What would we need for next season

Tim Drummond wrote:
The problem with giving a concession for admission to the unemployed is that if someone is not working, it does not necessarily mean that they have not got sufficient money.

Unemployment benefit is means tested. Unlike pensions which are not. Someone who is not working may be a multi millionaire lottery winner for example. But they will not be in receipt of what is now termed Universal Credit (formerly JSA). To put this in perspective- I was not able to claim JSA when I had a brief spell unemployed a few years back because my wife earned over 105 pounds per week. JSA was a little over 70 pounds a week for a single person. The recipient makes a contribution to their rent out of this, last time I claimed that was a fiver. But with the changes in benefits this will also include a bedroom tax and I believe a percentage of the council tax. Generally, where concessions have been offered in the past they have been on production of the benefit book as proof.

Besides, the principle of concessions to unwaged is not one of means testing, which always rears its ugly head in difficult economic times. Because an admission concession is not offered to be nice to those on limited income but to be competitive in terms of attracting those with extremely limited discretionary spending power to spend that on what you are offering as opposed to going and spending it elsewhere. You need to view the issue in the same way as off peak travel is offered on the trains. These are selling points and not charity.

It was on this basis we offered discounts last season to Cardiff City season ticket holders for example. Not because we feel that Cardiff City season ticket holders are poorer than everyone else.

There is no difficulty in charging a concessionary rate at all to those who have are in receipt of means tested benefits. If, as a club, we do not want to do that then if that is how we roll then fine, but to create issues around the fact that an unemployed person may have sufficient money is bizarre given that we offer concessions to OAPs without means testing. Or that we allow kids in on a discounted rate even though some of the kids may be the sons and daughters of millionaires and on more pocket money than I have wages.

The question ultimately is: would such a concession ultimately increase takings or result in them decreasing overall. Or, to put it another way, would such a concession attract sufficient numbers to offset any shortfall that comes from reducing the gate for those unemployed who have, as you put it "sufficient money", such as those who live with parents. Hard to say really. The way to determine this kind of thing I suppose is a bit of market research- that we get the clipboard out at the start of next season and get a picture for the profile of the fanbase and compare it to local demographics: age, income, occupation etc. I avoided reference to gender there as football is very much male dominated and I am not sure we are anywhere near the point in football where half the active support is women. Anyhow, maybe such a picture would highlight where we could move forward on this.

But concessions should only be seen as a means of raising revenues for the club. If the net effect was that the takings were to fall (say because a sizable proportion of the support are on Universal Credit for example) then it would be of no good to us at all. Besides, a concession introduced could be modest one in order to gauge how it goes.

There is another way to check the age ratio...count the numbers of clicking hips...rattling false teeth and discarded werther original wrappers....boz

Boz1964 wrote:There is another way to check the age ratio...count the numbers of clicking hips...rattling false teeth and discarded werther original wrappers....boz

How about the fella who was sucking on a Fisherman's Friend

Mountain Ash wrote:

Boz1964 wrote:There is another way to check the age ratio...count the numbers of clicking hips...rattling false teeth and discarded werther original wrappers....boz

How about the fella who was sucking on a Fisherman's Friend

A life-ban.

Some ageist comments there boz.

Let's just keep it simple full price for adults (working or not) and reduced price for people over 65 (working or not!)

Good one mountain ash and llewmorc nice toseepeople out there with a sense of humour too...boz

Boz......You're verbal attacks on"THE GREY ARMY" have not gone unnoticed,my SERGEANT RUSTIC has mentioned this when on a training exercise yesterday.We've heard that loud Wagner music comes out through the open windows of your home whilst you march around inside reading " MEIN KAMPF" loudly..................YOU ARE HEADING FOR A GOOD"ZIMMERING" AND ALSO THOSE OTHER RECRUITS YOU HAVE ENLISTED....................I WOULD NOT LIKE TO BE IN YOUR JACKBOOTS........................CAPT MAINWARING,"GREY ARMY COMMANDANT" PENYDARREN PARK,MERTHYR TYDFIL ....

The club needs volunteers on match day? The club is registered with Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT). Well in VAMT they have a very large book full of volunteering opportunities within groups in the area. How about the club putting their requirements in this book ? Many nowadays are looking for volunteering opportunities to improve their CVs for employment or university applications.

Roy ...are you affiliated to the Merthyr branch of the free Wales army ..those deviants that held up the princes Charles investure with a tin opener...if so I will be afraidio too...given your name I worry you could be trigger happy ......my apologies to those octogenarian and centarians and millenians in the big stand waiting for Godot.....boz

Well, in Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot play. Godot, whoever he was, did not come!

Kathleen Hurley wrote:The club needs volunteers on match day? The club is registered with Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT). Well in VAMT they have a very large book full of volunteering opportunities within groups in the area. How about the club putting their requirements in this book ? Many nowadays are looking for volunteering opportunities to improve their CVs for employment or university applications.

Good call.

The club needs volunteers on match day? The club is registered with Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT). Well in VAMT they have a very large book full of volunteering opportunities within groups in the area. How about the club putting their requirements in this book ? Many nowadays are looking for volunteering opportunities to improve their CVs for employment or university applications.

Very helpful Kath. We will follow that idea up.

Thank you

Boz...... You wait for Godat or allah or Budda,I'm waiting for a Telegram from the Queen.....Oh I've called off the Grey army "Hit Squad" after your apology albeit,still a little ageist.....

Thank goodness the fatwah has been lifted I was starting to do the dunne thing and panic captain mainwaring...I didn't worry that the waking dead would get me....but I was worried that I would never get served again in B & Q or Iceland food store....by the way I think you'll find that all religions come from the same source....jah...jahweh...Jehovah...le tissier...but as recently converted Welsh Hinduist ....there is no butts it has to be Buddha for me....boz

Admin wrote:

The club needs volunteers on match day? The club is registered with Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil (VAMT). Well in VAMT they have a very large book full of volunteering opportunities within groups in the area. How about the club putting their requirements in this book ? Many nowadays are looking for volunteering opportunities to improve their CVs for employment or university applications.

Very helpful Kath. We will follow that idea up.

Thank you

can't see that happening

I can see that happening. There are plenty of people out there who are willing to give their time not only to help out but to help themselves

MattMartyr87 wrote:I can see that happening. There are plenty of people out there who are willing to give their time not only to help out but to help themselves

who's going to pay their entrance fee then ?
as all our helpers on match day pay at the gate ?

this i have to hear !!

Well it obviously depends on what they do, If they are doing something that isn't effective then there's not much point. If they are available to volunteer and don't have an interest in football, then they won't have been going into the games anyway. If anything they might get a drink or food when they are resulting in secondary income, not to mention the word of mouth aspect which could bring more people through the gates.

Especially if are situated on the gate after kick off! If they are doing something worth while then bring them in!

I think all volunteers buy 50/50 tickets, buy a match programme, eat at the cafe, buy from the shop and have a drink at the Candac. It all adds up!

MattMartyr87 wrote:Well it obviously depends on what they do, If they are doing something that isn't effective then there's not much point. If they are available to volunteer and don't have an interest in football, then they won't have been going into the games anyway. If anything they might get a drink or food when they are resulting in secondary income, not to mention the word of mouth aspect which could bring more people through the gates.

Especially if are situated on the gate after kick off! If they are doing something worth while then bring them in!

When I have volunteered in various places in the past I have been offered- free admission in the case of music festivals (that was bar work with "Workers Beer Company"), refreshments and travel expenses (Groundwork) and travel expenses alone (Charity shops, I think for cancer research).

My wife has looked at fundraising at the racing. That is doing bucket collections before and after Cheltenham Festival. They offer free admission to the event.

As to volunteering role is effective or not- tricky one. When I did groundworking not all workers were as effective. There were one or two who had clearly only ever seen a shovel on TV. But rather than focus on the individuals I suppose we look at the work achieved as a whole. As abilities vary but all would be doing their best. If some volunteer (in general) to gain free admission then great, that is a good draw. I volunteered for a fundraising thing in the past so I could get in to see The Specials for free. I had to do a few hours bar work during the day and then had the run of the festival. Other times I volunteered for something to do when I was out of work. In both instances however, if I had to pay towards travel etc I would not have done it. I wouldn't have been able to afford it.

I think volunteers had to pay an entry fee then we occur some issues.

For example I volunteer as a part of the martyrs tv aspect, Ok it isn't a major part of a Clubs surival, it's more of a luxury to have. I know that for the type of things I do, professional companies chargr 200 quid per game. I'm happy to do what I do because it helps the Club out a bit and give it some extra exposure and (hopefully) attract new fans.

Although the guys on the gate for example are crucial

MattMartyr87 wrote:I think volunteers had to pay an entry fee then we occur some issues.

It may well do. Possibly legal ones (maybe? dunno). Voluntary work is, after all, work. Charging admission to a place of work does tend to be somewhat problematic.

Edited to add:

I suppose all safety equipment/any uniforms/insurance required should also be provided. Though in the past where I have worked/volunteered having own safety boots seems to be an expectation hi vis jackets and uniforms etc have been provided. For anyone in earshot of me singing earplugs are recommended.

I think what's being referred to here is what as far as I'm aware (could be wrong) is still club policy that everyone going to a game has to pay admission even if they're doing work for the club as volunteers at the match - and this includes members of the Board, who, after all, are the biggest volunters of all in my opinion.

I seem to remember this was one of the key points when the Trust took over/reformed the club - that everyone from the Board downwards would have to pay to get in, as under the previous regime it was considered there were just too many people getting in for nothing even if they were acting as stewards or whatever on the day.

Of course there are plenty of other kinds of voluntary work for the club that need to be done at times apart from during a match, so I don't see the question of free admission arises there. For example, as programme editor my 'voluntary work' for the club necessarily has to be done in the days beforehand, so I wouldn't expect free admission in return for it.

One thing I would like to see for next season is media person in place along the lines of what James Bayliss used to do. I don't know if that could be incorporated into existing roles (such as business development) or it is something that would benefit from another voluntary role.

We all help out with this in our own way already - by retweeting and reposting everything to facebook etc. But we need the stuff to get "out there" in the first place.With the Hungerford game we really saw the potential of social media in generating interest. I know this is something I can help out with.

Also would like to see a wifi hotspot at the club on match days. I notice clubs are really refining their online media operations these days and it is the main battlefield in the fight for the attention of the public. Barry Town's campaign for a new club has been exemplary in its textbook use of new media and some of the matchday twitter feeds from clubs have been great- the commentary from Swindon during the play off was top notch- it may have had their bias (as to be expected) but it gave a minute by minute game commentary.

This forum is great and plays an extremely valuable role - though it may seem a minor point I would love to see it rebranded a little with club colours and logo. I could possibly help with this too - I was an admin and support guy for one of these phpbb boards years ago and I may be a little rusty but I am sure it is something I could help with.

For next season would love to see better use made of the website in putting out info as people seem to disappear from the club, friendlies get arranged and so on and the main source of info is the rumour mill and that is not always the most reliable.

So here is my wishlist for next season: a honing of our online media presence. I know me and Martyrs TV Matt chatted about this type thing last season regarding what is do-able. When it comes to online media I am often over ambitious. We did discuss the idea of live tv feeds for example- there are sites for free that allow live streaming for example.

Raising our profile via social media is something that is ongoing- that is probably incidentally the biggest single volunteer group around the club- when you read on facebook something like "250 people are talking about this" it gives an idea of what is going on out there at any one time. Around the time of the Hungerford game that figure was over 600.

Some of the things that can be done are simple, but possibly extremely effective, how about encouraging the use of a common hashtag on twitter for example. Costs nothing, but it creates a single point of access for all gossip and news that is #themartyrs related.