Fans' Feedback

[EHB]

Hate the word 'brand' but that's what it is. The die hards will always go but the brand has to be right for the floaters.

The key to our success is getting repeat business. Getting people back 6,7,8 times + a season.

Like steves suggestion of a local connect. Why can't we have a brand?

Barrow AFC- real football.
Barrow AFC- live football. (Could mean live as in it's liver or live as in you live football. Rather than this premiership on tv bollix. It isn't real life).
Barrow AFC- your town, your team, your club.
I dunno at least let's try to connect!!

There's bloody loads of stuff we could do;

Personally I would start with our digital marketing which is absolutely shambolic well non existent. Get some content for Christ sake.

Just please let's do something.

[HenneysKnee]

Awful website
Awful club shop
Awful facilities (especially toilets)
No roof behind either goal
Social media use poor (although getting better last 6 months)
No real promotion of the club in the town

Other than that great

[spirit of 1990]

Barrow AFC- live football. (Could mean live as in it's liver or live as in you live football. Rather than this premiership on tv bollix. It isn't real life).

Ste Story (I think) did a design a few years back which sounds similar to what you are suggesting EHB, and it looked/sounded just right. I think there was talk at the time of the GMV's getting it transferred onto a large sign and put on the outside of the HSE.

Something about - football isn't something you have to watch on TV.......I might be a mile away there but it was along them lines.

[boyliegladbach]

Barrow AFC- live football. (Could mean live as in it's liver or live as in you live football. Rather than this premiership on tv bollix. It isn't real life).

Ste Story (I think) did a design a few years back which sounds similar to what you are suggesting EHB, and it looked/sounded just right. I think there was talk at the time of the GMV's getting it transferred onto a large sign and put on the outside of the HSE.

Something about - football isn't something you have to watch on TV.......I might be a mile away there but it was along them lines.

Used a lot, at different clubs that phrase

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[Steeley]

Have said this multiple times but we need to be getting large groups of kids in for free as many times a season, no reason whatsoever why we cant give out free tickets every week so a school or other community groups.

Its unlikely you will sway a group of adults to suddenly start being Barrow fans and attending, the odd few yes but not large numbers. Unfortunately as we see the general public only rock up when we are in a cup match or there is a real sense of possible success. Personally id like to see the club play down the prospect of promotion more, as when we end up 6th where we are now (which is fantastic) the general public see this as failure. Stop saying we will win the league.

Like i say though, free kids every week, will drag along dads/mums/grandparents and they are more likely to want to come back. No reason not to do this, we wont lose any gate fees as they wont be coming anyway.

[Bigfathoss]

Have said this multiple times but we need to be getting large groups of kids in for free as many times a season

Don't let Russell Dodd hear you say that. ohhhhnononononononononono.

[mr_grey]

Have said this multiple times but we need to be getting large groups of kids in for free as many times a season

Don't let Russell Dodd hear you say that. ohhhhnononononononononono.

Agreen with free tickets for kids

Maritime apartments on barrow island actively promote barrow rugby tickets... how many contractors stay locally during week and would love something to do on a Tuesday night..

[Pedro]

Hi guys,

We are the Lancaster University students who have been commissioned by Barrow to carry out market research. We have a couple of research objectives. Firstly, we want to increase ticket sales at Barrow. To do this, we want to find out what is stopping fans attending home matches, what people think of the brand of Barrow and what is the awareness of Barrow in the surrounding areas.

We cannot successfully conduct this research without the fans help! We would really appreciate if you would engage with us and attend such opportunities for Feedback such as the focus group before the Forest Green game on Saturday 28th January. Any data that we receive will remain anonymous and will not be able to be traced back to any person. Once we have acquired all our data, we will compile it and present it back to Barrow, from this we can suggest improvements and progress can be made. But we can't do it without you! Please do not hesitate to ask any questions as we will happily answer them!

Lancaster university students,
Adrian, Harry, Ollie, Michael and Nathan

I believe the current problem - regarding attendances at Holker Street - which seems to be the underlying objective of Lan Uni - could be related to the deflation of 'optimism' in the town.

When Paul Casson introduced his five year plan at the Forum presentation, the venue was buzzing! And in Barrow, many more people began to take an interest in the club, ranging from ex fans from our old Football League days to young newbies - becoming excited at the prospect of MONEY (always a sexy 'tool') being brought into the club and the prospect of a brand new stadium being built... etc etc.

THAT Optimism has now been firmly 'diluted'.

We now have a team challenging for honours, with a good manager in charge. However, the stadium and the facilities leave a LOT to be desired. Watching Lincoln City last night impressed upon me how far we are behind when it comes to 'Presenting' a football match.

All of us on here would probably go to games even if they were played on the The Park.
However, it's not US that the club are trying to attract.

Lancaster Uni mention 'Brand' in their post. Urrhhh! What a term to describe our beloved game.
However, it is a FACT of life in today's game.
And Branding is related to Advertising.
Having worked in the field of Advertising I know that GOOD Advertising doesn't come cheap! BUT it pays off...in the end.

Instead of paying (if they are) to research the thoughts and feelings of an already CAPTIVE audience - ie US.
Barrow AFC might be better off: Paying good money for good advertising.

ie
1) RADIO air-play (Morecambe do it - as do most clubs).
2) Football Specials (buses to transport fans to Holker Street) - could also be used as Mobile Advertising around the town.
3) Billboards - all over the town - with match day posters (we used to see them when we were in Div3/4).
etc
etc
etc

AS I say...GOOD ADVERTISING doesn't come cheap. BUT it might pay off!
+ a new stadium.


p.s. Good Luck with your research, guys!

Some good points but few promises have been fulfilled
Before I get stick the ground and players where all needed and Paul Casson chose to our buy the club and he should fulfill some of the things he said he was going to do.

The promised upgrading of facilities has not happened.
Paul Cox is a good Manager but he needs resources and I always said January will show Paul Casson a commitment.
To be where we are in the league and the loss of out top scorer and not bought one player is a miracle.
At the moment Project Casson is in limbo the silence is deafening.
Hope I am wrong

[barrowaberdeen]

Have said this multiple times but we need to be getting large groups of kids in for free as many times a season

Don't let Russell Dodd hear you say that. ohhhhnononononononononono.

Crazy man. And yep, all u11 for free. (Although distributing the Trust Free Tickets this year has taught me that some families simply can't afford the adult ticket to take them)

Get the community arm to focus on a school a week, assembly week before with a presentation then free tickets.

If Barrow AFC gave me 8 free adult tickets along with U11s free for a home game I could get 30 people in the ground. There's 3 or 4 of us at different schools could administer that..100 odd right there. You can use the old From Father to Son, Ultras iconography (look for it I am supposed to be working). Imagine if that 3 or 4 schools was 10?

Secondary pupils don't want to go with parents. For the Tuesday night games, target them.

Youth tickets are essential and apprentices/students been given equal discount. They should talk to Furness College, BAE and GlAXO etc about it being part of discuount packages they receive on induction.

Contractors will come to football, they are bored at night. What about doing deals with all the local hotels as part of a package, so they can offer night games. Town is about to be invaded by Geordies and Weegie contractors, they love their football.

Friendships and the sense of community are often formed at away games. Give us a hand from time to time to run promotions, Lincoln are coming up here next Tuesday on buses subsidised to a fiver each. That builds loyalty.

Best get on

[BoltonBlue]

Have said this multiple times but we need to be getting large groups of kids in for free as many times a season, no reason whatsoever why we cant give out free tickets every week so a school or other community groups.

Its unlikely you will sway a group of adults to suddenly start being Barrow fans and attending, the odd few yes but not large numbers. Unfortunately as we see the general public only rock up when we are in a cup match or there is a real sense of possible success. Personally id like to see the club play down the prospect of promotion more, as when we end up 6th where we are now (which is fantastic) the general public see this as failure. Stop saying we will win the league.

Like i say though, free kids every week, will drag along dads/mums/grandparents and they are more likely to want to come back. No reason not to do this, we wont lose any gate fees as they wont be coming anyway.

This! It realy isn't rocket science! Free tickets in schools will create the next generation of Barrow fans & generate future income for the club.

Telford's 'kids for a quid' scheme in the past was a huge success. Thers absolutely for the club not doing this apart from lack of ambition.

[Cokey]

£17 is too expensive to go every match. Simple as that.

[Matty]

Kids in free is the ultimate point.

As some have said we really failed to take advantage of the hype surrounding the Rochdale game. IIRC after the Rotherham cup game 5/6 years ago (3,000 odd gate) free tickets were distributed around schools and we had a 2,000ish gate the next weekend against York. It's proven to have worked, why not repeat the process?

[Fazered]

Let's have loads of kids in a segregated area where they can be supervised (by a former member of this forum?)

[Lancaster Branch]

Telford's 'kids for a quid' scheme in the past was a huge success. Thers absolutely for the club not doing this apart from lack of ambition.

What sort of crowds are Telford getting these days?

[BoltonBlue]

Telford's 'kids for a quid' scheme in the past was a huge success. Thers absolutely for the club not doing this apart from lack of ambition.

What sort of crowds are Telford getting these days?

Averaging around the same as us playing poor football & struggling in Conference North.

IIRC kids for a quid scheme was around our promotion play off season when attendances dramatically increased.

If we could implement a similar scheme with a good brand of football on offer the club would surely receive a good percentage of repeat business in the future.

I attended my first Barrow game through a free ticket handed to me in Primary school.