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Cheeky Monkey

Fair weather supporters.

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A few weeks ago I claimed that NCFC PR were putting out some ridiculous spin on season tickets to get more people to panic buy. Some of you agreed, some did not.

Another couple of facts to prove to you that support is diminishing.

a) I stood amongst many an empty seat at the Reebok stadium on Saturday. Some of our fans were singing ''This grounds to big for you.....'', they soon stopped when they realised it was too big for us as well.

b) How many tickets did we sell away to Crystal Palace last year, was it 7,000 or 8,000. This year we have failed to sell our quota - maybe 2,700-3,000.

Now - who agrees that some fair weather supporters won''t be renewing their season ticket next year.

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[quote]Great ! As a member, I''ve seen fewer games this season than the previous ( Oops, too many to mention) seasons.[/quote]

Well said swindon...

I, like you am only a member ( since 91 ) and could go to as many games as i liked ( home and away ), but since all these so called fair weather supporters jumped on the band wagon its bloody hard getting tickets, so the sooner they all jump off the better.

By the way, i`m only down the road ( oxford ) so hope your lot go up this season, not far to go if i`m lucky enough to get a ticket

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I''d have thought that it was pretty likely that some people wouldn''t renew their tickets, but that the vast majority will as they had them last season.  I know several people who are hoping for this to happen, as they are on the waiting list.

However, your arguments are both rather spurious:

a) Bolton is a hell of a long way to go to watch a game when it is live on tv and there are also big rugby matches on; I believe we took about 1700, which is pretty damn good, and about level with Newcastle earlier in the season.  I am rather impressed that this many went to either game.

b) The argument about Palace is silly, for the simple reason that last season Palace moved heaven and earth to accommodate as many Norwich fans as wanted to go: there would be absolutely no chance of them doing that this time, even if we wanted to.  And who says we have failed to sell our quota - the match isn''t for another month!!! 

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DD - I totally agree. It just annoys me that clubs these days totally hype themselves up in the media. There are plenty of people on the waiting list - why create false hype ? The club have already sold out by giving far too many tickets to the prawn sandwich brigade. Let some real supporters have a ticket and we''ll all wave goodbye to all the glory hunters from last year.

''We can see you sneaking out...''

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I think our support is still pretty impressive. As has been pointed out we were unlikely to sell all the tickets for the Bolton match as it was broadcast on Sky. I heard on the radio yesterday that City have already sold 17,000 season tickets for next season. As a keen casual supporter I hope they dont sell too many more or it could be the same problem as this year where it''s very difficult to obtain tickets for certain matches. I can see most games next season being sell-outs, or at least very near to sell-outs, even if we''re in the fizzy pop league.

 

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I too was at the Reebok and thought the turn out was pretty impressive considering the match was televised and the distance. Also because of the time of the game and the fact that it usually takes over an hour to get out of the car park, it means it is late by the time we get home.

Palace was exceptional last year because we were on the vergw of promotion, so I do not think the game can be compared with the one this year. Plus £35 is a rip off! We only want to sit in the seat not buy it!

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Thats fine by me if people don''t renew - gives me and my dad who have been members since the scheme began a chance to probably attend a few more matches instead of the three this season which I don''t think were allocated fair either.  We got a game in August and have had to wait until April and May before getting our other two games which even though we will be relegated we will still attend.  Would have been nice to have a game during the middle of the season although by hook or by crook have managed another two games from season ticket holders who could not go.  My job does not permit me to be a season ticket holder so have to make do with the members scheme.   You will probably find that next season we will have the sell outs with the expectation of coming straight back up but if we don''t get promoted first time then I foresee even more tickets for sale the season after.

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NavMan I agree. I think there are many supporters out there who would love to go to more matches but can''t commit to a season ticket. I think that the clubs policy on ''casual supporters'' is unfair and they should not allocate the number of season tickets that they do.

This is why I think it is unneccesary for the Marketing and PR team to constantly hark on about season ticket sales in order to try and get people to renew. There are plenty of supporters still out there a) on the season ticket waiting list or b) members wanting more than three games.

My argument is that the club does not consider this huge amount of support, and instead go for the easy administrative option of trying to sell as many of there seats as Season tickets as quick as they can through hyped up statistics.

Please everyone, I am not criticising the fans. They are great. I am criticising the false PR put out by Norwich City Football Club.

Less prawns and corporate flounce - more true fans.

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Could you explain how the "prawn sandwich brigade" were able to obtain season tickets this season/last season in preference to the grass roots supporters? Surely, they had to put their names on a waiting list like everyone else?  

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[quote]Could you explain how the "prawn sandwich brigade" were able to obtain season tickets this season/last season in preference to the grass roots supporters? Surely, they had to put their names on a wait...[/quote]

I had been a member since its inception,i also work every other weekend which is why i had never had a season ticket before,when the club offered last 8 game season tickets at interest free rates which also gave preference on renewal when we got in the prem i put my money where my mouth is,otherwise i knew i would only get to see about3 games .this was open to everyone so if you didn''t take advantage....well the prawns are lovely

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Surely it doesn''t really matter. The ''real'' supporters as it were will already have season tickets so the only people effected by fair weather supporters are other fair weather supporters, right?

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Season tickets guarantee bums on seats and that''s what money has been borrowed on. Casual fans do not. That''s the bottom line and that''s what give the club a clearer idea of what they can spend in the summer much earlier.

People had ample chance to get a season ticket last season, some are regretting it but that''s just the way it is when you have a small ground in prem terms

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[quote]Surely it doesn''t really matter. The ''real'' supporters as it were will already have season tickets so the only people effected by fair weather supporters are other fair weather supporters, right?[/quote]

NO---Read above,some supporters have to work

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Tell you what, let''s leave half the seats at Carrow Rd empty just in case you feel like turning up shall we?

Fair weather supporters? What on earth are you talking about? Season tickets cost over three hundred and fifty quid! Not exactly a casual purchase is it. And have you seen our league position lately? Have you seen the amount of times we have been hopelessly outplayed this season? Clearly not. Anyone who has sat through this season''s disappointments deserves a medal and 6 months therapy.

Carrow Rd has been full or nearly full for the majority of home matches for several seasons now. Plus, bearing in mind the club has paid out millions to build two new stands in that period to enable another 5000 or so fans to get a chance to see their team I can''t quite see what you are arguing against.

Clearly demand is currently outstripping supply. But why is the person who does manage to get a seat a "fair weather" supporter. While you are the "true" and "genuine" fan? Sounds like sour grapes to me.

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i''m with you on this one No Legs. I travel from Essex for the matches and whilst I wasn''t gagging to go to every single match (and the additional expense that entails) i had a stark choice when the 8 match tickets went on sale:- either fork out for the season ticket or be limited to 3 matches and gamble on which ones I was lucky to get. I chose the former and I''m glad I did. That doesn''t make me a fair weather supporter. I understand that not everyone could afford this or be able to go due to work/family commitments but that''s life I''m afraid. NCFC sell season tickets to guarantee revenue. If they sold less season tickets they would be gambling on the casual supporters of varying virtues and would inevitably be faced with reduced gates and revenue for the less glamorous matches and consequently reduced funds for transfer targets etc. The only way to redress this would be increase match prices which would alienate casual fans further. Lets face it - NCFC can''t win (in more ways than one)

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Haha. No need to take offence. Just facts. I''m not calling any of you fair weather supporters. I''m saying that there will be many people who do not renew. However, there are plenty of people prepared to take up those seats on the reserve list. So why the persistent PR from NCFC.

That''s all.

Oh and the Prawn Sandwich brigade are in abundance in the Jarrolds Stand. Its called Corporate Hospitality. Its more like Newmarket than Carrow Road. Lots of people who have never been to a football game in their life get to sit with ''legends'' such as Dave Bennett over Coq au vin with a strawberry coule and then after a few too many baby chams annoy everyone by getting back to their seats 10 minutes late.

Real fans ?

Oh and who has Delia''s Barclay seat for the rest of the season ?

OOoooo contra-commercial.   

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So

*If you like prawn sandwiches you can''t be a real supporter.

*You can only be a real supporter if you are ''grass roots''.

*If you are a casual supporter you can''t be a real supporter.

*Since Delia likes coq au vin and strawberry coulis she can''t be a real supporter

*Only season ticket holders are real supporters

*If you have to work on Saturdays you can''t be a real supporter.

*If you are a member without a season ticket you must be a fair weather supporter.

I see.

Actually you know, you can only be a real supporter if

*You have a hugely discounted season ticket in the Barclay lower/upper tier, stand all match and block the people sitting behind you, dislike good food, give uncritical support to the coaching staff & Delia, go to every away match, sing the first two lines of OTBC because you don''t know the rest, hate Ipswich, and buy your prawn sandwiches at Asda on the way home.

Give me a break!

One love.

OTBC 

 

 

 

 

 

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how does anyone really classify a real supporter, it can''t be done, we all have different commitments and financial restraints, also a lot of us live a long way from norwich

no, season ticket holders are not any more a real supporter than someone who lives in australia and hasn''t been for ten years, attending games doesn''t make you a better supporter than one who doesn''t

seems a lot of season ticket holders are now too embarassed by delia! perhaps you won''t be attending next year, in which case could you give away your tickets?

i am one of the lucky ones, live five mins from the ground, don''t work saturdays and don''t have family commitments stopping me going - but in the past i have lived abroad, worked weekends and had a young family, i was still a loyal supporter then and will continue to be one

what people eat and where they sit - come on, we could go on for years about this, personally i don''t like the crap they call food in the lower barclay and would far rather have a prawn sandwich!! (and a decent cup of coffee), but it''s a football game i am watching, not a night out at a local restaurant!  - i love the barclay and would always sit there out of choice - but people in the south stand are still supporters, they just have a different view of the game

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[quote]So *If you like prawn sandwiches you can''t be a real supporter. *You can only be a real supporter if you are ''grass roots''. *If you are a casual supporter you can''t be a real supporter.I must be a fair weather supporter, I cant and dont do any of those things... but then again being in Australia, it''s pretty expensive to buy tickets to the UK every weekend, although prawns a dead as cheap here... and the weather here is far better than fair...

I would prefer the term "Bl**dy Beaut Bonza BBQ Weather Supporter"

I''m "Yella and Green", if ya dont like it, I can change to "Green and Yella"

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Come on guys, all this "all supporters are the same" stuff is crap.

I live two and a half hours away from Norwich and I often have to work Saturdays. I will be up at 4am to go to work - finish at 12, race home, hop in the car and still make it to the ground for 3. Then we lose to someone like Fulham and it takes me two and a half hours to get home to my other half who now isn''t talking to me for three days because she''s mad with me for going.

So I''m no less committed than Bob - the one-time member who rarely goes and listens to the game on Radio Norfolk am I? I don''t think so

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I love going to matches in the warm/hot spring or autumn sunshine, and not having to wear all those layers of clothing that make me look like Michelin Woman throughout the winter!!!  Does this make me a fair weather supporter?!!!

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Depends on the April showers.

This link has gone abit quiffy. It now seems to be the definition of a fair weather supporter. I suppose that Fair Weather Supporter was the title.

Maybe the title should have been ''Who agrees that NCFC PR team spout a lot of nonsense.'' or as a lot of people have expressed the opinion that a casual supporter is still loyal, ''Who thinks that NCFC should reduce the number of season tickets sold, especially Business seats.'' 

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All this "I''m a better supporter" talk is complete rubbish.  Every so often one of these threads emerges.

It makes me angry, I live 200 miles from Carrow Road and have a four month old baby.  I simply cannot make it to games and support City vocally.  However I am a member (even though I will never get a ticket), I own shares which I did not sell back last year.  I have shirts, gloves and scarves which I wear around Southampton with pride.  I have a mug, calender and ties which I use at work.  I buy DVD''s of City, I have a NCFC keyring, I have a subscription to Canaries World and Sky only to watch City.  I have invested thousands of pounds and I cannot even get to see my beloved City play at Carrow Road.  I "Support" Norwich as much as I possibly can but to some people I am not a "Real Fan" but quite frankly I don''t care what you think.

All this supporter snobbery is pathetic, people in the Barclay looking down on people in the River End etc.  People complaining about new season ticket holders.  Who cares who the supporters are, at the end of the day we are all supporting Norwich City Football Club.

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Depends on the April showers.

This link has gone abit quiffy. It now seems to be the definition of a fair weather supporter. I suppose that was the title.

Maybe the title should have been ''Who agrees that NCFC PR team spout a lot of nonsense.'' or as a lot of people have expressed the opinion that a casual supporter is still loyal, ''Who thinks that NCFC should reduce the number of season tickets sold, especially Business seats.'' 

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