Fans action group (to improve attendances)

[Bert Street]

18 hours ago, The Art of Hand and Foot said:

It's generally accepted that there needs to be 3-5 types of coordinated promotional activity all giving the same message and each with a call to action.

I'm sure the club knows this and doing their best. They are , after all, very successful in business.

So, 1) word of mouth, no doubt the best and most effective.  Call to action, promotional code of some sort given out to friends and family. 2) Social media , giving out info, dates, prices etc. This one we are doing well at the moment. I think the call to action could be better though. 3) Local ads, bill boards etc. Reinforces, in the mind,  other activity. 4) leaflets. The most hit and miss of all activity. How many leaflets do you put in the bin. However, they could contain a redeemable coupon.  5) broadcast media. Not just games covered on TV and Radio, which, given our lowly position, we seem to be doing well at,  but also ads. Expensive!

Overall we need a winning team and a message that resonates with the target market.  I notice that there is a push on the clubs history. That's a very good message, but it needs to tug at the heartstrings. The home of Rugby League. Down and out, resurrected and on the up!

Keeping winning is vital.

Targeting local leisure centres could be a good strategy.

Consistent flow of people of the right sort of age.

[clifford]

We also have to think not everyone is on social media I left x before Christmas cos of the rubbish I got, never done cessbook and only read updates from the beds on insta and a few bands.

Gone are the days of Rogers nightly news in chronicle as wall as the programme which  advertised games.

Additionally the town's demographic has changed alot if 20 years. The amateur game isn't as strong as it use to be.  Just look at st annes and rangers I don't think either of them run a weekly second team. Could be wrong

[Tim G]

Thanks to everyone who have come up with ideas, they have been really positive. 

The club has got back to me and they are clearly working overtime in getting the message out to generate a bigger fan base.

They are in the process of creating posters for schools,  pubs, shops etc and leaflets for individuals.   What the club would like is volunteers to help distribute this material  that could be ready in a fortnight or so. I for one have offered my services and if anyone else would like to help,  let me know and I will coordinate with the club if/when I get the green light.

What has also been mentioned is the club needs volunteers on matchdays. I don't know what that entails yet, however if anyone can offer help I suggest they contact a club official prior to or at the next home match?

We are all in this together.

Ask not what your club can do for you,  ask what you can do for your club.

I've not been this enthusiastic about the team since the days of Tony Barrow 

 

[sheddingswasus]

The club is well managed. I think the jewel in the crown could well be Chris Chamberlain. 

[sheddingswasus]

Tim, take a look at this, it is the digital advertising at Asda, bus stops etc 

https://www.clearchannel.co.uk/advertising/formats?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=uk_pc_london_broad&utm_id=uk_pc_london_broad&utm_term=generic+billboards&utm_content=billboard&infinity=ict2~net~gaw~cmp~14812352134~ag~129456744882~ar~632883725246~kw~road advertising~mt~b~acr~8578032136&&utm_term=road advertising&utm_campaign=uk_pc_generic&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_acc=8578032136&hsa_cam=14812352134&hsa_grp=129456744882&hsa_ad=632883725246&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-303563003749&hsa_kw=road advertising&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&mh_matchtype=b&mh_keyword=road advertising&mh_adgroupid=129456744882&mh_network=g&mh_campaignid=14812352134&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmcsB6f27TgKOE_lJ6A3UFOBBfQH&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhMq-BhCFARIsAGvo0KcLuUIMrL7EvYQ1aP1DkcAfeLDEzhmFEPIcC1KNPcTqNscCxlOehVcaAthxEALw_wcB

Edited March 13 by sheddingswasus

[Tim G]

7 hours ago, sheddingswasus said:

Tim, take a look at this, it is the digital advertising at Asda, bus stops etc 

https://www.clearchannel.co.uk/advertising/formats?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=uk_pc_london_broad&utm_id=uk_pc_london_broad&utm_term=generic+billboards&utm_content=billboard&infinity=ict2~net~gaw~cmp~14812352134~ag~129456744882~ar~632883725246~kw~road advertising~mt~b~acr~8578032136&&utm_term=road advertising&utm_campaign=uk_pc_generic&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&hsa_acc=8578032136&hsa_cam=14812352134&hsa_grp=129456744882&hsa_ad=632883725246&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-303563003749&hsa_kw=road advertising&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&mh_matchtype=b&mh_keyword=road advertising&mh_adgroupid=129456744882&mh_network=g&mh_campaignid=14812352134&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmcsB6f27TgKOE_lJ6A3UFOBBfQH&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhMq-BhCFARIsAGvo0KcLuUIMrL7EvYQ1aP1DkcAfeLDEzhmFEPIcC1KNPcTqNscCxlOehVcaAthxEALw_wcB

Thanks for that,  really interesting.  When the media team get in touch with me I will pass this onto them. Brilliant, this type of fan interaction is what we need 

[Tim G]

Morning all,

Our club needs your help on matchdays. Volunteers urgently required, see below. 

Stewards on game day and people in the fans bar to help others sell merchandise on a game day (selling hats gets busy) We have card machines.

Who can offer their time?

Please let's work together.   

[Jimmy DoNut]

On 07/03/2025 at 15:56, Jimmy DoNut said:

Having had the privilege to attend the extravaganza that was Vegas last week, I would like the Yeds to follow the example of the New Zealand Warriors by utilising the 'Up the Yeds' slogan at every opportunity. 

'Up the Wahs' has become a Warriors battle cry in recent times & has been marketed forcefully by the club and their fans have embraced it & shout 'Up the Wahs' whenever they bump into fellow supporters.

Could 'Up the Yeds' take off in a similar way? Something light-hearted & simple like this can only help to generate interest in the club.

 

               UP THE YEDS !!!

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

7 minutes ago, Jimmy DoNut said:

               UP THE YEDS !!!

Used to make me chuckle when I saw old photos or cigarette cards with the slogan " Play Up Oldham". Must've meant something back in the day.

[wroteforluck87]

the club have put together an initiative for OAFC season ticket holders to buy a block amount of game at a reduced price

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHmE27ENs4N/?igsh=enoxOGJtOGZ4dDNl

 

[chiefgeneral]

41 minutes ago, wroteforluck87 said:

the club have put together an initiative for OAFC season ticket holders to buy a block amount of game at a reduced price

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHmE27ENs4N/?igsh=enoxOGJtOGZ4dDNl

 

Great idea.

Bet people will still have a moan

[Roughyed Rats]

9 hours ago, wroteforluck87 said:

the club have put together an initiative for OAFC season ticket holders to buy a block amount of game at a reduced price

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHmE27ENs4N/?igsh=enoxOGJtOGZ4dDNl

 

Excellent idea

[Springhead Yed]

20 hours ago, wroteforluck87 said:

the club have put together an initiative for OAFC season ticket holders to buy a block amount of game at a reduced price

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHmE27ENs4N/?igsh=enoxOGJtOGZ4dDNl

 

Great idea this. There's no way my wife will let me have two season tickets but a flexi ticket I can use while the football is in its off season will be a much easier sell. Wouldn't surprise me if a few Latics season ticket holders pick up flexi tickets for the summer. 

[Tim G]

I see the Chairman has offered another fantastic gesture for the upcoming 1895 cup game against Barrow.  Bring your family and friends down for this one at only £12 for an adult ticket,  it's a bargain.  

[Enk27]

4 hours ago, Tim G said:

I see the Chairman has offered another fantastic gesture for the upcoming 1895 cup game against Barrow.  Bring your family and friends down for this one at only £12 for an adult ticket,  it's a bargain.  

It's a great gesture, particularly as the game not covered by the season pass. I will try to get some people down to it.

I feel mean being slightly negative about these promotions. However I do worry whether having reduced prices devalues the product and does more harm than good?

Hopefully this will lead to a massive bump in the gate. It did last year against Keighley and Workington when similar promotions were ran.

But does this bump in the gate lead to more long term fans willing to pay £20 a ticket for future games? Or will they just attend when it's cheap?

[Oldham Valderama]

8 minutes ago, Enk27 said:

It's a great gesture, particularly as the game not covered by the season pass. I will try to get some people down to it.

I feel mean being slightly negative about these promotions. However I do worry whether having reduced prices devalues the product and does more harm than good?

Hopefully this will lead to a massive bump in the gate. It did last year against Keighley and Workington when similar promotions were ran.

But does this bump in the gate lead to more long term fans willing to pay £20 a ticket for future games? Or will they just attend when it's cheap?

I see your point regarding devaluing the product but i think it works when it comes to cup games where its a "one off" and the hope is to attract as many paying punters as possible. The hope then is that once new fans are enticed into watching a cup game, they enjoy what is on offer and make the move to attending more league games at the normal price of £20. 

Unfortunately due to Oldham's many years in the wilderness under the previous regime the fan base has basically just vanished and a whole generation has grown up basically not knowing what Oldham Rugby was all about. Even over the past few years when Latic's were slowly dropping down the football pyramid they were still a presence in Oldham so the fan base although not massive had a general turnover of old & new fans and stayed fairly consistent, the Roughyed's however as old fans disappeared there was a lack of younger fans to replace them. The club has now been reborn over the past couple of years, is in a fantastic place and is on an upwards trajectory however it will take time to re-educate the population of Oldham to what Oldham Rugby are all about and get the townsfolk reinterested in the club. Yes there has been an initial bump in interest and the fan base is increasing. London at the weekend brought a minibus full and the attendance was +1500 which would be 99.9% Oldham fans. I have no doubt in a couple of games time when the likes of Featherstone / Bradford come to Boundary Park and actually bring some fans with them then attendances I reckon should easily exceed +2,000. The more attractive the fixture the more Oldham fans will take note, hopefully attend, like what they see and then return for those more "mundane" fixtures such as say Hunslet at home (apologies Hunslet but mean no disrespect!!!). Up to now Oldham have not had an attractive "big game" at home, once we do I expect the attendance numbers to increase significantly.  

I was actually surprised yesterday when i bought my ticket for Sheffield this weekend, I'd assumed with us playing at BP and charging £20 we would be the most expensive team in the Championship but a seating ticket at Sheffield was £21 (I'm a cheapskate and bought a standing ticket for £19 ). With all other considerations when watching Championship Rugby League (parking, pie, pint, travel etc) its not cheap these days to watch what although is an excellent product is effectively semi professional sport. This is the way things are going though and I'm one of the fortunate ones who can afford the outlay but in this current financial climate there are many who are not. A lot of Oldham people would probably love to attend more matches but finances dictate that they cannot so any incentive to get more fans into the ground as often as possible are a great idea.

COME ON OLDHAM!!!!!

 

[jroyales]

The biggest draw has to be us going to Wembley. Once that has been achieved the crowds will come flooding back.

The Barrow game has to be sold wherever we can. MEN, Oldham Times, OCR, BBC, anywhere to get the game publicised.

[shaw llewellyn]

54 minutes ago, jroyales said:

The Barrow game has to be sold wherever we can. MEN, Oldham Times, OCR, BBC, anywhere to get the game publicised.

I know lots if ideas have already been put forward including posters and flyers.  Now would be a good time to get a few posters for Barrow game in areas with most footfall (if we can) e.g. Asda, Tesco, Aldi.

[Tim G]

47 minutes ago, shaw llewellyn said:

I know lots if ideas have already been put forward including posters and flyers.  Now would be a good time to get a few posters for Barrow game in areas with most footfall (if we can) e.g. Asda, Tesco, Aldi.

Am hoping the marketing team will come up with the posters and leaflets anytime soon. 

[shaw llewellyn]

3 hours ago, Tim G said:

Am hoping the marketing team will come up with the posters and leaflets anytime soon. 

A friend has also suggested flyers in some of the pubs around our old heartland e.g. Weavers Arms, Black Horse, Bear on the Hill, possibly with some kind of incentive for the landlord.

 

[jroyales]

OV's arguments are sound. However, his argument about the Latic's fanbase being maintained even though they got relegated after relegation is obviously down to the fact they had a "home" we have had nowt until last year.

I, for one, still miss 'sheddings and still find it hard going to BP but I'll have to since it's our home forever. 

[Enk27]

Appreciate that its a cup game but I think having the "on the day" price for this weekend to be a good move.

Would it work if rolled out for other games? For example, online price is £18 and on the door £20?

[Bert Street]

2 hours ago, Enk27 said:

Appreciate that its a cup game but I think having the "on the day" price for this weekend to be a good move.

Would it work if rolled out for other games? For example, online price is £18 and on the door £20?

Latics do it.

Commits people to going, negates late reasons for crying off, gets the money in up front.

[Enk27]

20 hours ago, Bert Street said:

Latics do it.

Commits people to going, negates late reasons for crying off, gets the money in up front.

Did not realise that. It makes sense for the reasons you have said.

Guess the risk is that may reduce walk ins. However those put off by an extra £2 for not booking in advance likely were looking for reasons not to attend anyway.

[Locutus]

The Featherstone game is going to be my first game in many years, be bringing  2 others with me. Hopefully first of many more!