Matchday Experience & Stadium

[Deleted]

Ok, I'm new to your club please don't shoot me for my suggestion.

As soon as lockdowns are over, and fans are back in the stadiums, id like to visit your stadium.

As a fan of a Premier League club in England, your matchday experience seems to me to be a little lacking.

In particular, on the highlights of matches ive seen of your team, as the teams are coming out to play I think it would be good if you came out to an uplifting song.

And an hour before kick off, turn up your PA system to 11 and bang out some songs over it. It just seems a little.....flat.

The fans too on the highlights don't seem to sing much. Cant a group of enthusiastic lads bang a drum or get everyone going a bit more?

It also seems like at one end of the ground is a kind of wasteland....can this be tidied up to encourage fans behind the goal?

Also, would you not benefit from laying an artificial pitch, as your grass pitch looks a bit sketchy.

Just suggestions. I know all of this costs money and its difficult to find the cash, I just felt I would give a suggestion or two.

I know ill have the p**s taken now, I hope not but was hoping to suggest ways to increase your crowds (when its safe)

[jordancampbell]

Part of the charm of the Scottish game is that it’s everything the English game is not.

[jaydee]

Oct 8, 2020 15:10:04 GMT @weeroversnewbie said:

Ok, I'm new to your club please don't shoot me for my suggestion.

As soon as lockdowns are over, and fans are back in the stadiums, id like to visit your stadium.

As a fan of a Premier League club in England, your matchday experience seems to me to be a little lacking.

In particular, on the highlights of matches ive seen of your team, as the teams are coming out to play I think it would be good if you came out to an uplifting song.

And an hour before kick off, turn up your PA system to 11 and bang out some songs over it. It just seems a little.....flat.

The fans too on the highlights don't seem to sing much. Cant a group of enthusiastic lads bang a drum or get everyone going a bit more?

It also seems like at one end of the ground is a kind of wasteland....can this be tidied up to encourage fans behind the goal?

Also, would you not benefit from laying an artificial pitch, as your grass pitch looks a bit sketchy.

Just suggestions. I know all of this costs money and its difficult to find the cash, I just felt I would give a suggestion or two.

I know ill have the p**s taken now, I hope not but was hoping to suggest ways to increase your crowds (when its safe)

I can answer a few of those.....

There are/were a group of young kids who got themselves together before lockdown. I would imagine they will be back after lockdown 👍🏼

The ‘wasteland’ is in the process of being made into an artificial 5/7 a side park and warm up area.

The artificial park argument is one that splits the support both at our club and across Scottish football, on one hand it would bring much needed additional income. On the other hand nothing beats playing football on grass. As for the park looking ‘sketchy’ can I be so bold as to suggest you buy the streaming package for the next home game as the park was in very good condition on Tuesday night and I expect it will be the same come a week on Saturday for the Stenhousemuir game.

[Deleted]

I know we're in lockdown but I don't realise it was April 1st! 🙄

[Deleted]

Oct 8, 2020 17:13:55 GMT jimbo42 said:

I know we're in lockdown but I don't realise it was April 1st! 🙄

Im sorry i really was just making some suggestions.

Im becoming more and more acquainted with your club and its ground and history, i didnt want to sound like i was trolling, i really wasnt

[Deleted]

Poking fun. As you said yourself it's all about money and we only have small crowds. Things are being done. Pitch is actually really good and a lot of work has been done on that front. Problem with plastic pitches is they have to be replaced over time which even if we did it once we probably couldn't replace it when the time came. Cannae beat grass anyway. As said why not sign up for the live games and help us out. One thing is certain when we get back into the grounds you'll hear me! 👍😄

[Deleted]

Oct 8, 2020 17:49:19 GMT jimbo42 said:

Poking fun. As you said yourself it's all about money and we only have small crowds. Things are being done. Pitch is actually really good and a lot of work has been done on that front. Problem with plastic pitches is they have to be replaced over time which even if we did it once we probably couldn't replace it when the time came. Cannae beat grass anyway. As said why not sign up for the live games and help us out. One thing is certain when we get back into the grounds you'll hear me! 👍😄

You seem to have a great bunch of fans, and i do love the fact that its more intimate.

I did buy the stream for the game v Ayr and i thought other than some teething problems with the camera keeping up with play, it was really innovative and great commentary too.

I really want to watch you guys as much as possible this season so i will buy more streams. Because we are in the Europa League this season (i support Leicester City) the good thing is quite a few of our games will end up being on sundays which leaves me saturday free to watch your matches.

I believe you had a good prospect at your club named Smart Osadolor.....what happened to him?

[burnleyboy]

I also support a Premier League team and believe me the experience at Cliftonhill is everything as Jordan Campbell says that English football is not. Welcoming , good value for money , 3pm kick offs , not ripped off at every opportunity and so far apart from the fans in all aspects that attending a game is a fantastic experience. Been coming up now for a few years and the 3 of us who come up have bought season tickets This season as we genuinely believe that the Albion experience is what football should be about. Made some fantastic friends and can’t wait to get back up. The banter is quality yet the rivalry is still intense as any English derby.

[Deleted]

Enjoy the games. Smarticus, as we called him, went to Elgin

[Deleted]

Oct 8, 2020 18:57:14 GMT burnleyboy said:

I also support a Premier League team and believe me the experience at Cliftonhill is everything as Jordan Campbell says that English football is not. Welcoming , good value for money , 3pm kick offs , not ripped off at every opportunity and so far apart from the fans in all aspects that attending a game is a fantastic experience. Been coming up now for a few years and the 3 of us who come up have bought season tickets This season as we genuinely believe that the Albion experience is what football should be about. Made some fantastic friends and can’t wait to get back up. The banter is quality yet the rivalry is still intense as any English derby.

To be honest, i see both sides of the debate.

I really, really want to come to a match at Cliftonhill.

I like "real" football played by good honest players, being close to the action and the camaraderie that goes with a small intimate community of fans.

I also like watching the best players like De Bruyne, Salah, Aubameyang, Bruno against our own players like Youri, Maddison, Vardy etc in a smart modern stadium.

But the experience of Cliftonhill is definitely more enjoyment and sport, than business and that appeals to me.

Im in a minority on this but i dont really mind kickoffs being moved. I dont really subscribe to the "it has to be saturday at 3pm" school of thought. I dont really see any difference going down to a game on a sunday than a saturday personally.

[tommysermanni]

I take great exception to this post.Three quarters of the ground is a wasteland not just behind one goal.... and I wouldn't change a thing.
As painful as it is to admit the point about the artificial pitch is correct.
I see Broxburn Athletic's pitch and facilities in full use 5 days/nights a week creating a steady flow of income.

[mildrover]

Hope to see you at a game when things get back to normal weeroversnewbie. You will get a warm Rovers welcome and will enjoy the experience of buying a 50/50 draw ticket from Andy and Mary, savouring the joys of a Christie's pie, visiting the club shop and maybe enjoying a drink in the lounge taking in our Hall of Fame photos. I'm sure you will also appreciate the huge efforts first hand that go to keep our great club and its stadium going. And I haven't even mentioned the hilarious and entertaining banter from the fans!

Ronnie

[mildrover]

Just to take up a few points made on this thread by Tommysermanni and Jaydee. The area behind the Coatbridge goals is not being made into artificial pitches but has been cleared and will be grassed up the wall to be used for pre match warm ups, kids holiday football camps, Football Fans in Training, disability football etc. therefore taking the pressure off the football pitch.

Tommysermanni refers to Broxburn Athletic raking in income from the hire of their pitch. You could add numerous examples across Scotland to that example. This would be a great asset for the Rovers, cutting costs of hiring training facilities, boosting income from hiring out the pitch and reducing the loss of income due to poor weather.

Ronnie

[Prof]

Oct 9, 2020 14:30:13 GMT mildrover said:

Hope to see you at a game when things get back to normal weeroversnewbie. You will get a warm Rovers welcome and will enjoy the experience of buying a 50/50 draw ticket from Andy and Mary, savouring the joys of a Christie's pie, visiting the club shop and maybe enjoying a drink in the lounge taking in our Hall of Fame photos. I'm sure you will also appreciate the huge efforts first hand that go to keep our great club and its stadium going. And I haven't even mentioned the hilarious and entertaining banter from the fans!

Ronnie

Great post Ronnie 

[Deleted]

Just make sure you get to the pies before the prof or they'll be none left! 😁 (Good to see you for a bit of banter this afternoon by the way, Prof!) 👍