The Alloa Athletic Thread

[AlloaAdam]

First 20 were terrible and it was just a case of how long it was going to take until we went behind, but as soon as we did we were better in the first half and then magnificent in the second. Probably as well as we've played under Andy in that second half to be quite honest, we were fantastic. I've found Buchanan to be really frustrating this season and it was more of the same in the first half but in the second he was unplayable - made the best left back in the championship look like a league 2 player, destroyed him.

We still badly need a striker as Sammon is (as we all know) not the answer to starting up front as we are a much worse team with him in it, but until we get one in it should be Donnelly up front and O'Donnell in behind. Donnelly was fairly poor in behind the striker but was really good when he went up front, as was O'Donnell when he came on (and the other 2 young lads looked lively for the few minutes they got).

5 out of the next 7 home games are at home as well so a real chance to get some more good points on the board and hopefully cement ourselves as a title contender - play like we did today and we'll have a good chance of beating anyone in our league.

[WeeWelshy007]

16 minutes ago, AlloaAdam said:

First 20 were terrible and it was just a case of how long it was going to take until we went behind, but as soon as we did we were better in the first half and then magnificent in the second. Probably as well as we've played under Andy in that second half to be quite honest, we were fantastic. I've found Buchanan to be really frustrating this season and it was more of the same in the first half but in the second he was unplayable - made the best left back in the championship look like a league 2 player, destroyed him.

We still badly need a striker as Sammon is (as we all know) not the answer to starting up front as we are a much worse team with him in it, but until we get one in it should be Donnelly up front and O'Donnell in behind. Donnelly was fairly poor in behind the striker but was really good when he went up front, as was O'Donnell when he came on (and the other 2 young lads looked lively for the few minutes they got).

5 out of the next 7 home games are at home as well so a real chance to get some more good points on the board and hopefully cement ourselves as a title contender - play like we did today and we'll have a good chance of beating anyone in our league.

I agree with Part of what u said LD needs to be the striker in terms of squad depth club seems to be looking a players to loan who have talent and are waiting for this opportunity rather than signing bang average players very early on, saw this last season as Bobby Wales signed in october and ally roy was late september

minimum 15 points from next 7 games

[LoganAAFC]

Played so much better with LD playing as the 9 and Cammy behind him. Agree with @AlloaAdamthat until we get loans in that's how we should start. 

[printer]

Met Larry Haggart on Saturday. He's a neighbour of my son's and was power washing his garden.

"Good times. Good times" was his comment on his time at Alloa. Still looks like he could do a job at left back!

[Vegetableman]

1 hour ago, printer said:

Met Larry Haggart on Saturday. He's a neighbour of my son's and was power washing his garden.

"Good times. Good times" was his comment on his time at Alloa. Still looks like he could do a job at left back!

Way back some time a go he scored the winner against Partick ( coincidentally ) always remember that game as we were behind the goals 

at what is now a billboard only area  he was a good player was larry  .

[WeeWelshy007]

Not the worst draw for the challenge cup hopefully we can get a friday night game like we had in previous seasons 

[LoganAAFC]

2 hours ago, WeeWelshy007 said:

Not the worst draw for the challenge cup hopefully we can get a friday night game like we had in previous seasons 

Did enjoy the Friday night games at the Recs against Airdrie and Qots (not the score of that one though). Always want to avoid a team in the same league as us though but got a good chance of progressing 

[Kevchenko]

New episode of the podcast is up, starting with a summary of last Thursday's Q&A session at the club, then a look back on the win at Partick before looking ahead to ICT coming to town this weekend.

 

https://waspsnest.buzzsprout.com

[LoganAAFC]

Don't understand the allocation of the Q&A. The fact its on the same night a Scotland game is poor as a number of Alloa fans would of been there, who are normally the ones who go home and away folllowing Alloa as well. But the main one is, just because you don't have a season ticket doesn't make you not a supporter. Some people may find the price to pay for the season ticket now a lot of money, and prefer paying at the gate each week. 

Edited Thursday at 12:28 by LoganAAFC

[AlloaAdam]

Had been waiting to hear more about what was said at the Q&A before saying anything, had heard bits and bobs but that's a great summary @Kevchenko so thanks for that. Would've went but was on the same night as the Scotland game which we go to (cynical me says the board will know most fans who go home and away to our games go to Scotland games as well and it was a simple way to avoid questions from those who will have more to say).

First of all, the explanation on the railway end is an utter nonsense. How can it possibly be hundreds and hundreds of pounds to open it up to home fans when there are already a surplus of stewards behind the goal, if the vast majority of fans behind the current goal move to behind the other goal for a half surely the same stewards can move to behind the other goal? You'd potentially need an extra couple I accept but to say it's hundreds and hundreds seems a complete exaggeration to me - I refuse to believe we were paying hundreds more before Covid when we were allowed back there (sure when it was split half and half with home and away fans there was only 2 stewards in the middle of us and there was never any bother!).

£20 a game is a joke. Adding in a pie (which prices have gone up again for and are verging on ridiculous) etc and you're looking at £25 a head to go and watch a low quality Scottish League 1 match (Arbroath away a couple of weeks ago being a prime example) - why would anyone who isn't a die hard want to pay £25 to come and watch us if they had nothing to on a Saturday? Shoved into one corner of the ground and paying 25 quid for the pleasure isn't going to appeal to anyone who may fancy coming for a couple of games a season. I'm sure they'd say that we're just charging what everyone else is - why do we need to follow everyone else? We don't have a student gate, we don't have Parent and Child prices, we are doing nothing to encourage casual supporters to come along. We should be giving out tickets to school children who get free entry as long as they come with an adult (even if the adult get's in for a discounted price or something) to encourage people to come along. At the moment we do nothing in that regard. Hadn't even occured to me we aren't doing a 50/50 draw at games, such a simple money making exercise we aren't doing.

No early bird season ticket offer this season - a simple way we used to give back to loyal season ticket holders now gone for the sake of 20 quid from a few people they know will pay the money anyway, just purely taking advantage. No commercial or marketing department either just strikes me as complete laziness to set up and hire people for rather than a lack of funds which they will blame it on. How in this day and age with the importance of social media we don't have something in place for this just beggars belief. 

Absolutely not a criticism of you @LeodhasXD as clearly you have plenty on your plate with the highlights package and the streaming etc. (which are both excellent and the best in the league btw), but we don't (or very rarely) do match update tweets for people who aren't at the games and help to promote the club. Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to find a Sports Journalism student who could come in on a Saturday afternoon for a few hours to volunteer, get experience of what it's like working at a football club on a matchday, do some live tweets, potentially interview Andy for the youtube channel and get experience in that regard as well? Another place where it just seems lazy to me and they won't go to the effort of finding someone to do it (not that I reckon they'd be hard to find).

We're lucky this season in that we've got an excellent manager, who is building a solid squad and who everyone will get behind so that some of these issues are brushed over. Clearly the woman's team is on the up and the community aspects sound promising, but supporters of the men's team, to me, are taken advantage of as they know we will continue to turn up and pay whatever they charge through blind loyalty. A bad season here or there and I think many season ticket holder's patience will start to wear thin.

Anyway, rant over. Hopefully be top of the league by 5pm Saturday which will be nice

[printer]

4 hours ago, LoganAAFC said:

Don't understand the allocation of the Q&A. The fact its on the same night a Scotland game is poor as a number of Alloa fans would of been there, who are normally the ones who go home and away folllowing Alloa as well. But the main one is, just because you don't have a season ticket doesn't make you not a supporter. Some people may find the price to pay for the season ticket now a lot of money, and prefer paying at the gate each week. 

Spot on. Inviting only season ticket holders was odd IMO. That and the raising of old age concession cut off to 66 are errors of judgement IMO.

[LeodhasXD]

4 hours ago, AlloaAdam said:

No early bird season ticket offer this season - a simple way we used to give back to loyal season ticket holders

Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to find a Sports Journalism student who could come in on a Saturday afternoon for a few hours to volunteer, get experience of what it's like working at a football club on a matchday, do some live tweets, potentially interview Andy for the youtube channel and get experience in that regard as well? Another place where it just seems lazy to me and they won't go to the effort of finding someone to do it (not that I reckon they'd be hard to find).

Early bird was actually away because it was easier admin without it - and it's not been there for a couple years now that's not new. 

We were the main programme on BBC Scotland on Saturday and we had updates from Arbroath. But you need to remember the traveling is rotten this year and the updates will only be available if folk are available. There's just not people queueing up to work 3-4 hours of their prime weekend time plus doing it without expenses. I've had people giving me a dig out but no-one who can do it regularly. 

https://x.com/AlloaAthleticFC/status/1829887421368189174
https://x.com/AlloaAthleticFC/status/1829905735691747590

Edited Thursday at 17:15 by LeodhasXD

[AlloaAdam]

1 hour ago, LeodhasXD said:

Early bird was actually away because it was easier admin without it - and it's not been there for a couple years now that's not new. 

Have to say that 'it was a bit of a hassle' doesn't make me feel much better about having to spend an extra 20 quid but okay. The fact that it wasn't here last season either doesn't really help the point either - just reinforces my thoughts that the club are just happy to take advantage and charge more because they know we'll pay it.

1 hour ago, LeodhasXD said:

We were the main programme on BBC Scotland on Saturday and we had updates from Arbroath. But you need to remember the traveling is rotten this year and the updates will only be available if folk are available. There's just not people queueing up to work 3-4 hours of their prime weekend time plus doing it without expenses. I've had people giving me a dig out but no-one who can do it regularly. 

I get the not wanting to travel to Inverness / Arbroath / Dumfries etc. but there are 100% students out there who would want experience of working at a football club even every second week to put on their CV. It isn't a massive issue in the scheme of things but is just one of many small things that would all contribute to a more professional football club.

Edited Thursday at 18:29 by AlloaAdam

[LeodhasXD]

2 hours ago, AlloaAdam said:

 take advantage and charge more because they know we'll pay it.

Should probably start charging season ticket holders for the playoff games if that's the goal- they'd get roughly double the money at least than the money earned by axing an early bird. The season ticket still stands out as excellent value. 

On the walkup 10 years ago I used to look at the minimum wage and it was under £7 while we were charging £16. It's now £11.44 and we're charging £20. So you're working less for what you're watching.

[WeeWelshy007]

club needs to think about the younger fans more what about the 16 year olds whos minimum wage is £6.40 and have to pay over 200 quid for a season ticket some 16 year olds are lucky to have a job let alone get enough hours to make 200 quid a month 

i was a minimum wage worker when it was £5.28 and getting tickets for some games then food and other expenses was costing equivalent of a long day at work

[WeeWelshy007]

1 minute ago, WeeWelshy007 said:

club needs to think about the younger fans more what about the 16 year olds whos minimum wage is £6.40 and have to pay over 200 quid for a season ticket some 16 year olds are lucky to have a job let alone get enough hours to make 200 quid a month 

i was a minimum wage worker when it was £5.28 and getting tickets for some games then food and other expenses was costing equivalent of a long day at work

i think student season tickets need to be a thing

[AlloaAdam]

11 hours ago, LeodhasXD said:

Should probably start charging season ticket holders for the playoff games if that's the goal- they'd get roughly double the money at least than the money earned by axing an early bird. The season ticket still stands out as excellent value. 

On the walkup 10 years ago I used to look at the minimum wage and it was under £7 while we were charging £16. It's now £11.44 and we're charging £20. So you're working less for what you're watching.

Won’t be any play off games to charge us on this season when we go up automatically

10 years ago £16 was probably too much at that point and we were also in the championship. You and I clearly aren’t going to agree on this but I just don’t see any scenario where people who weren’t going to be coming along anyway would want to turn up and pay 20 quid.

[BFTD]

People weren't happy with £16 a decade ago either. I believe that was the start of folk seriously complaining about value for money, especially away fans.

The wisdom seems to be that dropping prices does nothing for attendances, and only lowers income - I can remember a few clubs (Hamilton?) trying it years ago, but supposedly it wasn't successful. At best, I think it would need to be done over a long period of time, with a lot of effort made to inform locals that the tickets are more affordable for casuals, as hundreds of extra people aren't going to show up overnight. You'd need deep pockets to absorb the losses in the meantime, though.

I don't know why we don't do a student rate though. Everyone else seems to, and we've got thousands of students in the catchment area. I suppose the uni has its own team playing Premiership reserves, but surely some of them might fancy watching some glamour League 1 ties against big clubs like Kelty or Cove?  

[LeodhasXD]

45 minutes ago, AlloaAdam said:

10 years ago £16 was probably too much at that point and we were also in the championship. You and I clearly aren’t going to agree on this but I just don’t see any scenario where people who weren’t going to be coming along anyway would want to turn up and pay 20 quid.

Agree on that - but I think the reality of running a business means you can't speculate on who will maybe turn up on Saturday. There's been plenty who thought a pricing gimmick might increase attendances to cover a shortfall but it rarely works out. 

Just for the record I agree on the student tickets or another 16-21 category because it's too steep between u16 and adult and flat rises across the categories means it was more expensive for some too but that's all above my paygrade. 

Still the worst money I have ever spent at football was £23 to watch St Johnstone and Dundee 5 odd years ago. Finished 0-0 and it was turgid. Somehow I was meant to be more happy to have spent that money because it was a Premier league game - was far less exciting to watch than Alloa.

[Rory]

I like what Falkirk do with the kid for a quid with any adult ticket for under 12s. The club needs to be doing things to encourage younger fans into the ground and hopefully keep them as lifelong supporters.

Could even offer something like buy one get one half price to encourage people to bring friends/family along.