Trevor Birch on Everton

[rubecula]

 

The existing Everton fan base is literally 'dying'

 

Sorry I do have to disagree with this. I remember the Gordon Lee days when we had a smaller crowd at Goodison for first team games than we got for the youth team. Fan base was still there, just that people tended to vote with their feet (at least I think that is what it was) Once Everton started to play as we like to see, the crowds began to build up again.

 

Of course back then the cost of going to a match began to increase exponentially too and really as much as we love out club, folks do have to get their priorities right too.

[Avinalaff]

If we go too far down the heritage route we run the risk of some bright spark consenting to listed building status, and then we're screwed good and proper.

[FanchesterCity]

 

Sorry I do have to disagree with this. I remember the Gordon Lee days when we had a smaller crowd at Goodison for first team games than we got for the youth team. Fan base was still there, just that people tended to vote with their feet (at least I think that is what it was) Once Everton started to play as we like to see, the crowds began to build up again.

 

Of course back then the cost of going to a match began to increase exponentially too and really as much as we love out club, folks do have to get their priorities right too.

 

Ah I worried about that when I posted it... I didn't mean 'decreasing in number' I literally meant DYING... getting old and snuffing it, ergo obviously the future is in the kids, and to 'expand' you have to look at the younger end more than the dying older end (not to say you can't attract a few oldies too).

 

This is my worry for many clubs and the commercial nature of football.

There will always be Everton fans - goes without saying, but so much TV and marketing - clubs like Chelsea, and possibly City of late are 'fashionable' - and young kids get suckered in - they KNOW who Lampard is, or Torres, or Rooney. But they're sure about Cahill. It's awful, but a reality. If Everton don't grab their share of the kids, United and Liverpool and Chelsea etc will.

 

That's what I meant by dying! Apologies if you thought dwindling (but like all clubs, numbers will fall (to a certain level) if they aren't winning, and money's becoming a problem for many fans too.

 

I get sick of folks saying "you had empty seats at the league cup game" - erm yeah - cos people can't afford it, that's why. Football's not cheap anymore, and it's starting to slip from the grasp of traditional fan base :-( You're dead right on that.

 

Costs me about 550 quid for City, and 450 ish for my son, then it's a fiver to park (10 quid in proper car parks), a brew and pie for us both, and that's another tenner, plus petrol blah blah blah.

 

We sometimes go to Blackburn - lowest prices in the Prem - or Burnley too. god knows how people afford it with multiple kids and minimum wage (I'm guessing they dont?). It's why I give a toss about Everton (not because you're Everton) but you're a relatively local team, a tonne of history and yet you're struggling for money? - something VERY wrong with the game when the 'elite' of our clubs can't break even).

Edited September 28, 2011 by FanchesterCity

[FanchesterCity]

If we go too far down the heritage route we run the risk of some bright spark consenting to listed building status, and then we're screwed good and proper.

 

Why, is it leaning to one side? ;-)

[rubecula]

Of course not, it is screwed up.