I think the bigger picture is that the population / demographic of High Wycombe and surrounding areas is much changed and a greater percentage of that population are not interested in football at all.
What that population change really means is that we need to put much more effort into trying to get youngsters from all of the community to come to the games in the hope that they are encouraged to return time and again.
Get around the schools and junior football clubs to be visible and to coach football, whilst giving lots of free tickets away to the boys and girls.
There was a golden period where you there were about 6 or 7 bus routes picking up from all round the area. Brilliant days, walk to the end of your road and jump on. Am sure this was on top of the standard train station bus too.
There is a train station bus, and that is important but the offering is woefully under what it used to be.
They try park and ride, but location is critical. The old opposite the cinema was decent, as was the sports centre when it was the last pick up. Then they wrecked that by making it the first pick up meaning you'd be on the bus best part of an hour rather than 15mins!
Not even sure they do that option now.
The West Wycombe park and ride was a good try but just simply the wrong area of town to do it, as it was out of a lot of people's way and I dare say that grass field could become a right bog half the year.
I never seen any argument against this target schools approach.
The last regime(s) didn't seem even slightly interested which was baffling.
Bar our billionaire making us the new Brentford / Brighton or any new fashionable premier league club, our best hope will always be locking the local kids in. Once they're on board, they're on board for life.
I've spoken to a number of parents of school aged kids in relation to the Villa game and how excited they must be to take Jr to see a big club come to AP. The answer universally has been 'school night' can't go.
Don't want to be one of those old men but a Tuesday night game at Loakes Park was nothing without popping into Tuck-In for chips on the way home. From the age of 8 I reckon. And if I was lucky I got to see the end of The Sweeney before heading to bed.
Yes, and a repeat of that game against Villa when we conceded seven goals in the second half after leading 3-1 at half time really would encourage youngsters to nag parents to take them to Adams Park.
I suspect given the funding at ML's disposal & the comparitively pocket change amounts WWFC requires at the moment, increasing crowds is very low on the "to-do" list.
I equally suspect that once it rises up the list to start to become important then ML & his team will deploy all the marketing/brand/audience growth nouse that Kapsi etc. have and will crack the problem. I am sure the general house keeping infrastructure stuff will be fixed long before that, but that to an extent depends on the Trust as landlords enforcing the "full repairing" clauses in the tenancy agreement. The developmental infrastructure stuff (2nd road, Improved terrace/home stand, decent bogs and so on) will then follow at some stage.
DR will be telling him something along the lines of get the first team playing decent football & pushing for the playoffs every season & see some local youngsters develop through the Academy & people will come; this is certainly a big part of the equation.
Oh & whilst holding onto our culture & values is immensly important Couhig was right, we have to stop talking about "little old Wycombe" & maybe just maybe start talking about ambitious Wycombe; aiming for the stars whilst keeping our feet on the ground in our community...
Some parents, eh ?! But you brought back memories (not childhood ones of course) of magical evenings at Loakes Park under the floodlights after parking the mini in that little lane by the Gasworks. And the mention of chips from the Tuck-In (or the effin’ Tuck-In as one young charmer used to call it) has made be a bit peckish.
If we played in the first half like we did that night, there might be a fair few excited to come back and see what we could do to the likes of Crawley and Peterborough. Here's hoping.
That 3-1 first half was peak Gormania and perhaps the most fun 45 mins I’ve watched at AP. Which is why I voted it my ‘something old’ moment when I did ‘Ringing The Blues’ with @bluntphil
With respect, what blind bit of difference does that make to people who don't go to Wycombe because they're put off by how early you have to get there to park within a mile radius and how long it takes to get home afterwards?
Not decided what to do for this game yet. Options are wait for the kids to finish school and set off around 3.30pm. I doubt by the time we arrive we'd get a decent car park space, if we're on the road around 10.30pm after the match we'll get back around 2am.
Haven't seen ticket prices yet but reckon it will be over £100 for tickets and petrol and that's before any food or drinks.
Or stay at home and let Sadie go to football training and watch it on the TV afterwards. I'll probably decide closer to the game.
Yes the town has changed / yes the access / departure time is an issue / yes there is plenty of top flight alternative footie within easy reach / yes it’s on the telly / yes families have alternative entertainments available / yes our facilities aren’t great / yes times are tough and it’s not a cheap option
But thats the case for many other clubs, clubs that are holding on to attendances.
There needs to be a strategic analysis of how other clubs facing such similar circumstances have addressed the issue. Sticking plaster tactics and hollow promises were expedient under previous regimes. Now the ‘tier one academy’ mentality needs to be applied to all elements of the club including this.
We are probably unique in having a stadium (designed and built for 6000 spectators at a time when 2000 would have been seen as a 'big' crowd) at the end of a dead end road (albeit uniquely beautiful), which always meant that coping with anything over a few thousand with the existing infrastructure would cause problems.
It certainly doesn't help but its probably (if regrettably) worth remembering that the Pests regularly seemed to attract much larger crowds routinely than we seem to be able to with the same limitations, so it clearly isn't 'just' the ease of access that puts people off.
I used to go to Tuesday night games as a kid. It was sometimes used as a bargaining chip to get me to do my homework etc. (i.e not football if it's not done). Didn't seem to do me any harm.
I think I'd have been 11 when we beat Wimbledon away in the FA Cup. I guess we must have got home at roughly 1am. Imagine missing that game because you might be a bit tired for school FFS!
Wasps crowds did significantly decline over the years though. By the time they left, I don't think they were getting that much more than we were. Also of course, they had far fewer matches and didn't tend to have midweek games.
I sometimes think parking costs are prohibitive at Adams Park. I agree that most stadiums have access difficulties, but several stadiums I've visited with Wycombe in the last few years have large, free car parks close by. At Wycombe you're paying £10 to park at the stadium, or £5 to park in the industrial estate. For free street parking, you need to park a good 15mins or so away from the stadium and that would generally also involve a steep uphill walk post match. I don't mind it, although it is a bit of a pain for the midweek games. I can well imagine the price (on top of match tickets) of parking, or a long post match walk are off putting for some though.
It'd be interesting to know what away fans in our division would say about the parking situation.
We have Bristol Rovers away soon, I always think of that as being an "easy" parking situation. But is it actually much different to Wycombe? I.e. if you want a close walk you have to get there early, if not prepare for a 15-20min walk in?
I refer you to the excellent post by Perfidious Albion who has articulated my view that despite access problems being commonplace throughout the EFL, it is constantly used as a reason/excuse why our attendances are so disappointing. If it doesn’t affect the average crowds at other clubs, why should Wycombe be an exception?
If there was a real desire to attend our home games people would be prepared to overcome the problems of getting to and from Adams Park. Do you go to any/ many away games and if so have you experienced the problems of getting to and from and parking at other venues?
Comments
I think the bigger picture is that the population / demographic of High Wycombe and surrounding areas is much changed and a greater percentage of that population are not interested in football at all.
What that population change really means is that we need to put much more effort into trying to get youngsters from all of the community to come to the games in the hope that they are encouraged to return time and again.
Get around the schools and junior football clubs to be visible and to coach football, whilst giving lots of free tickets away to the boys and girls.
There was a golden period where you there were about 6 or 7 bus routes picking up from all round the area. Brilliant days, walk to the end of your road and jump on. Am sure this was on top of the standard train station bus too.
There is a train station bus, and that is important but the offering is woefully under what it used to be.
They try park and ride, but location is critical. The old opposite the cinema was decent, as was the sports centre when it was the last pick up. Then they wrecked that by making it the first pick up meaning you'd be on the bus best part of an hour rather than 15mins!
Not even sure they do that option now.
The West Wycombe park and ride was a good try but just simply the wrong area of town to do it, as it was out of a lot of people's way and I dare say that grass field could become a right bog half the year.
I never seen any argument against this target schools approach.
The last regime(s) didn't seem even slightly interested which was baffling.
Bar our billionaire making us the new Brentford / Brighton or any new fashionable premier league club, our best hope will always be locking the local kids in. Once they're on board, they're on board for life.
I've spoken to a number of parents of school aged kids in relation to the Villa game and how excited they must be to take Jr to see a big club come to AP. The answer universally has been 'school night' can't go.
Don't want to be one of those old men but a Tuesday night game at Loakes Park was nothing without popping into Tuck-In for chips on the way home. From the age of 8 I reckon. And if I was lucky I got to see the end of The Sweeney before heading to bed.
8 o'clock kick off + takes ages to get away from the ground afterwards + potential of penalty shoot out making it even later
I imagine most parents of young kids will make the same call
yeah, but it's on the telly. Oh, the glamour.
Yes, and a repeat of that game against Villa when we conceded seven goals in the second half after leading 3-1 at half time really would encourage youngsters to nag parents to take them to Adams Park.
I suspect given the funding at ML's disposal & the comparitively pocket change amounts WWFC requires at the moment, increasing crowds is very low on the "to-do" list.
I equally suspect that once it rises up the list to start to become important then ML & his team will deploy all the marketing/brand/audience growth nouse that Kapsi etc. have and will crack the problem. I am sure the general house keeping infrastructure stuff will be fixed long before that, but that to an extent depends on the Trust as landlords enforcing the "full repairing" clauses in the tenancy agreement. The developmental infrastructure stuff (2nd road, Improved terrace/home stand, decent bogs and so on) will then follow at some stage.
DR will be telling him something along the lines of get the first team playing decent football & pushing for the playoffs every season & see some local youngsters develop through the Academy & people will come; this is certainly a big part of the equation.
Oh & whilst holding onto our culture & values is immensly important Couhig was right, we have to stop talking about "little old Wycombe" & maybe just maybe start talking about ambitious Wycombe; aiming for the stars whilst keeping our feet on the ground in our community...
Some parents, eh ?! But you brought back memories (not childhood ones of course) of magical evenings at Loakes Park under the floodlights after parking the mini in that little lane by the Gasworks. And the mention of chips from the Tuck-In (or the effin’ Tuck-In as one young charmer used to call it) has made be a bit peckish.
Gem of a post. Encapsulates perfectly every aspect of the overall strategy/longer term objectives as I think most of us perceive and welcome them.
If we played in the first half like we did that night, there might be a fair few excited to come back and see what we could do to the likes of Crawley and Peterborough. Here's hoping.
I agree and as I have stated before access is a problem at the majority of football grounds.
That 3-1 first half was peak Gormania and perhaps the most fun 45 mins I’ve watched at AP. Which is why I voted it my ‘something old’ moment when I did ‘Ringing The Blues’ with @bluntphil
With respect, what blind bit of difference does that make to people who don't go to Wycombe because they're put off by how early you have to get there to park within a mile radius and how long it takes to get home afterwards?
I guess the argument is that lots of clubs are increasing their attendances despite crap access so why can’t we?
Not decided what to do for this game yet. Options are wait for the kids to finish school and set off around 3.30pm. I doubt by the time we arrive we'd get a decent car park space, if we're on the road around 10.30pm after the match we'll get back around 2am.
Haven't seen ticket prices yet but reckon it will be over £100 for tickets and petrol and that's before any food or drinks.
Or stay at home and let Sadie go to football training and watch it on the TV afterwards. I'll probably decide closer to the game.
Your dedication is incredible! I'm only in Oxford, and I'm seriously weighing up whether to take my 7 year old.
If you do come down @ryan_w_kirkby2, someone at the club should reserve you a free parking space just for the dedication.
Yes the town has changed / yes the access / departure time is an issue / yes there is plenty of top flight alternative footie within easy reach / yes it’s on the telly / yes families have alternative entertainments available / yes our facilities aren’t great / yes times are tough and it’s not a cheap option
But thats the case for many other clubs, clubs that are holding on to attendances.
There needs to be a strategic analysis of how other clubs facing such similar circumstances have addressed the issue. Sticking plaster tactics and hollow promises were expedient under previous regimes. Now the ‘tier one academy’ mentality needs to be applied to all elements of the club including this.
Price !! Don't care what people say, we ain't cheap
Example... Huddersfield £249 for a season ticket, anywhere = over 14,000 season ticket holders
We are probably unique in having a stadium (designed and built for 6000 spectators at a time when 2000 would have been seen as a 'big' crowd) at the end of a dead end road (albeit uniquely beautiful), which always meant that coping with anything over a few thousand with the existing infrastructure would cause problems.
It certainly doesn't help but its probably (if regrettably) worth remembering that the Pests regularly seemed to attract much larger crowds routinely than we seem to be able to with the same limitations, so it clearly isn't 'just' the ease of access that puts people off.
I used to go to Tuesday night games as a kid. It was sometimes used as a bargaining chip to get me to do my homework etc. (i.e not football if it's not done). Didn't seem to do me any harm.
I think I'd have been 11 when we beat Wimbledon away in the FA Cup. I guess we must have got home at roughly 1am. Imagine missing that game because you might be a bit tired for school FFS!
Wasps crowds did significantly decline over the years though. By the time they left, I don't think they were getting that much more than we were. Also of course, they had far fewer matches and didn't tend to have midweek games.
I sometimes think parking costs are prohibitive at Adams Park. I agree that most stadiums have access difficulties, but several stadiums I've visited with Wycombe in the last few years have large, free car parks close by. At Wycombe you're paying £10 to park at the stadium, or £5 to park in the industrial estate. For free street parking, you need to park a good 15mins or so away from the stadium and that would generally also involve a steep uphill walk post match. I don't mind it, although it is a bit of a pain for the midweek games. I can well imagine the price (on top of match tickets) of parking, or a long post match walk are off putting for some though.
Can anyone remember the full details about the parking arrangements Wasps had?
I'm sure I remember people in Booker not being allowed to park outside their own homes around matchdays?
Why on earth that was granted I don't know anyway, but if so for Wasps why not for Wycombe?
It'd be interesting to know what away fans in our division would say about the parking situation.
We have Bristol Rovers away soon, I always think of that as being an "easy" parking situation. But is it actually much different to Wycombe? I.e. if you want a close walk you have to get there early, if not prepare for a 15-20min walk in?
Absolutely incredible
I'll be there, and I live in America. I'll expect a full ground, fellow Chairboys. 😁
I refer you to the excellent post by Perfidious Albion who has articulated my view that despite access problems being commonplace throughout the EFL, it is constantly used as a reason/excuse why our attendances are so disappointing. If it doesn’t affect the average crowds at other clubs, why should Wycombe be an exception?
Do you think people are lying?
If there was a real desire to attend our home games people would be prepared to overcome the problems of getting to and from Adams Park. Do you go to any/ many away games and if so have you experienced the problems of getting to and from and parking at other venues?