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Post by misdemeanor on Aug 19, 2015 10:30:59 GMT 1
Sorry on a few accounts
Sorry for the genuine Livy fans who turn up week after week, but alas there are others who have finally lost patience with this wonderful football club, the people of West Lothian and I am afraid to say have voted with their feet & unfortunately there will be bigots amongst them, who do no want a football club in West Lothian. That is clear with the the poor home support on Saturday 15/08/2015, and last night where we are defending a trophy, and 52 fans turned up at last nights game against QOS, GET REAL, its only die hards left. The "bigots" comment relates to the Fathers / Mothers / Grandfathers parents of the key element of the support in West Lothian who support either the "big 2 " in Glasgow or the slightly lesser "big 2" in Edinburgh and will not let their kids have freedom of choice to allow them to support their local team, in my opinion.
Sorry for the new board of directors coming into a club that has tremendous potential but just not appreciated by others in West Lothian
Sorry for the players some who are loyal to MAKING A SUCCESS of Livingston Football Club
Sorry how I seem to be watching a club die right in front of me
Sorry for not knowing the answers to reasons why we do not have a BETTER supported club
Sorry for nobody wanting to step up and take control and drive this forward and secure our future
Sorry for writing this on by far the best performance of the season lasts nights win against QOS, but unless we have radical change from within, that us the supporters, then its clear, just end the agony, turn out the light, close the door, were not wanted anymore.
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Post by jonsnow on Aug 19, 2015 12:59:47 GMT 1
These double headers are brilliant for attracting fans, can't wait for the St Mirren ones now.
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Post by orco on Aug 19, 2015 15:56:10 GMT 1
I was there last night. Expected nothing and got a well deserved win. Fitba is like that. Great!
We suffer from being a young club without the generational attachment of the established clubs. I don't blame supporters of other clubs for taking their kids to the clubs their families have always supported. It would be hard not to. Getting a winning team on the park again and staying away from bad publicity for a while would help a lot. In the meantime the diehards will just have to try to keep things ticking over.
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Post by monkeysocks on Aug 19, 2015 18:38:21 GMT 1
Spot on Orco.the more successful the team, the more fans will come along to see what it is all about. There are many ex old firm and Edinburgh duo fans who have decided to support their local team because of cost, bigotry , convenience or whatever. The only way to keep them and attract others is to produce a worthwhile product on the park.that said, we don't do enough to sell the club to the public. Two administrations and boardroom wrangles do nothing to promote the impression of any semblance of stability. Been a season ticket holder for 16 years bar one when that Italian dick was in charge and brought us to our knees. Will continue to be there through thick and thin, just wish that there were 2500 like minded souls which would keep the wolf from the door.
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Post by Auldnick on Aug 19, 2015 23:09:05 GMT 1
So its all Misdemeanor's fault! (must be with all those apologies in there!)
While I must admit to thinking much the same thing after the game on Saturday, I got over it quickly & in my more upbeat moments I'm with Orco. Reading what Monkeysocks had to say made me realise that I too have been a ST holder since 2000; that season there was a group of 8 of us which increased to 9 the following year as my youngest started going too. Over the years that 9 has dropped to (I had thought) just my youngest & I (my oldest only stopped coming as he moved away to Uni & had a Saturday job, he's planning on getting in a few games this season & was with us last Saturday) but after the game I saw one of the original 8 is still going albeit to a different section now. I still see a number of faces that have been around for just as long & possibly longer & don't forget that our earlier incarnation as MTFC only had crowds of 250-350 most weeks; so we are still pulling in more than that era.
Maybe we need to rethink the ground issue, maybe we need to negotiate with the council for a smaller stadium in a more easily accessed area of town. However, the crowd growth of the successful years shows that it can be done with the right marketing & the right product on the field. For a town our size to take 10000 to Hampden for the 2004 League Cup success was very impressive, regardless of what fans of other clubs think. As Orco says, if we could just get away from the off field farces & build a decent side that wins more often than it loses & which is marketed to the local communities properly, then we might just see a successful side with a sustainable support.
So, no, don't switch the lights off yet, keep the fire burning, keep the faith & don't stop believing.
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Post by jonsnow on Aug 20, 2015 1:48:51 GMT 1
Only have to go back to our game against QoS to stay up last season to see the interest is still there; 2,475.
As has been said, just need to get some decent marketing and all the off field strife sorted out and I'm sure some stability will bring higher crowds to the games.
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Post by livifcjoe on Aug 20, 2015 11:38:53 GMT 1
Totally agree with orco here.
Being at my first away game on Tuesday and seeing the difference in attendance between QoS and ourselves was disappointing.
I hope the crowds begin to pick up again!
Am I not right in believing the the club used to hand tickets to school pupils and local clubs to encourage families to come and watch Livingston. Would bringing this back help the club or is this just another uneeded waste of money for the club?
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Post by monkeysocks on Aug 20, 2015 12:57:15 GMT 1
Giving tickets away to schools is minimal cost. I always thought that the twist to get the kids along is to charge them nominal fee , say a pound, and use the marketing approach to get an adult along for free at specific games . use them at matches where we would not expect a big crowd. The revenue benefits , short term, is in the catering now that the club controls the serveries.
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Post by Auldnick on Aug 20, 2015 22:38:24 GMT 1
Free school tickets got us coming originally. A fair few others as well I suspect.
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Post by colcal on Aug 21, 2015 7:00:19 GMT 1
Sorry on a few accounts Sorry for the genuine Livy fans who turn up week after week, but alas there are others who have finally lost patience with this wonderful football club, the people of West Lothian and I am afraid to say have voted with their feet & unfortunately there will be bigots amongst them, who do no want a football club in West Lothian. That is clear with the the poor home support on Saturday 15/08/2015, and last night where we are defending a trophy, and 52 fans turned up at last nights game against QOS, GET REAL, its only die hards left. The "bigots" comment relates to the Fathers / Mothers / Grandfathers parents of the key element of the support in West Lothian who support either the "big 2 " in Glasgow or the slightly lesser "big 2" in Edinburgh and will not let their kids have freedom of choice to allow them to support their local team, in my opinion. Sorry for the new board of directors coming into a club that has tremendous potential but just not appreciated by others in West Lothian Sorry for the players some who are loyal to MAKING A SUCCESS of Livingston Football Club Sorry how I seem to be watching a club die right in front of me Sorry for not knowing the answers to reasons why we do not have a BETTER supported club Sorry for nobody wanting to step up and take control and drive this forward and secure our future Sorry for writing this on by far the best performance of the season lasts nights win against QOS, but unless we have radical change from within, that us the supporters, then its clear, just end the agony, turn out the light, close the door, were not wanted anymore. Perhaps you could also apologise as follows; Sorry that I didn't proof-read my rant before posting it. Sorry that I didn't use punctuation. Sorry that I missed out, in particular, so many apostrophes. Sorry for trying to suck out the enthusiasm from my fellow fans immediately after the team won a tough cup fixture in Dumfries. Sorry for being generally pessimistic about everything to do with the team that I claim to love and support. Sorry that I can't come to terms with having to accept that Livi will always be poorly supported because of the competition it faces, uniquely, from 4 of Scotland's best supported teams. Many other clubs suffer from the hoards of local people going to watch the OF but we also have Hibs and Hearts to contend with. Sorry that I can't be upbeat or positive when that's exactly what the team needs me to be. |
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Post by larrythelion on Aug 21, 2015 8:32:49 GMT 1
Hahaha!
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Post by fandango on Aug 21, 2015 12:34:25 GMT 1
Unfortunately West Lothian and in particular Livingston is an area beset by apathy.
Think back a good few years,for those of us old enough,to the Forum and the very first cinema. Both closed due to lack of interest from the local community.
When I stayed in Dedridge in the late 70's we campaigned for a social club, got it, then hey presto good old apathy set in and it closed within a couple of years.
These are just a few examples of the top of my head but it illustrates the problem Livi are up against even if we had a sucessful team on the park.
However we have survived this far and I'm certain that we shall continue to do so although fighting fires along the way will no doubt arise.
As to the game last week, it could have been a consequence of the last weekend before the schools returned and people finishing off their holidays, who knows, this Saturday against our more local rivals will be a better measure.
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Post by livilioness on Aug 21, 2015 14:15:47 GMT 1
If we could get success on the park and a few seasons with no bad press. Then the potential to increase our fan base is there. I remember being on a waiting list to get a season ticket for the west stand. So it is not all about the area
and the Edinburgh, Glasgow teams but about managing our own affairs
Both on and off the pitch. On the plus side my grandson who is now 4 is Livi daft. Our future will be for the youngsters growing up.
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Post by ross83 on Aug 21, 2015 18:42:04 GMT 1
Sorry on a few accounts Sorry for the genuine Livy fans who turn up week after week, but alas there are others who have finally lost patience with this wonderful football club, the people of West Lothian and I am afraid to say have voted with their feet & unfortunately there will be bigots amongst them, who do no want a football club in West Lothian. That is clear with the the poor home support on Saturday 15/08/2015, and last night where we are defending a trophy, and 52 fans turned up at last nights game against QOS, GET REAL, its only die hards left. The "bigots" comment relates to the Fathers / Mothers / Grandfathers parents of the key element of the support in West Lothian who support either the "big 2 " in Glasgow or the slightly lesser "big 2" in Edinburgh and will not let their kids have freedom of choice to allow them to support their local team, in my opinion.
Sorry for the new board of directors coming into a club that has tremendous potential but just not appreciated by others in West Lothian Sorry for the players some who are loyal to MAKING A SUCCESS of Livingston Football Club Sorry how I seem to be watching a club die right in front of me Sorry for not knowing the answers to reasons why we do not have a BETTER supported club Sorry for nobody wanting to step up and take control and drive this forward and secure our future Sorry for writing this on by far the best performance of the season lasts nights win against QOS, but unless we have radical change from within, that us the supporters, then its clear, just end the agony, turn out the light, close the door, were not wanted anymore. The game on Tuesday was away, at a ground which is further south than several English towns, and took place on a day when people had work/school that day and the next day. Can you really blame fans for not going? What sort of age do you imagine the "kids" to be? If people are of an age to be attending football by themselves then no-one can stop them from attending whatever club they want to. I was brought up by my Hearts-supporting dad to be a Jambo, but eventually accompanied a Hibs-supporting mate to a Dundee Utd v Hibs game in 2000 (I was 17). I started attending Livi in 2006 and have been attending regularly since 2008. My dad has accepted that I am a Livi fan and even came to a game in 2012 when I won a pair of tickets in a competition, and offered him the spare ticket. |
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Post by livibee on Aug 22, 2015 17:35:58 GMT 1
Personally, I began to lose interest a couple of seasons back as the performances were poor, players appeared to have very limited ability and because I felt that I wasn't getting good value. Also, to add to the woes, the off field activities hasn't helped - both managers being sacked and the ongoing saga with the Club officials. Sadly I'm no longer a season ticket holder but go along to a couple of games each season so now support the club from the comfort of my living room. What would make me change: cheaper ticket prices, better football on the park and a more competitive league.
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Post by livimoaner on Aug 24, 2015 12:55:44 GMT 1
Modern people expect instant.
They do not do long term or hard graft.
For F sake people now buy pre made mash potatoes.....
So the team they support has to provide instant results.
The issue is is that the league is not structured to do so, in fact it is structured to restrict success to a limited number of teams. There is more chance of failure than success.
I suggest this is not just our issue, a lot of teams see highly transient spectators numbers, with the chance of success thay will fill their end of Hampden, without it 70 do an away Tuesday night in mid winter. And worse if you have no hope and playing other team of the same like 4 or 5 or 6 times a season, we add boredom to lack of hope.
What football in Scotland needs to do is find a way where success can be wider shared.
Consider our league, we will lucky to get wins against three or four teams this year, so why waste money on games we have no hope of winning in the worst of weather in the dark of winter? You cannot blame people when money is short electing not to waste their money.
So I say to our new owners: we need change in Scottish football for there are too many teams in the same situation as us and the game cannot survive with just three teams being viable.
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Post by Auldnick on Aug 24, 2015 18:23:26 GMT 1
you are right Moaner, we need wholesale changes throughout Scottish football....but when the time for such change comes everyone talks a good game & makes positive suggestions & then simply rebrands the whole kit & caboodle with everything the same except the name & try to fool everyone into thinking they have effected change. More fool the rest of us for continuing to attend; the problem with not attending is that it will probably destroy the game completely.
It needs someone with big enough cahoonies to actually grab the game by the scruff of the neck; chop out the dead wood & then try to make a silk purse from the sow's ear that is Scottish football.
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Post by livimoaner on Aug 25, 2015 12:18:10 GMT 1
I would love to be given the game and a blank canvass.
I think I could do it with little money least ways not the 560 million MaConnell talked about and the changes would make the game more interesting to both fans and investors.
I can see little hope in the running it the same way.
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Post by stewie1 on Aug 26, 2015 22:04:12 GMT 1
Football is becoming to expensive now, traveling to away games every two or something weeks is not always a possibility. Season tickets used to get you into friendly games as well as home cup ties, even a free pie and drink. With the team struggling in league, people would rather stay at home. It's a shame attendance is poor, team needs all support they can get. I'd like to see school tickets handed out again, reducing snack prices is a good start.
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hack
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Post by hack on Aug 27, 2015 19:36:16 GMT 1
I can see ex NHL players every week at Braehead or Edinburgh for £15 which is cheaper than second rate championship games.
I can see fast paced, goals action and fights in 3 hours.
Why would you pay £17-£23 to watch a poor championship game?
Braehead have champions league hockey for £19 and sell out every week.
That's why I don't attend many livi games.
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hack
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Post by hack on Aug 27, 2015 19:45:02 GMT 1
Saying that, as much as I enjoyed the saints game, the referee was disgusting. Nearly ruined the game.
Junior football at £5 which is mostly pretty entertaining most weeks, with plenty action & goals compared to most SFL games.
The price for football for what you get at Livingston is terrible.
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Post by Auldnick on Aug 27, 2015 23:08:32 GMT 1
Not just at Livingston...throughout Scotland
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hack
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Post by hack on Aug 28, 2015 12:06:06 GMT 1
Absolutely.
The game on Tuesday was one that will make me go back again, but just not on Saturday!
The scary thing is it won't change.
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Post by livimoaner on Aug 31, 2015 12:55:54 GMT 1
Football is becoming to expensive now, traveling to away games every two or something weeks is not always a possibility. Season tickets used to get you into friendly games as well as home cup ties, even a free pie and drink. With the team struggling in league, people would rather stay at home. It's a shame attendance is poor, team needs all support they can get. I'd like to see school tickets handed out again, reducing snack prices is a good start. Our game does not have to be like that. It is possible to organise leagues so that the teams in areas play each other and it is rare that they do the big distances outside of that. We are stuck thinking that the only way of doing is the way we are doing it. We will continue no matter what harm it does the game or the teams of spectators. |
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Pedro
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Post by Pedro on Aug 31, 2015 19:54:51 GMT 1
Taking a step back from the eternal reasons/excuses Livi fans have found over the years not to attend games what would we say are the more specific issues, at this time, that sees the Livi support shrinking away, both at Almondvale and away from home, before our very eyes?
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