Hayes & Yeading United Fans' Forum

This game is potentially one of our bigger home games of the season. Kingstonian will probably bring a half decent away following and this has coincided with another international break.

Could we as a club make efforts to enhance our moderate home attendance by offering reduced entry to potential newcomers? Perhaps offer EPL and EFL season ticket holders entry for £6 (half price) or try to distribute tickets to some local schools who we have previously worked with. Potentially offering a free child ticket with an adult paying £6 (additional kids maybe £1) might increase the gate and generate a better atmosphere.

We also have our junior teams who train at the ground on a Friday night. Why not offer these guys free entry? We are not losing any money by offering cheaper tickets to people who would generally have no interest in coming to the ground. This might be a very good example of flogging a dead horse but surely better to try something and fail rather than not even try at all.

Yes this is a great idea and I want to be positive (there’s a but coming…)

But, there have been tremendous efforts by fans in the past. Posters have been printed and distributed, coaches have been booked and even funded by fans. Eventually it fizzles out or those organising get disheartened, often walking away from the club at odds with the powers that be.

I think for this to have long-term impact it needs buy-in from the club’s directors. A joint effort, club and fans heading in the same direction. I’m never very sure if boosting the fan-base is a priority for the club.

I have admiration for individual fans who’ll go out of their way to build the fan base and I wish them every success. However, if the club doesn’t have a culture of wanting to increase the fan base, they are fighting against the tide.

Thoughts:

“Increasing Awareness”: Posters, social media etc. If people don’t know about it, they won’t come. But even if they do know, that’s no guarantee they’d want to.

“Getting Bodies Through the Gates”: The junior players, discounts, the people in the new data centre, schools, get a free burger - incentivise people to come to a match, break that initial barrier of reluctance. Get that “first time visit”.

“Improve the experience” - They’ve been once - how do you get them back again? If you’re used to your football on TV, watching non-league football is a challenge. You don’t know any of the players, there are no replays. So, help new attendees learn who’s who. Give an introductory tour of the facilities. Meet a player or coach. Take a penalty at half time. Give them a pen or scarf so they see it at home and remember the club. Make use of our Ted Lasso notoriety. Build an affinity with the club.

The locations of the ground will always count against us, but you’re right about the Ted Lasso thing. I don’t think people realise just how massive that show was, the club need to use that to their advantage and get fans of the show through the turnstiles.

WDrayton_Red wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2024 6:40 pm The locations of the ground will always count against us, but you’re right about the Ted Lasso thing. I don’t think people realise just how massive that show was, the club need to use that to their advantage and get fans of the show through the turnstiles.

I think this has been mentioned before and I believe the contracts with the film company do not allow the club to promote itself using the "Ted Lasso" brand sadly.

Kev

Pulled of the signing of ex premier league player Jordan Ibe this week. Good work from all concerned.

This should have been plastered all over social media. Not seen anything on the clubs official Twitter feed, few paragraphs on the club website.
Would have been ideal for attracting fans to the kingstonian game this Saturday.
As mentioned in previous posts for number of years, don’t think the people who run the club are that bothered about how many fans turn up.