If the mighty Argyle made it to the Championship

[edengreen]

Tbh though in the 80s,90s and early 2000s our crowds in the lower leagues were much lower than they have bee in the last few seasons.
So therefore you would think any pro.otion would mean crowds being higher

I mean I can remember in 85 or 86 regularly being 5 or 6000 crowds until about 5 games out, amazing to think that i nearly didnt get into the Bristol City promotion night despite going all season and was in the BP end !
Think it was the same in the sturrock promotion era. We certainly didnt average 10,000 in the lower leagues back then even when it was much cheaper with standing tickets available. So I am hopefull the club is steadily growing. I would like so many kids being given free tickets for Argyle for games that arrnt possibly getting sold out to get them used to going I mean a free seat to a child that would have been empty anyway seems to make sense and may get argyle some associated food and drink revenue now but mor importantly get that kid I to the mind set of going to support his local club every other saturday, they could also be given a priority to take that seat for any games that require payment

 

[tawtongreen]

Firstly - I applaud again the idea of giving away free seats to kids, particularly for the identifiable in advance, less well attended home games - I would suggest Hull, Accrington etc this year. Could possibly be on a 'kids come free' basis - target local schools to promote the scheme - say there are 60 secondary schools in Devon - give teir PTA each a 100 to give away. They would bring an adult & so it grows. Schools selected by ballot & once selected don't get in the ballot until all have had a go & then take stock & start again, if desired. May take 2 years to get all schools done, but tat only serves to build the interest.
Take up would be immense!!!
I'd even offer (as an ex PTA member & charity fundraiser, to organise it.....

Secondly - why not copy is it Bologna in Italy, who send every child born in the town a free shirt at birth? Maybe that is too young, but say at age 5 send them via schools again free tickets or a shirt & invitation to visit the club.....it works I now it does & actually isn't that expensive - if you get the family to attend with the child, you actually make money. Get them hooked for life....

Finally, surely Bournemouth should be our model for the future. Lets set our sights on the premiership....they were in far worse condition when they started their journey. Under SH we can (must) avoid the financial issues that beset them but if we do, the sky's the limit. We can 'do' the premiership in 10 years easy under current management team & SH directorship.

LETS ALL BELIEVE!

COYGs....

 

[Action Jackson]

We'd have more fans than the last time we were there thats for sure. You see way more youngsters at games these days than you did 10 years ago.

 

[mervyn]

Firstly - I applaud again the idea of giving away free seats to kids, particularly for the identifiable in advance, less well attended home games - I would suggest Hull, Accrington etc this year. Could possibly be on a 'kids come free' basis - target local schools to promote the scheme - say there are 60 secondary schools in Devon - give teir PTA each a 100 to give away. They would bring an adult & so it grows. Schools selected by ballot & once selected don't get in the ballot until all have had a go & then take stock & start again, if desired. May take 2 years to get all schools done, but tat only serves to build the interest.
Take up would be immense!!!
I'd even offer (as an ex PTA member & charity fundraiser, to organise it.....

Secondly - why not copy is it Bologna in Italy, who send every child born in the town a free shirt at birth? Maybe that is too young, but say at age 5 send them via schools again free tickets or a shirt & invitation to visit the club.....it works I now it does & actually isn't that expensive - if you get the family to attend with the child, you actually make money. Get them hooked for life....

Finally, surely Bournemouth should be our model for the future. Lets set our sights on the premiership....they were in far worse condition when they started their journey. Under SH we can (must) avoid the financial issues that beset them but if we do, the sky's the limit. We can 'do' the premiership in 10 years easy under current management team & SH directorship.

LETS ALL BELIEVE!

COYGs....

The Bologna idea already works in Sweden. In their early school years my grandsons are able to join their local Prem side’s training set up, and remain within a huge pyramid up until their mid teens if they wish, with free shirts, footballsmatch tickets etc included along the way. It really works.

 

[Devongreenowl]

Firstly - I applaud again the idea of giving away free seats to kids, particularly for the identifiable in advance, less well attended home games - I would suggest Hull, Accrington etc this year. Could possibly be on a 'kids come free' basis - target local schools to promote the scheme - say there are 60 secondary schools in Devon - give teir PTA each a 100 to give away. They would bring an adult & so it grows. Schools selected by ballot & once selected don't get in the ballot until all have had a go & then take stock & start again, if desired. May take 2 years to get all schools done, but tat only serves to build the interest.
Take up would be immense!!!
I'd even offer (as an ex PTA member & charity fundraiser, to organise it.....

Secondly - why not copy is it Bologna in Italy, who send every child born in the town a free shirt at birth? Maybe that is too young, but say at age 5 send them via schools again free tickets or a shirt & invitation to visit the club.....it works I now it does & actually isn't that expensive - if you get the family to attend with the child, you actually make money. Get them hooked for life....

Finally, surely Bournemouth should be our model for the future. Lets set our sights on the premiership....they were in far worse condition when they started their journey. Under SH we can (must) avoid the financial issues that beset them but if we do, the sky's the limit. We can 'do' the premiership in 10 years easy under current management team & SH directorship.

LETS ALL BELIEVE!

COYGs....

I’m not sure I would want us to model ourselves on Bournemouth Tawton, apart from actually getting to the Premiership. Five years in the top flight, still playing in a L1 stadium, poor training and academy set ups. Many of their supporters fear that this is going to be the beginning of a decline. However, I think our current owner sees the need to build the club infrastructure commensurate with success on the pitch and we would be unlikely to mirror their approach. At some point, he will have to sell because he isn’t wealthy enough to bankroll a Premiership club, but I feel confident we could trust his judgement as to who he sells to, if or whenever that time comes.

 

[Alan Frost]

we probably have one of the biggest attendance variations in the EFL. Over the last few seasons we vary from 8k to 11k. the last few matches of the abandoned season would have seen us with 15-18 k. Pompey for example sit at around 18k per game, Exeter 4-5k, Sunderland 36k, Wycombe 4-5k, Morecambe 2-3k. No big variations on a crowd size for a league match. Ok, the Home Park renovation has had a big impact. So now HP is finished it wall be interesting so see how the attendances vary over the next few seasons.

 

[demportdave]

... surely Bournemouth should be our model for the future. Lets set our sights on the premiership....they were in far worse condition when they started their journey. Under SH we can (must) avoid the financial issues that beset them but if we do, the sky's the limit. We can 'do' the premiership in 10 years easy under current management team & SH directorship.

LETS ALL BELIEVE!

COYGs....

Yes, let’s believe. All we need is a Russian Billionaire like Maxim Demin and we might be able to emulate Bournemouth’s achievement in making the Premiership.

Not many clubs can sign players for 7 figure transfer fees on crowds of 7000 like they did.

They are more likely to play in League 1 than the Premiership.

 

[Gary Wills]

Can’t think many agents are too bothered about crowd sizes, the pandemic kind of helps that disproof.

Know a few Bournemouth folk, sounds like Walmart came in and bought out the Barbican from all the absence of affection they relate of the “good times”.

Happy enough with Hallett, even though a College toff.

 

[demportdave]

Can’t think many agents are too bothered about crowd sizes, the pandemic kind of helps that disproof.

Know a few Bournemouth folk, sounds like Walmart came in and bought out the Barbican from all the absence of affection they relate of the “good times”.

Happy enough with Hallett, even though a College toff.

You’re missing the point I was trying to make, it’s nothing to do with the size of their crowds.

In his post, tawtongreen implies that little old Bournemouth made it to the Premiership all on their own, overlooking the massive financial backing of a Russian Billionaire.

I am also very happy with Hallets, they are doing a great job running my club.

However, if there is a Russian Billionaire who wants to throw millions at us in a vanity project, knock yourself out.

Personally, I’m not worried about reaching the highly over-rated Premiership, but if our would-be Russian benefactor were to actually complete the Grandstand, tidy up the corners and get rid of those dreadful “temporary” floodlights, I would be delighted.

 

[Lancastergreen]

I get why people have negative comments about the Premier league but if we don't aim for such heights what is the point in being in the league?
Obviously there are clubs that won't grace the top league but why couldn't we even if it is via a billionaire?
Would you really complain you're playing man united, Liverpool etc each week?

 

[Pogleswoody]

I get why people have negative comments about the Premier league but if we don't aim for such heights what is the point in being in the league?
Obviously there are clubs that won't grace the top league but why couldn't we even if it is via a billionaire?
Would you really complain you're playing man united, Liverpool etc each week?

Some 'fans' wouldn't know which shirt to wear to those matches!

 

[jimsing]

Let's just aim for the Championship, and then aim to try and stay there before we start thinking about competing with the big boys.

I'd be happy with that, knowing that a billionaire, if he paid for us to get into the Premiership, would take all the money out of the Club when we got there, the club would not be sustainable and we would soon get tired of getting hammered each week before we got relegated again.

Swings and roundabouts.

We've had ONE promotion from the second to the first division and we have guys drooling over getting into the Premiership. FFS.

 

[Forest of Dean Green]

I get why people have negative comments about the Premier league but if we don't aim for such heights what is the point in being in the league?
Obviously there are clubs that won't grace the top league but why couldn't we even if it is via a billionaire?
Would you really complain you're playing man united, Liverpool etc each week?

This debate all centres one thing for me. Do we buy into the idea of Argyle being a sustainable club? That is, one that spends (as far as possible) only that which it earns. If you do (and I do) then the question is how far can that get you if you make the right investments to optimise performance. Probably not the Prem but quite possibly the Championship. If we do Ok there we might be able to build our fan base and revenues a bit and who knows. But the reality of the Prem probably means unsustainable investment from an individual who, if they get bored, puts the club at risk. And we all see where that leads.. Bolton maybe a good example. And we don’t have the name and heritage and support base to get a bail out if it goes pear shaped So no, I don’t dream of the Prem. Bloody loved the Championship though? Big games, decent crowds. Lots of fun

 

[Lancastergreen]

I personally loved the championship and despite other posts by me I used to attend on a fairly regular basis and big or small matches were always good to watch.
Obviously as a fan I would love to see us in the Premier league but realistically know this is unlikely to ever happen.
Being a fixture in the Championship for years to come would be great, and maybe teasing at the play offs, I guess that's the kind of success I would wish for.

 

[davie nine]

I prefer to take my chances with Simon Hallett and his aim of making us a sustainable Championship club.

If we managed to then reach the higher echelons of that league by March in a particular season, I would be very enthusiastic and excited about the prospect of us reaching the Premier League.

I am confident that, if we reached that stage, Simon and his management team would be just as enthusiastic about doing all in their power to aim for the ultimate achievement.

Simon, please don’t sell us to a billionaire of any nationality.