Dr Who? Posted 11 May, 2011 Share Posted 11 May, 2011 Have just written to the FA with regards to non league kick off times. Most of us have a non league club that we have a soft spot for and some of us even going and watch them when Saints are not playing. I live in a town called Royston and I would love to go along with my daughter and watch Royston Town FC as it is a team in the community. Even though I do not get to go to that many Saints games in a season, I still NEED to know what is going on and to be sat here on this website/Saints Player, with Soccer Saturday is the way to go for me and how I stay as close to the Saints as possible for half the games I cannot make. I cannot see why non league teams cannot kick off at 12/12.30 or 12.45 on a Saturday and then many could be able to go and watch their local non league side and then go on to watch Saints home matches or even get back to listen to the game depending on what you life allows you. This way the attendances figures will be up for non league clubs and it will also bring them the much needed revenue at lower league level, which is very very short on supply. I have done a poll in Royston with regards to this as I run the forum here and the below is what I have come up with. Football Fans survied 1,043 Southampton Fans - 3 Arsenal fans - 231 Chelsea fans 178 Man U fans - 101 Spurs fans - 183 Liverpool fans - 62 other fans - 285 Would go and watch Royston regularly if kick off times did not clash. Southampton - 1 Arsenal - 52 Chelsea - 23 Man U - 54 Spurs - 75 Liverpool - 3 Others - 65 Total - 273 Ok so this might not look many to you an I, but for a club that only get 200 fans through the gate even if half of these go say 137 then they will bring in an extra £685 per home game, and £28,770 over a season. If everyone went it would be £1,365 per home game and £57,330 over a season. Not including programs, food and other bits from the club shop. I know I would prefer my daughter to support her local side than Man U or Arsenal!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sour Mash Posted 11 May, 2011 Share Posted 11 May, 2011 Agreed, I've often thought that. I'd do a lot more non-league games if they kicked off Friday evenings or sundays etc. Guess someone must have done a bit of research into it and worked out that it really wouldn't make too much difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Who? Posted 11 May, 2011 Author Share Posted 11 May, 2011 Agreed, I've often thought that. I'd do a lot more non-league games if they kicked off Friday evenings or sundays etc. Guess someone must have done a bit of research into it and worked out that it really wouldn't make too much difference. You have a lot of traditional football fans that see football as a 3pm Saturday afternoon activity and that is when the games should kick off. You tell that to a Manchester United football fan! The powers that be could at least put it to a vote, and perhaps if the football clubs did a bit of market research they could all see how much of a difference this COULD make, or maybe not, and then they could make there own choice. They have to look at it properly and also take into account that football is changing so much all the time, and even more so with kick off times and less and less money at grass roots level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sour Mash Posted 11 May, 2011 Share Posted 11 May, 2011 You have a lot of traditional football fans that see football as a 3pm Saturday afternoon activity and that is when the games should kick off. You tell that to a Manchester United football fan! The powers that be could at least put it to a vote, and perhaps if the football clubs did a bit of market research they could all see how much of a difference this COULD make, or maybe not, and then they could make there own choice. They have to look at it properly and also take into account that football is changing so much all the time, and even more so with kick off times and less and less money at grass roots level. Would be difficult for them to do market research of people that don't go to watch their clubs or that only go very rarely. Also, I guess those that do currently go regularly wouldn't be too happy about their Saturday routine's being changed to suit people that actually support other clubs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperMikey Posted 11 May, 2011 Share Posted 11 May, 2011 My local team (Hartley Wintney FC) play at all hours - I know that because i've lived about 20 metres behind their pitch for nearly 18 years! I think it would be a great idea to get 12pm kick-offs for weekend games, it would mean that people wouldn't have to choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Who? Posted 11 May, 2011 Author Share Posted 11 May, 2011 That would be a case of upsetting the core regular fans to bring in a smaller group of fans who support other teams Don't get me wrong as no one could even get close to Saints for me, but you would start to feel a little bit of a connection, and I really would like to go and watch them with the family. 9 and 3 year old daughters. The 9 year old banging on about supporting Saints, Arsenal and Man U!! I just feel that these clubs need to look at how they could get more people through the gates, and ok for me it is to late I bleed red and white stripes/sashes, but for you young children you could grow your club for the future. You surely have to look at it more long term and dare I say it as a business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UniS Posted 11 May, 2011 Share Posted 11 May, 2011 I help run a non-league football team. The league we're in has seen huge upturns in spectator numbers. We played on a Sunday last week (not through choice) and the attendance was triple what we usually get. Our opening fixture this season was put forward to the Friday evening and, again, the attendance was much bigger than you'd expect. However, these extra spectators tend to be interested people from other clubs in the league and, to a greater extent, groundhoppers - therefore it's not an infinite supply and you wouldn't get the numbers every week. Like you say though, it is a good way of getting supporters form other clubs down to watch and we've won over a few from the bigger local clubs. Five years ago I'd never have dreamt I'd stop following Southampton home and away, but this season I only managed a single game due to commitments and support of my 'new' team! The other problem we've found is that a lot of clubs in the depths of non-league are run by miserable old men who don't care about getting more supporters, and therefore won't agree to bringing matches forward! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Who? Posted 11 May, 2011 Author Share Posted 11 May, 2011 Well I have written to the FA and the local club Royston Town FC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Who? Posted 12 May, 2011 Author Share Posted 12 May, 2011 I wonder if I will hear back from the FA? I know lots of people that have written to them and not had a reply...so rude. I am hoping that now I am a referee they will come back to me on this. I know Royston Town FC will as I have a great relationship with the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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