Season Ticket sales next season .......are they getting twitchy at Carrow Road ?

[......and Smith must score. 908]

This morning a picture postcard plopped onto my doormat from the Marketing Dept. at Carrow Road. It bears a picture of a smiling PG offering the recipient what looks suspiciously like a phial of polonium-210 -- but is more likely a silver pen. A caption underneath reads, " Your chance to earn a signing on fee ..."

All is explained on the reverse side. It appears that the club is offering £5.00 '' sweeteners '' in the form of a voucher for the Canary Store for each person I can persuade to sign up for a season ticket next year.

My chances of benefitting from this rather less than generous offer are bleak indeed, for the number of people I know who are even remotely interested in parting with their cash to have their emotions put through the wringer every other week is, I''m afraid, less than one.

Perhaps what is more interesting is that the football club have decided to reduce the season ticket waiting list fee by four-fifth''s from £50 to £10, with no charge for under-12''s.

Are the Board anticipating a mass exodus come May,when, as seems likely, NCFC will still be making up the numbers in the Championship ?

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

Not renewing my season ticket for this season is something I have never felt cause to regret.

[yoda 0]

if we were playing attractive attacking football even in defeat , then im sure the season ticket sales would hold up well , but watching norwich is like pulling teeth at the moment and has been for two seasons now  i for one wont be renewing , after donkeys years of following this club

[fonejacker 0]

absolutely spot on.

[Cluck 0]

[quote user="Rudolph Hucker"]Not renewing my season ticket for this season is something I have never felt cause to regret.[/quote]

An honest statement from a steady poster....and probably not based on results alone.

For me...I''ve finally had enough after many years. It''s not about results to be honest, as I''ve sat through some dire stuff at CR over the years.....It''s more about club attitude and a ''loss of belonging'' as a fan because it''s become little more than a dictatorship at CR these days and the club has gradually moved away from it''s roots in the County. Awhile back NCFC was truly representative of Norfolk and it''s people....but now it is all about Delia Smith and her celebrity status.........and sadly that''s not for me.......

I will miss it of course...but like many others on here I''ll be beside my radio in future....and therefore not so vulnerable to disappointment. Failure is much easier to accept when no money or effort has been expended on matchdays......so perhaps that''s the way forward for me. However....I hope not too many others are as disillusioned as this....because it will be a quiet place in future at Carrow Road with it''s die hards.

[ca 1]

I would renew my season ticket even if we finished near the bottom. I love my Saturdays at the footy, love my club with a passion and what else would I do instead?

[GMF 262]

I''ll be renewing mine, it''s in the blood and I like seeing live footy, even if the standard is a bit hit and miss.

If , in some people''s minds, that makes me a KTF''er or a Delia clone, so be it. It''s my money and my choice.

[;)]

[Syteanric 1]

i have a funny feeling we might see the "suprise" of cheaper Season tickets next season.. not much maybe only £10 off... the club want the money in advance and although we might have to sell due to lack of Finances will the board risk puttin up prices for 16,000 crowds again?

 ok they might not hit the wanted financial amount for the Season Tickets but some money is better than non money, as the saying goes...

and we will need whatever we can get our hands on next season.

jas :)

[SuperCity 0]

would have thought they would have spent the clubs money more wisely personally, silly little post cards that told us what most of us had already seen in the press or at the ground [:@]

[The Duke of Norfolk 0]

They might well be getting twitchy with good reason.

I know of a couple of people who aren''t renewing and several others who are "waiting to see what happens in January" before making a decision on whether to renew or not.

January will be crucial.

Lose to Tamworth ( possible live in front of the nation), lose Earnie and fail to make any "impact" signings in the transfer window then if i was Andrew Cullen etc i would get twitchy.

[nutty nigel 5,536]

[quote user="cluck_the_positive"]

[quote user="Rudolph Hucker"]Not renewing my season ticket for this season is something I have never felt cause to regret.[/quote]

An honest statement from a steady poster....and probably not based on results alone.

For me...I''ve finally had enough after many years. It''s not about results to be honest, as I''ve sat through some dire stuff at CR over the years.....It''s more about club attitude and a ''loss of belonging'' as a fan because it''s become little more than a dictatorship at CR these days and the club has gradually moved away from it''s roots in the County. Awhile back NCFC was truly representative of Norfolk and it''s people....but now it is all about Delia Smith and her celebrity status.........and sadly that''s not for me.......

I will miss it of course...but like many others on here I''ll be beside my radio in future....and therefore not so vulnerable to disappointment. Failure is much easier to accept when no money or effort has been expended on matchdays......so perhaps that''s the way forward for me. However....I hope not too many others are as disillusioned as this....because it will be a quiet place in future at Carrow Road with it''s die hards.

[/quote]

Now I''m sure you really ARE Blanch out of corrie! [;)]

I can assure you the disappointments are harder to take when you watch it on the wireless. I had to do that yesterday and it''s no fun! Would be better to make a clean break and pretend you don''t care anymore, but then, you wouldn''t have to tell us all about it! Clean breaks are best though.. less hurt in the long run [:''(] [U]

 

[gazban 0]

I must agree with RH I haven''t regretted not renewing. I wish I did because it would have meant that we were playing watchable football. That was the reason I didn''t renew and despite Worthy going we are playing exactly the same tactics and producing exactly the same performances. The odd 1-0 win with a smattering of away drubbings. How can you expect to keep crowds happy with 1 shot on goal all game!This league is wide open at the moment with no team looking superior and a bit of risk taking would pay dividends, IMO.

I know we have been unlucky with injuries but that was inevitable with the size of the squad. the clubs wage policy must be completely useless if we have the 3rd highest wage bill and 3rd smallest squad. I will buy a season ticket again once we start entertaining again, something I think will take longer than a few buys in Jan will take. Until then I suffer the radio!

[In Dubious Battle 0]

i see the ''premiership'' fans are all about to disapear again, Guess you''ll all be back next time were good.

[gazban 0]

Wrong, Wrong Wrong. SHTTA I wouldn''t care if they were in division 3 south if they played football which had some entertainment! Fine if you are happy with the dross being served up week in week out. The only way it will change is by voting with your feet. Thats why we had to endure Worthy for so long and why we are even deeper in the dwang. Perhaps if a few more had not renewed he would have gone and we wouldn''t be desperately clinging to the false hope of new players in Jan when every other struggling club is panic buying aswell.

 

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I know some of you cannot imagine not going to Carrow Road whatever the circumstances.

What you have to bear in mind though is that many, many other people who do love their Club have competing priorities and paying or finding time for football is something they do despite those other priorities (such as work, family or hobbies).

For many others going to football is a habit (and they might not realise it is either) but as soon as they stop and begin to fill the time with other interests and issues those new matters also become habit. A lot of people will find something else for their Saturdays (believe it or not some of you) and it will then be difficult to entice them back no matter how well the team begin to play.

For older supporters like me the current demise was predictable, annoyingly cyclical (look what happened aftr Europe and the Milk Cup win) and avoidable. We have been around the block a few times, are not phased by people who might need to get a life or else who are still young and impressionable telling us we are not real fans. In other words we are not frightened to have convictions and live to them. The Boeard of Norwich City have a lot of lessons still to learn. They need to stop patronising and re-discover what the Club really means to their supporters. All this spin was always going to end in tears.

And all of this pain could have been avoided with proper conviction from supporters a long time ago. At most Clubs the Worthington situation last Christmas would have seen crowd numbers plummet and resultant action by a stunned Board. However, at Norwich we like it slow and painful don''t we?

I have no doubt whatsoever I wil be a season ticket holder again, but that won''t happen until I judge it to be right for me based upon what the Club do and now what I choose to do with all those things which have taken up that football time and cost.

If you spend £80- going to watch Norwich one Norwich away game just ask yourself what else you could do with that money or, for 7 away games what you could do with £560? You could join a gym for a year, pay off a half or a thirs of your council tax, take your partner out for a meal once a month for a year, etc, etc, etc... or you can get up early, lose your day off, abandon your family, sit in traffic watch a crap game and come home totally pissed off.

If that is what you want then fine, but just bear in mind that a lot of people question that type of enjoyment for themselves and are inclined to question it.

[In Dubious Battle 0]

[quote user="gazban"]

Wrong, Wrong Wrong. SHTTA I wouldn''t care if they were in division 3 south if they played football which had some entertainment! Fine if you are happy with the dross being served up week in week out. The only way it will change is by voting with your feet. Thats why we had to endure Worthy for so long and why we are even deeper in the dwang. Perhaps if a few more had not renewed he would have gone and we wouldn''t be desperately clinging to the false hope of new players in Jan when every other struggling club is panic buying aswell.

 

[/quote]Sorry but i''m not wrong in the 97/98 season when we were rubbish and finished 15th our average attendance was just 14,455 that means that there are 10,000 extra fans reguarly attending. Where did these fans come from? half of them seemed to appear when we got to the play off finals and the other half when we got promoted to the premiership. You cannot deny the link between attendances and the performance of a club. My point was that the 14,000 who will attend no matter what are the hardcore city fans and those who appear during times of success are fairweather fans.

[Marty 0]

[quote user="GazzaTCC"]

I''ll be renewing mine, it''s in the blood and I like seeing live footy, even if the standard is a bit hit and miss.

If , in some people''s minds, that makes me a KTF''er or a Delia clone, so be it. It''s my money and my choice.

[;)]

[/quote]

 

that''s the spirit!

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

SHTTA, it''s not as clear cut as you think....I was one of those die hards once, it changes.

[Hayden 0]

This season I went halves with me dad, and he doesn''t really care if he goes or not so I got my ticket halp price heh heh. I did consider not renewing but you have got to support them haven''t  you? You can''t bitch on this board about lack of investment if you aren''t prpepared to chip in yourself......

 

 

[Mr.Carrow 305]

[quote user="Hayden"]

This season I went halves with me dad, and he doesn''t really care if he goes or not so I got my ticket halp price heh heh. I did consider not renewing but you have got to support them haven''t  you? You can''t bitch on this board about lack of investment if you aren''t prpepared to chip in yourself......

 

 

[/quote]

20,000 people have invested in season tickets for the last two years and how much investment has there been in the team? Overall the club have made millions of pounds of profit in the transfer market despite those loyal fans and the parachute payments. Drury has today called our squad "ridiculously small" so it seems like morale within the team over the level of ambition at the club is none too high. No suprise there then.

I got sick of being made a mug of and gave up my season ticket of 15 years this season. I`m no fairweather fan-i used to help run a City fanzine and was involved in alot of the Chase out movement, however in terms of on-field ambition i dont feel we are any further forward than in those days. Anyone notice the 4 million spent on yet more stadium improvements in the accounts? Just think, if 4 million were spent on the pitch we might have more than one proper striker and more than one left-footer in the squad!

Keep throwing your money away and keep dreaming folks......

[Hucka Hucka Huckerby 0]

[quote user="Say Hello To The Angels"][quote user="gazban"]

Wrong, Wrong Wrong. SHTTA I wouldn''t care if they were in division 3 south if they played football which had some entertainment! Fine if you are happy with the dross being served up week in week out. The only way it will change is by voting with your feet. Thats why we had to endure Worthy for so long and why we are even deeper in the dwang. Perhaps if a few more had not renewed he would have gone and we wouldn''t be desperately clinging to the false hope of new players in Jan when every other struggling club is panic buying aswell.

 

[/quote]

Sorry but i''m not wrong in the 97/98 season when we were rubbish and finished 15th our average attendance was just 14,455 that means that there are 10,000 extra fans reguarly attending. Where did these fans come from? half of them seemed to appear when we got to the play off finals and the other half when we got promoted to the premiership. You cannot deny the link between attendances and the performance of a club.

My point was that the 14,000 who will attend no matter what are the hardcore city fans and those who appear during times of success are fairweather fans.
[/quote]

I first bought my current seat in 1996, the season immediately after relegation & have had it ever since. I''ve been going regularly since 1984 & consider myself a loyal, die hard supporter, However, I''m seriously considering not renewing my ticket for next season. After a while, regular kicks in the teeth start to hurt! Plus I''m going to be a dad for the first time at the end of March, so a decent seat in the Barclay could be up for grabs!!

[gazban 0]

You''ve hit the nail on the head, SHTTA People want to be entertained and will attend. We were crap that season and the so people voted with there feet. It would be exactly the same 2 years ago but it is hidden by the large number of season tickets. IMO that is why we had such a poisonous atmosphere in the ground. We certainly weren''t getting the type of behaviour PG has been complaining about (harshly IMO). Fans have spent their hard earned cash to watch high paid players not even try.

 Yes it may be good for financial planning purposes, but I would be interested to know the difference between what  the gate receipts are with discounted season tickets and a full house and with 14000 season ticket holders and the rest paying full price. Over a season I bet it doesn''t make that much difference in cash raised. One big advantage is that it removes the fans leverage over the board.

P.S Totally agree with your post RH

[Cluck 0]

[quote user="Rudolph Hucker"]SHTTA, it''s not as clear cut as you think....I was one of those die hards once, it changes.[/quote]

This is exactly why I get so wound up. Rudolph appears to be the classic City fan who has sat through all manner of rubbish at CR....but stayed loyal because he had ''hope''......Now I find after many years....the ''hope'' is not there for me anymore either....and I resent that greatly.

It isn''t decline because of localised poverty or lack of support....it''s because of blatant mismanagement on the part of this Board of Directors.....and the dominance of Delia Smith in particular.

This squad....considering the fantastic gates and various other income, is a sham. Ok so Worthington must take some of the flack....but only a limited proportion. Now we have PG at the helm playing with a pack of jokers.....and getting slammed when we lose. Tactically he may be a bit dodgy.....and PR wise he might be a bit lacking....but given the crap he inherited, what can we expect? Our woes are largely down to small thinking.....and a prolonged lack of ambition at the top.

So when I say I won''t be there again until things change....it''s because I am a ''caring'' fan and I want some action to repair the damage being done. 24,000+ at CR again next time will say everything there is about us as supporters....that being that we are happy to watch the team going down the pan without a struggle.

I somehow think that Peter Grant would not show any great displeasure towards protests aimed at the Board, if it meant he got more money to spend on the squad......and surely that is what both he and we want to see happen.........