When will Ford realise that not everyone can afford entry, travel to the game, program, pint and whatever else twice a week. With christmas, New Years etc on its way and not to mention the amount of games we will play over that period i'm starting to think he is living in a dream world, where we get 900 people on a freezing tuesday night game. Thats without even considering that most people would not have unexpected that fixture due to the postponement.

He may be 'cross' after that turnout but im starting to get ****ed off with his attitude towards the fans.

Have to say i thought he would have learned after slagging the fans last time.

When theyve played shyte... away from home has he had a whip round for the fans towards their expenses on the day.


ANDREW... THERE ARE 2 THINGS YOU NEED TO REMEMBER MY DEAR OLD THING

1 ) THE FANS HAVE TO PAY TO GO TO GAMES HOME AND AWAY ( AND SOME WILL LOSE WAGES BY TAKING TIME OFF ETC)

2 ) YOURSELF AND THE PLAYERS ARE PAID TO BE THERE

lets add a few more..

THERE IS A CREDIT CRUNCH
THE WEATHER IS BAD
XMAS IS COMING UP
YOUR TEAM LOST IN THE FA CUP TO A PUB TEAM and THEN PERFORMED SHYTE VS AFC TOTTON - YOUR TEAM HAS A HABIT OF PLAYING SHYTE IN CUPS...WHICH ARE AN EXTRA EXPENSE THAT SOME CANT AFFORD
YOU YOUR SELF HAVE MISSED HOW MANY GAMES SINCE YOU CAME TO THE CLUB ON "BUSINESS" OR THROUGH ILLNESS... WAS BUSINESS ALSO WATCHING YOUR SON PLAY GOLF??? - SO YOU CAN MISS GAMES BUT FANS CANT?

Andy ... think before you slag off the fans who pay your wages. When you are 20 points clear in this league like Graham Hobbins was you can ask for the team to be supported. Youve had extra budget. People will attend if you are consistant but not if you continually slag them off. I bet Barrie and Barry are delighted at this further slagging off of the fans.


-- Edited by JgFc at 13:29, 2008-12-17

Thanks for that Gary it would seem our Crowd was "Par for the course" (Andy will like that) for last night.

I have an idea. For the Next round of the trophy at Hednesford... Andy gets £150 in wages from ALL OF HIS SQUAD and he pays for 2-3 coaches for the fans to go.

And thats his squad not the club pay for this.

IM GOING TO DEFENd him and he is obviously concentrating on winning games and probably feels the efforts him and the players are putting in isnt being appreciated by the fans

although i do agree with the point being made that it would be nice for him to recognise the people who DO turn up - something Pennock always did

Don't think he actually "blasted the fans" - that's just typical "journalese overkill"....

He expressed his concern and disappointment only .... and many oposters have put forward reasons turnouts were low across the whole football spectrum. I feel sure that Andy is also aware of these, but in his own way is only trying to geeup support. Maybe not the best way to do it, but ah well ....

A bit of a pr disaster that one Mr Ford!!

Did you enjoy your holiday when we we were knocked of the most prestigious cup compettion in the world?? Think before you speak in future Andy and carry on with the good job you are doing.

Andy likes these Bonding Excercises right?

Well have a night out at the dogs with all the players there have a HUMAN race with some of the players and some fans on the track. Sponsor a few races between the player (pennies fiver each) and then have some people from the WSU leaflet dropping to the crowd. Have it on a Saturday night when the track is rammed.

You may get a few people going to the games after as its very local. You may get some bonding from team to supporters (it has been a bit of a revolving door).

Do it properly and it would work. Re Arrange the golf day or have a day of carting or hire the snooker club for a day and have the players attend.

Over to you Andy.


-- Edited by JgFc at 16:18, 2008-12-17

Dear Mr Ford....if you or anyone from the club reads this Forum ?, il like to add my point, for myself and my son to go to home games, its a 400 mile round trip, we been to many away games, never seen you come over the the Welling fans who have made the sometimes long trip, to thank us. so Mr Ford, my son and i will be making our 400 mile trip to watch you this saturday, hope its worth it ?........
                                   Name&dob

Very easy to criticise but it is not always easy to rearrange things at the last minute to be there. I was away on business with no chance of making the game.

It would also have been nice for someone to have put a sign up on the gate on Saturday to explain why the game was not on (obvious I realise but in the past an apologetic note has at least shown some concern for fans who have travelled despite a high chance of a postponment). I left home before 8am so did not see the game had been postponed on the internet and had a two hour+ drive in the rain to get to the ground so two mins putting up a note is not too much to ask.

They can't control the weather but in the past someone has at least had the decency to put up a sign explaining what has happened.

The 'thanking' of the fans is a 100% MUST

Even when they lose they invariably get applause (maybe with a couple of games as an exception)

I always feel that as a club we are all in it together but maybe I live in cloud cuckoo land

For the record I am in Denmark so missed the game BUT did call someone at the ground to find out what was happenning

I guess that counts as still supporting especially at 80 p a minute

Eye defect aside, perversely it would have been easier and taken less time for me to get from Stafford to Weymouth than Welling last night and probably the same to get back.

All valid points raised so far. Another one that affects the overall figure rather than our support is how many Weymouth came last night. Your club is in the sh*t and is asking for extra money, you might stir yourself to come for a few beers on a Saturday afternoon and a leisurely journey back. Even if you could get the time off work, you might decide to put the travelling money towards the club rather than drive up and back on a Tuesday. If you don't drive, it probably wasn't even an option!

Another thing which you can change Mr Ford is that historically (and I haven't noticed this change recently) when we are the only game on or it is a 'big' game when we have drawn the punters, we have played like a drain. That doesn't encourage the casuals.

You were cross about last night, we were bloody fuming about Whyteleafe! 1-1. Get on with the job, keep winning and the punters should go up. If not, at the very least you'll increase your budget through Trophy prize money. And if you're as up on Kent football as you should have been you'd have known before you joined Park View Road has never been the Ali Sami Yen, Parkhead or the Camp Nou.

After attending the game last night and thoroughly enjoying it, it would have been nice for Andy to praise the fans that did turn up for their support. This saturday will hopefully bring in some extra fans as the club has sent a letter around to all local primary schools offering free admission to all kids and their mums. I know this has been mentioned on previous threads but the club needs to do this as i think there is a lot of potential support in the borough from kids who are not going to any live football at all. Walking down Bexleyheath Broadway and seeing children and adults in Man Utd or Liverpool shirts is very disheartning 


Absoultley spot on Mr Glory. I personally believe all under 16s should be allowed in free for EVERY match League, Cup or friendly. Our biggest attendance every season is the Charlton Home friendly and we rip off potental casual supporters with £10 admission fees and £1 for a folded piece of A4 (otherwise known as the program!).

Its not rocket science- offer supporters a good deal and they will come.

Ford is doing a great job but has a VERY BIG MOUTH. I don't find him very personable and he wants to remember that most of us were here long before him and don't appreciate being slagged off.

Chris wrote:

---

After attending the game last night and thoroughly enjoying it, it would have been nice for Andy to praise the fans that did turn up for their support. This saturday will hopefully bring in some extra fans as the club has sent a letter around to all local primary schools offering free admission to all kids and their mums. I know this has been mentioned on previous threads but the club needs to do this as i think there is a lot of potential support in the borough from kids who are not going to any live football at all. Walking down Bexleyheath Broadway and seeing children and adults in Man Utd or Liverpool shirts is very disheartning 


Absoultley spot on Mr Glory. I personally believe all under 16s should be allowed in free for EVERY match League, Cup or friendly. Our biggest attendance every season is the Charlton Home friendly and we rip off potental casual supporters with £10 admission fees and £1 for a folded piece of A4 (otherwise known as the program!).

Its not rocket science- offer supporters a good deal and they will come.

---

Sounds like a good idea to me. They'd have to have id cards though with their photos on them, otherwise you'll have 17/18 year olds trying it on :D I also think that women that have reached 60 should be allowed to get a reduced ticket price, and not have to wait till they reach 65 for a reduction! My mum has started going to Welling games, having recently reached OAP status (she'll hate me for saying that:) ) , and she would obviously like to not have to pay £10 to get in.

 

Mark x agree 100%, and in the eight years I have been going I have lost count how many times that the players have not clapped or come over after a long away game to say thanks, I personally love it when they do this and is it just me or when we score a goal and the players come over and celebrate and give it a COME ON it means that bit more to you, if any players do come on here it really does matter and I know from the lads at the supporters team and others within the club that it MATTERS. And in regard to your comments Andy a few of us were even talking about doing a Blyth and going up by plane to Hednesford that is what the club means and I know that if there are 5 or 500 at a game the Welling lot will give it 100%, concentrate on the people who were there at Weymouth and thank them let others sort out getting people through the gate and in regards to kids for a quid what a shocker all kids must be accompained by a paying adult oh yea all them year 9/10 kids would love busting down pvr with there mum, adult or not let them in for a pound!!! come on ANDY you are doing a top job and have are 100% backing!

PS - Ryan Johnson if you look on here just right a quick note would love to hear from you I know that you made a few people myself included quite taken aback by what happened on Tuesday - mate you are a top player and I hope all is fine!

Alex AKA shaggy

Chris wrote:

Most 15/16 carry I.D that they are supposed to need for free bus travel. Fair point about Women over 60. Also possibly a student discount with proof of I.D would be agood idea
 

---

no no no, why should a student get in cheaper than the people that work full-time to put them through their education ?????? NNNNNNOOOOOOOO !!!!!!

Kevin I'm a student and despite not paying taxes I still have to pay my rent, bills, travel expenses, living costs, uni books adn equipment etc. Once this is done I have very little money left over for the extra stuff in life like watching Welling. So it's easy for you to say we shouldn't get cheaper entry but if you want to tap into the large number of student aged people in the local area you have to consider this as an option.

Did some research and at least 17 Connie South teams have student admission prices. Some others might include students under the concessions banner but they dont actually say on their websites.

Andy gives us the full story on his feelings on Tuesday's crowd, and thanks those that did attend, all exclusively on the Official Website.

http://www.wellingunited.com/season0809/bathcityhome.php

I agree with his sentiments except for one thing...... his comment about the 260 who showed up - his thanks should not go without saying. Someone else previously said it right, before slagging those who didn't show up, start by thanking those who did.... EVERY time.

I also agree that the players need to make sure they ALWAYS thanks the supporters whatever the result, the weather or their feelings at the end of the match. It seems that they do most of the time, but I guess it's the odd time when they don't that really gets remembered - funny thing about human nature, negatives tend to hang around more than the good stuff.

All in all, from what little I have seen, Welling is a decent club with a good bunch of fans, I feel the club CAN make it to the playoffs and beyond. I hope to make it over there maybe next season and get to see a game.