I guess adults go into the ‘family stand’ because it is relatively good value / good view? My understanding is ‘family’ indicates ‘no x rated language/ behaviour’, not ‘must have a kid in tow’.
Exactly. That and there are people who've had the same seats for years, since their kids were young, and like to keep them. It's never remotely full anyway.
Cambridge's support on Tuesday was great wasn't it? I'm always impressed by their numbers. Shrewsbury too to a lesser extent. of course, neither of those two are an 40 minute train ride from some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Northampton are a good example for us, obviously more football league history and further from London, but not by much. And they've not had the success we've enjoyed over the last ten years. If they can average just short of 6000 I'd like to think we can.
Completely agree with other posters that point to Northampton, Cambridge and Shrewsbury as better examples
There are three key factors (outside of pricing) slowing the attendance growth in my opinion:
1) Change in demographic of the Wycombe area - fewer football fans, more families crammed into a single household, more poverty, those from backgrounds that do not follow football
2) Poor health of the nation - our ground is a 20+ minute walk away, when you’ve got millions and millions of people on waiting lists for operations then our geographical challenge is larger
3) Awful family experience - expensive to bring children, 20+ minute walk from the car in a world of short attention spans, £10(!) parking on site and subsequent queueing out the ground as an alternative, £8 burgers etc.
The marketing is poor. The pricing is poor. Those can be changed. The three above are more difficult unless you can move the ground or hope for structural economic reform of the Wycombe area.
From memory the club had multiple applications for a new site rejected by the local authority and Sands was the last remotely suitable location remaining. Even then it was initially turned down and the club had to appeal to the Department of the Environment before getting the go ahead.
Things haven’t changed much since those days. If only the local council could accept that WWFC is the main reason the town gets any publicity in the national media and locally what else would attract 5-6,000 people to the same venue every fortnight, often twice a week? We are a force for good in troubled times and deserve a lot more help than we get
It's very easy for people to say why are there loads of kidless blokes in there, but when you realise a lot are long term fans who've always sat there, it's a different situation. Although I assume these "empties" are always at the ends. Not sure it's the best experience for kids to be say in the end 2 blocks near the away end?
They should probably block people buying there for new tickets without a kid though - if they don't already.
I think it's been covered in the past but wasn't Sands something like 10th-15th-20th down the list?! Finding suitable flat land and getting planning permission in Wycombe is no easy feat.
I have had seats in the family stand for me and my son for the last three seasons. I only went there as it was the best option price wise for us. This year he has had to get a Saturday job so has not been able to attend them all but I have still gone. We have decided he will not renew next season and I am looking forward to returning to the terrace. However people are right, there were a couple of children in my row, a couple of lads in their late teens who sat in front of me (who seemed like well brought up lads) but the majority of people where middle aged men. A lot were there as they enjoyed the company of those around them. That is good for them, but if any family with young kids are looking for seats in Block E you stand no chance, as they are not going anywhere. However there is a window coming up for hopefully some family as seats 110 to 112, block E, Row J will be back on the market (don’t get there late as asking them politely to stand when you get to your seats is not a pleasant experience).
I have, at least they have some semblance of a bar, at Colchester they literally just open the gates to one of the stands (or at least did when we went there last).
Comments
It's really selfish, and shouldn't be allowed
I guess adults go into the ‘family stand’ because it is relatively good value / good view? My understanding is ‘family’ indicates ‘no x rated language/ behaviour’, not ‘must have a kid in tow’.
Exactly. That and there are people who've had the same seats for years, since their kids were young, and like to keep them. It's never remotely full anyway.
You could perhaps have a few 'family' blocks, but you've got to give people the opportunity to buy tickets close to the pitch.
That article was proved by me in July 2023 to be poorly researched and totally inaccurate.
Of the teams who have terracing we had the most expensive season ticket.
If you wanted to sit then the best value season tickets for sitting put us second most expensive. Portsmouth being the top.
Not sure about this season, but I seem to remember only Ipswich and Cheltenham charging more for away tickets last season.
Cambridge's support on Tuesday was great wasn't it? I'm always impressed by their numbers. Shrewsbury too to a lesser extent. of course, neither of those two are an 40 minute train ride from some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Northampton are a good example for us, obviously more football league history and further from London, but not by much. And they've not had the success we've enjoyed over the last ten years. If they can average just short of 6000 I'd like to think we can.
Completely agree with other posters that point to Northampton, Cambridge and Shrewsbury as better examples
There are three key factors (outside of pricing) slowing the attendance growth in my opinion:
1) Change in demographic of the Wycombe area - fewer football fans, more families crammed into a single household, more poverty, those from backgrounds that do not follow football
2) Poor health of the nation - our ground is a 20+ minute walk away, when you’ve got millions and millions of people on waiting lists for operations then our geographical challenge is larger
3) Awful family experience - expensive to bring children, 20+ minute walk from the car in a world of short attention spans, £10(!) parking on site and subsequent queueing out the ground as an alternative, £8 burgers etc.
The marketing is poor. The pricing is poor. Those can be changed. The three above are more difficult unless you can move the ground or hope for structural economic reform of the Wycombe area.
Move the ground = build the attendances. We really have the worst positioned ground I think I have experienced, who chose that as the new Loakes Park?
The trouble being that new generations of kids don't ever get the chance to sit in those seats
From memory the club had multiple applications for a new site rejected by the local authority and Sands was the last remotely suitable location remaining. Even then it was initially turned down and the club had to appeal to the Department of the Environment before getting the go ahead.
Lots of lovely support from our local council then…very poor
Things haven’t changed much since those days. If only the local council could accept that WWFC is the main reason the town gets any publicity in the national media and locally what else would attract 5-6,000 people to the same venue every fortnight, often twice a week? We are a force for good in troubled times and deserve a lot more help than we get
This is it.
It's very easy for people to say why are there loads of kidless blokes in there, but when you realise a lot are long term fans who've always sat there, it's a different situation. Although I assume these "empties" are always at the ends. Not sure it's the best experience for kids to be say in the end 2 blocks near the away end?
They should probably block people buying there for new tickets without a kid though - if they don't already.
That's the Tories for you @glasshalffull
I think Colchester take that title, it really is miles away from anything else.
I think it's been covered in the past but wasn't Sands something like 10th-15th-20th down the list?! Finding suitable flat land and getting planning permission in Wycombe is no easy feat.
I have had seats in the family stand for me and my son for the last three seasons. I only went there as it was the best option price wise for us. This year he has had to get a Saturday job so has not been able to attend them all but I have still gone. We have decided he will not renew next season and I am looking forward to returning to the terrace. However people are right, there were a couple of children in my row, a couple of lads in their late teens who sat in front of me (who seemed like well brought up lads) but the majority of people where middle aged men. A lot were there as they enjoyed the company of those around them. That is good for them, but if any family with young kids are looking for seats in Block E you stand no chance, as they are not going anywhere. However there is a window coming up for hopefully some family as seats 110 to 112, block E, Row J will be back on the market (don’t get there late as asking them politely to stand when you get to your seats is not a pleasant experience).
Ha! I’m pretty much the same seats row G!
Ever get to Yeovil?
I have, at least they have some semblance of a bar, at Colchester they literally just open the gates to one of the stands (or at least did when we went there last).
To be fair, it is pretty close to the A12 junction, so it's relatively easy to make a quick getaway.