This meeting with Gibson

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B_G said:
I guess going to school through the 90s, Boro were reasonably successful while I was at school. Also the move to the Riverside and the vast increase in Season Tickets meant a lot of kids were going to the matches.
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Similar experience to me, mainly Man Utd and Boro fans in my school, I guess the Liverpool hype had died down and the plastics moved on to UTD
 
Well done to all in the meeting for agreeing a fairer deal for childs tickets - they are the future. On this I don't think MFC will lose any money from the price cut, because this sub group are more price sensitive.

Ref Norwich City - they are receiving some parachute payments aren't they which in some way can help them subsidise their prices
Ref Sheff Wed - looking odds on to go to down so its not like for like - surely Division 1 football is only 70 to 80% the same product.
In general I do think the Riverside provides a better quality experience than most Championship grounds e.g. all covered, no sight restrictions, plenty of toilets, big screen, decent PA system, light show, easy access, designated and planned for disability facilities, some natural light concourses, plenty of seat and leg room etc

I do think we are at the expensive end overall and some fans will be priced out - however for most Boro fans the issue is about value i.e. Am I getting fair value - throwing in a free drink to all STs would help with the value, also make every ST of 20 years standing a Gold holder too (for the extra priority points). Maybe for the lower income supporter the Club could somehow absorb the interest charge so they pay say £42.50 per month for 12 months for their ST. Most months that would 2 home games for £42.50 - not far off twenty is plenty.
 
For me, in the mackem stronghold of Stockton in the 90s, it was split 50:50 between Boro fans and "others". Of the other 50% I'd guess it was 30% Utd, 10% Liverpool, 5% Newcastle and then a few others like Arsenal, Leeds and Sunderland.

Of the 50% that were Boro it was still only a small amount of them that went to games regularly but a large majority went to some games even if it was only one a year. Even now if I speak to my friends from back home who are Boro fans they are all still either season ticket holders, occasional attenders or people like me that live away and go when they can. Not many don't go ever but a lot go less than they'd like because it's expensive. None of my other mates that supported other teams ever go to see their team.

Get people going regularly when they are young and it's something that you never really stop doing.
 
CG85 said:
Similar experience to me, mainly Man Utd and Boro fans in my school, I guess the Liverpool hype had died down and the plastics moved on to UTD
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In the early 1970s - it was Leeds, Leeds. Leeds in many schools on the edge of Middlesbrough unless Boro were on a FA Cup run. Boro were not trendy until Big Jack came - all the blokes talked about Mannion, Hardwick, Ugolini, Clough and Peocock. I was like a 10 year old now having to listen to people on here go on about Juninho and Ravanelli. Boro got crowds of around 10,000 opposed to 27,000 now.
 
Voices of the customer have been heard.

Looking after the future is beneficial now more than ever. Im forever seeing boro fans taking their kids to man city, Spurs, arsenal etc on stadium tours and to watch their games. Its a no no in my book. Get them hooked on boro and boro only.

I hope the club understand that they should never push a loyal support too far in one go. This is a step in the right direction
 
But there were so many ra-ra’s on here saying a protest wouldn’t achieve anything?

What happened?!
 
Jonny_Rondos_Disco_pants said:
Voices of the customer have been heard.

Looking after the future is beneficial now more than ever. Im forever seeing boro fans taking their kids to man city, Spurs, arsenal etc on stadium tours and to watch their games. Its a no no in my book. Get them hooked on boro and boro only.

I hope the club understand that they should never push a loyal support too far in one go. This is a step in the right direction
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It’s cheaper to watch Man City than Middlesbrough.

How mad is that?
 
Scrug said:
It’s cheaper to watch Man City than Middlesbrough.

How mad is that?
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From a value perspective, yes.

But from the reality of how football finance works not so much. Gate receipts must account for 50% of a championship clubs revenue, and less than 5% of a champions league clubs
 
I don't think it's uncommon for kids to support more than one team, or flip flop between teams: I was staying with my mate in Leicester at the weekend, and his 10 year old son has shirts from half a dozen clubs.
In this day and age, kids are more likely to follow a player than a club
As for stadium tours, I've toured several stadiums abroad but wouldn't claim to support those clubs.

It's the live experience that gets people hooked though: I don't think I knew what it meant to support a team until I'd been to my first match. But of course, that was a Boro match, and here I am.
 
Think the club have thrown the dog a bone, re a concession on U18 prices, an attempt to quash a revolt, they won’t want to see fans protesting at games and for it to pick up any momentum. I’m sure there were lots more points discussed, better tiered concession pricing, 0% finance options, longer EB renewal dates etc. I’m sure MFC gave the reassurance that they would go away and see if they could find any solutions.
I hope fan groups keep the pressure up, it will be too easy for MFC to come back and say given the timescales there’s not much we can do about it now but we promise to engage and have a look at it next season, just kick the can down the road and hope it blows over.
Gibson will silence the local press that’s for sure, be good to see a national pick it up, but with protests nipped in the bud, it’s less likely that will happen, outside pressure will create more pressure for change.
 
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