Apathy - or has reality set in?

[lutleyyeltz]

Of late the response on the forum to “Match Updates” has been somewhat sparse. Is this due to lack of interest, or is it more likely that those that regularly posted in the past have realised that the level that we are at will be what we have to accept ad infinitum, and just can’t be bothered?
Consistently falling gate figures show that it is unlikely that the club can move forward in the financial area, so where is the improvement in player quality – and by definition bigger gates - to come from? The few decent players we have will inevitably drift away, leaving us treading water – at best.
Yes, this is an unpalatable prospect, but can anyone see any other future?
Of course, I expect responses to this (if there be any) to echo the usual mantra of: “We should be grateful that there is still a club!”
I make no apologies for saying that that view is wearing a bit thin, right now.

[swipey]

It's good to see someone posting what everyone's thinking lutleyyeltz and I wholeheartedly agree.

Even though I'm a member on here I don't feel it appropriate to berate the team as I've only been to a handful of games and don't feel it's justified to have a pop but what I WILL say is that Shaun's got a discipline problem on and off the pitch and his team selection may be viewed by others as naive.

For me, although it's unacceptable for any player to storm off after seeing the team sheet, why Arshad isn't being picked mystifies me as he seems to score bags of goals.
As for McGrath and what we've been posting about the last fortnight, getting himself booked in the 17th minute screams encyclopaedias at me. You could argue that he's passionate about playing for the Yeltz, but I just think he's a silly boy which is unfortunate because of the amount of talent he has.

I have found the fans quiet at one of the -200 attendance games and although I'd had a drink I wanted to scream at our players but felt like the whole ground would look at me funny - there's no atmosphere at all and that bosts my heart.

No, I can't get to every game due to some horrid personal circumstances at the moment but I'll 'support' the club any other way I can.

Well done lutleyyeltz for doing a gutsy thread like this and I'm all ears and open to be corrected in any of my statements above.

Let's just get behind the boys and help bring the club forward!

[Washy002]

Unfortunately we are in a catch 22 situation.

We cannot up the playing budget until more people come through the gates, but people wont come to the games if we dont win.

It is a difficult position for everyone involved in the club.

I'm not going to say "we are luckly to even have a club" as I agree this is wearin thin. However, i will say that this year was never going to be great. Off the field things are really moving forwards and are starting to progress. Eventually this will start to rub off on the field and in a couple of years we will be back to where we were.

The community arent exactly our biggest fans at the moment so getting sponsorship and people involved is difficult but i'm sure the committee will keep working hard to ensure that we rebuild our name in the commuinity. It took 3 years to destroy our reputation and will take at least double that to get it back!

Patience is the key (although not always that easy).

I do however agree that Macca shouldnt have played on Saturday! He needs to learn some consequences for his STUPID actions. Everyone will also get the odd yellow and red card in their career but the amount he gets is unacceptable.

[watsisnerm]

its easy to see what happened to attendances if you go back to when we were getting 270-350, if at that time you asked `how can we lower the attendance?` the answer could be- `lose 7 games in a row, have players sent off/not turning up, that should do it!...AND IT DID! years ago if that had happened the supporters would have been going mad at the powers that be (just ask ron and nigel) but now they dont get mad they get lost.
it could be the the effort it took during those bad years to `get our club back`has knocked all the fight out of us to the extent that we `cant be arsed` or that we cant see any progress to give hope for the future, either way it would be better to come along and moan than not come at all..we need the money! (see washy post)
sad thing is that we had that 5 match good spell recently when we could see hope but its now almost as if we are asking that question again..`how can we lower the attendance.....?`

[swipey]

Regarding getting the community involved - it's a difficult one. I have a thing where on the Friday the matchday posters are released, I go round my local boozers and pin the buggers up. The bigger breweries won't let you do this so then, like above, you've got a Catch 22 situation where you're not appealing to a wide and varied range of local people in those massive family-orientated pubs.

I told Zee Zee that for me to go round the pubs every other Friday (and sacrifice my beloved lager) and put up a couple of posters seems trivial but he pointed out to me that if everyone did a little bit, then we'd reach out more; fair point, I'll also admit I was a little embarrassed at first putting them up because everyone's looking at what you're pinning up but now it's, "there's that guy from Halesowen Town FC doing the posters!" - even though I'm not affiliated with the club on any official level the buzz is tremendous!

I know putting a few posters up ain't gonna bring in thousands through the gates and it's not the be all and end all but it's disappointing to find that not even the Waggon & Horses is displaying the matchday posters.

Oh, for those that read through my previous waffle, Toys R Us Oldbury have stonewalled me putting up any posters yet I'm still working on Asda in Halesowen but the right kind of manager is never in!

I think the point of my post is that every Yeltz follower has to do a little bit and turning up at the ground every week and paying a measly £8 quite simply isn't enough because the club is still trying to get some stability and this community thing Washy mentioned is important.

On a lighter note, shouting that I'm back in touch with my childhood-non-top-flight-club to all and sundry has made people respect me in a ways - like a dude who's a member of CAMRA, say

[dazzlingdazza]

I have found the fans quiet at one of the -200 attendance games and although I'd had a drink I wanted to scream at our players but felt like the whole ground would look at me funny - there's no atmosphere at all and that bosts my heart.

I couldn't get to Saturdays home game, but I raised the subject a few weeks ago about atmosphere, maybe if we stand side by side behind my big flag that am going to start bringing again, then at least there will be half thinking you are saft and half me! Zee is usually up for a song, then there's sprout ...... anyone else ?

[CRH Yeltz]

I think that there is a bit of both evident at the moment.

As already mentioned, there is undoubtedly a discipline issue within certain parts of the club at the moment, interesting isn't it that whilst the main protagonists were suspended or injured, we began to win games again. Their return has also coincided with us losing the last 2 with cards being collected en masse again. I'd like to think that Shaun knows who the problem children are and deals with them, maybe not now but in the close season. Yes, a player can have talent, but if he accrues yellow and red cards then is that talent worth retaining? I am suprised that we haven't been hauled in front of the FA yet for the number of cards we've had this season.

Crowds are down which I believe is partly down to apathy, playing at a lower level (we're one of the best supported sides in the league we find ourselves in) and the indifferent form of the team. If after Christmas we had gone on a 6 game winning spell rather than what did happen, then I think the gates would have been nearer the 300 mark as we'd have been in a promotion/playoff battle which generates interest. We also seem to suffer with gates when the Albion are at home more than the other sides locally. We entered February knowing that we weren't going down and also not going up which does breed a level of apathy within the "floating voters". Another factor to consider is that the other lot up the A458 have had a cup run and are going well, this also attracts the casual fans and is evident in that their crowds are up this season, some of whom may have been at the Grove under different circumstances.

Off the pitch, the efforts of those involved will eventually bring rewards relating to sponsorship and backing but its going to take time. The Bedfordshire mafia's systematic dismantling of the club has damaged us and it will be a long journey to regain trust and support in the community. Also don't forget that the financial climate is still fragile at best so potential suitors are going to need more persuading than say 5 years ago. I believe that its all about consolidation at the moment considering our position 12 months ago and I believe it could take us 2-3 seasons before we are ready to push on again.

However, I will still be there and look forward to each home game regardless, even to the point that I've begun the indoctrination of my 3 year old who joined me on Saturday. After 15 years of home and away with the Albion, I found my way to the Grove 4 years ago and have increased my attendance more as time has passed (I've only missed 2 at home this season). I had fallen out of love with football for a while and it was here that I began to enjoy it again despite all that we've gone through.

[swipey]

I couldn't get to Saturdays home game, but I raised the subject a few weeks ago about atmosphere, maybe if we stand side by side behind my big flag that am going to start bringing again, then at least there will be half thinking you are saft and half me! Zee is usually up for a song, then there's sprout ...... anyone else ?

I'm well up for that but I don't know what any of you look like (apart from Zee Zee you can't miss him!) so I always go and stand on my own like Billy-no-mates... but if you do bring your massive flag dazza I'll make a bee-line towards it... may even buy you a pint after.

Of lemonade

[watsisnerm]

just like to say that trying to get monies from businesses at the moment has been hard and even degrading because of the feelings towards htfc due to we know what, but reading these posts, on what seems to be a negative heading, has made me realise that the there are supporters who will be around to bring back that old yeltz atmosphere so making it all worth while...thanks for that!

[swipey]

^^^ Defo, and I'm one of those people.

I'm currently doing what CRH Yeltz was doing 4 years ago. I've even got 3 lads from work going now, one drives over from Sutton Coldfield (t'other side of Brummigan for xenophobes) and picks up my 2 other muckers from West Brom.
Last couple of home games I'll be bringing my 2 year old lad and the 11 year old daughter (blue & white-striped season ticket holder) as she wants to see what I keep harping on about "supporting your local club properly" means.

The reason why the club is where it's at is none of our faults yet we can improve the situation with a lot of support and a bit of effort.

I love the way this thread has turned but reading some of stevelynch's posts and having the pleasure of meeting Zee Zee I can only see positives for Halesowen Town Football Club... but it's down to US!

Plus I really really really like the Yeltz bar next door