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Post by onlyme on Jan 8, 2011 17:57:40 GMT
I haven't been to a game for 6 years but after hearing that this is the 25th year of Telford hockey I have started following the team via the website (which is a very good website!). I thought I would add my suggestions, although I have no idea if you are doing these things already!
For a hockey newbie it would be useful if the rules and referees signals are printed in the programme. If you are expecting lots of new people at a game, maybe you could make a video with some of the players explaining various hockey terminology and play it on the big screen in the corner of the ice rink (if it is still there...) during the warm up.
With there being limited home games remaining in the season it might be worth doing a 'mini season ticket'. At one time Birmingham City football club would group together 6 home games and provide a special price for this mini season ticket, which was cheaper than paying individually for each game ticket. They would group together various games to give a mix of top teams and lower teams (i.e. not necessarily 6 consecutive home games). This made going to the football more affordable for those people that want to see multiple games but can't afford a season ticket. For the Tigers this could help to boost spectator numbers for the remainder of the season.
For flex card holders, after every 10th home game that they pay to attend they could receive a special ticket to bring a friend for free. Hopefully this will encourage new people to get a flex card and visit games and in turn encourage more people.
As I said I have no idea if you are doing these things already however I wanted to add my thoughts because I want to see the Tigers continue to grow. Well done to everyone that has contributed so far.
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Post by onlyme on Jan 8, 2011 18:18:25 GMT
Following on from the school visits programme, do any of the players do after school sports coaching? At one time the council's sports development department would arrange after school sports clubs at most of the primary schools in Telford. If it isn't happening already, maybe some of the players could do after school sports coaching. Either multi-sport sessions or uni-hockey. This would allow the children to build up a rapport with the players and the children would be talking about the sessions with their parents each week.
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Post by onlyme on Jan 8, 2011 18:25:19 GMT
Do any of the players go on to the mid-week skating sessions and skate with the public to attract interest? Perhaps they could do 'learn to skate with the Tigers'. Many years ago Dave Grey would do a 20-30 minute 'learn to skate' session during the Tuesday night general session. It was a free lesson for anyone on the general skating session. Most weeks every person on the ice would line up along the centre line and learn to skate with him. Maybe a few of the Tigers could do this on the general sessions before their training sessions.
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Post by tigershots on Jan 9, 2011 19:33:14 GMT
Press office;
Great idea!
How about asking DW to create a plan for you - and see if a couple of the guys will put you through your paces, to support you in your endeavours? Good publicity opportunity for all concerned.
(If exercise is not your thing, I also have a client who could help lol )
Who would that client be? Skating carnivoure's
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stuey
New Member
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Post by stuey on Jan 14, 2011 13:53:30 GMT
This isn't so much a suggestion but an insight into why a fan might not be attending games anymore....and I will use me as a good example.
I watched the Tigers for quite a few seasons before last season when we didn't ice. Through the many defeats when we were poor through to Cassells and some great hockey. I would attend, and because of that so would my dad. We would both bring our wives. Thats good revenue when you include the shirt off the back tickets and programmes.
When we didn't ice, I looked for something else to do. I joined a football team. It's gone well, and most of my kick offs are 5.30pm Sundays. Now I played that for a year, and then when the Tigers came back, I couldn't let down my new team. Hockey is a team game, I'm sure you understand.
I'd like to come back and watch the Tigers, but what can make me come back? Honestly, I don't know. A winning team helps, but like I say, I've watched us get beat enough for that not to matter.
Maybe the schedule of the game doesn't work? More midweek would be nice, maybe later on a Sunday or more Saturday games? I know from talking to relatives of the old school Tigers when the rink was full, an evening game has much more buzz.
I will be attending a game before the end of the season, I have my eye on the upcoming Saturday games in Feb. Maybe getting me to a Saturday or midweek game would make me crave the Tigers again and get me back on a Sunday?
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Post by tom on Jan 14, 2011 15:17:19 GMT
Maybe the schedule of the game doesn't work? More midweek would be nice, maybe later on a Sunday or more Saturday games? I know from talking to relatives of the old school Tigers when the rink was full, an evening game has much more buzz. Midweek games don't bring many people in because the faceoff has to be later (around 8) to allow people to get back from work and get ready for the game (I'm sure the players have this problem as well, being part time), which means the game doesn't finish until late, which puts many people with kids off going as it's a school night. You can't really compare the old Tigers to the new ones for several reasons, the main one being that back then there wasn't as much choice with regards to entertainment. There was no Sky, Xbox's/Playstations, etc. |
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Post by topbeats on Jan 14, 2011 16:21:04 GMT
Following on from the school visits programme, do any of the players do after school sports coaching? At one time the council's sports development department would arrange after school sports clubs at most of the primary schools in Telford. If it isn't happening already, maybe some of the players could do after school sports coaching. Either multi-sport sessions or uni-hockey. This would allow the children to build up a rapport with the players and the children would be talking about the sessions with their parents each week. The only place our players are allowed to perform any form of coaching is on the ice at Telford Ice Rink, and to do so they need to have either a Level 1, 2 or 3 IIHF coaching qualification. The insurance policy we carry to be part of the league inhibits any of the players from performing any form of demonstration or coaching at schools, fetes, leisure centres etc... It is one of the specific exclusions the insurance policy carries, all the teams in our league use the same insurer so the exclusions will apply to them also - unless their local authority incorporatesd them officially within an educational programme of their own, and the players then become insured under the local authorities own PL insurance policy. |
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Post by tallpaul on Jan 15, 2011 17:51:59 GMT
unless their local authority incorporatesd them officially within an educational programme of their own, and the players then become insured under the local authorities own PL insurance policy. Sounds like an option then. Has anyone discussed with the council? |
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Post by onlyme on Jan 15, 2011 20:24:13 GMT
Previously the council's sports development department provided training courses to be a multi sports coach free of charge. They then employed the coaches to lead sessions at primary schools. The council covered the training course and the insurance liability and the coach got paid (not massive money but better than nothing!). This may be of interest to the younger players of the Tigers and Titans who are students, as it allows then to work odd hours to fit around their studies and hockey commitments, and if the council would allow them to wear their Tigers shirt at sessions it could generate interest in the team/sport without incurring any financial outlay to the club.
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Post by topbeats on Jan 16, 2011 11:51:48 GMT
unless their local authority incorporatesd them officially within an educational programme of their own, and the players then become insured under the local authorities own PL insurance policy. Sounds like an option then. Has anyone discussed with the council? Discussions are on going about how best to take hockey in to the schools and how to incorporate it within the curriculum. In the meantime the Tigers are trying to go in to as many schools in the borough as possible to engage school children, give presentations and encourage attendance to games via promotions. |
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 18, 2011 10:29:00 GMT
Don't know if this has already been done/tried.
While a shop is unused in the telford shopping centre (dont know if there any at the moment) would it be possible to put a few posters, banners, fixture lists etc in the shop window. Seem although telford shopping centre are one of our sponsors, if someone speaks to them nicely it could possibly be free advertising ;D
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Post by topbeats on Jan 18, 2011 15:09:04 GMT
Don't know if this has already been done/tried. While a shop is unused in the telford shopping centre (don't know if there any at the moment) would it be possible to put a few posters, banners, fixture lists etc in the shop window. Seem although telford shopping centre are one of our sponsors, if someone speaks to them nicely it could possibly be free advertising ;D I have already asked the question and apparantly the only unused shops in the centre are shops that have recently gone in to liquidation owing money. Until the liquidators have gone through the legal requirements they are unable to release the shop back to the centre which means the centre are not allowed to do anything with the space, i.e. let it, advertise it, enter it, allow us to place posters inside etc... |
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Post by tallpaul on Jan 18, 2011 23:00:27 GMT
There is currently a discount for skating after a game, but there is only so much the Tigers can offer as an incentive - every penny we knock off our ticket price comes out of our operating funds, so we have to have a sound business case to risk 'losing' short term to gain longer term. But again, if anyone can work up some ideas, we'd be happy to look at the numbers. Couple of things here if I may. Firstly, my daughter and I do try to skate after the hockey on a Sunday and if there is a discount for that then I'm not sure the people on reception know about it. In fact, combining hockey and skating on a Sunday evening is really very difficult at the moment because - 1. The tills are set up to treat the hockey and the skating as separate sessions and the rink won't mix the receipts 2. You are supposed to leave the rink after the hockey and join the queue to get back in for the skating session 3. When we have turned up at Tigers games with our skates we have variously had either - no problem; - not been allowed to take them to our seats (so we had to pay for one of the lockers to put them in); or - at the last MK game we wanted to put them in a locker so that they weren't unattended between periods and were told we weren't allowed to! I don't think the rink management and staff are trying to be difficult but I'm not sure they could make it much worse if they did do it deliberately. I've got fed up enough to try to do something about it though so I popped in after work this evening and had a word with the Duty Manager who has said he would raise it with his boss, along with the possibility of a package type deal. As I don't represent the Tigers in an official capacity, I'm sure I've acted outside of my remit but I've at least got the puck sliding. If the Board are happy for me to keep this moving then I'm happy to do so. Secondly, whilst waiting for the Duty Manager I had plenty of time to take a look around the main reception area of the rink and you could be forgiven for not knowing that the Tigers exist. There are banners for the Titans and the Trojans by the Managers Office (seemingly on permanent display) and the 'shop' display window has another poster and a fixtures list for the Titans. There is a Tigers fixtures list on the Notice Board outside the gents loo, sandwiched between the running club and figure skating notices but its not exactly in your face. Is there more that could be done here? |
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Post by brav607 on Jan 19, 2011 20:52:18 GMT
The discount deal has been announced and details placed in the programme several times as far as I'm aware. The need to clear the rink after the game is obviously to ensure no one tries to stay in for a "freebie". The rink foyer has been the place of crime in as much as our zap stand (pull up banner) has dissappeared from there .. without trace. Posters are placed in spaces allocated to us by the rink. We have to comply with their requests as after all, it is their building. The shop is owned by Dave Fielder ... sometimes boss of the Titans... at the moment, there is no love lost between the Titans and Tigers. We have looked at this as a trust and can do no more at the moment where the rink is concerned..... Please keep 'em coming .....  |
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Post by tallpaul on Jan 19, 2011 22:09:01 GMT
Any objection to me pushing the skating thing with the rink? After all, other rinks / clubs manage it so there really is no valid reason why we can't do it too. If no-one takes advantage of it then it hasn't cost anything, but if even a handful of people combine skating and hockey when they would previously have only done one or the other then someone is a winner and it could be the Tigers! Re the Titans - I have no idea what that is about but for the good of senior hockey in Telford I really do think that it is something that needs to be sorted out. Surely there must be an alternative to just accepting a situation that is rubbish all round? Perhaps this could be dealt with like adults and maybe raise a few quid in the process - in the blue corner, Alan 'The Godfather' Gould ...  |
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