…as promised here is a summary of Crewe ASi’s meeting with Alex Chairman John Bowler and Business Operations Manager Alison Bowler on Thursday night.
Initiated by the club, the meeting came about as a result of correspondence between chairman and fans following the abject performances which culminated in the 4-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth.
Crewe ASi were represented by Chairman Dave Tomlinson, Vice-Chairman Adrian Dobson, Secretary David Coleman and committee members Matt Owen and Trevor Griffiths.
The unanimous consensus of those that attended was that the meeting was highly beneficial to both parties, and we left assured that following the corporate restructuring of the business, and a change of management roles on the playing side, that the club would continue to evolve, remaining an integral part of the town and community whilst striving for promotion to the Championship.
Although a number of specific concerns and issues were raised, including the quality of beer in the suite, lounge and concourse, the event was not a “fans forum” per-se, but more of “think-tank.” Notwithstanding this, the club intend to invite representatives from Carlsberg-Tetley to attend a match and see the quality (or lack of) their product for themselves. Incidentally, a proper “Fans Forum,” not an adjunct to the AGM, will be held in the New Year. The ASi will host, organise and manage the event, but ideas for improving the format, the subjects to be raised and the questions to be asked need to come from you, the fans.
It was also acknowledged that attendances are down, but this is endemic throughout the game, you can clearly see the empty seats at Premiership grounds on Match of the Day. Why? A good question, which was debated at length! Price, form, alternatives, to much football on TV? All of the above! It has been suggested that the club should write to disaffected fans and former season ticket holders. They will! New ticketing software enables the club to monitor and track trends, write to fans, and encourage them to attend more matches, even suggest how they might save money, such as membership, or part season-tickets. Check your post!
While attendances in the ground are dwindling, the numbers using the Alexandra Suite before the game are also a cause for concern. An early initiative by the ASi was to install the “Big Screen.” Unfortunately, a number of “gremlins” have detracted from the experience but the club are working hard to ensure a good picture, and will investigate additional speakers for better sound.
An altogether different audio experience is being investigated. Alex FM! Not a traditional radio station, but a matchday service which will provide similar levels of commentary & information as if you were watching the game on television. The radio will be a lightweight earpiece radio that sits over just one ear, enabling you to remain part of the match atmosphere, whilst listening to a studio analyst explaining why Nicky was obviously offside when every one else in the ground saw a perfectly good goal! Pre tuned to single frequency the radios will be exclusive to Alex FM, branded in the club colours and logo and available from the club shop.
An oft stated reason for a number of fans not renewing their season tickets is that despite “claims” that prices had been held over from last season, the lack of an early bird discount meant prices had indeed “gone up!” Unfortunately, discounts have to be accounted for, and if the club had offered a discount, the lost revenue would of have to have been accounted for and the retail price would have gone up.
Fans have high expectations of club officials, what do those officials expect of us? Simply put; “Keep the faith!” Success in football is cyclic, and whilst we endured a disappointing season last year with everyone expecting an early return to The Championship, the Alex are held in high regard throughout football. If you were to declare your allegiance to Crewe Alexandra to another football fan anywhere between Lands End and John O’Groats, odds are, you’ll get a favourable and enthusiastic response. They’ll know all about Dario, Dean Ashton, Luke Varney and the next starlet to emerge from the Academy. It’s what we do. Enjoy it!
At the recent Supporters Direct national conference, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport James Purnell, called on every professional football club in England and Wales to appoint a supporters’ representative at boardroom level.Whilst the Chairman is keen that Alex supporters have a vehicle of influence at boardroom level, he’s not convinced that Mr Purnell’s approach is the right one. Whether the ASi could become that vehicle, is also open to debate. We’ve already investigated options for becoming a Supporters Trust, and continue to look at how we really can best serve you, the fans.
However, the meeting served to reinforce what is a fairly unique relationship in football, and in the absence of a formal presence on the board, it is worth remembering that Crewe Alex fans in general, and Crewe ASi in particular have direct and unfettered access to the Chairman.
The ASi would like to thank Mr Bowler for his time, candour and honesty in the discussions which took place last night. We look forward to hosting the Fans Forum, and in the meantime wish the club every success on and off the field.
