Stronghold (merged threads)

[Glynn]

id imagine there is a large number of people who will go nearly every week or every week who just prefer to pay on the day.

[rufustanner]

OB - Don't get me wrong I am not trying to really beat up the scheme, more that I think the club have made a fundamental error. Given the Commercial acumen the club apparently has wthin its senior management, I am very surprised that they are basically asking all non season ticket holders to pay around £150 (June to Feb) for what? You could argue that yes you are entitled to watch the current team for a few more games, but what do I get from October to Feb? In this day and age, Marketeers need to work exceptionally hard for their pound of flesh and it is my opinion that Widnes are not.

All the club is asking for is that you contribute a reasonable amount of money each month to watch the Vikings. It is that simple. The fact that 800 new members have signed up for the remainder of this season is a positive result when you consider that if the SL desicion had not gone our way then not one of those people would have signed up.

[mcal]

Is it unrealistic for SOC, who lets face it saved the club from oblivion and promised to get us to SL, to ask current and potential supporters to step up to the plate and give him a helping hand.  If all you want to do is beef about what amounts to no more than a couple of pints per week then perhaps SOC may do better in his exec box at Anfield.

[Brynhild]

I don't think that 7000 is a target for next week is it? I'd say that that is an overall target to aim for. At that point we have a mostly sustainable club, as the fans are paying for the salary cap. Away fans and Sky money pay for overheads and then SOC can take profit.

I've not joined for this season as I won't see much of it/can't afford it. I just cancelled my Arsenal membership for next season for the same reason. I will join stronghold next year and I think many others who don't currently have season tickets will do the same (if there is a big marketing push in the off-season. ie Join the Vikings Stronghold - Season tickets from 17.99 a month plastered all over the town and in the press of neighbouring places).

The 'join now' offers are pretty much for current season ticket holders. It's the price freeze and large savings on normal ticket prices (£20 for adults, £10 for concession) that will draw others in later on

[BigSamB]

You are all entitled to your opinions as I am. However how many of you that strongly disagree with my view, believe the stronghold will hit its target at the end of May? If it doesn't then why not? I am 110% certain it is because the club are out with their timing on how they want fans to commit.

[StuckinNewport]

I'm in the lucky position that I can afford it and so will be joining this week, even though I will not be attending any games for the foreseeable future.
SOC has put his hand in his pocket for my club, now it's time for me to put my hand in my pocket for my club.

[Brynhild]

You are all entitled to your opinions as I am. However how many of you that strongly disagree with my view, believe the stronghold will hit its target at the end of May? If it doesn't then why not? I am 110% certain it is because the club are out with their timing on how they want fans to commit.

Again, why would it need to hit its target by the end of may? The end of may is the deadline for current season ticket holders to apply for their early bird deals. Considering we have about 2000 of them trying to hit the 7k target by the end of may would be ridiculous.

I would doubt if SOc even thinks we'll get to 7k by the end of the three year license tbh!

[Stanley Leisure]

No idea where this sense of entitlement amongst our support comes from.

It takes a special kind of arrogance to demand a guarantee of decent performances and superstar signings but that's not what baffles me the most. What baffles me the most is this weird attitude of thinking that supporting Widnes, supporting any club, is a chore and must be rewarded as if you're suffering a great hardship.

I've lived in London for the last ten years so I can't get to every game (although I do pretty well) and that kills me. I loved having a weekly event where i could meet up with my mates or sit with my Dad and indulge one of my real passions in life. It's not always been good but i've never regretted attending a game. This weird, chip-on-shoulder, "what's in for me" attitude that permeates our support is baffling.

Personally I think being a supporter is mostly a fun pursuit and it involves much more than showing up at a stadium, but I guess it depends on your take. If your take is like the one I just described then you must struggle to extract any joy out of anything.

[BigSamB]

No idea where this sense of entitlement amongst our support comes from.

It takes a special kind of arrogance to demand a guarantee of decent performances and superstar signings but that's not what baffles me the most. What baffles me the most is this weird attitude of thinking that supporting Widnes, supporting any club, is a chore and must be rewarded as if you're suffering a great hardship.

I've lived in London for the last ten years so I can't get to every game (although I do pretty well) and that kills me. I loved having a weekly event where i could meet up with my mates or sit with my Dad and indulge one of my real passions in life. It's not always been good but i've never regretted attending a game. This weird, chip-on-shoulder, "what's in for me" attitude that permeates our support is baffling.

Personally I think being a supporter is mostly a fun pursuit and it involves much more than showing up at a stadium, but I guess it depends on your take. If your take is like the one I just described then you must struggle to extract any joy out of anything.

Its amazing what some people think they have read. I am mainly questioning the structure of the scheme !!!

Proof will be in the pudding as they say.

[Stanley Leisure]

Its amazing what some people think they have read. I am mainly questioning the structure of the scheme !!!

Proof will be in the pudding as they say.

Yes, you're right, i must have completely misread this:

I have no problem admitting that this season I am not prepared to waste good money watching the dross on show. I paid twice to watch them away at Leigh and thought the players and therefore the club was not sticking to their side of the bargain

In any case, yours is just another in a long line of apathetic outbursts that have become our speciality.

Shame but twas ever thus.

[rufustanner]

Its amazing what some people think they have read. I am mainly questioning the structure of the scheme !!!

Proof will be in the pudding as they say.

But you did say:

OB - Don't get me wrong I am not trying to really beat up the scheme, more that I think the club have made a fundamental error. Given the Commercial acumen the club apparently has wthin its senior management, I am very surprised that they are basically asking all non season ticket holders to pay around £150 (June to Feb) for what? You could argue that yes you are entitled to watch the current team for a few more games, but what do I get from October to Feb? In this day and age, Marketeers need to work exceptionally hard for their pound of flesh and it is my opinion that Widnes are not.

Given that you know that no games will be played in this period what exactly are you after?

[vikings 4 ever]

I think BigSamB does raise some very good points.

1) Expecting people to sign up now and pay a lot of money before SL even starts - people are justifying this as giving something back to the club and SO'C. The fact that the club need 5,000 new members, why would new fans feel as though they should give something back to the club? As BigSamB has said in this day and age marketeers need to work hard to get people to part with their cash and maybe expecting goodwill from new fans or former fans who have become disillusioned with the club is asking too much? I think too many people on here are only seeing things from a die hard Widnes fan perspective. Of course the majority on here don't mind paying now knowing that they will have to pay a bit of money before they get what they want i.e. SL rugby, but what if you are not sure about joining up? What is the incentive to joining now and pay a lot of money before a SL ball is kicked?

2) Deadline day. The past several years have shown that 95% (if not more) of season tickets are snapped up in the early bird period and then after this date virtually no-one signs up. Once you have missed the 31st May deadline, there is absolutely no point in signing up until the season starts. If you're an adult and sign up 1st of June, you have to pay out 7 months subscription (@£17.99 a month = £125.93) just to watch the last 5 home games. Thinking about it, there's no way the club are going to get any new members after the 31st May, until just before the season starts. even if we announced 10 top class stars in September, there's still no incentive to join before the start of the season.

I think BigSamB has highlighted the very real situation that many potential new members find themselves in. Join now and shell out for something you don't want or join in mid January. Maybe the club are happy with this as they know late comers will pay more per month, but then again some people may be put off by the £17.99 per month. £17.99 a month is £216 a year - more expensive that some of the adult season tickets available at Warrington, Huddersfield and Wigan etc. With this being the 1st season back in SL, maybe the club should be doing a bit more to accomodate new members. Season ticket holders get the membership at a cheaper price and don't have to pay until November. For new members its a double whammy of paying now and more. People may say thats tough and season ticket holders should be rewarded - but that opinion doesn't bring new members in does it? To make things simple and attractive to everyone, maybe the club should have just gone with 1 price with no deadline.

[Dawn]

BigSamB - you will be entitled to see every home game to the end of this season, that is why SOC is asking people who are not current ST holders to join up early.    You may call it dross, that is your opinion, but after Saturday's game I am glad I am committed to going to watch every home game at least, because that was a gem!  And if the lads perform like they did then then we have a great remaining season left.

As for your off season payments - quite simply, if you join up before the end of May for the same sum per month 17.99 or whatever it is, you get to see most months, 2 games per month, which is already a cost saving.  SOC is simply spreading it over the course of 12 months for a sustainable income, but nevertheless next year or this year you could not see 2 games per month for what you will be paying.

SOC has given his everything to get us where we are and now he needs our support, he has never shown any regret in what he has spent, but too many think he is asking too much 

i think the numbers would probally be the same with either option.

they won't - they aren't. 

[newsboy]

The people of the town have said they want a club in SL and have made it clear over the last few years that they have felt a great injustice at ever having been kicked out in the first place and not been given a place in the last round of applications. Now our chairman has delivered on his promise to get us back in, he is giving us the opportunity to make sure we are never kicked out again by putting forward a scheme that will enable us to support our club by spreading the cost of being a season ticket holder whilst giving the club the cash flow to sign the top class players we all want to see next year. If you can afford it, you should do it. If not, fine. that is not your fault. But we must all make our contribution towards being a successful SL team in whatever way we can. We need the money now to baknroll next years team. We should not be expecting someone to keep paying for our pleasures.

[Sandgroper]

There is nothing prohibiting you paying in a lump sum - as for a normal season ticket.

Spread it or not it's up to you.  What SOC was/is trying to confirm is committment.  Would you only buy a paper if you knew that contained good news?

Hard for many Vikings supporters as they come and go, week by week, performance by performance.

Do they understand that sport = competition, where sometimes you win and sometimes you lose you might ask!

Perhaps its best if you just read the results in the papers - after all there is no guarantee before you go into the ground that the game will be a good one!