A bit worrying

[Royal Lady]

If you bothered to read the forum you would know that i no longer attend due to finances.

The fact that demand falls in the cup at big clubs means that it is not exclusive to Reading.

Schards has been the one mouthing off the most about attendances, and using any reason for RFC not to move ahead, sad really.WTF has who started the thread got to do with anything??? Neither did Woodcote, but he is ok to get shot down.

No 17 bus, Schards hasn't used "ANY REASON" for the club not to move ahead, we've both said that prudence was necessary at this time with regards to expanding, and that in our opinions expanding the club in order to accommodate what some people think will be increased crowds, would be folly until we think we have a reasonable chance of staying in this division for a while longer. Only time will tell whether the Club change their minds and realise that expansion at the moment would be folly.

[The 17 Bus]

you really do take the piss, after all these years of prudence by JM to get us where we are, and now it is time to take stock and wait. Tho I do understand that JM did not get where he is by sitting back and waiting for things to happen, actually he went out and made them happen, and that is probably why he is worth what he is and we are where we are.

[Schards#2]

No vitriol here, just a good old fashioned belly laugh at the extention ultra's determination to completely ignore anything that they don't want to hear.

Firstly, to answer 17 Buses point about JM. JM is a brilliant business man and no fool. He has categorically stated that he won't be proceeding with the extention stating that was a job for any new owner. Clearly, he's even more switched on than you give him credit for and has no intention in pursuing this folly. Is there a new owner on the horizon? No. Does this stop the ultras from believing this may go ahead this year? No, they completely ignore the facts that are there, clear in the public domain.

Secondly, regarding demand, we've been told time and time and time again that there are thousands, nay, tens of thousands out there desperate to go to games only they can't get tickets or they can't get tickets together or it's too expensive or they don't want to pay for a member card.

On Tuesday, we played one of the biggest teams in the country, tickets were readily available, it was made clear that they were readily available, they were even at the reduced price of £20 (anyone who believes we will ever charge less than this on a regular basis for Premiership football dream on), membership cards were free and how many did we sell? around 18,000 odd.

Even if we only expand the east stand and give the entire south stand to away fans that would still leave around 26,000 home tickets available and we can only sell 18,000 for Tottenham with reduced prices.

As I said previously, you can draw your own conclusions, clearly JM has. Sadly others in doing will simply disregard whatever they don't want to see or hear. Fortunately, they are not running the club.

[Wycombe Royal]

and we can only sell 18,000 for Tottenham with reduced prices..

1) It was an evening match (or a school night if you want)
2) Many season ticket holders do not want to pay extra to watch a cup match
3) Many people do not want to watch Reading reserves
4) It is January, the month when many people are extremely short of money
5) It is a cup match, and the demand for tickets at the majority of clubs is a lot lower than it is for league games.

There are other factors as well.

If it was the Spurs league game on a Saturday then you may have a point, but to use this match to strengthen your argument is ludicrous.

[Schards#2]

Not at all, it's the perfect example. It's one of the few games where tickets were readily available for the tens of thousands of "Woodcote's Army" who don't normally come because they can't get tickets.

Where were they?

The sad reality is THEY DON'T EXIST. If they did they would have leapt at the chance to see a game against top opposition at reduced prices regardless of the fact that it was FA Cup and midweek. These imaginary people are apparently slavering like dogs at the prospect of getting to see a game.

BTW I forgot to address Rawlie's higly amusing suggestion that people would go to an extended ground simply because it's bigger

The reality is, the extention would eliminate the main reason many get season ticketes - to ensure they can get into the major games - so, if anything, it would have a negative effect on season ticket sales and, subsequently, attendance as the the more fickle pick and choose.

[Rawlie19]

Not at all, it's the perfect example. It's one of the few games where tickets were readily available for the tens of thousands of "Woodcote's Army" who don't normally come because they can't get tickets.

Where were they?

The sad reality is THEY DON'T EXIST. If they did they would have leapt at the chance to see a game against top opposition at reduced prices regardless of the fact that it was FA Cup and midweek. These imaginary people are apparently slavering like dogs at the prospect of getting to see a game.

BTW I forgot to address Rawlie's higly amusing suggestion that people would go to an extended ground simply because it's bigger

The reality is, the extention would eliminate the main reason many get season ticketes - to ensure they can get into the major games - so, if anything, it would have a negative effect on season ticket sales and, subsequently, attendance as the the more fickle pick and choose.

I see you finally vented your spleen then.

What we can't say is how many of the 18,000 that went were season ticket holders and how many weren't. Now THAT piece of information would allow for a better idea of where we stand.

And the 'January' argument is valid btw. The only reason I decided to pay for this extra fixture was that due to the shifts I work I was paid 2 extra days for the 2 bank holidays in December ensuring that I didn't go short this month due to the holiday spending. Not everyone is in that position, and as someone who celebrates their birthday in a couple of days I have can confirm that a LOT of people are skint at this time of year and don't want to spend. My close friends always allow for this so I do get to go out and celebrate with them but in the past I have struggled to get people to do anything that will end up costing them anything.

And your final point is also valid. I suspect that I wouldn't bother with a season ticket the season we have a bigger stadium.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think we will be expanding this summer, but some of your arguments don't hold water. And I don't recall Mr Mad 'categorically' saying that it wouldn't go ahead.

[Vision]

The point as regards Tuesdays attendance isn't necessarily about the overall figure but more the make up of that figure. If the 18k Reading fans that went were made up entirely of season ticket holders then the fact that there were still 2k unsold would be disappointing.

If however only half the attendees were STH then that suggests that around 9k extra people purchased tickets for the game. This could equate to potential attendance of 27k for home league games.

I've no idea what the make up of the figures actually is but to try and draw any conclusion either way from taking just the attendance figure is pretty pointless really.

[Rawlie19]

The point as regards Tuesdays attendance isn't necessarily about the overall figure but more the make up of that figure. If the 18k Reading fans that went were made up entirely of season ticket holders then the fact that there were still 2k unsold would be disappointing.

If however only half the attendees were STH then that suggests that around 9k extra people purchased tickets for the game. This could equate to potential attendance of 27k for home league games.

I've no idea what the make up of the figures actually is but to try and draw any conclusion either way from taking just the attendance figure is pretty pointless really.

I just said that.

[Vision]

The point as regards Tuesdays attendance isn't necessarily about the overall figure but more the make up of that figure. If the 18k Reading fans that went were made up entirely of season ticket holders then the fact that there were still 2k unsold would be disappointing.

If however only half the attendees were STH then that suggests that around 9k extra people purchased tickets for the game. This could equate to potential attendance of 27k for home league games.

I've no idea what the make up of the figures actually is but to try and draw any conclusion either way from taking just the attendance figure is pretty pointless really.

I just said that.

Must be true then.

[Wycombe Royal]

Not at all, it's the perfect example. It's one of the few games where tickets were readily available for the tens of thousands of "Woodcote's Army" who don't normally come because they can't get tickets.

Where were they?

The sad reality is THEY DON'T EXIST. If they did they would have leapt at the chance to see a game against top opposition at reduced prices regardless of the fact that it was FA Cup and midweek. These imaginary people are apparently slavering like dogs at the prospect of getting to see a game.

THat's right just keep ignoring everything that suggests you might be wrong.

Like I said if it was a league match against Spurs then you would definately have a point, but it wasn't.

Cup matches have lower demand, even if they are on Saturdays. That is a fact whether you want to believe it or not. Then add in all the other factors I listed and you have pretty conclusive evidence that using this match as an example to try to prove your point is not valid in the slightest.

[Schards#2]

Fair points about the season ticket holder/non season ticket holder split.

However, you wonder, if those season ticket holders who won't go to a game like this for £20, will still continue to buy a season ticket when it's no longer necessary to guarantee entry for the big games. And if they don't, what effect that will have on gates for the lesser games.

Rawlie, i'm just calmly and sensibly explaining what I think. The fact that it's at odds with what you think doesn't make it vitriolic.

[Schards#2]

Not at all, it's the perfect example. It's one of the few games where tickets were readily available for the tens of thousands of "Woodcote's Army" who don't normally come because they can't get tickets.

Where were they?

The sad reality is THEY DON'T EXIST. If they did they would have leapt at the chance to see a game against top opposition at reduced prices regardless of the fact that it was FA Cup and midweek. These imaginary people are apparently slavering like dogs at the prospect of getting to see a game.

THat's right just keep ignoring everything that suggests you might be wrong.

Like I said if it was a league match against Spurs then you would definately have a point, but it wasn't.

Cup matches have lower demand, even if they are on Saturdays. That is a fact whether you want to believe it or not. Then add in all the other factors I listed and you have pretty conclusive evidence that using this match as an example to try to prove your point is not valid in the slightest.

You appear to be suggesting that using a game where people can't (or believe they can't) buy tickets would be a better indicator of whether people want to buy tickets than using a game where they can buy tickets.

Not for the first time, i'm struggling to see your logic.

[TFF]

Not for the first time, I am struggling to see the point of this argument.

[Schards#2]

Not for the first time, I am struggling to see the point of this argument.

Feel free not to take part.

[Woodcote Royal]

Not for the first time, I am struggling to see the point of this argument.

It's all about a middle class twat, a large spade and a hole that grows bigger by the day.........................carry on

[The 17 Bus]

There will be a chance for the club to make ST holders feel even better with an extension, they could make all the extention ST only, allowing fans to move from their current seats, this would mean that the best seats, and I still think some areas are better than others, would all be sold, and possibly the North would be the available seats for the floating fans.

JM has taken calculated risks for a long time, and they have almost all paid off, the hike in ST prices did not stop 18k folk from buying for two seasons.


Perhaps the best gamble for this Jan would have been to sell ST for next season now at £100 less than this year, cost maximum £2m, I wonder how many would have taken the deal?

Many clubs offer earley renewals, we should do the same IMHO

[STAR Voice]

Many clubs offer earley renewals, we should do the same IMHO

What about people who live somewhere else???

[cmonurz]

On Tuesday, we played one of the biggest teams in the country, tickets were readily available, it was made clear that they were readily available, they were even at the reduced price of £20.

In a competition that the club won’t win, doesn’t seem to want to win, a competition that at least one senior player isn’t interested in, midweek, against opponents that we had played twice in recent weeks.

What about addressing the five sell-out crowds in the last six league games?

As I said Schards, I was with you in August, but I’m not so stupid as to ignore the attendances since then.

[Schards#2]

Not for the first time, I am struggling to see the point of this argument.

It's all about a middle twat, a large spade and a hole that grows bigger by the day.........................carry on

http://www.tsa.org.uk/

You can almost visualise the steam shooting out of the ears.

That said it's a little sad to see the demise of this poster from reasonably respected to abusive laughing stock over the space of a few years.

Anyone know what a "middle twat" is any way

[Schards#2]

On Tuesday, we played one of the biggest teams in the country, tickets were readily available, it was made clear that they were readily available, they were even at the reduced price of £20.

In a competition that the club won’t win, doesn’t seem to want to win, a competition that at least one senior player isn’t interested in, midweek, against opponents that we had played twice in recent weeks.

What about addressing the five sell-out crowds in the last six league games?

As I said Schards, I was with you in August, but I’m not so stupid as to ignore the attendances since then.

I think we can agree that Arsenal and Liverpool will always sell out.

Portsmouth - bank holiday

Sunderland/ Boro - Kids for a quid

I would accept that we would need the extention if a) we remain in the Premiership, b) the tickets are £1