Fans' Forum [September 2021]

[Chicken Balti Pie]

Our gates are very good for this level but the average dropped by 2,347 after we were relegated.

11 gates above 6k in 2016/17
16 gates above 6k in 2017/18
19 gates above 6k in 2018/19

3 gates above 6k in 2019/20

I don't think you can really go off the whole attendance in the national league, we probably should just be comparing home attendance really to make it fair

[KCNotts]

I don't think you can really go off the whole attendance in the national league, we probably should just be comparing home attendance really to make it fair

Hardy made a mess of many things, but drumming up support and creating a buzz in the stadium was not one of them. Credit where it was due, he worked hard at that and Meadow Lane was a good place to be.

[AllNottsAreWe]

Not really what I see at the games. I sit in the main stand and while the demographic is definitely more of us old diehards than youngsters, I think the mix is a bit more varied than it was a few years ago. I even have to temper my language towards the officials because there are a few kids who sit around me, although their parents are also attracted to the odd expletive! Walking to and from the ground I see quite a few young fans, which has to be good for the future. There was a question asked at the fans forum, something along the lines of "if you had a million pounds to spend on a non-player budget, where would it go? They all wanted to spend it on better backroom facilities, but mine would have gone on cheaper tickets, especially aimed at attracting more youngsters.

Good post Elite
I sit in the Pavis and it's mainly, although not exclusively, fans of a certain age.
Hardy has his faults but he knew how to get more fans through the gate, with various offers when he could.

I pay a passing interest to attendances and am pretty sure that Wrexham's gates had dipped to around 3500 - 4000 over the last few years. They seemed to be a club going nowhere, relying on their hard core fan base. With the recent heavy investment and world wide interest, that has now climbed to the 8000 they are enjoying now. Could Notts pull in 8000 regularly for a NL game, I very much doubt it.
Chessie and Stockport were getting around 3500 - 4000 as well, again, with some investement and renewed interest, that is now back up to 5000 - 6000.
Grimsby and Southend both have the fanbase to pull in more than Notts, if they are doing well.
I am happy that Notts still get 5000 plus, it's still very good at this level, but we just don't have that extra 2000 - 3000 in "reserve" that the above clubs have, in my opinion.
As for the current style of play, looks great when a move comes off, but very dull and ponderous when it doesn't. I was actually bored at Altrincham.

[Killerkline]

There's nothing misleading about it at all. There's over 2,000 less people in the ground because we got relegated. That's what happens when you go down. less bums on seats. It's irrelevant which team they support, they all contribute to the atmosphere or lack of, and pay to get in.

We picked up a fair number of new supporters and saw a return of those who'd given up during the Hardy era and some of those have stuck. If we hadn't had the brief Hardy/Nolan success we'd almost certainly be below 5k by now as it was dipping below that figure under Trew.

It isn’t misleading, it’s fact. Is it fair to say though, the reduction is mainly due to significantly less away support as opposed to a reflection of decreasing home support?

[laddo]

There's nothing misleading about it at all. There's over 2,000 less people in the ground because we got relegated. That's what happens when you go down. less bums on seats. It's irrelevant which team they support, they all contribute to the atmosphere or lack of, and pay to get in.

We picked up a fair number of new supporters and saw a return of those who'd given up during the Hardy era and some of those have stuck. If we hadn't had the brief Hardy/Nolan success we'd almost certainly be below 5k by now as it was dipping below that figure under Trew.

Whether the majority of the lost 2000 is mainly in the away end or home is very relevant to the club, the owners and anyone dealing with the club's finances for the obvious reason.

On this thread we were talking about how impressive the attendances have been and how well the home support has held up after all the doom mongers predicted home attendances of circa 2000, diehards only.

Agree that the Hardy/Nolan season had a very positive impact on home attendances thanks to relative success on the field and excellent offers and marketing from the club. Hardy was superb at that side of the ownership. Although when offering tickets for £1 or £10 it naturally misleads a little.

[laddo]

Hardy made a mess of many things, but drumming up support and creating a buzz in the stadium was not one of them. Credit where it was due, he worked hard at that and Meadow Lane was a good place to be.

He did indeed.

[Woodypie]

People on here were saying on here when we got relegated that we would lose a fair chunk off the gate. Same again when we didn't go up, didn't happen.

I'm not sure if we don't go up this season the crowds will fall dramatically as predicted.

I'm the opposite of Woody and Durhampie I don't find it boring at all. I find it refreshing that we play football predominantly on the deck, pass the ball, see clear patterns of play that have been worked on on the training ground. That's the thing for me seen so many opposition come to meadow lane over the years and pass us off the park. I was jealous seeing teams like Oxford, Yeovil , Swindon etc playing in triangles, making 3rd men runs off the ball. Whilst I watched out static play, hopeful punts up to a big man to then to and win a second ball half of the time. When it doesn't work you are playing off scraps. Dull.

Notts fans have been brought up on direct/long football sometimes very effectively under Warnock and Big Sam but often unsuccessfully under many other managers. It simplifies the game, it guarantees the ball in the opposition half (and often 10 foot in the air), it's reduces risk, it's provides more penalty area action sometimes but I've had my fill of it. We've played that way predominantly for 30 years. So I understand why some fans dislike the new style cos it's not what the norm, what we are used to.

I'm all for a few years of playing on the grass not the clouds. If it fails under the owners then happy to revert to Notts County type and join the old man moaning . I'm just not there yet, nowhere near.

Well, we agree that we don't agree! Obviously we don't have players of Warnock quality, Johnson, Lund, Regis, Bartlett etc. But, and I don't have a stopwatch or the videos to time it, but I recall balls leaving Cherry's boot and being run with to create a goal scoring chance in a few seconds. I have no idea either how long it takes now but it feels like I have time to go and get a cup of tea before we get to the half way line. Pace, strength, aggression, skill, commitment is what I like to watch - running with the ball, can you remember that! I grew up watching Shankly's Liverpool. Yes, I am that old. I don't remember Shankly being criticised for 'long ball' tactics or Lawler, Yeats and Smith spending two minutes to advance two yards. But as I have said, each to their own. Direct play has won top flight league and European championships and saw Notts climb from oblivion to top flight. It's not fashionable but it doesn't mean it doesn't work.

[laddo]

Of course it works both at Notts and elsewhere there will be countless examples, I haven't seen anyone say it can't work. Tbh I think it probably gives us the best chance of promotion from this league.

My point is for every Warnock 30 years ago and Allardyce 20 years ago there are dozen examples each where this approach failed often miserably.

It's natural that Notts have won promotions and been successful playing direct/long ball football as I believe we've been predominantly playing that style since WWII. We are currently trying a different approach and it appears some of the (older) fans are struggling to adjust, don't want to, or just don't like short passing.

Whether old or young you don't need telling that the game has moved on hugely since Shankley in the 60s. In those 50+ years it's evolved and isn't the same game nowadays. It's better, the players are technically better, fitter, stronger, the tactical side of the game is on another level as is all the support work (strength, conditioning, nutrition, medical/physio etc). That's why the best team in Europe playing direct back in 60/70s weren't criticised they knew no better back then.

[ForeignLegion]

Good post Elite
I sit in the Pavis and it's mainly, although not exclusively, fans of a certain age.
Hardy has his faults but he knew how to get more fans through the gate, with various offers when he could.

I pay a passing interest to attendances and am pretty sure that Wrexham's gates had dipped to around 3500 - 4000 over the last few years. They seemed to be a club going nowhere, relying on their hard core fan base. With the recent heavy investment and world wide interest, that has now climbed to the 8000 they are enjoying now. Could Notts pull in 8000 regularly for a NL game, I very much doubt it.
Chessie and Stockport were getting around 3500 - 4000 as well, again, with some investement and renewed interest, that is now back up to 5000 - 6000.
Grimsby and Southend both have the fanbase to pull in more than Notts, if they are doing well.
I am happy that Notts still get 5000 plus, it's still very good at this level, but we just don't have that extra 2000 - 3000 in "reserve" that the above clubs have, in my opinion.
As for the current style of play, looks great when a move comes off, but very dull and ponderous when it doesn't. I was actually bored at Altrincham.

Gonna have to disagree slightly...if Notts are top 2-3 and playing good, entertaining footy, then I think that extra 2-3 missing thousand will re-appear. All about entertainment and value for $$

[crazyfists]

For me the style of play isn't the problem, the ability for the players to carry it out consistently and quickly is. The patterns of play work but need to be completed with skill and we need to move the ball quicker also being braver. Passing it round the other team with speed and skill, therefore pulling them about and creating space works, we just don't do it well or often enough.