Bitter Disappointment

[rik2304]

Kind of glad you dont post often

[rik2304]

Also, great name. Is your first name Ya?

[Edstar101]

Also, great name. Is your first name Ya?

 

No, his surname is POT

[ex-montrosesaintee]

I think the main issue is that his post is misdirected on here. It needs to be aimed at the people who don't read this forum, don't read twitter or Facebook, and don't turn up to games.

[Deek]

As others may have said, it doesn't really matter what price Saints or any other club make it to get in. Living costs are going through the roof and football will generally be lower down the list of priorities. There won't be many on here who have had a wage rise so there's a massive financial discrepancy there.

 

Regardless of where Rangers ended up, and together with certain other things that have happened over the last few years, massive damage has been done to Scottish football. It may be irrecoverable, it may take years or decades to repair but the damage has been done and free entry won't even be a quick fix for that.

 

Finally, Saints are woeful at PR and selling the club (this season has seen an improvement in some areas) and in the modern age that we now live in (and with a declining support) this is becoming a bigger more obvious problem.

[mad saints fan]

When I started reading this topic at first I thought, nah there can't seriously be a big enough eejit to really believe this, but god...he was serious

I'm gonna keep this short, just so our special friend can try and take it in, it might be too much for someone so high and mighty to understand that there are many people who can't afford to go to our home games all the time.

Myself along with the friends and family who I attend Saints matches with all took the stance that if the club voted yes to Rangers then of course it was going to impact on our decision to continue to support the club with such passion and devotion as we have all our lives. Now this season, we have only attended a very small handful of matches, probably about half the amount from the previous season. I personally only managed 4 games which is the most out of all of us...I guess we must feel really bad for 'betraying' the club like this!! let me write Mr Steve Brown a letter of apology...

Now for the reality check!

In the course of the last season, 1 of those friends has told me of colleagues being paid off and how he's unsure of his own job security, 1 faced losing their position in a company and having to take a £6,000 pay cut and the other got told they're losing their job in October. Now god, you can't seriously be living such a blinkered life that you don't think that this is the case with many of us throughout Perth and surrounding areas. My own household has had to make big cuts in spending just to get by and pay the rent and put food on the table, it means sacrificing things like going to the football, but does it make me any less of a fan than you because you give the club more money than me? does it hell.

I could only dream of having £300 to throw away on a season ticket as a gesture of good will, and all the while not knowing how many games I'd be able to attend!? jeez now to me that sounds like you have more money than sense. It might shock you to know that for many of us there are far more important things to be spending that £300 or the odd £23 on. We have families to take care of, rent, mortgages and other bills to pay...surely I don't need to tell you that.

I just hope you took a step back from your keyboard and actually thought about what you wrote because **** sake man, yi dinnae half come across as a complete and utter t***.

[Ali91]

Someone comes on here, makes some points which are maybe not worded in the best way and the usual suspects come out with personal comments about them. There is a reason so many people have stopped posting on here. 

[Fatmanscoop]

So why threaten boycotts if there was never an intention to go???? Our chairman, like every other, was inundated with letters and emails, and responded accordingly by voting them out. The response he was looking for never materialised!

As far as you or I know, everyone that wrote to the club may have attended. Away crowds have affected our over all gate as well. Personally I moved down south last year and haven't made a game this season.

I had been a season ticket holder up until 3 years ago. I emailed the club telling them I wouldn't be back, at no stage did I say I would attend more often. I have 2 kids that eat me out of house and home. The cost of food has risen 40% over the past 5 years and don't even get me started on the cost of Diesel. I'm not far away from spending the cost of a season ticket every month at Tesco on groceries.

I am not the only one in this boat. Can I ask why you haven't been supporting your club and buying a season ticket before now? They have required the support for a long, long time. I think for someone that has only purchased 1 season ticket in your lifetime, you should lay off the preaching.

[Dr Christmas Jones]

Away crowds have been really bad this season

[BAM]

I've heard of selective hearing but selective reading is a new 1. Right from the outset I said it probably didn't apply to folk on here.....

Some folk really need to take their blue tinted glasses off - too many times topics criticising the club in 1 way or another end up in the usual clique ganging up with personal attacks when views they don't want to agree with are aired.

Hand on heart, when another crowd of 2500-3000 is announced, they have thought "that's a healthy turnout." NO.

I accept times are tough. But they are tough all over the country for everyone! How can 25%, or if you take out the Rangers factor, close on 50% of SPL clubs see an increase in their average crowd, yet we saw a 10% fall? Is Perthshire it's own wee micro-economy?

I ain't claiming to be some kind of super-fan, nor am I claiming to be on the moral high ground, it was merely an observation.

It's quite simple really. Fans write to club - club acts on fans view - club appeals, if not begs for fans to turn out in greater numbers - fans don't respond and numbers fall. THAT'S the bitter disappointment.

[andrew]

I've heard of selective hearing but selective reading is a new 1. Right from the outset I said it probably didn't apply to folk on here.....

Some folk really need to take their blue tinted glasses off - too many times topics criticising the club in 1 way or another end up in the usual clique ganging up with personal attacks when views they don't want to agree with are aired.

Hand on heart, when another crowd of 2500-3000 is announced, they have thought "that's a healthy turnout." NO.

I accept times are tough. But they are tough all over the country for everyone! How can 25%, or if you take out the Rangers factor, close on 50% of SPL clubs see an increase in their average crowd, yet we saw a 10% fall? Is Perthshire it's own wee micro-economy?

I ain't claiming to be some kind of super-fan, nor am I claiming to be on the moral high ground, it was merely an observation.

It's quite simple really. Fans write to club - club acts on fans view - club appeals, if not begs for fans to turn out in greater numbers - fans don't respond and numbers fall. THAT'S the bitter disappointment.

=============================

You're not allowed to make observations, even if they are reasonable and not badly worded.

Don't dare express an opinion either.

I wonder if this forum is a reflection of our dwindling support? It is a shadow of its former self. Dare I say since 101 left. Maybe just coincidence though

At times, this can be a very unfriendly and unwelcoming place.

What's the need to get personal with anyone whose opinion is different?

I managed every match of this great season, wondering at times if we hadn't messed up a last chance to achieve with a squad as good as this.

I consider myself fortunate and am grateful I could witness every kick of every ball.

For once the football gods smiled on us.

No argumentative, arrogant, offended or even happy posters will change anything for me.

I'm happy as a pig in mud, as should we all be - 'superfans' or not.

Arguing and getting personal on here will achieve nothing.

I despair of the difficulties placed upon people, especially young families. Finances are so hard and no one is being disparaging about anyone's financial affairs. It is not going to improve anytime soon. Lets not offend or take offence. It's hard enough just to survive for a lot of folk just now.

[Bridgendboy]

Dear oh dear, someone posts what is  to me not an unreasonable post and suddenly it's decided that he should be subjected to pathetic personal abuse. Of course people are having a hard time financially, nobody is saying otherwise but other clubs who are doing considerably worse than us on the pitch eg St Mirren, Kilmarnock etc have been better supported by their fans than us and they will have had the same finacial difficulties as us. As others have said is it any wonder that many previous good posters have disappeared.

[Scobby_SJFC]

Like many other people I simply cannot afford to go to football every wekk and so pick and choose my games, that added to stupid Sunday 4pm and Monday 8pm kick off times Ithink many others fans cannot get to the games

 

The other reason is TV, I can have two pints in a pub in Glasgow on a Monday night and watch the game for £5 or i can sit in the freezing cold pay £15 petrol then £22 to get in. For people like me it is a no brianer.

 

 

Big changes are needed in Scotland not just Saints and this slide in attendances will continue

[AthensSaint]

_{Hopefully Scottish football will soon sort itself out. It is a very complex scenario that has caused its recent demise. The fans that stay away are not the root cause of that demise. Most of my years supporting and watching St Johnstone where when they were unsuccessful . But it was good fun and relatively cheap to go along with your pals in the 70's and 80's. Sometimes (sorry - lots of times) what happened on the pitch was the least important happening on a great day out. We have finished 3rd in the league this season - but was it good fun going along to watch? Was it value for money on a "fun" basis? It's not that we dont deserve a successful team on the pitch, it's just that the limited resources make it difficult. I do think that some of the younger fan base maybe a wee bit spoiled due to our recent successes but hopefully they still have fun watching and can encourage their mates to come along as well.}        

[TheYellowBox]

He has a point in that our crowds are poor this season and like many I expected them to stay flat and I am a little disappointed that they are down.

However,

It is fair to say that football has become or is becoming a luxury too far for a lot of people. Given half the chance most folk on here would buy a season ticket if they don't already do so. Our crowds have suffered for 2 main reasons. One being the cost and current economic environment, but the other, which is more alarming long term, is that fans have gotten out of the habit of going to the football.

I believe that there is a turning point at which there is so little an amount of fans going to a game that there isn't the feeling that you are missing out on something by not going. For example, in early 90's you saw neighbours heading off to the football and it would seem odd to not have kid and families not going. However, I think that for too long, the club let the fans slowly drift away and we have effectively lost a chunk of a generation, 25-35 year old who are now becoming parents that drifted away in their teens when ormond closed and football became to expensive.

On the threats of fans last summer, it would have been horrific crowds if rangers had been allowed back in. This drop would have happened whether the rangers situation happened or not.

Edited May 22, 2013 by TheYellowBox

[fergiefootball]

Someone comes on here, makes some points which are maybe not worded in the best way and the usual suspects come out with personal comments about them. There is a reason so many people have stopped posting on here. 

          EXACTLY thinks its called cyber bullying...whatever happened to free speech??

[SaintDinky]

BAM's original post did make some good points BUT

I am amongst those for whom football has become an unaffordable luxury. I made it to four games last season because £22 is money that I don't have spare also taking into consideration travel costs now that I no longer live right by McD. If I was blessed with kids and could get in for £15 I'd attend more games. None of this affects how much I love St Johnstone and how proud I am of our achievements. I would love to say I'll buy a season ticket for 13/14 but I know I can't. Doesn't make me any less of a Saints fan.

[rik2304]

Its a wee bit over the top to suggest the level of cyber bullying. I have not witnessed any sustained attacks on any individual member of WAP. If it did occur then I am certain that the mods would act fairly sharpish.

[fergiefootball]

BAM's original post did make some good points BUT

I am amongst those for whom football has become an unaffordable luxury. I made it to four games last season because £22 is money that I don't have spare also taking into consideration travel costs now that I no longer live right by McD. If I was blessed with kids and could get in for £15 I'd attend more games. None of this affects how much I love St Johnstone and how proud I am of our achievements. I would love to say I'll buy a season ticket for 13/14 but I know I can't. Doesn't make me any less of a Saints fan.

.............that's all very well but people don't need to be abused cos they have an opionon on a forum.   Do you live in perth ?

[BAM]

It's a fundamental cornerstone of a democracy - freedom of speech. And one of the great things of our species is we are all different. Add the 2 together and we will get differences of opinion, of which we are all free to air.

One thing all of us on WAP have in common is our love and devotion to SJFC. We are all have different backgrounds and circumstances which means how we share that is different - it's natural.

With that in mind and if you look back on countless other threads here, then my frustrations are no different to what others have said in the past or what our chairman was hinting at in the media today.

It was never a case of boasting or claiming to be on a moral rant, it was simply a frustration that more people have not enjoyed the thrills, excitement and ultimately the jubilation and pride SJFC have provided us with this season.

We are all backing the same cause, we all just have different ways of doing it. There's no need to fall out, argue or name call, just stick together, air our views in a constructive manner and continue to give the club and players our support.

[The Special One]

I think the club just need to take new initiatives to get people through the gates. Student gate I feel is a must which was mentioned at the start of this season which sadly failed to happen.(Led to believe this will be available next season). Also like the idea of st Mirren this year, having discounted entry for unemployed etc.

[fergiefootball]

But if you air views that are different from some you get abuse ..that's not right.

[fergiefootball]

I think the club just need to take new initiatives to get people through the gates. Student gate I feel is a must which was mentioned at the start of this season which sadly failed to happen.(Led to believe this will be available next season). Also like the idea of st Mirren this year, having discounted entry for unemployed etc.

                                         Exactly we need to be more professional...cant believe we don't discount students or have ub40 gate?? Oh and what about ilr advertising I hear ads for Dundee on radio tay...the pars on kindom fm ...hearts on forth but nothing for saints anywhere unless you log on to their website or read the pa???

Edited May 22, 2013 by fergiefootball

[Scott1884]

So why threaten boycotts if there was never an intention to go???? Our chairman, like every other, was inundated with letters and emails, and responded accordingly by voting them out. The response he was looking for never materialised!

About 1500 Saints fans went to Tannadice & backed the team which was great. However I know a few of them & they've hardly been at McD since the game against Eskisehirspor. They also spent more than a few £s in the Dundee pubs afterwards. If you have to choose your games I'd prefer it if you spent your money at McD than put it in the coffers of other clubs. Some weren't at the game on Sunday cos they didn't think Saints would win.

[Scott1884]

It's a fundamental cornerstone of a democracy - freedom of speech. And one of the great things of our species is we are all different. Add the 2 together and we will get differences of opinion, of which we are all free to air.

One thing all of us on WAP have in common is our love and devotion to SJFC. We are all have different backgrounds and circumstances which means how we share that is different - it's natural.

With that in mind and if you look back on countless other threads here, then my frustrations are no different to what others have said in the past or what our chairman was hinting at in the media today.

It was never a case of boasting or claiming to be on a moral rant, it was simply a frustration that more people have not enjoyed the thrills, excitement and ultimately the jubilation and pride SJFC have provided us with this season.

We are all backing the same cause, we all just have different ways of doing it. There's no need to fall out, argue or name call, just stick together, air our views in a constructive manner and continue to give the club and players our support.

Many can't afford it but some use the affordability argument as an excuse cos they want to spend their money on other things. I know guys who say this but are at the front of the queue when the latest gadgets come out. That's fine but just be honest about it.