Credit Crunch Bites

Merse, you are absoluely spot on regards the resurrection of the Junior Gulls. Although I had already been going to games for a couple of seasons before that started, it was a great way of getting to know people at the club, learning about football and most importantly making new friends, some of which I still count in my circle of friends 25 years down the line.

I know Abbey National had a lot to do with the setting up of things, and got some long-term customers out of it probably, and I imagine it would need something similar to get it kicked off again, but it has to be worth looking into - getting 9-14 year olds back to Plainmoor now would pay dividends in the medium to long term and you never know you might just pick up the odd future professional player out of it.

Dave

I do not have big responsibilities, they rest with Surgeons, Doctors, Nurses, like those who tend to Carol and those who will deliver the next little Merse into the world. Those people who work with and care for people with severe mental and physical illness. Members of our armed forces etc.etc.
I can analyse figures and deal in a bit of common sense. The budget might be large and I'd be in the sh1t if I mess up ...yeah there can be some impacts ..but nothing like the impacts of those people who do really responsible jobs.
I would not want to be driving like you Dave. Took me 6 and a half hours to get to Southampton and back (from Whimple) the other day..drove me mad. For work I do somewhere between 6k and 10k a year and a few rail journeys and flights, would never get near your annual mileage and cannot imagine how I would cope having to do that.

Andy I do love driving and the freedom my job gives me. I only see the others at Toolfix for 10 Min's at the end Of my day, I start when they are still in bed and they have no input into my working day. So I just do my own thing all day, so yes I do love my work.

Because I no longer entertain, I'm still a comedian every day with all my customers, I just love making people laugh and to make them happy.I thank all those people who form a part Of the NHS, each and everyone has a part to play and I can't fault In any way the treatment and care that Carol receives.

You should be a proud Dad, your girls are a credit to you and getting them converted to TUFC fans as well, has to put you up for the Dad Of the year award. ;D

I heard a couple of very interesting things yesterday. One on the radio and one whilst having a jimmy riddle in a Belgian pub near Drury Lane.

First of all I heard an interview on BBC Radio 5 with West Brom Chairman Jeremy Peace, which for those who heard it would've done his reputation as an astute and reasonable chairman no harm at all. He said that although the club's wage bill had gone up by 50% since West Brom were last in the Premier League, they've actually manage to cut season ticket costs by 31% since their relegation. 20% down for the first season back in the championship and with a further 11% reduction on that figure on the price of a season ticket for this season despite the added draw of having Premier league football and investing quite heavily in the transfer market. Peace said that season ticket revenue was very important for teams in the Championship but became less so in the Premiership with all the added prize money. In effect the extra revenue is actually subsidising this season's season ticket. Pace thought that its important to reward the loyalty of the fans. Quite refeshing in this day and age. The benefits are that local fans can still afford to go and watch their local club and not get ripped off. Yesterday's sell out game against Fulham (hard to see Blackburn and Bolton managing that) was classed as a category B game and tickets were £25 quid for adults, which is only £7 more than Brentford, 3 divisions lower. Which I think is pretty good value.

The contrasting perspective on this is the brief chat I had with a QPR fan in the pub last night. He's considering stopping going to Loftus Rd because of the prices they're charging and is actually toying with the idea of going to watch Brentford because at 18 quid its better value.

Their next home game against bottom of the table Nottingham Forest is classed as a category C (the cheapest) match the prices are catagorised into Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze. Prices start at £35, £30, £25, and £20. There are limited deals for under 8 kids getting in free and a reduced rate for young adults (16-21). There is also a Loyality points scheme in place in where you get points for away travel or being an existing season ticket holder and such like. The away travel points are awarded on how far the away match is away from West London and what day the match is. For example, Watford away on a saturday is 1 point, but Donny away on a Tuesday night is the maximum 10 points. Do these points get you a reduction? Nope, they just allow you to get your hands on hard to come by tickets for the "big fixtures".

I know that the demographics and the socio economic grouping is different in West London than it is in Dudley, Smethwick and to a lesser extent Wolverhampton (West Brom fans do live there as well) but West Brom fans are getting a much better deal. West Brom's target market seem to be its local fanbase who've been turning up at the Hawthorns for years. QPR's seems to be all about attracting anybody who can afford to get it. Last season I went to see a game at Loftus Road for £15. That was for Australia V Denmark though. It was £28 or £29 quid to get in the same end for a QPR game.

For anybody who's seen footage of WBA's home games on match of the day would have heard a vocal and knowledgable crowd who don't display any hysteria when an opposition player dares to tackle one of their players. Unfortunately at clubs where they've priced traditional fans out of watching home games you get a bunch of ignorant rich idiots being hysterical because they don't understand the game. I always turn off 606 on Radio 5 when one of these idiots comes on to try and prove that he does have indeed have some knowledge. Watch the next Liverpool game on Setanta or ITV and listen to the reaction of the first semi tackle and you'll know what I mean.

At Torquay. I would like to see some sort of deal brought in when there are 2 home games within a period of 7 days. It would be a good idea, I think, to give a money off vouchers when paying the 15 quid to get in the pop side. A five quid off voucher for the next home game would tempt some fans who might not be able to afford two games in a week back through the turnstiles. You could also issue cut price deals. Two home games for £20-£23. Surely getting that amount in would be better for the could than just getting that person paying 15 quid for one match and not coming to the next one.

The point is that WBA have had the opportunity to cash in further with the club being in the Premier League but they haven't chosen to go down that road. Surely its just as important to encourage more and more fans back, or sadly in this current recession, keep the existing fans coming back. Its small touches when they are really needed that make the difference, it shouldn't be about maximising income when people are in Plainmoor, it should be about building up strong links with loyal fans and treating them with respect as they do in other countries such as Germany. My team over there (Borussia Moenchengladbach) have kept prices low again despite being promoted back into the Bundesliga 1 again. Its 24 Euros (up 2 euros in 3 years!) to sit above the main terraced area which is pay on the day and costs 12 euros.