Marketing lower league football

[Man of Harveys]

To follow on from some comments on the Old Trafford thread, I think the administrators of the lower leagues aren't that good at marketing what is I think a brilliant product (to use the foul term) compared to the Premiership.

Because, in comparison to the Prem, it's very cheap, it's very far from being as boringly predictable and the standard of play and fitness in Divs 3 and 4 is incomparable to, say, 20-30 years ago - look how noticable that fat git playing for Oldham was, there used to be loads of players like that.

I think that, since attendances were at their lowest in 1984 the Premiership has sold that level of the game very well to people who weren't previously bothered about it (the very posh people I saw at Stamford Bridge this year weren't overly conspicuous when I saw us play there in 1984) but nothing comparable has ever been done for what I think is real football.

So what should the Stockports and Brentfords and, erm, Brightons of this world do? I keep boring people at work about how actually it's not that crap watching Div 3 football every week etc etc because I really don't think that it is.

 

[coventrygull]

I thought the ads for the Blue Square Premiership on Setanta were good.

 

[The Large One]

I rarely talk to people about the quality of the football when it comes to talking about the Albion - especially to 'fans' of Premiershp clubs.

I mainly talk about the community projects, close(ish)-knit atmosphere, the lack of corporate bullshit, the binfests, the (relative) closeness of the clubs to the fans and the occasional victory followed by a gargantuan piss up in the middle of Brighton.

 

[Arthur]

So what should the Stockports and Brentfords and, erm, Brightons of this world do? I keep boring people at work about how actually it's not that crap watching Div 3 football every week etc etc because I really don't think that it is.

That's because you follow Brighton. Try and get someone who watches Premier League football whether that be in the flesh on telly to go and regularly watch lower league football. You'll struggle because the product is simply not comparable.

I went to Col U the other week with a couple of Arsenal season ticket holding colleagues as they live in Colchester. I came away thinking it had been a reasonable game they came away laughing at how poor it was.

 

[Arthur]

I rarely talk to people about the quality of the football when it comes to talking about the Albion - especially to 'fans' of Premiershp clubs.

Yes that's right, you can't possibly be a football fan if you follow a premier league side.

 

[Was not Was]

I guess it's less about marketing lower league football as a whole and more about selling the individual clubs. Even if following the Albion isn't that different an experience to following lots of other clubs, getting people interested in coming along and shelling out at the new stadium will be about it's Brighton-ness and Falmer stadium itself, I think ....

 

[withdeanwombat]

I agree that the lower leagues are poor at marketing/product presentation,and that indeed,many of the games are good quality.Not all of them,mind,but even the Premiership produces stinkers at times,and its final table is fairly predictable,isn't it?

Now the Premiership is thinking of two divisions,games overseas and Scottish teams.Proposed of course by the chairman of a club that could easily find itself outside the Premiership any season soon.

So,yes,let's all go to League Football ,stop paying for Sky Sport and wait for next season's League One South,and the fun and trips that'll come with it.

Oh,and well said that man!

 

[The Large One]

Yes that's right, you can't possibly be a football fan if you follow a premier league side.

For you, thinking is something that only happens to other people, isn't it?

For the sake of clarity - and I really thought it was obvious why I stuck quotes around the word 'fans' (though not to you evidently) - it's that I put them there because some people I know who drift in and out of following football rather than being dyed-in-the-wool fans. And those that do drift in and out tend to do so with Premiership clubs.

So blah, blah, blah out of your own arse.

 

[Arthur]

For you, thinking is something that only happens to other people, isn't it?

For the sake of clarity - and I really thought it was obvious why I stuck quotes around the word 'fans' (though not to you evidently) - it's that I put them there because some people I know who drift in and out of following football rather than being dyed-in-the-wool fans. And those that do drift in and out tend to do so with Premiership clubs.

So blah, blah, blah out of your own arse.

Of course you did.

 

[Mellotron]

I'm guessing no stations would see it as financially viable to buy rights to show fully live Football League One and Two games then? Shame.

I would love more coverage of our league and surrounding ones. The MOTD FL thing is a step towards that, at least.

 

[Bhafcman]

if we were to market the lower leagues world just end up like the premiership? I mean would u really want a bunch of plastics filling falmer and then leaving us when we're losing and not winning personnaly i prefer the lower leagues being unknown outside england as it means the die hard fans are the only ones who got to the games

 

[coventrygull]

I'm guessing no stations would see it as financially viable to buy rights to show fully live Football League One and Two games then? Shame.

I would love more coverage of our league and surrounding ones. The MOTD FL thing is a step towards that, at least.

May be Setanta should try going down that route. Promote themselves as the lower league footie channel. After all they have the BSP. Which is excellent

 

[Easy 10]

The Footbll League has two MAHOOOSIVE advantages over the Prem.

1. At the start of every season, you have NO IDEA who the top 4 will be in each division.
2. The Playoffs. Pure, unadulterated DRAMA as an entire seasons slog boils down to a couple of cup ties.

I'll be glued to the Playoffs in all three leagues. The only thing I would like to see changed is I'd have a relegation playoff involved, with a side finishing, say, 5th playing off against the side that finished 21st in the league above over two legs. That'd be MUCH beter than the current 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th format,

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

The Footbll League has two MAHOOOSIVE advantages over the Prem.

1. At the start of every season, you have NO IDEA who the top 4 will be in each division.
2. The Playoffs. Pure, unadulterated DRAMA as an entire seasons slog boils down to a couple of cup ties.

I'll be glued to the Playoffs in all three leagues. The only thing I would like to see changed is I'd have a relegation playoff involved, with a side finishing, say, 5th playing off against the side that finished 21st in the league above over two legs. That'd be MUCH beter than the current 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th format,

And that's how it started out if I remember correctly. I seem to remember Lennie Lawrence's Charlton escaping relegation once or twice through the play-offs?

 

[Easy 10]

And that's how it started out if I remember correctly. I seem to remember Lennie Lawrence's Charlton escaping relegation once or twice through the play-offs?

The very first year I think it was. But it got knocked on the head after Middlesbrough "relegated" Chelsea, and it all kicked off at the Bridge as a result (surprise surprise). The authorities deemed that the stakes were too high to have one club effectively dragging another down a division and taking their place in the league above.

Bollocks though. I think its a GREAT idea.

 

[Uter]

I think FL clubs should pool resources and co-ordinate their marketing. Clubs often have family days/kids for a quid days and similar events. If there were a couple of weekends a season where every FL game had the same offers then perhaps some sort of national campaign would be to everyone's benefit.

At the monent everyone seems to be left to their own devices.

 

[surrey jim]

I'm guessing no stations would see it as financially viable to buy rights to show fully live Football League One and Two games then? Shame.

I would love more coverage of our league and surrounding ones. The MOTD FL thing is a step towards that, at least.

ITV digital went down that route and then belly up.. Setanta apparantly aren't doing too well at the moment either.