If you look at average attendances for last season , taking into account, promotions and relegations , Argyle have the 8th highest average. Will it go up? Early signs are promising through higher season ticket sales but ultimately will be driven by performance on the pitch.
While we have momentum, what realistically are our ambitions for this season?
For the first year since James Brent took over we may have made a " profit" . In addition, we will receive additional money from TV and from the premier league- around £ 250k- £300k. That will however easily get " eaten" by increased wages , agents fees etc. In addition, as Simon Hallett has said , given through necessity the chronic lack of investment in facilities over the last few years , the Liverpool money has gone in improving training facilities- how many points might that bring us- and other necessary improvements.
The ground improvements being paid for by the Board /Simon Hallett mean that this should be the last year that our finances are dependent solely on match day income , cup runs , TV money.
Once the new conferencing facilities are up and running, that will be the time when the people and business' of Plymouth can show support to the Club, through the booking of seminars, conferences, evening functions, Christmas parties , weddings at Home Park knowing that every pound will be going to a local organisation -rather than " a national " - that will be spending the income on improving the team or facilities rather than going to shareholders. We as fans have a role to play , firstly in ensuring that our " match day pounds" are spent with the club rather than in the Brit or other pubs , the mobile pasty vans /
burger bars etc but also encouraging friends, families, businesses to use the club .
This is one of the main reasons how the Chiefs have achieved their success.Interestingly , having done a little research their player recruitment policy has not been massively different from
to DA's with some of their players being " nomads" / " discards" .
Success on the pitch breeds success off it and , having won the rugby premiership, their off field bookings are showing a 30% increase. Simon Hallett has already said that on match days he wants fans to arrive at the ground earlier and stay longer. The Chiefs do that well - especially after the game but rugby fans are different and the Chiefs "lock in " vehicles for an hour after the game so that no cars or coaches can leave their car park and no taxis go in . As a minimum my guess is that the new bars and perhaps the marquee will have Sky sport etc so that fans can watch the pre- match , post match games .It will be interesting to see the set up of the conferencing room on match day . We are told that it will seat up to 600 people. That's a lot of "corporate " covers to fill . It may be that it will be split to cover the " corporates" but also the fans , so that fans and families can get a drink , pasty/ burger etc , and sit at a table to eat them .
In any event , without a "sugar daddy " being able to attract better players etc will depend on the success of the new facilities and we all have a role to play in that .
