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Post by iandychesterfc on Jan 25, 2018 17:08:12 GMT
Unfortunately that's football , do well and the crowds will come , push for promotion, have a cup run , the gates will grow. Struggle and the attendance will drop. It's not us it's football as a whole. The difference is as we all know we are a small club who more than most are reliant on the size of our crowd. No one wants relegation but guaranteed if we went down and had a couple of positive seasons in the north , play offs then promotion, you would see gates increase because whatever level of football you watch apart from your hard core support a large section will come and go with success. I do feel the overall match experience needs looking at to help. Winning a couple would help 😊 FCUM struggling season after season in league below ruins your argument
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Post by iandychesterfc on Jan 25, 2018 17:09:15 GMT
Could you not also say that the Club turned their back on the fans?
What with the continued price hikes etc over a short period of time? The move away from a more inclusive setup and moving into a cold sterile - just like every other club - feel?
Works both ways you know.
Best thing you’ve posted in years x
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2018 17:11:13 GMT
I think you can say the same about every part of the ground this season. The Harry Mac looks particularly empty these days. Hopefully tonight’s meeting will galvanise the fanbase and kickstart us on and off the field Depends on what's said about our situation, what is immediately to be done about it and how it is relayed to those who for whatever reason are not there. If we're really at a tipping point, then the consequences of inaction don't bear thinking about and we may not get many more, if any, chances to get ourselves back on an even keel.
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Post by chesterken on Jan 25, 2018 17:16:46 GMT
Hopefully tonight’s meeting will galvanise the fanbase and kickstart us on and off the field Absolutely. Don't mind admitting that I've got butterflies. Hope it goes well. Can't make it I'm afraid (new born baby), but hope that after the inevitable finger pointing, all those in attendance - clearly passionate about the club - spend most of the evening constructively plotting our way forward. We have 3 cats which are a lot easier to look after than butterflies 😀
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Post by blaconblues on Jan 25, 2018 17:35:47 GMT
How can you say that without knowing who they are? I know of at least three that age from 35 up to 75 who will not attend for a number of reasons. They include; (i) The football is crap with no signs of improvement or fight and a waste of money. (ii) They feel that the club has lost it's ethos and become a 'clique'. (iii) They have found other things to do on a Saturday. (iv) They have family commitments. As much as I nag from afar, they still choose not to attend. It is highly probable that I have attended more Chester FC games this season than two of them. We are all different and have been supporting football in Chester from 25 to over 60 years. You can't say that we are not supporters.  Err well you can actually. By definition a supporter is one who attends games surely? Disagree. I don't attend games anywhere near as much as I used - in fact very rarely based on a number of factors. 1. I do not believe the ethos of the club has continued in the way we/I had wanted. For the fans, by the fans has gone completely out the window. 2. The entertainment value has completely disappeared. As much as I love(d) the club, I can get far better value for money and more enjoyment taking my family out. Weekends are a time to enjoy - not be utterly depressed. 3. I still support the club as and when I can - I buy merchandise, donate and try to be involved with pushing the club forward. Missing fans can't be to blame for this. A steady decrease has been happening for a long time and for me it's down to communication, coverage, interaction and transparency. The on field antics have only made it worse.
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Post by Cestrian1987 on Jan 25, 2018 17:36:17 GMT
I was looking across the ground at halftime on Tuesday and I couldn’t help but notice how empty H Block was where have they all gone, when we played Wrexham it was full of people standing and swopping insults with the away fans { not watching the game I might add ). When we play Tranmere it will be the same again but after that I have no doubt it will thin out again, do they go to other parts of the ground or do they only come when we’re winning.?. Only come when we’re winning, same with half the Harry Mc
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Post by jollyboysam on Jan 25, 2018 17:59:41 GMT
Of course the fans are the problem,from not turning up to matches and not attending the CFU meetings. Attendances mirror our on field results dropping from 2382,2789,2439 in our glory period,2010 to 2013, to 2031 last season, people want to watch a winning team. CFU meetings, since 2014 only,45,36,40,60,43,55,43,33,34,37,65 ish at the anchor. Even using 60 as an average this is only about 6% of our membership, 6% FFS! The AGM has attracted 150,101,96,103,67,60 since 2011, a whopping 10% of members,well our fan owned club is on fire!.If you had all attended these meetings then right now you would all be clued up and not posting such drivel. Anyway let's move on,take tonight on the chin and keep our club moving on and upward.ps I'm as guilty as the rest of you.
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Post by billyw on Jan 25, 2018 18:03:31 GMT
Could you not also say that the Club turned their back on the fans?
What with the continued price hikes etc over a short period of time? The move away from a more inclusive setup and moving into a cold sterile - just like every other club - feel?
Works both ways you know.
I bet most fans wouldn't mind 'moving into a cold sterile - just like every other club -feel' if we were getting success on the pitch.
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Post by franksalot on Jan 25, 2018 18:06:38 GMT
Unfortunately that's football , do well and the crowds will come , push for promotion, have a cup run , the gates will grow. Struggle and the attendance will drop. It's not us it's football as a whole. The difference is as we all know we are a small club who more than most are reliant on the size of our crowd. No one wants relegation but guaranteed if we went down and had a couple of positive seasons in the north , play offs then promotion, you would see gates increase because whatever level of football you watch apart from your hard core support a large section will come and go with success. I do feel the overall match experience needs looking at to help. Winning a couple would help 😊 FCUM struggling season after season in league below ruins your argument not what I said , still need to have some success on the pitch , whatever level you are , to get crowds back and as we've found now and in the past it's always going to go up and down.
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Post by Djruss on Jan 25, 2018 18:25:22 GMT
Good post this tbf. I can be classed as one of the "stay away" fans..... the reasons are.. 1. Ive got a wedding to pay for later this year. 2. I have a grandson who takes up a lot of our time. 3. I work..... shifts so cant always get to games. 4. I ref on Sat so sometimes cant get to games. 5. I will be honest, Im disheartened how the club is being run atm, the "our club" thing seems to have gone!!! and Im not willing to part with my hard earned cash to watch what they are calling football on the pitch. I have followed the blues for years both home and away, during the late 80's and early 90's very rarely missed a game. I was at the Peterborough game when we went down and at the game against Scarborough when we went up... I have speant 1000's watching Chester and happily done so, but im getting older and find my time with my family means a lot more to me than standing on a cold tueday night watching us surrender to s**t teams.... I will be back, but not until things change both on and off the pitch at the club...
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Post by inthestand on Jan 25, 2018 18:35:18 GMT
I go to as many homes as I can and for the last 18 months there's been very little chance of seeing a win. Home form has gone beyond woeful. I pay my entrance money as my little way of trying to safeguard the future of the club. Many just don't seem to have the enthusiasm to do this anymore. Personally, I think people should make the effort to attend as many home games as they can but let's face it you can't really blame people for not turning up. The football and attitude of the players and management stinks the place out. Match days down there are woeful. From the moment you get down there it's gloom. In the blues bar you could hear a pin drop. Pre match/ half time entertainment is pretty more zero. It's boring and has turned in to a painful expirience. Hands on hearts, other than the social aspect of spending time with family and friends who genuinely enjoys going to a game down there at the moment? ive got to agree with this....we go because we are one of the dwindling 1500 faithful,but i just cant see the new blood replacing the old...its pretty dismal down at the ground now..young kids have a thousand and one things to do on a Saturday and mostly its to get their adrenaline flowing, and that hasn't happened for a very long time at our club, see how much Chester City(the City) has to offer young people now on a weekend, far to numerous to list, never mind just up the road in Manchester or Liverpool ...what have we got to offer at our club?...well the last best thing was beating Barrow 3-2 a few months ago.... i some how don't think that momentous occasion would wet many kids appetite and want them queuing up at the turnstiles...after the Hartlepool game ...it wasn't a case of me wondering where our up and coming young supporters will ever appear from....but questioning my own sanity ...what the bloody hell was i was doing there!!.....
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Post by billyw on Jan 25, 2018 18:45:24 GMT
Good post this tbf. I can be classed as one of the "stay away" fans..... the reasons are.. 1. Ive got a wedding to pay for later this year. 2. I have a grandson who takes up a lot of our time. 3. I work..... shifts so cant always get to games. 4. I ref on Sat so sometimes cant get to games. 5. I will be honest, Im disheartened how the club is being run atm, the "our club" thing seems to have gone!!! and Im not willing to part with my hard earned cash to watch what they are calling football on the pitch. I have followed the blues for years both home and away, during the late 80's and early 90's very rarely missed a game. I was at the Peterborough game when we went down and at the game against Scarborough when we went up... I have speant 1000's watching Chester and happily done so, but im getting older and find my time with my family means a lot more to me than standing on a cold tueday night watching us surrender to s**t teams.... I will be back, but not until things change both on and off the pitch at the club... I respect your views but the bottom line is 'would it bother you if the club ceased to exist' if the answer is 'no' fair enough stay away, but if we want a club we need to turn up and give our support.
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Post by Djruss on Jan 25, 2018 18:48:40 GMT
Very much so Billy, but atm the wedding takes priority mate...
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Post by kyle on Jan 25, 2018 19:05:16 GMT
Agreed. It seems complaining about prices is a Chester thing. I never see moaning on other boards only here and yet our admission charges are, and always have been, in line with other clubs. Our prices aren't even that bad £15 adults being the cheapest is better then most teams in our league even to sit down at £18 isn't too shabby compared to some places ive been to in the past Where it's been way over £20 Massively missing the point here. It's not a question of how we compare to other clubs, it's how £15/18 compares to doing something else on a Saturday No one is weighing up which team to watch based on price, the question is whether paying £15/18 to watch Chester is value for money. If every other team in the conference charged £50, would it increase our attendance?
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Post by uptheseals on Jan 26, 2018 4:07:56 GMT
Well after what's come out last night there's no excuse why everyone can't come out for the Eastleigh game! This club needs every single one of you get behind it
Come on City
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Post by Poe1974 on Jan 26, 2018 6:25:01 GMT
Due to my personal circumstances, I would class myself as a 'floating' fan, although the poor performances this season don't give me encouragement to attend as often as I'd like.
We have to take into consideration the fact that it's the modern world also, and that younger families may have different dynamics and it's not always possible to attend matches.
For instance, in my current situation:-
1) I have recently got divorced, my ex wife is self employed so I have my kids every Saturday
2) I have just had to get my own place, start from the beginning again and furnish the place
3) I take my daughter for swimming lessons every Saturday
4) After I have paid my child maintenance and my household bills, I have about £350 left, of which I need to buy food and petrol. My petrol alone costs me £200 a month.
If I was to go to a Saturday match with my kids it would cost me £18 including parking plus about another £10 in fuel. Probably another £5 on drinks and snacks.
I just cannot afford it in my current situation. Unfortunately living and keeping a roof over my children's and my head takes priority.
Does this make me a lesser fan ? I've been supporting the blues since the early 80's. God knows how much I have spent over the years.
I will rejoin the cfu as my membership has also lapsed and I will also donate if I can but I have to prioritise things now and if that means not being able to attend matches, that's the way it is and I'm sorry if you consider me to be a lesser fan.
3 years back, when my father passed away, I arranged with the club to bury my dads ashes behind the goal at the Harry Mac end. My family also spent 100's that day for hospitality in the legends lounge. We were treated so well that day by all the people at the club and I'll never forget that. We need to get back to this.
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Post by norwegianblue on Jan 26, 2018 9:42:25 GMT
Not how i'd define a supporter personally. NB lives a flight away, doesn't mean he isn't a supporter because he can't attend matches? The word 'support' can be taken in numerous ways, but ultimately financial support for the club is paramount to our model. I've seen NB posting on the forum for years, fairly sure he did have a ST despite not going to games, that's still support. I go to every away, bar maybe 2-3 a season due to other commitments, and Saturday home games and live hours away from Chester, doesn't make me more of a supporter than anyone else in my eyes. Sorry, I wasn't referring to NB, I know he doesn't live locally and I respect him for the support he does give the club. I was referring to others he mentioned who live on the doorstep and 'choose' not to attend matches. Anyone who travels any distance to attend games has my total respect. Just to clarify who I am and not to anyone in particular: I grew up on the Lache and went to my first game in '74 when I was 6 with my Dad. My Dad incidentally also started attending games at Sealand Road when he was a young lad. He was taken by his mum. He tells me that they didn't use the turnstile that his Grandfather was operating. So, as you can see, SUPPORTING Chester FC/City/FC has been part of my family for generations. Enough of them, back to me. The first season I can say that I started supporting Chester, ie paying my own entrance fee was in 83/84. Not the best season to start but that is when I really got the bug. I got to know some really good lads known as Snowy, Dutch and Rob. They then in turn introduced me to some more die-hards called Pete, Mozzer, Paul and Shoney plus a few more. We travelled the lengths and breadths of the country with the help of CATS run by Terry Vickers and our own cars at weekends and midweek. A little later on, I met a wonderful man called Rev. Colin Mansley. To those who don't know him, he used to run the Hello Albert fanzine. Colin used to arrange football matches against other fanzine and supporters teams and I used to organise the team and kit. We represented the club and fanzine in National Fanzine supporters tournaments. In one we finished 3rd, the other, we won. As SUPPORTERS of Chester City FC. I also entered a team in the 5 a side summer league at County Officers, also as SUPPORTERS of Chester City FC. Back in the '90s I helped spread the name of the club not only locally but further afield, that being Kenya. I set up a penfriend scheme with the aid of the late John Kerr who was Community Officer for the club. I hope it not only got kids communicating but interested in Chester City FC. As one of The 409 club, I'd also like to address the MISSING FANS subject. Where were you?I left the UK in '95 to continue in the aviation industry. This has taken me around Europe and further afield where I have met many people who were not really familiar with the club. They are now and have contributed to appeals and even travelled over to watch games with me. Wherever I have been working or living, (Italy for nearly 10 yrs) I have watched my local club and spread the word. Ihave made regular trips over to watch ever since '95 and it isn't always straight forward. Presently, to attend a game my journey starts at 7am on a Friday morning with a 20 minute train ride, followed by two bus trips one lasting ten minutes the other 1 hour 15. I then have to wait at an airport for 1 1/2hrs before a 1 3/4 hour flight. then it's the trip to Chester. I may be lucky if I've flown to Manchester as my dad will pick me up. If it's Stanstead,I have to incurr more costs and take a rental car. They don't run on free air. While dad takes his seat in 'G' Block, I try and grab a couple of beers in The Blues Bar before I pay my entrance fee and join him. Hopefully to see a decent performance and a win. . . . . No comment. If I have flown to Manchester, I usually fly back on a Monday morning. If it's Stanstead, there would have been no pre-match beer as I'm on the road at 2.00am to get my 7.30 flight back. As you can imagine, a lot of stress delivering a car full of fuel, clearing security in time to board the aircraft. Recently, We've had a Crowdfunder appeal for which I raised cash for our Club. The donations given by my Norwegian colleagues were for rewards such as beer glasses through to a leather wallet. They donated because they believed in the club ethos and wished us luck. With the current state of the club, I'm not sure how to again ask if they are willing to help the club that I SUPPORT. Attachments:
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Post by eltonblues on Jan 26, 2018 9:52:41 GMT
Of course the fans are the problem,from not turning up to matches and not attending the CFU meetings. Attendances mirror our on field results dropping from 2382,2789,2439 in our glory period,2010 to 2013, to 2031 last season, people want to watch a winning team. CFU meetings, since 2014 only,45,36,40,60,43,55,43,33,34,37,65 ish at the anchor. Even using 60 as an average this is only about 6% of our membership, 6% FFS! The AGM has attracted 150,101,96,103,67,60 since 2011, a whopping 10% of members,well our fan owned club is on fire!.If you had all attended these meetings then right now you would all be clued up and not posting such drivel. Anyway let's move on,take tonight on the chin and keep our club moving on and upward.ps I'm as guilty as the rest of you. If last seasons average was just over 2000 why was this years budget set against 2100 gates? Surely you should plan for the worst and hope for the best?
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