Hi, @DevC . I quite agree that the club working out what it might do to increase attendance makes good sense. Why has this thread narrowed it down to the question of Asian people? I think, without doing so deliberately, I am being rather the opposite of PC in my thinking.
@bill_stickers What is a "broader problem" in football? In what way is it a "problem" any more than the fact that I don't go there is a problem to the High Wycombe lawn bowls club? Talk about straw men!
yes - it contains a post fairly near the outset talking of "gangs" within the supporter base and references "far-right racism and bovver boy violence"
Imagine if someone who has never been to a Wycombe game and knew nothing about the club read that from one of our own supporters.
I would gladly tell anyone that Adams Park is one of the friendliest, most welcoming, least intimidating football grounds in the country, certainly in the professional leagues and the chances of witnessing trouble are so miniscule as to be pretty much zero.
Saying stuff like that is not only irresponsible and misleading, but very very stupid.
The whole thread is based upon an assumption as well that certain groups are not represented in the fanbase. As far as I can tell, the person who is making this observation lives in Canada
@hcblue the club can both look to increase attendance in general and do things to target specific groups. I don't see how that's in any way controversial?
It's a matter of fact that there is a lower proportion of Asian people in the crowd at Adams Park in comparison to the general population in the local area. This might not be a problem as such, but it certainly is an opportunity for the club to explore.
Well HC if 16% of the towns population is Asian (and probably a higher percentage of men aged 16-30), yet the WW fan base shows a significantly lower proportion of Asian supporters, superficially at least you might very well ask the question why that is and whether more people from that community can be attracted. its called targeted marketing. Its a legitimate aim. However wrong to think that just because the differential exists, it means the club is neglecting potential support or doesn't care or even is racist. It may just be for reasons of their own that few of that 16% want to come.
Nobody is suggesting the Wycombe terrace is a den of far right hooliganism and that the town is at risk of a race war. Quite literally the opposite. People have highlighted the odd example of moronic and unacceptable behaviour as quite that - the odd example.
You have come into this thread with your mind already made up on what people are trying to say, and what people think. The discussion has been very articulate, accurate and not at all sensationalist.
I think everyone is in agreement that WWFC is a welcoming and inclusive place to visit regardless of race or ethnicity, which is why everyone is even more baffled at why there is a low proportion of non-whites represented on the terraces. It is a fact, whether you want to admit it or not.
The only person making assumptions here is you. Just because they have Canada in their name doesn't mean they live there!
I don't know why things are as they are. But I'm not "baffled" by it, @bill_stickers . That's rather my point. I assume the people who don't come to watch WWFC, whatever the colour of their skin, have other things to do with their Saturday afternoons.
Should we be baffled that the crowd is not 50% female?
HCBlue, it seems your attitude is that on the whole, women don't seem to like football, neither do x and y minorities, so who cares if they don't come, why bother trying.
Other people think differently. They think, here is a local group of people not engaged. How can we engage them? How can we change / pique their interest?
I have heard moronic chants, unnecessary booing and the unedifying sight of a couple of cider'd up ratboys trying to get a rise out of nonplussed visiting fans, but cannot recall any racial abuse. Never heard any emanating from the terrace either...whose banter (witty and sometimes not) is clearly audible in the Beechdean. Having said that I rarely travel so perhaps the EDL youth movement funds tickets for it's devotees. Areas like Leeds and Bradford who have even bigger Asian populations have historically struggled to attract support from those communities. It's not a problem specific to Wycombe I suspect. I do not feel anyone would feel threatened when attending Adams Park. How many cider'd up ratboys or well refreshed 'true fans' at Tesco constitute a gang. What do the statistics say?
@bill_stickers : so start a conversation about why we should have more women coming to watch football here. Why confine this discussion to Asians, as the initial poster did?
WWFC gets crowd sizes roughly equal to 2.5% of the population of High Wycombe - which itself is a huge underrepresentation of its catchment area, since a high number of us, I fancy, come from beyond the town boundaries. There's lots of other people that could come if they wanted, including lots and lots and lots of white men aged 18 - 60. They don't come. So be it. The club will do what it will and we will do our bit by maintaining a welcoming aspect.
The initial post never narrowed the discussion down to just SE Asians. Read it back again. It merely highlighted them as one example amongst various minority groups.
but the point is that the atmosphere at Adams Park is such that no-one would feel intimidated or unwelcome at all. Whether people choose to attend is up to them, but it certainly shouldn't be because they feel worried or scared about it
Come back! He prefaces that by saying "Obviously High Wycombe is a town that has changed dramatically over the last few decades with an expanding immigrant and in particular South East Asian population."
@eric_plant I entirely agree that it shouldn't be, but it's possible that football's reputation, largely a hangover from the past, might prevent people from the Asian community from wanting to come. If they've never been, then they wouldn't know how welcoming it is at Wycombe.
To be honest the problem at the moment is attracting ANY new supporters. If you'd have brought along a non-dedicated football fan to any of probably 90% of home games last season they wouldn't exactly have been rushing to come again next week.
I would imagine the vast majority of our current fans have been coming years with the occasional new intake in response to a buzz in the town from a cup run or something.
No real criticism. It's just how it is. It's also worth mentioning that our fan base is probably 500% more now than it was 30 years ago when there was sod all on TV, no premier league and Woolworths was the highlight of a Saturday afternoon in Wycombe - and the ground was a lot more accessible then too.
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Is it?
Hi, @DevC . I quite agree that the club working out what it might do to increase attendance makes good sense. Why has this thread narrowed it down to the question of Asian people? I think, without doing so deliberately, I am being rather the opposite of PC in my thinking.
@bill_stickers What is a "broader problem" in football? In what way is it a "problem" any more than the fact that I don't go there is a problem to the High Wycombe lawn bowls club? Talk about straw men!
yes - it contains a post fairly near the outset talking of "gangs" within the supporter base and references "far-right racism and bovver boy violence"
Imagine if someone who has never been to a Wycombe game and knew nothing about the club read that from one of our own supporters.
I would gladly tell anyone that Adams Park is one of the friendliest, most welcoming, least intimidating football grounds in the country, certainly in the professional leagues and the chances of witnessing trouble are so miniscule as to be pretty much zero.
Saying stuff like that is not only irresponsible and misleading, but very very stupid.
The whole thread is based upon an assumption as well that certain groups are not represented in the fanbase. As far as I can tell, the person who is making this observation lives in Canada
@hcblue the club can both look to increase attendance in general and do things to target specific groups. I don't see how that's in any way controversial?
It's a matter of fact that there is a lower proportion of Asian people in the crowd at Adams Park in comparison to the general population in the local area. This might not be a problem as such, but it certainly is an opportunity for the club to explore.
And I quite agree there is no truth to the suggestion there is any far right element at Wycombe.
Well HC if 16% of the towns population is Asian (and probably a higher percentage of men aged 16-30), yet the WW fan base shows a significantly lower proportion of Asian supporters, superficially at least you might very well ask the question why that is and whether more people from that community can be attracted. its called targeted marketing. Its a legitimate aim. However wrong to think that just because the differential exists, it means the club is neglecting potential support or doesn't care or even is racist. It may just be for reasons of their own that few of that 16% want to come.
Nobody is suggesting the Wycombe terrace is a den of far right hooliganism and that the town is at risk of a race war. Quite literally the opposite. People have highlighted the odd example of moronic and unacceptable behaviour as quite that - the odd example.
You have come into this thread with your mind already made up on what people are trying to say, and what people think. The discussion has been very articulate, accurate and not at all sensationalist.
I think everyone is in agreement that WWFC is a welcoming and inclusive place to visit regardless of race or ethnicity, which is why everyone is even more baffled at why there is a low proportion of non-whites represented on the terraces. It is a fact, whether you want to admit it or not.
The only person making assumptions here is you. Just because they have Canada in their name doesn't mean they live there!
"our ridiculous youth gangs, with their connotations of far right racism" seems a pretty certain statement to me.
OK, I've re-read and found the post you are referencing which I have missed, and would like to clarify that I don't agree with it.
We don't have gangs of youths with far right sympathies.
Maybe just the odd vocal muppet who thinks the EDL are somehow admirable like any other market town in the UK.
I don't know why things are as they are. But I'm not "baffled" by it, @bill_stickers . That's rather my point. I assume the people who don't come to watch WWFC, whatever the colour of their skin, have other things to do with their Saturday afternoons.
Should we be baffled that the crowd is not 50% female?
I wholeheartedly agree with @North_of_the_Border whose post pretty much exactly echoes my thoughts on this topic.
the racial/sexuality/any other measure you care to use part, I fully agree with, Uncle T.
What does he/you mean in practise with the rest of it?
HCBlue, it seems your attitude is that on the whole, women don't seem to like football, neither do x and y minorities, so who cares if they don't come, why bother trying.
Other people think differently. They think, here is a local group of people not engaged. How can we engage them? How can we change / pique their interest?
I have heard moronic chants, unnecessary booing and the unedifying sight of a couple of cider'd up ratboys trying to get a rise out of nonplussed visiting fans, but cannot recall any racial abuse. Never heard any emanating from the terrace either...whose banter (witty and sometimes not) is clearly audible in the Beechdean. Having said that I rarely travel so perhaps the EDL youth movement funds tickets for it's devotees. Areas like Leeds and Bradford who have even bigger Asian populations have historically struggled to attract support from those communities. It's not a problem specific to Wycombe I suspect. I do not feel anyone would feel threatened when attending Adams Park. How many cider'd up ratboys or well refreshed 'true fans' at Tesco constitute a gang. What do the statistics say?
Wycombe have got loads of female fans
But its not a 50/50 split is it, so some would argue there's still room for improvement?
@bill_stickers : so start a conversation about why we should have more women coming to watch football here. Why confine this discussion to Asians, as the initial poster did?
WWFC gets crowd sizes roughly equal to 2.5% of the population of High Wycombe - which itself is a huge underrepresentation of its catchment area, since a high number of us, I fancy, come from beyond the town boundaries. There's lots of other people that could come if they wanted, including lots and lots and lots of white men aged 18 - 60. They don't come. So be it. The club will do what it will and we will do our bit by maintaining a welcoming aspect.
Some people including women don't like football...I know because I've met some of them. They are all strange, of course...
The initial post never narrowed the discussion down to just SE Asians. Read it back again. It merely highlighted them as one example amongst various minority groups.
@bill_stickers
I read it back again.
It said: "How does the club propose to involve Pakistani or Indian Wycombiensians and bring them onboard?"
I'm leaving now.
but the point is that the atmosphere at Adams Park is such that no-one would feel intimidated or unwelcome at all. Whether people choose to attend is up to them, but it certainly shouldn't be because they feel worried or scared about it
Come back! He prefaces that by saying "Obviously High Wycombe is a town that has changed dramatically over the last few decades with an expanding immigrant and in particular South East Asian population."
Note the words in particular, not exclusively.
@eric_plant I entirely agree that it shouldn't be, but it's possible that football's reputation, largely a hangover from the past, might prevent people from the Asian community from wanting to come. If they've never been, then they wouldn't know how welcoming it is at Wycombe.
You lot voted Steve Baker into office. The whole town is far right.
Not me...a completely different right-winger is in place in my part of leafy Bucks.
To be honest the problem at the moment is attracting ANY new supporters. If you'd have brought along a non-dedicated football fan to any of probably 90% of home games last season they wouldn't exactly have been rushing to come again next week.
I would imagine the vast majority of our current fans have been coming years with the occasional new intake in response to a buzz in the town from a cup run or something.
No real criticism. It's just how it is. It's also worth mentioning that our fan base is probably 500% more now than it was 30 years ago when there was sod all on TV, no premier league and Woolworths was the highlight of a Saturday afternoon in Wycombe - and the ground was a lot more accessible then too.
Don't blame me either. Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire here