Survey!!!

Again on Sunday the town’s football community will be split between those who’ll go to United Park and those who’ll watch a match from the comfort of their homes or their local pubs. And again we’ll condemn those who choose the latter option. In the past I’ve been as vociferous as most in denouncing the compliant consumers of Andy Gray’s Armchair Army. However, I now realise that if we’re to entice that latent support to United Park we have to begin listening to their opinions, perceptions and Criticisms of DUFC and EL football. With that in mind I’ve been playing around with the idea of conducting a comprehensive survey of the local football community. The survey template I’ve included in this post is a very rough draft and suggestions are welcome. Maybe it can be on the agenda for the next Member’s Meeting. Anyway we have to start somewhere. Is this idea got any merit, or have I once again drifted over the cliffs of the absurd :confused:



Gender Male/Female
Age
Occupation
Club 1
Club 2
# of Matches Attended in Last 2 Years
Last Match Attended
Do you attend EL Matches? Yes/No

If yes
How many seasons?
How many Home Matches a Season?
How many Away Matches a Season?
Suggestion for Improvements






If No Why?
Poor Standard of Football
Poor Spectator Facilities
Kick Off Times
Cost
Other Reasons






What would Attract you to EL Matches?
Improved Standard of Football
Improved Spectator Facilities
Other








Nothing Whatsoever





ps Suggestions, criticisms, admissions, omissions all welcome :cool:

Yeah thats a good idea, all the questions seem to be grand so I hope that you dont mind if I copy it and mail it off to some people I know and then I could pass the replies on to you, yeah???

As I said, the idea is to have a comprehensive survey of the town’s football community, so that has to include the “sky” watchers. I suggest that all members distribute a final draft of the survey to friends, work-mates and, perhaps more importantly, in pubs when there’s a big match on the box. When we can then collate that evidence and address people’s concerns, criticisms and perceptions of the EL. I cornered a friend last night and asked him to complete the survey, the answers, I believe, make some interesting points:



Gender: Male
Age: 41
Occupation: Electrician
Club 1: Liverpool
Club 2: Celtic
# of Matches Attended in Last 2 Years: 3
Last Match Attended: Everton v Liverpool (Last season)
Do you attend EL Matches? No

If yes
How many seasons?
How many Home Matches a Season?
How many Away Matches a Season?
Suggestion for Improvements






If No Why?
Poor Standard of Football: “it’s pure ****e”
Poor Spectator Facilities: “it’s a dump”
Kick Off Times: “I’ve better things to do on Friday s after a hard week at work”
Cost: “Doesn’t come into it”
Other Reasons: “on a December or January night the last thing I want to do is freeze my b*llocks off watching that rubbish”





What would Attract you to EL Matches?
Improved Standard of Football: “Yes, maybe”
Improved Spectator Facilities: “Yes, maybe”
Other: “Sometimes I forget that three’s a football club in this town. When I think of football it’s England I think of. I never see much in the papers about DUFC. I never hear people talking about DUFC. Maybe if DUFC became more professional I’d start going”

So what can we glean from the above?

1. He never goes o a match and yet he condemns the standard of football. We know that the standard is equivalent to, say, the English 2nd division, but I think the perception out there is that it’s even lower than that. Possible answers: Encourage people to watch Eircom Weekly? Publicise the matches as a good alternative to the premiership? Counter the “pure ****” presumption with the fact that the standards of EL football are rising?

2. He’s right United Park is a “dump” But it’s our dump!

3. He doesn’t like the idea of going to a match on a freezing Friday night. Well next season see the start of summer football. This should be drilled into the waverers. Start the mantra now, “SUMMER FOOTBALL, SUMMER FOOTBALL, “SUMMER FOOTBALL, SUMMER FOOTBALL”

4. His last point (under “other”) is interesting. I think what he says suggests that there’s a gulf between EL fans and “football” fans per se. Do we only talk about DUFC with other DUFC fans? Are we seen, or do we see ourselves, as a breed apart? Are we being exclusive instead of inclusive? I think we need to enhance the image of DUFC as part of the greater footballing community. It’s no use preaching to the converted, make DUFC and the EL more attractive to the doubters, make it a talking point, emphasise the positive, publicise the fact that we have a viable, summer alternative, make all football fans feel part of a club and a leauge they can call their own. How we do that is open to debate.

It is all about perception. The guy who was the subject of the above survey is typical of the vast majority of the EL's target market. Its just the typical Irish attitude of things being better elsewhere. Only when people realise that we no longer live in 1950's Ireland when things here were crap, that we will begin to lose this defeatist attitude.

The media in Ireland are the biggest obstacle to development of Irish soccer. All they want to report on is English soccer. Only when something like the St.Pats points deduction happened did the subject of Irish soccer get any decent coverage. TV3 should be ommited from that last critisism. This league needs more people like Pat Dolan from pat's who gets off his arse and promotes EL football.

Do the Dutch follow the Bundeslega?
Do the Swiss follow the Bundeslega?
Do the Portugese concentrate 99% of attention on Spanish football?
Do the Scots worship english teams?

No all these countries have top quality professional leagues of their own. As for the Irish - apparently we all hate the Brits "basta*ds the lot of em" (except of course Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal).

Quote:

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Originally posted by pconnor
This league needs more people like Pat Dolan from pat's who gets off his arse and promotes EL football.

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LOL Don't let the Pats fans here that......

The only way to convert people is to bring them to games - I've managed to get a few people to go, and while they may not be regulars they at least spread the word that it's not bad - both football wise and atmosphere....

Thats really interesting, I think that the memebers club should focus more on getting a bigger fanbase than just soley on rasing funds. I mean rasing funds is all well in good but it doesn't paint a pretty picture of the club if we have to rasie money every month or so. But if we conceratated on builing up the support then those people would make it easier to rasie money in future. I mean alot of my friends are not EL supporters but I have brought them along to a few games this season(Unfortunately it was the 5-0 hammering by Rovers) and to the Boh's game in Dalymount and they enjoyed some of it but they also said that it could do with a little jazzing up. I mean look at what we have, we have a decent report in the DI and after that what do we have?? Nothing!! So your idea of a fanzine would be a great idea as we could sell it around the town on matchday, like Friday afternoon before the game and also why dont someone ask about creating a little promotional video to put on that channel people in Navan get, you know the one with all the local ad's?? I mean why not spread the word a bit further??
Just a thought :D

Quote:

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Originally posted by DrogMan
So your idea of a fanzine would be a great idea as we could sell it around the town on matchday, like Friday afternoon before the game and also why dont someone ask about creating a little promotional video to put on that channel people in Navan get, you know the one with all the local ad's?? I mean why not spread the word a bit further??
Just a thought :D [/B]

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Agreed, fanzines Have a great potential for promotion and humour. Yes, why not use the new fangled video thingy as an another advertising tool. But, as our friend Macy (how are ya, me ole mucker) says nothing beats getting the bodies into the ground, but first we have to know what stops them going in the first place. Hence, the survey.

PS Don’t for get your mistletoe tonight
:D

Yeah finding out why they dont go is a priority alright, but I feel that with a little effort we would end up having a full house in 2 or 3 years time, thats if the league are going to follow the example like this survey is trying to do.
Yeah I have a bag full ready to be used on a particular dept. that only has women as employee's.....hey hey...here I come ladies ;)

Can I have your e-mail address as I have a few replies to your survey from mates of mine who dont support EL football. Some interesting points and aswell some of the usual stuff. I'll forward you on the replies!!

Quote:

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Originally posted by Drogrough
Macy (how are ya, me ole mucker)

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Could be better - currently training in a bloke from Bolton believe it or not..... must be God's punishment for slagging you.... :( ;)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Macy
Could be better - currently training in a bloke from Bolton believe it or not..... must be God's punishment for slagging you.... :( ;)

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He'll have your job in a week :p

Quote:

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Originally posted by DrogMan
Can I have your e-mail address as I have a few replies to your survey from mates of mine who dont support EL football. Some interesting points and aswell some of the usual stuff. I'll forward you on the replies!!

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Sure thing: Seanrick@eircom.net But, keep it to yourself :rolleyes:

Cheers I'll mail you them later. Don't worry I won't tell a soul ;)