Galway United FC

civis_liberalis

ratracer wrote: »

I can understand why they did it, but I think it was a terrible mistake charging €5 for kids this season. Yes, a child season ticket is €25, and would work out as good value if used regularly, BUT, it would stop me bringing some of my sons friends to the game with him.

The club was at a huge disadvantage not charging everyone coming in the gate an entrance fee like every club in the league.

If it causes you to rethink, fair enough, but it was necessary to redress the balance. When people have something for free or at a deep discount for so long, it can cause a stir when prices go up. This however is just bringing the club in line with everyone else.

Likewise the practice of everyone under 30 claiming to be a secondary school kid has been stopped as well.

gordongekko

civis_liberalis wrote: »

Likewise the practice of everyone under 30 claiming to be a secondary school kid has been stopped as well.

Despite being over 30 my youthful good looks still allow me to gain access to this perk :P

Mr Velo

From what i remember, Connacht did something smart with their Family Season tickets, whereby if you purchased the family ticket, it was cheaper than buying 2 adult tickets.
Can't be 100% sure - but i know there was something like that which made it appealing for a family to get a ticket.

It's a bit too easy to say that football is a working mans game, i think there are more things at play than just that.
Is Terryland a little out of the way? Does not having beer at the ground make a difference? (i know it's not permitted at soccer grounds - just comparing to rugby). Does having players who play for the national team attract a crowd to the Sportsground? Lets be honest, there are some games in Terryland where you just watch and go "why the hell did i come in" - so the quality leaves a lot to be desired (again it's not professional a la rugby).

Ah, i'm rambling now!!

deisedude

Mr Velo wrote: »

From what i remember, Connacht did something smart with their Family Season tickets, whereby if you purchased the family ticket, it was cheaper than buying 2 adult tickets.
Can't be 100% sure - but i know there was something like that which made it appealing for a family to get a ticket.

It's a bit too easy to say that football is a working mans game, i think there are more things at play than just that.
Is Terryland a little out of the way? Does not having beer at the ground make a difference? (i know it's not permitted at soccer grounds - just comparing to rugby). Does having players who play for the national team attract a crowd to the Sportsground? Lets be honest, there are some games in Terryland where you just watch and go "why the hell did i come in" - so the quality leaves a lot to be desired (again it's not professional a la rugby).

Ah, i'm rambling now!!

The single biggest thing that happened to Connacht Rugby was getting into the Heineken cup a few years back where they ended up playing some big name teams with star players. There was a huge buzz that Connacht were going to be playing quality teams like Toulouse and Harlequins. A packed house and great atmosphere and some casual fans start going to the games more and a good few become regulars

Even Galway United qualifying for Europe and playing some Azerbajani team in Terryland isn't going to have the same appeal. Granted you'll get crowds for European games but they will dissipate quickly after

youngrun

Mr Velo wrote: »

From what i remember, Connacht did something smart with their Family Season tickets, whereby if you purchased the family ticket, it was cheaper than buying 2 adult tickets.
Can't be 100% sure - but i know there was something like that which made it appealing for a family to get a ticket.

It's a bit too easy to say that football is a working mans game, i think there are more things at play than just that.
Is Terryland a little out of the way? Does not having beer at the ground make a difference? (i know it's not permitted at soccer grounds - just comparing to rugby). Does having players who play for the national team attract a crowd to the Sportsground? Lets be honest, there are some games in Terryland where you just watch and go "why the hell did i come in" - so the quality leaves a lot to be desired (again it's not professional a la rugby).

Ah, i'm rambling now!!

Plenty of advantages in rugby at present given great Connacht form but many games there are as bad dull boring ball under a heap . Sportsground location is a big draw.
There has to be low cost ways of marketing the club better
eg Visit every school once during season and give out 100 tickets free, some will go and the parents will pay in...who knows some might come back
FAI lobby them to assist marketing wise/budget wise
Local radio PR in advance of games. John M in GB FM is great guy for sport, but Connacht gets 20 times more mentions GUFC should be pushing.
the odd deal like family special tickets or bring another adult for a fiver or something smart
Things to bump atmosphere like clappers, hats, balloons , or music eg fan karaoke or something awful like that, keep the kids/family into it . . St Pats fans last year created probably the best atmosphere the two times they were there, second time they had fancy dress , that kind of idea gets a good buzz and laugh going.

ben.schlomo

youngrun wrote: »

Plenty of advantages in rugby at present given great Connacht form but many games there are as bad dull boring ball under a heap . Sportsground location is a big draw.
There has to be low cost ways of marketing the club better
eg Visit every school once during season and give out 100 tickets free, some will go and the parents will pay in...who knows some might come back
FAI lobby them to assist marketing wise/budget wise
Local radio PR in advance of games. John M in GB FM is great guy for sport, but Connacht gets 20 times more mentions GUFC should be pushing.
the odd deal like family special tickets or bring another adult for a fiver or something smart
Things to bump atmosphere like clappers, hats, balloons , or music eg fan karaoke or something awful like that, keep the kids/family into it . . St Pats fans last year created probably the best atmosphere the two times they were there, second time they had fancy dress , that kind of idea gets a good buzz and laugh going.

If someone came near me with a hat,clapper or balloon they'd be told where to go, lively. The atmosphere the night of the Cork game was superb, without all that plastic Chelsea fan sh1te. As for asking the FAI to assist with clubs marketing, you'd be as well asking directions from a blind man on a roller-coaster.

civis_liberalis

People giving out about marketing must be deliberately ignoring what is being done.

ben.schlomo

civis_liberalis wrote: »

People giving out about marketing must be deliberately ignoring what is being done.

Fully agree, the social media platforms are well established and updated constantly. Match posters are on buses and at main road junctions throughout the city. Dont listen to GBFM but i assume they are well mentioned there too. They have had the team in schools this week, think they were in a childrens ward in the hospital recently too.

youngrun

civis_liberalis wrote: »

People giving out about marketing must be deliberately ignoring what is being done.

Crowds haven't improved so where are the results ?
Made some suggestions there
Are you happy with things and 1300 average a week or do you think the club should be attracting more?
If so how
Only making suggestions . Am nearly thirty years following United and it would be great to see Terryland even half full every week

ben.schlomo

youngrun wrote: »

Crowds haven't improved so where are the results ?
Made some suggestions there
Are you happy with things and 1300 average a week or do you think the club should be attracting more?
If so how
Only making suggestions . Am nearly thirty years following United and it would be great to see Terryland even half full every week

No offence but I don't see how a few balloons and hats will draw an extra few hundred in. As for schools, they are already going in to them, you cant just expect instant results from initial visits, the club seems to be building it's profile in the community locally and that's a long term thing not a quick win. Crowds will get a bit better when Connachts season finishes, possibly with a fell good factor from the Euros too.

civis_liberalis

ben.schlomo wrote: »

As for schools, they are already going in to them, you cant just expect instant results from initial visits, the club seems to be building it's profile in the community locally and that's a long term thing not a quick win.

Also, just because you don't hear about a school visit doesn't mean it didn't happen. Plenty of what Connacht does gets covered in depth. Not so with United. Not that we are ignored, but just because the media didn't cover it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

youngrun

civis_liberalis wrote: »

Also, just because you don't hear about a school visit doesn't mean it didn't happen. Plenty of what Connacht does gets covered in depth. Not so with United. Not that we are ignored, but just because the media didn't cover it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

The aim of the post was to put some low cost marketing ideas out there not to denigrate what's being done ,
Like giving 100 plus school free tickets to add to the crowd , every week for the season
Does this happen
Like trying to attract other markets that don't attend in big numbers like women , families or just Joe public using deals , trying to create a bit of atmosphere about the game , etc
If I were on the board I wouldn't be happy with the numbers going and would be looking at all areas to boost crowds and revenues

civis_liberalis

youngrun wrote: »

The aim of the post was to put some low cost marketing ideas out there not to denigrate what's being done ,
Like giving 100 plus school free tickets to add to the crowd , every week for the season
Does this happen

Scores of unattended schoolkids has been shown to be of no benefit whatsoever over the years. People used to drop kids at the road and they would be running around Terryland unsupervised, paying nothing in and ignoring the football, with no short or long-term benefit to the club.

There is a large group of accompanied schoolkids at every match, for the halftime teams and winners of the juvenile cups have that their presentations in front of the crowd in Terryland as well.

youngrun wrote: »

Like trying to attract other markets that don't attend in big numbers like women , families or just Joe public using deals ,

The problems with deals is that in most cases, the tickets make their way to people who would have gone anyway. This has the effect of the same number of people going, but paying less. Free tickets just don't work in my opinion. It also affects the value people feel they are getting if you are throwing out free tickets like confetti.

youngrun wrote: »

trying to create a bit of atmosphere about the game , etc

Do you have any suggestions?

youngrun wrote: »

If I were on the board I wouldn't be happy with the numbers going and would be looking at all areas to boost crowds and revenues

There is a committee dedicated to marketing. Everything possible is being done, but many things people suggest require money that isn't available.

Traditional marketing, like signs on the busiest stretches of road are a good improvement, as well as the constant but not spammy promotion on all social media platforms.

I don't believe any club in Ireland does online marketing better than GUFC.

youngrun

civis_liberalis wrote: »

Scores of unattended schoolkids has been shown to be of no benefit whatsoever over the years. People used to drop kids at the road and they would be running around Terryland unsupervised, paying nothing in and ignoring the football, with no short or long-term benefit to the club.

There is a large group of accompanied schoolkids at every match, for the halftime teams and winners of the juvenile cups have that their presentations in front of the crowd in Terryland as well.


The problems with deals is that in most cases, the tickets make their way to people who would have gone anyway. This has the effect of the same number of people going, but paying less. Free tickets just don't work in my opinion. It also affects the value people feel they are getting if you are throwing out free tickets like confetti.



Do you have any suggestions?



There is a committee dedicated to marketing. Everything possible is being done, but many things people suggest require money that isn't available.

Traditional marketing, like signs on the busiest stretches of road are a good improvement, as well as the constant but not spammy promotion on all social media platforms.

I don't believe any club in Ireland does online marketing better than GUFC.

I agree that things are slicker programme ad hoarding etc

What would you suggest be done?

If I was M O Leary flying with 3/4 empty planes I wouldnt be happy, same with terryland.
Whats wrong with free tickets and I mean to schools who may never play with clubs as its the club kids /teams that go? What does it cost - nothing. Allow them a deal with a 5er per adult with them.
Deals like bringing an adult for a fiver, or all in family deal a few games a season for eg to get new people to come along with existing fans
Atmosphere well that PA man has me deafened so somebody new. Clappers, foghorns , vuvuzelas for kids! The odd band at half time or competition on the pitch eg penalties or something daft
The same crowd go every week which is great and what you want a solid base- why not go for more >??!!
Get some marketing student or intern to do the leg work and come up with a few ideas and some kind of budget to do it.

ben.schlomo

youngrun wrote: »

I agree that things are slicker programme ad hoarding etc

What would you suggest be done?

If I was M O Leary flying with 3/4 empty planes I wouldnt be happy, same with terryland.
Whats wrong with free tickets and I mean to schools who may never play with clubs as its the club kids /teams that go? What does it cost - nothing. Allow them a deal with a 5er per adult with them.
Deals like bringing an adult for a fiver, or all in family deal a few games a season for eg to get new people to come along with existing fans
Atmosphere well that PA man has me deafened so somebody new. Clappers, foghorns , vuvuzelas for kids! The odd band at half time or competition on the pitch eg penalties or something daft
The same crowd go every week which is great and what you want a solid base- why not go for more >??!!
Get some marketing student or intern to do the leg work and come up with a few ideas and some kind of budget to do it.

A fiver for an adult with a free child, sure then I'm not happy paying full price in? Why should I? Vuvuzelas, seriously!!! I think I'd stick with the current marketing than let you run free on it anyway.

youngrun

Any suggestions so Ben S ??
or are you happy with the ways things are . I certainly wouldnt be. Why not regular initiatives to get more bums on seats? Why not try some things out that dont cost an arm and a leg thats the way most businesses or clubs work? Invent ideas, or people just get bored with it all and nobody new comes along. Families/kids always looking to go somewhere at wkends why not terryland if things are right?
re the 5 er its a once off to get people in . ...

ben.schlomo

youngrun wrote: »

Any suggestions so Ben S ??
or are you happy with the ways things are . I certainly wouldnt be. Why not regular initiatives to get more bums on seats? Why not try some things out that dont cost an arm and a leg thats the way most businesses or clubs work? Invent ideas, or people just get bored with it all and nobody new comes along. Families/kids always looking to go somewhere at wkends why not terryland if things are right?
re the 5 er its a once off to get people in . ...

You cant just continually have offers on ticket prices, firstly it irks everyone else paying full price and secondly it only brings people there for offers and not when there aren't any. The people doing the marketing are doing a good job, as has been pointed out already. I go there to watch the match, to hope we win not to watch a band at ht or a penalty shoot out, already happened before and was mostly cringe anyway. And I also don't want to be annoyed by poxy vuvuzelas and the like. Special guests and the kids teams at ht are enough.

youngrun

Again , any suggestions Ben as to how to improve crowds and more revenue in?

ben.schlomo

youngrun wrote: »

Again , any suggestions Ben as to how to improve crowds and more revenue in?

I'm not in the marketing management side of the club. The marketing being done is the way I'd go, you seem to think that things will just change instantly by your measures, they won't, it takes time. Go to a coop meeting if you've that many good ideas which they have yet to implement. I'm sure they'll have answers for you, whether you want them or not. Try the fans forum too where this has been discussed a million times.

youngrun

ben.schlomo wrote: »

I'm not in the marketing management side of the club. The marketing being done is the way I'd go, you seem to think that things will just change instantly by your measures, they won't, it takes time. Go to a coop meeting if you've that many good ideas which they have yet to implement. I'm sure they'll have answers for you, whether you want them or not. Try the fans forum too where this has been discussed a million times.

How do you join the co-op is there any info? Can you still buy shares ?
Who is doing the marketing at present ?

ben.schlomo

youngrun wrote: »

How do you join the co-op is there any info? Can you still buy shares ?
Who is doing the marketing at present ?

Shares? You could email the club about who does what or ask on the forum, coop info should be on the website.

civis_liberalis

youngrun wrote: »

How do you join the co-op is there any info? Can you still buy shares ?

http://galwayunitedfc.ie/co-op/

Membership will always be open.

youngrun wrote: »

Who is doing the marketing at present ?

A committee and other volunteers.

Ruben Remus

The fact that you can't (officially) have a beer at a game, or in a pub beside the ground, was mentioned in passing earlier in the thread. I know Bohs have been running some very successful craft beer promotions at Dalymount this season but then they have two full bars in the ground. I presume the cost of getting a bar licence would be prohibitive in Terryland?

civis_liberalis

Ruben Remus wrote: »

The fact that you can't (officially) have a beer at a game, or in a pub beside the ground, was mentioned in passing earlier in the thread. I know Bohs have been running some very successful craft beer promotions at Dalymount this season but then they have two full bars in the ground. I presume the cost of getting a bar licence would be prohibitive in Terryland?

The Wards' "Catering" have an exclusive food and beverages agreement with the Galway FA.

The Galway FA are represented on the board of Galway United yet this was clearly not in the interest of Galway United.

ben.schlomo

civis_liberalis wrote: »

The Wards' "Catering" have an exclusive food and beverages agreement with the Galway FA.

'catering',nicely done.

civis_liberalis

ben.schlomo wrote: »

'catering',nicely done.

There's plenty more I could say, but I don't want to get the thread locked, so nobody else do so either.

youngrun

Ruben Remus wrote: »

The fact that you can't (officially) have a beer at a game, or in a pub beside the ground, was mentioned in passing earlier in the thread. I know Bohs have been running some very successful craft beer promotions at Dalymount this season but then they have two full bars in the ground. I presume the cost of getting a bar licence would be prohibitive in Terryland?[/QUOTE

On licence to buy eg for old clubhouse and get licenced in court would be 50k+ or
could try and use an existing pub licence and apply for special event licence
http://abacuslegal.ie/alcohol-and-licensing-solicitor-dublin/licensing-festivals-and-public-events/. Tricky enough and risks involved

civis_liberalis

Galway United also don't own Terryland. Can't even get proper food or beverages on sale there. I think beer is the absolute least of our problems.

Ruben Remus

civis_liberalis wrote: »

Galway United also don't own Terryland. Can't even get proper food or beverages on sale there. I think beer is the absolute least of our problems.

Fair enough, though I wasn't suggesting beer was the greatest of the club's problems!

Back on topic: The cup fixture away to Bohs on Friday is a difficult one to predict.

If it's a draw, does anyone know when the replay will be played?

civis_liberalis

Ruben Remus wrote: »

Fair enough, though I wasn't suggesting beer was the biggest issue facing the club!

Back on topic: The cup fixture away to Bohs on Friday is a difficult one to predict.

If it's a draw, does anyone know when the replay will be played?

Sorry, I was just giving some perspective. My main point is that we have little control over the club because we don't own Terryland (which is fine) and the club is controlled by other interests.

I've heard that some Bohs fans are calling for the head of Keith Long if they lose to us in the cup.

We had a tough run, which was arrested against an improving Bray side the last night, but I think they need to really give it everything.

We might have seen the EA Sports Cup as being winnable, but it's no different to the FAI Cup. We have a stronger team and squad than we have had in many many years, so if we can overcome Bohs, who knows what could happen.

We don't know what the future holds, so you need to seize these opportunities when you get them.

Bohs won't be easy. We've had a bad enough record there over the years, apart from our inexplicable record there (and at home) against them under Sean Connor when we cost them the league, doing the treble over them.

Get a win over Bohs and you could even draw a First Division or intermediate/junior team, with a good chance of progressing to the last eight.