Encouraging the younger fans | Vital Football

Encouraging the younger fans

Having a proper family section is a good start, I'd like to see one in the GRS as well as the Medway stand so I could use it (possibly in a minority but don't like the Medway stand, too many games unwatchable at this time of year because of the low winter sun). I've got my young son a season ticket for the last 3 years and in the regular zones probably every 3-4 games gets a bit uncomfortable with someone within a few seats screaming at the ref/players that they are an f'in C at the top of their lungs every 5 minutes. So having somewhere to get away from that would be nice.

The club do seem to be doing a bit more though which is good. I think the tricky bit will come in the conversion of coming with your dad (or mum) when you are a kid to sticking with it as a teen/adult, not least because price wise there is a big jump.
 
Good on the Gills for this, I wish Burton were a bit more willing to encourage me and my small person to attend on Saturday.

£12 for a 7 year old is very steep, especially when the terrace (closed to us) price for juniors is only a fiver. £34 for the two of us versus £23 on the terrace means we might be missing this one.
 
Would be good if kids could go free! As a single dad, I can't afford to take the kids. And I don't have kid sitters on hand to look after them if I want to go. Haven't been all season. Just empty seats going to waste :(
 
GoneFishing said:
Would be good if kids could go free! As a single dad, I can't afford to take the kids. And I don't have kid sitters on hand to look after them if I want to go. Haven't been all season. Just empty seats going to waste :(
Click to expand...

They’ve had a few kids for a quid games haven’t they? That’s not bad, and until or unless the crowds get up closer to maximum, they should do that for all games imho. As you say, empty seats easily filled.

Btw, someone mentioned a while back about the season tickets for kids being good value. How much are they again?
 
GRSGimmer said:
You could never have a family section in the GRS on health and safety grounds, the poor kids would trip over all the mobility scooters, zimmers and walking sticks us old gits have to bring in :scoot::wheelchair:
Click to expand...
Makes me wonder what became of those like the folk that used to drive their blue invalid cars in and park in front of the Gordon Road stand!
 
Vambogills said:
We can make it better for young kids ourselves, by cutting out the more excessive swearing that puts off parents bringing their kids back for a second visit.
Click to expand...
That's always been a big issue for me. Also, I don't want to sound sexist as I know women can ef and Jeff with the best of them but I'm sure it puts off some women too. (And men I suppose)
Fox in the box and I used to have season tickets with our kids and although they never repeated the language (at least in our earshot) they definitely heard it not good.
 
Nobby_66 said:
Fox in the box and I used to have season tickets with our kids and although they never repeated the language (at least in our earshot) they definitely heard it not good.
Click to expand...

Same, my son is 7 and he doesn't repeat it in my presence, although in one way thats worrying in that he must therefore understand the context.

Sometimes though it not purely the language used but the sheer levels of aggression it can be yelled with, that in itself can scare the younger/more sensitive ones.
 
I don't know how many kids you've got, but.

" All U12s must be accompanied by an adult within the stadium. One FREE U12 ticket for each adult seat purchased in specific areas."
 
nitram77 said:
I don't know how many kids you've got, but.

" All U12s must be accompanied by an adult within the stadium. One FREE U12 ticket for each adult seat purchased in specific areas."
Click to expand...
That's correct. I've taken my 7 year old grandson this season for free, several times. I think you have to pre book on the phone though. You can't do it online. Dont know about on the day.
 
It's all very well putting on stuff for kids and families, but it's the teenagers we really need to be attracting.

I can't speak for anyone else, but although I was taken to Gills a few times as a kid, it was when I started going there and having a laugh with my mates at about 13 or 14 when the bug really caught hold.

A family area with mascots and no swearing is very nice, but it's no good if the kids are priced out of going on their own when they're a bit older. I'd concentrate less on gimmicks for the little 'uns and knock down the prices for the under-18s instead.
 
Alderman Barnes said:
It's all very well putting on stuff for kids and families, but it's the teenagers we really need to be attracting.

I can't speak for anyone else, but although I was taken to Gills a few times as a kid, it was when I started going there and having a laugh with my mates at about 13 or 14 when the bug really caught hold.

A family area with mascots and no swearing is very nice, but it's no good if the kids are priced out of going on their own when they're a bit older. I'd concentrate less on gimmicks for the little 'uns and knock down the prices for the under-18s instead.
Click to expand...

Largely agree with that, but personally think its better to attract them young, get them in the routine of going and then offer better prices to keep them when they are teenagers.

I could well be wrong, but I wouldn't imagine many kids who have never been decide to start coming as teenagers having never/ rarley been.

For what its worth my history is similar to yours, went a few times with my dad as a little un, but only went regularly as a teenager with mates (who themselves had the same history).

I may sound old here, but i get the impression that 'kids these days' have different interests so might be even harder to attract once they have developed their own hobbies than it was in the good old days of my youth.
 
When I was 12, I saw a poster in a newsagents window with upcoming Gills fixtures on it. FA Cup, Gills v Brighton in 1975. I didn't even like football but I went to see what all the fuss was about. I've supported Gills ever since. Gills don't advertise themselves enough in my opinion.
 
Downloadable tickets would be a good thing too maybe? Or a Gills ticket app??? Buying last minute tickets is always a pain in the arse but if you could get an instant ticket, I'm sure we'd pick up more passing fans. I often don't know I can go until the day of a game.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.