471

[Stewart]

Just 471 turned up on Saturday. I think it was the lowest total in the league. There should be a good turnout next Tuesday but with two more home games within a week I can’t see our crowds improving. PD mentioned the low turnout twice in his match report saying how bitterly disappointed to see those numbers. I guess poor results at home have not helped.

[DaveF]

Not too surprising perhaps Stewart, given the enforced hiatus in our fixture list. We still have twelve home league matches to play, it's almost like starting a new season. Which is why we have to try really hard to attract people down to The Lane over the next few weeks.
We have launched an excellent deal on season tickets to help people cope with the cost of games over the coming weeks and have also produced a new poster www.suttonunited.net which we hope supporters will either forward to their friends and colleagues or print it off and post it up wherever they can; in their front window, at work or wherever they can think of.

[dave1]

I know that a number of hardworking individuals do there utmost to help the club out on matchdays and to promote the club to the local community - and they are all to be applauded for their efforts.

However, in trying to attract greater numbers of paying spectators - and keeping them - I think that the club might do worse than seek to learn from their nearest senior rugby club - Harlequins.

Quins currently attract sell out crowds and are on the crest of a wave performance wise - but it wasn't so long ago that things were very different. They did well to attract a handful of spectators and the team was not competitive. They realised that the only way to achieve sustainable success on the field was to build the infrastructure off the field - and this included a larger core support base as well as improving the ground.

Their focus went on improving what they called 'the matchday experience'. This wasn't just about attracting people to watch a winning team. It was about creating an environment where people would want to come to the ground early and stay on after the game, bringing friends and familly with them. They would want to spend money on items from the club shop to identify with their club, eat and drink at the club. Going to the Stoop would be virtually a whole day experience not just turning up for an 80 minute game.

I know that to an extent Sutton do try some of these things - and they cannot expect to emulate a club that competes in the top tier of its sport - but in terms of general principles, I think that there are things that Sutton can take from the Quins focus on the enhanced matchday experience.

[garethl]

Simply put the season to date and especially at home has been a damp squid. It has time to pick up but the floating fans and neutrals have drifted away. Games haven't been as entertaining. And I think the too few clearly doing their bit to keep the club moving forward have been focussed on the behind the scenes stuff on the development plan rather than the game days so much? Only guessing really and assuming re. the development plan. These people can't do everything and appeals tend to fall on deaf ears judging by the forum experience (I'm not judging, I don't offer anything and get that a lot of people just want to watch the footie). Certainly seems to have less promotion on the match days this year.

[garethl]

And tbh I thought there looked 400 tops in the ground sat (though I thought it was a 4 figure crowd for Wrexham). You certainly notice how quiet things are when you are one of a handful in the ground when arriving at quarter to 3.

[DaveF]

And I think the too few clearly doing their bit to keep the club moving forward have been focussed on the behind the scenes stuff on the development plan rather than the game days so much? Only guessing really and assuming re. the development plan.

Couldn't be further from the truth Gareth. The only member of the board or committee really focused on the development plan at present is me, and it certainly isn't distracting me from anything.
My colleagues have been putting lots of effort into the matchday experience, we do recognise the value of this aspect, and an innovative new hospitality approach was tried for the Wrexham game that was well supported and we had really great feedback from those involved.

In recent years we have established the fundays, we have Legends' Days with ex-players that create a real buzz in the club's bars and we have experimented with a variety of themed days.

Anyone who has other ideas is more than welcome to put them forward for consideration. But, as you said, the more help we can get the better.

[garethl]

Fair enough, thought they'd been a lot less fun days and targeted days this season than last. At the moment short term the work that has gone in hasn't been successful when looking at the numbers coming in. Maybe it will help long term but who knows.

[DaveF]

Yes, it is frustrating but, as you say, it's a long-term thing.
You are right though about there being fewer themed days so far, we did drop a couple because they didn't particularly work but mainly it's because we have lost a lot of Saturday home games to the weather and to cup ties and we can't do themed days in the cups because they are all-pay occasions. We have a big Disability Awareness Day coming up soon, working with guys from the Chelsea FC Foundation as a by-product of their links with LBS.

[Juan]

Well I went to the Stoop yesterday, and well really the best thing about the ''experience'' was when we left and went for a curry! The beer is watered down, over priced and a rip off. Same applies to the food, very expensive and cold when served...however the half time entertainment was good! They had a live band in the bar after the match which wasent bad...she had some lungs on her for sure!
Club shirts, you're looking at a min of at least...£50 big ones, just for a replica shirt, bit of a rip off! But then the Quins have just opened up two seperate high street shops, if you want to call them that-similiar to the chelsea store in kingston high street! The Quins like you say do have a massive fan base, which has built up over the years-being promoted and winning the league of course helped them to build on the existing block work!

Now then...what we need as a club, I'm sure Dave will agree...is help,any kind of help! whether it's match day help, stewarding, or even giving up a few hours of your time a week to help with the development/ re-generation of the club. What we need to do is start building the blocks, and laying the foundations now, but the more help to get the ball rolling the quicker and nearer to the end product we will be....so if you can spare a few hours here or there...im sure dave or anyone at the club will be more than happy to hear from you.

Forgot to add-I paid £20 quid to get into the ''stoop''!!

[Stewart]

I thought the Quins were away yesterday!

To be honest £20 for premiership rugby is a bargain.

[garethl]

Agreed 20 quid top flight looks fantastic value.

[Stewart]

I think the newsletter sent out is a great idea. Maybe they should go out more often. Certainly before home games. Anything to crank up the anticipation of a forthcoming game. The first thing a fan should see on the club website is the date and opponent of the next home game.

[Del]

It was a very cold day and there was rugby on the TV.Eastleigh brought very few.Our home record has been awful. All these factors have a large bearing but lets see how many turn up for Welling.

[bornatotter]

We may have lost a few from the possibility of a late postponement after recent experience and the spate of off games derails the natural momentum of a season no question. I understand why Dos has got the hump but we've got to hope we can get a bit of a run going now and pull back the casual fans. Any more community days in he pipeline?

[markf]

I'm not sure that a famous well-established Rugby Club playing in the top-tier of the National League is a particularly good comparison with a non-league football club, albeit a famous one! And if Col's experience is anything to go by, it doesn't sound that great.