Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Rigadon on November 12, 2011, 08:21:40 AM
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What with the lower gates caused by a few different factors being a fairly hot topic at the moment, I've read the term 'floating fan' quite a lot lately. It's got me thinking what this actually means?
On average I go to about 5 or 6 games every season, generally when work allows and when family / friends can also go. It really doesn't matter who we're playing. I reckon I spend about £150 every season at Villa Park with tickets and refreshments etc, can't think of many other things I'd spend that much going to see - I don't go to many gigs, the theatre whatever.
So are people like me floating fans and if so, are we who the club should be 'enticing'? Or should we be concentrating on turning the next generation of massive amounts of local kids who wear Liverpool/ManUtd shirts but live in the West Midlands?
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I am not sure what a floating fan is either. It sounds slightly derogatory but not as bad as a "fair weather" fan? Intermitent attenders? ;-)
We (my son and I) are attending more this season than in the last three and this has a lot to do with me getting back into the habit of match days and sorting his needs at the ground (he has autism).
We have always had a strange turnout at Villa Park. I remember in the Championship season wasn't the last home match (Boro) a 39k crowd when you would expect a full house?
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Aquarius and my name is Ralph
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Indeed, Witton, it does sound faintly derogatory and is often used in those terms: "floating fans, tut".
Erm, a bit on an airy-fairy response, but thanks Ralph :)
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I'm a 'floating fan' and I've only been to 2 games so far this season. I had a season ticket until 2010 and go about 10 games hhome or away a season. To me sometimes it does matter who were playing, I'd rather go down and have a laugh with a few mates at small heath or manure home than go on myself to norwich or wigan.
It costs too much even if I wanted to go to every game, but I can't justify the 25 pound ticket, 10 pound train, food, drink, getting picked up from the train station. Its 50 quid a game minimum for me.
I'd aim tickets at the next gen of fans, there the future
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We have always had a strange turnout at Villa Park. I remember in the Championship season wasn't the last home match (Boro) a 39k crowd when you would expect a full house?
To be fair, it was raining.
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'Floating fan' sounds like someone who may switch their allegiance to another club and back again. A not impossible but very unlikely scenario. Much as a floating voter may change which party they vote for from one election to the next.
'Fair weather supporter' or 'part-time supporter' sounds even more derogatory.
More politically correct terms may be 'Intermittent attender' or from a clubs point of view 'Irregular revenue stream patron'.
Even if you go to one game a year you are still a full time fan. If you are pretty well aware when the hours are that the team is playing even if you are not following it kick by kick because of doing something else then you are still a full time fan. Imagine almost any situation you are in - out shopping with the missus, running late rushing to the theatre, in accident and emergency, having sex, about to board a plane and emigrate to australia - you see a TV screen showing the full time results, you will always look for a few seconds and mentally register the Villa result.
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A better term would be "fans with a life". A lot of them go when they can, or when they have the money. Not even sure if who we're playing comes into it that much
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We have always had a strange turnout at Villa Park. I remember in the Championship season wasn't the last home match (Boro) a 39k crowd when you would expect a full house?
To be fair, it was raining.
And the away end that held, I think, 3000 had about 37 people in it. The Holte was heaving.
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Floating fans to me are people who will watch whichever of the local teams that are most attractive at any given time. Fortunes will always fluctuate but I suppose we can count ourselves reasonably lucky as our neighbours are sssssshite
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I'm a passionate Villa fan who can't get to many games because I live quite a way away, it costs me a lot to go, I am away most of the week working as it is and I have fallen out of love with much of what modern footballl represents, including matchday ticket prices predicated on disgusting wages paid to a bunch of over-paid, over-hyped people who can kick a ball around. I call myself part 'sensible', part 'realistic', part 'old git' and part 'not such a faithful fan as, say, Frank, Pauline and DC5'. I don't give one jot what anyone else wants to call me! I love the Villa, always will and if you asked any of my friends and many people I work with, the first thing that comes into their head when they hear my name mentioned, they will say 'Villa fan' with perhaps the odd expletive attached...
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Like Richard I have become disillusioned with the state of the game i.e. they only way you have a chance is with a shit load of cash. After many years as a ST holder, I've only gone to 3 so far this season - am I a floating fan now?
Maybe I'm wrong but my impression of the Villa is that we have a lots of fans who follow but don't go, but when we are doing well or have a big crunch match we could fil anywhere out. I think ove the years a lot of people have a 'meh' attitude to wanting to actually go. Unless we get a Oil tycoon in, then that won't change.
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To me a floating fan is someone who pisses about going from club to club - there are a lot of them down here for sure that seem to switch between Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea (more so in the last 10 years) and now Man City. Being one of the few Villa shirts seen constantly round Horsham town i do feel i fly the flag down here in the face of some stick from some a lot of the time and quite a lot of respect from others but i never stop trying to preach the name of Aston Villa round here even if at times i do get fed up with it all. I pretty much feel the same as some of the others above about modern football, it doesnt stop me loving the Villa but living down south on a temporary work contract i simply cant afford to come up except once in a blue moon or when it ties in with visiting the dwindling number of relatives i still have in Worcs. I havent had a permanent job since 2008 even though i havent pretty much stopped working in that time albeit in not amazingly paid jobs. I did three matches in 09-10 and just the one last season introducing my wife to the pleasures of Villa Park for the first time which she loved. A far cry from having a season ticket in 1991-92 and generally coming up for about 8-9 matches a season since i've been down south but no one feels it more than i assure you. My heart and appreciation goes out to all those that go week and week, the dedication they show is without fault, particularly when the club has the tendency to kick them in the nuts like they did at Man City in the cup last season or Moscow. I know a couple of H and V's by face but generally most of them i have conversed with more on the net than up close but its a social side of football that i have come to relish.
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A better term would be "fans with a life". A lot of them go when they can, or when they have the money. Not even sure if who we're playing comes into it that much
Not sure this is true, it's pretty judgemental.
I know many fans with 'a life' who go to all home games and some away - I'm one of them !
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A better term would be "fans with a life".
Now I find that offensive! I have a season ticket (3 in fact) and I go to number of away games. I go on holidays and do other things with friends and family at weekend. So because I go to every home game and follow away when I can do I have no life?
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A better term would be "fans with a life".
Harsh
A lot of them go when they can, or when they have the money. Not even sure if who we're playing comes into it that much
Agree
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I think that 'enticing people back' is a waste of time if we can agree that people like me are classed as floating fans. It would make zero difference to me if we were in with a shout of winning the league. Sure, on the occasions I do go, I'd much prefer to be going down to watch exhilarating football and winning more often, but I still wouldn't go to a significantly larger amount of games. So what's the answer to swelling the gate? It must be something clubs like Villa are considering with great vigour currently.
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sorry but west brom fans should be face down
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A better term would be "fans with a life".
Now I find that offensive! I have a season ticket (3 in fact) and I go to number of away games. I go on holidays and do other things with friends and family at weekend. So because I go to every home game and follow away when I can do I have no life?
I didn't mean it in a "get a life" way to be fair. I meant if you're married or have kids its probably very hard to guarantee you can be free every other saturday afternoon let alone when they choose to move the kick-off to another time or day. Unless your family are all mad villa fans you'd probably have to say your pastime is taking precedent over family life. I know when i was going every week it was because i was free to do what i liked every weekend.
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Yes Greg you are correct on being free to make the choice and my use of word "offensive" was a bit OTT.
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I call myself part 'sensible', part 'realistic', part 'old git' and part 'not such a faithful fan as, say, Frank, Pauline and DC5'. I don't give one jot what anyone else wants to call me! I love the Villa, always will and if you asked any of my friends and many people I work with, the first thing that comes into their head when they hear my name mentioned, they will say 'Villa fan' with perhaps the odd expletive attached...
I havent had a permanent job since 2008 even though i havent pretty much stopped working in that time albeit in not amazingly paid jobs. I did three matches in 09-10 and just the one last season introducing my wife to the pleasures of Villa Park for the first time which she loved. A far cry from having a season ticket in 1991-92 and generally coming up for about 8-9 matches a season since i've been down south but no one feels it more than i assure you. My heart and appreciation goes out to all those that go week and week, the dedication they show is without fault, particularly when the club has the tendency to kick them in the nuts like they did at Man City in the cup last season or Moscow.
Richard and Deano's Mullet are two of the most loyal and committed Villa fans I know, both fine examples of the fact that you don't have to attend every game to be a true supporter.
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Ah, thank you Frank, coming from you that is quite a compliment! Enjoy Spurs if you are going as I sure you are, I am working down in Hastings. Monday nights and Spurs remind me of a certain 4-4 draw...
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I always think of floating fans as those who don't support a particular team and will watch whichever game takes their fancy.
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I always think of floating fans as those who don't support a particular team and will watch whichever game takes their fancy.
Have you ever met one of them? i'd be really surprised if they're a significant number to even show up over a season.
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As a one game a season man, if Mr Lerner Sir will cover my air fair and accommodation I will gladly purchase a season ticket.
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I always think of floating fans as those who don't support a particular team and will watch whichever game takes their fancy.
Have you ever met one of them? i'd be really surprised if they're a significant number to even show up over a season.
I know several.
Anyway, I definitely see myself as a floating fan. I will go to the odd Villa game, usually when I'm coerced into flogging the fanzine, in between times I'll be down Tamworth or any number of obscure non-league grounds.
Love football, not enthused about The Villa.
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I think that 'enticing people back' is a waste of time if we can agree that people like me are classed as floating fans. It would make zero difference to me if we were in with a shout of winning the league. Sure, on the occasions I do go, I'd much prefer to be going down to watch exhilarating football and winning more often, but I still wouldn't go to a significantly larger amount of games. So what's the answer to swelling the gate? It must be something clubs like Villa are considering with great vigour currently.
Not sure that you're typical, Rigadon, as generally the better the team do the higher the crowd.
I think what has happened now is that crowds have settled back to their normal level after a bit of a spike under MON so the drop looks more significant than it really is.
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Maybe, Chris. It's not that I don't want us to be challenging you understand: I'm not a masochist. I just wouldn't be able to justify the extra time and money that going to more games would mean. Early MON was about as positive a vibe as anything from the previous decade so it must've had some impact.
Anyway, some interesting points of view.
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Just a thought - why did we get the (positive) "blip" of the Norwich attendance?
Not a fashionable, successful or local club yet we have 35k+ while the two previous derbies were lower.
Many factors I suppose.
Let's see the comparisons for the three Red matches coming next...
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I always think of floating fans as those who don't support a particular team and will watch whichever game takes their fancy.
Have you ever met one of them? i'd be really surprised if they're a significant number to even show up over a season.
I know several.
Anyway, I definitely see myself as a floating fan. I will go to the odd Villa game, usually when I'm coerced into flogging the fanzine, in between times I'll be down Tamworth or any number of obscure non-league grounds.
Love football, not enthused about The Villa.
Come to think of it, the only person i've ever met who went semi-regularly to league games with no allegiance to any team was a non-league fan. But he only went because he took a delight in criticising all aspects of league football as compared to the vastly superior non-league brand. Again though, i'd say these 'special' types of match going fans are very thin on the ground
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Just a thought - why did we get the (positive) "blip" of the Norwich attendance?
Not a fashionable, successful or local club yet we have 35k+ while the two previous derbies were lower.
Many factors I suppose.
Let's see the comparisons for the three Red matches coming next...
I don't think it was that significant a 'blip". Attendance of home fans was on par with Wigan and Blackburn match plus about 1,500 for a vey heavy offer promotion. The difference was where as those two had a few hundred (no more than 500) come along Norwich was the best away support so far. More numerous than Baggies and Wolves.
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Just a thought - why did we get the (positive) "blip" of the Norwich attendance?
Not a fashionable, successful or local club yet we have 35k+ while the two previous derbies were lower.
Many factors I suppose.
Let's see the comparisons for the three Red matches coming next...
I don't think it was that significant a 'blip". Attendance of home fans was on par with Wigan and Blackburn match plus about 1,500 for a vey heavy offer promotion. The difference was where as those two had a few hundred (no more than 500) come along Norwich was the best away support so far. More numerous than Baggies and Wolves.
You demonstarte the other factors admirably aftab.
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I would class a floating fan as one who only turns up when it's fashionable too, rather than floats from club to club. There are plenty of people I know who went to the Villa pretty regularly when the feelgood factor was around the place at the start of Randy's reign but since the upheaval of the past couple of years and the feelgood factor has gone, they don't bother turning up. Like others have said, for those people the nature of the opposition is a factor in them deciding whether they'll bother to turn up too.
As for what the club can do about them. Keen pricing is the main one but not the only one. Good publicity helps - I bet the Acorns deal when it was announced got a fair few people through the doors who hadn't bothered before. Attractive football helps too - look how Arsenal's attendances have gone since they were rebranded as the 'best footballing team in the land'. They still get silly attendances despite not having won anything for years.
None of it's rocket science in principle, but it certainly isn't easy to achieve either unless you've got a billion pounds in your sky rocket.
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I haven't been to more than 3 or 4games in the last eight years because I don't live in the UK, does this make me a "sinking" fan? I'm sitting here reading H&V on a sunday morning though, so maybe that helps my case...
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I always think of floating fans as those who don't support a particular team and will watch whichever game takes their fancy.
When I started watching football (mid 60's) there were many fans who, although having a preference for one team, would go to any of the local grounds just to watch the football, particularly if a top team was in town or, more so, if one of the top stars was playing.
One of our neighbours was a Blues supporter but would regularly go down the Villa with us. My Dad, a staunch Villa fan when he was alive, went to the 56 cup final to see Blues but missed the 57 cup final.
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Come to think of it, the only person i've ever met who went semi-regularly to league games with no allegiance to any team was a non-league fan. But he only went because he took a delight in criticising all aspects of league football as compared to the vastly superior non-league brand. Again though, i'd say these 'special' types of match going fans are very thin on the ground
But I do have an allegiance to a league team, as do the other 'floating fans' that I know, and as far as I know non of us slag off The Premiership except in the way many others do in respect to that way it is systematically destroying football as we once knew it.
We know the quality of the football is far superior, even at The Villa! The match-day experience is why we dip in and out of top flight football. I had a fucking superb day out at Hinckley v Tamworth yesterday, a minibus crawl to several real-ale pubs, a cracking game (although spoiled by a few morons now being outed as Leicester and Coventry fans only there because of the international break) and all in great company, it's something I rarely experience watching Villa (apart from the company, I love you all!).
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As a kid I would cycle down to Villa Park for mid-week games after I had done my homework and get in free at half time – because I thought the team needed me.
At £43 to watch a game against an ordinary West Brom, that sense of obligation has gone.
There is a bigger floating support in the City than many care to acknowledge. In the 60’s/early 70’s it was not unusual for fans to watch us and Small Heath at home on alternate weekends before away travel became popular/affordable.
Now the above is virtually unheard of. What is more common is floating fans reining back on the nothing games to take in the more interesting alternatives ( Small Heath v Brugges, West Brom v Man U , Tamworth v Hinckley (and in the recent past Walsall v Leeds). The wild odd fluctuations in our attendance, and those of others, reflects this.
Clubs are now reaping what they sow. If they want consumers rather than supporters, and the show down the road is more attractive, then consumers wil behave like consumers.