Attracting new
GIVEN their lofty position in League One, the quality and brand of football on offer and a healthy windfall from the impending sale of Scott Hogan, it’s little wonder Rochdale fans are acknowledging they’ve never had it so good.
Hogan’s sale from Brentford – probably to West Ham – could net the club millions and allow Keith Hill to keep his talented squad together for a sustained push play-offs.
The club is in rude health both on and off the pitch – and chief executive Russ Green insists now is the time to get more supporters down to the Crown Oil Arena.
“When I came in to the club, one of the big problems we had was the attendances,” he told the Observer.
“Take the Walsall game a few weeks ago. We won 4-0 following on from a 4-0 win against Swindon and we got under two at the thousand which, considering the football the team is producing, I felt needed addressing.
“So what we’ve been doing behind the scenes is approaching organisations, junior football leagues and the like, and putting ticket initiatives on.
“We introduced the half-season ticket to get people back in for £100 and that’s gone fantastic. We’ve sold 500 of them, which was above expectation when you consider we only did 1,200 regular season tickets.
“We knew it would probably cause some consternation with existing season ticket holders, but having spoken with them – as we’ve done with everything, spoken to them, to the Supporters Trust – the general feedback is that they just want people here. They want to see attendances go up as much as we do.
“There were a few who said ‘we’ve paid full price and they are getting it cheaper’ but the majority have been just glad to see more people coming to games.”
The recent recruitment drive is only the start of the campaign for Green, who took over from Colin Garlick in August last year.
“It’s just been a pre-curser to what we’re looking to do next season, when we’ll be looking to make it more affordable for the town.
“We know we’re a League One club competing with some of the big boys, but we want to make our football affordable, and I think that’s one thing that we’ve really pushed over the last few weeks, the £10 ticket and the introducer ticket over Christmas where an existing season ticket holder could bring as many people as they wanted on a reduced rate – that went well.
“It shows we’re trying our best to get people through the gates. The gates over Christmas were a lot healthier and I think that’s down to us doing these promotions.
“The people who come and see the style of football we’re playing, they love it! The hardest thing is getting people here.
“I’ve got another little initiative I’m introducing, probably next week, where we’re going to be addressing nearly every household in Rochdale and asking them along.
“There are people who have lived in the town for years and have never been to a game – it’s just getting them to that first game and seeing what we are doing here.”
Green sees many similarties between Dale and his old club, Hartlepool, where he spent 14 years.
“Rochdale are similar to my old club, Hartlepool. They traditionally always fought against relegation, re-election – I don’t think people realise what a revolution has been going on here on the pitch with Keith and his football,” he said.
“I go to away games and people can’t believe the standard of play that the lads are producing, and it’s getting the locals to come and see it for themselves.
“The feedback I’ve had from people who have come along for their first game, or their first game in a while, has been fantastic, they’ve loved the atmosphere and the homeliness of the club.
“You go to Premier League games and you just feel like a number – here you feel part of it, you’re closer to the pitch, it’s your home town.”
Green is eager to turn a trip to Dale into a whole day – o at least afternoon – experience.
“Cultivating the whole day match experience is another target of mine,” he said.
“We’re looking to get a younger generation into the club – with all respect we are an ageing fanbase when you look at the demographics of what we have. We have to get the kids to understand that football’s not about watching it on TV, it’s about coming along to watch it live.
“Next week, every school in the area will receive birthday cards for youngsters on their seventh birthday and every one of them will be invited along with their parents, complimentary tickets to enjoy the experience.
“The Football League did a survey a few years ago and discovered that the first year you really start to remember things in life is as a seven year old – that’s the age that stands out in the mind, you remember your first whatever. So we want to get them here and remember their first game and it becomes their club. We’ve had thousands of these birthday cards done and it’s just another little initiative which allows us to hit the schools and try to get the youngsters involved.
“We’ve got all sorts of the things going on under Pearl Street stand. One thing we want to be doing next season – and it will be partly introduced at the end of this season – is a Kidzone on matchdays, so youngsters can come along about 1pm and we’ll have play stations and face painting, art walls and all sorts of stuff in the old Studds Bar. That way, the parents can go into the bar on the other side and it becomes a whole afternoon experience.
“Players who are not involved in the squad will go down and do a bit of talking with the kids.
“We’ve got theme days on, and I know Frances Fielding in Commercial has been working hard at that this year and it’s caught on really well and it’s something we’re keen to expand on.
“All the time we are targeting the younger generation because they come and they want to bring their parents and it becomes a day out.”