Peter Jones in Sunday Independent

[Kevin Dacombe]

I used to moan like stink about attendances when we ere in the championship, we deserved more through the gates than we got. Having said that, this season I'm yet to see us play because of finance (there has been a recession), childcare issues and distance. BUT I'm still an argyle fan and not being able to go hasnt changed that and if I find I've got a weekend free and it's payday then I will be there! Here's hoping soon

 

[IJN]

Nobody I'm sure is having a pop at people like you Kev, that's 100% understandable and if I was in that position I would be exactly the same.

However, it's the people that live in Plymouth, who spend £100's in the town at the weekend and then still don't go.

My son's the same, he says 'You did well over the weekend' when talking about Argyle, but says 'we' when he talks about Man Utd. So loyalty is obviously not genetic.

 

[jespafc]

Saying that, if we can continue the way we are, it'll be academic as the glory hunters (or lapsed fans as some people seem to prefer to call them) will be back.

A bit harsh I think. Yes, it does seem surprising that attendances are down from last season on the face of it, but it's really only in the last few games that any sort of improvements have been seen. The drop in support is more an accumulation of all the woe of the past few seasons and I don't think the crowds are too bad really. People have only so much disposable income and the rubbish that's been dished up both on and off the pitch at HP in recent years has pushed a visit to Argyle into the luxury category, something that can be afforded only when a reasonable performance can be expected (if not guaranteed).

Things will pick up if current form (or results) continue, but I think the club needs to be careful about whingeing about the support as it didnt go down too well last time and may even be interpreted by some as getting the excuses for not spending in early.

Agreed. The fact we still get 6,500 is impressive in my view.

 

[IJN]

I think it is as well don't get me wrong for this division I think it's brilliant.

I'm not singling out Argyle fans, all Glory Hunters for all clubs bemuse me.

Our support is fantastic home and away.

 

[X Isle]

Our support (relatively) is more fantastic away Ian but we're on the same page here.

PJ has a point, he said as much in the fans forum video which I watched this afternoon, it's clearly a bit of a bugbear of his.

It's undoubtedly odd that we're doing better this season but the gates have dropped slightly (ahem, not that there's any precedence for that phenomena occurring in the last decade of course is there )

For me though rather than our gates now being inexplicably lower than they should now be, I think they were inexplicably higher than they should have been immediately post administration. The football was shocking but there was a sense of unity and solidarity with the club that ensured we kept coming when by rights, on entertainment value alone, there should've been virtually no-one there at all.

Many of those who 'put up with' that period out of a sense of loyalty alone probably now feel less obliged to attend as the club finds it's feet, they'll wait until the football gets exciting again (which i'd argue it's getting). The fact the gates haven't plummeted therefore I think is simply that these folk have been offset by fans creeping back who ARE only there for the football and possibly didn't feel such a moral obligation to attend when we were, by ALL measures, dire.

I hope I've explained that theory sufficiently. If correct the gates will improve as BOTH 'types' drift back.

As an aside I still have my "I was here when we were poo" badge from the good years. Maybe we should now produce an updated one, "I was still here when we got poo again" :lol:

 

[Lukey25]

Unfortunately I am now one of the "glory hunter fans" (gotta smile when I say that). Sorry but 2nd div football just aint great entertainment for what is a full day out (and a costly one at that from st ives). Its entertainment in the end and the last 4-5 games I've seen in the past couple of years have been dire and each time I left thinking what's the point so I've resorted to listening in on Argyle World each Saturday, means just 2 hours dedicated to the team instead of 8-9 hours. I still class myself as a dedicated supporter and will attend a handful of games plus any play-off games if we're in the hunt towards the end of the season.

 

[bringonthemilkman]

People always tend to bring up Hull & Swansea as 'grabbing their opportunity' when they had the chance to get out of the Championship. What is hardly ever mentioned is that both clubs had stadiums built for them at crucial points in their recent history thus enabling them to invest the money they had in their playing squads.
Another bugbear of mine is the fact that so few away fans travel to HP when other clubs' average attendances are boosted by a larger number of travelling fans - we get 50 to 150 whereas other clubs get 300 to 700 - not a huge difference but over a season all that lost income adds up.
I think the crowds have held up well reasonably well considering how many seasons we have virtually been in freefall.
As a marketing man, Peter Jones should not be criticising low attendances, but doing something proactive to attract more people through the gates.

 

[Argyle Nutter]

As a marketing man, Peter Jones should not be criticising low attendances, but doing something proactive to attract more people through the gates.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

This for me it's far easier to blame the fans rather than look to resolve his own inadequacies. Still I suppose this equates to him to justifying his place on the board, after all he done sweet F A else.

 

[IJN]

Unfortunately I am now one of the "glory hunter fans" (gotta smile when I say that). Sorry but 2nd div football just aint great entertainment for what is a full day out (and a costly one at that from st ives). Its entertainment in the end and the last 4-5 games I've seen in the past couple of years have been dire and each time I left thinking what's the point so I've resorted to listening in on Argyle World each Saturday, means just 2 hours dedicated to the team instead of 8-9 hours. I still class myself as a dedicated supporter and will attend a handful of games plus any play-off games if we're in the hunt towards the end of the season.

I repeat, I am referring to the Plymouth based fans, no one could moan about coming all that way when we were as bad as were.

However you can call yourself a dedicated all you want, but I'd argue that fact. There are plenty of people from your neck of the woods that have continue to attend, now I would call them 'dedicated' (or perhaps mad :greensmile

 

[X Isle]

As a marketing man, Peter Jones should not be criticising low attendances, but doing something proactive to attract more people through the gates.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

This for me it's far easier to blame the fans rather than look to resolve his own inadequacies. Still I suppose this equates to him to justifying his place on the board, after all he done sweet F A else.

If you listen to how he puts it on the video it's not criticism or blame, he's at pains to point out it's not a moan.

It came up in the context of a question about investment and it's a fair point to make. It has to be a two way street, an unspoken contract if you will. Fans (as a group) can't produce a list of investment demands without demonstrating a willingness to demonstrably support the club.

I'd wager it's the same thing they said in the boardroom in that crucial Hollowords period when the gates were going south too. It was a fair point then too.

 

[loyal1970]

how anybody can moan about nearly 7000 at home is beyond me I suggest pj looks at the history books, I also think if he and the board want more people to attend they look at reducing the cost. also how many times have argyle f....d up when more people turn up for a game problems at the turnstiles, confusion over where to buy tickets ect ect and then the floaters get p....d off and walk away and don't come back. why not put a few ticket kiosk down by the Lyndhurst that would save people having to walk up to the ticket office.

 

[IJN]

Nobody did moan about it Neil.

 

[Paul_Roberts]

PJ has a different perspective because he can see the books. It must be frustrating when you're privy to information that suggests you could afford a better calibre of player if - say - only another 1,250 fans came through the gates every other week.

Argyle directors and chairmen have a long history of bemoaning Home Park attendances, and most of us would probably take the same view if we had the spreadsheets in front of us.

 

[tigertony]

Don't care what he says really. Is Corrie on tonight?

 

[Richard Allan]

I would take one of those badges if any are left ?

I always say how when we were doing well a group of 8-12 regulars attended week in week out home away. Now we are all earning and have considerably more disposable income it's now only me who attends regularly.

Horrible word but Apathy is a good work to describe my friends and family when it comes to Argyle ( 30 yr olds)