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[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

As if today's match wasn't painful enough to watch, the regular dwellers in the Main Stand had to endure gangs of unruly and squawking children roaming all over the place all afternoon!

At times, the screeching from the young girls was so penetrating that I thought I had stumbled into a McFly concert by mistake.

What a nightmare!
Even the poor stewards looked cheesed off with trying to prevent the mob from running up and down the steps, which was a Health & Safety calamity waiting to happen.

Seriously....PLEASE....never again!

Can't they be accommodated in the Family Stand in future?   

[Alty Dave]

I could hear them on the popular side!

But we do need new young blood attending, but they should have some supervision!

[Dianne]

maybe it's a sign of my age, but i have to agree the children were running riot.

[Jimmy Hill]

With regard to the attendance overall however the outlook looks encouraging.

The attendance today was 1033, in the corresponding fixture last year the attendance was 819 (according to the Crawley forum there were only about fifty away fans, fewer than they brought last season). Obviously not all of those in attendance were paying customers due to the free tickets on offer for various types of young person; nevertheless this either shows that the schemes in operation at the minute to encourage new supporters are going well or that we are expanding our match-going support base. I suspect it is probably a case of both.

[robininstockport]

I think it's a great idea giving tickets to the kids.

As I was walking past the turnstile to the main stand a group of three youngsters with their mothers were about to go in. All could hear was one mother saying 'Oh my god it's £12.00 for us to get in!'

[Ballers]

As if today's match wasn't painful enough to watch, the regular dwellers in the Main Stand had to endure gangs of unruly and squawking children roaming all over the place all afternoon!

At times, the screeching from the young girls was so penetrating that I thought I had stumbled into a McFly concert by mistake.

What a nightmare!
Even the poor stewards looked cheesed off with trying to prevent the mob from running up and down the steps, which was a Health & Safety calamity waiting to happen.

Seriously....PLEASE....never again!

Cult,

You have had the run of the main stand over recent years, at times never mind a seat you can choose a whole row if you like. I don't want those days to come back. Moreover, i don't want to return to the sound of dropping pins.

I was sat there and thought it lent to the atmosphere a bit, they're only kids and i nioticed less swearing than usual. They're the future mate, there was more than could be accomodated in the family stand so main it is. I think if the game was a bit better they might sit still a bit longer. If only 5-10% of the youngsters who came today come even semi regularly over the years it's worthwhile.

I think the decision to let kids in for nowt the latter end of the 90-91 season, altho i thought it strange at the time, has to be one of the best decisons ever made by any football club. I genuinely feel that has kept this club afloat through the years.





Can't they be accommodated in the Family Stand in future?   

[SW]

Younger kids are not usually able to concentrate on a game for the full 90 mins. My son is 10 now and he's fine, but when he was 7 or 8 it seemed like it would be better if the game lasted for half an hour! They have bags of energy and they don't tend to understand the subleties of the game, they just want goals and action. Also when there is a crowd of kids they will tend to mess about as they pick up things off one another.

We need to get them young though, leave it too late and its "the Premiersh*te" on Sky that will be their football world. So, if we want new fans, I think we have to accept what comes with it.

[VofD]

When I PAID for my main stand season ticket last summer, I was not informed that there would be occasions when I would be expected to try and watch a match surrounded by screeching 7/8 year old kids ( the majority of whom were girls).Right from kick off these kids were not the least bit interested and therefore decided to make the main stand some kind of playpen by constantly running up and down the stairs, much to my AND OTHER PEOPLE's annoyance.The adults, accompanying these kids, just sat there as if they couldn't care less what their charges were up to.
At half-time I spoke to Chief Steward Darren Gregory who said he had received a lot of complaints from fans about the kids' behaviour, and that he and his stewards were fed up with it as well.
Whilst I accept that the club has to try and attract young fans, I don't think inviting 7/8 year old girls is the answer.
NEVER AGAIN PLEASE
And as regards the team : absolutely clueless performance. 

[Jez]

When i first started attending at tender age 5, I used to spend 90 minutes kicking one of them vimto cups with the blue flags on around the grass banks no doubt annoying the hell out of the serious speccies...I then matured to standing on the Chequers End nicking Brian's flat cap being egged on by Big Bill.

I guess I was a real nuisance and should have been barred.

How old were you cult when you were initiated at Moss lane?

Incidentally my nephews the notorious Damian & darryl now sit quietly in their seats good as gold and watch enthralled for 90 minutes so there is hope for all unruly kids running amok amongst the terraces.

Today's annoying little gits will be paying our pensions in 20 years time.

[SW]

I imagine if you looked beyond the kids running up and down you might've seen maybe 4 or 5 actually taking a genuine interest and watching. Perhaps they'll come back next time and then again.....with a mum or dad too. If so it'll have been worthwhile.

Kids in the UK are often seen by adults as nuisances unlike abroad where they tend to be included in adult society.

[Bob]

As much as a nuisance those kids can be (and having them run around the main stand is a valid point) I still think the whole idea was justified.  There were over 1000 in the ground yesterday and that was with a very poor away following.  We would have bitten someone's hand off for that over many recent seasons.

Yes, maybe the kids need to be supervised better, but better that than more empty seats and less people through the gate.  The fact it was a crap match didn't help the atmosphere either.

[Sarf London Alty]

I can see how it would have been very annoying if you were there but even tho I didn't go yesterday, I was pleasantly suprised with the gate, with the likely minimal away turnout I assumed 950 tops. Kids for a quid today, but even if only 1 gets the bug for life then the exercise has been a success. Just a shame re performance and result.

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

Jez,

I was around eight years of age when my father first brought me to Moss Lane.
Unlike the majority of parents there yesterday, he certainly ensured that I didn't run around the Main Stand like a headless chicken (and, no, that is not a reference to Peter Band, before Mrs Band comes on here to reprimand me!!).

Yesterday was an accident waiting to happen in terms of children falling and injuring themselves and must have given the Alty stewards kittens.
No doubt then, the parents would have blamed the club for any incident!

Ballers,

If you seriously think that a gang of screaming young girls creates atmosphere, then I suggest that you spend your money on going to Westlife concerts rather than Moss Lane!

You are deluding yourself if you seriously believe that the seven and eight year old girls who were present yesterday are the future at Moss Lane!
They weren't interested and neither were their parents.

End of rant. 

 

[gazwarrington]

Of course getting an extra 100 people who will have bought drinks, food , maybe programmes or a little momento from the day is of no benefit to the club ?

People complain the club does not promote itself and when they do they get heckled. No one forced the kids and parents to come it was THEIR CHOICE. You also can not vet who you give tickets to. Imagine the uproar if Altrincham FC said "You can have one you look like a nice lad but you can't because your a moaning girl."

I actually say WELL DONE to the club for going into the local community and raising the profile of the club.

I believe that Children are the future ....

[Saughall Robin]

Had to smile a bit though,

It reminded me of the two "Swindells Kids" who used to be careering round the ground occasionally in the late 60's whilst their dad banged the goals in.