Re: No Internet Radio covereage today, Boreham Wood are pathetic

by comrade powell Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:27 am

I would have thought it might be the club's call whether commentary of its home matches was available to all, free of charge. I don't know about the drop in numbers tuning in this season, but it was very apparent as coach organiser that some previously regular travellers preferred to listen to the match at home rather than give up a day to support the team.

by bonzodog Wed Sep 17, 2014 5:27 pm

comrade powell wrote:I would have thought it might be the club's call whether commentary of its home matches was available to all, free of charge. I don't know about the drop in numbers tuning in this season, but it was very apparent as coach organiser that some previously regular travellers preferred to listen to the match at home rather than give up a day to support the team.

With the coach costing £27 + £12 entry free, add on to that a couple of pints, pie & chips and a programme the cost mounts up for a day out compared to £0 sitting at home listening. Times are tough comrade, belts are tightening.

by CityHatcham Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:46 pm

Forgive my ignorance, but does the club receive much/any direct financial benefit from the number of City supporters who attend away matches? Split of the gate, right?

(The non-monetary benefits, of course, are very important, don't get me wrong)

by Mark Tanner Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:07 pm

Bath City get any extra money raised on the coach like club shop sales and 50/50 tickets, via the Supporters Club. There is no split of the gate for league games only FA Cup games.

If people didn't use the supporters coach then the club would find it extremely hard to fund it's own away travel. The prices are 'expensive' on the coach because it is based on just 24 adults using a 48 seat coach, if there are 35 adults on the coach then they will make a profit which will go to the supporters club.

Throughout the season then the supporters club will run their small club shop and the tea bar (aswell as taking membership fees) all generating money. Their main commitment to Bath City this season is the funding of the first team coach, which costs around 8-10K. On top of that they will give other amounts where they can in the season.

So basically everything the supporters club do gets filtered back into the club, every single penny of profit.

Make sure you join up this Saturday, buy a tea, buy a DVD or even a 50/50 ticket and do your part and enjoy the game!

by comrade powell Wed Sep 17, 2014 10:29 pm

Richard111 wrote:
comrade powell wrote:I would have thought it might be the club's call whether commentary of its home matches was available to all, free of charge. I don't know about the drop in numbers tuning in this season, but it was very apparent as coach organiser that some previously regular travellers preferred to listen to the match at home rather than give up a day to support the team.

With the coach costing £27 + £12 entry free, add on to that a couple of pints, pie & chips and a programme the cost mounts up for a day out compared to £0 sitting at home listening. Times are tough comrade, belts are tightening.

I was simply mentioning the drop in numbers on the coach to explain that some no longer travel because it's cheaper to stay at home listening online. So we agree on that! But do you think it should be free of charge? I think we should be charging those who listen in to our home fixtures and I don't think you can blame the likes of Braintree refusing access to our commentators if their fans preferred to sit in their homes listening. And yes, I appreciate there may well be other reasons for the refusal.

by comrade powell Wed Sep 17, 2014 10:33 pm

Mark Tanner wrote:Bath City get any extra money raised on the coach like club shop sales and 50/50 tickets, via the Supporters Club. There is no split of the gate for league games only FA Cup games.

If people didn't use the supporters coach then the club would find it extremely hard to fund it's own away travel. The prices are 'expensive' on the coach because it is based on just 24 adults using a 48 seat coach, if there are 35 adults on the coach then they will make a profit which will go to the supporters club. And if the average for the season rises, it's likely to be reflected in next season's fares.

Throughout the season then the supporters club will run their small club shop and the tea bar (aswell as taking membership fees) all generating money. Plus the matchday draw Their main commitment to Bath City this season is the funding of the first team coach, which costs around 8-10K. In fact it's nearer to £13k On top of that they will give other amounts where they can in the season.

So basically everything the supporters club do gets filtered back into the club, every single penny of profit.

Make sure you join up this Saturday, buy a tea, buy a DVD or even a 50/50 ticket and do your part and enjoy the game! And sponsor me on the walk please!

by bonzodog Thu Sep 18, 2014 8:13 am

A charge would be a good idea. I would suggest £15 - £20 for the season would be a reasonable and realistic cost.

by comrade powell Thu Sep 18, 2014 9:27 am

I've copied this from the Millwall site for their LionsPlayer...

£19.99 : 6 Month Pass Special Offer: 6 months access to Player for £19.99, repeating at £42.99 a year until cancelled
£4.49 : Monthly Pass Access to Player for £4.49 a month, repeating at £4.49 a month until cancelled
£37.99 : Annual Pass (Direct Debit) Access to Player for £37.99 a year, repeating at £37.99 a year until cancelled
£42.99 : Annual Pass Access to Player for £42.99 a year, repeating at £42.99 a year until cancelled

This provides live commentary, plus video highlights from a couple of days after match, for all games home and away. I think nearly all league clubs are signed up to the same company, so there's no chance of one of them doing a 'Braintree'.

Obviously there are technical issues to ensure only subscribers can listen, but I'm sure it's not an insurmountable problem.

So I agree, around £20 would seem very reasonable for listening to around 40 of our live commentaries. What do regular listeners like Beau Nash and Kermit think?

by stillmanjunior Thu Sep 18, 2014 11:25 am

Would there be an option to listen to just one game at a time? For example I should be at almost all of the away trips this season but still might miss the occasional one, I wouldn't baulk at paying say £1 as a one-off.

by comrade powell Thu Sep 18, 2014 12:06 pm

I really don't know. Obviously it's not for me to say if this is viable - it wouldn't surprise me if it was explained that with the software presently used, there would be no possibility of limiting it to subscribers. What I am flagging up is the ridiculous situation (to me anway!) of a club trying to maximise all potential income streams and facing falling attendances. Yet a quick scan of those posting on the matchchat comments suggests that some are listening to the commentary from such faraway places as Weston village and Odd Down...

by comrade powell Thu Sep 18, 2014 12:11 pm

and yes, before someone mentions it, I am aware that the internet station is suppoorted (sic) by advertisers - is this to cover the station's costs or to support the football club?

by suffolkexile Thu Sep 18, 2014 5:53 pm

I have always said that I would be happy to pay a reasonable amount to listen to commentaries. £20 or £30 is not a great deal of money to pay to listen to 40 odd games.

by kermit Thu Sep 18, 2014 6:06 pm

I haven't listened for ages. From around January my computer crashed every time I listened in, and caused untold grieve to get it restarted every time. Doesn't happen on any other website. I might give it a go on Saturday though. To answer the question...I would happily pay £50 for a season of (reliable and crash-free) live commentaries.

by CityHatcham Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:28 pm

I used to listen when I was a London exile and it was great - but frankly I wouldn't pay. No reflection on the quality of the product or the job Andrew does, I'd just spend it something else, I can't see myself pressing that Paypal button. I suspect the "Venn diagram" of people who are willing to pay for radio but not pay to come to a match is quite low. But who knows?

by suffolkexile Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:18 am

As a matter of interest, if we were to regain our position in conf national would radio Bristol restart its internet commentaries of our matches?

by Roman Mike Sat Sep 20, 2014 10:39 am

comrade powell wrote:I really don't know. Obviously it's not for me to say if this is viable - it wouldn't surprise me if it was explained that with the software presently used, there would be no possibility of limiting it to subscribers. What I am flagging up is the ridiculous situation (to me anway!) of a club trying to maximise all potential income streams and facing falling attendances. Yet a quick scan of those posting on the matchchat comments suggests that some are listening to the commentary from such faraway places as Weston village and Odd Down...

Your assumption is that these people who listen in from Weston and Odd Down would turn up to games if the internet radio charged or didn't exist. I am not convinced. I have nothing to back this up (but then neither have you - see my previous point about lack of market research) but I'll put the counter argument that there are far more 'floating' fans who turn up for the odd game but who would turn up more if the results / facilities improved, who we need to keep involved by using the (free) internet radio and e-mail newsletters etc. The risk is that the good folk on here are a self-selecting group who are dedicated (I nearly wrote committed - cue jokes) die-hards and if we base decisions on that group's mind set then we potentially lose / alienate the floaters. The aim is surely to convert the floaters into die-hards and not push them further away.

by Beau Nash Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:39 am

RichardIII & Roman Mike: Your assumptions are correct.

Like many people I enjoy a wide range of sporting activities.

I follow sport for two reasons:
1. Support of a particular team or individual
2. Entertainment

I can follow many sports online for FREE, including watching live Bath Rugby v Leicester today; so I will follow Bath City on Matchat. If we were top of the League or challenging for a play-off place near the end of the season, then no contest, I would happily pay the current admission costs to see the game, just like the 5000 at the play-off final. If Matchat didn't exist I would still not be attending today.

Matchat is not a reliable enough platform, there are often technical problems, for it to start charging. Andrew Kerslake knows how much I and many others appreciate his dedication so it is not a matter of how much to charge BUT my bet is very few would pay ANYTHING.

Nothing can beat the atmosphere of attending a live event so I think very few, if any, are put off attending Bath City games by Matchat.

The reasons for non attendance are many and have been discussed at length; until those detriments are addressed, and the main ones are socioeconomic not within the power of Bath City FC, unless admission costs are slashed; then performances on the pitch have to be the priority to attract regular supporters; but since the heady days of 10th in the Conf Prem both on and off the pitch has been a downward spiral.

by comrade powell Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:15 pm

Well I'm delighted to say, Beau, that your principled stand meant you missed an excellent performance by the team today. But if Roman Mike's theory about floaters being enticed back by listening to commentaries of matches like today's is correct, then I'm sure you'll be at the Poole match next week.

And watching BathRugby online for free - I trust that wasn't via some illegal streaming... Wink

by Dusty Lynfield Sat Sep 20, 2014 10:06 pm

I am a newcomer to this Forum, starting watching City with my son at the tail end of last season.

As mentioned by Roman Mike, it's performances on the pitch that will get revenue up. The reason we started attending was because I'd heard City were on a decent run at the end of last season and playing well. This got us hooked and following a positive pre-season too, despite the early disappointments of this season, my 6 year old son was still keen on turning up. I brought a friends son along too today and he came away full of talk of City, wanting a shirt, etc. I now listen to away games on BCIR, and although I would probably pay a seasonal fee of about £20 to £30, I don't think many others would.
I've got about 6 mates coming along from work for the Gosport match in a couple of weeks and I will continue to bang the drum for City with other Dad's at the school gate ...performances like today's will help get people on the stands and becoming regular's. Let's turn around the decline in attendances before starting to work out ways of creating new "revenue streams".

by comrade powell Sat Sep 20, 2014 10:25 pm

Delighted to hear you've become hooked on City, Dusty, and that you're spreading the word amongst your friends. I'm interested that you don't think many of the internet radio listeners would be prepared to join you in paying for the privilege. Several have mentioned on this thread that in fact they would. And I wouldn't take much notice of Beau Nash's views, as he will always go for the free option if he can sniff it out! When hard working volunteers are doing everything they can to increase the club's 'revenue streams', it's rather frustrating that some have apparently turned their back on the club but still expect the live coverage for free.

by Matt_1376 Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:46 pm

comrade powell wrote:Delighted to hear you've become hooked on City, Dusty, and that you're spreading the word amongst your friends. I'm interested that you don't think many of the internet radio listeners would be prepared to join you in paying for the privilege. Several have mentioned on this thread that in fact they would. And I wouldn't take much notice of Beau Nash's views, as he will always go for the free option if he can sniff it out! When hard working volunteers are doing everything they can to increase the club's 'revenue streams', it's rather frustrating that some have apparently turned their back on the club but still expect the live coverage for free.

I'm not going to get in to a catfight on here but that's a bit harsh. Give the Nash a break.

I'll see you at the Maidenhead game on 15th November which will actually be my first of the season.

I might even renew my Supporters Club membership and wear my Bath City baseball cap for the occasion! I love you

P.S. I would just like to add that my mate who got me into Bath City when I lived down there didn't bother with today's game. In fact, he hasn't bothered going to many games this season because he has become disillusioned with the club. And a further fact, I have had to update him on the games he doesn't go to by listening to AK's commentary and following the banter on Matchat because he doesn't really "do" technology! study

by Beau Nash Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:12 am

comrade powell wrote:Well I'm delighted to say, Beau, that your principled stand meant you missed an excellent performance by the team today. But if Roman Mike's theory about floaters being enticed back by listening to commentaries of matches like today's is correct, then I'm sure you'll be at the Poole match next week.

And watching BathRugby online for free - I trust that wasn't via some illegal streaming...

You must have been reading the comments on Matchat - http://www.kerslakesport.co.uk/#/bcir-live/4586299201 - where I said my next live game will be Poole - the "magic" of the FA Cup. cyclops

BT Sport is FREE and they often show Bath Rugby games. Very Happy

There are also "other" ways to access many sporting events. Wink

You are correct on all counts. Laughing

by 2weirdtown Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:53 am

I'd be perfectly happy to pay for BCIR. I guess the most practical way of charging would have to be a 'season ticket'. I'd only listen to away games though.
BCIR has not stopped me attending away matches. I never went often anyway and now the sometimes long trips to rather anonymous destinations has further diminished attendance.

by comrade powell Sun Sep 21, 2014 2:18 pm

Beau Nash wrote:

You must have been reading the comments on Matchat - http://www.kerslakesport.co.uk/#/bcir-live/4586299201 - where I said my next live game will be Poole - the "magic" of the FA Cup.

you are aware this is not a 'pay what you want' game?

BT Sport is FREE and they often show Bath Rugby games.

Ah, you were one of those attracted by their TV freebie if you signed up for the broadband. I wonder where that will be when their champions league coverage starts...

by Beau Nash Sun Sep 21, 2014 5:47 pm

I have been charged a total of £180 for 18 months of home phone line rental and broadband + other 'freebies' such as BT Sport and ESPN.

To cut a long story short BT have one of the worst customer service departments I know, they messed up everything on installation, billing is wrong AND their broadband usage meter system malfunctions so I have had refunded, currently £75, but more to come. Mad

I would move to another provider but this will work out the cheapest albeit with aggravation.

by Sponsored content