club need a suggestions and feedback box on the turnstiles to bring in good ideas.

I've always felt that we should be looking to attract more kids into the ground. We should really be looking to capitalise on the fact that West Ham fans aside, so many kids round here support Premier League teams that they barely ever see in person. But there are live games near them that they can come and watch, whilst having a really good time.

We have lots of huge secondary schools around this part of London/Essex and it'd be great if we could find a way to do to a game-specific special offer for kids from a certain school to get them through the gates. E.g. Offer kids from Robert Clack entry to the next home game for a £1. If they go to that they can then get the next home game ticket for £5. After that hopefully they might be willing to come to our games of their own back. The whole point of this for me is to get them coming in groups, as I believe that's when they'll be most likely to come and stay if this isn't their first team.

I agree about attracting kids. Our pay on the gate rate for kids a prohibitive to so many people.
Kids are unpredictable; you suggest doing something (buy a ticket in advance) then they don't want to do it. Then they say they want to do something on the day.

We have so few kids in the ground these days. It should be £5 for all those 16 or under or on production of a child Oyster card or something. This is the future of our club.

The other thing with kids is most people would take them to the TBS now, purely because they can actually see whats going on, and given how empty that has been cutting a deal seems like a great idea, especially since half the people in there aren't actually fans but youth team player/staff.

Mikins wrote:The other thing with kids is most people would take them to the TBS now, purely because they can actually see whats going on, and given how empty that has been cutting a deal seems like a great idea, especially since half the people in there aren't actually fans but youth team player/staff.

Not going to happen as you would have to offer the same price to away fans. £21 and creaming it.

First......Employ a good commercial manager .

With the way West Ham are playing and given the violence between their own fans last week, you can only hope that the club are seriously thinking about this right now. We have such a good opportunity to bring in some of their fair-weathered fans, with the way both clubs are playing.

Allow kids to pay £1 on match days. This will then entice the families back and those who decide on the day to come over. Not rocket science

Don't even think we would need to go that low, fiver should do it. Or maybe introducing a family ticket for 1 adult and 2/3 under 16s.

Advertise. Time radio, for example, isn't expensive. Use the email database we have in the ticket office. Flyers at Dagenham East and Dagenham Heathway on Thursdays and Fridays.

It might help if the announcer actually,
Promoted future games both home and away
Advertised the bars, the clubhouse, the shop etc

It's not often you have a captive audience of over 1000 so make the most of it

Who actually listens to time fm?

The Club have advertised on Time FM before by the way. It's always on in my barbers when I am in there and have heard Club adverts before

Diggerthedog wrote:

Mikins wrote:The other thing with kids is most people would take them to the TBS now, purely because they can actually see whats going on, and given how empty that has been cutting a deal seems like a great idea, especially since half the people in there aren't actually fans but youth team player/staff.

Not going to happen as you would have to offer the same price to away fans. £21 and creaming it.

See two Dover fans put pen to paper and wrote to the non league Paper over this issue.

Really do think this is doing more damage then the money it generates . Not for one minute do I think anymore Dover fans would have attended last Tuesday but this bad publicity could have been avoided for 30 quid. Ok over a course of a season it is more but rather see visiting supporters leave our ground enjoying the day rather then feeling they have been mugged , a feeling of at least two Dover fans last Tuesday.