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DARLINGTON - QUAKING IN OUR BOOTS 20-8-08
Scott has asked you to send in any questions you want to pose to me. Here are my responses to this week's queries.
Question One:
There are many historical reasons why crowds are down at Darlo, as well as the usual arguments:
1) Access to the stadium is still poor. Note the number of cars that were stuck on the A66 from the east backed up from Morrisons for the Boro friendly, yet the police hadn't worked out that the Boro supporters would come this way.
2) Matchday tickets are up over 10% (£18 instead of £16). Those of us who sometimes work weekends cannot get season tickets or visit Darlo before matchdays are shocked by the rise. It is, after all, the credit crunch. I know GH is losing money but that £2 more means I don't have a pint now before the game.
3) The bus service from town has increased by 50% and there are also less buses running.
4) Darlo MUST attract more kids through the schools. My kids attend Hamsterley School, which, although small, has been visited by coaches from Newcastle and Sunderland yet Darlington is the closest and no one has attended, despite several requests over the years to Kevin Stonehouse.
My kids attended the Alun Armstrong (Ex-Darlo and Boro player) Soccer School in Wolsingham last week, which was excellent. My son was wearing his Darlo shirt next to all the Man Utd and Liverpool shirts. Alun could be used to promote Darlo but instead he handed out complimentary Tow Law/Sunderland match tickets. Come on the Commercial Deptartment!!
The simple answer Jeff is to get more ex-players out and about in schools and the community with the FA and Local Authorities helping with costs.
Mick Barrass
Jeff's reply
Thanks for your comments Mick.
First of all, I have passed your correspondence to the new Commercial Manager at the club as I am sure she will be keen to address your points.
From a personal point of view, the traffic/parking problems always confuse me. We all know that the ground was placed right by the side of a major road but with sensible policing and stewarding, I don't see why it should be such a problem. Perhaps if the stewards let the car in then took the money as people parked, it would help rather than having tailbacks as people pay.
I have to say though that I find getting away from the ground far easier than at virtually any other ground I visit.
I was unaware of the buses situation but I am sure the club will look into this point.
Ticket price increases appear to be a fact of life. The club tried every possible deal/incentive last season but to no avail. A scheme similar to those successfully employed by Huddersfield and Bradford City I would imagine is doomed to failure as all other attempts to attract fans with incentives have failed.
There is a feeling that if the club even GAVE the tickets away then it would still not significantly increase numbers.
Your third point, I must say I totally agree with. There has been talk of this in the past. I even offered to get involved last season myself, along with John Burns the club chaplain. The change of personnel at the club probably stopped this proceeding.
The club most definitely needs to get out there and sell itself, especially to the youngsters, I really hope that the club takes this on board as soon as possible.
Best Wishes
Jeff
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Question Two:
Jeff, I have been reading the many threads on the Rivals website and it is through this that I am e-mailing you.
I have an idea how to get people to revisit the Arena.
Firstly, I do not know if the shop is still open in town and if so, if you can purchase tickets from there. If not, then this needs to be sorted to allow people the opportunity to purchase advance tickets without going to the Arena and thus saving £2.
In addition, the club could provide free bus travel to the Arena from the town centre as part of the ticket purchase.
Secondly, when you purchase a ticket you get two small counterfoils which are both taken at the turnstile. Why not let the supporter keep one, which will allow them to get a discounted ticket for the next match only. So therefore the more regularly you go, the more discount you get and the more money you save.
Steve Morris
Richmond
Jeff's reply
Thanks Steve, I have passed your suggestions on to the club.
I believe that the shop in the town centre is now closed. I don't think it lasted too long. However, I am sure that if going to the Arena to purchase tickets is a problem for some, and others do not want to pay any handling fees for credit card orders, then some arrangement could be made with an outlet in the town centre to sell tickets.
I have to say though that the way everybody goes on about the ground, you would think it was miles away from anywhere!!
I like the idea of free bus travel though. Surely a local business could do a sponsorship deal and get some good publicity out of it.
I like the principal of the loyalty idea for ticket purchases. The club may say they already have one and it is called a season ticket.
The problem with continuing to do other deals is that it can make the purchase of a season ticket less attractive and the club desperately needs to get funds in at the start of a season.
Last year, the club tried everything with ticket gimmicks and the response was nothing short of pathetic. I agree with you though, anything is worth a try to get people into the ground.
Best Wishes
Jeff
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Question Three:
Hi, this is a message to Jeff to pass on to the Commercial Department like he suggested on the Rivals message board.
One way I think the club could improve the matchday experience for kids, and mebbes make a small improvement in programme sales, is to include a small (mebbes four pages) insert to the programme aimed at kids, with info such as wordsearches, comic strips, jokes etc.
There is a Sunday paper that does something similar (I think it is The Sunday Post). I doubt that this would add vast expenditure to the making of the match programme.
My five year old wants a programme each week but something like that might give him something to do in the bar before the game and I might get chance to read the rest also.
If you could pass this on I would be grateful.
Many thanks
Tony Malcolm
Jeff's reply
It is good to see that you have got your five year old in the bar before games - bring them up right, that's what I say!!
I have passed on your comments to the club. Whether your suggestion is the answer or not I don't know, but the club has to continue to do things to attract the youngsters. They are the future of the club and hopefully they will grow up to be life long supporters.
Best wishes
Jeff
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Question Four:
Hi Jeff, I was at a game at the weekend that was stopped after ten minutes because of a storm. The players were off the pitch for over an hour and the game didn't finish until 11:20. It was an 8:30 kick off and since it was a cup game, it could have conceivably gone to extra time and penalties and finished after midnight.
Are there any rules or guidelines regarding games being stopped and how long the stoppage can last before a game must be abandoned?
The worst of the rain had passed after about forty-five minutes and the ref was testing the pitch for another fifteen whilst the ground staff tried to clear the standing water.
All the best
Derrick
P.S. We have met before. I am the guy who lives abroad and accosted you at the Arena last season to complain about your statement that real fans are only those who go to the games. I wasn't at the Exeter game but I have booked flights to be at the next three home matches.
Jeff's reply
Firstly, about the "real fans" statement, as I told you when we spoke, the jist of my comment was getting at the locals who don't go out of choice yet still have plenty to say.
Obviously, some fans who would love to go, can't go because of work or geographical reasons, like yourself.
To be quite honest, I think that those like you who go to a hell of a lot of expense to get to games whenever you can teach the locals a thing or two about being a "real" supporter.
With regard to how long a game can be held up for, I don't think there is a law on this. A lot of things such as common sense will influence the final decision.
At professional level, the decision is usually made in conjunction with police and safety stewards who take a lot more into consideration than just the playing surface.
At local level, the appeal of the pub usually helps the players decide that it's not worth hanging around for!! The game you talk about must have been bloody important for everyone to hang around that long.
Best Wishes
Jeff
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Question Five:
Hi Jeff
Here is a quote from one of your Uncovered messages: "Off the pitch they (DFC) need to have a massive look at themselves and get out into the community and sell themselves."
Care to expand this?
Pete
Jeff's reply
I think that most people out there will know exactly what I am going on about Pete.
Gone are the days when thousands just flocked to the game as a matter of course. With live Premier League games on TV every Saturday lunchtime and evening, and much more competition from other sources to take our leisure time, football has to be proactive in winning back fans.
It is also more important that football attracts the youngsters who are the next generation of supporters.
The club has to listen to the supporters and also be proactive. They need to get out into the schools and into the workplace and sell the club to the supporters.
It's the old "If Mohammed won't go to the mountain then the mountain has to go to Mohammed" scenario. I think that statement is the right way round, but you know what I mean.
The town of Darlington and surrounding areas surely has the capability to get more than 2500-3000 at games.
Best wishes
Jeff
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Question Six:
Hi Jeff
During our opening fixture against Exeter City, Billy Clarke was through on goal and about to shoot but was judged by the referee to have been fouled and a penalty was awarded. Can you explain why the Exeter player was not sent off? If the ref felt it was not a goalscoring opportunity then I don't know what is. Surely at least a yellow should have been awarded.
Cheers
Alan
Jeff's reply
I must admit Alan, that at the time I was waiting for a card. It was virtually the same as when a Darlo player got sent off at the same end towards the back end of last season.
By the letter of the Law it was a denial of a goalscoring opportunity and he should have walked. By the same token though, many feel that it is a harsh rule anyway. But if we are going to have consistency, he should have gone.
Best wishes
Jeff
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Question Seven:
Jeff, despite living in Richmond, I have been a Darlington supporter for thirty-five years since I was ten, travelling through to Feethams on the bus.
Unfortunately, I am a little concerned that the club is on a downward spiral. Some of the things on the messageboard are alarming and you wonder how much is actually true. The club really needs to communicate its situation to the supporters and fill in a few missing blanks!
Keep up the good work.
Steve
Jeff's reply
The club is unlikely ever to move significantly forward.
At present, the support is nowhere near enough to finance that. If they do go up, the budget would need to be quite a lot higher to attract the quality of players that would be required.
This owner, or indeed any owner, would have to have more money than sense to continue to bankroll the club when the income is not coming in through the turnstiles.
The chairman is interested in the club because of the business opportunities the site has.
I am certain that he would like the football side to be successful and go up the divisions. Having said that, he thought that the football side of the business would attract more support than it has and now realises that it is just a drain on his personal wealth.
I feel sorry for the genuine fans who are as good and as loyal as those at any club.
I hope that you enjoy the shows.
Best Wishes
Jeff
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Question Eight:
Jeff, how come they can fill the Arena for Elton John but not for football? Will it ever change?
John
Jeff's reply
Only if Darlo sign Elton John to play up front. Maybe they should have a concert before and after the game to get more people in!!
Seriously though, I think everybody knows that the Stadium is just too big for Darlington FC. No it will never change.
Best Wishes
Jeff
Tune in and give me a call on 01325 25 55 55 between 6 and 7pm every Saturday evening. You can also email me or text me on 81800 staring your text off with "goal", then leave a space and give me your name and anything else you want to tell me.
Keep up-to date with all of my columns on my website.
On Saturday lunchtime, we will hear from the managers before the day's games.
I will also have tickets to give away for Boro v Stoke City on 30/08, a signed copy of Gary Pallister's autobiography 'Pally' and the chance to win meals at the Arena's excellent Sunday carvery and also at Jo Rigatonis.
The questions will be as follows:
For Boro v Stoke City:
Stoke now play at the Britannia Stadium but what was the name of their old ground?
For a signed copy of "PALLY":
Which current Premier League manager did Pally form and excellent centre back pairing for Manchester United with?
For Jeff's Meat and Two Veg to win a Carvery at the Darlington Arena:
Which team scored the first goal of the Premier League season last Saturday?
a) Arsenal
b) West Brom
c) Bolton Wanderers
Also on The Jeff Winter Football Phone-In, for your chance to win a main course meal for two at a Jo Rigatonis of your choice, tune in from 6-7 every Saturday on Alpha 103.2 and work out the music link to a footballing matter.
To enter either:
1) Ring 01325 25 55 55 during the show
2) Text 81800 and type "goal", leave a space then give your answer and name
3) Email Jeff at Alpha Radio.
Keep up to date with all of my columns on my website.
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