One question that I don't think's been asked...

...is how many of the people that we attracted for the Hastings match will return to watch Town at home in the future?

On the evidence of that one match (and the guy I was sitting next to wasn't even sure what our colours were at the start) I worry that it'll be precious few, if any at all.

Face it, it was a poor match overall, the result didn't go our way. Most of the blame is being laid on the pitch (that's what BOTH Managers seem to be saying - and I concur). Will people return if their only experience of Town is hoof-ball on a muddy field?

I wonder how many of the attendees had tickets to the Hinckley match as well? And how many will actually use them having seen the Hastings one?

I feel extremely sorry for the club, having taken a bold move to improve the pitch and have it all go pete tong due to the somewhat extraordinary weather. I may be being very negative, but I feel that only a thumping victory at Hastings will stand any chance of re-activating the interest in Town that the possibility of 3rd round football generated. And even then, are people going to remember when faced with the possibility of another display on a brown field?

Come on everyone only 5 of us booked on the supporters bus. WE NEED AT LEAST 30. The team are going to need some verbal support on the night. PLEASE PLEASE make the effort.

providing the team is performing well then people will come and support the team. Harrogate seems to need work harder at it than other clubs though, which makes it a challenge. I remember under Aspin, the attendance picking up to close to the 600 mark, but then a couple of defeats later and people are back to watching the bordem that is rugby union or nowadays alan williams and his polo team! With the improvements to the ground, particularly the bar then that should go some way to increasing the attendance, although i doubt it's making a huge differnce.

In terms of the supporters travel, its unliekly people are going to want to commit to travelling without an indication of cost, particularly taking into account the practical diffuclties in attending. the previous supporters coach that was arranged by the club seemed expensive to me, which further supports the need for independent supporters travel, which is not for profit and run purely for the fans.

If town did get through to play Middlesbrough then i would hope the club provided free supporter travel. this would be a truly special occasion and should be treated as such. Its also likely that the majority of fans that would attend would be genuine supporters of the club given that the game is to be played away.

i hope you bring a lot of fans down as it certainly wont be the right kind of atmosphere without it!

just to let you know it was the first day of general ticket sales today and looks like well over 2000 have been sold already!, apparently we have been allowed a capacity of 4000 according to our twitter and would expect to sell out if it carries on like this!!

Dan makes an interesting point. Remember Railway? 3300 fans in the ground TWICE and back to about 100 immediately afterwards! It doesn't look as though Rail were able to 'convert' a single new supporter from their two big matches.

OK, we are not Railway (thank God!), and under Mr Weaver its all being run very effeciently, but I think Dan is right. I guess most of us who post here are the diehard fans. But if you were just an interested 'neutral' last Saturday you would have seen a not very good game (lets be honest), played on a muddy field. Not sure I'd be clamouring to come back for more.


The actual attendance against Hinckley will be fascinating to see. If its a cold day and we have just lost against Hastings (and I have a horrible feeling about that game ), I expext a lot of people simply won't use their free ticket (they will have lost nothing, after all). If we WIN and there is loads of publicity the crowd should be much bigger.

I've always felt that the 600 or so that we were getting under Neil Aspin was about the max we could reasonably hope for in the BSN (despite Bill grumbling!). What is going to be REALLY interesting is the attendances after January 5th, when (presumably) life will be back to normal. e are going to have a heck of a lot of home games (16!) to fit in. If we are just mid table I think there will be virtually no difference: 500 perhaps on a Saturday, 150/250 on a Tuesday.

Really hope I'm wrong.

Things are different
Much better community links
Growing academy
Pitch that will improve hugely in the spring with vertical-draining and spring growth
A watchable team
Sensible pricing
Better marketing

Believe

70 scarves sold on Saturday!
Mind you we haven’t had a club shop for years!!!!!!!

Innocent Bystander wrote:Things are different
Much better community links
Growing academy
Pitch that will improve hugely in the spring with vertical-draining and spring growth
A watchable team
Sensible pricing
Better marketing

Believe

My point was that the match WASN'T particularly watchable and it was down to the pitch. So I don't agree with your points 3 and 4 AT THE MOMENT. Therefore I was kind of asking and kind of ruminating about a possible (probable?) missed opportunity.

There were about 2,500 people supporting Town at the ground (in round figures). Crowds are normally about 400 for a Saturday match (and about 150 for a midweek one)at the moment. So that was about 2,100 "new" people from the community with an ideal opportunity to see just what Town are made of.

The points you've made will probably improve the size of the crowd in the long term and I totally agree with you on that, but this was a short term opportunity to show the locals what a dynamic team we have at first hand. How many will have gone away with the impression that all we do is play hoof-ball on mud? Then with the delights of the MOTD highlights in the evening, how many will compare the game they saw with Rooney, Suarez and Co?

Unfortunately it's true that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. On my maths, 2,100 people got their first impression on Saturday. Those impressions will last a long time.

But again I'll point out that in the circumstances, I'm not sure what the club could have done differently. So I'm not banging the drum about that. We have absolutely no idea how the old slope would have stood up to the rain we've experienced (poorly I suspect). It's more a gnashing of teeth that the devil vomited on our eiderdown again.

Dan you do make some very good points but there is still hope after Saturday and with the live game on ESPN another opportunity.

Yes the game was scrappy on Saturday and it will be at home for the rest of the season, but I think Saturday was a stepping stone in the right direction. I know lots of single mums/parents who can't afford to take their children to premier league/championship games week in, week out, however their children are at the age where they want to be watching football on a Saturday afternoon so I have no doubt they will attend a few Harrogate games. I think the standard of football was offset against the atmosphere and families with children who I know that attended, really enjoyed the occasion.

Crowds are never going to drastically improve after one game, but I'm positive that if Tad and the guys keep up the great work, over time they will draw in extra numbers. I think the groundwork is been done this season, the pitch, squad, youth setup, community links and in a way I'm not that bothered where we finish in the league (as long as it isn't a relegation fight) because I know next season and beyond will be really special for Harrogate fans.

From my personal situation. I am a season ticket holder. My son and daughter used to come with me when they were teenagers (and still at school). Now adults both of them came to the Hastings game - for the first time in years - due to the historic importance of the first time Town had reached the 2nd Round, but suspect it will be a long time before they come again.

Blimey - thank God we didn't lose!!! We have issued over 2500 tickets for the Hinckley game where the attendance would normally attract 250. Now not everyone will turn up, but our initial target was 800 and I will be staggered if we dont absolutely thrash this figure. I have a quotation that I have kept ever since I coached a junior team and it runs as follows - "if you convince people they are capable of great things they will rise to the occasion" - the opposite also applies. We will increase attendances if we believe - if we dont believe, it will never happen. The game against Hastings will not be easy but I have maximum confidence that there pitch will suit our game and we will go there as favourites and perform extremely well - I will also have a sporting £5 wager with anyone who thinks the attendace against Hinckley will be below 1200. BELIEVE!

One game is never going to make a serious impression on our overall crowds. We played brilliantly against Torquay 5 years ago and nothing really changed. Like people say, this is just part of a long term thing. If people see the good things Harrogate Town are doing in the community then attendances will be built back up to Aspin-era levels. The things that the club are doing are great, the days when getting rid of concessions was seen as a good move by the (previous) management are thankfully long gone and with results improving too the crowds do seem to be recovering a healthy balance once more. The Hinckley and Hastings games are just another small step on the road to turning the community's perception of Harrogate Town into an overwhelmingly positive one!

Agreed

With improved results and promotion will bring success and opposition that will bring a larger following and also make the good people of Harrogate & District want to come and see our team as well as the away team. Build a team and the club, get the playing surface sorted then the success will come. EASY!!

TooManyPies wrote:One game is never going to make a serious impression on our overall crowds. We played brilliantly against Torquay 5 years ago and nothing really changed. Like people say, this is just part of a long term thing. If people see the good things Harrogate Town are doing in the community then attendances will be built back up to Aspin-era levels. The things that the club are doing are great, the days when getting rid of concessions was seen as a good move by the (previous) management are thankfully long gone and with results improving too the crowds do seem to be recovering a healthy balance once more. The Hinckley and Hastings games are just another small step on the road to turning the community's perception of Harrogate Town into an overwhelmingly positive one!

Totally agree that the policy of getting rid of concessions offended Senior Citizens who had supported the Club for years. Instead of attending half of the matches at full price most in this age category stopped coming to Wetherby Road. Whilst it is important to remember to make sure the Club retains it's 'core' supporters viz: Season Tickets Holders were given the first opportunity to obtain tickets for the Hastings Cup Tie; the future is attracting youngsters to attend matches and hopefully maintain their support. The efforts being taken now are to be congratulated.

I say free in for U16 until the end of the season, may even attract a few more paying adults..U16's love to buy chips, pop and choccy!!

Came down Saturday from Darlington and it was a fabulous day. I know from experience that it takes years to generate a decent crowd but Harrogate are doing the right things. I'm a co-optee on the Trust Board at Darlo and it was commented what a great set up Harrogate have. If there is one encouragement, Whitley Bay got to the Vase final and their crowds the following season rose significantly so there is hope. Pretty tough for the majority of clubs in the Northern League and marketing the league is becoming an issue. My gut instinct is that grassroots football may show a mini renaissance.

Two of my friends young sons went and they had a good day although said the footie was a bit worse than Leeds. I noticed a lot of people from the local football clubs (Pannal sports, Kirk Deighton) which brought back the memories. the scarf is brilliant as well. Personally, it was a great occasion so I wouldn't overplay the quality of football thing.

With my comments I was thinking aloud really and maybe hoping to generate some discussion (which is what these forums are for!). I have said many times how much I admire and appreciate what the 'team' at Wetherby Road are doing (both on and off the pitch). In the final analysis I think we all know that what ultimately matters is to have a winning team, the rest (and yes its important) is, as the Americans I think say, 'gravy'. Even Old Trafford would start to empty out if Man Utd were bottom of the league!

Just imagine the impact it would have had if we had 'done a Brackley' on Hastings and banged 4, 5 or 6 goals in. I think even some of the hardcore fans were a bit deflated after the match, even though we hadn't lost, it kind of felt a bit like it. Win on Thursday will be fantastic but its several hundred miles away.
Oh well maybe I'm just a glass half empty guy,

I have a feeling you will be dancing around your front room on Thursday evening (just don't knock your beer over)....I would rather us do a Brackley in front of the TV cameras any day of the week.......Bolder will be chomping on the bit to dictate the game on a good pitch!!

paulstreet wrote:Just imagine the impact it would have had if we had 'done a Brackley' on Hastings and banged 4, 5 or 6 goals in. I think even some of the hardcore fans were a bit deflated after the match, even though we hadn't lost, it kind of felt a bit like it. Win on Thursday will be fantastic but its several hundred miles away.
Oh well maybe I'm just a glass half empty guy,

No, I just think that like me you're a realist.

The opportunity was there to really put on a show, win a match that by all logic we should have won (ok, I know the FA Cup is one for shocks) and put on a footballing display that would have made at least a few people think about deserting Leeds et al to come to Wetherby Road in the future. Others are saying that the more than welcome changes in the organisation will lead to increased crowds in the future. I agree with that, but this was THE opportunity to fast track all that and make a step change.

For whatever reason, it just didn't happen.....did it? The organisation was very good as I've said before, I hardly noticed any change over dealing with the normal size of crowd. But on the pitch it was a damp squib in my humble opinion. Which was for the club as a whole, a great shame.

Who of these additional 2,100 potential supporters is going to be watching on Thursday night? All the regulars will who can't get to the match will (I won't as I'll be in a sunnier place - but I've got it on record so I can watch when I get back ), but will those who had their first view on 1st Dec?

IF the pitch really was to blame, then it was a great, great shame.

A lot will depend on Thursday: win and the good vibes, publicity etc. carries on until the new year. Lose and, sadly, in the minds of the 2100 'new' fans there on Saturday 1st Dec. it will be business as usual (i.e. no real interest in Harrogate Town).
As Ive said the real test will be 'normal' home matches (and there are gonna be a lot of them!) in Jan/Feb/March/April. Will we see a boost in the attendances? If we can climb into play-off contention then maybe so.

Incidentally interesting to read in the interview with the Hastings boss in the NLP yesterday that the ref would have called the game off were it not for the TV cameras being there: touh and go!