The 800

[GodalmingYellow]

That's how many non season ticket home fans attended last night, which I imagine will be the lowest ever for a league fixture, possibly including post 1949 Headington years.

The bank manager won't be happy.

[Ascension Ox]

That's how many non season ticket home fans attended last night, which I imagine will be the lowest ever for a league fixture, possibly including post 1949 Headington years.

The bank manager won't be happy.

No one's bank manager is happy these days. Poor as the crowd was it still compares decently with other L1/2 crowds last night. Especially considering our current league table position.

You missed a reasonable game last night GY. Not pretty, but at least some battle. Yemi and Constable were outstanding. Harriers decent opposition. But, like several other BSP sides, they have no end product.

Haldane is a bottler, simply awful performance. Hutchinson is immobile. Oppo midfields simply pass the ball round him.

[A-Ro]

You missed a reasonable game last night GY. Not pretty, but at least some battle. Yemi and Constable were outstanding. Harriers decent opposition. But, like several other BSP sides, they have no end product.

Haldane is a bottler, simply awful performance. Hutchinson is immobile. Oppo midfields simply pass the ball round him.

I thought Deering was very good as well especially his link up play with Yemi.

One of my mates and one of my brothers thought that Hutch was man of the match, I couldn't work out whether they were blind, mental or both.

[Matt D]

golden silence until this morning, presumably, as everyone's fingers needed that long to thaw out.

it was always going to be a low crowd, but what i was struck by was how desultory we were. those kind of cold winter mid-week games at our place can often be a bit like that, but the goal barely got a cheer.

in some ways it's strange, as kidderminster seem to have become our new lincoln - without the nonsense between the supporters, although some of our lot made up for that between themselves anyway. i say that as games with the harriers seem to have become full of niggle for no good reason (back to that clarke incident with constable as far as i can tell?). and if anything's likely to get an apathetic crowd a bit more excited, it's a few hefty tackles and off-the-ball incidents. so, for getting through that, giving as good as he got, and still imposing himself on the game and not going hiding: james clarke man of the match for me.

as already mentioned, i thought deering, odubade, and constable all looked good. i'd add turley and the defence to that list too, and also ask why trainer seems to have become the new 'boo boy' when haldane's not around? he was okay, but didn't have long to get into the game i thought.

anyhoo, as for the game, hardly convincing. but given that it was play-off chasers vs. &quotrelegation battlers&quot, a good win i suppose. if our form picks up from this, it could come to be seen as a crucial test of 'character'. but if we don't, it'll just be a cold night settled by a perfunctory penalty that we'll all forget about quickly.

[GodalmingYellow]

That's how many non season ticket home fans attended last night, which I imagine will be the lowest ever for a league fixture, possibly including post 1949 Headington years.

The bank manager won't be happy.

No one's bank manager is happy these days. Poor as the crowd was it still compares decently with other L1/2 crowds last night. Especially considering our current league table position.

You missed a reasonable game last night GY. Not pretty, but at least some battle. Yemi and Constable were outstanding. Harriers decent opposition. But, like several other BSP sides, they have no end product.

Haldane is a bottler, simply awful performance. Hutchinson is immobile. Oppo midfields simply pass the ball round him.

As you well know, our total crowd compared to other total crowds on the evening is irrelevant to the point being made, and pretty much irrelevant full stop.

As the season ticket money has been spent, 800 paying for tickets on the night will barely cover basic staff costs and the leccy bill, let alone raise cash for the next rent payment. And that is far more important than trying to turn it into positive spin and ignoring the problem.

Too long a journey and too cold to watch poor football for me last night. Dinner and whiskey in front of the fire with the family was far more appealing.

[scooter]

That's how many non season ticket home fans attended last night, which I imagine will be the lowest ever for a league fixture, possibly including post 1949 Headington years.

The bank manager won't be happy.

No one's bank manager is happy these days. Poor as the crowd was it still compares decently with other L1/2 crowds last night. Especially considering our current league table position.

You missed a reasonable game last night GY. Not pretty, but at least some battle. Yemi and Constable were outstanding. Harriers decent opposition. But, like several other BSP sides, they have no end product.

Haldane is a bottler, simply awful performance. Hutchinson is immobile. Oppo midfields simply pass the ball round him.

As you well know, our total crowd compared to other total crowds on the evening is irrelevant to the point being made, and pretty much irrelevant full stop.

As the season ticket money has been spent, 800 paying for tickets on the night will barely cover basic staff costs and the leccy bill, let alone raise cash for the next rent payment. And that is far more important than trying to turn it into positive spin and ignoring the problem.

Too long a journey and too cold to watch poor football for me last night. Dinner and whiskey in front of the fire with the family was far more appealing.

Pretty much the same reasoning for me except it was half a bottle of Rioja and the kid is much more interested in watching paint dry than watching OUFC nowadays.

[boris]

As the season ticket money has been spent,

Not all of it - all st money paid for by credit card is held by the bank and released in quarterly tranches. The problem for OUFC is that the release date is behind the rent-paying date, so it's more a cash-flow problem than a lack of dosh problem on that front (although I would guess that a fairly significant number of season tickets were bought by cash, cheque, or debit card, and that cash presumably has been swallowed up by Haldane's hair gel and suntan lotion budget).

[Ascension Ox]

That's how many non season ticket home fans attended last night, which I imagine will be the lowest ever for a league fixture, possibly including post 1949 Headington years.

The bank manager won't be happy.

No one's bank manager is happy these days. Poor as the crowd was it still compares decently with other L1/2 crowds last night. Especially considering our current league table position.

You missed a reasonable game last night GY. Not pretty, but at least some battle. Yemi and Constable were outstanding. Harriers decent opposition. But, like several other BSP sides, they have no end product.

Haldane is a bottler, simply awful performance. Hutchinson is immobile. Oppo midfields simply pass the ball round him.

As you well know, our total crowd compared to other total crowds on the evening is irrelevant to the point being made, and pretty much irrelevant full stop.

As the season ticket money has been spent, 800 paying for tickets on the night will barely cover basic staff costs and the leccy bill, let alone raise cash for the next rent payment. And that is far more important than trying to turn it into positive spin and ignoring the problem.

Too long a journey and too cold to watch poor football for me last night. Dinner and whiskey in front of the fire with the family was far more appealing.

Who said I was 'ignoring the problem'? I'm not. I said it was a poor crowd didn't I?

What 'positive spin'? Our crowds are nonetheless remarkable and it is hardly 'irrelevant' that other lower league sides attendances should be used in comparison and contrast.

Finally, it's all a matter of opinion but it was not 'poor' football last night. I enjoyed the evening, despite my equally long journey.

[GodalmingYellow]

As the season ticket money has been spent,

Not all of it - all st money paid for by credit card is held by the bank and released in quarterly tranches. The problem for OUFC is that the release date is behind the rent-paying date, so it's more a cash-flow problem than a lack of dosh problem on that front (although I would guess that a fairly significant number of season tickets were bought by cash, cheque, or debit card, and that cash presumably has been swallowed up by Haldane's hair gel and suntan lotion budget).

Indeed, but given that the club specifically asked fans to not pay by c/c, I imagine not many did so, so continued cash inflows from that source are likely to be small.

[GodalmingYellow]

No one's bank manager is happy these days. Poor as the crowd was it still compares decently with other L1/2 crowds last night. Especially considering our current league table position.

You missed a reasonable game last night GY. Not pretty, but at least some battle. Yemi and Constable were outstanding. Harriers decent opposition. But, like several other BSP sides, they have no end product.

Haldane is a bottler, simply awful performance. Hutchinson is immobile. Oppo midfields simply pass the ball round him.

As you well know, our total crowd compared to other total crowds on the evening is irrelevant to the point being made, and pretty much irrelevant full stop.

As the season ticket money has been spent, 800 paying for tickets on the night will barely cover basic staff costs and the leccy bill, let alone raise cash for the next rent payment. And that is far more important than trying to turn it into positive spin and ignoring the problem.

Too long a journey and too cold to watch poor football for me last night. Dinner and whiskey in front of the fire with the family was far more appealing.

Who said I was 'ignoring the problem'? I'm not. I said it was a poor crowd didn't I?

What 'positive spin'? Our crowds are nonetheless remarkable and it is hardly 'irrelevant' that other lower league sides attendances should be used in comparison and contrast.

Finally, it's all a matter of opinion but it was not 'poor' football last night. I enjoyed the evening, despite my equally long journey.

Oh Tim. You are arguing (musing!!) with the points you want to argue with, not with the points I actually made.

The point of the posting and topic was the damage being done to the club's finances by such poor attendances by casuals. That case remains irrelevant of any other club's attendances.

And there is no point arguing with me about whether the football was poor or not. As you have already pointed out, and I have confirmed, I was not there to judge. The point was not about whether the football was actually poor or not, it was about my perception of the likelihood of whether good football would be on offer or not, which links in with the issue of poor attendances by casuals. That my perception might have been wrong is neither here nor there.

[Snake]

Our crowds are indeed remarkable, but they are becoming less remarkable than they used to be.

As GY says, assuming a figure of 2,700 holders (and remember these includes the free ones) we had 800 casuals there last night compared to 1159 casuals at our last Tuesday night game (-v- Cambridge). This represents a rather alarming drop of 31%.

And we’ve won 5 and drawn 1 of our last 6 home games, it’s been 17 days since the last home game, and most people don’t do their Christmas shopping on a Tuesday night 4 weeks before the big day.

At our last Saturday game (-v- York) we had 1449 casuals.

What would be really interesting to read are the actual attendance figures, because I’m fairly certain that many ST holders are electing to stay at home (even though they’ve paid) and I can’t imagine that the free ST holders turn up for every game.

At this rate things don't bode well for the summer, when ST holders will be given the choice of paying up front again or becoming a 'casual'.

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

Indeed, but given that the club specifically asked fans to not pay by c/c

God, did they?

That's pitiful, isn't it?

[DLT]

Just to add to the debate, seeing as I bothered to attend my second game of the season.

I arrived ten minutes before kickoff, and following Mally's advice I parked in the West car park right next to fence.

I queued for less than 30 seconds to buy a ticket (though talking cricket to Gilo took longer).

Constable and Yemi could not be faulted for effort at all but to say they were excellent is stretching the point. Apart from the 'non' penalty (which might have been one but the ref wasn't prepared to give it) I cannot remember us havingone chance on goal that forced a credible save from their keeper.

Deering mixed excellent with awful in unequal measures. Doing something good with about every third touch, enough to excuse his two appalling touches in between.

Hutch is drivel.

Why did Yemi receive the ball on his head three times as much as on the ground.

Anyway, that was enough for me until January I reckon.

[yellowportly]

Indeed, but given that the club specifically asked fans to not pay by c/c

God, did they?

That's pitiful, isn't it?

that could be down to the cash in installments issue mentioned above, or that CC transactions attract a greater processing fee

I suspect the former, but hope it was for the latter reason ...

[Snake]

Indeed, but given that the club specifically asked fans to not pay by c/c

God, did they?

That's pitiful, isn't it?

Yes, they did, and hopefully most fans did it that way. I know I paid by cheque so my money has presumably already been spent or gone back into the pocket of our invisible owner to help reduce the £4m debt and to allow more buying power for Wigan Warriors.

Those paying through the instalment plan had to pay interest on the transaction, so on the flip side some of that extra would have gone to the club, surely?