For deleting "the very long thread"

While you're about, care to tell us what happnin with the fans commitee?

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

Answers

Yeah it says in "Scene" that a meeting was convened Sept 6th yet there was still massive queues at the bar at half time. It's no wonder young-uns don't want to come if they cannot get a pint. (c;

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

I'm still waiting for a giant scoreboard, large screens in the bars, and the half time lap dancer that the've given me is GINGER.

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

But Rik, didn't boys always think she was the hottest one anyway? Or are you more of a Mary Ann type? ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

A scoreboard would be nice. Personal lap dancers would be better for when you are bored at the match, but still want to sit in your seat.

-- Anonymous, September 17, 2001

Joking apart, still no reply by macbeth ........ HAS HE BEEN GAGGED?

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Okay, Rik provokes me into replying !!!!

If I was giving a down beat assessment of what has happened on the committee to date it would be summed up with 'banging head of brick wall'. A more optimistic view would be to say the club is a bit wary of us and needs to gain confidence in what we want to do before it will accept any of the grander ideas/suggestions we make.

(I have asked Freddie Shepherd about lapdancers for Rik and he is going to see if he can find any old ones that aren't too fussy any more.)

We made a couple of recommendations around ticket pricing for the Intertoto games which the club rejected. The second of which produced a "we're trying to run a business here" response.

A meeting between our committee chairman, another member and a member of the club made us realise just how nervous they are of us. The club seem to want us to prove ourselves on what I would deem to be soft issues like disability/racism awareness, and on something I think they view as a potential can of worms which is smoking/non smoking inside the ground. The disability/racism things matter to maybe 2% of people and are things that nobody will object to.

The things we want to move on are bigger issues like empty seats, pricing for juvenile tickets, atmosphere in the ground, away ticket allocations, the ticket office, a scoreboard. We need to gain the clubs confidence before we come up with a recommendation on season tickets for example.

The things currently being looked into are the scoreboard and the atmosphere within the ground.

The club has told us that a scoreboard/scoreboards would cost £700k to install. We are trying to find out what that really means, are they pricing the most expensive ones they can find to try and have an excuse for not doing it, or is that the going rate. The club will be coming back to us on this hopefully this week. Do you lot have any thoughts on this, on whether it's worth it, think we could buy another Wayne Quinn with that sort of money ?

The second thing is the atmosphere, although maybe we just need to beat Man U 4-3 every week to be happier with that ! The last time the committee met was just after the England game at which the atmosphere was very good. (Except for old codgers like Clarky who didn't like the noisy band too much !!). One of the things noticable that night were the number of flags. The club/police are going to clarify the position on flags to us and then we are going to make the Spurs game a day to encourage everyone to bring a flag, or a scarf. We are alos trying to see whether we can get someone/anyone better than the current pre-match PA guy to try and get things going. I wanted to push for the Liverpool game as I felt it was a bigger game, that their fans would join in, and compete, but there was only three and a half weeks between our meeting and that game and the club don't feel that anything can be organised in that sort of timescale. (!!!!!) The first response from the club on this has been very positive but of course there is a reason, which is the merchadising opportunity of it all. Rik here's an opportunity for you !!!

I apolgise for not keeping you informed but we're worried that if we seem negative about it all then this will be picked up on and the whole thing given a good knocking by someone in the press who would like nothing better.

I move between a feeling of "this is for the long term, we have to make it work" to "what's the point", but today (!) I'm feeling more positive.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Thanks for that macbeth.

As for the issues, a scoreboard isn't of paramount importance, but if it were like a giant TV type that could show highlights of the game during half time as well as previews before the game, and was updated during the game with usual things like team names/numbers/substitutions/goalscorers, as well as things like results from other games / league tables displayed at the end of the game with again highlihts to watch as we make our way out of the ground then I think that it would be worthwhile. I would though also lie to see a number of larger TV screens, with a decent TV service from NTL perhaps in the bars within St James'.

As for the cost, couldn't most of it be recovered from sponsors/ advertisers on the screens?

as i've said before if the TV service was improved before the game then many more people would come in early to the ground and use the faclities (buying lots of beer)hence making the club more money.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Thanks Macca, for your another glimpse behind the doors of the Committee vs Club (surely 'with Club?). As usual, informative and illustrative of the odd position football clubs are in vis a vis their fans.

Having a scoreboard must be a fairly essential item for a modern football club. Even small and ancient grounds like Arsenal have a big telly screen! And seeing the wonderous scorelines of last Saturday writ large would be a great asset to the atmosphere :-)

The other top priority must also be the ticket collection and away allocations. Although only the home club makes money from away tickets, there must surely be a business argument that it's in the long term interest of our continuing and expanding national fan base to facilitate seeing United play anywhere. Ticket collection is also a business issue. How many of us would go back to a shop where you've had to queue outside for hours after paying good money for a product / service? And then find it's the wrong queue!?!?

I'm sure the illustrious membership of the Committee has already thought of these things, but if the club is getting shirty about 'running a business' then I suggest the best way to get change is to emphasise the business aspect of the fans' needs. When you have time from being frustrated and running your own life :-) perhaps you could let us know how recommendations are presented to the club?

With great appreciation of your continuing efforts... ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Macbeth, the issue of smoking ....... I think that the signs requesting fans not to smoke are sufficient. I prefer the rules to be a polite request rather than something that is strictly enforced.

Something which hasn't been mentioned before and might upset a few people is a "snitch" box.

Often many of us have problems with other fans in the ground. perhaps they shout racist abuse or swear too much when theres bairns around. What about boxes in which you could slip a note into reporting these fans? They could then be contacted by the club and asked to behave,/or looked at more closely by the stewards.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Thanks for the updates, Macbeth. It does sound so very frustrating, and does make you wonder if they really give a hang about the supporters at all or if they just see 50+ thousand dollar signs every match day. I think it's important that the committee keep chipping away at them. Most of the improvements people want to see do relate to 'the business'. If people are happier, they spend more money. ;-)

Would love to see some kind of scoreboards up inside the grounds. I think it's the only stadium of that size in the world, that I've visited, that doesn't have somehting in place. It would be great if they could do something with video replay, but even something as simple as a basic electronic text board that shows our current score, and can flash subs and yellow/red cards. It's impossible to hear the PA when everyone's shouting and screaming, and difficult the rest of the time. They'd probably only need 2 of that type placed so that the majority of the ground could see them. Possibly on top of the Gallowgate where it joins the Milburn, and on the East Stand where it joins the Leazes. It's another option for sponsorship as well, where someone could pay for permanent signage next to or above the boards, and others could pay for their names to be flashed on the boards at half-time and before/after the match. $$$$$ ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Spot on with the locations Ciara, the two bit's of the ground look unfinished, and it would finish it off nicely. the one above the Gallowgate end would have to be bigger than the east stand one, and both would nee to be turned slightly in towards the pitch

Getting back to flags, I was almost evicted a few seasons ago for putting a flag up. It was at the back of the east stand and apparently was obsuring part of the advertising boards.

If we are allowed fags, i'll start bringing my 8 x 4 metre peruvian national flag, to inspire nobby.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

fags .......... doah what a divvy I am.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Regarding smoking. There is a guy in the row in front of me who puffs away continually on a pipe, bathing most of the rows behind in clouds of foul fumes. When the Brentford game was going into extra time I was getting so fed up of trying to flap the smoke away that I spoke to a steward. He told me they hadn't had any directions but he would speak to the supervisor. When I arrived last Saturday he called me over and said they were keeping an eye on the guy. Sure enough, when he lit up the steward came over and asked him to put it out which he grudgingly did. Made the rest of the match a lot more pleasant for the rest of us. Maybe it just needs folk who are directly affected to speak out.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Steph, I suspect that with a 4-3 scoreline against ManUre last weekend, the guy could have stuffed Rik's socks in his pipe and set fire to them and the match would still have been a lot more pleasant :-(

Although I'm a non-smoker, and prefer not to have to inhale other's smoke, I could accept it more if they had a designated smoking section - preferably up at the back of the Gallowgate and take the roof off.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Steph as I sit in the row in fron of you on occasions , cheers for getting the smoke stopped. Can you also mention the fat bloke in front of you who always arrives after kick off, goes to the bog 15 minutes before half time, Arrives 5 mins late for 2nd half and leaves early. Im up n doon more times than a whores draws.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Kenny you're refering to screacher, he posts on here from time to time.

perhaps my snitchbox, aint a bad idea

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Kenny,

At least the fat guy seems to have stopped smoking! Still up and down like you say tho'. I sometimes wonder why he bothers coming to the game at all.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Has smoking become illegal? Although I stopped smoking cigarettes years ago I have no problem in others enjoying a smoke in public places. I'd rather a ban on 'silent but deadly' farts squeezed out during games...they're far more offensive.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Bobby, I don't mind cigarettes but this guy has a pipe with smelly socks and worse in it!

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

hmmm..scoreboard versus decent training facilities. Know which is my priority...

;-)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Sorry, but I think scoreboards are the most pointless things in football: can't people remember the score?

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Not when we're putting 8 past some hapless team, ala Weds a couple seasons ago. ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Who did you put the flag up, Rik? Is that what 'polygamy' is?

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

It's like Jumbotron screens...why on earth would we want one of these? All they do is take your attention off the action.

-- Anonymous, September 18, 2001

Dougs - big screens are bad, but scoreboards are great. Especially when you're beating sides, say 4-3 or 5-0...it's a great sight to see up in 4 foot high numbers!

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2001

Typical NUFC - they know the price of everything, and the value of nothing!

-- Anonymous, September 19, 2001