glasgow sheep Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Was round at my sisters the other day and my nephews were showing me all the football cards they had been collecting. They have been up here for a year or so after moving up from England, and their dad is English and a Sheffield Wed fan so understandably they had mainly EPL cards (and dozens of the things) apart from the youngest lad who I'm glad to say has been getting all the Aberdeen cards off his mates at school. However when I asked them what cards their mates collected it was pretty much just the EPL cards. Seemingly few had any interest in the SPL equivalent, to the extent they seemed to give away their Aberdeen cards for f'all to my nephew. They then talked about getting up to watch Match of the Day on a Sunday morning and the Championship highlights later on. When are kids meant to see Scottish football on TV these days? They don't have Setanta and are too young to be staying up until 2245 on a school night. How are they meant to develop an interest in the game when they can't even watch the game? It's little wonder that there are so many wandering around in Chelsea and ManU tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboisared Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Was round at my sisters the other day and my nephews were showing me all the football cards they had been collecting. They have been up here for a year or so after moving up from England, and their dad is English and a Sheffield Wed fan so understandably they had mainly EPL cards (and dozens of the things) apart from the youngest lad who I'm glad to say has been getting all the Aberdeen cards off his mates at school. However when I asked them what cards their mates collected it was pretty much just the EPL cards. Seemingly few had any interest in the SPL equivalent, to the extent they seemed to give away their Aberdeen cards for f'all to my nephew. They then talked about getting up to watch Match of the Day on a Sunday morning and the Championship highlights later on. When are kids meant to see Scottish football on TV these days? They don't have Setanta and are too young to be staying up until 2245 on a school night. How are they meant to develop an interest in the game when they can't even watch the game? It's little wonder that there are so many wandering around in Chelsea and ManU tops. Very sad to hear but good on your nephew. I think the only way to go is giving tickets to the schools again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glasgow sheep Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Just need to get them to more games, although after the trauma AberdeenBasedThickAsPigShit went through I'm not so sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboisared Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Just need to get them to more games, although after the trauma AberdeenBasedThickAsPigShit went through I'm not so sure It's actually getting them there though. A lot of the guys who got free tickets when I was at Primary School are the one who when I make it to a game will come along with me. If I didn't play football on a Saturday i'd have a season ticket along with a few others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mini59dons Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I blame the parents! I have two boys (7 and 5) Both of them have the SPL collectors cards and books. They fight like mad over any Aberdeen players or shiny ones. I have sky plus so Sporscene can be recorded. Every home game is a constant struggle for me to be able to go on my own. The eldest is even coming on Saturday for his first hun game. Get them in young enough, get them interested and you don't need the SPL or Clubs to do anything, mind you free tickets would be a boost. And someone to take them home so I can go to the pub! And as for swearing during the game. We sit in the SS and after the first game they get used to it and understand that itspart of going to the football. Untill they call their granny a Fucking useless Cunt (Darren Mackie) that is!!! Half the time I don't think they hear it anyway. I know I can block out the moaning in that stand, just need to learn to block out the clueless Student behind me who's going to get a broken nose one of these days, Unless he learns quickly that a pass in front of the winger who eventually runs on to it is not a fucking waste!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENEMENTFUNSTER Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Get the tickets out to the weans, get them hooked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrant Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 It's actually getting them there though. A lot of the guys who got free tickets when I was at Primary School are the one who when I make it to a game will come along with me. If I didn't play football on a Saturday i'd have a season ticket along with a few others. That's a problem. There are probably hundreds if not more that would attend Pittodrie a lot more often if they didn't have their own team commitments to fulfill. It seems to me that it'd make sense to move all kids/amateur team football to Sundays. I certainly know a good few people who'd be at Pittodrie if they weren't playing football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENEMENTFUNSTER Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Decent idea, perhaps use the clubs/teams to distribute the tickets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Tradesman Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I dunno if this is the case already but the injured players should be out earning their keep by turning up at schools and arranging a free trip with the kids and possibly some parents each home game. One of the local bus companies could be roped in to help sponsor this by laying on a minibus and the teachers would be the one looking after the kids so it wouldn't take up any resources on a Saturday other than a pre-match tour. Piece of piss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBiscuit Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I dunno if this is the case already but the injured players should be out earning their keep by turning up at schools and arranging a free trip with the kids and possibly some parents each home game. One of the local bus companies could be roped in to help sponsor this by laying on a minibus and the teachers would be the one looking after the kids so it wouldn't take up any resources on a Saturday other than a pre-match tour. Piece of piss. Very true. The problem on the back of that though is that they can't get in for free every week, and the simple truth is that football in this country is ridiculously over priced. So if we're serious about getting them back through the doors on a regular basis with their dads or mums, we have to reduce prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Makaveli Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Before I was old enough to go to the fitba 'unsupervised' I had to make do with watching the highlights and if I mind right they used to be on on a Sunday late afternoon every week. It was the hight point of my week getting to see all the goals I had listened to being described on the radio. I don't think that you have to get kids to go to the games to get them hooked on a team I think you need, as someone above pointed out, a family member whether that be the Dad an Uncle or whoever to get the passion instilled in them at a young age. In my hoose if you wanted to support anyone apart from the Dons then you were free to leave the house and find alternative accommodation - a bit harsh on a six year old but that soon got the message through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Tradesman Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Very true. The problem on the back of that though is that they can't get in for free every week, and the simple truth is that football in this country is ridiculously over priced. So if we're serious about getting them back through the doors on a regular basis with their dads or mums, we have to reduce prices. Part of the deal could be that they get sent away after the match with a voucher to get in free with a parent next time or half price for the adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBiscuit Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Part of the deal could be that they get sent away after the match with a voucher to get in free with a parent next time or half price for the adult. Again, it's not a bad idea, but in reality we both know that Aberdeen would never do this on a regular basis for the principal reason that they'd see it as effectively losing money. Willie Miller has said as much in the past year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc_don Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I dunno if this is the case already but the injured players should be out earning their keep by turning up at schools and arranging a free trip with the kids and possibly some parents each home game. One of the local bus companies could be roped in to help sponsor this by laying on a minibus and the teachers would be the one looking after the kids so it wouldn't take up any resources on a Saturday other than a pre-match tour. Piece of piss. I agree with this, makes a lot of sense and is something the club should consider. Have you e-mailed them your thoughts? BB surely this could be done once a month or so? The club would probably make more from merchandise etc? Obviously we can't let kids go in for free every week as it doens't make business sense, but a full Pittodrie is what we all want, and hell the team seems to enjoy it more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENEMENTFUNSTER Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Obvious games like Falkirk, St Mirren, Hamilton, ICT where crowds aren't going to be any good anyway are candidates. While I mind, didn't us and Motherwell have a reciprocal agreement where weans with ST's got in for nowt at away games? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBiscuit Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I agree with this, makes a lot of sense and is something the club should consider. Have you e-mailed them your thoughts? BB surely this could be done once a month or so? The club would probably make more from merchandise etc? Obviously we can't let kids go in for free every week as it doens't make business sense, but a full Pittodrie is what we all want, and hell the team seems to enjoy it more. In no way am I saying what ST is outlining is wrong, on the contrary, but the reality of it is that they simply won't do this sort of thing for a sustained period of time. You'll get it once a season, maybe twice, but that'll be that because the club have said before they don't actually make any money from it. I presume from this they mean that the gates go back to what they were after those matches and those matches themselves brings them no extra revenue which would make it worth doing on a regular basis. The club is in a sticky position over this. The sort of games they'll do these offers for will be against St Mirren (as it was this season), ICT (as it was a few seasons ago) because they don't have to market the games v the huns or tims or last season's European games. These matches sell themselves. But that has always been the case. The fact of the matter is that people just won't turn out in big numbers on a regular basis to watch us play Hamilton, ICT, St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Falkirk regardless of reductions in ticket prices. And let's face it, even with a reduction in price, it's still an expensive day out for families and in particular with the economy the way it is at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENEMENTFUNSTER Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Very true BB, in current conditions fitba will suffer so AFC will be struggling regardless of what they do. That said, it does always seem like they are not doing very much. That might be a pretty uninformed opinion but it seems to be the prevailing opinion amongst fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Tradesman Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 BB surely this could be done once a month or so? The club would probably make more from merchandise etc? Obviously we can't let kids go in for free every week as it doens't make business sense, but a full Pittodrie is what we all want, and hell the team seems to enjoy it more. No reason this couldn't be done every outwith every ticket game. We're only talking a bus or mini-bus load of kids/teachers and they'd easily find a seat or section to house that. Then they could keep an eye out as to how many vouchers they were getting used for repeat games afterwards to see if it's attracting the kids/parents back afterwards. You can't be losing money on empty seats anyway. I agree with this, makes a lot of sense and is something the club should consider. Have you e-mailed them your thoughts? Nope. Feel free to do it on my behalf or claim the glory for yourself. I'm too busy posting muck on other threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBiscuit Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 No reason this couldn't be done every outwith every ticket game. We're only talking a bus or mini-bus load of kids/teachers and they'd easily find a seat or section to house that. Then they could keep an eye out as to how many vouchers they were getting used for repeat games afterwards to see if it's attracting the kids/parents back afterwards. You can't be losing money on empty seats anyway. I agree we could be doing this for a small group at a time, that wouldn't hurt and the local schools/youth groups should be the targets for this. However, the club will take an "Opportunity Costing" point of view at a seat being taken by someone who hasn't paid for it last week, this week and won't be paying for it next week either... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mini59dons Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 It has to be clever though as all that will happen is that folk who would normally go and pay their five or 6 quit for the ticket, manage to get in for free one week! Thats how the club would loose money. Worst thing is if the parents don't go then the kids won't either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superstar Tradesman Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Make the voucher for the ticket for one adult and one child in the Merkland. That'll cut down the chance that it'll be used by someone who normally sits with their mates. Or put the family name on the voucher so the parent has to show proof when they turn up at the gate. Got to be worth trying something new than nothing at all. And a huge bugbear of mine........ Why are there no pipe bands at Pittodrie these days? I used to love that shit as a kid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyBiscuit Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 And a huge bugbear of mine........ Why are there no pipe bands at Pittodrie these days? I used to love that shit as a kid! Cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penfold Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 They should take a whole class at a time and get them doing some sort of project in the week leading up to/after the match to get them more into it. If kids get to go in a group of their friends instead of with a parent they're probably a bit more likely to enjoy it and can keep going with their friends even when their parent wants to stop going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc_don Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 They should take a whole class at a time and get them doing some sort of project in the week leading up to/after the match to get them more into it. If kids get to go in a group of their friends instead of with a parent they're probably a bit more likely to enjoy it and can keep going with their friends even when their parent wants to stop going. I agree with that! BB I know you weren't disagreeing with him, don't think I got my point across very well. I know the club doesn't make money from such schemes and it would be the lesser games they would be introduced for, but I think I was just trying to say, something should be done, as it doesn't look good watching football with thousands of empty seats. The club just don't seem very pro-active (openly anyway) on this situation. A busier stadium will appeal to younger fans and increase the chances of them coming back. Especially if they are in a group with their mates from school. ST, I don't want to steal your thunder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cove_Sheep Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 That's a problem. There are probably hundreds if not more that would attend Pittodrie a lot more often if they didn't have their own team commitments to fulfill. It seems to me that it'd make sense to move all kids/amateur team football to Sundays. I certainly know a good few people who'd be at Pittodrie if they weren't playing football. A lot of the problem with that is there simply aren't enough pitches to do that. Although if you switched the youngest age groups to summer football, that would help a great deal. That and having shrinks visit schools to reverse the effects of Sky brainwashing kids into 'supporting' foreign teams, as that is a huge cancer on Scottish football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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