Extra support!

**KR's Post** · 22/03/2011, 3:25 PM

Lads was thinking this recently. Maybe its a stupid idea but anyway here it is. We have alot of ex players that played over 100 games for the club. Maybe if we offered all tose players with good service to the club 2 free entrys to all home games... It will add to the support and also they might bring along some more family members or friends. Or offer them a family ticket for �20! 2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children!!! Just a thought and well done Bray. Great start to the season. Lets get the win against UCD who will struggle this season and Bray will be in great position albeit early days!

**Captain2007** · 22/03/2011, 6:05 PM

It is something that has always amazed me, that we have only 4 ex.players out of 100's of players who played from 1985 until now that support us at every home game,Josh,Bo,Richie & Tarzan and occasionly Maurice, I don't know if anyone else can add to those names, but fair play to them and it is sad to see such a small number of ex.players,I don't think offering them free entries would entice them back, anyway at least we have 5 legends supporting the team.....

**tippex** · 22/03/2011, 7:00 PM

Jody Lynch was at the game last friday and in fairness I've seen him at a few (not many) but a few.

**Bray-Z** · 22/03/2011, 9:35 PM

I see Franco at a good few of the games as well.

**KK77** · 23/03/2011, 2:03 PM

Not sure if freebie's are the way to go. We shouldn't have to entice them that way. Just my two cents. Heard Devo was buying people ST's the night of the Bohs game? Is this true or was it a case of local schoolboy clubs getting a few free ST's?

**peadar1987** · 23/03/2011, 3:08 PM

I still think really targetting schools is the way forwards. I know Roo tried this a while back, and it didn't get great numbers, but I think it's the sort of thing that the club could be doing every week. I don't know any of the players personally, but I'm sure some of them are unemployed outside of football. It couldn't be too much of a problem for the CPO to go out to a school every week with a player or two, run a coaching session, or even just get the player to do a few tricks, give out a rake of any game vouchers to the kids to use when they want, and give the player €20 or €30 for their time. As people have said here before, giving out free kids vouchers probably won't even cut gate receipts that much, because adults are going to have to come along with them anyway.

**Bray-Z** · 23/03/2011, 3:14 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

I still think really targetting schools is the way forwards. I know Roo tried this a while back, and it didn't get great numbers, but I think it's the sort of thing that the club could be doing every week. I don't know any of the players personally, but I'm sure some of them are unemployed outside of football. It couldn't be too much of a problem for the CPO to go out to a school every week with a player or two, run a coaching session, or even just get the player to do a few tricks, give out a rake of any game vouchers to the kids to use when they want, and give the player €20 or €30 for their time. As people have said here before, giving out free kids vouchers probably won't even cut gate receipts that much, because adults are going to have to come along with them anyway.

That's definitely the way to go. When I was a nipper Skippy and another player (can't remember who I'm afraid) came to my school, answered a few questions, did a few keepy-uppies etc and gave us all free tickets to the next game and me and a good few others went to pretty much every home game for the next two seasons.

No point trying to get young teens in because they're not going to sacrifice a night of drinking to watch a game of football.

**peadar1987** · 23/03/2011, 4:11 PM

Originally Posted by Bray-Z

That's definitely the way to go. When I was a nipper Skippy and another player (can't remember who I'm afraid) came to my school, answered a few questions, did a few keepy-uppies etc and gave us all free tickets to the next game and me and a good few others went to pretty much every home game for the next two seasons.

No point trying to get young teens in because they're not going to sacrifice a night of drinking to watch a game of football.

Yeah, teenagers are too cynical as well. Anyone who stands in front of them in school is going to get the full "I'm too cool for this" treatment. I think the best time to get them hooked, or at least interested, is about 9-12 years old. I think I'm very unusual in that I only got interested in League of Ireland in my mid to late teens.

Of course, older people could be tempted by running promotions, like teaming up with a bar or club in Bray to offer free or reduced entry on Fridays to anyone with a Wanderers ticket stub. I like the idea of a "Wanderers night out", where the clubs sort out promotions like cheap pizza and a drink before the game, 90 minutes of football, then out in the town afterwards. I think you could get some large groups of late teen/early 20s people on board for something like that.

**Roo69** · 23/03/2011, 6:01 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

I still think really targetting schools is the way forwards. I know Roo tried this a while back, and it didn't get great numbers, but I think it's the sort of thing that the club could be doing every week. I don't know any of the players personally, but I'm sure some of them are unemployed outside of football. It couldn't be too much of a problem for the CPO to go out to a school every week with a player or two, run a coaching session, or even just get the player to do a few tricks, give out a rake of any game vouchers to the kids to use when they want, and give the player �20 or �30 for their time. As people have said here before, giving out free kids vouchers probably won't even cut gate receipts that much, because adults are going to have to come along with them anyway.

I did this job the the balls of 4 years and a lot of the time i would have been better banging my head off a wall. Believe it or not, but it was tough getting into a lot of schools, just never got any response from them but then on the other hand a lot of schools were fantastic and loved having us visit. It took a good year and a half to get things moving but after that crowds were up over 21%, they have slipped back though because we don't have anyone doing this type of work.

I'm not sure free tickets are the answer though? I feel when there is no value on something people don't really care. i personally think the best thing the club could do is to tap into local football clubs, the problem is that a lot of people involved in Wicklow football have a gripe with Wanderers because of the Joey's connections - i came up against this quite a lot, it was really about trying to build bridges and get them involved. I remember i made a school visit on a Wednesday, gave out 650ish free tickets for our game against Waterford United on the Sunday, we only got 34 of them back through the turnstiles. Frustrating to say the least.

An idea i had but never had a chance to get up and running was a 50:50 Promotion, Wanderers invite a specific club as guests of honour, Give them X amount of adult tickets and X amount of Kids tickets at a reduced rate, what ever they sell they keep half of the profits for their own club. It works as a great fundrasier for the club plus puts bums on seats (hopefully!)

Marketing the club will also play a massive part in getting people to come to games, we need to portray as really professional image when we advertise, like the time we advertised on the back of Finnegan's buses around the town, As thety say you need to spend money to make money.

**peadar1987** · 23/03/2011, 10:57 PM

I can well imagine. Schools seem to tend towards either GAA or rugby. I went to the rugby variety, and I'd say the people in charge would have been far too snobby to let any "soccer" rabble in, especially not LOI. I think the results you got show that hard work and investment do pay off if they are given a chance though.

**KR's Post** · 24/03/2011, 2:41 PM

Were ya there for that long Anto???
Can ya post some of the things you tried that failed? Or some things you did that succeded! See if anybody on here has a different view on them. That may make them work differently or better!?

**Weatherman** · 24/03/2011, 4:12 PM

If the supporters club wern't running people out of the carlisle for years there might be extra support!

**Roo69** · 25/03/2011, 9:47 AM

Originally Posted by Weatherman

If the supporters club wern't running people out of the carlisle for years there might be extra support!

You mean the Security/Stewards team, the supporters do not have any rights to put people out of the stadium, anyone ejected from the stadium is ejected by Security/Stewards.

And lets be honest about it, anyone stupid enough to light a flair under a plastic roof deserves to be f*cked out for being so stupid.

**peadar1987** · 25/03/2011, 10:05 PM

Just watching the UCD half way comedy troupe at the match tonight got me thinking, could the club make better use of the half time slot? So back on the schools thing, could we get two schools to play a 7-a-side half pitch game, free tickets for any kids who wants to see their classmates play? Or target other large organisations in the town, so you could have a crossbar challenge from the edge of the area, between Bray Sailing Club, and North Wicklow St. Vincent de Paul. Even having a half-time match between the local Man U and Liverpool supporters clubs might get a fair few through the turnstiles to watch their mates play on the big pitch, especially if there's a rivalry involved.

**Bry Boy** · 27/03/2011, 12:24 AM

You have to follow in example to other sports such rugby.
rugby attracts women and all ages - why ?? - its an enjoyable night out and its in a nice enviroment.
now a few touch ups in the toilets at bray would be a start.

for us its great night but you want to target everyone and if it looked appealing and pleasing that would be the first battle.

**rocket** · 27/03/2011, 9:34 AM

Originally Posted by Bry Boy

You have to follow in example to other sports such rugby.
rugby attracts women and all ages - why ?? - its an enjoyable night out and its in a nice enviroment.
now a few touch ups in the toilets at bray would be a start.

for us its great night but you want to target everyone and if it looked appealing and pleasing that would be the first battle.

Think the 50/50 idea by roo could work, and maybe if all the local schools got a season ticket , allowing a different class every week to come to a game might generate some intrest with the kids and get them talking about the club. I also agree with what Bry Boy says above, its all very fine getting new faces in but when we do we have to make them want to come back, and in this regard something really has to be done with the toilets.

**Seagull** · 27/03/2011, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by Bry Boy

now a few touch ups in the toilets at bray would be a start.

Where do I sign for touch ups in the Ladies jax?

**Macy** · 01/04/2011, 1:16 PM

What's the ticket prices for the carlisle this season? Was half thinking of going along this evening, but I'm fecked if I can find a price on the official site, other than season ticket prices! Now I could be missing the obvious, but if not, that'd probably be the type of info a prospective supporter might want!

**dublinwanderer** · 01/04/2011, 1:56 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

What's the ticket prices for the carlisle this season? Was half thinking of going along this evening, but I'm fecked if I can find a price on the official site, other than season ticket prices! Now I could be missing the obvious, but if not, that'd probably be the type of info a prospective supporter might want!

as far as I know its �15 for adults and �8 for students and OAPs

**Roo69** · 01/04/2011, 2:56 PM

Really don't know why the price information has been taken down off the Ticket Info Page, I'll let the club know and get it back up. But to answer your question Macy it is �15.00 per adult and �7.00 for U162 and O.A.Ps