Hello board ?

[GboroRam]

I disagree - I think increasing the number of fans, for a controlled number of games, can increase gates. Casual fans who will pay £10 may not be prepared to pay £30 for a ticket for the next game, but if you can get them in the ground for 6 or 8 games in a season, they may be prepared to take a season ticket for next season.

It's a slow building process and, while it may not help the atmosphere, it may help future ST sales.

[RIMBAUD]

You sound like Glick, if you believe the somebody has been given a freebie or a ticket for £10 is going to come back and pay £28 to £37 for the next match you are deluded and so is Glick. It hasn't worked for the last 2 years and it won't work now.

If you want to get more people in you need to find a fair price that adults are willing to pay and offer it to EVERYBODY and you have the chance of getting revenue and numbers in. The low Season Ticket prices offer scope to do this. The failiure of this policy is that Forest and Leicester get more gate income than we do.

sorry ian - you're one hand clapping on this. (dread to think what the other hand is doing.)

[Hucknall Ram]

I paid £355 to go to every home league match (which is £15.50ish per game), which also gives me offers in the club shop and tickets once in a while. Tbh I couldn't give a rats ass if someone next to me paid 2 for £20 on groupon or £6 each at Toyota and the NHS(so I hear) as long they go to every game cheaper than me why should I care? I want to go every game, hence I got a season ticket. If it bothers you so much don't get a season ticket, buy tickets game by game, rely on special offers, bet you pay more over a course of a season.

Surly giving away tickets free or on special offers is better than empty seats. I bet some fans that got these cheap tickets will go to a couple of more games paying the full price, which may not of happened if they didn't go yesterday.

[Ambitious]

It was a big game for Soton. Probably the biggest since we knocked em out of the play off semis in 2007.

Adkins will be more than chuffed by nicking a point, keeping them top and it will be the biggest attendance they will play in front of this season and they handled it well, so fair play to em.

Derby's young players have got to be able to maintain their form with the huge expectations of a big club. So'tons can play without fear knowing they are punching above their weight.

I still think we can, and will, improve as the season develops

Definitely we have so many players still developing as footballers, and many more waiting in the wings for that call up.

I think when Barker and Tyson get into the team (if it ever happens) we will see a massive improvement, a lot of pressure has been put on Tyson by Clough, building him up to be this superstar striker and I trust his judgement and if he says Tyson is one our best players then, who are we to argue. I just want to see what he can do, but on the whole players will improve by just playing games, O'Brien has already come up against some of the top strikers in the division, he gets punished on occasions, but overall I thought he has dealt with it pretty well. Hendrick is technically brilliant IMO so tidy with the ball, but he has the problem a lot of young players have and that is drifting in and out of games, we had it with Barazite, Bueno..etc when you look at more experienced players in that position they don't allow themselves to go through the motions, but that will come, no doubt about it.

And then there is more, a good start and I feel we can still improve.

[Asanovic]

Ian you make a few good points to be fair, but I don't see why us making less money than Forest and Leicester is of any relevance. TV money and outside investment surely far outweighs anything we can cook up from gate receipts?

I agree that the freebies and offers are wholly misguided. These fans who pitch up only when there are offers, can as far as i'm concerned f**k off. No matter how much people want to believe it, these people aren't all of a sudden going to have their heads turned to the wonders of our fine club by being given a ticket for free. It's either in their blood or it's not. It's been shown this season already that when we charge full price (which is way too much as it is by the way), these people don't want to know.

It's no coincidence that the atmosphere against Barnsley with 23k inside who are total die-hards was a million times better than it was yesterday with a bunch of 8,000 tourists and freeloaders inside. These people are just casual fans and hangers on and I don't want them here.

Of course there'll be some who went to the Southampton game yesterday who are die-hards who sadly can no longer afford to go to every game and simply took the opportunity to watch their team, but most of the extra fans will probably go home and never return.

Basically that post is a really badly worded way of saying, extra fans cannot be bought or made by dishing out cheap tickets.

Really?

I imagine the people that took up that deal will fall in to the following categories:

• People who don't support Derby, but went because either their own team wasn't playing, or they wanted an afternoon of entertainment - should they be told to f*ck off?
  
• People who can't afford/justify a season ticket, and go when deals like this are on - should they be told to f*ck off?
  

I'm not going to criticise the club for doing the deal which got fans through the door, and I didn't actually think the atmosphere was too bad, but it could have been made better if they'd been housed together rather than scattered round the ground. Pride Park has suffered an atmosphere crisis for years, and I don't think it was any worse yesterday than it has been at plenty of other games over the last twelve months.

People go to football for different reasons - I go because it's something I've always done, and it's a big part of my weekend. Others will go to be entertained, and see it no different to watching a film, watching Rugby or going to a gig. There's nothing wrong with that, so you can't really say people should f*ck off for viewing football in a different way and taking advantage of these kinds of offers.

If we got to the Premiership and had 23,000 'diehards' every week, this forum would be inundated with people saying how bad our support is. If you would really prefer that, I imagine you'd be in the minority. Inevitably, as we play well, gates will rise over a long period of time.

Some of the unfamiliar faces near me got behind the team alot more than some of the 'diehard' idiots that are there every week giving the players abuse. My Grandma listens to every match on the radio and has half an idea of what she's talking about, and I'd say she's more diehard than some of the t*ssers sat behind me calling every bad pass, every substitution, and every goal conceded.

[uttoxram75]

While one or two Derby fans find a reason to moan because we had a full ground of 33,000, other teams fans praise us and think we are a tremendously well supported club.

I work with Stoke, Wolves, WBA, Blues and Villa fans who mention over and over again how Derby have a great support.

I have plenty of reasons to call GSE and the board but trying different ways to get people into the ground is'nt one of them.

[trekkie_ram]

• People who can't afford/justify a season ticket, and go when deals like this are on - should they be told to f*ck off?

I'll back you up here, I didn't go to the Soton game, but I did consider it, I live 3hrs train/drive away from the ground, so can't afford the transport for every game, and can barely afford it when paying £35 for a ticket. If I lived close enough, I would definitely save/find the cash for a ST.

[Day]

Can't beat abit of Sunday morning Glick bashing, love to stay and read all these posts on how to run a business but I have a wall which I can slap some paint on and watch dry.

[Donny Ram]

The atmosphere was better against barnsley - agreed.

But wasnt our play and attacking intent and overall pace of the game the reason the crowd got behind them.

Some times fans lift players, sometimes the play lifts the fans.

Its more of the latter in this day n age.

Agreed, I was passing eactly the same comment about the atmosphere during the match and added that the crowd respond to the effort the team are putting in though.

Just an abservation about our closing the ball down and pressurising them at the back, I thought we weren't as good as in the last few games.

Just look at all the top teams, they work harder when they've not got the ball than when they have it, so no excuses about Southampton keeping the ball - simple football really - win the ball - pass it - make the opposition work hard.

I'm not in favour of the free give aways as those that want to come will make the effort if the team are doing well, the issue being missed is the overall match pricing. If you want to give freebies then knock this off the price of a season ticket and reduce match cost by a percentage for each game. Are the club going to give STH's a £28 rebate? - I think not..... Come on Mr Glick be fair to your fan base who attend week in and week out, not just on freebies and reduced price offers. I know times are hard, but then reduce all match day prices across the board and be fair to everyone.

[Leeds Ram]

I disagree - I think increasing the number of fans, for a controlled number of games, can increase gates. Casual fans who will pay £10 may not be prepared to pay £30 for a ticket for the next game, but if you can get them in the ground for 6 or 8 games in a season, they may be prepared to take a season ticket for next season.

It's a slow building process and, while it may not help the atmosphere, it may help future ST sales.

sadly i doubt that is true, if people are unwilling to pay £30 a ticket why would they fork out over £300 for a season ticket? these casual fans will stay casual until we hit real success, then they will gladly pay the money when we are flying high, they won't pay the money derby want if we are not doing brilliantly in the championship. I find it disheartening that derby sought after these people, why can't we be happy with the fan base we have? I would rather have 23,000 in a cracking atmosphere against barnsley, than 33,000 of which around 5,000 aren't real fans and will only come again when another cheap offer is on or when derby county is either battling for promotion or when we have gained it.

[MrsRam]

Just seen this from a friend on facebook;

"Loved first ever match at Pride Park, Derby v Southampton, can't wait for next time."

[GboroRam]

sadly i doubt that is true, if people are unwilling to pay £30 a ticket why would they fork out over £300 for a season ticket? these casual fans will stay casual until we hit real success, then they will gladly pay the money when we are flying high, they won't pay the money derby want if we are not doing brilliantly in the championship. I find it disheartening that derby sought after these people, why can't we be happy with the fan base we have? I would rather have 23,000 in a cracking atmosphere against barnsley, than 33,000 of which around 5,000 aren't real fans and will only come again when another cheap offer is on or when derby county is either battling for promotion or when we have gained it.

Some people will not realise how much they enjoy a day at the match until they've experienced it. Get them through the door. Some will come back.

[Leeds Ram]

Some people will not realise how much they enjoy a day at the match until they've experienced it. Get them through the door. Some will come back.

I think the majority of these people will have been before, our gates in the premiership weren't magicked up you know. Also you fail to address my post in many ways with that reply, I am not debating some won't come back because some will, however the vast majority simply won't. The vast majority have been before on a cheap deal and will come again on a cheap deal, and some will come back when derby county is flying high and they want to pretend they are real fans. Derby is the only club i know that has such a fetish for attendances, rather than what the people inside actually do e.g. sing cheer the team on etc.

[Day]

How many of those extra fans bought a matchday programme?

How much did those extra fans spend in the club shop yesterday?

More people through the gates puts you in a better position to raise advertising costs and when the catering deal comes up for renewal.

Forget the atmosphere, yesterday wasn't about creating a better atmosphere it was all about $$$. GSE couldn't give a tosh about how long you all sing for in a game.

It's also unfair to compare yesterdays game to Barnsley, evening games generate a better atmosphere plus when we are attacking for a full 45 minutes and giving the crowd something to cheer about the noise levels will obviously go up.

Yesterday was very much backs against the wall, apart from a 5 minute spell in the second half. Compare yesterdays atmosphere against the Burnley game if the comparison game has to be played.

[Leeds Ram]

How many of those extra fans bought a matchday programme?

How much did those extra fans spend in the club shop yesterday?

More people through the gates puts you in a better position to raise advertising costs and when the catering deal comes up for renewal.

Forget the atmosphere, yesterday wasn't about creating a better atmosphere it was all about $$$. GSE couldn't give a tosh about how long you all sing for in a game.

It's also unfair to compare yesterdays game to Barnsley, evening games generate a better atmosphere plus when we are attacking for a full 45 minutes and giving the crowd something to cheer about the noise levels will obviously go up.

Yesterday was very much backs against the wall, apart from a 5 minute spell in the second half. Compare yesterdays atmosphere against the Burnley game if the comparison game has to be played.

if they can't pay a proper ticket price or don't want to, why would they spend anything in the club shop? they might buy a programme but certainly not all of them would.

[Jayram]

It was a big game for Soton. Probably the biggest since we knocked em out of the play off semis in 2007.

Adkins will be more than chuffed by nicking a point, keeping them top and it will be the biggest attendance they will play in front of this season and they handled it well, so fair play to em.

Derby's young players have got to be able to maintain their form with the huge expectations of a big club. So'tons can play without fear knowing they are punching above their weight.

I still think we can, and will, improve as the season develops

Not really to fair to say they nicked the point is it? They dominated the game from the moment we scored!

I think yesterday showed the best and worst of things really. A year or so ago and we would have been hammered by a team as dominant as Saints were yesterday, so the improvement in the team is clear. On the flip side it was galling to see Saints having a quality striker like Lambert up front, the kind we should have playing for us. With all due respect Robinson and Davies are not in the same league as this kind of player.

We are punching above our weight right now but without some better quality in key areas we are going to fall away. I hope the board will realise what a great job Nigel is doing and back him in January, but sadly I dont see it happening.

[Day]

if they can't pay a proper ticket price or don't want to, why would they spend anything in the club shop? they might buy a programme but certainly not all of them would.

You don't know the answer tho do you, none of us on here do so the argument/debate/discussion can't really take place

[trekkie_ram]

if they can't pay a proper ticket price or don't want to, why would they spend anything in the club shop? they might buy a programme but certainly not all of them would.

If they're tempted by a ticket offer, why would you assume they wouldn't be tempted by a shirt offer?

And if you don't think programme sales went up considerably yesterday, then you are kidding yourself.

[Leeds Ram]

If they're tempted by a ticket offer, why would you assume they wouldn't be tempted by a shirt offer?

And if you don't think programme sales went up considerably yesterday, then you are kidding yourself.

because a ticket offer being £10 instead of £30, and the fact that it gives them something to do on a saturday, but a shirt? why would they buy a derby shirt exactly? for £30? if they don't want to or can't afford to pay full ticket prices i doubt they can afford or want to buy a £30 shirt for which they will never wear.

[Leeds Ram]

You don't know the answer tho do you, none of us on here do so the argument/debate/discussion can't really take place

well a debate can be had on the scruples of derby county wanting this kind of fan in the main, we can to a reasonable degree i think say not many would have spent in the club shop, I would imagine season ticket holders and regular ticket goers would have took advantage of discounts, we can use our logic to say that is the most likely outcome i think. However can we debate with facts and figures and say who is right and wrong on this for certain, no we cannot. We cannot bridge the is-ought gap in this circumstance, and trekkie i did state the odds are that programme sales would have gone up, however unless you have the facts you can't say for sure.