I must admit I've lost track of what full time employees we now have. I know we didn't replace the Commercial Manager but surely we have a professional person responsible for the day to day running of the club.

allontheamber wrote:I must admit I've lost track of what full time employees we now have. I know we didn't replace the Commercial Manager but surely we have a professional person responsible for the day to day running of the club.

The CEO?

Is that a question or an answer

allontheamber wrote:Is that a question or an answer

Exactly. If diehard fans like you don't know, then the idea that the club us engaging with potential supporters as to what we need to do to engage them is risable.

Amberexile wrote:

Percy plunkett wrote:

Amberexile wrote:There were a few seasons in the 70s where it was a toss up between us and Halifax for who would have the season's first gate below 1,000. Halifax usually won.

So Brian Harris was right all along then.

About what?

He said too many Newport people prefer booze bingo and betting than supporting their football team.He said this in 1974 and you are quoting small County crowds in the 70's.

Fao Girl Saturday' earlier post.

Hi Kate, great to see you in the discussion, all views welcome etc, etc. I can see I am going to have to make more provocative statements to get you to join in on a more regular basis Anyway, on a more serious note;

I have stated that I think the County are doing a lot of good work to get punters in, but maybe they could do more. I also agree with Stan suggestion about having an effective CEO with sound business acumen. I think I have run out of ideas as to what we could do, that is why I would support Stans's idea - we have to do something.

However, my feeling about Newport in general and their sometime apathy to football still stands. The CEO will have her/his work cut out. Good luck to them.

From personal experience, my own father could talk all day about the County in the 40's and 50's. From approx the middle 60's his attitude, like others was, why should I see the County, they don't come and see me when I'm bad. Many a true word spoken in jest.

My own brother in law has been attending County games with me for over 40 years. Wembley x2 and lots of home games. From about three years ago he now 'can't be bothered' anymore.

My niece husband asks me all the time about the County when I am in Newport. He has promised me for three years that he will come to a game with me. I am still waiting.

Now, three people out of 140,000 is not a big number, but from my own experience it tells me that there is an element of apathy there. All three Newport born and bred. Sad.

So anyway, after we'd been promoted to the 3rd Division, our gates in the first seven home games were:

Charlton Athletic.....................8062
Millwall....................................6620
Oxford United.........................5256
Plymouth Argyle.....................6878
Reading..................................5545
Portsmouth.............................7003
Huddersfield...........................6403

AVERAGE..............................6538...... an increase of 69.7% on our average a division lower.
How much of that was brought about by greater away followings I do not know.

If replicated today, promotion and the same percentage increase , would put something like an extra £700,000 into our coffers over a full season at today's prices.

So let's go and get promoted a bit smartish!

pembsexile wrote:Fao Girl Saturday' earlier post.

Hi Kate, great to see you in the discussion, all views welcome etc, etc. I can see I am going to have to make more provocative statements to get you to join in on a more regular basis Anyway, on a more serious note;

I have stated that I think the County are doing a lot of good work to get punters in, but maybe they could do more. I also agree with Stan suggestion about having an effective CEO with sound business acumen. I think I have run out of ideas as to what we could do, that is why I would support Stans's idea - we have to do something.

However, my feeling about Newport in general and their sometime apathy to football still stands. The CEO will have her/his work cut out. Good luck to them.

From personal experience, my own father could talk all day about the County in the 40's and 50's. From approx the middle 60's his attitude, like others was, why should I see the County, they don't come and see me when I'm bad. Many a true word spoken in jest.

My own brother in law has been attending County games with me for over 40 years. Wembley x2 and lots of home games. From about three years ago he now 'can't be bothered' anymore.

My niece husband asks me all the time about the County when I am in Newport. He has promised me for three years that he will come to a game with me. I am still waiting.

Now, three people out of 140,000 is not a big number, but from my own experience it tells me that there is an element of apathy there. All three Newport born and bred. Sad.

I agree Mike. For years a load of mates, family etc used to use the old "I'm not paying that to watch non league football" then the excuse was "paying that to watch League 2 football" but even when we lower the prices to £10, £5, bring a friend for free etc we hardly break attendance records hey!?
Genuinely think the many years we spent in the wilderness, just as Sky Sports was taking off, is massively underestimated as to why our attendances are so low. A lost generation of fans that, from experience speaking to them, have absolutely no affinity with Newport County and would rather watch Premier League football on their tv or in the pub.
Amazingly they all come out for the glamour ties though.
If you look around the ground there are a lot more young kids there than previous so I think our community/schools work is paying off.
Our low attendances run much deeper than simply not having a 'good CEO'.

Exile 1976 wrote:

pembsexile wrote:Fao Girl Saturday' earlier post.

Hi Kate, great to see you in the discussion, all views welcome etc, etc. I can see I am going to have to make more provocative statements to get you to join in on a more regular basis Anyway, on a more serious note;

I have stated that I think the County are doing a lot of good work to get punters in, but maybe they could do more. I also agree with Stan suggestion about having an effective CEO with sound business acumen. I think I have run out of ideas as to what we could do, that is why I would support Stans's idea - we have to do something.

However, my feeling about Newport in general and their sometime apathy to football still stands. The CEO will have her/his work cut out. Good luck to them.

From personal experience, my own father could talk all day about the County in the 40's and 50's. From approx the middle 60's his attitude, like others was, why should I see the County, they don't come and see me when I'm bad. Many a true word spoken in jest.

My own brother in law has been attending County games with me for over 40 years. Wembley x2 and lots of home games. From about three years ago he now 'can't be bothered' anymore.

My niece husband asks me all the time about the County when I am in Newport. He has promised me for three years that he will come to a game with me. I am still waiting.

Now, three people out of 140,000 is not a big number, but from my own experience it tells me that there is an element of apathy there. All three Newport born and bred. Sad.

I agree Mike. For years a load of mates, family etc used to use the old "I'm not paying that to watch non league football" then the excuse was "paying that to watch League 2 football" but even when we lower the prices to £10, £5, bring a friend for free etc we hardly break attendance records hey!?
Genuinely think the many years we spent in the wilderness, just as Sky Sports was taking off, is massively underestimated as to why our attendances are so low. A lost generation of fans that, from experience speaking to them, have absolutely no affinity with Newport County and would rather watch Premier League football on their tv or in the pub.
Amazingly they all come out for the glamour ties though.
If you look around the ground there are a lot more young kids there than previous so I think our community/schools work is paying off.
Our low attendances run much deeper than simply not having a 'good CEO'.

I think you are slightly missing my point. Whatever the reason for our lower gates we need a CEO to work out how to attract the missing fans.

It may be cost, or sky, or our years in on n league, or the fact Rodney Parade is not a comfortable stadium. It may be a combination of those and other reasons. My point is, we can't alter the past. A good CEO might be able to alter our future.

I am not knocking the community work done by the club, merely suggesting that hard work is good but smart work is better.

The way to attract the fans is

a) Sign players that understand what the shirt means.
b) Stay in contention for promotion
c) Play attractive football
d ) Embrace the community and ensure the players are always receptive to young supporters requests
e) Host open training sessions in the school holidays
f) Save £80k on a good CEO's salary and sign a real quality player instead.

Alan G Bryant wrote:The way to attract the fans is

a) Sign players that understand what the shirt means.
b) Stay in contention for promotion
c) Play attractive football
d ) Embrace the community and ensure the players are always receptive to young supporters requests
e) Host open training sessions in the school holidays
f) Save £80k on a good CEO's salary and sign a real quality player instead.

The point that you just don't seem able to grasp is that if we were to employ a CEO who by doing his/her job well was able to put into place a strategy that increased our gate by as little 200 per game that would pay the CEO's salary. Increase the gate by 500 and instead of £80,000 we have £100,000, to sign a quality player.

Unfortunate that the business wisdom about the result of paying peanuts seems to have bypassed some at our club.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

Alan G Bryant wrote:The way to attract the fans is

a) Sign players that understand what the shirt means.
b) Stay in contention for promotion
c) Play attractive football
d ) Embrace the community and ensure the players are always receptive to young supporters requests
e) Host open training sessions in the school holidays
f) Save £80k on a good CEO's salary and sign a real quality player instead.

The point that you just don't seem able to grasp is that if we were to employ a CEO who by doing his/her job well was able to put into place a strategy that increased our gate by as little 200 per game that would pay the CEO's salary. Increase the gate by 500 and instead of £80,000 we have £100,000, to sign a quality player.

Unfortunate that the business wisdom about the result of paying peanuts seems to have bypassed some at our club.

You can't just simplify it like that.
If it's the stadium, that's going to cost us millions to get a new one, (even though i'd love us to get our own) .... if it's Sky there's nothing we can do about that.....if it's cost and we reduce price, then depending on how much we charge, we wouldn't be making anywhere near what you state. Then of course if we're losing games then appetite wanes anyway causing even less revenue.
Finally, if it's a combination of a few things then well............

Percy plunkett wrote: He said too many Newport people prefer booze bingo and betting than supporting their football team.He said this in 1974 and you are quoting small County crowds in the 70's.

If that is what he said then of course he was right. I'd have thought it pretty obvious that more people would go into a pub, bingo hall or betting shop in most towns in a week than would go to watch the football team.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

Alan G Bryant wrote:The way to attract the fans is

a) Sign players that understand what the shirt means.
b) Stay in contention for promotion
c) Play attractive football
d ) Embrace the community and ensure the players are always receptive to young supporters requests
e) Host open training sessions in the school holidays
f) Save £80k on a good CEO's salary and sign a real quality player instead.

The point that you just don't seem able to grasp is that if we were to employ a CEO who by doing his/her job well was able to put into place a strategy that increased our gate by as little 200 per game that would pay the CEO's salary. Increase the gate by 500 and instead of £80,000 we have £100,000, to sign a quality player.

Unfortunate that the business wisdom about the result of paying peanuts seems to have bypassed some at our club.

Success on the pitch and greater attendances are intrinsically linked. It is human nature that people will always want to be associated with success and dissociated with mediocrity. A CEO conducting a survey if we are teetering on the brink of the relegation zone is futile , if not slightly absurd.

For example, In the early 80's AFC Bournemouth doubled their attendances within a week, the reason being that they opted to sign George Best, not Graham Kelly.

Alan G Bryant wrote:

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

Alan G Bryant wrote:The way to attract the fans is

a) Sign players that understand what the shirt means.
b) Stay in contention for promotion
c) Play attractive football
d ) Embrace the community and ensure the players are always receptive to young supporters requests
e) Host open training sessions in the school holidays
f) Save £80k on a good CEO's salary and sign a real quality player instead.

The point that you just don't seem able to grasp is that if we were to employ a CEO who by doing his/her job well was able to put into place a strategy that increased our gate by as little 200 per game that would pay the CEO's salary. Increase the gate by 500 and instead of £80,000 we have £100,000, to sign a quality player.

Unfortunate that the business wisdom about the result of paying peanuts seems to have bypassed some at our club.

Success on the pitch and greater attendances are intrinsically linked. It is human nature that people will always want to be associated with success and dissociated with mediocrity. A CEO conducting a survey if we are teetering on the brink of the relegation zone is futile , if not slightly absurd.

For example, In the early 80's AFC Bournemouth doubled their attendances within a week, the reason being that they opted to sign George Best, not Graham Kelly.

Let's sign George Best then ??
Seriously ....
We need to keep plugging away and hope Flynny and the team stay towards he top of the League come Christmas time .
A few decent Christmas crowds would boost the coffers , and if we're still around the play offs interest will increase .
Combine that with the start of the FA Cup and we should then get better crowds .

I agree that there is not going to be one definite solution to increasing crowds , but I think that if the hardcore 3k could all entice an extra body over now and then (especially the younger football fans in the area) , and the team is still performing , then they may just catch the "County Bug" and become regulars .

I still say the biggest knock back I get when trying to get people over is "HOW MUCH ? For The County ???"