Good opportunity

Any football club is first and foremost about its fans. Great clubs with great fans stick together and turn up no matter how disappointing their results are. I am sure that Bath City fans are not the sort to turn their backs on the club because of some poor results. We will turn up no matter what because we ARE the club.

I'll be there Saturday!

Can't disagree with a word of that. The thread title confuses me somewhat as does, given the tone, your user name

Two way thing in my view - if the team aren't going to put the effort in which even Owers said himself about Tuesday's "performance" then why should fans bother to return?

I'll be there Saturday because it would be ridiculous to turn backs on the team at this stage but I personally won't be watching too many repeats of games like Tuesday either.

Really hoping it was just a freak one off performance. Result was secondary disappointment to the manner of the defeat. Watching highlights of game on youtube just proved what a circus it was.

Still, Chelmsford game on Saturday so new opportunity to bounce back

I have never seen Bath City fans so abusive towards the team as on Tuesday. I suppose that is the price you pay for bigger crowds. The diehards are much more forgiving.

I suspect we will be back down to the core fans on Saturday, and I expect the team will show more fight, so I would not expect to see a repeat of that raucousness.

Even during a relegation battle if the players put in 100% and actually compete rather than just making up the numbers then they deserve support. If they don't then I wouldn't blame any fan whether they've been supporting the club for 3 weeks or 30 years to not pay the entrance fee.


I think it's a good thing that we've got Chelmsford and Truro up next. Two difficult sides which will really test City. Couple of decent performances and the season can get going properly

BenE wrote:I have never seen Bath City fans so abusive towards the team as on Tuesday. I suppose that is the price you pay for bigger crowds. The diehards are much more forgiving.

Bloody hell, it must have been bad considering where you stand.

cbtroman wrote:I think it's a good thing that we've got Chelmsford and Truro up next. Two difficult sides which will really test City. Couple of decent performances and the season can get going properly

I have heard it said that the first two games were difficult against two promoted sides. I can sort of see the logic but, even so, they were both playing in lower leagues last season and have hardly added greatly to their playing staff. Obviously, Chippenham have two of our better players of the last half a decade but, still, we shouldn't be losing 5-2 at home to them and 3-2 to Bognor. It isn't like we lost 1-0 or 2-1, we lost heavily and, to be brutally honest, we looked like we would have lost to anyone on Tuesday. Saturday is going to be a really really tough game now and, while I think Truro's position is more a sign of it being the early season, it won't be easy either. I think we have to accept that, unless changes are made, every game is going to be tough.

Well, we can actually moan at the players and coaching staff as much as we want still and long that particular opportunity continue. At the end of the day, the change in ownership doesn't mean any change or intrusion into day-to-day team affairs. Gary is still just as much in charge as he was before and long may that continue. Therefore he and the players can collect the plaudits and brickbats as before.

Marc Monitor wrote:and 3-2 to Bognor. It isn't like we lost 1-0 or 2-1, we lost heavily and, to be brutally honest, we looked like we would have lost to anyone

I do realise that you were talking primarily about what happened on Tuesday, so, the selective editing of your comment is for emphasis. Did you really think that City "lost heavily" at Bognor? I thought Bognor were the better side over the whole match, and City were not great in the first half, but the second half gave cause for optimism, and I felt that, in the end, the players were deserving of the warm reception they received from the fans at the final whistle.

I am not disagreeing about the performance on Tuesday night that was truly dreadful, but I didn't think it was fair to include the performance at Bognor in with it.

BenE wrote:I have never seen Bath City fans so abusive towards the team as on Tuesday. I suppose that is the price you pay for bigger crowds. The diehards are much more forgiving.

My impression on Tuesday was that the "diehards" were pretty unhappy, and making their feelings known, some vocally during the game, and, some by the absence of reception for the players at the end of the game.

We have to show some anger to the team if they play badly or the club is running the risk of stagnation and decline which isn't good for the players, fans or those that run the club.

I disagree. Sometimes as a sportsman you have a bad game and there is nothing you can do about it. So there is no point being angry. But when the entire team is rubbish then there is something awry. The problem for the fans is where to direct their anger. I would suggest that this is a management issue. The team were inadequately prepared and set up and it is from that direction that we need a reaction.
It was rather awkward that some players wanted to applaud the fans and all they got was abuse in return.

But I wasn't talking about losing the odd game here and there or having a run of bad luck, I'm not stupid enough to think we can win every game. It doesn’t bother me to much if we lose but made a good fight of it.

(moderator - this was posted by City 'til we're relegated) To Marc Monitor: Sorry about the title. The point I wanted to make was that it is times like this (opening two games lost) that is a test of how fans feel about 'their club', especially as we are, majority wise, the club. As for my username. That is a touch of irony, given my long and loyal support of the club. I have seen many Johnny come latelys who profess their undying loyalty to the club only to clear off, never to be seen again, at the slightest disappointment.

Luton Roman wrote:When all is said and done fans love to watch a winning team.

I don't think it is anywhere as simple as that. I think that a crowd splits into three categories.

Firstly, there are the die-hard supporters. We will turn up whatever, week in, week out, whatever the results. Week on week results even seasons' results will not change our match going. We plan our match-going first and foremost and only certain circumstances - weddings, funerals, holidays - will stop us going and even then under duress. In ways, as people who carry on going to something that so often disappoints, we are a marketer's dream but they have no idea what drives us. They will have no idea why Leyton Orient's season tickets have increased for their first season in non-league or that Manchester City's attendances increased the further down the divisions they went a few years ago. However, we know why that happens. Whenever people talk about who the 'best' supporters are, I always say that it is this die-hard core of every club. As I say, results don't really change our attendance even though we are the most pissed off when the team loses or plays badly. However, clubs should not take us for granted. It is these supporters who are bothered enough to organise boycotts and protests if a chairman messes around with the club's heritage or hikes prices too far.

The second group is what I call the fans. Fans attend when circumstances allow, semi-regularly, maybe once a month or a bit more. With clubs at our level and, perhaps, a couple of divisions higher, they are often supporters of other clubs who can't make it to their own club's games that often, want to watch live football and want to watch their local club (these people often being the "Supporters" camp as well). They understand football supporting so, as with the diehard supporters, don't get put off by results and performances so much especially as there is a chance they may not be attending consecutive matches as much and, also, it is the social side of the match day experience that they are there for (a great part in all our attendance). They will be certainties for bigger matches and have a fair idea of what is going on around the club, how the team is doing and where they are in the league. Again, they aren't so attached to the results themselves and are much less likely than the diehards to get pissed off by, for example, a result like Tuesday's or yesterday's (especially if they weren't there).

The third group is the new or casual attender. They are the sort of people who may not even be football supporters. They may be general sports fans, parents taking their children, people who want to take part in a local social community event or tourists. They will be attracted along by circumstances such as there being a lot of media coverage around the club, just fancying it or being brought along by members of the first or second groups. They will very rarely plan more than a week ahead if they are going to go. They attend Bath City and, often, football in general like I attend speedway. Results will mean practically nothing to them and, indeed, a match like Tuesday's may attract them more as it had lots of goals, incidents and plenty of atmosphere. Certainly, they won't be put off as they aren't so attached to the team to get pissed off about the performance.

You will notice that, in all three groups, I have repeated that results and performances - certainly week to week and, to an extent, over a season - aren't that important to all three groups. Us diehard supporters go anyway, the last two groups' attendance will be based on their own circumstances. However, the last two are more likely to come along to matches that get a lot of attention in the media or through their friends. Of course, one of the ways that the club gets more media attention is if they are having a successful season so, cumulatively over a season, a team playing well will attract better crowds but, as I say, one match, even a couple in a row, will not put off a lot of supporters, fans and casual or new attenders. Of course, one issue with, if not our success, then our position is that non-league just doesn't register with many people. Indeed, even for many football supporters, life doesn't exist below the Premiership, let alone below the League. However, conversely, lower- and non-league football is very well attended in this country compared to Europe (Serie D, for instance, has an average attendance of around 500)

This isn't just me saying this. During the Bid, a fair amount of discussion was had about with people about they enjoyed about Bath City and what would keep them attending. Football results were mentioned a surprisingly little amount of times and the matchday experience - ease of getting tickets, friendly atmosphere, standing allowed, access to food and drink etc - feature quite a lot. I think, as Bath City supporters, we forget what people appreciate about our club and Twerton Park.  As someone who has migrated from another club, I have a slightly different perspective. For instance, I know that a visit to Twerton Park is a welcome reminder of how football used to be before the Premiership millions. However, until listening to others' reasons for attending (or not), i didn't realise quite how little results or style of football (from match to match) impacts upon them.

Succinctly put as usual

You get succinctness in term time

Bloody wrong thread as well.