all joking aside if people are not getting any enjoyment out of going then i dont think knocking a quid or two off admission is going to make a difference, and i certainly cant see them forking out for a season ticket.

it worries me when sound lads like tax payer and parmo are losing interest. for me even when the football has been shyte, and it has been for most of the time ive been going, it was more about having a laugh, and seeing your mates. especially away from home.

i can genuinely see where tax payer is coming from. ive cut right back on the away games because it was getting daft forking out a lot to watch crap. and once you get out of the habit, you dont miss it as much as you thought you would.

the club have to make the matchday experience more enjoyable. they have to make people want to go again. and they should have addressed this as soon as the crowds started to drop, rather than waiting till they got down to the diehards.

as dibble rightly says, it may take a cartwheel signing to generate interest. it may take a change of manager to spark it. it may take a relegation to a division we have a chance of winning.

all joking aside if people are not getting any enjoyment out of going then i dont think knocking a quid or two off admission is going to make a difference, and i certainly cant see them forking out for a season ticket.

it worries me when sound lads like tax payer and parmo are losing interest. for me even when the football has been shyte, and it has been for most of the time ive been going, it was more about having a laugh, and seeing your mates. especially away from home.

i can genuinely see where tax payer is coming from. ive cut right back on the away games because it was getting daft forking out a lot to watch crap. and once you get out of the habit, you dont miss it as much as you thought you would.

the club have to make the matchday experience more enjoyable. they have to make people want to go again. and they should have addressed this as soon as the crowds started to drop, rather than waiting till they got down to the diehards.

as dibble rightly says, it may take a cartwheel signing to generate interest. it may take a change of manager to spark it. it may take a relegation to a division we have a chance of winning.

but away matches arent the problem. Its the home ones that are.

Unfortunately for IOR, i think Dibbs & Chip are spot on, we need the coveted cartwheel signing.

in order to make money (or in our case, lose less money) we need to spend it.

It may only have to be a one season thing, but we need somebody who will make the stayaways sit up and take note.

Beardsley did that when he signed, now we need another.

Not knocking your idea Bob, but for me the club need to do something very simple, and attractive to those not attending.

Your idea wouldnt work for me, as forking out over 100 notes in January is just a non starter.

Fans need an immediate incentive. The easiest way for the club to show intent on moving forward is to bring in a cartwheel signing.

I am not saying it should happen, but its more likely to work than most suggestions.

If the club really want to make a concession on prices they should just reduce prices by 25%.

Sadly, and wrongly, some would only return if the manager was replaced.

To bring back disenchanted fans the club to do something radical.

Ken Hodcroft telling us that times are hard and new players will be restricted, like he did in the summer, was very counter-productive, when he expected fans to pay £20 to get in, in the same breath. Its like he thought the recession affects businesses but not individuals.

asking missing fans to go to the club and set up a direct debit is not going to attract them to go.

They need something tangible and immediate.

A lot of people think the club are just treading water, the club need to prove they arent.

Otherwise the missing fans will not return.

Hey, that was my idea!

I'm asking them to go to buy 11 tickets and save £50 but you've already found an excuse ...I'm not going I have set up a direct debit.......

The reason for not going is simply I don't want 11 tickets to watch Pools

Surely going to buy 11 tickets and SAVING money is a reason to go.


The tangible and immediate is why they have asked fans to contribute.

for the tuesday night game with gillingham, which will be horrifically attended, id make it a fiver in advance to get into all parts of the ground for adults, and hoy in a free kids ticket.

Sign him up. While we're at it, give Juninho a call as well. It's a shame Kev Phillips seems to be getting his game at Birmingham or we could have done a clean sweep.

Fook knows

The cartwheel signing of Beardsley put 1500 on the gate. For one game. Then it dropped back to normal. People turned up for the curiosity value, then buggered off again. They came back for the Scarborough game to see if we'd be relegated. When we won that one they buggered off once more.

That was Beardsley, one of the best English players of his generation and a hero to plastic Mags all over the town. It had a limited effect on the gate and it was a very expensive move. Unless someone like Shearer was prepared to play for nack all I could see the same happening again. Also, Beardsley was still playing when we signed him. Shearer has been retired nearly four years.

I am simply not interested in signing an pensionable former superstar player just to attract the fleeting interest of people who aren't Pools fans and aren't going to stick around anyway. We need to get back the people who were here 3-4 years ago and that means improving the team and winning more matches, not giving in to a bit of shitty showbiz.

Edit: we also need to do what we can to get kids interested, and KEEP them interested. They don't bring in as much cash short-term as the adults, but they are the future bedrock support of the club. Ask the kids what we should be doing to attract them; it's no use asking a fossil like me.

Sorry Mr Bob, but as many good points as your idea may have it misses one big one, in my opinion.

To get fans back into the ground you need to get them in for one or two games as a starter rather than having the incentive for them attending loads of games. Get them to come to a game or two and get them back into the habit. Give them an immediate, eye opening reason for getting there on match day and then hope that the team inspires them to return. Merely offering them a mini season ticket at a similar deal to that offered last summer which they didn't take up isn't going to mean diddly squat to the folk that the club need to get through the turnstiles.

surely the comment about shearer was made in relation to him taking over as manager ?

if that was to happen at the end of the season, in my opinion we would sell a record numbers of season tickets.

i am not advocating this, i am simply stating an opinion as to what would happen.

Shearer as manager? I agree with chip; the increase in interest from both the people of Hartlepool and the media would be enormous.

Shearer as manager? I agree with chip; the increase in interest from both the people of Hartlepool and the media would be enormous.

I have more chance of being the next Pope than Shearer ever being our manager

I have more chance of being the next Pope than Shearer ever being our manager

The economic downturn happened long before this year. But pools didnt take that into consideration in July when announcing ticket prices. So you could argue that they are now reaping what they sowed back then.

This thread is brilliant. One of the best threads I have seen on the bunker (barring Pooliekevs diahoreah chair one obviously)

I think what Steve Tuplings Mullet makes a very valid point here re value for money.

Another key issue is that our attitudes towards Pools have changed radically over the past 20 years or so.

Late 80's - the fans did not expect us to win many games. We were poor and there was little/no optimism around. The reason people went was because they CARED and people so wanted us to beat relegation again. It was like buying a ticket for the lottery. The chance of winning was remote but so important should it occur. Fans wanted to see us survive and wanted to be there should we somehow win a game.

The promotion season of 90/91 - extra fans started attending due to some great results and something different to play for (promotion and not relegation for once).

the really shitty years (mid to late 90's onwards) - We were dreadful during this period with dreadful players. I remember when we had the likes of tony canham,damian henderson, scott sloan that we all cheered when we got a throw in or set piece in the oppositions half of the pitch as it gave us chance to try and score a goal ffs. The spectators would still attend as they dont support pools out of some expectation to see a great team, they wanted us to beat the odds again and stay in the league. It was an acheivement and seen as 'success' during those times. Expectations were low so the supporters exprected relegation battles and our goal was survival.

2000+ The better years. Our expectations started to change. We started to see some 'football' and goals. relegation was not seen as a threat so we were playing for play off places and the outside chance of promotion. It was a welcome change and fans started to attend in larger numbers to see this amazing situation. Pools were winning games 5-1, 6-0 etc and we were getting used to it. Our expectations rose quite quickly in a short space of time. People attended to see great football and possibly promotion.

Since this time we have obviously had more highs than lows. Playing in league one and getting to the play offs was such a novelty at first and if most spectators are honest the initial goal was simply to stay in league 1. fans attended to see if this could happen (and it did).

Obviously we had the scotty 'blip' but it was only short term and the fans optimism remained.

Now we find oursleves in league one again having being used to having something to play for. Currently we sit 11th but as CT keepes telling us, we are punching above our weight and playing much better teams. the fans optimism wanes inevitably. Suddenly it feels as if something is missing. How can supporters get value for money spending £20 if there is nothing to play for? During the bad years the fans paid gate money as they were desperate to see us stay in the league - we had a goal to aim for. Now we are told that we dont really have any ambition so £20 does not seem good value for money - we dont seem to have anything to play for. If this is the case then the only thing which will make the £20 entrance fee seem reasonable (value for money again) would be decent football. Unfortunately this has fallen apart under CTs 2nd spell and is more reminiscent of the scotty 'blip'. We now have a situation where we are being told by the club not to expect anything and we are not entertaining the fans. We didnt always win games under Danny Wilson but we at least played some good stuff and the fans appreciated this.

Our expectations have changed and as a result our opinions as to what amounts to 'value for money' has had to change to. We can all see that we have some very good players but they are not being played the right way. If they were, then I think we would have an outside chance of scraping into the play-offs. How can the supporters see pools as good value for money when the players cant play to their potential while a defeatist loser like Chris Turner is in charge? We dont appear to have anythign to play for and are not playing good football? We have got spoilt over recent years and expect something positive in return for our money, not merely listening to our "Director of sport", manager or whatever saying how we have nothing to aim for and to expect defeat against other sides in the division.

It is not about 'money', it is about 'value for money' and there is a difference. We could all use our match day funds in more practical ways but Pools have provided good value over the years (for differing reasons over time, the joy of surviving relegation in the bad old days, the desire to see a club like pools get promotion during CT's first spell, the novelty of seeing us play league 1 opposition, the crazy realisation and goal that we may get into the championship)

Now we are used to playing in league 1 and the novelty has gone. We are clearly not aiming for promotion (CT has said this) and we are not to expected to compete against the better teams (CT has said this). This would not be quite so glum if we were playing good football to entertain the fans but we arent.

Pools are NOT good value for money these days and not worth £20 to sit in a (now) lifeless ground watching drab football with no ambition. The irony is that i bet most of us think our current squad is 'not bad' and that if played the right way would play some decent football. Unfortunately Turner seems to have gone backwards since his first stint and no amount of reserved optimism in our current players can overpower the deafeatist mentality that CT has cursed the club with.

I do think a change of manager (and yes, I appreciate that they dont grow on trees, but anybody worth their salt could get our current cquad playing good stuff - and im sure very few other potential managers would be so stupid as to quash any recent optimism in the manner which CT has done) would help greatly. The spirit within the club has gone ( this is not just down to CT, but also partly attributable to Scotty and Wilson). The club has made some poor managerial decisions lately and is now suffering the consequences.

The fans dont expect sucess, they want 'value for money' and they are not getting it. Had I not got a season ticket then I would probably not be attending these days. I missed the Oldham game as I had (and still have) a pretty bad cold and sore throat. And yes, i know that is gay as feck. In days gone by I would have attended regardless and it would have taken broken legs to keep me away. The spirit within the club these days depresses me and sure it is largely down to the 'manager'.

Will I get a refund on my season ticket?

Only joking, but some would whinge about it!

My suggestion emailed to pools this morning was to have a '2 for the price of 1' offer for the Huddersfield/Carlisle games in February being that they are 4 days apart but as Mr BP states, any ticket reduction will no doubt upset a number of season ticket holders?

My suggestion emailed to pools this morning was to have a '2 for the price of 1' offer for the Huddersfield/Carlisle games in February being that they are 4 days apart but as Mr BP states, any ticket reduction will no doubt upset a number of season ticket holders?

I haven't posted on this thread for some time

ADG - "cartwheel signing"

i'd rather we got a midfielder who can put his foot on the ball than a gymnast

Could the downturn in attendences be due to the town, countires and worlds current economic climate?

Whilst on about that board, can someone from there explain to me why I have to scroll down in installments. The whole screen jerks like its going to break my computer. Whats all that about?

This thread is brilliant. One of the best threads I have seen on the bunker (barring Pooliekevs diahoreah chair one obviously)

I think what Steve Tuplings Mullet makes a very valid point here re value for money.

Another key issue is that our attitudes towards Pools have changed radically over the past 20 years or so.

Late 80's - the fans did not expect us to win many games. We were poor and there was little/no optimism around. The reason people went was because they CARED and people so wanted us to beat relegation again. It was like buying a ticket for the lottery. The chance of winning was remote but so important should it occur. Fans wanted to see us survive and wanted to be there should we somehow win a game.

The promotion season of 90/91 - extra fans started attending due to some great results and something different to play for (promotion and not relegation for once).

the really shitty years (mid to late 90's onwards) - We were dreadful during this period with dreadful players. I remember when we had the likes of tony canham,damian henderson, scott sloan that we all cheered when we got a throw in or set piece in the oppositions half of the pitch as it gave us chance to try and score a goal ffs. The spectators would still attend as they dont support pools out of some expectation to see a great team, they wanted us to beat the odds again and stay in the league. It was an acheivement and seen as 'success' during those times. Expectations were low so the supporters exprected relegation battles and our goal was survival.

2000+ The better years. Our expectations started to change. We started to see some 'football' and goals. relegation was not seen as a threat so we were playing for play off places and the outside chance of promotion. It was a welcome change and fans started to attend in larger numbers to see this amazing situation. Pools were winning games 5-1, 6-0 etc and we were getting used to it. Our expectations rose quite quickly in a short space of time. People attended to see great football and possibly promotion.

Since this time we have obviously had more highs than lows. Playing in league one and getting to the play offs was such a novelty at first and if most spectators are honest the initial goal was simply to stay in league 1. fans attended to see if this could happen (and it did).

Obviously we had the scotty 'blip' but it was only short term and the fans optimism remained.

Now we find oursleves in league one again having being used to having something to play for. Currently we sit 11th but as CT keepes telling us, we are punching above our weight and playing much better teams. the fans optimism wanes inevitably. Suddenly it feels as if something is missing. How can supporters get value for money spending £20 if there is nothing to play for? During the bad years the fans paid gate money as they were desperate to see us stay in the league - we had a goal to aim for. Now we are told that we dont really have any ambition so £20 does not seem good value for money - we dont seem to have anything to play for. If this is the case then the only thing which will make the £20 entrance fee seem reasonable (value for money again) would be decent football. Unfortunately this has fallen apart under CTs 2nd spell and is more reminiscent of the scotty 'blip'. We now have a situation where we are being told by the club not to expect anything and we are not entertaining the fans. We didnt always win games under Danny Wilson but we at least played some good stuff and the fans appreciated this.

Our expectations have changed and as a result our opinions as to what amounts to 'value for money' has had to change to. We can all see that we have some very good players but they are not being played the right way. If they were, then I think we would have an outside chance of scraping into the play-offs. How can the supporters see pools as good value for money when the players cant play to their potential while a defeatist loser like Chris Turner is in charge? We dont appear to have anythign to play for and are not playing good football? We have got spoilt over recent years and expect something positive in return for our money, not merely listening to our "Director of sport", manager or whatever saying how we have nothing to aim for and to expect defeat against other sides in the division.

It is not about 'money', it is about 'value for money' and there is a difference. We could all use our match day funds in more practical ways but Pools have provided good value over the years (for differing reasons over time, the joy of surviving relegation in the bad old days, the desire to see a club like pools get promotion during CT's first spell, the novelty of seeing us play league 1 opposition, the crazy realisation and goal that we may get into the championship)

Now we are used to playing in league 1 and the novelty has gone. We are clearly not aiming for promotion (CT has said this) and we are not to expected to compete against the better teams (CT has said this). This would not be quite so glum if we were playing good football to entertain the fans but we arent.

Pools are NOT good value for money these days and not worth £20 to sit in a (now) lifeless ground watching drab football with no ambition. The irony is that i bet most of us think our current squad is 'not bad' and that if played the right way would play some decent football. Unfortunately Turner seems to have gone backwards since his first stint and no amount of reserved optimism in our current players can overpower the deafeatist mentality that CT has cursed the club with.

I do think a change of manager (and yes, I appreciate that they dont grow on trees, but anybody worth their salt could get our current cquad playing good stuff - and im sure very few other potential managers would be so stupid as to quash any recent optimism in the manner which CT has done) would help greatly. The spirit within the club has gone ( this is not just down to CT, but also partly attributable to Scotty and Wilson). The club has made some poor managerial decisions lately and is now suffering the consequences.

The fans dont expect sucess, they want 'value for money' and they are not getting it. Had I not got a season ticket then I would probably not be attending these days. I missed the Oldham game as I had (and still have) a pretty bad cold and sore throat. And yes, i know that is gay as feck. In days gone by I would have attended regardless and it would have taken broken legs to keep me away. The spirit within the club these days depresses me and sure it is largely down to the 'manager'.

Shearer as manager? I agree with chip; the increase in interest from both the people of Hartlepool and the media would be enormous.