Sky have tightened their belts since being taken over by Comcast a couple of years ago so I don’t anticipate them making a significant bid. However, the Saudis are clearly desperate to promote their venture so perhaps they will give it away and charge us even more for fuel!
Being in the industry what do you make of Sky getting Peter Drury in as their lead commentator this season?
I'm delighted personally, I think he's at the very top of his game and has a wonderful way of expressing himself which really adds to my enjoyment of the game
Unpopular opinion I know, but I think Dury overdoes it a lot of the time with his analogies etc. He's been alright on the Prem (maybe the UCL floodlights trigger something in him), although he did rather exaggerate after Liverpool's winner on Sunday.
That being said... He's a vast improvement on emotionless Martin Tyler.
I'm still weighing up whether this is the global shift in football or whether it is the Packer circus all over again. I kind of feel this opinion is shared by pundits (decent ones) who don't want to be jump and be left high and dry when the Saudis get bored.
I meant more along the lines of the division it may cause with the establishment. We are already seeing managers griping that they are no longer the top money dogs and what impact this might happen if this continues. If Mo Salah leaves Liverpool after Friday - which he could - that will cause issues shall I say.
@glasshalffull much earlier in this thread you acknowledge that Wycombe have not benefited in the increased gates of a number of lower league clubs. What do you put this down to?
I’m a big fan of Peter’s commentaries and he’s also a lovely guy. At the same time I feel some sympathy for Rob Hawthorne who waited so long to become number one on Sky only to be overlooked.
Good question and I wish I had a good answer. Many theories have been put forward - access, parking, admission prices etc - but to some extent those issues apply to many if not the majority of clubs. It’s frustrating that a club which has enjoyed so much success in a relatively short period in the EFL can’t attract bigger crowds. What happens to those who only attend big games and trips to Wembley when it’s Burton Albion at home? I wish I knew..answers on a postcard as they used to say.
Too much alternative entertainment on offer, easier and cheaper to access is my response. Big clubs chasing revenue, reaching out to snag young fans countrywide overshadow the.lower leagues who have to depend on a shrinking band of aging loyalists who themselves can find funding their support tough as owners struggle to compete for success.
One of the most significant issues which has been posited is that the proximity to London means too much competition from larger clubs. For instance, if you live anywhere around Shrewsbury, you are probably going to Shrewsbury games (same for Plymouth, Exeter, Carlisle, etc.). If you live on a commuter line into London, the capital is your oyster.
No offence to anyone, but I think it’s bloody obvious. Very few people in my age bracket can afford to live in the Bucks area, let alone afford to go to football regularly. (21-35). If they can afford to live here, then they can usually often afford to support a London-based Premier League side. The overwhelming majority of new faces you see at Adams Park are under 21 and almost certainly living with their parents paying less money for their ticket.
I’ve heard the argument about proximity to London but what about clubs in the north west who are within an hour of Liverpool and Manchester? For instance Tranmere get bigger crowds than us despite being just across the Mersey from Liverpool and Everton and they’re in League 2. I’ve heard the argument about people going into London for their football fix but the cost of watching PL games is prohibitive and that’s if you can get a ticket. The point about alternative entertainment being available is valid but that applies everywhere and hasn’t stopped dozens of clubs seeing a rise in their attendances. The problem seems to go deeper than that.
That’s nonsense @Shev . Why on earth would people living in Plymouth want to watch Shrewsbury….
On the subject of our gates, yes the presence of clubs all around us makes our catchment area small. Then factor in that being in the SE, HW and it’s surroundings have a much higher percentage of people who have moved to the area for work from other regions but continue to owe their football loyalty to their childhood home towns and cities.
That really though only explains why our gates are relatively low not why growth in those gates appear to have been less pronounced than other clubs.
This is economics 101 @glasshalffull - by your logic we could all be living a life of luxury if the government just printed more money, but that's not what happens when money is injected into an economy, inflation is what happens and you end up with this...
So, by your logic are you saying that EFL clubs should have rejected the increased offer from Sky in case it led to inflation in the football industry?
Reading the document and deciding if it's in the long term interests of themselves and the game as opposed to just grabbing any cash on offer? No, It'll never catch on.
Tranmere were founding members of the Football League Division 3 in the 1930s. They have played League Football for about 60 years longer than Wycombe. I think that counts for a lot in terms of attendance?
The COVID promotion is the mystery factor, while certain teams might say we might not have made it without the season being curtailed, we didn't get to go to the famous away grounds or have the likely home sellouts and get to build up the excitement in the town, think that would have attracted some who may have stayed.
Comments
Sky have tightened their belts since being taken over by Comcast a couple of years ago so I don’t anticipate them making a significant bid. However, the Saudis are clearly desperate to promote their venture so perhaps they will give it away and charge us even more for fuel!
Being in the industry what do you make of Sky getting Peter Drury in as their lead commentator this season?
I'm delighted personally, I think he's at the very top of his game and has a wonderful way of expressing himself which really adds to my enjoyment of the game
Unpopular opinion I know, but I think Dury overdoes it a lot of the time with his analogies etc. He's been alright on the Prem (maybe the UCL floodlights trigger something in him), although he did rather exaggerate after Liverpool's winner on Sunday.
That being said... He's a vast improvement on emotionless Martin Tyler.
I'm still weighing up whether this is the global shift in football or whether it is the Packer circus all over again. I kind of feel this opinion is shared by pundits (decent ones) who don't want to be jump and be left high and dry when the Saudis get bored.
The Packer ‘circus’ became the standard in one day cricket so can’t be dismissed in the same way.
I meant more along the lines of the division it may cause with the establishment. We are already seeing managers griping that they are no longer the top money dogs and what impact this might happen if this continues. If Mo Salah leaves Liverpool after Friday - which he could - that will cause issues shall I say.
More likely to win on Tuesday night.
@glasshalffull much earlier in this thread you acknowledge that Wycombe have not benefited in the increased gates of a number of lower league clubs. What do you put this down to?
I’m a big fan of Peter’s commentaries and he’s also a lovely guy. At the same time I feel some sympathy for Rob Hawthorne who waited so long to become number one on Sky only to be overlooked.
Good question and I wish I had a good answer. Many theories have been put forward - access, parking, admission prices etc - but to some extent those issues apply to many if not the majority of clubs. It’s frustrating that a club which has enjoyed so much success in a relatively short period in the EFL can’t attract bigger crowds. What happens to those who only attend big games and trips to Wembley when it’s Burton Albion at home? I wish I knew..answers on a postcard as they used to say.
Too much alternative entertainment on offer, easier and cheaper to access is my response. Big clubs chasing revenue, reaching out to snag young fans countrywide overshadow the.lower leagues who have to depend on a shrinking band of aging loyalists who themselves can find funding their support tough as owners struggle to compete for success.
One of the most significant issues which has been posited is that the proximity to London means too much competition from larger clubs. For instance, if you live anywhere around Shrewsbury, you are probably going to Shrewsbury games (same for Plymouth, Exeter, Carlisle, etc.). If you live on a commuter line into London, the capital is your oyster.
No offence to anyone, but I think it’s bloody obvious. Very few people in my age bracket can afford to live in the Bucks area, let alone afford to go to football regularly. (21-35). If they can afford to live here, then they can usually often afford to support a London-based Premier League side. The overwhelming majority of new faces you see at Adams Park are under 21 and almost certainly living with their parents paying less money for their ticket.
Surely it’s exactly the same as when you see a non-league side packed to the rafters for a FA Cup 1st round TV game.
Then they get 500 the following week.
Some people aren’t really interested in coming every week and just like going to the big games for a day out.
I’ve heard the argument about proximity to London but what about clubs in the north west who are within an hour of Liverpool and Manchester? For instance Tranmere get bigger crowds than us despite being just across the Mersey from Liverpool and Everton and they’re in League 2. I’ve heard the argument about people going into London for their football fix but the cost of watching PL games is prohibitive and that’s if you can get a ticket. The point about alternative entertainment being available is valid but that applies everywhere and hasn’t stopped dozens of clubs seeing a rise in their attendances. The problem seems to go deeper than that.
To be fair, we’ve seen an increase too.
5753 in 22/23 vs 5339 in 19/20, an increase of 7.8%
The final year in League 2 was 4705.
This season is 4729 after 3 games but we haven’t played any of the highly supported teams yet.
Last season saw our highest average attendance since 2002/03
That’s nonsense @Shev . Why on earth would people living in Plymouth want to watch Shrewsbury….
On the subject of our gates, yes the presence of clubs all around us makes our catchment area small. Then factor in that being in the SE, HW and it’s surroundings have a much higher percentage of people who have moved to the area for work from other regions but continue to owe their football loyalty to their childhood home towns and cities.
That really though only explains why our gates are relatively low not why growth in those gates appear to have been less pronounced than other clubs.
This is economics 101 @glasshalffull - by your logic we could all be living a life of luxury if the government just printed more money, but that's not what happens when money is injected into an economy, inflation is what happens and you end up with this...
So, by your logic are you saying that EFL clubs should have rejected the increased offer from Sky in case it led to inflation in the football industry?
Freelancing commentator points out benefits of Sky's involvement.
Fans who live miles away and can't make midweek games talk of inconvenience.
That should be a sticky thread really.
Reading the document and deciding if it's in the long term interests of themselves and the game as opposed to just grabbing any cash on offer? No, It'll never catch on.
Tranmere were founding members of the Football League Division 3 in the 1930s. They have played League Football for about 60 years longer than Wycombe. I think that counts for a lot in terms of attendance?
Surely recent success, of which we have had far more, should account for a reasonable increase though?
The COVID promotion is the mystery factor, while certain teams might say we might not have made it without the season being curtailed, we didn't get to go to the famous away grounds or have the likely home sellouts and get to build up the excitement in the town, think that would have attracted some who may have stayed.
Fair point. 🤷♂️
And we might have stayed up. Possibly.
No, apparently I'm teaching you BTEC economics.
Maybe they wanted the extra money to pay their outstanding bills, isn’t that what several unions are demanding at the moment?
I have no idea what you're talking about now soz.
Football clubs paying their bills? Now you're really getting radical.