The way forward

[Garawa]

There was an article on late kick-off about how clubs (in particular it focused on Millwall with some very big neighbours) struggle to attract a decent crowd on a Tuesday evening when a big game was on, Real Madrid v Man Utd being the game in question. It spoke about how crowds are diminishing when big games are on which means the ability to pay decent wages was getting less and less. A journalist discovered that whilst many Chelsea players might be on almost £200,000 a week, in 2010 the average Championship wage was £210,000 a year, in League 1 in dropped to £78,000 and League 2 only £38,0000 with all the evidence that it was getting smaller still. It suggested that lower leagues might eventually be unable to afford to play professionally, go bust or just pay players much lower wages.

It seems to me there are two issues here and it is almost one or the other and not some and some. Either fans want to see the biggest games, the sort of games everyone else is watching or they cannot be bothered to come out in the cold at all. Personally, as people DO come out in the cold and attendances only drop significantly during the big games, it seems to me that the schedule clash is the issue.

For the sake of football survival a compromise must be made. I cannot see anyone changing their habits any time soon so, at the cost of a little inconvenience surely the only option would be to switch to Thursday evenings instead. Whilst I accept that this only gives a day to prepare for a Saturday game, this inconvenience should well be compensated for by better squads due to bigger gates. Also if the season was to start a week earlier and fit in a couple of extra midweek games during the lighter evenings, this should mean less games later in the season so it would only be slight problem. Also, it shouldn't be too hard to insist that the away side on a Thursday would be at home on the Saturday.

If it meant more people arrive to watch a live game, that must outweigh any issues from the team that is likely to be as inconvenienced as the sides they face. Thoughts?

[Kezz]

I think it was RobP who had thoughts on this, if not someone else told they had heard that the league was considered too big and we probably needed to lose league 2. The only way to do this was to squeeze clubs into the oblivion. Sad way forward but possible I guess.
Myself, not being from a town with a Premier club, I don't understand the fuss over the premiership. If Gillingham were playing on a night when the Champions league or the Premiership were on the TV then I'd still be down the Gills, no brainer. I pretty sure if I lived up town, I'd be a local club supporter too.

[Garawa]

With respect Kezz, that was the same response everyone else in the interview gave and they were all.....erm......a bit older! I think the issue is with the age 12-30 generation that saw the domination of Man Utd in the late 90s to early 2000s in that there was great pressure to watch them and be involved with your mates and not be out of loop. I enjoy the Champions League but I have missed every game this season as Gills were either at home or I listened on the radio. (The Real v Man U game I missed because we went to see Die Hard instead!)

The next generation will go to see live football but not at the expense of a night out/in with their mates. And I don't think this is "lose League 2" scenario either in that the team in question was Millwall unless we are talking about losing all Football League decisions. If football were to say we can't survive then I say move to where the demand is like a struggling shop would. We have seen some games moved to Friday evenings as the gates are higher if something else was on on the Saturday.

There has been a big change in attitudes to live games between those that wouldn't miss a game whatever the reason to those who would go if nothing else was on and if you think about it, the advent of the Premier League is probably the catalyst that started the step change. Therefore Football League clubs should cut their cloth accordingly.

[gillsfan1066]

Few years down the road there will be two/three divisions, Premiership and Champions North and Champions South, teams in the second division and the lower half of the 1st division will be semi pro playing each other along with a few conference teams.
Gillingham on a cold windy February nite at twenty something quid playing York City or a Premier League game sitting in the warm ? Tough call. As a younger fans we went out in the cold hundreds of times to watch these games, would I now, perhaps ? Would I if I was living in Maidstone or Sheerness I doubt it . If it was Gillingham playing Charlton or Watford, Ipswich ,Derby or Leeds would I, you bet your bottom dollar I would ? Just don't think the 2nd division and even the 1st division hold any great attraction to the average fan, just you bl**dy fanatics, lol. Looking at the teams we are going to play next year in Division One , not very exciting, hope Scally and M A are able to work their magic and get us back to back promotions.

[lidbid46]

The thing is, 4000 of us do go, regardless, every time Gills are at home, no matter what else is on. Missing the rugby internationals, (apart from yesterday which I wish I had missed!), is hard for me, but when Gills are at home there is no contest in my mind. We have the crowd base; hopefully promotion will encourage more locals to have a look, even if it is only for the bigger teams. I know a dad and 10 year old son who recently decided to come to a game just for somewhere to go. They then decided to have a look at some other teams, including Charlton. After the Charlton game, Dad said to son, "what did you think?" Son replied,"it was OK, but it wasn't like going to the Gills!" He has a scarf and hat you see, brought on the first visit, which means, as far as he is concerned, that he is part of something, and is now hooked. They have been to every Saturday home game since then, and are planning on becoming ST holders next season. By the way, the first game they came to was a Gills defeat, so the result does not always matter.

[Robpthegills]

I miss 70% of midweek games because of work. This is my choice as when we were doing well I took time off of work and didnt miss a single game.

Truth is I have to convince myself whether to miss work or not. The quality of football I have been watching down the gills over the last few years means that I miss football midweek and go to work. Its not success or failure. I have missed work to watch the gill's when we were in poor league positions but the football was of a standard which meant I was happy to miss work.

I just think the standard of football at the gill's at the moment is poor and therefore choose to work and just go to games on the weekend.

I think that whoever gets promotion this year is going to find next season a real eye opener unless some investment is made. I think its a poor league with a lot of poor teams in it. Hence why teams like Barnet and plymouth still look good when they come to play us.

I will miss this saturdays game as I am at my granddaughters 1st birthday party. At one time nothing would have made me miss a saturday game.

I am enjoying being top of the league, I love the fact that we are doing so well away from home and hope to get another couple of away games under my belt before the season starts, BUT I am not impressed with the standard of football.

[Elgrande]

I think cost, all seater for many lower league grounds and over zealous stewarding are also contributing factors. I understand (not necessarily agree) with the onus on families, but at the lower level the average working man has been priced out as well as made to feel like a nuisance. Too many kids and families nowdays seem to want to enjoy an evening in front of the TV not going out in the cold together unless it is a one off event with all types of entertainment.

[gillsfan1066]

Lets be serious for a second. Married 30 something guy with a wife and two kids age 7 and 4. Wife has somewhere between zero and minus 1% intrest in GFC, little one by 8.30 sitting in the cold crying because he has no intrest in anything other than being in bed, the 7 year old wanting to go home and play X Box and Dad sitting there saying why the hell did I bring this lot to see Gillingham play Morcombe on a wet cold February night, just not going to happen.
Here's a thought start the season in March and play till November same as we do over here. Fantastic fun going to an evening game with the shuffli' crew on a Wednesday night when the temp is 75 degrees.
Who other than the unemployed and the unemployable can go to a mid week game in Torque, or Fleetwood, even getting to a game in Southend would prove almost impossible , with the average guy leaving work at 5 or 5.30
Mid week games are a joke for away supporters , unless they are over 68, or under about 15, only home supporters can go to these games.

[Poshgill]

Well I'm not sure I agree with that. I started taking my son at 4 years old. We were stood on the Town End when it was so cold, a bloke gave the lad some coffee from his Thermos. We were soaked to the skin and really really bored as it was a 'thrilling' 0-0. My lad is now 31 and is a mad keen Gills fan. Not sure if your analogy is correct Chicago. I think Elg is more accurate. Too expensive, no ability to turn up on a whim, all seater etc.

[Garawa]

I certainly couldn't agree with summer football. Attendances would be appalling as half the people would be away at any given point!

Elgrande's post possibly does go some way towards it although I would imagine that would have been prevalent from many previous seasons as opposed the last couple. It's definitely not about standard of football given that the complainant was the Millwall chairman. If Bolton, Leeds, Leicester, Cardiff, Palace and the like don't get people out of the pub to stop watching TV football then nothing will. It seems to me it is getting worse because as the older generation stop coming, the younger ones need more of a reason to stop watching the big game on TV and that can only be overcome by not playing at the same time.