Quote: Stealth Comic "You've got be really careful not to alienate season ticket holders and regular fans.
Why should they pay to get in and see people get in for nowt.
From personal experience though it does work.
When I was about 9 I got free tickets at school and it was what eventually got me hooked.
One thing that I really remember back then was how much more interactive the players were with the kids.
I used to remember Carleton Farrell running up and down the edge of the pitch high fiving everyone and being able to run on the pitch at the end of the game and shake the players hands and pat them on the back. There isn't that player/kid interaction of the early cougarmania years now.'"
My wife and I came to Cougars in the early nineties because our kids got free tickets - it really does work if the product is right.
I recently spoke to a fan from a superleague club who came to watch us and commented how good it was that players came into the bar after the game and interacted with fans. He said at his club you had to pay a fortune for the privilege.
There was a tangible spirit amongst the players last year I only hope that continues this year.
If the new directors are up to anything (and I assume they are) they should understand the tools available to analyse a business and set the necessary targets and responsibilities to take it forward.
I agree with being involved in every revenue stream and striving for customer satisfaction, but sometimes it makes sense to franchise ie the burger van. The key business decision is making the call of when its viable.
Yet again it seems that Cougar fans live in "interesting times".
I think its about time the new directors held a forum with the fans to give a broad outline of what they intend and to dispel the growing rumour mill.