Is the club soon to be at risk of losing some or a sizeable proportion of the fans gained over the last 25 years?

[DifferentClass]

Oldham have some very dedicated fans despite the obvious local Prem draws and the fact that up until today they didn't have a promotion since the 90s!

We'll be reyt.

 

[robbiez666]

I think the club, all clubs, risk pricing new fans out of going to games. It's a heck of a lot of money for a casual fan to turn up, especially when there are often other options to watch (Sky/SUTV) for much less from the comfort of your own home/a pub.

We've had a successful few years so this seems to have slipped but a few seasons doing a Stoke or Wigan and the attendances would dwindle.

I do wonder how many new fans we get who simply aren't just the children of fans?

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

There's plenty of clubs who for generations just getting in the premier league would be huge.

There's one across the city.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

I think the club, all clubs, risk pricing new fans out of going to games. It's a heck of a lot of money for a casual fan to turn up, especially when there are often other options to watch (Sky/SUTV) for much less from the comfort of your own home/a pub.

We've had a successful few years so this seems to have slipped but a few seasons doing a Stoke or Wigan and the attendances would dwindle.

I do wonder how many new fans we get who simply aren't just the children of fans?

Season ticket prices are pretty good. Pay on the gate? I paid more for a similar seat at the lane on boxing day than I did for a high up but good view at Wembley last week.

 

[ZLB]

Could we potentially start to lose them or would you say that the club has properly established them (barring going back down to L1 or worse)?

In the potential scenario that the club doesn't do anything in the next few years (i.e. not just return to the PL but finally establish or reach/win a cup final) because if we don't then you could argue the club hasn't progressed during this whole time (haven't progressed in that we're still a second tier club that has few and very brief spells in the top flight so no real difference from what the club was back in the late 90's). Weren't our average home attendances back then around 16k - 18k? You can add another 10k - 12k which rounds off the current average and its these fans I'm more specifically talking about.

No real progress after a substantial amount of time (quarter of a century) = lose 'em eventually, or the club has most likely sustained them despite everything - which one is it?

For me, a big factor in this is whether our new owners can finally push the club on from underachieving for the vast majority of the last 50 years. Although it's still very early in their tenure they may and hopefully turn out to be the wealthiest/astute owners (albeit collectively at least) this club has ever had, although previous club owners wealth isn't a particularly high bar to begin with.

No

 

[Frank the tank]

Congratulations on the superflous l thread title

 

[just united]

Due to the last swearbox it’s back as a weekly show please join me tomorrow at 20:30 as we discuss all the latest news with in the blades a blades Channel for real blades all opinions welcome

 

[SRBlade]

One thing that I think we can do to bring more fans in would be rebuilding the kop. It's one of the worst stands to watch football in however it's often the only stand (barring BLUT) to have seats available together.

 

[s20Blade]

Luckily the pigs aren't doing much so don't think we'll lose them as such they just won't choose to come.

 

[Northyorksblade]

Looking at all the elderly faces at the Lane, if we lose a chunk of fans it will be due to natural causes rather than anything performance related.

Correct, but we still need to encourage youngsters to become regulars.

 

[raul]

There's 90+ professional clubs who wish they had it as good as we did.

Name them.

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

Could we potentially start to lose them or would you say that the club has properly established them (barring going back down to L1 or worse)?

In the potential scenario that the club doesn't do anything in the next few years (i.e. not just return to the PL but finally establish or reach/win a cup final) because if we don't then you could argue the club hasn't progressed during this whole time (haven't progressed in that we're still a second tier club that has few and very brief spells in the top flight so no real difference from what the club was back in the late 90's). Weren't our average home attendances back then around 16k - 18k? You can add another 10k - 12k which rounds off the current average and its these fans I'm more specifically talking about.

No real progress after a substantial amount of time (quarter of a century) = lose 'em eventually, or the club has most likely sustained them despite everything - which one is it?

For me, a big factor in this is whether our new owners can finally push the club on from underachieving for the vast majority of the last 50 years. Although it's still very early in their tenure they may and hopefully turn out to be the wealthiest/astute owners (albeit collectively at least) this club has ever had, although previous club owners wealth isn't a particularly high bar to begin with.

Last week I took a 9-year-old self-described Man City fan, who last went to the Lane when Hecky was in charge, to Wembley to see us lose in the worst possible circumstances. He came away singing Blades songs and pestering me to take him to the Lane next season.

So no.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Name them.

 

[Eltham Blade]

Could we potentially start to lose them or would you say that the club has properly established them (barring going back down to L1 or worse)?

In the potential scenario that the club doesn't do anything in the next few years (i.e. not just return to the PL but finally establish or reach/win a cup final) because if we don't then you could argue the club hasn't progressed during this whole time (haven't progressed in that we're still a second tier club that has few and very brief spells in the top flight so no real difference from what the club was back in the late 90's). Weren't our average home attendances back then around 16k - 18k? You can add another 10k - 12k which rounds off the current average and its these fans I'm more specifically talking about.

No real progress after a substantial amount of time (quarter of a century) = lose 'em eventually, or the club has most likely sustained them despite everything - which one is it?

For me, a big factor in this is whether our new owners can finally push the club on from underachieving for the vast majority of the last 50 years. Although it's still very early in their tenure they may and hopefully turn out to be the wealthiest/astute owners (albeit collectively at least) this club has ever had, although previous club owners wealth isn't a particularly high bar to begin with.

I have read Gary Armstrong and Matthew Bell's new book about the Blades, called Winning Isn'r Everything, where they look at the reasons why we have so many loyal fans, even though we haven't won anything in a hundred years. Its worth a read and for me shows that we are a big club, with huge potential. Our home attendances are higher than Brentford and Bournemouth combined. The new owners have a big role to play.

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

I have read Gary Armstrong and Matthew Bell's new book about the Blades, called Winning Isn'r Everything, where they look at the reasons why we have so many loyal fans, even though we haven't won anything in a hundred years. Its worth a read and for me shows that we are a big club, with huge potential. Our home attendances are higher than Brentford and Bournemouth combined. The new owners have a big role to play.

New owners are only just getting started. Provided they're in it for the long haul and they're serious about their stated aims for the club, we'll be reyt.

One thing I would like to see from them though, is a return to the dirt cheap season tickets for kids. Abdullah had many faults but at one point recently you could get a U16s ST for about £50 - assuming matchday income isn't going to be such a crucial revenue stream for the new lot, we need to bring that back

 

[Northyorksblade]

New owners are only just getting started. Provided they're in it for the long haul and they're serious about their stated aims for the club, we'll be reyt.

One thing I would like to see from them though, is a return to the dirt cheap season tickets for kids. Abdullah had many faults but at one point recently you could get a U16s ST for about £50 - assuming matchday income isn't going to be such a crucial revenue stream for the new lot, we need to bring that back

When our Jack, grandson, started coming aged 6, I believe his season ticket was £10. This continued for a few years until it went up to £50. Then as an under 18 it was approx £150 and then £300 odd. Can't remember exact times and prices. It's only the last couple of years he's had to pay a full adult price. Once you get a kid hooked AND a dad or mum can afford to take them, you've won.

 

[Danny_Blade]

There's 90+ professional clubs who wish they had it as good as we did.

You sure you mean 90+? That would be including all the Premier League too and I doubt every club up there wishes they'd have it as good as us like never being able to establish there and in heart-breaking fashion lose every single Play Off campaign? Yes granted, medium sized clubs like us win a lot more when down in the second tier or worse, compared to the scraping together of 10-12 wins if having a season better than just fighting for survival when in the top flight.

More appropriate would be the other 71 EFL clubs might wish they had it as good as us in which we seem to be yo-yoing at the moment.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

You sure you mean 90+? That would be including all the Premier League too and I doubt every club up there wishes they'd have it as good as us like never being able to establish there and in heart-breaking fashion lose every single Play Off campaign? Yes granted, medium sized clubs like us win a lot more when down in the second tier or worse, compared to the scraping together of 10-12 wins if having a season better than just fighting for survival when in the top flight.

More appropriate would be the other 71 EFL clubs might wish they had it as good as us in which we seem to be yo-yoing at the moment.

I was counting national league sides

 

[Nick Jansky]

You sure you mean 90+? That would be including all the Premier League too and I doubt every club up there wishes they'd have it as good as us like never being able to establish there and in heart-breaking fashion lose every single Play Off campaign? Yes granted, medium sized clubs like us win a lot more when down in the second tier or worse, compared to the scraping together of 10-12 wins if having a season better than just fighting for survival when in the top flight.

More appropriate would be the other 71 EFL clubs might wish they had it as good as us in which we seem to be yo-yoing at the moment.

He possibly includes National League clubs in it, especially those who have dropped out of the EFL. Maybe what he really means is that we’ve reached our ceiling and should be grateful. If that was the case and there was nothing further to aspire to, then I would want to be thoroughly entertained by our football as a minimum.

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

When our Jack, grandson, started coming aged 6, I believe his season ticket was £10. This continued for a few years until it went up to £50. Then as an under 18 it was approx £150 and then £300 odd. Can't remember exact times and prices. It's only the last couple of years he's had to pay a full adult price. Once you get a kid hooked AND a dad or mum can afford to take them, you've won.

I was a ST holder until fairly recently - stopped renewing when my lad was a couple of years old as I realised I hadn't been making it to enough games to justify the cost. Now that Wembley has got him interested again I had a look at the general sale prices and for the two of us on the family stand (he's been on the Kop and didn't like it - and who can blame him tbf) - we'd be looking around £800. So unfortunately it's going to be another season of picking and choosing our games.

It's not until you lose the early bird renewal discounts that you realise how high the prices have got for someone coming to it fresh.

 

[BalticBlade]

I would look to some better deals for young kids and students. If we get that right, we could add another 5,000-10,000 on the core support over a decade or so.

We used to be very good at this. I know a few people who came to Sheffield as students, came to the Lane because rickets were cheap for students, settled down in Sheffield after uni and still have season tickets decades later

 

[JohnGannonsPerm]

Back in the 13000 era the club introduced lots of incentives for kids to go for basically nothing which, over time, worked and we grew our captive audience (victims). Once we got there, we kinda stopped which to me is now folly because you are allowing the effect from the initial boost to wane and then the cycle tends to be to go on a downward trend. The issue is that it creeps in because it's often a slow burner. As a season ticket holder it really wouldn't bother me if they chucked something out there that could technically undercut me, so long as it kept the Lane full and buzzing - that betters my experience so win-win. Same with Students too. You have to make your club the one that 'floaters' or neutrals choose and that comes down to gameday experience.

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

Back in the 13000 era the club introduced lots of incentives for kids to go for basically nothing which, over time, worked and we grew our captive audience (victims). Once we got there, we kinda stopped which to me is now folly because you are allowing the effect from the initial boost to wane and then the cycle tends to be to go on a downward trend. The issue is that it creeps in because it's often a slow burner. As a season ticket holder it really wouldn't bother me if they chucked something out there that could technically undercut me, so long as it kept the Lane full and buzzing - that betters my experience so win-win. Same with Students too. You have to make your club the one that 'floaters' or neutrals choose and that comes down to gameday experience.

Spot on. There was a profile article posted a while back of one of our new board members who had done similar things with various unfashionable sports teams in the US, so I wouldn't be surprised if we start to make moves in that direction.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

IPTV a bigger threat to dropping attendances , know quite a few who were regulars who pick there games nowadays

 

[ATL Recs]

Is there a pandemic or something on the horizon?

We have just finished a season in the championship with 90+ points and got to the play off final and until injuries killed our chances so close to promotion the endless negativity on here by some when it's really been one of our best seasons in decades actually is tiresome

what injuries

 

[Sheffsteel]

Good post this pal, something I have been thinking about too after seeing the turnout for the play off final and thousands of empty seats. I remember the turn of the millennium when Warnock became manager and the club was on its arse and home crowds were down at sub 15,000 most weeks. Not my favourite two people but over the eight years Warnock and McCabe built up the club year on year to average 30,000 crowds for the Premiership season. Of course being United we couldn't sustain it and decline followed with years down in league one. The pattern repeated itself with Wilder getting us back to the Prem with 30k crowds again until he spit his dummy out, change of owner, more chaos off the field, more court cases etc, same again with Hecky and more owner troubles. It all gets a bit tiresome you get a good championship team together but it is nowhere near good enough to stay in the Premier league so it is all a bit boom and bust and another rebuild when you lose your best players. I can virtually guarantee for the third year running the promoted teams will come back down. The Premier league is a closed shop and killing the game in this country, a lot of people are starting to wonder what the point of it all is. Forest spent money like it was going out of fashion an only scraped survival a few years back maybe that is the only way to get established in the to league now. Unless our owners have very very deep pockets I can't see much changing for us. You have to ask how long fans will put up with boom and bust before interest starts to wane?

When you say 1000’s of empty seats assume you’re referring to the 3,500 seats that were priced at £36 making it the highest priced ticket out of all the play-off teams.

When Wednesday were in the play-offs the other year their tickets were only £20 with no refunds allowed.

Think 26.5K for a dead rubber game live on TV with expensive ticketing was decent. Also a club with the worse play-off record in England will hardly be an appetising prospect for its fans.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

what injuries

Did you block out when Hamer went down and Anel off the pitch for the winner? Don't blame you. I try not to think about it

 

[Sheffsteel]

Season ticket prices are pretty good. Pay on the gate? I paid more for a similar seat at the lane on boxing day than I did for a high up but good view at Wembley last week.

It’s a similar strategy to what’s happened at Sheff Wed.

We actually have some of the most expensive season tickets in the Championship. It’s only when you compare them to pay on the day prices that they seem bargain. It works thought because a few times I’ve been 50/50 whether to renew but it becomes a no brainer compared to pay in the day prices.

The result is both Sheff Utd and Sheff Wed have never had a many season tickets holders.

 

[reedy63]

If you can afford to renew your season ticket, that's the best deal. I think it's £100 more if you want to buy a new season ticket on general sale for a senior ticket.
Money is tight for many people, nearly £400 for a season ticket for me, which is too expensive. I will have to pick the matches I go to. Match day prices are probably going to be£35-£40 for a senior ticket on the Kop, where I have been standing/sitting since 1966. I have Sky Sports that I pay £68 a month for. But nowhere near as good as going to Bramall Lane. Sadly, due to circumstances beyond my control, I will just go to the proper kick-off time, 3 p,m Saturday matches.

 

[Northyorksblade]

But nowhere near as good as going to Bramall Lane. Sadly, due to circumstances beyond my control, I will just go to the proper kick-off time, 3 p,m Saturday matches.

Oh dear, you won't be going to many games then.