| Experiment failed? 08:12 - Dec 22 with 4637 views | Dalenet |
Taking nothing away from a superb game, the experiment to play on the Friday night just before Christmas must be seen as a complete failure. Even with the kids being free, and our poor recent form, getting a 1605 gate is financial suicide. We can't have had anymore than 500 paying cash on the day. I had to take half a days holiday to get to the match last night. Others simply wouldn't have been able to get there and plenty of people would have had works parties to attend. Plea to the Chairman.....don't mess with Saturday fixtures. |  | | |  |
| Experiment failed? on 08:30 - Dec 22 with 2789 views | electricblue |
Actually 1605 att is more than i thought would be attending.. [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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| My all time favourite Dale player Mr Lyndon Symmonds |
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| Experiment failed? on 09:36 - Dec 22 with 2672 views | 442Dale |
Not sure many more would have turned up today, plus the game would have been in doubt with the rain forecast.
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| Experiment failed? on 09:49 - Dec 22 with 2625 views | TVOS1907 |
| Experiment failed? on 09:36 - Dec 22 by 442Dale |
Not sure many more would have turned up today, plus the game would have been in doubt with the rain forecast.
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I agree.
There were 164 less Dale fans in the ground last night than at the Exeter game and when you consider we lost that one and also at Aldershot, the fall isn't as stark as it could have been.
However, I also agree with dalenet that the decision to play on Friday night was very bizarre, especially on 'Mad Friday' where a lot of people had to decide between the football and the pubs. To me it seems to be a decision made with little thought.
At least it all worked out well from a footballing perspective. |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Experiment failed? on 09:58 - Dec 22 with 2609 views | mikehunt |
So do we think the bucket's experiment was a success? £10 in and kids for a quid. They got 2500 in. Might that have been better? I thought our attendance wasn't too bad given the circumstances.
I would add that, seeing as most clubs grumble about reduced attendances on the Saturday before Christmas, why not leave the date blank? That would also go a little way to appeasing players' wishes for a Xmas break. |  |
| The worm of time turns not for the cuckoo of circumstance. |
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| Experiment failed? on 10:13 - Dec 22 with 2575 views | TVOS1907 |
| Experiment failed? on 09:58 - Dec 22 by mikehunt |
So do we think the bucket's experiment was a success? £10 in and kids for a quid. They got 2500 in. Might that have been better? I thought our attendance wasn't too bad given the circumstances.
I would add that, seeing as most clubs grumble about reduced attendances on the Saturday before Christmas, why not leave the date blank? That would also go a little way to appeasing players' wishes for a Xmas break. |
This thing about the last Saturday before Christmas is a bit of a myth these days.
In the past, before online shopping and Sunday opening, attendances were greatly affected on this Saturday, but over the last 10-15 years the effect has been insignificant.
This season has been contracted quite a lot as it is, with the later start and earlier finish, so leaving a Saturday blank would have meant an extra midweek somewhere, which is probably hard to find.
Also, the last Saturday before Christmas could be anything from the 18th December to the 24th December (when there wouldn't be fixtures anyway), so where do we draw the line?
Not sure if Bury's experiment was a success. They had 2157 home fans (Shrewsbury took 379), which is probably down on their last home attendance. Of course that's 600 more home fans than we had, but I suppose it depends on what they were hoping to get. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Experiment failed? on 10:13 - Dec 22 with 2571 views | TVOS1907 |
| Experiment failed? on 09:58 - Dec 22 by mikehunt |
So do we think the bucket's experiment was a success? £10 in and kids for a quid. They got 2500 in. Might that have been better? I thought our attendance wasn't too bad given the circumstances.
I would add that, seeing as most clubs grumble about reduced attendances on the Saturday before Christmas, why not leave the date blank? That would also go a little way to appeasing players' wishes for a Xmas break. |
EDIT: Double post [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Experiment failed? on 10:15 - Dec 22 with 2564 views | ColDale |
I didnt see much evidence of the kids free making a difference, but I think most would accept the attendance was higher than anticipated. For all those who couldn't make it, there were others who it appealed to. Overall I'd call it a success, albeit a marginal one. |  | | |
| Experiment failed? on 10:20 - Dec 22 with 2553 views | RAFCBLUE |
I'd like to see more Friday night football at Spotland.
In a world where we have a number of local competitors making it "the" regular Friday night thing, supported by drinks promotions would make it a case to come for a few hours and watch a match.
bury's attendance last night was a tremendous success for them - £10 entry, kids for £1 and £5 for any season ticket holder of any other club. Certainly think that we could benefit from that.
Also credit to whoever was involved in the marketing for last night - flyers handed out on the turnstile, coverage on GMR (rather than the bury game) and the O/S and Twitter publicity take some doing. A base standard that for future games please!
Only negatives I'd see would be for exiles like me, who'd struggle to get to home games but I see this as a local drive to get local people to support their local club.
Certainly for any home games against a side south of Stoke must see reduced costs, similar away attendances and an opportunity to build "the match day experience".
Would be interested to see the club try to commit to it for 12-15 homes games. Experiments can't be judged via a one off. |  |
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| Experiment failed? on 10:25 - Dec 22 with 2534 views | TVOS1907 |
| Experiment failed? on 10:20 - Dec 22 by RAFCBLUE |
I'd like to see more Friday night football at Spotland.
In a world where we have a number of local competitors making it "the" regular Friday night thing, supported by drinks promotions would make it a case to come for a few hours and watch a match.
bury's attendance last night was a tremendous success for them - £10 entry, kids for £1 and £5 for any season ticket holder of any other club. Certainly think that we could benefit from that.
Also credit to whoever was involved in the marketing for last night - flyers handed out on the turnstile, coverage on GMR (rather than the bury game) and the O/S and Twitter publicity take some doing. A base standard that for future games please!
Only negatives I'd see would be for exiles like me, who'd struggle to get to home games but I see this as a local drive to get local people to support their local club.
Certainly for any home games against a side south of Stoke must see reduced costs, similar away attendances and an opportunity to build "the match day experience".
Would be interested to see the club try to commit to it for 12-15 homes games. Experiments can't be judged via a one off. |
I think there's a limit on how many games can be moved from the normal Saturday slot without the intervention of live TV.
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| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Experiment failed? on 10:46 - Dec 22 with 2479 views | RAFCBLUE |
| Experiment failed? on 10:25 - Dec 22 by TVOS1907 |
I think there's a limit on how many games can be moved from the normal Saturday slot without the intervention of live TV.
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Not sure, but the rules are here:
http://www.football-league.co.uk/regulations/20110629/section-5-fixtures_2293633
First inspection suggests its a case of just agreeing with another club (as we have done with Cheltenham) - unless TV or the police intervene.
(Quick tot up of this season shows 15 sides south of Stoke; so 8 3pm kick offs ; 15 7.45 kick offs under my model)
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| Experiment failed? on 12:37 - Dec 22 with 2347 views | 442Dale |
The amount of postponements coupled with our result and the general feel good factor created amongst a crowd slightly more than some expected has, with hindsight, made the decision to move the game look to be one of the better ones made.
We'd have been playing on a Tuesday in January otherwise. | |
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| Experiment failed? on 12:56 - Dec 22 with 2295 views | dingdangblue |
| Experiment failed? on 12:37 - Dec 22 by 442Dale |
The amount of postponements coupled with our result and the general feel good factor created amongst a crowd slightly more than some expected has, with hindsight, made the decision to move the game look to be one of the better ones made.
We'd have been playing on a Tuesday in January otherwise. |
Agreed - master stroke changing the game to last night. Today it wouldve been off - those 3 points look massive now. |  |
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| Experiment failed? on 13:06 - Dec 22 with 2280 views | olympicdale |
| Experiment failed? on 10:13 - Dec 22 by TVOS1907 |
This thing about the last Saturday before Christmas is a bit of a myth these days.
In the past, before online shopping and Sunday opening, attendances were greatly affected on this Saturday, but over the last 10-15 years the effect has been insignificant.
This season has been contracted quite a lot as it is, with the later start and earlier finish, so leaving a Saturday blank would have meant an extra midweek somewhere, which is probably hard to find.
Also, the last Saturday before Christmas could be anything from the 18th December to the 24th December (when there wouldn't be fixtures anyway), so where do we draw the line?
Not sure if Bury's experiment was a success. They had 2157 home fans (Shrewsbury took 379), which is probably down on their last home attendance. Of course that's 600 more home fans than we had, but I suppose it depends on what they were hoping to get. |
A gate of 2500 at £10 entry surely is close to around 1700/1800 full paying fans, so I don't think its much different tbh, although the Shews will have brought more fans than the Robins. |  |
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| Experiment failed? on 13:14 - Dec 22 with 2264 views | RAFCBLUE |
| Experiment failed? on 12:37 - Dec 22 by 442Dale |
The amount of postponements coupled with our result and the general feel good factor created amongst a crowd slightly more than some expected has, with hindsight, made the decision to move the game look to be one of the better ones made.
We'd have been playing on a Tuesday in January otherwise. |
Do you think a Friday night switch for either/both of the AFC Wimbledon or Gillingham games in January would yield similar success?
My question is based on assuming that we could do a similar drinks promotion as yesterday and the club/Trust could encourage some fan/player interaction post match. If we could mirror the bury promotion from last night (kids for £1, other club season ticket holders for £5) that would be good to see.
Both AFC Wimbledon and Gillingham likely to bring low away followings and with money tight after Christmas it could tempt a few parents to bring their families on a Friday night.
I've deliberately discounted the Rotherham game on New Year's Day given the expected away following and traditional nature of the fixture date, although drinks promotions there too could help numbers. | |
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| Experiment failed? on 13:21 - Dec 22 with 2249 views | 442Dale |
| Experiment failed? on 13:14 - Dec 22 by RAFCBLUE |
Do you think a Friday night switch for either/both of the AFC Wimbledon or Gillingham games in January would yield similar success?
My question is based on assuming that we could do a similar drinks promotion as yesterday and the club/Trust could encourage some fan/player interaction post match. If we could mirror the bury promotion from last night (kids for £1, other club season ticket holders for £5) that would be good to see.
Both AFC Wimbledon and Gillingham likely to bring low away followings and with money tight after Christmas it could tempt a few parents to bring their families on a Friday night.
I've deliberately discounted the Rotherham game on New Year's Day given the expected away following and traditional nature of the fixture date, although drinks promotions there too could help numbers. |
The Ratcliffe was busier than it's been all season before the game, and there were fans who admitted it was because of the price reduction. That's something the club have to look at - get people back in there first (which was started last night), then keep them there before looking at higher prices.
The scarves were all snapped up too!
While watching DVDs from the past it was amusing to hear one of our goals v Accrington followed by the tv summariser saying "Stanley manager John Coleman slammed his team's defending as atrocious".
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| Experiment failed? on 13:30 - Dec 22 with 2232 views | pioneer |
Its unfair to season ticket holders to switch the date of regularly scheduled games after the start of the season.
Yes I know the premier league do this for TV all the time, but we need to look after all of our season ticket holders (and of course our hard core support).
If we want to experiment with a move to more Friday night games this should be done at the start of the season prior to season ticket sales, or at least offer season ticket holders some compensation. Its enough of a commitment for them to have to cope with games called off and rearranged.
Always wondered why Saturday night has never been popular as a game time - seems to work in most other countries/sports and the 1960s Saturday night pub culture must surely have had its day.
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| Experiment failed? on 13:50 - Dec 22 with 2204 views | RAFCBLUE |
| Experiment failed? on 13:30 - Dec 22 by pioneer |
Its unfair to season ticket holders to switch the date of regularly scheduled games after the start of the season.
Yes I know the premier league do this for TV all the time, but we need to look after all of our season ticket holders (and of course our hard core support).
If we want to experiment with a move to more Friday night games this should be done at the start of the season prior to season ticket sales, or at least offer season ticket holders some compensation. Its enough of a commitment for them to have to cope with games called off and rearranged.
Always wondered why Saturday night has never been popular as a game time - seems to work in most other countries/sports and the 1960s Saturday night pub culture must surely have had its day.
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The season ticket holder debate is an interesting one re switching games from Saturday to Friday.
Season ticket holders at any club are the loyalist supporters committing ticket money months in advance, yet I still think would come to games at any time, should they be switched by weather, TV or Police. Equally there are loyal supporters who can't come 3pm Saturdays because of work or family commitments.
Personally always thought that the Police would never sanction Saturday night football in the UK. The UK doesn't have the same sporting and social demographics as Spain, Portugal or Holland but I'd be interested in seeing it given a go.
Driver for me is to see more people at the club, in the bars and supporting the team.
442's point re Radcliffe is interesting. At 19.20 night I was convinced of a sub 1350 gate but 200-250 walked on in that 25 minutes. Assuming they'd been in the bars that was a big shift in bar takings last night. | |
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| Experiment failed? on 14:10 - Dec 22 with 2180 views | TVOS1907 |
| Experiment failed? on 13:06 - Dec 22 by olympicdale |
A gate of 2500 at £10 entry surely is close to around 1700/1800 full paying fans, so I don't think its much different tbh, although the Shews will have brought more fans than the Robins. |
You have to factor in season ticket holders before you can make any comparisons like that. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Experiment failed? on 14:36 - Dec 22 with 2146 views | TVOS1907 |
| Experiment failed? on 13:50 - Dec 22 by RAFCBLUE |
The season ticket holder debate is an interesting one re switching games from Saturday to Friday.
Season ticket holders at any club are the loyalist supporters committing ticket money months in advance, yet I still think would come to games at any time, should they be switched by weather, TV or Police. Equally there are loyal supporters who can't come 3pm Saturdays because of work or family commitments.
Personally always thought that the Police would never sanction Saturday night football in the UK. The UK doesn't have the same sporting and social demographics as Spain, Portugal or Holland but I'd be interested in seeing it given a go.
Driver for me is to see more people at the club, in the bars and supporting the team.
442's point re Radcliffe is interesting. At 19.20 night I was convinced of a sub 1350 gate but 200-250 walked on in that 25 minutes. Assuming they'd been in the bars that was a big shift in bar takings last night. |
For the vast majority of fans, 3pm on a Saturday is the best time for them to watch games.
I predict that if more Dale games weren't at that time, more fans would think twice about buying season tickets.
Also, how would you feel if you couldn't get to away matches if our opponents kept switching to Friday nights? It was OK when it was the likes of Halifax, Stockport and Tranmere, but anything further away makes it a no-no for regular travellers.
442's point is interesting, but this was a particularly special Friday night when most people had finished work for Christmas. Would the bars be as busy on a Friday evening in the middle of February?
I can't prove it and the Football League link doesn't provide the answer, but I have definitely read somewhere that a club can only move a small number of home fixtures to Friday nights over a season.
There are commitments to pools companies, betting companies, npower, Sky, etc...., who want most fixtures at 3pm on a Saturday.
Southend, perennial Friday nighters of the past, have moved only three home games to Fridays (last night, Good Friday and 12th April); Barnet also have three Friday night home fixtures, as well as one on Good Friday afternoon.
Colin Garlick will know the ins-and-outs of moving fixtures; in fact, it might have been him that said it on an interview.
However, we got our lowest crowd of the season last night; I don't understand the clamour for more Friday night games. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Experiment failed? on 14:38 - Dec 22 with 2140 views | DaleAwaydayBot |
It were nice to see the Away fans back in their normal spot how many did they bring TVOS looked a good 165 in the willbutts |  |
| After 3457 forum posts, 11 news comments & 1 match report....The Rochdale Information Robot were Born!!! |
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| Experiment failed? on 14:45 - Dec 22 with 2126 views | TVOS1907 |
| Experiment failed? on 14:38 - Dec 22 by DaleAwaydayBot |
It were nice to see the Away fans back in their normal spot how many did they bring TVOS looked a good 165 in the willbutts |
165 - 66
To coin a phrase, you do the Math. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Experiment failed? on 14:54 - Dec 22 with 2110 views | Yorkshire_Dale |
| Experiment failed? on 09:36 - Dec 22 by 442Dale |
Not sure many more would have turned up today, plus the game would have been in doubt with the rain forecast.
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Ideal weather last night.....not hot and certainly not cold.
Today's rain might have blown it. | | | |
| Experiment failed? on 14:57 - Dec 22 with 2098 views | TVOS1907 |
| Experiment failed? on 14:54 - Dec 22 by Yorkshire_Dale |
Ideal weather last night.....not hot and certainly not cold.
Today's rain might have blown it. |
Possibly.
Interesting to note Accrington are playing though, given their history with PP recently. | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| Experiment failed? on 15:03 - Dec 22 with 2086 views | _dezzy |
| Experiment failed? on 13:21 - Dec 22 by 442Dale |
The Ratcliffe was busier than it's been all season before the game, and there were fans who admitted it was because of the price reduction. That's something the club have to look at - get people back in there first (which was started last night), then keep them there before looking at higher prices.
The scarves were all snapped up too!
While watching DVDs from the past it was amusing to hear one of our goals v Accrington followed by the tv summariser saying "Stanley manager John Coleman slammed his team's defending as atrocious".
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Another reason the dale bar/ ratcliffes was busier will be the church inn being closed |  |
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| Experiment failed? on 15:05 - Dec 22 with 2082 views | DaleAwaydayBot |
| Experiment failed? on 15:03 - Dec 22 by _dezzy |
Another reason the dale bar/ ratcliffes was busier will be the church inn being closed |
The Social Club were packed aswell | |
| After 3457 forum posts, 11 news comments & 1 match report....The Rochdale Information Robot were Born!!! |
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