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No more evening reserve games

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Sad to hear that there won''t be any more evening reserve games with all now taking place at Carrow Road at 2pm.  Guess the purse belts are tightening and we are doing the same as all the other clubs in the league.  Shame, thought we''ve had decent turnouts for the reserves.

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[quote user="KingsLynnCanary"]They can''t afford to run the floodlights at night!
[/quote]

Must be bad....folk have to gorge by candlelight in Delia''s....

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After my failed at attempt at humour (above), I’m with Graham on this one. I’m not sure what Soccer PM costs NCFC, but if it is causing a huge dent in the finances I’d be interested to know how much we are saving by moving the games to afternoons. 

I don’t know how many NCFC supporters we will gain or lose by playing at 2.00pm, but in the long term I can’t see what benefit this will give us.  

In purely money making terms if the kids were that keen they would come to watch the first team on Saturday afternoons, but that’s a cynical view of reserve team games which I don’t agree with. 

I’d be interested to find out what Andy Cullen’s view on this (?!)

 

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Shame really as they won''t get so many people. Ipswich and I believe lots of other clubs play their ressie games at 2pm so guess we can''t complain really.

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Nearly 2,00 there tonight so they must have made a good profit from sales of food and drink.

Lots of young kids start out watching the reserves and they have a great time regardless of what happens on the pitch. I thought that making reserve games family fun nights was a great way to help attract the next generation of fans.

Reletives of mine have only been to a couple of first team games because they have very young kids and were intending to start off going as a family to the reserve games after Christmas.

It seems the good things that Andrew Cullen did to help attract so many new fans are now being undone.

 

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I''d have thought the most obvious thing to do is to keep evening games but go and play games at Ridgeons league grounds in Norfolk and split gate receipts with the relevant club. This enables Norwich to attract young fans who may not be able to get to first team games and may stop some of them supporting the Premiership clubs.

Saves money, gives benefit to local clubs and maybe attract new supporters. Also gives the opportunity to have the Ipswich game in midweek at the club.

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[quote user="Lambo"]Could someone please explain to me how playing at 2pm saves us money exactly???[/quote]

I guess mainly the floodlights, and when you consider a lot of people get into reserve games for free, or a few quid, and attendences are low probably don''t make much on food. It all adds up. Think they''ve previously said they make a loss on most reserve games...

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This isn''t really about scrapping Soccer PM, it''s more to do with following the well established trend within the league and having 2.00 pm kick offs.

Having evening games obviously requires the floodlights on, so there will be significant power savings. Would be interesting to know exactly how much?

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[quote user="GMF"]This isn''t really about scrapping Soccer PM, it''s more to do with following the well established trend within the league and having 2.00 pm kick offs. Having evening games obviously requires the floodlights on, so there will be significant power savings. Would be interesting to know exactly how much?[/quote]

Even tiny non-league clubs can afford to stage evening games under floodlights.

The club should have made plenty last night from food & drink for nearly 2,000 people.

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Tom, I really don''t care if tiny non-league teams can "afford" to stage evening games under floodlights.

I do care, however, that the change "has been made to significantly reduce the cost of hosting reserve team football."

Yes, your revenue point is relevant, but mustn''t be viewed in isolation.

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[quote user="Greyhound Louie"]

I''d have thought the most obvious thing to do is to keep evening games but go and play games at Ridgeons league grounds in Norfolk and split gate receipts with the relevant club. This enables Norwich to attract young fans who may not be able to get to first team games and may stop some of them supporting the Premiership clubs.

Saves money, gives benefit to local clubs and maybe attract new supporters. Also gives the opportunity to have the Ipswich game in midweek at the club.

[/quote]

im not sure the gate receipts for a reserve game would even pay the bloke on the turnstyles wages. most people got into reserve games at Carrow road for free, and no one is going to travel from Norwich to say, Fakenham or elsewhere and pay £5 to watch the kids against Stevenages kids.

Plus, we''d probably have to pay some kind of rent to the ridgeons club for use of facilities. it will work out far too expensive.

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[quote user="GMF"]Tom, I really don''t care if tiny non-league teams can "afford" to stage evening games under floodlights. I do care, however, that the change "has been made to significantly reduce the cost of hosting reserve team football." Yes, your revenue point is relevant, but mustn''t be viewed in isolation.[/quote]


It goes without saying  that my revenue point shouldn''t  be viewed in isolation hence why I was adding it to the debate.  Also take into account the loss of some future fans.

I can''t believe it costs significantly more to stage the games in the evening than during the day and there would be a reduced revenue during the day. The floodlights are often switched on at night when there isn''t even a game being played.

If they can''t make it pay with nearly 2,000 in the stadium then increase the price.

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Regardless of the attendance the club makes very little from gate receipts as the majority of fans get in free as season ticket holders. They may sell more pies etc., but we''re only talking about pennies. My take is that the biggest overhead other than the need for floodlights is the cost of stewarding. By playing the matches at 2pm the attendance will drop from circa 2,000 to 200 and the cost of stewarding will reduce proportionally.

It may also be a step towards playing selected reserve matches in the future at Colney. I believe a number of clubs play reserve matches at their training grounds to avoid the need to open up the stadium on non first team match days.

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[quote user="Matt Juler"]

Regardless of the attendance the club makes very little from gate receipts as the majority of fans get in free as season ticket holders. They may sell more pies etc., but we''re only talking about pennies. My take is that the biggest overhead other than the need for floodlights is the cost of stewarding. By playing the matches at 2pm the attendance will drop from circa 2,000 to 200 and the cost of stewarding will reduce proportionally.

It may also be a step towards playing selected reserve matches in the future at Colney. I believe a number of clubs play reserve matches at their training grounds to avoid the need to open up the stadium on non first team match days.

[/quote]

Indeed the largest cost will be for stewards so increase the price for those that have to pay rather than deny a thousand or so people the opportunity to see the reserves play.

Also remember that entry to reserve games is an incentive for some people to purchase a season ticket. Looking at the remaining fixtures, play the bigger reserve home games in the evening and the lower profile games during the day (and invite schools to attend) or play them at Colney.

If the club wants to make savings then don''t have the floodlights on at night when there isn''t even a game being played.

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Thinking about this I suppose we are one of the last clubs to play reserve games at our own stadium too. There''s not many left, I believe most clubs play at another ground now.

I remember when reserve games kicked off at 3pm on Saturdays. That''s obviously not practical now with the big squads the first team need on match days. In those days there was only one substitute so probably 13 at the most ever travelled. The rest stayed at home and played in "the stiffs"!

In more recent years soccer pm was a great way of involving youngsters with the club. I don''t know if this has been well supported this season but I would imagine much of the impetus could have been lost when Glen Roeder decided to pull the plug on reserve team football. It was all part of our great family club tradition that most fans on here don''t seem to like anyway.

The change to 2pm kick offs will if anything make it easier for me to get to more reserve games but I can''t help but feel a little sad that the youngsters will be at school. Maybe there''s plans to arrange home games for the school holidays, with the right publicity this could still introduce new youngsters to the football club.

 

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Just seen the news that reserve games will no longer be payed in the evenings. Thanks NCFC for taking this pleasure away from me and many others. I don''t recall any mention of this when renewing my season ticket and giving up my rebate to the club.

Where was the consultation? You may notice on the Club''s website it says that "City are pleased to confirm a new policy covering consultation with supporters". It is quite obvious that the new policy is NO CONSULTATION.

People like me have to be at work at 2.00pm in the afternoon and kids should be in school. If money is so tight, why not charge season ticket holders £3 or £4 to get in? I''d pay it.

I also note on the website that the main Supporters Consultative Group (SCG) is being axed. Not before time too! I hope the replacement target-focussed supporter working groups will be more representative of and accountable to supporters. Please, please, please let''s see a set of totally fresh faces on these groups rather than the same old names and faces that were on the SCG. We need fresh ideas. We should thank those who served on the SCG but you have had your moment and now its time to say goodbye.

However, it is clear that the club are paying lip service when it comes to supporter consultation. I''m sure they will want to continue with a set of ''in their pocket'' ''yes people'' as they had on the SCG. Remember their part in the Peter Cullum affair!

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[quote user="nutty nigel"]

Thinking about this I suppose we are one of the last clubs to play reserve games at our own stadium too. There''s not many left, I believe most clubs play at another ground now.

I remember when reserve games kicked off at 3pm on Saturdays. That''s obviously not practical now with the big squads the first team need on match days. In those days there was only one substitute so probably 13 at the most ever travelled. The rest stayed at home and played in "the stiffs"!

In more recent years soccer pm was a great way of involving youngsters with the club. I don''t know if this has been well supported this season but I would imagine much of the impetus could have been lost when Glen Roeder decided to pull the plug on reserve team football. It was all part of our great family club tradition that most fans on here don''t seem to like anyway.

The change to 2pm kick offs will if anything make it easier for me to get to more reserve games but I can''t help but feel a little sad that the youngsters will be at school. Maybe there''s plans to arrange home games for the school holidays, with the right publicity this could still introduce new youngsters to the football club.

 

[/quote]

As far as I know most teams in the East Division play home games at their main ground although certainly Premiership and Championship Reserves in the Northern sections often use another ground for home matches.  Colchester Reserves have been a 2 p.m. kick off for years and if we have stewards at all it wouldn''t be more than about two or three.  One other cost consideration is that such ground staff/admin as are needed are working within their normal hours and don''t need to be paid overtime or given time off in lieu for an evening fixture, plus of course you rarely need lights.  I would think 100 at Colchester Reserves would be a "crowd" - I cannot imagine we have ever made a profit on a reserve fixture.

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I feel the same dude. I used to go to them. Sorry, i didnt read the article, but what was the reason they gave? Because I dont see how any way of having them at nights is a bad thing. Its a win-win for everyone in my eyes.

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Maybe all league games should kick off at 12.30 or 13.00 on Saturday/Sunday....Carbon footprint and all that. Think of the savings for floodlights!.......Especially in winter.

Don''t the club put some of the floodies on for evening functions in the club Posh Nosh Parlours.....So all the Posh Nosh Scoffers can gaze lovingly over the pristine playing surface....nice. Does the Posh Nosh Price - include the lecktrickery bill? 

And maybe, the floodies are on, so that the Posh Nosh Scoffers - don''t slide off and go and swipe a bit o'' the turf....(probably the real reason).....especially those ruddy faced rural ruffians....

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