2022/2023 Promotion Thread

[AdamStag]

Mansfield and orient tuesday 25th april.

If there’s anything riding on it for us the hope is orient will already be up.

 

[The Terminator]

Mansfield and orient tuesday 25th april.

If there’s anything riding on it for us the hope is orient will already be up.

I too am hoping that.................I'm getting nervous now its the business end of the season and we have something to fight for and get over the line..........

 

[AdamStag]

I too am hoping that.................I'm getting nervous now its the business end of the season and we have something to fight for and get over the line..........

Yeah i can’t wait for us to stumble into the playoffs and fuck it up again

 

[Conker]

Yeah i can’t wait for us to stumble into the playoffs and fuck it up again

If we manage to scrape through to Wembley again I’m just gunna go abroad and watch it, cba doing it again lol.

 

[shoddycollins]

I've tried to stay out of this thread so far... waiting to see if we're still in with a shot of promotion with ten games left to go before thinking properly about our promotion chances. Well a lot of teams are now reaching that 36 games marker.

It's still all very close, we're only 9 points clear of Mansfield outside the playoffs, but the chasing pack which once extended down into the bottom half are starting to drop away and it's looking increasingly likely we'll at least make the playoffs (even if HG thinks we'll miss out altogether)

Although everyone points to our difficult run in when considering us as outsiders plenty of our next few games are still against mid-table teams on poor form, and when it comes to games against the likes of Stevenage and Bradford we shouldn't fear them, it's an opportunity not just to win points but to deny points to teams looking to compete with us. Starting at the weekend when we host Stevenage. I see no reason why we can't beat them, they've had to work had for the few wins they've had recently and aren't on anywhere near the form they were on last time we played them.

 

[The Terminator]

Our lack of goals is a bit of a concern - We only have 2 fit proper strikers left and they've only scored 7 league goals between them all season.

Also despite being at times a very good side at managing games and keeping the ball, we do "switch off" from time to time in games and get a bit lazy when nothing happens in the games - mainly due to ourselves over playing in areas and then losing possession in bad areas.

If we don't go up from here (which is basically the 10 game left mark) then question will be asked.

We need 3 wins and probably around 12 points from 10 games remaining to secure a top 3 place.

A few of ours fans are aiming high at winning the league - Fair enough, but it doesn't quite work like that down here. The top 3 spots are the priority.

 

[joethegill]

Our lack of goals is a bit of a concern - We only have 2 fit proper strikers left and they've only scored 7 league goals between them all season.

Also despite being at times a very good side at managing games and keeping the ball, we do "switch off" from time to time in games and get a bit lazy when nothing happens in the games - mainly due to ourselves over playing in areas and then losing possession in bad areas.

If we don't go up from here (which is basically the 10 game left mark) then question will be asked.

We need 3 wins and probably around 12 points from 10 games remaining to secure a top 3 place.

A few of ours fans are aiming high at winning the league - Fair enough, but it doesn't quite work like that down here. The top 3 spots are the priority.

I must admit I thought you were a lot further ahead than you are. Definitely still the possibility of an epic bottle.

 

[Kendalcufc]

I've tried to stay out of this thread so far... waiting to see if we're still in with a shot of promotion with ten games left to go before thinking properly about our promotion chances. Well a lot of teams are now reaching that 36 games marker.

It's still all very close, we're only 9 points clear of Mansfield outside the playoffs, but the chasing pack which once extended down into the bottom half are starting to drop away and it's looking increasingly likely we'll at least make the playoffs (even if HG thinks we'll miss out altogether)

Although everyone points to our difficult run in when considering us as outsiders plenty of our next few games are still against mid-table teams on poor form, and when it comes to games against the likes of Stevenage and Bradford we shouldn't fear them, it's an opportunity not just to win points but to deny points to teams looking to compete with us. Starting at the weekend when we host Stevenage. I see no reason why we can't beat them, they've had to work had for the few wins they've had recently and aren't on anywhere near the form they were on last time we played them.

You might say only 9 points clear of Mansfield but we're only 8 points behind Orient.

If I was Paul Simpson I'd give the players the task and target of aiming to catch Orient. It might sound daft and rather unlikely but I'd prefer to approach these remaining games with a mindset of chasing rather than worrying about what's behind us.

It's positive thinking with a clear objective.

 

[AdamStag]

top 3 out of reach for us now you’d imagine.

 

[The Terminator]

I must admit I thought you were a lot further ahead than you are. Definitely still the possibility of an epic bottle.

We didn't play on Saturday, which meant we didn't have the chance to try and maintain our 12 point lead over 4th and everyone around us Saturday and yesterday won, so have closed the gap quickly.

 

[shoddycollins]

We didn't play on Saturday, which meant we didn't have the chance to try and maintain our 12 point lead over 4th and everyone around us Saturday and yesterday won, so have closed the gap quickly.

Yes but also everyone had a game in hand on you anyway.

 

[Kauto Star]

Mansfield and orient tuesday 25th april.

If there’s anything riding on it for us the hope is orient will already be up.

We play Orient last game of season, so hopefully they will have the title in the bag and the players switched off and on the beach already

 

[BogDaddyO]

We play Orient last game of season, so hopefully they will have the title in the bag and the players switched off and on the beach already

Can't wait for that game - I really hope we both secure top 3 spots and it's a big promotion love in - Bradford are far, far too big for League 2 anyway.

 

[Conker]

Can't wait for that game - I really hope we both secure top 3 spots and it's a big promotion love in - Bradford are far, far too big for League 2 anyway.

I don’t think they are, going off how difficult they find it to get out.

 

[BogDaddyO]

I don’t think they are, going off how difficult they find it to get out.

No of course, all the teams in the 92 are where they deserve to be, I get that.
But objectively they are big. Huge crowds, ground, history, catchment area, etc.
The fact that they've been in league 2 for so long with 20k+ crowds is slightly embarrassing.

But they're the biggest team in the league in terms of support, I don't think it's outlandish to suggest they should be (at least) a stable league 1 club, unlike Mansfield for example who are very much punching by being in league 2

 

[GEORGE]

No of course, all the teams in the 92 are where they deserve to be, I get that.
But objectively they are big. Huge crowds, ground, history, catchment area, etc.
The fact that they've been in league 2 for so long with 20k+ crowds is slightly embarrassing.

But they're the biggest team in the league in terms of support, I don't think it's outlandish to suggest they should be (at least) a stable league 1 club, unlike Mansfield for example who are very much punching by being in league 2

You are right Bradford City nowadays with that support and ground should be plying their trade in the Third Division at least. It was'nt that long ago they had a stint in the PL. But when I started watching football early 60'themselves and Park Avenue were always in the bottom two divisions with a very small support.

 

[Indian Dan]

I’m a big fan of Bradford’s ticket pricing but it doesn’t produce the revenue needed to make them the L2 juggernaut they could be. We have half the attendance but very similar revenue.

I wonder if the club has ever put any feelers out among their fan base as to what kind of ticket price increase they’d accept to continue momentum.

 

[PuB]

I’m a big fan of Bradford’s ticket pricing but it doesn’t produce the revenue needed to make them the L2 juggernaut they could be. We have half the attendance but very similar revenue.

I wonder if the club has ever put any feelers out among their fan base as to what kind of ticket price increase they’d accept to continue momentum.

I was thinking exactly the same thing earlier, the season tickets are almost half the price of the teams they’re competing with. Whilst it’s commendable and full stadiums are great, it doesn’t give them a significant advantage down here.

 

[AdamStag]

Many clubs couldn’t do it anyway, for a club like who have only about 6,700 capacity in the home ends you’ve already 4,800 or so who have season tickets, we’re massively struggling for space in the home ends as it is.

Reducing the STs to £200 wouldn’t really increase numbers significantly and we’d lose out on match day revenue which is far lore profitable, though if you’re a bradford or swindon with bigger grounds it makes sense.

(that’s if so many home fans buy season tickets next season with the dross that’s been served up at home this season)

 

[Indian Dan]

We did try it 20 years ago. It didn’t significantly increase ST sales - maybe an extra 1500. But now, there’s less and less room to keep on increasing ticket sales year on year. There’s a tipping point where fans either won’t or can’t pay.

Us charging £27 for a matchday ticket next season has reached that point I reckon.

 

[LS Bantam]

I’ll let Firthy write the mini essay and won’t go into the long term growing the game locally, making it accessible stuff. The short answer is much of the lost revenue that could be made by charging higher is made up in sponsorship and selling merchandise to a much bigger audience. We’ll sell more shirts this summer than the next team will sell season tickets, more people buying pies/pints/club shop stuff. Probably more so the level of sponsorship goes up a couple of tiers given the size of the crowd on offer, I think we make more now in off field revenue than we did in the Prem.

 

[Agombar stool]

I’ll let Firthy write the mini essay and won’t go into the long term growing the game locally, making it accessible stuff. The short answer is much of the lost revenue that could be made by charging higher is made up in sponsorship and selling merchandise to a much bigger audience. We’ll sell more shirts this summer than the next team will sell season tickets, more people buying pies/pints/club shop stuff. Probably more so the level of sponsorship goes up a couple of tiers given the size of the crowd on offer, I think we make more now in off field revenue than we did in the Prem.

Football clubs make very little from shirt sales I believe. Seemingly somewhere between 7-15% of shirt sales goes to the club, so monetarily I don't think Bradford's income from shirt sales will be dramatically more than other clubs from this revenue stream.

Where I do think Bradford will gain from having bargain basement Season tickets is when they finally (and it's surely a case of when and not if) start to move up the leagues. For years now Bradford have rewarded fans in league 2 with extremely cheap season tickets. If they are going to try and get back to Championship level (I assume this is roughly where they hope to be given club size) then their revenue is going to have to go up, and the loyal fans who've had to tolerate league 2 football will almost certainly have to put their hands deeper in their pockets if they want to see better players on the pitch.

 

[Indian Dan]

We’ve just released our latest accounts - turnover was £6.4m. Any idea what yours was/is?

 

[PuB]

The other thing with Bradford here is that they don’t own their ground, so I’m assuming here, but they pay rent?

 

[LS Bantam]

The rent is £370,000 a year and the Macron deal last summer was again the biggest in the club’s history, brings in a “substantial six figure sum every year”.

 

[Agombar stool]

The rent is £370,000 a year and the Macron deal last summer was again the biggest in the club’s history, brings in a “substantial six figure sum every year”.

"The Bantams have tied up a six-year technical partnership with Italian sportswear firm Macron.

The agreement will provide a “substantial six-figure sum” every year – representing well over half a million in the Valley Parade coffers for the duration of the contract."

Reading between the lines I reckon it's 100k per year.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

We’ve just released our latest accounts - turnover was £6.4m. Any idea what yours was/is?

Over £8 million our CEO said for the first time in our history, didn’t go into any sort of details on what it was made up of. We average over 3k match day sales which are priced at £20 in advance or £25 POTD, I doubt anyone gets close to that at this level and only the top 6 at the level above. Last time we were promoted, we spent 5 of the 6 seasons in the top half the other obviously resulting in our relegation. For what ever reason we do far better in League 1 than league 2. Parkinson put it down to psychological reasons such as players not being able to play in front of big crowds, but we were shite in the 60’s and 70’s at this level I just think we’re jinxed!

 

[Agombar stool]

Over £8 million our CEO said for the first time in our history, didn’t go into any sort of details on what it was made up of. We average over 3k match day sales which are priced at £20 in advance or £25 POTD, I doubt anyone gets close to that at this level and only the top 6 at the level above. Last time we were promoted, we spent 5 of the 6 seasons in the top half the other obviously resulting in our relegation. For what ever reason we do far better in League 1 than league 2. Parkinson put it down to psychological reasons such as players not being able to play in front of big crowds, but we were shite in the 60’s and 70’s at this level I just think we’re jinxed!

(Unless I've totally mistaken what you have meant here)

I believe that our ST sales were around 5k and we are getting crowds of between 8,500-10,000 so i'd say our match day sales (£25 POTD) are similar if not higher FYI.

 

[PuB]

Over £8 million our CEO said for the first time in our history, didn’t go into any sort of details on what it was made up of. We average over 3k match day sales which are priced at £20 in advance or £25 POTD, I doubt anyone gets close to that at this level and only the top 6 at the level above. Last time we were promoted, we spent 5 of the 6 seasons in the top half the other obviously resulting in our relegation. For what ever reason we do far better in League 1 than league 2. Parkinson put it down to psychological reasons such as players not being able to play in front of big crowds, but we were shite in the 60’s and 70’s at this level I just think we’re jinxed!

We have around 2k season ticket holders (shockingly poor I know even by our standards), and our crowds are around 6-7k recently, sometimes higher. I think the point is, you get excellent big crowd at commendable prices, but your budget is set to be just about competing in the top half

 

[WilsdenBantam]

We have around 2k season ticket holders (shockingly poor I know even by our standards), and our crowds are around 6-7k recently, sometimes higher. I think the point is, you get excellent big crowd at commendable prices, but your budget is set to be just about competing in the top half

Them stats surprise me, I thought you’d have much higher season tickets and less POTD but fair enough. No chance our budget is just about competing in the top half, most likely comfortably top 3. As managers like Simpson and Evans like to remind us.