I can't get on to the club website this morning.

no doubt the usual suspects will complain that its restrictive but its something for nothing and should be applauded. Well done Pools

It discriminates against the childless though!!

go for it dibbs

Good that the club are looking into these things as it's obvious it's an area that needs addressing.

A few criticisms; 2 of the games are midweek games and a lot of parents I don't think would want to take their under 10's on a Tuesday night as it would mean the nipper wouldn't get to bed till about 10. The Carlisle one may well be half term (23rd Feb - anyone?) however but the Gillingham one won't be.

The three games are Gillingham, Carlisle and Southend, 2 of which are on a Tuesday night. It'd have been more succesful IMO if they'd have thrown in one of the more attractive games (Leeds or Huddersfield and both Saturday games). I can't personally see too many people wanting to commit to going to these 3 games at the moment.

The new season ticket scheme will have already attracted a lot of under 13's with their 50 quid season tickets thus meaning a huge percentage of the intended market will already have tickets for these.

Shelling out over £50 a few weeks after Christmas isn't as attractive to some people as paying as an 'on the game' basis.

Unfortunately I don't think there is going to be an overwhelming demand for this.

Fully concurring with Mr Elvis.

A good start.

Maybe even a very good start.

The kids are the future of the club and need to be "got" early before they're Premiershit brainwashed by the media.

But it's only a good start cos it doesn't address the wider problem as I see it. Several of my mates who I've gone to the match with for years are currently not attending cos they can't afford £18 a match. They've not got season tickets because they occassionally have to work on matchdays and the discount offered on a season ticket wasn't sufficient to mitigate this risk. People like these are the "missing 2,000" that people are going on about.

Hopefully the next initiative will be aimed at 18-60 year olds and a recognition from the club that the current prices are maybe just a little bit too high.

Fully concurring with everything there from Mr R.

Leeds is going to the highest attended home game of the season for Pools fans. Why don't the club do something along the lines of 'Buy a Leeds ticket and get into the Gillingham game for £12' for a further start.

fookin stupid idea..10 and under yh. they're going to drag their 6 year old to a night match so they get in for £15.. They should've made it £10 for ALL students then we might get somewhere ..but is pools they always do thing cack handed..

totally agree, this is a good idea and a push in the right direction for future support, however the problem needs addressing now of this missing 2,000. Lets be honest people who are likely to take their kids to the game are already going and are the regulars, maybe 200+ of these will take their kids at this reduced price bringing in more money that the club potentially wouldnt have had.

To get the 2000 back Mr Ripper is right why would a person who isnt going to the games becasue they can afford it be interested in this offer that they can only get in cheaper with a kid, when in fact would cost them £25 under this offer an increase of £5.

To get these people back why not charge £15 flat rate for all these matches as well as having the kids scheme, more people would come in my opinion.

Its good that the club are doing something but I cant see it making much difference at all.

what would have worked is this:

Adults = £15
Concessions (kids/students/oap) = £10

Adult and child under 10 = £22

I can't see the reason for restricting it to the primary school kids.. As adg correctly says two of the games are night matches on school days and children this young are usually in bed for 9 on school days.. They are missing the plot not opening up to all school kids ..or would they be losing too much money??

Good idea, put kids/students and OAP's prices up by a quid. They'll be flocking back!

It would be better if all U16's were eligible like.

I believe this came from the club asking fans for ideas to get more people to attend? If so who suggested this idea?

At a guess no one and all ideas were just ignored.

sorry forgot the current prices and boss was in office so was typing quick:

adults = £15
Concessions = Same price

Adult and child = £20

You knows it.

Liking it Mr Compo, especially if every additional child with an adult was a fiver a go.

They could help pay for it by scrapping the student discount and putting them on the £15 rate.

I think its a case of good headlines for little cost .. Thats why they've limited it to the Under 10's.

There would be a far greater chance of an uptake if they'd included ALL concessions in the deal.
I honestly can't see many primary kids being able to persuade their parents to let them stay up and then take them to pools on a cold winter evening.

It's start, (whether good or bad, seems to be split between fans already)

And Oi, You! TWH I did suggest that "batches" of tickets be available on a cheaper basis.

Though if they had said £15 a game for adults (without children) as well it would have been a bigger step forward.

I do agree with many other's though with a couple of the games being held on a "school" night, it may not attract as many as Pools hope. With this is mind I hope they don't just discard the idea after these 3 games on the grounds that it didn't work.

Maybe something were the adult paying fan benefit's without having to take a child, and for POK the 16-19 (non students) get a cheaper ticket after all not all fans have children, or they're simply to young to attend, especially on a night game.

But I do think that the "negativity" to the idea from some on here already is a bit much. Yes the actual idea has flaws but its the first step and if more follow targeting all ages of fans then it may well attract the missing "fans" back.

One step at a time , lets walk before we run as the saying goes.

Anyone actually know who is one of the cheapest to watch league one football this season, Pools only Stockport is cheaper by a £1.

So reducing the prices would harm the club more if attendance never increased.

You've got to start somewhere and this is as good as any.

Bollocks I would rather them reduce the price for adults to £15, a drop of £3 in the terraces, and get more people in to create more atmosphere and not let the players play in front of an empty group. I am sure they would attract 200+ more people if this was reduced to £15, some of which would spend that £3 in the ground buying a pint or a hot dog etc

Im not sure how its negativity? Pretty much everyone has said its good that they are doing something and hope it works but think its a poor idea. Thats not being "negative" its called giving your opinion. If people said they hoped it failed then yes its "negative"

TPP I can see where your coming from but do you think that many of those who attend the Leeds game will be attracted to return for the Gillingham game. Most are turning up for that game because it Leeds, I personally believe that the Leeds game should be out of all EQUATIONS AND OFFERS. Simply lower the Gillingham game to £12, for example a "regular fan" may miss out on the Leeds game for whatever reason, but then not have the chance to purchase a reduced ticket for the Gillingham game and therefore say I'm not paying £18 when some have possibly paid £12 alienating regular supporter's



Negativity may have been the wrong word.

Whats this about a missing 2000? Dont you think that these people are just bandwagon jumpers who come along when things are good, prices reasonable and you are more or less guaranteed to see an entertaining game? These are the people who sharp disappear when things become hit & miss or they find something better to do on a matchday. Then it doesnt matter what you charge them or their kids, they wont come back.

FWIW this will not make me start going back to pools. HTH

Well said.
I would guess 99% of clubs in the league 1 charge between £15 and £20 adult admission.
I'm sure some pools fans think pools are overcharging for the benefit of Hodcrofts pocket.
Rippers mates cant afford to attend at £18 a match.
Lets just reduce it to a tenner.
Lets lose Brown and Monkhouse and Flinders, Boyd and Austin
Lets replace them with Mackay, Foley, Tait, Tymon and Young.

Honestly some people

I thought money wasn't a problem for you

At least its giving you something to do chip.... and you can moan and pick faults at me at least there not aimed at the club who we all support I think.

Anyone had any children at the schools the club have already been to yet and asked them what they did when the club went to see them!!!

who said it was designed to bring back the missing 2000?

It is designed for kids to try and get more on board and hopefully persuade a few adults to come along too. As you and others have pointed out, 2 of these games are night matches which render it an ill thought out idea.

If Pools can look at it better in future and make it weekend games, then it would be a pretty good idea.

Stop getting your knickers in a twist

Pools have asked for ideas to try and get crowds to increase to where they have been previously. They've even made what I consider to be a good start by aiming at getting kids there.

Your attitude appears to be "fk trying to get the crowds back" unless your line about reducing prices to a tenner was just sarcasm?

Honestly, some people...

A Voice of reason

I can't agree these people did become regulars, we averaged 5,500 in a dreadful entertainment free relegation season a few years ago. We also had these fans for a good few years (2002 onwards I'd say) were our crowds very rarely dipped below 4,500. It's not like the £5 to get in season you had in Feethams these people had become regulars and can certainly be described as missing.

It's typical Pools this offer, over complicated and targeting the wrong people. At least they are trying something though.

For what its worth, i am of the opinion that you could let every fooker in for NOWT and we still wouldnt fill the ground.

Town full of plastics / pantomimers / armchair sky sports supporting dogshites.

I think its partly the price.
But pools aren't going to reduce it to a shilling and sixpence.
I also think people are fickle and now the success has faltered so has their interest.
These fickle people saw pools at the height of their success as a new night club which had just opened.
It was great seeing all the new fanny.
Then after a while its the same old faces.
Now they have moved on. They now drink in the house.
Their saturday is spent in front of their dodgy box or freeview channel 83.

That relegation season was the one bad point in the last 10 years so you had a better chance of keeping the extras. Now you've had two seasons back to back of below par football, a manager alot of you want to see the back of and a home record that isnt great. Add that to the recession and its a perfect way of losing the gloryhunters. Then it doesnt matter what they do to entice them back, you'd need to be pissing the league to see them return.

Somebody else missing the point too eh H'Angus?

Like it or not, cost is an issue. Especially at the moment.

Fortunately for me I'm not affected by the cost at the moment but a few of my mates are. If the rest of the lads who I go to the match with also stopped going cos of cost then the chances are that I wouldn't go either even though I could afford it cos part of the craic is going along with your mates.

How many others do you think are in the same boat? None? If you think none then you're deluded.

And how many groups of mates aren't going anymore cos some of them can't afford it? My money is that there are more than one or two.

And you'd probably be surprised at how quickly those numbers can add up.

So if you think that charging £18 / £20 a game in the current economic climate isn't a contributing factor to the attendances then I truly despair.

For what it's worth I like Compo's idea further up- £15 adult, £5 per kid with an adult. I know that the club can't necessarily afford to cover all of this hence why I'd start by scrapping the student discount and charging them the £15 price. Students who really wanted to go would pay £15, and those that didn't go would be more than offset in my opinion by people who would return at those prices. And as a starter for ten I'd have the prices as a flat price anywhere in the ground in order to see if it helped increase attendances and also to get an idea if people stand up cos it's cheaper or just cos they prefer it. Only if the stands were overfull and the terraces empty would I revert to staggered pricing.

Hope that helps.

I blame the parents for letting kids support Chelsea Liverpool etc.

But to get them in first place we didn't have to be 'pissing the league' as we've never done that in our history!!

I tell you what following the worst team in Western Europe doesn't half make you cynical!

I give up now the clubs always in the wrong no matter what they do. By reducing prices won't we have to reduce the type of quality the player we get like the lightening tree said...... therefore even more supporters will stop coming when we end up like darlo even if its ONLY £15 and £5 to get in....

If that's your best argument or logic then I suggest your first three words of that post would be the best advice.

The thing is this is they're offering the root sum of fook all .

I'll show my arse in Wilkies window if they sell more than 100 of these tickets. If they targeted all concessions with this offer they might make an impact.. targeting 10's and under is just window dressing.. An announcement on the club website and a chance for some back slappers to say well done oh goody the club is trying to do something..

It would make far more sense for the club to target the 10 -16 age group but when has anything the club do EVER made sense..

It will achieve nothing apart from a bit of free publicity.

So you think pools can afford to cut ticket prices then!

I don't know. Surely the price of the individual ticket is irrelevant compared to the bottom line gate money collected?

Do you think that they can afford not to reduce ticket prices?

The problem is any sort of offer that involves any non regular having to drag their part timer arse off the sofa and buy tickets in advance for a midweek winters night isn't going to work. The only people who take this up will be people who go anyway. This is more a criticsm of the people of the town than the club.

A very simple way to implement the same idea would be to say it's a fiver on the gate for kids for these games, without even reducing adult prices I reckon that would have a bigger impact. Much more simple and probably more effective, especially for the Saturday match.

Well aint the club losing over a million a season as it is now.

I guess they can't.

If cut prices got more fans in then surely the club would only profit.

Have to agree to disagree now I'm off now cause my boss wants to reduce my wage by 20 % so I can get more pipes through the door.