21,000 ST Renewed (updated)

[Fan Ownership 101]

Going to Ibrox to watch Rangers is largely shite.

How many times in the past couple of years have you come away from Ibrox and enjoyed the football or the overall matchday experience? Fans attending now are doing so through ritual, habit and loyalty - there's very little enjoyment to be had.

You then move onto the absolute shambles off the park and it compounds the above issue. Each one on its own is probably just about manageable; combine them and people just turn away from it. The real worry is whether these fans will ever come back. Once you get out of the habit of going to Ibrox on a Saturday, do you lose the urge to become a regular attendee again?

Management up, I can't say there's anyone at the Club worth saving.

Inept management and coaching, overseen by directors who answer to short-term, self-interested controlling shareholders with no real care where the Club will be or how it will look in 10 years. Recipe for disaster.

[gogzy 31,195]

the 35k number for last year includes all season books bought after the season started, and half book etc. IIRC.

So it's a bit disingenuous to say that we have a 40% reduction on season books.

IIRC when the season kicked off last year, we had about 28k books sold ( not 100% positive on that number)

[Inigo 32,526]

Not getting involved in board issue but the standard of our team at present is largely symptomatic of the events that hit us in 2012.

I am no great fan of Ally as a manager and certainly think that there are things he could have done better in last two years. However, fans also have to be realistic and take account of the position we were put in. This was always going to lead us having players/team of a lesser standard than we are used to.

Yep, it's a sad indictment on Rangers fans if the on-field performances are why people are staying away. In that case, no longer can we as a support extol the virtues of our loyalty and love of our club in quite the same way we have been able to in recent years.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

Yep, it's a sad indictment on Rangers fans if the on-field performances are why people are staying away. In that case, no longer can we as a support extol the virtues of our loyalty and love of our club in quite the same way we have been able to in recent years.

100% this - there seem to be a few in the 'loyal when we are winning platoon' - hardly the stuff of 'follow we will'

[gersandy 594]

I hope so.

Well, what I really hope is people are as good as their word and do buy game to game, EVERY game, however things are going. We'll see....

My work schedule only permits me to go to 4 or 5 games a season. Ive been looking at making all the games against hearts, hibs, and falkirk.

No interest in letting down clients to watch Cowdenbeith or Alloa.

[NixonRFC 1,333]

I hope so.

Well, what I really hope is people are as good as their word and do buy game to game, EVERY game, however things are going. We'll see....

I don't think any fans will intentionally lie about being willing to go to ALL games but look at last season, Ibrox was half full a lot of tge time, if fans couldn't be arsed going to games they had actually paid for then what actual hope is there for them to muster up the enthusiasm to head out and then pay for it.

You have to hope that this years Title race will be tight, that is in my opinion the only way people will want to go to games, if we skoosh the league again by 25 points Ibrox will be like a morgue for certain games

[Rickshaw77 287]

The club really need us this season more than ever

There is a real surge and a real positive mentality coming from Gorgie.

They have shifted 14000 season tickets and have signed a few decent players and are playing well at pre season.

They will be strong this yr!

If we fuck about we are in trouble

21k is a joke at this stage of our fightback

Hearts have sold about 10k and that's only a 1000 up on last season even with the spectacular way Hibs were relegated and getting Salmond to use his political powers to push through a CVA that's not a huge increase.

Also taking into account they cut ST prices as well and have prices starting from only £50.

They may have signed some not bad players but our signings have been much better and that will be shown when the real Football starts.

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,540]

100% this - there seem to be a few in the 'loyal when we are winning platoon' - hardly the stuff of 'follow we will'

or maybe the guys and gals have just grown up and settled down, ts a lot easier justifying the spend of maybe a grand a year following rangers when your 18 and living with the parents, fast forward a decade and people have families, weans, mortgages

a grand is a far bigger hit now than it was 10 years ago to most people

to have a go at them is pretty shite tbh

[Adoniram 1,919]

The amount of empty seats last season was a warning sign to the board that thousands of fans were bored rigid watching us under McCoist.

To get 21,000 renewals is in my view a not bad return given the fare on offer.

There is only so much loyalty in fans when watching crap week in week out.

[1690tamRFC 5,001]

Personally I do find that figure much lower than I'd have expected. I am really looking forward to this season and think it's our most important for a good few years. Last season the football on show was painful to watch at times but I honestly can't believe so many would stop going to watch the team because of it, we are going to get better and have made a few decent signings this summer. Other than for financial reasons I just don't understand why this season of all you'd not want to renew your books.

[Guest]

21,000 isnt bad considering we are an utterly shite football team. UOF etc can try and take credit for the lower numbers but most of us know its simply due to the fact that we are shite and if a new manager came in or some other drastic move happened there would be much more renewals.

[simplythebest 11,453]

You only have to look at how attendances drop throughout a season, game by game is a very uncertain source of income for the club.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

or maybe the guys and gals have just grown up and settled down, ts a lot easier justifying the spend of maybe a grand a year following rangers when your 18 and living with the parents, fast forward a decade and people have families, weans, mortgages

a grand is a far bigger hit now than it was 10 years ago to most people

to have a go at them is pretty shite tbh

Where did I have a go at anyone who could not go based on circumstances? I'm having a go at those who say they are not there because of Ally / tactics - to me, while accepting it's there cash I question theiroyalty - TO the CLUB !

But then you know that but would like to twist the issue to suit your own pov

[one55 1,510]

i agree a large part of the drop is due to the shite football. ally and his pals needs to have a word with themselves or wallace needs to sack the lot of them and get a new team in.

but it doesn't help that the UOF lot (thanks to dave) also tried to stop people buying season tickets.

if we even gain promotion this season then just watch the season tickets go right back up again.

[Inigo 32,526]

My work schedule only permits me to go to 4 or 5 games a season. Ive been looking at making all the games against hearts, hibs, and falkirk.

No interest in letting down clients to watch Cowdenbeith or Alloa.

Do you seriously think I was talking about people in your situation?

Obviously I was talking about people who had intended to buy season tickets but due to issues with the board have said themselves that they intended to buy 'game to game'. In reality I suspect many will end up only buying tickets for the big games.

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,540]

Where did I have a go at anyone who could not go based on circumstances? I'm having a go at those who say they are not there because of Ally / tactics - to me, while accepting it's there cash I question theiroyalty - TO the CLUB !

But then you know that but would like to twist the issue to suit your own pov

well ally and the tactics can be a big part of the problem

you honestly think a father is going to turf out a grand a year for him and his two boys, when the last 2 years his two boys have complained that its "crap" and "boring"

you mention about "loyal when we are winning" platoon, we just went undefeated throughout a full league season, and i doubt you'll find many young children that enjoyed their matchday experience whatsoever

[Inigo 32,526]

or maybe the guys and gals have just grown up and settled down, ts a lot easier justifying the spend of maybe a grand a year following rangers when your 18 and living with the parents, fast forward a decade and people have families, weans, mortgages

a grand is a far bigger hit now than it was 10 years ago to most people

to have a go at them is pretty shite tbh

Aye, nobody was having a go at that.

You said...

'do fans really believe that the off field nonsense caused us to drop 17k in ST's, maybe a couple of k but not 17k

One of the biggest reasons of the drop is simply on the park and how fucking honking we are, deosnt matter how loyal some of us are, if money is tight, and you have two weans that have been bored shitless for 2 years at ibrox, you probably wont be able to justify another season with increased prices

All it takes is 3000 familes (averaging 3 people a time) to put finances first and thats a hard 9000 ST's lost

make no mistake, entertainment is everything now and we offer heehaw '

The implication there is people will push the boat out as long as there's a bit of entertainment involved (you said that was the deciding factor in your scenario, not finance, you were not talking about someone that could simply not afford it either way) , and that it's not enough to go and support The Rangers. Which is fine, it's personal choice.

But that kind of thing does suggest there's two types of fan

A. Simply love going to see Rangers, good or bad. It's in their blood. Results and performances are important but won't stop them going.

B. People who go to Rangers if they are winning or providing entertaining performances. It's more like a cinema ticket to them.

Nothing wrong with it being B. There's nothing wrong with going to the cinema. But I think people tend to be in denial a little bit about the meaning of their motivations. B is why there tends to be a drop in crowds eventually when bad times come, just like in the early 80s.

well ally and the tactics can be a big part of the problem

you honestly think a father is going to turf out a grand a year for him and his two boys, when the last 2 years his two boys have complained that its "crap" and "boring"

you mention about "loyal when we are winning" platoon, we just went undefeated throughout a full league season, and i doubt you'll find many young children that enjoyed their matchday experience whatsoever

.

OK then, what about 'loyal when we are entertained' platoon? Children from all of the other Scottish clubs manage to enjoy it and be brought up as fans, despite gash football much of the time.

[TravelingWilBEARy 4,319]

I may be some sort of weirdo but I still enjoy the match day experience, there's not much more pleasurable than going to fitba with your mates.

If I went purely on the expectation of being entertained and value for money, I would have only been to about a dozen games in my life.

[Inigo 32,526]

I may be some sort of weirdo but I still enjoy the match day experience, there's not much more pleasurable than going to fitba with your mates.

If I went purely on the expectation of being entertained and value for money, I would have only been to about a dozen games in my life.

Yeah. The football has been dire, but there's something inherently enjoyable about going to Ibrox. Tradition, routine, familiar faces. It all adds to it. There's something settling about it.

[wullyRFC 5,230]

Gone are the days when all people did at the weekend was go to the football. I'm not that old but things have changed alot in my short time of going to the football.

For many it's about entertainment these days and not just loving Rangers. The whole of Scottish football is on it's arse and there doesn't seem to be any signs of it ever getting better.

[Coops1974 12]

I know what would boost season tickets, sacking McCoist and bringing in Derek McInnes, you all know im right.

I find it absolutely astonishing McCoist is still in a job.

[Inigo 32,526]

Gone are the days when all people did at the weekend was go to the football. I'm not that old but things have changed alot in my short time of going to the football.

For many it's about entertainment these days and not just loving Rangers. The whole of Scottish football is on it's arse and there doesn't seem to be any signs of it ever getting better.

This all looks to be the case.

[1690tamRFC 5,001]

I may be some sort of weirdo but I still enjoy the match day experience, there's not much more pleasurable than going to fitba with your mates.

If I went purely on the expectation of being entertained and value for money, I would have only been to about a dozen games in my life.

Spot on, it's definately the whole day for me too, nothing beats going to the pub with your pals before and after the game, aye it's obviously better after a good win/performance but whatever the results I still can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing on a Saturday

[Inigo 32,526]

Yaas! Glad to see the 'Uber' is not quite a dying breed yet.

[MaddistonKnight 1,567]

Yeah. The football has been dire, but there's something inherently enjoyable about going to Ibrox. Tradition, routine, familiar faces. It all adds to it. There's something settling about it.

That is what it is all about.

If I only went for the football, well............................................................................................