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GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 11:44 AM
Following on from the dot count thread and numerous other threads - felt it was appropriate to create a separate discussion.

What should Hibs be doing to fill the Famous Five Lower ?

Behind the goals should be filled every week including cup games encouraging the team to score but instead we have a load of green seats which obviously don’t generate any atmosphere themselves plus looks poor on TV.

I’ve suggested previously the singing section should be in some of the lower tier sections. The family section is growing and does the FF lower have enough room ? Maybe move it to West Lower ?

Maybe Hibs sell lower tier seats first before opening Upper tier for cup games ?

It’s been an issue which has been going on a while and that includes other league sold out games when seats have been left empty - like derby games etc.

Has the club contemplated safe standing in this section?

BegbieHSC
03-03-2019, 11:55 AM
Dedicate elsewhere as a family section (FF Upper?) and move Since 1875 down. Might be able to attract some of the East bams too, and get an atmosphere going, with less noticeable empty seats.

It’s probably not appropriate for us, but Bayern don’t allow ST holders to renew if they miss more than 8 home games. Their issue however is different - ticket touts, as opposed to people buying cheap season tickets to guarantee a home derby ticket, and get a chance of an away derby/Sevco ticket.
They also have a ST waiting list of over 100k, so you can see why.

We do need to something though.

theonlywayisup
03-03-2019, 12:02 PM
Following on from the dot count thread and numerous other threads - felt it was appropriate to create a separate discussion.

What should Hibs be doing to fill the Famous Five Lower ?

Behind the goals should be filled every week including cup games encouraging the team to score but instead we have a load of green seats which obviously don’t generate any atmosphere themselves plus looks poor on TV.

I’ve suggested previously the singing section should be in some of the lower tier sections. The family section is growing and does the FF lower have enough room ? Maybe move it to West Lower ?

Maybe Hibs sell lower tier seats first before opening Upper tier for cup games ?

It’s been an issue which has been going on a while and that includes other league sold out games when seats have been left empty - like derby games etc.

Has the club contemplated safe standing in this section?

Why piss off/alienate a group of fans just to get a better atmosphere?

BoomtownHibees
03-03-2019, 12:06 PM
Why piss off/alienate a group of fans just to get a better atmosphere?

Because sometimes things need to be done for the greater good.

Surely everyone wants a better atmosphere at games no?

Real Emerald
03-03-2019, 12:07 PM
Why piss off/alienate a group of fans just to get a better atmosphere?

They must already be pissed off because they never turn up :greengrin

theonlywayisup
03-03-2019, 12:12 PM
Because sometimes things need to be done for the greater good.

Surely everyone wants a better atmosphere at games no?

I want to see a winning Hibs team, with as many people in the ground to watch it. Atmosphere comes after that.

All three are linked, but crap team = crap atmosphere and small crowd = crap atmosphere.

The way things are going, we could be heading back to the days of 10,000 fans of less. Why would any business alienate customers just to improve atmosphere.

theonlywayisup
03-03-2019, 12:13 PM
They must already be pissed off because they never turn up :greengrin

They must sort out the cheap seats issue, granted. After that the FFL will be full.

BoomtownHibees
03-03-2019, 12:17 PM
I want to see a winning Hibs team, with as many people in the ground to watch it. Atmosphere comes after that.

All three are linked, but crap team = crap atmosphere and small crowd = crap atmosphere.

The way things are going, we could be heading back to the days of 10,000 fans of less. Why would any business alienate customers just to improve atmosphere.

The crowd last night was almost 16,000 but the atmosphere was crap. We need to be looking at ways of improving that. A better performance on the park would certainly have helped however the players may well have been inspired by a better atmosphere to pull them through the latter part of the game. The singing section being in the FFL for example would have helped that

K.Marx
03-03-2019, 12:18 PM
Why piss off/alienate a group of fans just to get a better atmosphere?

Ask heckingbottom and all the players what kind of crowd they want to play in front of? Atmosphere is hugely important and shouldn’t really be an afterthought.

theonlywayisup
03-03-2019, 12:19 PM
Taken from another thread, but has anyone thought that many who would normally sit in the FFL may have moved elsewhere.


Yip, 8 of us who normally sit in FF lower were in the West and East.

After all, the price of the tickets were the same in all three home stands.

hibee
03-03-2019, 12:22 PM
Kids tickets should be the same price anywhere in the stadium, it’s crazy having one section with prices so cheap that people don’t care if they use them or not.

I’ve sat in the FF upper for many years so when my kids came along that’s where I got their season tickets and they are still there now.

I didn’t want to move to the lower for various reasons but the main one was I’d potentially lose my seat with my mates once the kids either give up going or start going with their own mates.

theonlywayisup
03-03-2019, 12:23 PM
The crowd last night was almost 16,000 but the atmosphere was crap. We need to be looking at ways of improving that. A better performance on the park would certainly have helped however the players may well have been inspired by a better atmosphere to pull them through the latter part of the game. The singing section being in the FFL for example would have helped that

Highly unlikely, but you believe it if you wish.

We had 20,000 Hibees in a relegation decider against Hamilton and that worked out well.

Equally, I've seen Hibs turn around two goal deficits in a sparsely filled stadium that was rocking by the end.

PatHead
03-03-2019, 12:30 PM
The club are moving fans who do not have children out of the famous 5 lower. It is planned to make it more family friendly to make it more of an event for children. They are the future and we have to attract the next generation.

There is no chance the singing section will move there.

Bobo
03-03-2019, 12:32 PM
The family section is growing and does the FF lower have enough room ? Maybe move it to West Lower?

So what do you anticipate happens to existing season ticket holders who already sit in the West Lower? I, along with many others who sit there, have no desire to move seat from the West or to be surround by kids.

Fuzzywuzzy
03-03-2019, 12:36 PM
The club are moving fans who do not have children out of the famous 5 lower. It is planned to make it more family friendly to make it more of an event for children. They are the future and we have to attract the next generation.

There is no chance the singing section will move there.


Boy that sits near me in FFL spends the entire game either shouting '****ing rubbish' or '****ing terrible'. This is mainly for the 90 mins. Hope to **** he's one of the ones they move for the sanity of all those around him

Brooster
03-03-2019, 12:45 PM
The solution is simple....put the prices up. That will stop so many folk taking advantage.

wookie70
03-03-2019, 12:50 PM
Why will having the very small singing section lower down make a difference to atmosphere. I'm at the game I don't care what it looks like on TV There are more families in the FFL than there is in the singing section so why move them. The SS wanted a move and got it.

Swedish hibee
03-03-2019, 01:08 PM
Why piss off/alienate a group of fans just to get a better atmosphere?

Why piss off/alienate a group of fans who turn up to every home game & try create a better atmosphere to please folk who don't do this?

derekduval
03-03-2019, 01:09 PM
I would make the really cheap kids season ticket cat b games only and in the south stand. That way people might be more inclined to use their seat in the famous five lower and would encourage a few who buy it and use it twice a season to decide wether it’s worth the higher kids price. Might also encourage a few to move to the east or west as well if it’s the same price. The only down side is people who can’t afford the higher price missing the cat a games but to be fair it’s ridiculously cheap

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 01:12 PM
They must already be pissed off because they never turn up :greengrin

Very good :)

Hermit Crab
03-03-2019, 01:14 PM
Convert it to safe standing and move the family section to the wing of the East stand North end.

Mikey
03-03-2019, 01:21 PM
The club are moving fans who do not have children out of the famous 5 lower. It is planned to make it more family friendly to make it more of an event for children. They are the future and we have to attract the next generation.

There is no chance the singing section will move there.

Will that take effect from next season?

Carheenlea
03-03-2019, 01:26 PM
What happens if the singing section wasn’t to work in there either? Can’t keep moving them about and inconveniencing fans who have chosen to sit with family and friends for years in certain areas of the ground. The natural home for the singing section is the East IMO.

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 01:32 PM
I would make the really cheap kids season ticket cat b games only and in the south stand. That way people might be more inclined to use their seat in the famous five lower and would encourage a few who buy it and use it twice a season to decide wether it’s worth the higher kids price. Might also encourage a few to move to the east or west as well if it’s the same price. The only down side is people who can’t afford the higher price missing the cat a games but to be fair it’s ridiculously cheap

Making the South Stand Lower the family stand isn’t worst idea though it would mean sitting next to Away fans and then issue of Cat A - would they get priority for other parts of stadium ?

I’m not looking at ways of annoying fans in ff lower or / west but trying to find a solution that helps the team and improve atmosphere at stadium - while also getting away from the numerous empty seats which are bought and aren’t always sat in.

NAE NOOKIE
03-03-2019, 01:37 PM
Highly unlikely, but you believe it if you wish.

We had 20,000 Hibees in a relegation decider against Hamilton and that worked out well.

Equally, I've seen Hibs turn around two goal deficits in a sparsely filled stadium that was rocking by the end.

This is absolutely true … I've been at a few games at ER where the crowd was around 8,000 but events on the park as you say had the place rocking.

But games like that are so few and far between they happen once or twice every few seasons. What we are talking about is the empty seats in the FF lower which are there on a regular basis and inevitably their affect on the stadiums atmosphere, not to mention the club's image on TV.

Atmosphere not only encourages the team it also makes the game in general more entertaining for the crowd. If you watch games from the likes of Germany their 'ultras' keep the singing and noise going even when their team is getting beat, this is what we should be aiming for, not a few chants of 'green & white army' or 'Hibees' 'Hibees' when the team goes a goal up.

The club need to get a grip on this. There is nothing wrong with moving the family section ( if they absolutely have to have a dedicated area for it ) to the north end of the east … the view from anywhere in the east is very good and they could facilitate the transition by giving anybody currently in receipt of a family season ticket package their kids tickets for free next season as compensation …. how many kids at £25 a pop sit in the FF lower anyway? about 1000, that comes in at a cost of £25,000 … which is less than we pay to rent the ticket office and less than a weeks wages for the first team matchday squad.

If we could attract even 1,500 singers to the FF lower it would solve the image problem at a stroke because they would all be standing and probably ignore the first few rows of seats at the front, making the stand look practically full. They would also have carte blanche to do what they wanted, within reason, in a section where they are not affecting any other fans. That to my mind along with the far more prominent location, better than both the FF upper or back of the east, would eventually see that section full to capacity for most games and make the stadium's atmosphere far far better.

That's one of the problems with this club … too many folk are more concerned with jealously preserving 'their seat' than thinking about making a small sacrifice which just might improve the club's chances on the park and certainly its image off it. I by the way would be one of the folk moving to make way for an FF lower singing section.

The fact that the club continues to pig headedly ignore this issue which may well in the long run be of benefit to it for me flies directly in the face of the mantra espoused by Leeann Dempster and George Craig et al from the very beginning, that even small and seemingly insignificant changes which may be of benefit will not be ignored because their cumulative affect will lead to big benefits … so much for that.

Brightside
03-03-2019, 01:38 PM
So what do you anticipate happens to existing season ticket holders who already sit in the West Lower? I, along with many others who sit there, have no desire to move seat from the West or to be surround by kids.

Yep. No idea why people keep suggesting the West. The family tickets will always be sold in the cheapest area of the stadium and that will always be behind the goals. West are the best seats so will always be more expensive.

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 01:46 PM
Yep. No idea why people keep suggesting the West. The family tickets will always be sold in the cheapest area of the stadium and that will always be behind the goals. West are the best seats so will always be more expensive.

I said last week - the East Stand Seats provide just as good a view and better leg room then West Stand Lower.

They should look at doing kids / family deals around the the full stadium.

Surely parents have to move seats when their kids grow too old for Famous Five Lower ?

I agree about kids being future and I think having FF lower near club shop also helps improve sales in shop.

The FF lower looked awful on TV when away end is full at other end and our home end looks like no one wants to attend.

G B Young
03-03-2019, 01:57 PM
This gripe that that it 'looks bad' when there are lot of empty seats in the FF is something that applies to all clubs outwith the OF. Pittodrie usually has swathes of red seats on show at the Merkland Road end, Rugby Park always looks empty, Tynecastle is always way less populated than the attendance states (it's only the murky maroon seat blending into the background that makes it look fuller)...and so on at Livi, St Mirren, Dens Park etc. Prior to all seated stadia when the TV cameras at ER were on the East Terrace, the away end was regularly populated by a mere handful of fans, while the Cowshed at the other end was a crap place to sit and looked way worse than the FF does today. Bottom line, folk these days seem far more obsessed with how full a stadium looks.

However, if it really is so important to fill that particular section of the ground for the sake of the cameras then I guess moving the singing section in there and possibly introducing a safe standing section would entice more folk to go there.

Overall, though, the only way for Hibs to ensure bigger crowds is to put a successful team on the park.

Moulin Yarns
03-03-2019, 02:00 PM
I would make the really cheap kids season ticket cat b games only and in the south stand. That way people might be more inclined to use their seat in the famous five lower and would encourage a few who buy it and use it twice a season to decide wether it’s worth the higher kids price. Might also encourage a few to move to the east or west as well if it’s the same price. The only down side is people who can’t afford the higher price missing the cat a games but to be fair it’s ridiculously cheap

That is one of the most sensible ideas I've seen to solve the FFL problem, are you standing for Fans Rep? :wink:

Keith_M
03-03-2019, 02:02 PM
If empty seats are the problem, then take a few hundred of them out.

If they're not there, they can't be empty, ergo no more problem.

Simple.

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 02:03 PM
This gripe that that it 'looks bad' when there are lot of empty seats in the FF is something that applies to all clubs outwith the OF. Pittodrie usually has swathes of red seats on show at the Merkland Road end, Rugby Park always looks empty, Tynecastle is always way less populated than the attendance states (it's only the murky maroon seat blending into the background that makes it look fuller)...and so on at Livi, St Mirren, Dens Park etc. Prior to all seated stadia when the TV cameras at ER were on the East Terrace, the away end was regularly populated by a mere handful of fans, while the Cowshed at the other end was a crap place to sit and looked way worse than the FF does today. Bottom line, folk these days seem far more obsessed with how full a stadium looks.

However, if it really is so important to fill that particular section of the ground for the sake of the cameras then I guess moving the singing section in there and possibly introducing a safe standing section would entice more folk to go there.

Overall, though, the only way for Hibs to ensure bigger crowds is to put a successful team on the park.

It’s easy to compare to other teams but that doesn’t mean it’s the way forward or going to help our situation.

The bigger picture for Scottish football selling itself (tv / sponsors etc) is that it doesn’t look great with empty seats - compare to the EPL.

Celtic
Hearts
Aberdeen - new stadium - current stand with pillars is a shambles.
Rangers

These teams who are our competitors mostly have full ends behind goals.

Just think Hibs fans on tv like the Roseburn on Tynie - would make a massive difference towards atmosphere and helping the team / putting opposition off.

NAE NOOKIE
03-03-2019, 02:19 PM
It’s easy to compare to other teams but that doesn’t mean it’s the way forward or going to help our situation.

The bigger picture for Scottish football selling itself (tv / sponsors etc) is that it doesn’t look great with empty seats - compare to the EPL.

Celtic
Hearts
Aberdeen - new stadium - current stand with pillars is a shambles.
Rangers

These teams who are our competitors mostly have full ends behind goals.

Just think Hibs fans on tv like the Roseburn on Tynie - would make a massive difference towards atmosphere and helping the team / putting opposition off.

I totally agree mate.

Moulin Yarns
03-03-2019, 02:20 PM
It’s easy to compare to other teams but that doesn’t mean it’s the way forward or going to help our situation.

The bigger picture for Scottish football selling itself (tv / sponsors etc) is that it doesn’t look great with empty seats - compare to the EPL.

Celtic
Hearts
Aberdeen - new stadium - current stand with pillars is a shambles.
Rangers

These teams who are our competitors mostly have full ends behind goals.

Just think Hibs fans on tv like the Roseburn on Tynie - would make a massive difference towards atmosphere and helping the team / putting opposition off.

I passed the site of the new Aberdeen stadium last week, very easy to get to from the new Aberdeen bypass.

JXM73
03-03-2019, 02:22 PM
Safe standing, move singing section and sell all tickets for ff lower at reduced price...move fam section to first section in east or west

HibbyAndy
03-03-2019, 02:26 PM
Have you seen the empty seats in every stand in the aberdeen game ? Kinda puts it into perspective !

derekduval
03-03-2019, 02:27 PM
That is one of the most sensible ideas I've seen to solve the FFL problem, are you standing for Fans Rep? :wink:

I’m not that daft although you might think I am after my next suggestion. I would make the east no fixed seating and be on a first come first served basis. The biggest issue for me is now going with mates you don’t always go with and being sat all over the place or if your taking other kids etc. I know people buy there season ticket and like ‘their’ seat or have a prime seat they’ve had for years but I think it would improve atmosphere like when people used to squeeze in like the terracing day. Also police and club like to know who is sitting where for obvious reasons so for that reason it’s probably a non starter. Only rule no saving seats with jackets etc. Anyways just a suggestion also would get folk in early

Billy Whizz
03-03-2019, 02:28 PM
Have you seen the empty seats in every stand in the aberdeen game ? Kinda puts it into perspective !

More Aberdeen fans at the game, than Hibs fans last night. Aberdeen only gave Rangers 2,000 tickets

cabbageandribs1875
03-03-2019, 02:28 PM
family section stays in the FF lower :agree:


end of etc etc

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 02:28 PM
Have you seen the empty seats in every stand in the aberdeen game ? Kinda puts it into perspective !

They are moving to a new stadium.

This is often the norm as pillars etc.

As said above - just because others have issues doesn’t mean Hibs shouldn’t look at their own issues.

HibbyAndy
03-03-2019, 02:33 PM
They are moving to a new stadium.

This is often the norm as pillars etc.

As said above - just because others have issues doesn’t mean Hibs shouldn’t look at their own issues.

What has them moving to a new stadium got to do with their crowd today ?:confused:

HibbyAndy
03-03-2019, 02:34 PM
More Aberdeen fans at the game, than Hibs fans last night. Aberdeen only gave Rangers 2,000 tickets

Thought cause it's the SC every team are entitled to more tickets ?

WhileTheChief..
03-03-2019, 02:34 PM
If we need a family section then use the south.

Up the price from £25 to £100+.

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 02:35 PM
What has them moving to a new stadium got to do with their crowd today ?:confused:

They won’t have pillars and will fill behind the goals in new stadium ?

But it looks crap with empty seats on tv at Aberdeen too - but they won’t have that issue much longer.

HibbyAndy
03-03-2019, 02:37 PM
They won’t have pillars and will fill behind the goals in new stadium ?

But it looks crap with empty seats on tv at Aberdeen too - but they won’t have that issue much longer.

Are you seriously saying the pillars are to blame for their support today ? No way i'm having that :hilarious

Keith_M
03-03-2019, 02:39 PM
Fortuna Düsseldorf have been playing in a stadium for years now that they are normally nowhere near filling. They have an innovative solution to the place looking empty, and it's to do with the colour of the seats.

We should change the seats at ER to be a random mix of colours, like THIS (https://www.sop-architekten.de/fileadmin/sop/content/Projekte/Esprit_Arena/050311-0514_sop.jpg), and you'd be hard pushed to work out which seats are empty.

:wink:

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 02:42 PM
Are you seriously saying the pillars are to blame for their support today ? No way i'm having that :hilarious

Did I say that ?

What I’m saying is most of the empty seats are around / behind the pillars / restricted view seats.

The point is they won’t have this issue soon as they move to a new stadium and will fill behind the goals.

Mikey
03-03-2019, 02:43 PM
If we need a family section then use the south.

Up the price from £25 to £100+.

If it was £100+ for a kids season ticket then at least one, if not both, of the kids in our group wouldn't be going because they're so young. And by doing that they may never get into the habit.

Hermit Crab
03-03-2019, 02:46 PM
Thought cause it's the SC every team are entitled to more tickets ?


Yes but Aberdeen, now the only team with a big pair of baws who have permanently reduced the OF's allocation and have removed a security fence in the South stand and when the draw was made there was not enough time to sort out proper segregation meaning Rangers only get the usual 2200 tickets.

HibbyAndy
03-03-2019, 02:47 PM
Did I say that ?

What I’m saying is most of the empty seats are around / behind the pillars / restricted view seats.

The point is they won’t have this issue soon as they move to a new stadium and will fill behind the goals.


Well the game i'm watching right now , The end Rangers are shooting to , There are hundreds of empty aberdeen seats with NO pillars in front of them , Not trying to come across a smart arse but your making out the only seats which are empty are restricted view seats and that is clearly not the case

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 02:54 PM
Well the game i'm watching right now , The end Rangers are shooting to , There are hundreds of empty aberdeen seats with NO pillars in front of them , Not trying to come across a smart arse but your making out the only seats which are empty are restricted view seats and that is clearly not the case

I agree but the other Aberdeen end is full.

The end of the left on tv is a poor view. Hibs don’t have that issue and only have 1 end to fill and can’t even do that.

Hermit Crab
03-03-2019, 02:55 PM
I agree but the other Aberdeen end is full.

The end of the left on tv is a poor view. Hibs don’t have that issue and only have 1 end to fill and can’t even do that.


Correct, the FFL could actually have been closed last night and nobody would have noticed.

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 02:57 PM
Correct, the FFL could actually have been closed last night and nobody would have noticed.

They should have just closed upper tier.

HibbyAndy
03-03-2019, 02:57 PM
I agree but the other Aberdeen end is full.

The end of the left on tv is a poor view. Hibs don’t have that issue and only have 1 end to fill and can’t even do that.

Haven't hibs got a higher attendance than Aberdeen this season ?

HibbyAndy
03-03-2019, 03:00 PM
I agree but the other Aberdeen end is full.

The end of the left on tv is a poor view. Hibs don’t have that issue and only have 1 end to fill and can’t even do that.

It's not really , It just looks full on tv , When the camera panned in there on that particular stand the top end of the tier was far from full

Moulin Yarns
03-03-2019, 03:01 PM
Well the game i'm watching right now , The end Rangers are shooting to , There are hundreds of empty aberdeen seats with NO pillars in front of them , Not trying to come across a smart arse but your making out the only seats which are empty are restricted view seats and that is clearly not the case

They are mostly restricted view seats. Granted some empty seats in front of the pillars but most are behind them.

MSK
03-03-2019, 03:01 PM
family section stays in the FF lower :agree:


end of etc etcYip, good enough for me and my group 👍

GreenCastle
03-03-2019, 03:03 PM
It's not really , It just looks full on tv , When the camera panned in there on that particular stand the top end of the tier was far from full

That’s one of my points - make it look busy at least on TV.

Onceinawhile
03-03-2019, 03:13 PM
That’s one of my points - make it look busy at least on TV.

Why?

JOD
03-03-2019, 03:14 PM
They should have just closed upper tier.

Hey me and my family were there in FF Upper good atmosphere there well for 60 mins 👍😁

Keith_M
03-03-2019, 03:22 PM
Haven't hibs got a higher attendance than Aberdeen this season ?


Last season, the average attendance at Pittodrie was 15,700, while so far this year it's 15,000

Easter Road, by comparison, had an average of 18,100 last season and 17,300 so far this season.


But, TBF, we don't have any pillars at ER so that probably accounts for the 2,000+ difference.

Moulin Yarns
03-03-2019, 03:40 PM
Hey me and my family were there in FF Upper good atmosphere there well for 60 mins 👍😁

How is the hangover? From the posts you made yesterday I imagined you were in the pub all day.

Itsnoteasy
03-03-2019, 06:45 PM
Dedicate elsewhere as a family section (FF Upper?) and move Since 1875 down. Might be able to attract some of the East bams too, and get an atmosphere going, with less noticeable empty seats.

It’s probably not appropriate for us, but Bayern don’t allow ST holders to renew if they miss more than 8 home games. Their issue however is different - ticket touts, as opposed to people buying cheap season tickets to guarantee a home derby ticket, and get a chance of an away derby/Sevco ticket.
They also have a ST waiting list of over 100k, so you can see why.

We do need to something though.

How can you compare a team that the population of the region is 13million.
A team that people will pay over the odds just to experience the atmosphere of a great stadium.
Probably have a reserve list bigger than our entire stadium capacity.
Etc, Etc.

Also p!55 people of that have held season tickets for years for whatever part of the ground to accommodate a singing section.

Viva_Palmeiras
03-03-2019, 06:52 PM
I want to see a winning Hibs team, with as many people in the ground to watch it. Atmosphere comes after that.

All three are linked, but crap team = crap atmosphere and small crowd = crap atmosphere.

The way things are going, we could be heading back to the days of 10,000 fans of less. Why would any business alienate customers just to improve atmosphere.

So an alternative way could be down? :)

Solution? No sliver bullet. Get to know the fans, their habits and see what can be exploited.

I know of folks that have STs that are overseas. But that’s their way of support and loyalt ph continuing on their STs commitment from when they were in Edinburgh and they do attend when they can.

Nakedmanoncrack
03-03-2019, 08:42 PM
The solution is simple....put the prices up. That will stop so many folk taking advantage.

And result in even more empty seats.

1875STEVE
03-03-2019, 08:53 PM
Dedicate elsewhere as a family section (FF Upper?) and move Since 1875 down. Might be able to attract some of the East bams too, and get an atmosphere going, with less noticeable empty seats.


We do need to something though.

This but id also like to see, if affordable, safe standing in there along with the singing section.

Speedway
03-03-2019, 09:03 PM
Knock the stand down.

Scouse Hibee
03-03-2019, 09:34 PM
Make the family prices in the FF PATG only.

HibeeHibernian4
03-03-2019, 11:13 PM
Knock the stand down.

A radical, outside the box suggestion. Have you thought running for Fan Rep?

Glory Lurker
03-03-2019, 11:32 PM
This but id also like to see, if affordable, safe standing in there along with the singing section.

Safe standing is not affordable for us.

Hermit Crab
03-03-2019, 11:35 PM
Safe standing is not affordable for us.


Has there been a case study done by the club to back that statement up? :dunno:

IberianHibernian
03-03-2019, 11:43 PM
Lots of ideas but with STs likely to go on sale in near future probably too late already to make changes for next season unless just involving South . What about offering Family STs for cat B matches only in half of FF Lower and half of South Lower ? If allowed by police , South Upper would be unnumbered area since it`s become very hard to get seats together for groups . Singing Section in half of FF Lower . Folk with STs would get priority period for buying tickets for Cat A matches at normal adult / concession prices .

Speedway
04-03-2019, 12:01 AM
A radical, outside the box suggestion. Have you thought running for Fan Rep?

I did yes, but I was accused of being too Positive.

Glory Lurker
04-03-2019, 12:01 AM
Has there been a case study done by the club to back that statement up? :dunno:

No idea, but I reckon this falls in to the category of “don’t need a case study”. When we’ve got a waiting list for STs it might be affordable, but even then would need to be balanced against the benefit of spending the cash on players or supporting the existing infrastructure. Not a chance we are in a position to do it just now.

Johnny Clash
04-03-2019, 01:43 AM
Why piss off/alienate a group of fans just to get a better atmosphere?

Unlike the rest of ground - Family seasons at bought knowing that you can’t sit in them forever. You need to move once your wee one(s) are no longer kids.

Anyway , I still think filling in one corner and making it safe standing is the best solution.

Austinho
04-03-2019, 04:45 AM
Close the Famous Five upper and South Stand upper for Category B games. Change the cheap family season tickets to category B only and move to South Stand lower.

The result being all stands closest to the pitch being completely full, leading to better atmosphere and looking full on TV. A full East and West for most matches too.

Give the Category B ticket holders first dibs on FF Upper Seats for Category A games.

Put singing section in far south corner of the East?

we are hibs
04-03-2019, 05:44 AM
And result in even more empty seats.

Why would bringing the prices up to the same value as other parts of the ground mean more empty seats?

Juniper Greens
04-03-2019, 08:36 AM
Safe standing is not affordable for us.

Especially, since people seem to couple it with "and make the ticket prices for that section cheaper..."

Stairway 2 7
04-03-2019, 08:46 AM
Got a feeling it won't be as big a problem when our Scottish cup/promotion season ticket bounce means more availability all round the stadium, suppose we'll just find something else to moan about to pass the time

j'adorehibs
04-03-2019, 09:22 AM
Unlike the rest of ground - Family seasons at bought knowing that you can’t sit in them forever. You need to move once your wee one(s) are no longer kids.

Anyway , I still think filling in one corner and making it safe standing is the best solution.

and if, and thats a big if, what if there were no other available seats in the stadium, do we just no longer go?

why should i move from a great seat when the kids get older, we could continue to sit there and pay full whack

im all for filling the stadium but there are empty seats everywhere, i look across to the east and see plenty every week

for the ff i agree it should be two type of season available , cat a and cat b with no availability to upgrade a kids ticket to adult if they dont go for cat a game...also a slight hike in process wouldnt bother me but probably would others

Johnny Clash
04-03-2019, 10:13 AM
and if, and thats a big if, what if there were no other available seats in the stadium, do we just no longer go?

why should i move from a great seat when the kids get older, we could continue to sit there and pay full whack


Thing is though, that’s the deal you accept in order to get much cheaper seasons for a ‘child or youth. Once our kids reach 18 we have to move to other seats. This allows new generations of youngsters to benefit from the family friendly prices. I ended up paying more for my two under 18s as we wanted to sit in the East and have our seats for as long as we wanted. If folk didn’t move on then eventually the FF lower would be all adults.

GreenCastle
04-03-2019, 10:40 AM
People are now mentioning empty seats in the East Stand.

Of course throughout the stadium occasionally a seat may lie empty but the issue which is evident is the large chunks of empty seats like Saturday in cup game and other sold out games when rows of some seats are empty.

I also find it odd when it’s a Hibs kid day they move fans to the South Stand ?

Onceinawhile
04-03-2019, 10:54 AM
People are now mentioning empty seats in the East Stand.

Of course throughout the stadium occasionally a seat may lie empty but the issue which is evident is the large chunks of empty seats like Saturday in cup game and other sold out games when rows of some seats are empty.

I also find it odd when it’s a Hibs kid day they move fans to the South Stand ?

Do you sit in the east? From the FFL, its quite clear that even when sold out there's large chunks of the east empty (probably not to the same extent mind) especially towards the North end.

hibsmad
04-03-2019, 10:55 AM
I sit in the FF lower with my son and attend every home match.

I’d be delighted to move if it meant the singing section moving down behind the goals.

Why? Because it would be to the benefit of the stadium as a whole.

Seriously, I pay £25 for my sons season ticket. It’s an absolute bargain! They can stick us where they like and I’d still think myself fortunate to take him for that price.

Nakedmanoncrack
04-03-2019, 08:06 PM
Why would bringing the prices up to the same value as other parts of the ground mean more empty seats?

Are you serious?

jacomo
04-03-2019, 09:27 PM
Safe standing, move singing section and sell all tickets for ff lower at reduced price...move fam section to first section in east or west


:agree:

Always made sense to me to move families to the West - it should be the most respectable stand, with the bampots elsewhere.

ALF TUPPER
04-03-2019, 10:47 PM
Always felt the singing section belonged in lower Famous Five.
Sticking them in the far corner of the upper lessens the impact of the work they do.

Itsnoteasy
04-03-2019, 11:17 PM
Boy that sits near me in FFL spends the entire game either shouting '****ing rubbish' or '****ing terrible'. This is mainly for the 90 mins. Hope to **** he's one of the ones they move for the sanity of all those around him

I know exactly who you are talking about. I pulled him up about it a few weeks back. Told him to disappear over to the East where he can swear to his hearts content. I got shot down in flames from a few lads behind him. Told them to do one aswell.

Renfrew_Hibby
05-03-2019, 12:13 AM
Im 40 years old so i only remember Easter Road post the huge East Stand banking but unlike us nearly every club historically has had a fans focus behind the goals.

This would've started at the turn of the last century as many English clubs developed a 'Kop' end to their grounds. All the really historical grounds had a Kop, like Anfield, Hillsborough, Villa Park ect.

Its hard not to think of a big historical club down south that didnt have a focus and one hugh banked terrace behing a goal, maybe only Chelsea off the top of my head didn't. Only the old Maine Road with its huge Kippax banked terrace opposite their main stand resembled in any way how Easter Road conformed in the 1940s/50s.

Even less prominent grounds like those at Wolves, Sheff utd and Palace for example still had one massive bank behind one goal.

We never had this as our massive banking was opposite our main stand, so generations of fans connected and associated that area of our stadium with crowds, where you would congregate with mates and generally just the place to be.

As a child of the eighties the tired old cowshed always seemed sparsely populated on Scotsport or Sportscene while you could tell the noise was comming from below the TV gantry in the old East.

Thats just the way it is for our club, we just dont have a tradition of having our main fans focus being situated behind the goals.

CMurdoch
07-03-2019, 03:43 PM
Famous Five Lower should be Category B season tickets next season with unreserved seating.
Price could have stayed the same for kids (£25) with the first option to buy their seat for Category A games for £5.
That would result in very few unused seats in the FFL at Cat A games.
Unreserved seating would also allow Family walk ups to be accommodated in the FFL at Cat B games. This would help fill the masses of unused seats.
Is there a flaw in this?

Blaster
07-03-2019, 04:18 PM
Famous Five Lower should be Category B season tickets next season with unreserved seating.
Price could have stayed the same for kids (£25) with the first option to buy their seat for Category A games for £5.
That would result in very few unused seats in the FFL at Cat A games.
Unreserved seating would also allow Family walk ups to be accommodated in the FFL at Cat B games. This would help fill the masses of unused seats.
Is there a flaw in this?

It’s punishing the people who sit there and go to every game. They like their seat and the folk they sit beside

Let’s just focus on dealing with the regular non attendees rather than tarring everyone with the same brush

CMurdoch
07-03-2019, 04:37 PM
It’s punishing the people who sit there and go to every game. They like their seat and the folk they sit beside

Let’s just focus on dealing with the regular non attendees rather than tarring everyone with the same brush

It will never happen but it would be a solution.
The singing section in FFL won't happen, the safe standing section in the FFL won't happen.
Most things that folk on here slaver on and on about endlessly will never happen but it doesn't stop us discussing it.

PatHead
07-03-2019, 05:40 PM
Will that take effect from next season?

I understand that it will. Sorry for delay in getting back

wookie70
07-03-2019, 06:12 PM
Why do we constantly worry about the FF being quiet. It is fairly easy to get a ticket for every game at ER so why pander to the singing section, how it looks on telly or fans that only really want to attend the big games. If we start to sell out every game and hundreds are without a ticket then look at it. We aren't at that point though and even if we were I would advocate a system that made fans attend to keep their seat. ie you can only buy the kids season ticket next season if you use it this year x amount of games. It's almost as a club and support we are trying to make it difficult for families to attend. We need to be giving Mums and Dads every reason to come to ER and while this years £50 FFL U12 seat is good value it will still put a few off that would have bought at £25. Those few quid are well worth the gamble if the kids turn out to be lifers.

Keith_M
07-03-2019, 06:22 PM
£50 for 19 games is still an incredible bargain.

If it puts a few people off that hav no intention of using it, then that would free up a few seats for some people that would.

SChibs
07-03-2019, 06:52 PM
Why do we constantly worry about the FF being quiet. It is fairly easy to get a ticket for every game at ER so why pander to the singing section, how it looks on telly or fans that only really want to attend the big games. If we start to sell out every game and hundreds are without a ticket then look at it. We aren't at that point though and even if we were I would advocate a system that made fans attend to keep their seat. ie you can only buy the kids season ticket next season if you use it this year x amount of games. It's almost as a club and support we are trying to make it difficult for families to attend. We need to be giving Mums and Dads every reason to come to ER and while this years £50 FFL U12 seat is good value it will still put a few off that would have bought at £25. Those few quid are well worth the gamble if the kids turn out to be lifers.

The singing section being in the famous 5 lower would improve overall atmosphere at Easter road hence why people want it.

Swedish hibee
07-03-2019, 07:09 PM
So sad it's not happening for next season. Maybe the East can introduce a few flags or banners down the front?

LancashireHibby
07-03-2019, 07:40 PM
Famous Five Lower should be Category B season tickets next season with unreserved seating.
Price could have stayed the same for kids (£25) with the first option to buy their seat for Category A games for £5.
That would result in very few unused seats in the FFL at Cat A games.
Unreserved seating would also allow Family walk ups to be accommodated in the FFL at Cat B games. This would help fill the masses of unused seats.
Is there a flaw in this?
Any stand operating with unreserved seating isn’t allowed to be filled to capacity (generally speaking 10% must be left unsold) so it doesn’t solve the empty seat issue and would certainly pose a problem for derbies and the like when tickets are already in short supply.

Phil MaGlass
07-03-2019, 07:48 PM
Make the family prices in the FF PATG only.

this gets my vote

TimeForHeroes32
07-03-2019, 11:28 PM
The singing section needs moved you can’t hear them in any other stand apart from if your in the FF. There’s really 3 places it can go FF lower, East or West lower. For FF lower half the stand could be family sections and the other half singing sections or could move the family section to south during Cat B games with guaranteed tickets for Cat A games if they wanted them allocated elsewhere in stadium. For the East stand option put them at the F5 side of the stand as clearly Leeann wanted them moved away from the away fans. The West Lower option would never happen but it’s still a better option than the current location. If you think back to the 3-1 win against hearts in the cup just remember how good that atmosphere was that night and it obviously had an effect on the players for that performance, we need to get ER bouncing like that again in all the stands not just one section

blackpoolhibs
08-03-2019, 07:57 AM
Im 40 years old so i only remember Easter Road post the huge East Stand banking but unlike us nearly every club historically has had a fans focus behind the goals.

This would've started at the turn of the last century as many English clubs developed a 'Kop' end to their grounds. All the really historical grounds had a Kop, like Anfield, Hillsborough, Villa Park ect.

Its hard not to think of a big historical club down south that didnt have a focus and one hugh banked terrace behing a goal, maybe only Chelsea off the top of my head didn't. Only the old Maine Road with its huge Kippax banked terrace opposite their main stand resembled in any way how Easter Road conformed in the 1940s/50s.

Even less prominent grounds like those at Wolves, Sheff utd and Palace for example still had one massive bank behind one goal.

We never had this as our massive banking was opposite our main stand, so generations of fans connected and associated that area of our stadium with crowds, where you would congregate with mates and generally just the place to be.

As a child of the eighties the tired old cowshed always seemed sparsely populated on Scotsport or Sportscene while you could tell the noise was comming from below the TV gantry in the old East.

Thats just the way it is for our club, we just dont have a tradition of having our main fans focus being situated behind the goals.

I'm 59, and the noise was always generated by the folk who'd congregate behind the goal in the cowshed when i was a boy.

It was a fantastic place to stand, and used to generate a huge noise by those who stood there.

Then they suddenly decided to put bench seating in and put the prices up and move the folk who usually stood there over to the east.

So moving folk who stood or sat in the same place for years has been done before, and reminds me that where you sit is not your seat, just somewhere you happen to sit at the moment.

Keith_M
08-03-2019, 08:04 AM
Anyway, it looks like the club has already decided that the FF Lower will remain a Family Stand, but that this will be more strictly enforced.

They've also doubled the price of the kids STs, presumably to discourage people that buy STs for some seats but hardly ever use them.

Looks like they're doing something practical..... and sensible, i.e. not throwing 1,500 people out of that area on the off chance there might be another 1,500 willing to move in from another part of the stadium.

hibsforeurope
08-03-2019, 10:59 AM
It will be interesting to see how many seats get freed up by only allowing adults to buy in groups with kids and youth tickets attached.

wookie70
08-03-2019, 11:07 AM
The singing section being in the famous 5 lower would improve overall atmosphere at Easter road hence why people want it.

Not convinced it would. When the atmosphere at ER is really good is when the east starts singing and everyone joins in. I'm not criticising the SS efforts but they are so few in number that it doesn't make much odds if they are FFL or FFU. I sit at the away end of the west and you rarely hear the singing section. We heard them when they were in the east though as they had more support who like a sing round about. I doubt that many will want to move from a side view to a end view just for a singalong they can have in their current seat. Did the SS sell out this year.

The flags etc are great if that floats your boat but for those over 25 I imagine most of us are happy that the SS are making the effort but have no desire to get involved in that side of things. We will look at the game and have a sing from seats we may have sat in for years and a position in the ground some have occupied for decades. Big moves of seating are always difficult and the SS have already had one. They need to grow in number imo if they want to create an atmosphere and then they could maybe argue that going in the FFL makes sense.

The SS are just fans for me moving other fans so they can be accommodated again isn't really fair. If we get back to 8K attendances when fans would have good alternative seating then perhaps a rethink is required but I hope that never happens.