Double Winning St Johnstone FC Thread

[Radford]

We had less home fans yesterday than the St Mirren game.

Personally thought the alarm bells were ringing when we only had 2,300 home supporters for the first home fixture against Hibs, even though it was a Sunday.

A possible guess is that years of failing to properly market/promote season tickets is finally taking its toll. They make absolutely no effort to retain existing season ticket holders.

It'd be interesting to know the breakdown of season tickets, paying fans and kids that got in free for Saturday's game. Gate receipts on the day must've been minimal, certainly not into five figures IMO. Does that even cover costs?

Folk can have a go at @jamamafegan but its supporters like him that the club need to be engaging with. You might not turn these guys into 19 games a season but if you make 2 games become 4 games or 5 games become 10 games, it starts to make all the difference.

The team maybe aren't getting what they deserve but it's hard to argue that the club aren't.

[Kyle]

The football on display in the 18 months prior to this season has probably contributed to the drop off this season too.  The big name signings were all made quite late in the window too so probably outside when a lot of people would look to buy a season ticket. If you don't have a season ticket you're not obligated to go and if you're not obligated to go its very easy to fall away from attending.

I don't have much sympathy either for the reasons pointed out by Radford above. The club basically went silent from the end of the season until about the start of July. Wright only broke his silence to have a go at Jack Ross and Sunderland about their pursuit Paul Mathers before disappearing for a while again thereafter.

This team undoubtedly deserves a bigger crowd and that'll hopefully happen as the season goes on. The club have 2 weeks to sell this game against Kilmarnock - lets see if they make any effort to do so.

[RandomGuy.]

Here's a starting point then.

@jamamafegan what would it take for you to become a regular?

Edited November 12, 2018 by RandomGuy.

[Broon_100]

Remember when we did the Paint it blue campaign? Big success. What have we done since? Nowt.

I'm struggling to even buy a top for my son such is the stock issues. How do you get to the point you can't even give your money to the club?

[hamicle]

My season ticket lapsed a couple of years ago. No follow up.

I had personal reasons for allowing it to lapse, but I also wasn’t really getting much joy from performances on the park, though I won’t fault effort. 

There’s a vicious circle at play, or at least the risk of one; the club make an effort to little return so maybe get a little jaded, while the fans drift away from an insular club.

Ross moving on has been a big loss. 

[Killie87]

Our crowds have went up slightly but its been nothing spectacular even with ourselves doing brilliant the now, we have always had a core of 3 to 4 thousand who always turn up no matter how good or pish we are, what iam seeing with Killie is the board making more of an effort trying to promote games around the area, I thought i saw your board  have really good deals for the Hamilton game there, was that not the case ? What kind of numbers you taking away from home ? Since our fortunes have turned our away support has been amazing but continue to have the same issue as you guys with the home games.

[Radford]

3 hours ago, Broon_100 said:

I'm struggling to even buy a top for my son such is the stock issues. How do you get to the point you can't even give your money to the club?

Did you see those hats they were punting at the weekend? Cheap, stuck on badges to BLK gear. Dread to think of the price they wanted for them too.

[Killie87]

1 minute ago, ali_91 said:

The family deal we have is all the time, not just Hamilton games. An adult and 2 under 12’s for £16 is brilliant value, but apart from Twitter where do we see this advertised? It’s been the same for about four years now and away fans still seem amazed every time they hear about it. It should be known by now.

Our away support has also been decent in comparison to our home support, 400+ at Livingston on a Wednesday night and 500+ at Hibs in our last two away games are both more than acceptable for a club our size, it’s our home support all the issues are around. 

Its pretty frustrating tbh, just don't know why home games more numbers and noise cant be generated, i know away games most folk have a drink and the singing voice comes out, so besides getting everyone pished before K.O at RP or at your ground what can you do.

[jamamafegan]

Here's a starting point then.
[mention=19616]jamamafegan[/mention] what would it take for you to become a regular?

It would take quite a lot for me to become a regular. As it is, I have other priorities and hobbies at the weekends that take up my time. Saints games are unfortunately usually near the bottom of the pile. Exceptions are made for certain away games where you are pretty much guaranteed a fine day out regardless of the match result.

My main issues with home games are the lack of atmosphere and the price of a ticket. I just don’t think the cost of a home game is worth the experience. If I remember correctly, Hibs away cost the same as a home game - but with that you get a game played in front of at least 16,000, good away atmosphere and day out in the capital. Sure it will cost more money in all but it’s worth it. Pricing and atmosphere go hand in hand though really don’t they, folk like me don’t want to pay the asking price but if we all did there’d be 4000 fans at home games not 2000.

I think the club definitely have a lot to answer for when it comes to home crowds. They missed a glorious opportunity to bolster our fan base after the cup win and during that European campaign. When the club banned the FCU and then came calling back, tail between the legs and got shunned by the group, it didn’t look good for the club and it alienated a next generation of young Saints fans. Okay, they behaved unacceptably at times - but they were mischievous teens and it should have been dealt with differently. It’s difficult to see if those guys will return. In a country where kids are choosing the Old Firm/EPL side over their local teams - that was a criminal move by the club.

Other than the family deal (which is a great deal) there doesn’t seem to be much initiatives to get people to attend - mainly teenagers to early twenties. I said before that this game should be marketed as a “Blue And White Home Day” or something - and why not? We did it away at Dunfermline and I’m sure we did a home game like that vs the Pars as well. It’s the perfect opportunity with a two week break.

I think had Saints been beaten by Accies I probably wouldn’t be heading to the Killie game because it would feel deflating after our fine run. Now we’ve beaten them, pumped them if you may, and things are looking good. I’m looking forward to this game, I’m not going to expect a rousing atmosphere but I can only hope others like me have a look at the fixture and decide to go. I’ll be doing my bit on social media to try and gather interest for the game and if my words can get just one extra person through the gates at least I’ll have made a difference.

[RandomGuy.]

1 minute ago, jamamafegan said:

My main issues with home games are the lack of atmosphere and the price of a ticket. I just don’t think the cost of a home game is worth the experience. If I remember correctly, Hibs away cost the same as a home game - but with that you get a game played in front of at least 16,000, good away atmosphere and day out in the capital. Sure it will cost more money in all but it’s worth it. Pricing and atmosphere go hand in hand though really don’t they, folk like me don’t want to pay the asking price but if we all did there’d be 4000 fans at home games not 2000.

I think the club definitely have a lot to answer for when it comes to home crowds. They missed a glorious opportunity to bolster our fan base after the cup win and during that European campaign. When the club banned the FCU and then came calling back, tail between the legs and got shunned by the group, it didn’t look good for the club and it alienated a next generation of young Saints fans. Okay, they behaved unacceptably at times - but they were mischievous teens and it should have been dealt with differently. It’s difficult to see if those guys will return. In a country where kids are choosing the Old Firm/EPL side over their local teams - that was a criminal move by the club.
 

 

And this is why I, probably wrongly, lose interest in trying to help gather interest amongst folk who aren't regulars.

£23 being too expensive always sounds like a weak as f**k excuse. Always look at ICT who had a "pay what you want" day, and ended up with about 100 extra folk and a huge financial defecit.  What price would be "acceptable"?

Can't agree with the FCU either, their actions completely deserved the consequences they got, and it just gave them an excuse to go back to being Old Firm fans. The majority were never anything more than young lads desperate to be involved in the Ultra fad that's appeared in Scottish football and who couldn't afford to go to Glasgow.

[tree house tam]

4 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

 

It would take quite a lot for me to become a regular. As it is, I have other priorities and hobbies at the weekends that take up my time. Saints games are unfortunately usually near the bottom of the pile.

 

We know, behind Aberdeen, Newcastle, Barcelona, Dortmund, PSV, and East fucking fife.

[tree house tam]

1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said:

Can't agree with the FCU either, their actions completely deserved the consequences they got, and it just gave them an excuse to go back to being Old Firm fans. The majority were never anything more than young lads desperate to be involved in the Ultra fad that's appeared in Scottish football and who couldn't afford to go to Glasgow.

It's always been like this throughout the history of Saints, it's not a fad, it's the never ending cycle. Football is tribal, I'd rather see a group of wee fannies being fannies on a day out than the sanitised prawn sandwich tartan blanket brigade telling you to sit down cause they canny see. c***s.

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, tree house tam said:

It's always been like this throughout the history of Saints, it's not a fad, it's the never ending cycle. Football is tribal, I'd rather see a group of wee fannies being fannies on a day out than the sanitised prawn sandwich tartan blanket brigade telling you to sit down cause they canny see. c***s.

Different world now. Going about scrapping and hurling abuse at families is shite behaviour, never mind Killie away where they almost got every Saints bus banned because of the amount of drink they took and how one of them ended up lying in a puddle of his own pish at the side of the road.

They done it home and away, you can't just accept that with a wee chuckle about how they're wee loveable rogues who bang a drum pretty loud. 

If they were Saints fans they'd happily have quit that shite and still supported the team, as it is they took the huff when they got warned and started blaming the club. I think I've seen one or two at games since.

[The Real Saints]

4 minutes ago, tree house tam said:

It's always been like this throughout the history of Saints, it's not a fad, it's the never ending cycle. Football is tribal, I'd rather see a group of wee fannies being fannies on a day out than the sanitised prawn sandwich tartan blanket brigade telling you to sit down cause they canny see. c***s.

What if people don't want to stand up for 90 minutes or are too elderly/infirm to stand up for 90 minutes? Do they not have a right to sit in the chair which they've paid for?

Also, FCU weren't banned from McDiarmid Park. That's a myth. 

[jamamafegan]

And this is why I, probably wrongly, lose interest in trying to help gather interest amongst folk who aren't regulars.
£23 being too expensive always sounds like a weak as f**k excuse. Always look at ICT who had a "pay what you want" day, and ended up with about 100 extra folk and a huge financial defecit.  What price would be "acceptable"?
Can't agree with the FCU either, their actions completely deserved the consequences they got, and it just gave them an excuse to go back to being Old Firm fans. The majority were never anything more than young lads desperate to be involved in the Ultra fad that's appeared in Scottish football and who couldn't afford to go to Glasgow.

I feel like you’ve ignored I lot of what I’ve said.

It’s not a weak as f**k excuse - it’s the reality. It’s why folk aren’t going to games. How would you solve the problem?

TRS, if they weren’t banned then what happened - I always thought they had been banned.

And RG, have you any evidence to suggest that the FCU were Old Firm fans who can’t afford a fare? I think baseless opinions like that alienate people. You sound like a tartan blanket loyal.

[The Real Saints]

4 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

TRS, if they weren’t banned then what happened - I always thought they had been banned.

 

 

 

[The Real Saints]

Also, I'm fairly sure that one or two of them were issued banning orders by the police. Most of the youngsters have chosen to stay away from McDiarmid Park in a heartwarming act of solidarity.

[tree house tam]

3 minutes ago, The Real Saints said:

Also, I'm fairly sure that one or two of them were issued banning orders by the police. Most of the youngsters have chosen to stay away from McDiarmid Park in a heartwarming act of solidarity.

This is exactly what happened. 

Elderly, infirm and midgets all deserve a seat with a view, I'm not heartless. They should extend the disabled section for this though.

Edited November 12, 2018 by tree house tam

[RandomGuy.]

15 minutes ago, jamamafegan said:

 

I feel like you’ve ignored I lot of what I’ve said.

It’s not a weak as f**k excuse - it’s the reality. It’s why folk aren’t going to games. How would you solve the problem?

TRS, if they weren’t banned then what happened - I always thought they had been banned.

And RG, have you any evidence to suggest that the FCU were Old Firm fans who can’t afford a fare? I think baseless opinions like that alienate people. You sound like a tartan blanket loyal.

 

As I say, my opinion is probably wrong and I'll no doubt be classed as one of the issues. I'm just bored of people saying it's "too expensive" or "shite" tbh.

How much would be affordable for you?

I know someone who knew a couple of them, and they've never shown any interest in Saints apart from their brief stint as the FCU. Most can be found in the Sandeman on a Saturday now.

[RandomGuy.]

2 minutes ago, tree house tam said:

This is exactly what happened. 

Why were they banned?