Promoting the club

[Poor Student]

Even just droping a slide on the projector might make a difference if we're doing it for every match. I'd definately be up for that.

I'll actually try to do that if I'm a tutor next year. When the college year nearly starts I'll post up again and see if some of us left in the college can try this. Though if I recall correctly all the big societies like C&E are vying for pre-lecture announcing and projector space and students are generally apathetic to these announcements. It's a pity Victor Connerty isn't still around as he'd have dropped a word in is lectures if asked.

[Poor Student]

As a matter of interest what was the attendence at the Inter Toto game?

[Poor Student]

Ah crap, I was looking at the fixture list. Unless we're involved in a home tie in the FAI Cup quarter finals there isn't a home game until two weeks into the college year in October and that's against Waterford.

[John83]

As a matter of interest what was the attendence at the Inter Toto game?

Fairly large from what I recall the lads saying (I didn't start coming to games until the following season). It's the return rate of the flyers (which had discounts associated IIRC) that was poor.

[pineapple stu]

XX

About 1000 or so at the Velbazhd game. Looked larger at the time, but I think it was seated only, so the AIB stand was packed. A couple of thousand tickets were dropped out around the neighbourhood; less than 1% went to the game.

Perhaps even some of us still in the college could perform the embarrasing task of going around before lectures and making an awareness announcement and dropping a message on the projector?

Remember thinking about that when I was in college. Can't remember why we didn't go ahead with it - whether it was just cost/organisation or whether services had a problem with it. The latter is quite possible.

[pineapple stu]

Should this be split, incidentally?

[John83]

Remember thinking about that when I was in college. Can't remember why we didn't go ahead with it - whether it was just cost/organisation or whether services had a problem with it. The latter is quite possible.

I can't see why - other societies do it often enough. If needs be, we can dress it up as an official SSS action, thus lumping all the blame on Bald Student.

[Bald Student]

Lads,
I think we just didn't bother. None of us wanted to look like an eejit standing up in front of a lecture. Any of the other initiatives we've tried; posters, cheap tickets, free beer have all failed.

If someone wants to organise anything for next freshers week I'd be happy to help. My suggestion would be to hand out fliers for cheap tickets at the registration day that first years do the week before term starts.

[John83]

Lads,
I think we just didn't bother. None of us wanted to look like an eejit standing up in front of a lecture. Any of the other initiatives we've tried; posters, cheap tickets, free beer have all failed.

We don't have to start speaking to theatre L or anything John, just drop the slide on the projector and turn the thing on. People don't read posters, they don't value the free tickets. I don't know why free beer didn't work; perhaps the free beer market is saturated(!). If you're sitting in a theatre, waiting for a lecture to begin though, you'll read the thing on the projector.

If someone wants to organise anything for next freshers week I'd be happy to help. My suggestion would be to hand out fliers for cheap tickets at the registration day that first years do the week before term starts.

That's not a bad idea. We'll have to see when that is, and when the next home game after it is. From what Kev said, it may be a good while away.

[Poor Student]

I think this should be split, yeah. Look I'm going to assume college starts on Monday 12th of September. Here are all the fixtures from then on:

Fri 16/09 Bray Away 7:45 pm
Weekend Ending Sunday 23/09 — FAI Cup Quarter-Finals
Fri 30/09 Cork Away 7:45 pm
Fri 07/10 Waterford Home 7:45 pm
Fri 14/10 Pats Away 7:45 pm
Fri 21/10 Derry Home 7:45 (or Cup Semi Final)
Fri 28/10 Bohs Home 7:45 pm
Sat 05/11 Harps Away 7:45 pm
Sat 12/11 Longford Away 7:30 pm
Fri 18/11 Rovers Home 7:45 pm

Possibly it's better to launch a campaign for that Waterford game as the massive societies would just muscle us out anyway in Freshers Week. Would McNally actually agree to free tickets or something of the likes?

How the hell did free beer fail? Does anyone know why our attendences actually have risen over the last 5-10 years?

[pineapple stu]

How the hell did free beer fail?

Lots of places gave free beer - overcrowded market, as mentioned... Plus, the college started clamping down on beer promotions a few years back amid fears that they were turning our fine undergraduates into raving alcoholics...!

Does anyone know why our attendences actually have risen over the last 5-10 years?

Hard to give a definitive answer, but I'd say the switch away from College advertising has helped hugely. The soccer camps we run each year are great - 400/500 kids are each coached by the players, get some freebies including a season ticket and obviously the idea is that they'll want to go and see their coaches in action. They also get free membership to the Supporters' Club, receiving the e-mail newsletter each month which reminds them of the upcoming matches each month. There's a similar thing done for kids in disadvantaged areas around the area, and they are all brought to a match at the end as well. There's some sort of link with Mount Merrion as well - don't know what that entails though outside of giving the kids season tickets.

[Bald Student]

There's a home match on the Friday before term starts aswell. It's not been confirmed yet but it's likely that 2,000 first years will be registering in admin that afternoon and milling around campus that evening. That'd be the best place to target in my opinion. If any of them turn up for that game they might well come along to an away trip to Bray the following Friday.

[Poor Student]

If any of them turn up for that game they might well come along to an away trip to Bray the following Friday.

That's pretty ambitous to expect about the Bray thing. But you're right on the registration thing. We play Drogs at home. Is there any gimmicky thing we could do to entice them? Some freebies to give away should they actually turn up. Most of the societies seem to get them hands on free crap from sponsors to entice people.

[Poor Student]

Shooter ideally we should attack all angles. We should try and persuade students at the college, as this is most convenient with a giant lump of people being in the one place. However we should try to convince non-students at the same time that we are not just a college team but a real team on their doorstep that is one of the best in Ireland. Do you have any suggestions as to how to attract 2nd level students?

[el tk]

Yeah I think you're right, I'm a second-level student and I usually go with a few people but we've tried to get other people along and their response is along the lines of 'eL is crap', 'I support Rovers' etc.