|
|
Post by Loftus Road Stone. on Feb 6, 2024 8:10:11 GMT
I honestly believe new owners with new investment can't come soon enough! On what basis do you say that? They haven't been perfect (the Hak relegation season, Jay's sacking, etc) but it will take a lot more than that for the average fan to forget how grateful we are to them. I'd much rather have a team in the NS play-offs and the FAC 5th round, and a superb stadium - even with a few problems - rather than the alternative. I think most will always be grateful to the current owners for bringing the Stones home as we are to PBB for reforming the club. But Imho the solution is now the problem with the lack of funds always holding back the club because I honestly believe we should be close to the EFL by now. As far as this amazing FA cup run the real credit must go our amazing coaching staff who have worked wonders with the group of players who have been unbelievable! |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 9:03:33 GMT
I honestly believe new owners with new investment can't come soon enough! Says the man who has hardly been to a game for the last couple of seasons until he smelt glory. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 9:14:47 GMT
On what basis do you say that? They haven't been perfect (the Hak relegation season, Jay's sacking, etc) but it will take a lot more than that for the average fan to forget how grateful we are to them. I'd much rather have a team in the NS play-offs and the FAC 5th round, and a superb stadium - even with a few problems - rather than the alternative. I think most will always be grateful to the current owners for bringing the Stones home as we are to PBB for reforming the club. But Imho the solution is now the problem with the lack of funds always holding back the club because I honestly believe we should be close to the EFL by now. As far as this amazing FA cup run the real credit must go our amazing coaching staff who have worked wonders with the group of players who have been unbelievable! "I honestly believe we should be close to the EFL by now" What is this based upon? Just out of interest? |
|
|
|
Post by Loftus Road Stone. on Feb 6, 2024 9:57:33 GMT
I think most will always be grateful to the current owners for bringing the Stones home as we are to PBB for reforming the club. But Imho the solution is now the problem with the lack of funds always holding back the club because I honestly believe we should be close to the EFL by now. As far as this amazing FA cup run the real credit must go our amazing coaching staff who have worked wonders with the group of players who have been unbelievable! "I honestly believe we should be close to the EFL by now" What is this based upon? Just out of interest? The sheer potential of the club! The club currently has 2000 very loyal fans attending every week. But I honestly believe by constructing a 700 seated stand along the river side with a dedicated family section plus a Genco type stand replacing the dreadful town end shed it would likely almost double home crowds because the match day experience would so much better and safer for everyone especially those with families. The extra revenue created could be directed into the playing budget easily substaning a national league side and again increasing interest in the town of 130.000 people. Just look at the thousands of so called plastics like myself who could easily be persuaded not to travel to London with their kids every Saturday. Speculate to Accumulate because we could be so much bigger. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 11:37:25 GMT
"I honestly believe we should be close to the EFL by now" What is this based upon? Just out of interest? The sheer potential of the club! The club currently has 2000 very loyal fans attending every week. But I honestly believe by constructing a 700 seated stand along the river side with a dedicated family section plus a Genco type stand replacing the dreadful town end shed it would likely almost double home crowds because the match day experience would so much better and safer for everyone especially those with families. The extra revenue created could be directed into the playing budget easily substaning a national league side and again increasing interest in the town of 130.000 people. Just look at the thousands of so called plastics like myself who could easily be persuaded not to travel to London with their kids every Saturday. Speculate to Accumulate because we could be so much bigger. What made you stop coming? |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 12:50:43 GMT
"I honestly believe we should be close to the EFL by now" What is this based upon? Just out of interest? The sheer potential of the club! The club currently has 2000 very loyal fans attending every week. But I honestly believe by constructing a 700 seated stand along the river side with a dedicated family section plus a Genco type stand replacing the dreadful town end shed it would likely almost double home crowds because the match day experience would so much better and safer for everyone especially those with families. The extra revenue created could be directed into the playing budget easily substaning a national league side and again increasing interest in the town of 130.000 people. Just look at the thousands of so called plastics like myself who could easily be persuaded not to travel to London with their kids every Saturday. Speculate to Accumulate because we could be so much bigger. The business plan is sound apart from doubling the attendance with a better match day experience. Pie in the sky in my opinion. |
|
|
|
Post by Loftus Road Stone. on Feb 6, 2024 14:21:16 GMT
The sheer potential of the club! The club currently has 2000 very loyal fans attending every week. But I honestly believe by constructing a 700 seated stand along the river side with a dedicated family section plus a Genco type stand replacing the dreadful town end shed it would likely almost double home crowds because the match day experience would so much better and safer for everyone especially those with families. The extra revenue created could be directed into the playing budget easily substaning a national league side and again increasing interest in the town of 130.000 people. Just look at the thousands of so called plastics like myself who could easily be persuaded not to travel to London with their kids every Saturday. Speculate to Accumulate because we could be so much bigger. The business plan is sound apart from doubling the attendance with a better match day experience. Pie in the sky in my opinion. As a cab driver I talk to the people of Maidstone all the time and believe me poor views and safety is the biggest reason families people choose London clubs instead the biggest reason for everyone else is the lack of ambition. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 14:24:10 GMT
For someone who’s barely attended a game for years you certainly have a lot of opinions.
|
|
|
|
Post by Loftus Road Stone. on Feb 6, 2024 14:25:58 GMT
,
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 14:31:23 GMT
The sheer potential of the club! The club currently has 2000 very loyal fans attending every week. But I honestly believe by constructing a 700 seated stand along the river side with a dedicated family section plus a Genco type stand replacing the dreadful town end shed it would likely almost double home crowds because the match day experience would so much better and safer for everyone especially those with families. The extra revenue created could be directed into the playing budget easily substaning a national league side and again increasing interest in the town of 130.000 people. Just look at the thousands of so called plastics like myself who could easily be persuaded not to travel to London with their kids every Saturday. Speculate to Accumulate because we could be so much bigger. The business plan is sound apart from doubling the attendance with a better match day experience. Pie in the sky in my opinion. This is the problem in a nutshell. You could suggest that 'investment' is the key, because 'if you build it they will come'. And this is what I used to preach. But the sad fact is that, although we attract more fans if we are doing well, and, over time, the average gate has actually increased, that increase is always a lot smaller than we hope. Why this is I don't know, given the town's rapid population increase of recent years, the stadium's close proximity to town, etc. But that, sadly, is the fact - we just don't get the average, every-day support you would think we should do. Maybe Maidstone/Kent just isn't that much of football supporting place - or maybe it's too easy to get to London to support the bigger clubs? Who knows, but experience has shown that we grow our average gates quite slowly, even with promotion seasons, or playing in a higher league. We'll get the odd 3,000+ or even sell out every now and again, but the average attendance - the thing that matters because it is our regular income generator - grows stubbornly slowly. If you look at other non-league clubs who are now in the EFL, they have grown their regular fan base and gates, but they have done it very slowly, and their gates are usually still low compared to the original EFL clubs playing at the same level. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are very few and there tends to be special reasons (Wimbledon probably being the best example). You get an initial boost in the average gate when moving up a division/league, but it tends not to keep growing, and it doesn't really provide a game-changing increase in revenue - especially when the higher costs of going up a level are taken into account. If only we could get some of the thousands who will turn out for a big FAC day to come down to JWW just because we're playing a 'big' club or are playing in a higher division. If someone could crack that conundrum, we really could go places... |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 14:54:59 GMT
Reflecting on the comment about poor views and safety. There was a new family with young kids on Saturday, marched up to near the top of the Elvis End and the kids couldn’t see much. They then had to breathe in the green smoke and watch some disgraceful “banter”. It’s doubtful they will return.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 14:58:32 GMT
The business plan is sound apart from doubling the attendance with a better match day experience. Pie in the sky in my opinion. This is the problem in a nutshell. You could suggest that 'investment' is the key, because 'if you build it they will come'. And this is what I used to preach. But the sad fact is that, although we attract more fans if we are doing well, and, over time, the average gate has actually increased, that increase is always a lot smaller than we hope. Why this is I don't know, given the town's rapid population increase of recent years, the stadium's close proximity to town, etc. But that, sadly, is the fact - we just don't get the average, every-day support you would think we should do. Maybe Maidstone/Kent just isn't that much of football supporting place - or maybe it's too easy to get to London to support the bigger clubs? Who knows, but experience has shown that we grow our average gates quite slowly, even with promotion seasons, or playing in a higher league. We'll get the odd 3,000+ or even sell out every now and again, but the average attendance - the thing that matters because it is our regular income generator - grows stubbornly slowly. If you look at other non-league clubs who are now in the EFL, they have grown their regular fan base and gates, but they have done it very slowly, and their gates are usually still low compared to the original EFL clubs playing at the same level. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are very few and there tends to be special reasons (Wimbledon probably being the best example). You get an initial boost in the average gate when moving up a division/league, but it tends not to keep growing, and it doesn't really provide a game-changing increase in revenue - especially when the higher costs of going up a level are taken into account. If only we could get some of the thousands who will turn out for a big FAC day to come down to JWW just because we're playing a 'big' club or are playing in a higher division. If someone could crack that conundrum, we really could go places... It would be costly, and I am not sure we have the space and facilities to accommodate it, but I’d love to see ticket prices cut to a tenner for a season. I reckon you’d make a load of new fans and I am not sure if it would be sustainable and how people would react to the ticket prices then normalising, but I think it would be a great experiment. Imagine a packed out ground every other week. An alternative kind of investment of FA Cup money? |
|
|
|
Post by Loftus Road Stone. on Feb 6, 2024 15:23:01 GMT
The business plan is sound apart from doubling the attendance with a better match day experience. Pie in the sky in my opinion. This is the problem in a nutshell. You could suggest that 'investment' is the key, because 'if you build it they will come'. And this is what I used to preach. But the sad fact is that, although we attract more fans if we are doing well, and, over time, the average gate has actually increased, that increase is always a lot smaller than we hope. Why this is I don't know, given the town's rapid population increase of recent years, the stadium's close proximity to town, etc. But that, sadly, is the fact - we just don't get the average, every-day support you would think we should do. Maybe Maidstone/Kent just isn't that much of football supporting place - or maybe it's too easy to get to London to support the bigger clubs? Who knows, but experience has shown that we grow our average gates quite slowly, even with promotion seasons, or playing in a higher league. We'll get the odd 3,000+ or even sell out every now and again, but the average attendance - the thing that matters because it is our regular income generator - grows stubbornly slowly. If you look at other non-league clubs who are now in the EFL, they have grown their regular fan base and gates, but they have done it very slowly, and their gates are usually still low compared to the original EFL clubs playing at the same level. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are very few and there tends to be special reasons (Wimbledon probably being the best example). You get an initial boost in the average gate when moving up a division/league, but it tends not to keep growing, and it doesn't really provide a game-changing increase in revenue - especially when the higher costs of going up a level are taken into account. If only we could get some of the thousands who will turn out for a big FAC day to come down to JWW just because we're playing a 'big' club or are playing in a higher division. If someone could crack that conundrum, we really could go places... I don't think you can compare clubs like Sutton Barrow Harrogate Forest green or Salford to Maidstone. Kent is a massively populated county with only one shitty club and Maidstone has a current population of 130.000. Build it and they will come because there is no way we have reach our potential yet nowhere near however you can say that about the others mentioned . |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 17:03:50 GMT
The official population of Maidstone is now 176.7K. The potential is there if the club builds on its success and we have stands at the Town end and Riverside. The view is good from the Main stand and Genco but if you are a short arse like me you need to be at the front to see anything. When we get a gate of 3000 fans are standing 2 or 3 deep around the ground and do not get a good view. Even terracing on the Riverside would help.
By comparison Lincoln have grown their average gate from 3000 to 9000 with a population of just 75K
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2024 17:07:26 GMT
For someone who’s barely attended a game for years you certainly have a lot of opinions. Opinions. Pot kettle black |
|
