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I-Follow & City:The Future or The end of the Away Day?

Discussion in 'City Talk' started by borderlescott, Apr 3, 2021.

?

Should City, if possible include an I-follow option for away games

  1. Yes

  2. No

Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. Petrov

    Petrov Squad Player

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    I'm aware this is the match thread and I don't want to derail it any further so I will politely agree to disagree with you about this for now - you luddite ;)
     
    NorthernMonkey likes this.
  2. NorthernMonkey

    NorthernMonkey Squad Player
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    Fair enough Petrov,

    Enjoy the game and here's hoping for 3 points. I'm worried about right back, FCD had been exposed a few times lately and with Scales on that side he won't get the most amount of cover.

    That did, we've certainly got enough to score goals so hopefully attack will be the best form of defence today.
     
    Petrov likes this.
  3. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    Midweek ones were already shown before weren’t they.

    I do think continuing the Ifollow set up will reduce the crowds slightly but there are also a core of fans who go to every away game and they will carry on going in person even if Ifollow stays for aways.

    The success of the team on the pitch ultimately decides how many fans go. That’s the same for any team at any level.

    Lockdown has shown us how numbers ramp up when the side is winning. I’ve watched nearly every away game this season and would have killed to go to some of them in person, if we’d been allowed, as I was craving live action action when everything clicked under T and S.

    For all we’d lose some income from some fans watching in their living room instead of being on the terrace we would likely offset some of that loss by picking up ifollow fans that maybe don’t have the time to spend 10-7 pm ish on a Sat doing away games. They can be on and off in two hours on ifollow and still have their morning doing other stuff. And there’s expats and those who live too far away to attend any games. It’s better for the club to take a cut if their income rather than seeing them buy firesticks and not see a penny of it. Other tinpot clubs might not notice a difference here but we do as we have a wide reach due to our PL past.

    Sparks will know better than us the numbers and those days when we were bad under McCall and they issued the plea for fans to sign up should give him an indicator as to what the Ifollow core was. Knock off some of them next season though as some will reattend in person when allowed won’t they.

    Or does Sparks have faith in our club and expect us to be flying high, with a marketable product, enabling us to hitting the sort of numbers we have during the good run (3k ish for aways). If the side do well then Ifollow is a friend. If we struggle its a cop out for fans and a thorn in our side.

    The other conundrum is working out multiple households. In a City family of four only one adult needs to buy an Ifollow pass and cast to their TV for all four to watch. Could we lose 50 % of the Ifollow support but still see good away crowds because, once bums are back on seats, one ifollow pass unravels into several seats moving back into the crowd in reality?

    I guess we can only do this for away games otherwise it could decimate home support.

    Not an easy one, this, but I hope they give it a go next season and see how it effects numbers.

    Over to you, Ryan......
     
    #43 borderlescott, Apr 6, 2021
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2021
  4. vin weasel

    vin weasel Squad Player
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    Its the way this nation is now.
    Everything home and convenience based.
    Its easier to keep tabs on people when they don't leave the house.
     
    bantamdave41 likes this.
  5. Parader

    Parader Impact Sub

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    It's no surprise to see City pushing for iFollow to continue.

    With the lease on VP up in the next few years it seems Rupp plans to let it lapse, then have us playing games in front of cameras at our training ground, pocketing the money saved from rent, bills, staffing and running costs to get his investment back.

    It's plain to see what's going on.
     
  6. YungNath

    YungNath Impact Sub

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    I think what we would lose in people staying home would be gained by people who didnt have the opportunity to watch the game now being able to do so. I also think a lot of folks are being a bit harsh on fans. I think it takes a level of dedication over and above a normal person to follow a shit league two team religiously, certainly enough not to be put off by the option of an ifollow pass. people that want to go to away games will go regardless because its nothing like watching it on tv. Otherwise all the Prem games would have empty stadiums
     
  7. bantamdave41

    bantamdave41 Regular Starter
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    Now, that's what I call a rant.
     
    Storck likes this.
  8. bantamdave41

    bantamdave41 Regular Starter
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    It does feel that way, more emphasised in recent times. Amazon, Alexa, online grocery shopping, banking, drinking from home and the list goes on.
     
    vin weasel likes this.
  9. Meltham Massive

    Meltham Massive Squad Player
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    Personally I’d pay up-to double my season ticket price if it included the I-follow option (home matches).
    I get to around 50% of home matches as I work away most weeks so either aren’t around or I’ve got back late Friday night and not seen the kids/ ball & chain since the Sunday before. Would I honestly attend even less? Not sure.....
    I already pay £45 per year to listen to Dumb & Dumber on I-follow audio! I’d be lying if I didn’t think having I-follow might make me think twice about attending Barrow at home if it was freezing and raining sideways. But in the scheme of things, as long as the club are maximising profits do we really care?
    BTW The same arguments have been used historically for many things, Cinema would kill theatres, Television would kill Cinemas, live Saturday radio coverage would damage attendance, Sky football coverage would kill UK football attendances!
    In the end there’s room for various roots to consume the product. I’ll personally never illegally stream because I don’t want to take money from the club......,plenty will though especially if it’s not available officially.
     
  10. Bigrod

    Bigrod Captain
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    Meltham Massive likes this.
  11. Offcomedun

    Offcomedun Important Player
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    I go to a handful of away games per season and would still do so if iFollow were available for away games, because it's fun and a completely different experience from watching on TV.

    I've loved being able to watch every away game this season, so if iFollow is not available for away games next season then I'd certainly consider the dodgy stick option, which I've never done before. This wouldn't deprive any club of revenue because I'd only use it for the away games that I wouldn't have attended anyway. From a revenue perspective it would be no different from me listening on the radio.

    However, I suspect that the smaller clubs will vote against it because they'll worry (unnecessarily in my view) that it will reduce traveling attendance from bigger clubs like us. Perhaps more of the iFollow revenue needs to go to the home club than at present. That would reduce the big takings we've been getting this season from City fans subscribing to away games, but might be balanced over the season by subscriptions from away teams' fans watching our home games.
     
  12. YungNath

    YungNath Impact Sub

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    Very good point, we're the golden goose for a lot of clubs at that level. I also agree they're worrying unnecessarily
     
    Bronco likes this.
  13. Bigrod

    Bigrod Captain
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    I have ended up going to away grounds and paid to sit in the ‘home end’, technically against the club rules.
    Last season it was Salford (which in the end was a total sell out). In the past Accrington, Macclesfield, York, Oldham, Crewe and a fair few others.
    Surely having an option which complies with the Club rules and allows someone to see the match is important.
    Interesting to see the votes in the Poll above!
     
  14. Bronco

    Bronco Star Player
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    I want to attend as many as possible away days nothing better few beers a get together with like minded fans before the game.
     
  15. Allotment Bantam

    Allotment Bantam Squad Player
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    Yes I do too Dave. I go to around half the away games every year.

    There are always those that are harder to get to though. Trips to Exeter for example are 2 nights away with Shipley Bantams who I usually travel with, and I do not have the time even though I am now retired.

    Then there are those where you can't get a ticket due to ground size- Forest Green Rovers for example.

    I would love to be able to use ifollow for games like these.
     
    RCarol, 1975citygent and Bronco like this.
  16. Mike Hunt

    Mike Hunt Impact Sub

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    I don’t buy that, 2,000 fans at £20 a head is £40,000. Welcome but hardly the difference between life and death for a club with a turnover of a few million.
     
  17. Loyalbantam

    Loyalbantam Squad Player
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    All this talk of ifollow continuing for away games won’t give City any income at all.
    After Covid, when fans can attend, there’s no way that home clubs will accept loss of earning from away fans. Currently on ifollow a home club only gets payment for the first 500 sales, then the away club gets the rest.
    This cannot and won’t continue even if ifollow remains an option. The home club should get all of the revenue in the same way they would if away fans attended the game.
     
  18. bantam2708

    bantam2708 Squad Player
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    Another thing that needs to be considered is that for this season the EFL agreed to clubs keeping 100% of the sales from match passes with the EFL picking up the bill for providing the service, rather than the clubs. When fans return, I doubt the EFL will be so generous.
     
    bantamdave41 likes this.
  19. Loyalbantam

    Loyalbantam Squad Player
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    If someone’s argument is that they’d go to more away games if they could but can’t spare the travel time and need the ifollow option then maybe the answer is to price an ifollow ticket the same as a match ticket.
     
  20. Petrov

    Petrov Squad Player

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    Ridiculous idea, all that would do is push more people towards illegal streams.
     

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