SUPPORT the TOWN!

Away support for Town has been poor in the last few seasons!
Numbers wise as well as vocally!
Bradford Park Avenue away in the F.A. cup was the last time we managed to take a few, but even there the vocal support was poor!
We have never travelled away in large numbers anyhow but when T.I.T.S. used to organise a coach now & again we used to create a bit of atmosphere even with only around 50 there!
We have no supporters club to organise away travel & it’s unusual for a Football Club itself to organise it because of the cost’s involved!
At the “open forum” a group of teenage lads asked about wanting to go to away matches!
We need to encourage this interest if possible & hopefully encourage other fans to support the club away from home!
All the large away support that have turned up @ the C.N.G. over the years have had women, kids, oap’s as well as you’re typical male football fan getting off the coaches!
And despite its title T.I.T.S. (Town Independent Travelling Supporters) it used to have oap’s, women & kids travelling on board too!
There was never any trouble & received a warm welcome @ away grounds!

We play Blyth Spartans away on Bank Holiday Monday 29th August!
They always moan about our poor away support, although they have tended to be night matches up there over recent years!
With the “ex player” interest involved, it would be good if we could take a mini bus up there!
A pie, a pint, friendly banter with the away fans during the game, another pint after the game, then the trip home!
A separate supporters coach is needed at this level so supporters can leave straight after the game from the longer distance matches & get home for a Saturday night out!
More are likely to travel if this was the case!
At the “open forum” the lads were told that there would be limited seating on the club coach as the full 18 man squad would be travelling on board as well as club officials!
It is likely they will be travelling on one of Eddie Browns V.I.P. coaches which will only have 33 seats because of tables & extra leg room etc…
Sounds extravagant but it is something that is needed for the players if they are sat on a coach for 3 hours before a match!!!!
Apparently Hyde F.C. are travelling on a double Decker coach this season with 16 seats on the lower deck for supporters!

The cost of hiring a mini bus & the organisation of seat bookings etc... Would mean it would only likely be viable for one off games!
But if interest increased you never know!
Our away support used to be worth an extra 10 points @ the end of the season!!!
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Seriously!!
Enough to possibly keep you in the league & play against potentially larger supported sides like F.C. United of Manchester & Chester F.C. in future years!
In that scenario averaging 700 a home game isn’t as far fetched as it currently seems now!
We really need that kind of support back again!

Id be up for it.
Another point is making a bit of noise at home games and having a bit of banter with away fans Is a starter !!

I take it Big Lundy,that your organising the away travel for next season. When will you be taking bookings?

I wouldn't have fancied having a 'bit of banter' with those Gateshead 'fans' last week, at least the hospital would have been next door! Big Lundy makes a good point, the best period in recent years for away travel was surely when Phil Harrison ran the Supporters Club and ran coaches on several occasions (I 'll admit I never went on them, preferring to make my own arrangements), these were full size coaches. No-one has really stepped up to replace Phil. I tend to feel that we need an active Supporters Club first, before thinking about hiring (big) coaches again. Needs someone to step up and organise though. And no, I'm not volunteering!

I couldn't agree with you more Lundy, even our home support is poor, I always try to start a chant or something, but hardly anyone ever seems up for it

Sadly I will not be able to make many Saturday away games because of work!
But will try to get to some midweek away games!

You need to get a new job Big Lundy. At least you'll be organising away travel for the midweek games. When are you taking bookings for the bank holiday trip to Blyth?

Big Lundy wrote:We play Blyth Spartans away on Bank Holiday Monday 29th August!
They always moan about our poor away support, although they have tended to be night matches up there over recent years!
With the “ex player” interest involved, it would be good if we could take a mini bus up there!
A pie, a pint, friendly banter with the away fans during the game, another pint after the game, then the trip home!

In fairness though you've had Bank Holiday games at Blyth and still brought very few people. Mind that's hardly yours or anyone else's fault, you can only get yourselves to games.

We would be more than happy to welcome more of you to Croft Park, we are very welcoming and it would be nice to return the favour as we always get a decent welcome at Harrogate and I'm always impressed at the comments we get from Harrogate supporters at full time congratulating us if we've won.

We've got a cracking club at Croft Park with drink served at cheap prices. And if it's raining you'll be fine as the ground is covered on all four sides. There's also a decent chippy just outside the ground on the main road. I don't think I can sell it any better than that