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Reply | First time fan experience
at 20:02 28 Dec 2023
Fair enough re position of away fans. Pleased to hear the Sandy sounds good from inside at least!
Putting ourselves in the shoes of a first time visitor with kids, we can’t guarantee the quality of the game, so the only other “product” we can sell to get them to come back again is the match day atmosphere- and that comes down to noise from the stands. I don’t have any other ideas - other than getting some terracing into Pearl St.
It doesn’t help that two men and their dog can make a racket in Wilbutts - which seems to have pretty good acoustics! |
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Reply | First time fan experience
at 19:02 28 Dec 2023
True - I remember that Doncaster game - think that was when the bus window got smashed?
I think it is easily dealt with - just a question of covering the nearest section or two of Wilbutts nearest the Sandy and then sticking the away fans down there. Away fans will just direct the bullsh*t to the nearest stand won’t they.
Getting atmosphere into Pearl St is a tougher one to fix - we obviously all know the issue with being spread too thin behind both goals.
Not a priority either whilst we are skint. Long term (with some money that we don’t currently have) I’d like to see Pearl St turned into safe-standing either in whole or part where the acoustics are decent. I’d move the family stand to last block of the Main Stand nearest Pearl St. New families would be well away from away fans but close to the stand where all the home noise would be. As the kids get older they move into Pearl St and become the next generation of youth making all the noise… love the Sandy but it is just too quiet and too far from our young fans to impact on the atmosphere. Would cost £££ that we don’t have - so all theoretical anyway. |
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Reply | First time fan experience
at 13:37 28 Dec 2023
Dale fan for 25 yrs… I’ve got two young boys and our 3rd home game this year. First win they’ve seen.
Managed to twist the wife’s arm as a first time visitor - sat in Pearl St. Block U - lots of new faces and kids sat around us. Without any input from me after the game I asked for the wife’s feedback on how she found the experience - which I thought I would share:
- She was confused as to why the Pearl St family stand is so close to the away fans in Wilbutts. The away fans naturally direct their banter to that stand “Rochdale’s a sh*t hole”. “Your support is f***ing sh*t”… flicking the V’s after the game etc. I assured her it’s all normal football ground banter but for that reason alone my wife said (if for example she was a single parent) there is no way she would bring the boys again by herself. She felt the atmosphere being so close to away fans is intimidating. Honestly the Fylde fans were just a small pathetic bunch - but that is her view on it, as a mother/non-football fan. My view is the away fans should be housed at the Sandy Lane end of the stand.
- Lack of singing in the home ends. As a regular over the years in the Sandy, Pearl St and Main stand, for me the noise made in the Sandy does not carry out into the rest of the ground. Seems to be an acoustic problem that only affects the Sandy. On Boxing Day you couldn’t hear the Sandy at all in Pearl St. My wife thought for a new visitor with kids, to want to come back, the kids need to feel part of something. she made the point that they might like City or United - without our singing fans being housed in a stand where the rest of the ground (and in particular the kids new to the club) can hear them - there is no sense of belonging. You just listen to the away fans for 90 mins.
Otherwise she enjoyed the goals and was glad we won. Most of the “next generation” or potential Dale fans will be kids with parents in the Pearl St taking advantage of family ticket prices - so it is the experience at that end of the ground that will determine whether any come back.
I’d prepared her for kiosk shortages. but other people (audibly) were disappointed that they left their seats as the HT whistle blew, queued up 10 minutes to find all hot food was long, long gone. I’d like to say I was surprised- but I wasn’t.
Good initiative by the club I thought and I enjoyed seeing the stands a bit fuller than normal. |
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Reply | "This League is rubbish" - Hill
at 12:52 12 Mar 2013
He loves a good rant doesn't he?!!
Classic. Half rambling nonsense, half "couldn't have put it better myself"... |
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Reply | Good news
at 10:11 9 Feb 2013
These were/have been my thoughts for some time - Not suprised to hear the news that Coop are reigning in their support of the club - there's not been any kind of link up between Coop stores and match promotions - how easy it could have been to turn every Coop shop into a "shop window" for upcoming games and promoting games...
Shame there is no one at the club with the skill set to get the job done and we've now lost the most important shirt sponsor we've had - may be ever- at least since Carcraft! |
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Reply | The Reg Jenkins Stand
at 13:26 1 Feb 2013
Where only a few see it?! That would be a waste of money.
If you are going to go to the lengths of raising thousands you might as well get your money's worth.
A Statue at the entrance to Spotland on Sandy Lane would be seen not only by most fans every match-day but also every time you drive past. Gets my vote (and contrubution) if it's done right.
I'd stick it here:
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Reply | Colemans Invitation
at 11:35 17 Dec 2012
Damned if you do, damned if you don't eh then Roccy? Can't see how it could be a bad thing to be fair to Coleman. The bloody club could do with doing a bit more PR as well! |
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Reply | Coleman is not responsible for Saturday's poor attendance
at 22:24 10 Dec 2012
Just as a final remark before I pop off... My skin is very very thick toward poor football - Steve Eyre's reign is all too fresh in the memory, for example.
But the thing that makes me dread the next home game more than anything else are the moaning supporters that ooze negativity from every pore, and of course the booing. It makes me think I'd rather spend my afternoon anywhere else.
For me, you can stick that with the other reasons in my opening post, I would say for some fans. Would you want to bring your son or daughter to the games with all the booing and moaning going on at the minute? I wouldn't.
The crowds have to be a real concern for our little club and all of us that want success; the Jan transfer window is just around the corner, money is everything and our stadium is getting emptier and emptier.
There's plenty of irony in that for the boo-boys and old bitter men. Not that they will care I am sure. [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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Reply | Coleman is not responsible for Saturday's poor attendance
at 21:56 10 Dec 2012
For the record, on Saturday I thought we defended awfully, no question, but throughout played attractive passing football! We've watched Dale lump it about in the mud (and sand) in this league for years and we didn't do that.
And the players didn't give up chasing the game which is also something I have seen all too often over the years.
Can't speak for the York game (which I understand was dire). |
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Thread | Coleman is not responsible for Saturday's poor attendance
at 21:41 10 Dec 2012
Pick from a list any of the following well cited reasons: (a) Terrible Commercial department at the club (b) Failing to do any work in building the fanbase during the Hilly goodtimes (c) Xmas shopping (d) Disillusionment with the fanbase following relegation (e) Doubledip recession etc etc ...
BUT in no way is Coleman responsible for 1,700 fans at home. Attendances have been lower and falling all year, but they always fall in the run up to Christmas (unless we've built a Cup run - good luck to anyone that tries to remember one of those!) |
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Reply | Couple of (vaguely) Dale-related thoughts
at 10:41 7 Oct 2012
Just thinking about Goalies on the t'other page;
Gilksy still holding his own at Blackpool ... even though they lost yesterday 0-2 to Charlton.
Heaton also on the wrong end of a 0-2 scoreline at Bristol City. Nugent got one of them - probably a toe poke on the line!
Any others....? |
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Reply | Just Got Back!
at 10:22 7 Oct 2012
Heard Gordon Banks on Five Live this morning singing Joe Hart's praises; I think Hart could (fitness allowing) become the best keeper in Europe and/or the World. He's close already.
For a young land who played for Shrewsbury a few years ago, that has to inspire young keepers at our level. Josh could do worse than model his entire mentality and game on Joe's! |
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Reply | Kevin Blackwell quotes
at 10:16 7 Oct 2012
Not mincing his words.. Very Warnock inspired; used to work together at Sheff U didn't they?!
Will look forward to Tuesday.. |
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Reply | Awful atmosphere from dale today
at 10:10 7 Oct 2012
Agree! Of course it's not the club's fault that people (including myself) have less money these days. I still go, but I don't feel I have to be loyal anymore. I don't think the club give a s*** whether I'm there or not.
I've greatly reduced the number of games I budget for; and once you get used to not going every game it's easier to stay away.
The club doesn't mind the vast majority of fans being part-timers and that match day atmosphere is dross.
I'm sure I'll be there for the big games as loud as ever but week on week, no longer. |
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Reply | Bring on Bradford
at 13:32 2 Oct 2012
Churlish? Not the name I would have gone for ...
Doolally would be more apt!
470 appearances was it, or something in that ball-park? During the must successful spell in the club's history... I'm sure he had nothing to do with it! |
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Thread | Oldham game - Worried already!
at 13:23 12 Mar 2012
I was overall delighted with the result on Saturday but disappointed with the second half tactics and performance. It is the first time I have found myself questionning Coleman's thinking. On Saturday I think we need to be more positive from the outset and for that reason I am praying JLAA is fit and he comes in to replace Jordan. Even if JLAA isn't fit I would bring Adams back into the side.
I really hope that crowd come to the stadium prepared to make some noise on Saturday. I'm worried that the match being all-ticket, that the home attendance will be sparse and crowd flat - if Coleman sets us up as we did vs Hudds (without an attacking outlet other than Symes) then we could see ourselves out of it by HT with bad vibes coming from the stands.
Will there be an Observer promotion on tomorrow? - with the box office number for tickets??! There should be a rallying cry coming from the club by now - full page advertisment isn't too much to ask is it?! If there isn't, it is a disgrace and once again certain members of the club backroom staff will have let the club (and the town) down for not forcing the issue.
I'd also like to see a last minute fans poster campaign like the good old days.
Massive game and a must win game for us on Saturday. In my opinion, if we lose this one we're dead and buried.
I might seem negative or just a bit of a worrier on this thread, but come Saturday I'll be spilling my guts out trying to get behind the team. I just hope there will be a few more like me in the stands and a team who go for it from the off! |
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