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Post by joedog on Oct 30, 2014 18:33:25 GMT
Surely bottom line is, since free travel was put on, our away support has dropped. We can argue all day who benefits but we had a unbroken way of travel that no one complained about. What about the local coach companies and pubs, sandwich shops, taxis. All benefit from customers before an away game. The club do free travel, wich is great but how much thought went into it ?
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Post by ParaPsych on Oct 30, 2014 18:34:07 GMT
I don't go many away games these days because I can't be arsed.
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Post by potterglen on Oct 30, 2014 18:57:31 GMT
As a couple who live 80 miles from Stoke and unable to use the free transport, we're looking at a minimum of £110 a trip for tix and fuel. We take a packed lunch but have to buy an evening meal after the game so put another £10 or £20 onto that - we went to 12 away games last season. So far, only 2 away trips this season and not planning any more until the new year. The club offers nothing to ex pats or those who prefer alternative transport to the free coaches. Performance is not an issue for us, we just want to support the team but until the club is prepared to listen to all supporters and not just write off proposals put forward we'll pick and choose which away trips we make. £10 off tix or free transport, not too complicated Stoke.
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Post by wearestoke80 on Oct 30, 2014 19:11:27 GMT
I don't go many away games these days because I can't be arsed. Well, you're a definite contender for fan of the year then
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Post by coates on Oct 30, 2014 19:18:00 GMT
i was reading an article the other day about why fans don't travel in spain, the reasons were the a) the cost b) the travelling ( spain is far bigger than england) c) all the ticket money goes to the home team. i definality thing in this era of football it is far to expensive for the average fan, then why you factor in away days like newcastle, sunderland and the london teams, many people simple can't justify the cost and the travel commitments.
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Post by cheifheathscfc on Oct 30, 2014 23:25:07 GMT
Obviously some ticket prices are a joke but that's the same for every team! We don't have to travel that far in miles compared to some sides of the course of a season & are away attebdances seem worse, tbh part if the fun of going to an away is travelling up & down the country IMO. Just look at west brom taking over 2000 to Bournemouth last night, do you think we would of took that many? Fair play to the ones who do travel but a lot of 'fans' are a joke only turning up to the games that are convinte. Annoys me rant over
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Post by wearepremierleague on Oct 30, 2014 23:41:20 GMT
Obviously some ticket prices are a joke but that's the same for every team! We don't have to travel that far in miles compared to some sides of the course of a season & are away attebdances seem worse, tbh part if the fun of going to an away is travelling up & down the country IMO. Just look at west brom taking over 2000 to Bournemouth last night, do you think we would of took that many? Fair play to the ones who do travel but a lot of 'fans' are a joke only turning up to the games that are convinte. Annoys me rant over We wouldn't of took 200 to Bouremouth. Our away following is embarrassing, everyone always has an excuse. Funny how they could all afford/ get off work the game against west brom last season.
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Post by DelapsWankingArm on Oct 30, 2014 23:47:08 GMT
Free travel doesn't make a difference cos it's fucking wank on there and some people would rather not go than go on that shit.
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Post by stokiejoeofalsager on Oct 31, 2014 0:46:28 GMT
Obviously some ticket prices are a joke but that's the same for every team! We don't have to travel that far in miles compared to some sides of the course of a season & are away attebdances seem worse, tbh part if the fun of going to an away is travelling up & down the country IMO. Just look at west brom taking over 2000 to Bournemouth last night, do you think we would of took that many? Fair play to the ones who do travel but a lot of 'fans' are a joke only turning up to the games that are convinte. Annoys me rant over We wouldn't of took 200 to Bouremouth. Our away following is embarrassing, everyone always has an excuse. Funny how they could all afford/ get off work the game against west brom last season. To be fair, West Brom is very reasonably priced and very local. Also, we don't exactly get a huge amount of tickets there anyway. What is it 2000? We only took 800 less than that to Saints and Sunderland.
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Post by Eggybread on Oct 31, 2014 7:39:00 GMT
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Post by jeycov on Oct 31, 2014 7:42:26 GMT
Free travel doesn't make a difference cos it's fucking wank on there and some people would rather not go than go on that shit. Free travel to watch Stoke play away is not compulsory! Some fans prefer to be able to use transport which means that you can park very near to the ground Fans preferring to use other coaches / travel independently can still travel this way. Is this linked to the number of fans travelling to away games, when in theory there are more options to be involved? Is there just some sort of resentment that its better value to travel on an official coach? Have fans who are anti the club coaches used them? A good run in the FA cup, an exciting finish to the season will result in ticketing priorities to those who have most attendance points - that may encourage a few more to top up their points The 20s plenty is the way forward imo
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Post by droz on Oct 31, 2014 11:23:32 GMT
Some might be put off due to a large percentage of our away following tending to be complete and utter tw@ts? One assumes you must know 'a large percentage' of Stoke City away supporters personally to be able to make such a judgement?
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Post by basingstokie on Oct 31, 2014 11:31:08 GMT
i can only speak for myself, and i wasnt an " every gamer"... me and my son 21, used to go to about 8/10 away games a season, but its slowly tailed off to virtually one a season, weve never used the free coaches, and never will so thats not even a consideration for us, the bottom line is it falls down to 2 things,...... cost..... fulham last yr with fuel, food, drink etc and tickets come to around £150, and secondly, the absolute abject performances weve witnessed both pre and post pulis, my lad was a southampton saturday, and claims it was every bit as poor as anything under the previous regime....things have to change massively before the away support will get to anywhere near the levels we used to see, in my opinion anyway. I agree completely, I too used to do 8-10 aways per season (particularly in championship) but saints was my first one this season. Sick of paying through the nose for,tickets, travel ( not from Stoke) etc to watch a naff performance Might do 1-2 further games this season
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Post by southstanddan on Oct 31, 2014 23:40:38 GMT
Some might be put off due to a large percentage of our away following tending to be complete and utter tw@ts? One assumes you must know 'a large percentage' of Stoke City away supporters personally to be able to make such a judgement? One does not. One does, however, have eyes.
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Post by Gods on Nov 1, 2014 0:01:58 GMT
Some might be put off due to a large percentage of our away following tending to be complete and utter tw@ts? Sanctimony is not dead then. Ridiculous comment.
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Post by Eggybread on Nov 1, 2014 0:47:32 GMT
I think that mid table mediocrity has something to do with it.Since we have got promotion we haven't really had anything to play for .i.e crunch games 6 pointers.these games get the fans excited.Maybe later this season it will be different, after xmas when the team will well and truly need our support.
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Post by Gods on Nov 1, 2014 0:57:16 GMT
I think that mid table mediocrity has something to do with it.Since we have got promotion we haven't really had anything to play for .i.e crunch games 6 pointers.these games get the fans excited.Maybe later this season it will be different, after xmas when the team will well and truly need our support. I do agree with all of that. The "race for 12th" is not one to set the pulse racing, not once the Prem novelty has worn off anyway. If we are close to bottom 3 as we shall be come Xmas then it will be that needs-must desperation which will rally our troops and I think we will see some of the old magic return.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2014 6:18:19 GMT
This free coach travel really bugs me. All premiership clubs have been given or have funds ring fenced up to £200k to assist fans primarily as I understood as compensation for games on TV. Some clubs give that back to the fans in the form of cheaper tickets for those games on TV and some give it for transport eg coach travel or in some cases train travel (I know Chelsea put on return train tickets for £10 to Man City). I suspect Stoke's grand gesture for free coach travel has been formed off the back of police advice so that the biggest number of Stoke fans can be monitiored and their location known and policed better. It is discriminatory in its availaibility for those fans that don't live in or around Stoke and can't get to Stoke to make use of them. Fair play for it being in place but its no great gesture when the away day should be about a full day with time for beers etc, the offical coaches don't give you that option. Its habit forming, I used to go home and away during the lower division days and 1st season in the premier league, but the cost and the apathy shown by the then manager to away games, it became hard to justify it and now its just the occasional away game. fuck me the club do something positive for the fans and they get moaned at? its not fair on fans who dont live in stoke what do you want us to do move the stadium to near where you live??? ousiders can still utilise the free travel i.e. if your based in the south and we are playing in the north they could do their usual travel to stoke then use the club coaches to the away game, and vice versa for those living in the north. fans wont be happy on here unless they offer them a free ticket[even though they havent attended any matches home and away]free travel with a free bar and the obligotry bj from the hostess.?????????
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2014 6:21:44 GMT
Surely bottom line is, since free travel was put on, our away support has dropped. We can argue all day who benefits but we had a unbroken way of travel that no one complained about. What about the local coach companies and pubs, sandwich shops, taxis. All benefit from customers before an away game. The club do free travel, wich is great but how much thought went into it ? lets be honest shall we? you run your own coaches hence make money from stoke fans? nothing wrong with that i have been on many supporters pub busses and enjoyed it.but if your going to comment on this its only right that you declare your self intrest.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2014 6:35:05 GMT
i used to do a lot of travelling to see the potters playing, all thru the 80's & 90's but as we get older other things take priority and even back then it was becoming expensive, forget tickets&transport the biggest drain on the finances was beer!!!! i dont think it is any one reason why numbers are dwindling i believe its a number of reasons. i will not travel to sunderland or newcastle simply because you are seated miles away from the action[imo we should have told newcastle to shove their reciprocal £20 tickets, our fans sit in the gods yet their fans get to have a first class view?] many regular "lads" have been banned expense time[more and more fans are having to work 7 day shift patterns the football games are shown in pubs? why get up at the crack of dawn travel for hours when you can watch the game in your local?with your mates and save a fortune? premier league these twats are determined to milk the prem league for all they can. this is why we will see prem league abroad[prob the far east] i know this will be the final straw for many.
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Post by Numismatist on Nov 1, 2014 8:06:42 GMT
I think that mid table mediocrity has something to do with it.Since we have got promotion we haven't really had anything to play for .i.e crunch games 6 pointers.these games get the fans excited.Maybe later this season it will be different, after xmas when the team will well and truly need our support. Not sure about this mate. Our followings at the turn of this year weren't great when the team needed our support. 300 at Sunderland, a few days before we dropped into the bottom three, springing to mind.
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Post by scfc2014 on Nov 1, 2014 10:29:46 GMT
There's lots of areas in the UK which are no more wealthy than SOT. Also our away form is a dam sight better now than under Dulllis,you're clutching at straws joe in oz
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Post by Meggsy on Nov 1, 2014 11:26:24 GMT
I booked 2 weeks in Thailand at the beginning of the season. The money I am saving by not going to soulless and overpriced away days is paying for 2 weeks of 5 star luxury.
The away day for me has gone downbank. The free coach travel puts me off - no booze.
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Post by southstanddan on Nov 5, 2014 9:00:03 GMT
Some might be put off due to a large percentage of our away following tending to be complete and utter tw@ts? Sanctimony is not dead then. Ridiculous comment. Not at all. One of my friends won't go anymore after being spat on (accidently) by another Stoke fan - it was aimed at the home fans but it's not the point is it?
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Post by mightyone on Nov 5, 2014 9:18:05 GMT
Burnley bottom of league sell all 3000 tickets for there away game at Arsenal,Southamptons support tonight 370 mile round journey was more than ours on a Saturday too there place,and our home support tonight was shit. Novelty, lets see them sell out year on year if they're still here in 2020 (which they won't be) Totally agree, also burnley tickets were discounted to £26 each. I think we only have to look at our away record since we've been in the premiereship to se why our following is not the best, but that's just my opinion!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2014 15:25:10 GMT
If tickets were limited to £20 then we'd be close to sell out most games. Free travel is a nice gesture but it's fucking horse piss.
I work every other weekend so can't get to a lot of games now, and spending anything between £100 and £150 for a day out watching us away can't be done every 2 weeks for most people. Particularly when a lot of the time we go to places and don't play to win.
People have other commitments away from Stoke City. And people cannot afford what an away day in the Premier League costs, particularly in London. Sad but it's true.
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Post by ladyinred on Nov 5, 2014 15:50:00 GMT
Surely bottom line is, since free travel was put on, our away support has dropped. We can argue all day who benefits but we had a unbroken way of travel that no one complained about. What about the local coach companies and pubs, sandwich shops, taxis. All benefit from customers before an away game. The club do free travel, wich is great but how much thought went into it ? I don't agree, do you have any figures to back this up? Our away support has been awful (in terms of numbers) for a 5 years or so now, all the reasons such as cost (ticket & travel), other commitments, seating only, sterile stadiums etc can be applied to all clubs in the league - so why are SCFC different? My take on it is:- 2008-09 We had good follwings pretty much everywhere (Remember Middlesborough 3000-4000) 2009-2012 Dire away performances, coinciding with ever increasing costs meant that the 'value' of an away day was getting hard to justify. Paying a fortune - to end up thoroughly miserable has meant that many fans go less often. The 'spiral' effect then comes into play. For many fans, it is about the atmosphere of an away day, the feeling of being part of a tribe, following your team. As fans drifted away due to poor performances/no chance of winning, the atmosphere also suffered - leading to more fans 'cutting back' as the tribal feeling was reduced. Being part of 200 fans, at Sunderland on a miserable Tuesday night is a long, long way away from Middlesborough 2008. I don't think there is any 'quick fix' either. For things to change, we need to win more away games with regularity. Maybe a PL that consisted of more midlands teams Derby/Wolves/Forest - would help to get fans 'back in the habit'.
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Post by JC9 on Nov 6, 2014 11:23:22 GMT
Burnley bottom of league sell all 3000 tickets for there away game at Arsenal,Southamptons support tonight 370 mile round journey was more than ours on a Saturday too there place,and our home support tonight was shit. Burnley are new to the prem so they don't have many chances to go places like the emirates, and it's almost certain that they'll go down so who knows when they'll get to go to the big stadiums again, so they might as well go now they've got the chance, that's why they sell out, stoke were the same in our first year in the prem
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Post by basingstokie on Nov 6, 2014 12:47:13 GMT
TBH I go less than I used too, because its expensive and generally shit
Even just train fare, ticket and programme rarely get change from £50 minimum and I can spend that better
It's a bit like marathon running, each time you do it you say never again, then 3-4 months later you end up thinking it wasn't that bad and enter another one
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Post by lordb on Nov 6, 2014 13:00:04 GMT
Regular away games is a thing of the past for me now despite the free coaches I can't justify the ticket prices more than once or twice a season I am amazed at how people can find £30-£50 for tickets every other week. Fair play to those that go regular.
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