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Post by mozzer on Feb 14, 2016 13:29:34 GMT
Put simply, I think - probably like you - that a number of Darlo's fans abandoned them when the sh*t hit the fan and they were dropping several leagues. I don't dispute this, and I think it's a shame that this happened, especially when the club really needed the income generated by a large fan base. I also said on my post that I agree with you that fans should stick by their club through thick and thin.
However, I still don't think we are in a position to question other clubs' fan bases. I'll break down what I mean. First of all, what you say in your response about us never losing fans is simply incorrect. A fair number of the hard core support did stop following the club after the Co92 takeover. Now, while I respect some of their decisions, I clearly don't agree with them, hence I till support the club. It's their loss. But whichever way you slice it, we did lose a core of the fan base, many of whom had been coming for twenty-plus years. Second, one of the positives of the takeover was that we could advertise the club's profile in a way that proved impossible before. A number of times Percy and I argued with The Advertiser about the promotion of Salford City and coverage of their games; it always fell on deaf ears. One of the positives of exposure was that we attracted much needed new fans. They key was to turn them into fully-fledged Ammies, and with a good number we did. I include all the people you mention in the above post in that category, plus a few more. That said, those fans - who in my opinion are EQUAL to the longer-term supporters - maybe number about 100 if we're pushing it. You can't tell me with any seriousness that we don't have daytrippers and tourists. If you feel you can, then I say that is a blinkered view. A look at some of the Facebook groups or Twitter should show you what you need to know. Also, look at the numbers. Once we'd been on TV everybody wanted a ticket for the next TV game. Sales of tickets, merchandise, etc. went up to a level the club wasn't prepared for. In that period we had a crowd of almost 1,000 for a league cup game against Trafford and 1,300 against Stamford. Those games fell when we were still in the F.A. Cup. Since then the crowds have been back down to between 500 and 700 (still great given where the club has come from), excluding yesterday's game. So where are 700 of the fans who went to the Stamford match? They weren't at the home games against Barwell, Skelmersdale, Stourbridge, Frickley, or Ramsbottom, that's for sure. These are daytrippers and tourists I'm talking about. Where are the 500-plus people who came to Hartlepool away on 15th December? The coach for Halesowen had 9 people on it! Finally, I think that if the investments into the club go sour and we start to go the other way, then we will NOT be getting even 500 at the games any more. Surely you don't think that all these fans would stay if we went down divisions? We'd probably get more than we used to - for sure - as we have converted a few Ammies for life now, but we'd be lucky to sustain 300 in my opinion. In that scenario, we would be the same as Darlo.
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Post by footifan on Feb 14, 2016 13:37:37 GMT
I feel that I should point out a minor contradiction in this line of argument from the perspective of a Salford fan before a Darlo fan points out the exact same thing. You say that you're not buying into any claim that Darlo will attract more fans as they progress up the leagues, but then immediately point out that this is exactly what Salford have done. I agree that it shouldn't make a blind bit of difference what league your team is in; however, that clearly isn't the case with the vast number of our current fan base. I can only point to a minority who watched us in the Counties, and even when we went up to the Evo-Stik the crowds didn't increase by too many. Frankly, it took the publicity surrounding the Co92 takeover to get our crowds over 200 and the television exposure late last year before the really big crowds came. We also have a lot of 'tourists' and 'day trippers' whether people want to hear this or not, so perhaps we shouldn't be casting aspersions about other clubs' fan bases. A number of our newer fans will not be here if we start to go back the other way, of that I can assure you. You havent got the gist of my comments Mozzer where have their fans gone!! From their league days when other clubs have kept their fan base and to assume you are going to double your average when you go up we have grown our fan base as we go up we have NEVER!!! averaged anywhere near what we are at the present we havent lost vast numbers of fans like they did where did they go. And im sorry but this argument about new fans old fans is getting laboured so unless you followed the team in the counties you will dissapear at the first sign of trouble tell that to the family who travel home and away from the midlands who never knew the club existed till the CO92 took over who all have a Salford shirt say it to my lads mate and his dad who have given up their season ticket at utd because they enjoy salford win loose or draw. We need to grow to move up the leagues and ill say it again Darlington were once a league club whose fans left them when they got into trouble simple as that and when another teams fan comments on our "small club" "small crowd" i will defend it with a balanced argument and im sure darlingtons fans are more than capable to fight their own corner.
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Post by mozzer on Feb 14, 2016 14:00:33 GMT
footifan - any particular reason why you have quoted a previous post without adding your own comments to it?
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Post by broughton12 on Feb 14, 2016 14:08:22 GMT
I never said that we never lost any fans i said we didnt loose vast numbers 50+ and the day trippers were the ones that came v trafford and stamford but it has stabled now to around 6/700 which is great its nearly doubled on last season and ive said it plenty of times the increase of the fan base will only keep rising when we have improvements to the ground nobody will want to keep watching in tipping down rain but i take your points.
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Post by footifan on Feb 14, 2016 14:27:49 GMT
You havent got the gist of my comments Mozzer where have their fans gone!! From their league days when other clubs have kept their fan base and to assume you are going to double your average when you go up we have grown our fan base as we go up we have NEVER!!! averaged anywhere near what we are at the present we havent lost vast numbers of fans like they did where did they go. And im sorry but this argument about new fans old fans is getting laboured so unless you followed the team in the counties you will dissapear at the first sign of trouble tell that to the family who travel home and away from the midlands who never knew the club existed till the CO92 took over who all have a Salford shirt say it to my lads mate and his dad who have given up their season ticket at utd because they enjoy salford win loose or draw. We need to grow to move up the leagues and ill say it again Darlington were once a league club whose fans left them when they got into trouble simple as that and when another teams fan comments on our "small club" "small crowd" i will defend it with a balanced argument and im sure darlingtons fans are more than capable to fight their own corner. A fair & balanced reply Full Fan. I sincerely hope you do not have to go through what Darlo have in recent years. Not looking for sympathy just making you aware.
People seem to cherry pick the facts, one minute we are a massive ex league club, next we have no history as a new club 1883. The FA penalised the fans for the actions of past owners & their dodgy dealings over several decades, yet the hard core fans stood by the club raised a substantial amount of money to keep the ownerless club going, paying off most if not all of the debt the FA saddled the the club with, while raising funds to find a new ground, yet still manage to climb up the leagues. Yes gates have dropped, mainly due to the fact we play our home games in a DIFFERENT TOWN & not having a base, not even a clubhouse
Not only did we have our name taken away from us due to an FA that seems to treat the smaller clubs with double standards ( ie Middlesbrough 1986 etc ). To make comparisons with other clubs that were relegated to non league & other clubs demoted just shows a lack of knowledge of the facts. Your knowledge of NE football or lack of it shows when you say we are not affected by the Premier League clubs & a resurgent Middlesbrough is just plainly incorrect.
When Darlo were relegated to the Conference in 89 our gates actually went up, as they will when we finally get back to Darlington.
Enjoy your days in the sun with your "sugar daddys" , we have had them in the past & look what happened to us !!! They will in time get bored with their toy... For your sake's I hope they do not but it will happen.
Credit to ALL fans that support football at these lower levels, rather than Premier League clubs etc..
Darlo fans can never be accused of jumping on a bandwagon , in fact we are the buggers that got run over by it
I am not going to get involved in an endless debate & name calling... just be thankful you have a club to support we very nearly did not.
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Post by mozzer on Feb 14, 2016 14:41:10 GMT
I never said that we never lost any fans i said we didnt loose vast numbers 50+ and the day trippers were the ones that came v trafford and stamford but it has stabled now to around 6/700 which is great its nearly doubled on last season and ive said it plenty of times the increase of the fan base will only keep rising when we have improvements to the ground nobody will want to keep watching in tipping down rain but i take your points. I agree. Future success and ground improvements will attract more fans. I also hope that loyalties are never put to the test, as that means we continue to improve on and off the pitch.
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Post by broughton12 on Feb 14, 2016 19:25:04 GMT
A fair & balanced reply Full Fan. I sincerely hope you do not have to go through what Darlo have in recent years. Not looking for sympathy just making you aware.
People seem to cherry pick the facts, one minute we are a massive ex league club, next we have no history as a new club 1883. The FA penalised the fans for the actions of past owners & their dodgy dealings over several decades, yet the hard core fans stood by the club raised a substantial amount of money to keep the ownerless club going, paying off most if not all of the debt the FA saddled the the club with, while raising funds to find a new ground, yet still manage to climb up the leagues. Yes gates have dropped, mainly due to the fact we play our home games in a DIFFERENT TOWN & not having a base, not even a clubhouse
Not only did we have our name taken away from us due to an FA that seems to treat the smaller clubs with double standards ( ie Middlesbrough 1986 etc ). To make comparisons with other clubs that were relegated to non league & other clubs demoted just shows a lack of knowledge of the facts. Your knowledge of NE football or lack of it shows when you say we are not affected by the Premier League clubs & a resurgent Middlesbrough is just plainly incorrect.
When Darlo were relegated to the Conference in 89 our gates actually went up, as they will when we finally get back to Darlington.
Enjoy your days in the sun with your "sugar daddys" , we have had them in the past & look what happened to us !!! They will in time get bored with their toy... For your sake's I hope they do not but it will happen.
Credit to ALL fans that support football at these lower levels, rather than Premier League clubs etc..
Darlo fans can never be accused of jumping on a bandwagon , in fact we are the buggers that got run over by it
I am not going to get involved in an endless debate & name calling... just be thankful you have a club to support we very nearly did not.
I tottally respect the genuine fans and the club in its present form i just get naffed off with the mentality of some who think they have a god given right to be further up the pyramid and its not everyone as always its a minority who bang on about everyone else being a small club and low attendances its not what non-league is about i loved it yesterday meeting up with a few darlington fans in a local pub and having a good old natter about the teams and football no mention of attendances and big club little club just pure footy chat but im a bugger for biting back i hope moving forward that its the footy on the pitch we have a debate about in future
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Post by footifan on Feb 14, 2016 22:53:10 GMT
A fair & balanced reply Full Fan. I sincerely hope you do not have to go through what Darlo have in recent years. Not looking for sympathy just making you aware.
People seem to cherry pick the facts, one minute we are a massive ex league club, next we have no history as a new club 1883. The FA penalised the fans for the actions of past owners & their dodgy dealings over several decades, yet the hard core fans stood by the club raised a substantial amount of money to keep the ownerless club going, paying off most if not all of the debt the FA saddled the the club with, while raising funds to find a new ground, yet still manage to climb up the leagues. Yes gates have dropped, mainly due to the fact we play our home games in a DIFFERENT TOWN & not having a base, not even a clubhouse
Not only did we have our name taken away from us due to an FA that seems to treat the smaller clubs with double standards ( ie Middlesbrough 1986 etc ). To make comparisons with other clubs that were relegated to non league & other clubs demoted just shows a lack of knowledge of the facts. Your knowledge of NE football or lack of it shows when you say we are not affected by the Premier League clubs & a resurgent Middlesbrough is just plainly incorrect.
When Darlo were relegated to the Conference in 89 our gates actually went up, as they will when we finally get back to Darlington.
Enjoy your days in the sun with your "sugar daddys" , we have had them in the past & look what happened to us !!! They will in time get bored with their toy... For your sake's I hope they do not but it will happen.
Credit to ALL fans that support football at these lower levels, rather than Premier League clubs etc..
Darlo fans can never be accused of jumping on a bandwagon , in fact we are the buggers that got run over by it
I am not going to get involved in an endless debate & name calling... just be thankful you have a club to support we very nearly did not.
I tottally respect the genuine fans and the club in its present form i just get naffed off with the mentality of some who think they have a god given right to be further up the pyramid and its not everyone as always its a minority who bang on about everyone else being a small club and low attendances its not what non-league is about i loved it yesterday meeting up with a few darlington fans in a local pub and having a good old natter about the teams and football no mention of attendances and big club little club just pure footy chat but im a bugger for biting back i hope moving forward that its the footy on the pitch we have a debate about in future NO worries Broughton, your probably like me .... SUPPORT YOUR CLUB THROUGH THIN & THINNER
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