Sons' sorrow

[Boghead ranter]

3 minutes ago, sons superhero said:

When I got my tickets my details were taken presumely to ensure I was local. If there is ruling that you must make some attempt to ensure home fans by tickets that may explain why tickets couldn't be sold on the day. I think that would be a shit ruling especially for a part time club like ours.

I've a mate who lives in Germany, but was home for a few days, so went in for a ticket.  Was asked for his home address, so gave the Germany address.  Got ticket for home end with no further questioning.  So hard to reason why addresses are needed.

[sons superhero]

2 minutes ago, Boghead ranter said:

I've a mate who lives in Germany, but was home for a few days, so went in for a ticket.  Was asked for his home address, so gave the Germany address.  Got ticket for home end with no further questioning.  So hard to reason why addresses are needed.

Totally makes no sense then, the mystery thickens.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

It's some sort of new rule because our government view football fans as criminals and like to pretend that there is some sort of horrific problem with supporters behaving like hooligans.

[O'Kelly Isley III]

4 hours ago, BallochSonsFan said:

In fairness we haven't really thrown away the equivalent of 800 empty seats every all ticket game.

I'm not defending the club here. All ticket policy is a pain in the arse and the concession made to season ticket holders that we no longer need to swap the season ticket voucher doesnt really address the disruption caused for PAYG fans.

But would we really have had an extra 800 fans turning up to pay at the gate but who couldn't because there was no cash gate option? We might have got an extra couple of dozen. That's still money in the bank. But its small fry compared to the bigger picture.

All ticket games are a pain in the hole for everybody. The club need to put measures in place to get tickets printed and sold. Fans need to make arrangements to get to the stadium to buy tickets. The late night opening is a relatively new idea for these all ticket games since we now strangely seem not to sell tickets during the home games immediately preceding the all ticket match. Is all ticket really the reason we don't sell out those games? The truth is that the Dunbartonshire public on the whole has absolutely no interest in us. You could tour the county in an open-topped bus and shout from a megaphone that there's a game on at the Rock and you'd struggle to increase the home gate. All ticket matches are an inconvenience to current fans but they really do little to discourage new ones.

Until we somehow find a way of generating more interest in the club from the local population? Moaning about an all ticket fixture and the handful of fans who miss out is ignoring the gaping holes in our support for every other game where locals can walk up, pay their money and support their local team. When we're getting 800+ home fans at every home game and we have a healthy walk up crowd we can point our finger at all ticket games as being a major disincentive. Until then? The bigger issue is why these fans don't turn up at any other game.

The bigger issue is why so many fans have deserted us in recent seasons, and there can be no doubt that there is now a perception of a complete dislocation between the club and both its support and the local community.  It is almost as if the foyer entrance straddles two completely different worlds, and never the twain shall meet.

Ticket games have merely highlighted the sinking relationship that exists between DFC and the fans, and there are now far, far too many reports of sullen, unhelpful and downright rude responses to peoples' enquiries.  I expressed my disappointment to Ian Wilson of Brabco in person at the recent stadium plans presentation; from his response it was clear he didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

[pleslie99]

I've a mate who lives in Germany, but was home for a few days, so went in for a ticket.  Was asked for his home address, so gave the Germany address.  Got ticket for home end with no further questioning.  So hard to reason why addresses are needed.

Pretty sure it's some sort of rule set by SFA, SPFL, police Scotland or some other body to ensure that any troublemakers can be identified and brought to justice. Which then makes it strange that the club allowed people to sit in any seat, anyone else see the glaring issue here..........?
I may be wrong but I'm sure that's the case

[aftershocker]

It's some sort of new rule because our government view football fans as criminals and like to pretend that there is some sort of horrific problem with supporters behaving like hooligans.

I think its the government trying to force the hand of the football authorities to deal with issues like sectarianism....their preference is for clubs to accept strict liability....I get why the old firm don't want it...but surely it's a win win for everyone else?

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

I think its the government trying to force the hand of the football authorities to deal with issues like sectarianism....their preference is for clubs to accept strict liability....I get why the old firm don't want it...but surely it's a win win for everyone else?

Asking folk to give their name and address wont eradicate issues like sectarianism, it's utterly pointless.

I couldn't really care about bad words being exchanged between Rangers and Celtic fans, let them wire in. Physical violence would be an issue but in Scotland violence at football is minimal. The Scottish Government like to make out fan behaviour here is a massive issue and I'm not really sure it is.

[Scottylintonstowel]

One of the reasons that the public are so indifferent to watching the local team is Dumbartons complete indifference to child supporters The stadium is completely hostile to children. At the old Boghead kids could roam around if they got bored or wanted to move around Now they are forced to sit like nice little kiddies for ninety minutes or the big bad steward will come and get them.

Also from the new houses being occupied in the area are thousands of people who have no history in watching Dumbarton and who are not being enticed by the club or sadly its supporters into coming along and watching the Sons play.As the older supporters die off no one is taking their place as sadly watching Dumbarton is at the bottom of everyone's priority list in an area blighted by poverty and sectarianism.

i honestly think that moving to Renton Road could be the final nail in the coffin as far as attracting supporters is concerned.Despite five years in the championship support is rapidly diminishing and short of sending snatch squads out to force people in support looks like dwindling away to unsustainable levels.

it would be interesting as Albion Rovers have done for the club to let in supporters to a game asking only for a donation. Then we might see if anyone still cares for the club.

[DumbartonTheSons]

There's a lot of interesting view points on the attendance figures and all ticket issues on here which is healthy debate.

For my mind, I don't understand why you can't have a walk-up gate. I won't even pretend to profess vast knowledge on the in's and outs and legalities of it, and maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong. But why can't we sell tickets for the away end, not in allocated seats (have it on a first come first served basis, if you have a ticket and are there early you get your choice of where to sit, if you're there at 2.55pm, then you get what's left?).

Then have a walk-up gate on the day. It would at least increase the mere possibility of a better gate, because it certainly prevents its possibility by having the structure that's in place just now.

And what, bar a decent bit of foresight and organisation, prevents the club from, say for an all ticket game, planning in advance, selling the tickets at the previous couple of home games? Thus avoiding alienating fans who can't get to the ground on a random Thursday evening (a decent idea and a small improvement, I confess) to get a ticket at what is relatively short notice before the game?

[DumbartonTheSons]

Bringing in new fans is immensely difficult for a club like ours. We could improve massively I'm sure, but while us and so many others are in the shadow of the ugly sisters, it's a monumental struggle.

What we could do though is make it easier and better for the 'fairweather' supporters to come along with better customer service and easier availability of tickets (as I've suggested above). Getting 'new' fans might be out of our reach, but improving our service for those already hooked on the Sons with a few tweaks surely can't be impossible?

[Jordo1872]

55 minutes ago, DumbartonTheSons said:

Bringing in new fans is immensely difficult for a club like ours. We could improve massively I'm sure, but while us and so many others are in the shadow of the ugly sisters, it's a monumental struggle.

What we could do though is make it easier and better for the 'fairweather' supporters to come along with better customer service and easier availability of tickets (as I've suggested above). Getting 'new' fans might be out of our reach, but improving our service for those already hooked on the Sons with a few tweaks surely can't be impossible?

Its fair to say we will always struggle to attract the majority of football fans in the area when most are drawn to the old firm. Even more important then that you look after your existing customer base. A few years ago I was one of a group of six season ticket holders. This season I'm the only one left. One jacked it in as a direct result of, in his view, the way the club treated the fans with disdain. After 40+ years he'd had enough. A couple others fell away as they have young families and the cost becomes harder to justify when time with the family at weekends is at a premium. However everyone, including me, have had substandard dealings with the club in the past and it'd be naive to think that wasn't a factor. We're run like an old boys bowling club.

Mr Jardine is our chairman and is ultimately accountable. Sadly I don't think he's willing or capable of changing how the club is run.

[sons'r'us]

I agree with a lot that has been said here. It is fair to say that the level of football on offer over the last 5 seasons has been of a higher standard than in the previous 15-20 years. That alone should encourage fans.

I recall when we moved to the current ground there was a renewed interest in the Sons which has slowly eroded.

The club does on occasions seem to treat fans poorly. Whether that is the people skills of some of those running the club. Improvements in this would not go amiss.

I recall how things were ran when Rankine was in charge and it's night and day. Maybe we have became used to better and expect much more.

It will be interesting to see what kind of crowd shows up against Ayr without any ticket restrictions as surely that's as appealing to home fans as St.mirren was if not more.

[sarti pooh]

There is zero engagement from the club as far I can see. We're so behind the times. Instead of making the most of our social media channels to engage with current fans and try attract new ones the club seems to think daft moves like getting a club poet is the answer.

[lionel wickson]

Remember too, that our home games with Dunfermline were announced as being all ticket at the start of the season.

[the snudge]

They should strike a deal with Scot rail to use some of the space at Dumbarton Central and sell tickets there during the week. Scotrail get folk who normally don't use the train on Saturday to do so and Dumbarton have a presence during the week where hundreds of commuters go through who might just be struggling for things to do at the weekend. I know it's a bit rich coming from me who hasn't been this season but that's my tuppence worth  

[George Parr]

18 hours ago, O'Kelly Isley III said:

The bigger issue is why so many fans have deserted us in recent seasons, and there can be no doubt that there is now a perception of a complete dislocation between the club and both its support and the local community.  It is almost as if the foyer entrance straddles two completely different worlds, and never the twain shall meet.

Ticket games have merely highlighted the sinking relationship that exists between DFC and the fans, and there are now far, far too many reports of sullen, unhelpful and downright rude responses to peoples' enquiries.  I expressed my disappointment to Ian Wilson of Brabco in person at the recent stadium plans presentation; from his response it was clear he didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

Agreed.

The club's poor PR, coupled with the pressure of living within range of the Glasgow Death Star tractor beam and not to mention the fools who increasingly count English Premiership teams as their main club is all in a toxic mix.

The club must change perception, and fast, or face dire consequences as the old guard die out over the next couple of decades.

[The Moonster]

I agree with most of what has been said (and pretty much everything BSF has said on this subject) and whilst things certainly aren't all rosy, it should be noted that it won't take much to rectify the stuff we're talking about. I mean, being flexible for your customers, being nice to your customers, and seeming like you actually want customers are all things that are simple and low cost to implement. Look at Morton, for years their fans have been lambasted by their owner/chairman for not turning up, blamed for the club not reaching it's potential and it entirely alienated their fans. Over the last year they appear to have taken some of the control away from their chairman and put it into the hands of folk who aren't complete lunatics. They now have a social media team which is gaining rapport with the fans, a new CEO who seems to have a good idea what he's doing and they've managed to keep Dougie away from making any statements. I've no doubt in a year or two if they keep that up they'll have a much happier and perhaps slightly bigger home support.

Now, our chairman hasn't quite gone to the lengths of lambasting the support in a club statement (mainly because he never fucking says ANYTHING officially), but the fact that most decisions he takes appear to have fans near the bottom of any priority list, it makes me think we could do with a similar solution to Morton.

[Turnberry Fields Forever]

1 hour ago, Consolidate said:

Agreed.

The club's poor PR, coupled with the pressure of living within range of the Glasgow Death Star tractor beam and not to mention the fools who increasingly count English Premiership teams as their main club is all in a toxic mix.

The club must change perception, and fast, or face dire consequences as the old guard die out over the next couple of decades.

The Old Firm thing has always been with us, but wall-to-wall TV and radio coverage of football has pandered wonderfully to the couch and pub potato type of fan.  That is a much bigger issue for DFC, and I can think of a few individuals who describe themselves as Sons fans but no longer bother their arses to attend.

It doesn't help of course that DFC is run on the basis of the Ten Commandments, ie 'Thou Shalt Not', whatever the fuck it is.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

It's still quite hard to believe we turned fans away with 700 seats unoccupied inside the stadium.

Any fairweather supporter who turned up on Saturday to be told they couldn't get in probably wont be back. These are the type of folk we should be out the impress to encourage them to attend more often.

Perhaps Jardine's beard hair has now travelled up his ear canal and penetrated his cerebral lobe rendering him clueless. Sea with him plz.

[ThirdrockfromtheSon]

17 hours ago, DumbartonTheSons said:

For my mind, I don't understand why you can't have a walk-up gate. ..........
........Then have a walk-up gate on the day. It would at least increase the mere possibility of a better gate, because it certainly prevents its possibility by having the structure that's in place just now.

 

The only niggling doubt I'd have about that would be that the club might sell less tickets, then get the walk-up gate swamped between 2.45 and 3pm.

If you know there's a walk-up gate would your preference not be to walk up rather than try to jump through hoops to get a ticket at the club's convenience? Just a thought.