What is a positive matchday experience?

There has been much talk from James Brent about improving the matchday experience, what does that mean for all you despairing Greenies out there, or is it too obvious a question?

It's very obvious Aka. Brent's "matchday experience" is just a diversion for not providing the finance to provide the fix that we all crave, a winning team.

a team that plays good football, prices of refreshments and tickets are reasonable, pre match build up that pumps the crowd up and thats about it,

Thought I would just canvass others opinions, although I think we may all be saying something similar e.g a winning team is more important than tasty pasties, good beer or clean toilets. I'm intending to write or email Brent with our fanbase opinions on this.

A decent view of the game, good non-contrived atmosphere, good football, a win, and toilets that don't run out of bog roll 20 minutes before kick-off.

Smooth entry to the ground
Decent View
Ability to get a decent pint
Non forced atmosphere
Ideally terracing
Winning team
No music after goals
Sensible stewarding
Pints pre-poured and lined up ready for HT whistle

See I'm a simple soul when it comes to the matchday experience.

As long as I can get a ticket ok, not have to queue for half an hour to get in through the turnstiles, don't get manhandled by stewards for the apalling crime of standing up, the toilets are not overflowing with other peoples piss and shit, I can see the game and there are half decent refreshments then that'll do me.

Fanfests? Not my thing.

Family areas? Not my thing.

Forza Verde? Not my thing.

Murals? Not my thing but if they depicted somebody deserved and they cover up blank or grubby walls then that's fine.

Club shop? If I want anything I'll buy it online and not at the game.

Over zealous stewards? Now that's somewhere that can be changed for the better for everyone's matchday experience.

Not saying the catering, fanfests and family areas are no good or crap, just that this aspect of the game doesn't interest me.

More youngsters are needed to be the next generation of fans, but the thing that drew me to football so much all those years ago was the atmosphere of the crowd. The excitement of watching good football in large crowds, all congregated together in The Lyndhurst End singing and lifting the team, whilst being funny and intimidating as well for the visiting team.

That's long gone at Argyle and will only get worse in my opinion with the contrived FV and the family area being moved to adjacent to the away fans.

Greenjock wrote:

See I'm a simple soul when it comes to the matchday experience.

As long as I can get a ticket ok, not have to queue for half an hour to get in through the turnstiles, don't get manhandled by stewards for the apalling crime of standing up, the toilets are not overflowing with other peoples piss and shit, I can see the game and there are half decent refreshments then that'll do me.

Fanfests? Not my thing.

Family areas? Not my thing.

Forza Verde? Not my thing.

Murals? Not my thing but if they depicted somebody deserved and they cover up blank or grubby walls then that's fine.

Club shop? If I want anything I'll buy it online and not at the game.

Over zealous stewards? Now that's somewhere that can be changed for the better for everyone's matchday experience.

Not saying the catering, fanfests and family areas are no good or crap, just that this aspect of the game doesn't interest me.

More youngsters are needed to be the next generation of fans, but the thing that drew me to football so much all those years ago was the atmosphere of the crowd. The excitement of watching good football in large crowds, all congregated together in The Lyndhurst End singing and lifting the team, whilst being funny and intimidating as well for the visiting team.

That's long gone at Argyle and will only get worse in my opinion with the contrived FV and the family area being moved to adjacent to the away fans.

fanfest are crap its the same shit over and over again that can change

We win.

I'm a simple man.

Cheaper and affordable transport into the match, wherever we may be playing in the country, a good pre match curry, a team giving 100%, 100% of the time, a good win... oh and to hear on the news on 606 on the way home, that you lot have lost... again

Sunshine and 3 points (or 1 point if it's a 4-4 draw).

A club that I can identify with it's behaviour and aims. FOOTBALL entertainment essential ... winning would be nice but not essential ... I'm a REAList, but just not losing week in week out with players no better than down the park... that really is not on... very naughty.

Respectful policing by whomever is afforded, as if I were attending the theatre or a Downing St cabinet meeting.

A roof that does what it says on the tin. A good atmosphere is a huge consideration ( and not the schoolboy FV stuff dreampt up by the latest owner and goffors for their young children ... if you want a family affair, go to church or for a a coastal footpath walk, not football )


Unlike most fans it seems by their portly shape, I couldn't care less about what food is on offer....it's a football match, not an eating opportunity... I can do that anywhere, anytime, with far better fare on offer that doesn't include animal bits.

As always, all the above is irrelevant if the price is too high for us traditional PAYG fans.... the world is a big place, and life is short.

It's unbottleable and undefinable and thats why so many people go to football generally (and rather more than Argyle deserve at the moment specifically) despite it often not being worth the entrance price. It's sold on a dream and a promise of better things to come. Next home game, next cup run, next transfer window, next season, next new signing, next debut, next goal, next minute, next rub of the green.

Nick Wall wrote:

Smooth entry to the ground
Decent View
Ability to get a decent pint
Non forced atmosphere
Ideally terracing
Winning team
No music after goals
Sensible stewarding
Pints pre-poured and lined up ready for HT whistle

This is one that really pisses me off, you can go to Arsenal and get a pint in about 2 minutes! They must sell about 200,000 pints at half time alone. The thing is to keep it simple, as you say line the pints up, bitter lager or cider and have another cue for hot drinks another for pasties, sort it out Argyle, most of us stay in our seats because there is no point in going down there!

James Brent often talks about the "customer experience", do we see ourselves as fans or customers?

People who go must be fans (and this by no means implies your not a fan if you don't) because what customer would put up with anything shoddy. Football fans are simple souls on the surface. Pint, pasty, footie on Saturday afternoon.

The notion of being a customer should only matter to the club if they have indentified the reason for people not coming anymore and moreover if the reasons that don't come include such things as difficultly buying tickets, overbearing stewards, bad catering, expense, parking, state of the ground, leg room, unhearable tannoy. If people are put off by those things they are customers. If they don't come because the football is tragic or the matchday experience is being sold or they just don't feel wanted anymore (think prawn sandwiches, flags and superfans) they are probable disillusioned fans.

The feckin phrase 'matchday experience' is just another byproduct of the way life and society is today. New fangled jargoned pc-speak bollocks

80% of my 'matchday experience' doesn't involve the match. It's a day with mates having numerous bevvies and having a laugh. The bit from 3pm till 5pm has, in recent years, become a habitual thing that just gets in the way of what otherwise is always a cracking good day.

I've missed the last two home games, but the only thing I feel I've missed out on, is the bits pre-3pm and post 5pm.

I don't want to drift away and fall out of love with Argyle, but at the moment, that is exactly what is happening.

I have similar views as czarcasm. I am now potd, after being a ST for 10 years. All the membership crap and amateurish handling of lots of aspects on and off the pitch doesn't tempt me to be a member anytime soon.

I try and stay in the pub as long as possible, before getting to HP.I'm not interested in turds waving flags or the irrelevant twattery from the announcers, my aim is to get to a seat about 30 seconds before the game kicks off. As Penz states the food and booze is shite and overpriced in HP and little has been done to improve it for years.

My 'match day experience' is only improved if we win or get a decent draw (like southend at home last season with 2 goals in the last 5 minutes). For 4 - 5 seasons now, the match day experience has got progressively worse.

I don't know why we need to spend money on a family area that is barely used, on forza verde (flags, sponsorship nd committee meetings) when they have done little to improve the crowd atmosphere this season and some of the other trivialities.

Jock mentions the stewards, who I think for the last season or so have much improved and I don't see many issues with them (could be due to the crowds getting smaller).

Quote :

I don't know why we need to spend money on a family area that is barely used, on forza verde (flags, sponsorship nd committee meetings) when they have done little to improve the crowd atmosphere this season and some of the other trivialities.

Wash your mouth out they were instrumental in Hourihane scoring On Tuesday

A positive matchday for this consumer is three points or trying to get three points by playing attacking footbalL, not the negative shite served up by "twenty draws in forty eight games fletcher" this "forza wankers" is just pointless bollocks to me.

I said to Brenty at the ATD meet that the only "matchday experience" that the majority of supporters cared about was a winning team.






So he obviously paid no heed to my sage advice.

I agree with the non-forced atmosphere. It is like being at Primary School and being told to join in as it's ''jolly good fun'' blah-blah-blah.

A winning team would be high on the list,but we need a more experienced gaffer at the helm. Cheaper scoff and beverage would be ideal,although i do like the new pasties on offer.

Charlie Wood wrote:

I said to Brenty at the ATD meet that the only "matchday experience" that the majority of supporters cared about was a winning team.






So he obviously paid no heed to my sage advice.

of course he wouldn't, however if your a pasoti mod i am sure he would have listened to you more.

For me it's a great winning performance on the pitch generating a great atmsosphere in the stands. What we currently have is a putrid 'performance' on the pitch and some pathetic embarrasing noise eminating from dwindling group of herberts in the Devonport that bears absolutely no relation to the mood of the rest of the crowd or what is actually happening on the pitch.

Funny I've noticed all that as well Freathy.