Catchment and support

[Uncle Leo]

Football isn't an entertainment industry.

Well it's not to us, but SUFC are competing with other entertainment/leisure options for people's spend on a Saturday afternoon.

 

[AndyT]

Indeed, but there is no obligation in football to entertain us.

If we are entertained then great, but we are not attending anything pre-billed as entertainment.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Indeed, but there is no obligation in football to entertain us.

If we are entertained then great, but we are not attending anything pre-billed as entertainment.

'Be delighted, be excited, watch Southend United'
That's what they told me when I first started coming to watch Southend in the early 80's. Do you think they lied:smile:

 

[AndyT]

LOL :smile: ..

Absolutely!

Ps, I'd forgotten that slogan!

 

[Shrimperforlife]

Let me guess. After the training sessions you really smelt?

in that cauldron of youth excitement?

 

[Shrimperforlife]

no one wears Southend kits at the ones he goes but him

and you have done your job... I got my son early, and now wears his shirt with pride

 

[Chairman Trigg]

The potential in this area is huge.The gates in the early 70s showed this ,but as a club we never kicked on to higher league status. The population since the 70s must have increased by at least a third.Unfortunately Ron and the Fossetts fiasco (remember it was approved at the same time as Brighton)has let the tax payer funded London stadium and subsidised ticket prices to increase their supporter Base in this area.
We have to face the fact we need the new stadium with large capacity and a successful team asap to provide the opportunity to increase our fanbase,with a lot of the potential coming from disenfranchised London club fans who are local to the town

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

As I have said a few times on here, Basildon is less than 13 miles away as the crow flies, and yet they don't support their local football League club. I understand all about them supporting London teams, but there are many football mad families that are being priced out of the London clubs. That town and surrounding area is very big and is ripe for the picking if ever we get the new stadium. The right campaign in Basildon Town Centre and incentives could easily encourage a few hundred and maybe even over a Thousand to start to follow Southend United.

Not anymore with West Ham playing at the Olympic stadium and Spurs currently at Wembley followed by a larger capacity at White Hart La.
If you're a floating supporter who would you more likely go and see, West Ham v Everton or Southend v Doncaster?
You'd probably pay more at southend by the way.
We need that poxy stadium to get going sharpish.

 

[Jai]

I was dropped off at Chelmsford station after the game on Saturday and the number of west ham fans getting off the train I boarded to Witham was obscene. Plenty still on the train after that too.

However, I am consoled by the fact that by all accounts the vast majority of west ham fans absolutely hate their new home and probably always will.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I was dropped off at Chelmsford station after the game on Saturday and the number of west ham fans getting off the train I boarded to Witham was obscene. Plenty still on the train after that too.

However, I am consoled by the fact that by all accounts the vast majority of west ham fans absolutely hate their new home and probably always will.

Yeah i drove through Shenfield on the way home. Hundreds of the ****ers.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Yeah i drove through Shenfield on the way home. Hundreds of the ****ers.

Did you mount the pavement?

 

[Ricky Otto]

My son's school have plenty of activity in his school in prittlewell less than a mile from the ground. Free tickets, Southend training schooles etc Yet he is the only one who ever wears a Southend shirt and we rarely ever see anyone from his school in the family enclosure. Same was when my daughter was there too. Get a few on the family days when they give tickets away, but they rarely come back.

Due to where we live there are a lot of football parties at Chase High which my lad goes to, again no one wears Southend kits at the ones he goes but him.

If it doesnt make that much of an impact in a school that close then its not going to make much to those further out unfortunately.



.

That's interesting and raises another question, if you were living away from Southend how would you feel if your kid wanted to support the local team? I think a lot of kids aren't really given the option by their parents, luckily my dad wasn't one of these types of parent or I'd be a West Ham fan:stunned:.
I thought about it myself when me and my ex talked about kids and were living in South Norwood, I don't think I'd have had a problem with them deciding they wanted to support Palace, I'd obviously push Southend as much as I could but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I would not be very comfortable with any type of glory supporting though!

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Not anymore with West Ham playing at the Olympic stadium and Spurs currently at Wembley followed by a larger capacity at White Hart La.
If you're a floating supporter who would you more likely go and see, West Ham v Everton or Southend v Doncaster?
You'd probably pay more at southend by the way.
We need that poxy stadium to get going sharpish.

West Ham adult prices are £30--£50 Catt B and £50--£70 Catt A. Under 16s prices are £15 to £25 for Catt B and £50 to £70 Catt A. Catt C is cheaper but I'm told it's high up with the Gods and a terrible view, and still dearer than Southend. Plus a £2 booking fee on home tickets.

At Southend it's 9-16 yrs...£10 and under 8s...£4. So still a lot cheaper and maybe affordable to watch Southend for a family.
You can also buy two family tickets for £22 for one adult and one under 16 for the family block.

 

[WickfordShrimper]

I was dropped off at Chelmsford station after the game on Saturday and the number of west ham fans getting off the train I boarded to Witham was obscene. Plenty still on the train after that too.

However, I am consoled by the fact that by all accounts the vast majority of west ham fans absolutely hate their new home and probably always will.

Yeah most Hamsters really don’t like The London Skip Stadium, even with the cheap tickets on offer

Jai, have to agree South Essex loves west ham

When I travel home from London after work you must see how busy the platforms are with west ham family’s when all kitted out travelling up to London when they play midweek games

We only really get bigger support once we get a new modem ground and stable Championship football , playing the likes of Ipswich/Norwich/Wolves week in week out at the very least,sadly we never see Southend United in the Premier**** cos no middle eastern billionaires have ever heard of us .... boooooooooooooooooo

ONE TEAM IN ESSEX

Southend United FC

 

[Uncle Leo]

That's interesting and raises another question, if you were living away from Southend how would you feel if your kid wanted to support the local team? I think a lot of kids aren't really given the option by their parents, luckily my dad wasn't one of these types of parent or I'd be a West Ham fan:stunned:.
I thought about it myself when me and my ex talked about kids and were living in South Norwood, I don't think I'd have had a problem with them deciding they wanted to support Palace, I'd obviously push Southend as much as I could but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I would not be very comfortable with any type of glory supporting though!

I live in Hertfordshire and while I am doing what I can to get my two in to SUFC (they're seven later this month and have now been to eight SUFC games) I couldn't moan if they started gravitating towards Watford.

A Premier League side pretty much on the doorstep and active within the local community - not much to complain about really, notwithstanding our rivalry with the 'orns back in the late 70s!

The test will come when they are a bit older I suppose. pressure from school mates, etc. But for now, I'm happy to say I live with two little Shrimpers.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Did you mount the pavement?

Fortunately for them I'd just had the car cleaned.

 

[Napster]

I live in Hertfordshire and while I am doing what I can to get my two in to SUFC (they're seven later this month and have now been to eight SUFC games) I couldn't moan if they started gravitating towards Watford.

A Premier League side pretty much on the doorstep and active within the local community - not much to complain about really, notwithstanding our rivalry with the 'orns back in the late 70s!

The test will come when they are a bit older I suppose. pressure from school mates, etc. But for now, I'm happy to say I live with two little Shrimpers.

In deep Kent there's no-one. Most kids gravitate towards the Prem (West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool). Daughter's current beau supports Liverpool (her ex supported AFC Wimbledon). But Heidi's a true Shrimper at 16 so I don't anticipate her changing clubs now.

 

[Jai]

That's interesting and raises another question, if you were living away from Southend how would you feel if your kid wanted to support the local team? I think a lot of kids aren't really given the option by their parents, luckily my dad wasn't one of these types of parent or I'd be a West Ham fan:stunned:.
I thought about it myself when me and my ex talked about kids and were living in South Norwood, I don't think I'd have had a problem with them deciding they wanted to support Palace, I'd obviously push Southend as much as I could but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I would not be very comfortable with any type of glory supporting though!

My son is 9 months and he already has a Southend United beaker, an infant kit and two SUFC vests.

Born in Maldon, raised in Witham, his local club is technically Colchester. No way is he growing up to support them.

 

[Jam_Man]

That's interesting and raises another question, if you were living away from Southend how would you feel if your kid wanted to support the local team? I think a lot of kids aren't really given the option by their parents, luckily my dad wasn't one of these types of parent or I'd be a West Ham fan:stunned:.
I thought about it myself when me and my ex talked about kids and were living in South Norwood, I don't think I'd have had a problem with them deciding they wanted to support Palace, I'd obviously push Southend as much as I could but it wouldn't be the end of the world. I would not be very comfortable with any type of glory supporting though!

Yeah its all dependent on what sort of parent you are and your interest in football. Theres no reason why my son should support Southend for life if we moved now. If I moved and my son then chose to support the local team then I wouldnt have an issue with it, Id probably go myself now and again anyway.

As I said earlier I grew up with Arsenal because my family come from there, but I was born in Benfleet so no actual bind to them so over the years Southend took over completely.

 

[Ricky Otto]

My son is 9 months and he already has a Southend United beaker, an infant kit and two SUFC vests.

Born in Maldon, raised in Witham, his local club is technically Colchester. No way is he growing up to support them.

Well that is a completely different Kettle of fish! If my son grew up supporting Colchester I'd have to disown him and banish him, I mean how the hell would I be able to trust him around his sister!