How do we grow our fan base?

[Snake]

I know it's probably been done to death, but how do we grow our fan base with the ridiculous policies we have around selling home tickets?

If you need at least 150 loyalty points to get a ticket, how do you get those points if you have never been to a game before? How does the non-Blade (yet) football supporter get to go to a game, sample the atmosphere, feel the excitement then grow into being a Blade and a regular attender? Ok I know you could buy cup tickets, but this type of person isn't interested in going to see Fylde.

I can't for the life of me believe that we that stupid that we are not cashing in on our premier league status to attract new fans - so how are we doing it? Does anybody know?

 

[Stevo]

First step would be to spell "grow" right, that'll bring in 3 more

 

[Bert]

"Fan base", the new modern lingo. Yuk.

 

[Cheesebored]

The games as good as sell out every week and just go to a midweek cup game for the loyalty points. Where are the new fanbase going to fit in? Add 10 000 to the capacity? Not for me, I reckon there's a ceiling on our attendance and we're not far off it. Just my feelings on it, not claiming to be right.

 

[bongleblade]

By playing shit hot football and sticking to what we do best... and by the sounds of my Persian friend's uncle who watches admirably from Germany (he had never heard of us before this season and watches PL football casually as a neutral), we are expanding our 'fan base' every match day we play

He counts himself as a Blade now btw!

 

[I should coco]

I know it's probably been done to death, but how do we grow our fan base with the ridiculous policies we have around selling home tickets?

Yes, this ridiculous policy that only lets us sell tickets up to capacity. Bloody bureaucratic nonsense!

We'd have a far bigger fanbase if we sold 60,000 tickets at a tenner each.

Yours

A Nutter

 

[ben1987]

Keep doing what we’re doing.

We have a foreign owner with links to the Middle East which has a huge football following. So they’ll naturally be interested in us.

We’re a university city - lots of students come to uni here and never leave.

We’re currently exceeding everyone’s expectations and have some of the more informed pundits knocking one out over us every week.

We’re a two club city, but the other team are shite, so the young-uns are more likely to chose red over blue now. Once they’ve decided that’s it.

Our fan base is growing day on day right now with out us really realising

 

[SwissBlade]

I know it's probably been done to death, but how do we grow our fan base with the ridiculous policies we have around selling home tickets?

If you need at least 150 loyalty points to get a ticket, how do you get those points if you have never been to a game before? How does the non-Blade (yet) football supporter get to go to a game, sample the atmosphere, feel the excitement then grow into being a Blade and a regular attender? Ok I know you could buy cup tickets, but this type of person isn't interested in going to see Fylde.

I can't for the life of me believe that we that stupid that we are not cashing in on our premier league status to attract new fans - so how are we doing it? Does anybody know?

The policies around selling tickets aren’t too bad.

The only tweak the club should make is that it should allow season ticket holders and
Members to buy an additional ticket, but through a ballot if demand exceeds tickets available.

I do feel that us long term season ticket holders and members have been shafted slightly this season because new fans have made a load of noise. There simply wasn’t the demand there for the last 13 or so years so why do we have to now pander to the new fans?

I accept that new fans are important but existing long term fans are the ones that have stuck by the club during the dark days

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I think HRH had it right when he was talking of only increasing the capacity by 4/5k. I reckon 36/37k is about the max we'd be looking at.

 

[Torrix1889]

Sell BDTBL and move to a 60K all seater at Tinsley....

 

[cahill]

Win matches

 

[Stevo]

Dominate Europe next year
EASY

 

[Davalon]

I've had it on good authority that since gaining a majority the Gvt plan to limit PL tickets to immigrants and non UK passport holders.

That's what Tarquin posted on FB anyway.

 

[Linz]

I know it's probably been done to death, but how do we grow our fan base with the ridiculous policies we have around selling home tickets?

If you need at least 150 loyalty points to get a ticket, how do you get those points if you have never been to a game before? How does the non-Blade (yet) football supporter get to go to a game, sample the atmosphere, feel the excitement then grow into being a Blade and a regular attender? Ok I know you could buy cup tickets, but this type of person isn't interested in going to see Fylde.

I can't for the life of me believe that we that stupid that we are not cashing in on our premier league status to attract new fans - so how are we doing it? Does anybody know?

If they aren't interested in seeing us play Fylde, then why should we be bending over backwards to accommodate them?

Should longstanding season ticket holders be giving up their seats for games against Liverpool and Man City just so we can make a fuss of "non-Blade football supporters"?

 

[McGrath]

We need to breed more.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

By playing shit hot football and sticking to what we do best... and by the sounds of my Persian friend's uncle who watches admirably from Germany (he had never heard of us before this season and watches PL football casually as a neutral), we are expanding our 'fan base' every match day we play

He counts himself as a Blade now btw!

Yes , I heard this week from a Barnsley fan living in America how much he and his pals are loving watching the Blades on their TV.

Dare I say we are now an International brand ? (Sorry Bert).

 

[HoodedClaw]

I do feel that us long term season ticket holders and members have been shafted slightly this season because new fans have made a load of noise. There simply wasn’t the demand there for the last 13 or so years so why do we have to now pander to the new fans?

Check out bigger blade Swizzler

 

[HoodedClaw]

We need to breed more.

Well, Beans is doing his bit

 

[Tuns25]

Only two matches sold out in our first season back and the best United team most of us have ever seen and surely one of the smallest increases in home support of a promoted team that has been out of the league for a while (excluding such as Norwich who don't have the capacity).

Can we really not sell any half season tickets and so reduce the number of match day tickets which we seem incapable of selling - did we rally max out our allowed ST sales? The number of empty seats in SS, Kop and BLUT against Villa was stark considering our form and supposed size.

If it's not the ticketing policy and just our support then we need to seriously consider giving the BL end back to away fans and filling the ground.

 

[GymClassHero]

If they aren't interested in seeing us play Fylde, then why should we be bending over backwards to accommodate them?

Should longstanding season ticket holders be giving up their seats for games against Liverpool and Man City just so we can make a fuss of "non-Blade football supporters"?

Don't think he was implying that at all tbh. Just pointing out that if someone has taken a recent interest in football and wants to attend a match then they will have difficulty... Perhaps we should have a 'fit and proper blade' test for anyone wishing to become a fan?

 

[Snake]

Don't think he was implying that at all tbh. Just pointing out that if someone has taken a recent interest in football and wants to attend a match then they will have difficulty... Perhaps we should have a 'fit and proper blade' test for anyone wishing to become a fan?

Exactly mate. But I can't be arsed to argue, it was obviously a silly thread.

Btw I posted this thread after reading about the lady from Cumbria (in the tickets forum) being told that she couldn't get a ticket to watch the West Ham game with her husband (a loyalty point Blade) because she had no loyal points herself.

 

[Linz]

Don't think he was implying that at all tbh. Just pointing out that if someone has taken a recent interest in football and wants to attend a match then they will have difficulty... Perhaps we should have a 'fit and proper blade' test for anyone wishing to become a fan?

There is the opportunity to attend a match - against Fylde in the world's oldest cup competition for which they will have no difficulty obtaining tickets and thus, 250 loyalty points so that they have the opportunity to attend future games. If these brand new "football not Blades" fans can't be bothered to earn their place in the queue, I'm not entirely sure we should be bending over backwards to accommodate them.

I'd also point out that matches such as Boxing Day v. Watford went to general sale and season ticket holders could purchase three extras for the Burnley and Villa games.

 

[bartman]

I know it's probably been done to death, but how do we grow our fan base with the ridiculous policies we have around selling home tickets?

If you need at least 150 loyalty points to get a ticket, how do you get those points if you have never been to a game before? How does the non-Blade (yet) football supporter get to go to a game, sample the atmosphere, feel the excitement then grow into being a Blade and a regular attender? Ok I know you could buy cup tickets, but this type of person isn't interested in going to see Fylde.

I can't for the life of me believe that we that stupid that we are not cashing in on our premier league status to attract new fans - so how are we doing it? Does anybody know?

I assume you haven't been a Blade very long if you dont know how to get 150 points.

 

[GymClassHero]

There is the opportunity to attend a match - against Fylde in the world's oldest cup competition for which they will have no difficulty obtaining tickets and thus, 250 loyalty points so that they have the opportunity to attend future games. If these brand new "football not Blades" fans can't be bothered to earn their place in the queue, I'm not entirely sure we should be bending over backwards to accommodate them.

I'd also point out that matches such as Boxing Day v. Watford went to general sale and season ticket holders could purchase three extras for the Burnley and Villa games.

I don't really like the idea that someone essentially has to jump through hoops to get the opportunity to watch us. If there's tickets available and somebody wants them (assuming ST holders have had ample time to purchase first) then let them.

 

[Linz]

Exactly mate. But I can't be arsed to argue, it was obviously a silly thread.

Btw I posted this thread after reading about the lady from Cumbria (in the tickets forum) being told that she couldn't get a ticket to watch the West Ham game with her husband (a loyalty point Blade) because she had no loyal points herself.

So what you're actually saying is that it's hard for non-football fans who fancy a day trip to Bramall Lane to get tickets to specific games?

 

[BigBed]

Compost and miracle grow with a bit of water and sunshine

 

[GymClassHero]

So what you're actually saying is that it's hard for non-football fans who fancy a day trip to Bramall Lane to get tickets to specific games?

Mate what's your problem? You seem to have a really snobby "I'm a bigger blade than you" approach to this thread. OP is rightly saying it is difficult for people to get tickets.

 

[Snake]

So what you're actually saying is that it's hard for non-football fans who fancy a day trip to Bramall Lane to get tickets to specific games?

What I'm saying is..... we have approx, on average 1.300 spare seats per home game. Suppy exceeds demand. So what are we doing to increase the demand. Where demand is there how easy is it for them to obtain a ticket.

Of course loyalty should be rewarded. Of course the most loyal people should get the tickets where demand exceeds supply. It's not about bladyness, it's about what strategies have we in place to grow our fan base so that we can grow as a club and entity.

 

[Linz]

I don't really like the idea that someone essentially has to jump through hoops to get the opportunity to watch us. If there's tickets available and somebody wants them (assuming ST holders have had ample time to purchase first) then let them.

Which is what they do - on the basis that they offer non-season ticket holders with more loyalty points the first pick, all the way down to those with only 150 loyalty points to make it fair.

You say "jump through hoops", I say "understand that there is a finite capacity at Bramall Lane, a fair system in place and one designed to prevent away fans from buying tickets that Blades could have bought".

Mate what's your problem? You seem to have a really snobby "I'm a bigger blade than you" approach to this thread. OP is rightly saying it is difficult for people to get tickets.

Mate. Lol.

 

[Killamarshblades]

Without wishing to reply on someone's behalf, but i think the point being made is that there has been ample opportunity to get the required points to buy tickets for home games. Two league cup and now a FA Cup game are more than enough to qualify for future games. Plus however many games, including away, that have gone to general sale.