MEMBERS SURVEY
2006
RESULTS/FINAL REPORT
December 2006
Members Survey 2006
1. INTRODUCTION
The
Trust has recently carried out a survey of its members.
One
of the Trust’s aims is to be representative of all City fans. Some means of
gauging the strength of feeling on issues that most affect Bristol City
Supporters was required with a view to bringing about discernible change where
needed.
The aim of the survey was to be:
• Fully representative
• Quantifiable
• Independent
• Fair
• Non discriminative
• Actionable
The
survey was very detailed and to make it easier to complete it was broken into
segments that were easily identifiable.
The
first and last segments of the survey were about the respondent. There were also sections on the Matchday
Experience, Ticketing, Products/ Merchandise, Catering and
Communications/Customer Service.
2. METHODOLOGY
Anyone
who was a member of the Supporters Trust on
The topics chosen for
the survey mirror some of those used in the recent Football League survey and
some of the questions asked are similar to those asked by the Football
League. The rationale was to make
comparisons between the responses to this survey and the responses of the
For
the purposes of this survey, unless otherwise indicated, the figures shown are
percentages of the total number of responses for each question.
3. INVOLVEMENT WITH BCFC
This
section was included to get some idea of respondents’ involvement with the
club. If we were to build a typical respondent profile it might be:
Season
ticket holding, long-term supporter who attends all home games and some away
games. A fuller profile can be found later in this report (see Page 15,
What is your involvement with
|
I am a season
ticket holder. |
|
62.1 |
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I am not a season ticket holder but regularly go to games. |
|
17.9 |
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I am not a season ticket holder but sometimes go to games. |
|
18.9 |
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I never go to games but follow the club through the media. |
|
1.1 |
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How long have you been a
On average, how many times a season
do you go to games at Ashton Gate?
On average, how many times a season
do you go to away games?
4. WHAT MATTERS TO SUPPORTERS In this section
members were asked to rate what was important to them in respect of Matchday
Experience, Ticketing, Products and Merchandise and Communications/Customer
Service. Different factors
apply to each category and this is reflected in the average scores. The average scores that were given for each
category are shown on the right. Matchday Experience Scores for this
category are out of 10 and the figures are the average score in order of
importance.
Products/Merchandise Ratings for this
category are out of 3 and the figures are the average score in order of
importance.
Communications/Customer service Scores for this category are out of 4 and the figures are the average score in
order of importance
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In which stand do you
normally sit? |
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Would you like to see a
return of home supporters to the |
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What would be the
benefits if the Scores for this
category are out of 5 and the figures are the average score in order of
importance. |
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Would you like to see
unreserved seating areas in the designated home stands at Ashton Gate? |
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Would you like to see more family
areas at Ashton Gate?
|
Yes |
|
17.9 |
|
No |
|
22.1 |
|
No strong feelings |
|
60.0 |
Are the current family areas at
Ashton Gate good enough?
|
Would you like to see safe
standing areas at Ashton Gate?
|
What do you think of the standard
of stewarding at Ashton Gate?
|
Very good |
|
4.2 |
|
good |
|
24.2 |
|
OK |
|
46.3 |
|
Poor |
|
21.1 |
|
Very poor |
|
4.2 |
Which matchday facilities at
Ashton Gate do you think are most in need of improvement? (7 being the most
important and 1 being the least important)
Ratings are out of 7
and the figures are the average score in order of importance.
|
Toilets |
4.32 / 7 |
|
Seats |
4.56 / 7 |
|
Catering |
4.85 / 7 |
|
Ticketing |
3.56 / 7 |
|
PA system |
4.45 / 7 |
|
Club shop |
2.75 / 7 |
|
Entertainment |
3.52 / 7 |
In your opinion, what is the best
approach to smoking at Ashton Gate?
|
Ban smoking
completely |
|
41.1 |
|
Allow smoking only in designated areas of stands |
|
33.7 |
|
Allow smoking only in concourse areas. |
|
8.4 |
|
None of the above. I don’t agree with a “No smoking “policy at
matches. |
|
16.8 |
How many games a season would you
be happy to see
|
None |
|
29.5 |
|
1-3 |
|
25.3 |
|
4-6 |
|
17.9 |
|
Full season |
|
27.4 |
The above should be self explanatory. However, it is worth highlighting a few relevant
points.
47% of respondents felt that the atmosphere on
matchdays at Ashton Gate was average and 21%
felt that it was poor. Only 16% felt the atmosphere was good. However, 13%
felt the atmosphere was very poor and only 2%
said it was very good.
62% felt that the club’s performance in respect
of fans’ safety was good, 14% said
it was very good and 19% said it was
average. Similarly for sight lines, 72% felt that the club’s performance
was either good (60%) or very good (12%) indicating that most are happy
with their view during games.
Of the other Matchday experience factors, “Average” was the most
widely used rating.
The
Members
were presented with a list of perceived benefits of opening the
As
a follow up to this question members were invited to add any other benefits (if
any) of opening the
“The demand that is shown by city fans to sit there highlights
their interest and I think it should be reopened (although with lowish crowds
the ground may look less full-but it would undoubtedly increase the noise
levels)”
“Better sound acoustics”
“People that want to create a good atmosphere are more likely to
be 'housed together' if the EE was reopened. At the moment singers are very
fragmented in different areas of the stadium”
“Show the club are listening to supporters”
“No. Too costly to pander to a few fans. Money better spent elsewhere”
Linked to the
17.9% would like to see more family areas at Ashton
Gate and 22.1% would not like to see
more family areas. However, 60% have no strong feelings on this
particular subject. A similar percentage have no strong feelings on whether the
current family areas are good enough compared to 31.6% who feel they are good enough and 8.4% who feel they are not.
Those who said that the current family areas were not good
enough were asked how they could be improved.
Some typical comments are listed below.
“The area that I'm aware of at the front of the dolman is open
to the elements. Not a very pleasant experience in winter months. Surely family areas should be covered”
“Don't put them in the corner of one stand”
“Putting them all in one area and not in between home and away
fans”
46.3% of respondents felt that the standard of
stewarding at Ashton Gate was OK. 24.2% felt that the standard was good
and 21.1% said it was poor. 4.2% said
it was very good and the same percentage said it was very poor.
Trust members were asked what matchday facilities were most in
need of improvement. The major ones are
the catering, seats, PA system and toilets.
Not considered as being so important are ticketing, entertainment and
the club shop.
Members were also asked if they could identify any other
matchday facilities that should be improved.
Some of the suggestions are listed below.
“Provision for bicycle parking”
“Staffing and quality of products on offer from kiosks”
“Banning of parked cars in the entrances to the ground (i.e.
from Atyeo to Ashton as this often leads to a crush of fans exiting
Atyeo/Dolman or Atyeo/Williams stands”
Like the
Finally in this section, members were asked how many games a
season they would be happy to see Bristol Rugby play at Ashton Gate. 29.5%
said none, but 27.4% said they would
be happy to see them play for a full season at Ashton Gate. 25.3%
said 1-3 games and 17.9% said 4-6
games.
7. TICKETING
Please
rate the club’s performance for each area below.
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Ticket prices |
2 (2.11%) |
19 (20.00%) |
43
(45.26%) |
21 (22.11%) |
8 (8.42%) |
2 (2.11%) |
|
Ease of obtaining ticket information |
9 (9.47%) |
48
(50.53%) |
30 (31.58%) |
3 (3.16%) |
1 (1.05%) |
4 (4.21%) |
|
Ease of purchasing tickets |
8 (8.42%) |
42
(44.21%) |
35 (36.84%) |
6 (6.32%) |
1 (1.05%) |
3 (3.16%) |
|
Discounted children’s tickets |
7 (7.37%) |
16 (16.84%) |
29 (30.53%) |
5 (5.26%) |
2 (2.11%) |
36
(37.89%) |
|
|
|
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Do you think season tickets are
fairly priced?
|
Yes |
|
60.0 |
|
No |
|
22.1 |
|
No strong feelings |
|
17.9 |
If you are a season ticket holder,
why do you buy a season ticket? 5 being
the most important reason and 1 being the least important.
|
|
Average
Score |
|
Price |
2.53 / 5 |
|
Guaranteed seat |
3.45 / 5 |
|
Location of seat (view etc) |
2.77 / 5 |
|
Guaranteed tickets for big games |
2.37 / 5 |
|
To support Bristol
City |
3.88 / 5 |
In
terms of performance, 45.26% of
respondents feel that BCFC’s ticket prices are average, 22.11% poor and 20%
good.
50.53% feel that ease of obtaining ticket information is good with
31.58% feeling it is average.
Ease
of purchasing tickets was rated as good by 44.21%
of members and 36.84% felt it was
average.
Almost
two thirds of respondents are season ticket holders. Of these 60%
said that season tickets are fairly priced and 22.1% felt they were not.
Season
ticket holders were asked to list in order of importance the reasons they buy a
season ticket. The most important reason
appears to be “to support
Members
were also asked if there were any other reasons why they buy a season
ticket. Some typical responses are
listed below.
“Sense of community - I have sat with my father for 30+ years. I
have had the same seat for over 20 years”
“Convenience”
“Wouldn't be able to afford paying every week”
“I am simply lazy and do not like leaving my last pint of cider
in the pub till 2.57”
8. PRODUCTS/MERCHANDISE
Please rate the club’s
performance for each area below.
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Design of home kit |
16 (16.84%) |
50
(52.63%) |
21 (22.11%) |
5 (5.26%) |
1 (1.05%) |
2 (2.11%) |
|
Price of merchandise |
0 (0.00%) |
6 (6.32%) |
53
(55.79%) |
28 (29.47%) |
6 (6.32%) |
2 (2.11%) |
Have you bought merchandise from
the club shop in the last two seasons?
|
Yes |
|
82.1 |
|
No |
|
17.9 |
How would you rate the overall quality of the merchandise on
sale at the club shop?
|
Very good |
|
2.1 |
|
Good |
|
43.2 |
|
Average |
|
35.8 |
|
Poor |
|
13.7 |
|
Very poor |
|
0.0 |
|
Have never bought any items from the club shop |
|
5.3 |
Do you think the merchandise sold in the club shop is value
for money?
|
Yes |
|
21.1 |
|
No |
|
50.5 |
|
No strong feelings |
|
28.4 |
Are you pleased with the club’s choice of suppliers for this
season’s kit?
|
Yes |
|
80.0 |
|
No |
|
2.1 |
|
No
strong feelings |
|
17.9 |
Did you take part in the vote to choose the kit?
|
Yes |
|
58.9 |
|
No |
|
41.1 |
52.63% of respondents rated the design of the current home
kit as good and 16.84% feel it is
very good. Of the rest, 22.11% rated it as average and only 6.31% said it was poor or very
poor. This is perhaps an indication that
the club have got it right with the design and choice of supplier. However, 55.79%
of respondents rated the price of BCFC
merchandise as average and 29.47%
rated it as poor.
82.1% bought
merchandise in the club shop in the last two seasons.
43.2% of respondents said that the overall quality of
merchandise on sale in the club shop is good and 35.8% said it was average. 13.7% said it was poor.
58.9% of respondents took part in the vote to choose the new kit.
Despite being
apparently pleased with the design and quality of merchandise, 50.5% said the merchandise was not value
for money. 28.4% had no strong
feelings on the subject and 21.1%
felt the merchandise was value for money.
Those who said that
merchandise was not value for money were asked to say why they felt like
this. Some typical comments are listed
below.
“Overpriced
compared to other clubs merchandise”
“The lack of
competition has created a price discriminating monopoly”
“Football shirts do
not cost anything like £40 to make, the mark-up must be incredible”
9. CATERING
Please rate the club’s performance for each area below.
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Range of food and drink |
2 (2.11%) |
9 (9.47%) |
23 (24.21%) |
33
(34.74%) |
16 (16.84%) |
12 (12.63%) |
|
Price of food and drink |
0 (0.00%) |
2 (2.11%) |
18 (18.95%) |
18 (18.95%) |
47
(49.47%) |
10 (10.53%) |
Do you ever buy food/drink from any of the outlets within
Ashton Gate?
|
Yes |
|
57.9 |
|
No |
|
42.1 |
If you answered No to the previous question, what is your
main reason for not
doing so?
|
Length of queues |
|
14.0 |
|
Poor quality of food |
|
25.6 |
|
Poor quality of drinks |
|
2.3 |
|
Poor service |
|
4.7 |
|
Price |
|
53.5 |
How do you rate the quality of the products/service?
|
Very good |
|
0.0 |
|
Good |
|
4.2 |
|
Average |
|
32.6 |
|
Poor |
|
22.1 |
|
Very poor |
|
24.2 |
|
I do not buy food/drink at Ashton Gate |
|
16.8 |
Do you think the food/drink sold in the kiosks is value for
money?
|
Yes |
|
6.3 |
|
No |
|
71.6 |
|
No strong feelings |
|
22.1 |
Would you buy food/drink if there was a wider range of
food/drink available at the kiosks?
|
Yes |
|
34.7 |
|
No |
|
25.3 |
|
I would consider
it |
|
40.0 |
How do you rate the quality of the products/service?
|
Very good |
|
0.0 |
|
Good |
|
4.2 |
|
Average |
|
32.6 |
|
Poor |
|
22.1 |
|
Very poor |
|
24.2 |
|
I do not buy food/drink at Ashton Gate |
|
16.8 |
Do you think the food/drink sold in the kiosks is value for
money?
|
Yes |
|
6.3 |
|
No |
|
71.6 |
|
No strong feelings |
|
22.1 |
Would you buy food/drink if there was a wider range of
food/drink available at the kiosks?
|
Yes |
|
34.7 |
|
No |
|
25.3 |
|
I would consider it |
|
40.0 |
A considerable number
of respondents (34.74%) rated the range of food and drink sold in the kiosks as
poor and 16.84% rated it as very
poor. Only 24.21% rated it as average and only 11.58% rated it as good or very good.
49.47% rated the
price of food and drink as very poor and 18.95%
rated it as poor. Exactly the same
number rated it as average. Of the rest
only 2.11% rated it as good and 0% rated it as very good.
57.9% of
respondents buy food and drink from the outlets at Ashton Gate and 42.1% never do.
Those who do not buy
food or drink at Ashton Gate were asked what the main reason for not doing so
was. 53.5% said it was because of the price and 25.6% said it was because of the poor quality of food on sale. Of the remainder 14% said it was due to the length of queues, 4.7% said poor service and 2.3%
said the poor quality of drinks.
Those who do not buy
food/drink at Ashton Gate were also asked if there were any other reasons why
they don’t not buy food and drink. Some
fairly typical responses are listed below.
“Have a meal before
I leave for Ashton Gate!!”
“As a protest for
not allowing ANY smoking in the Atyeo Stand”
“Lack of veggie food, often sold out”
“I'd rather support a local company as opposed to Lindley's. If
the club used local products then I'd buy in the ground”
“The quality of staff used by Lindley's always made any purchase
a potential nightmare”
“Too expensive and
too often sold out of key items”
“Because the food
is disgusting and usually under cooked. Burger vans in stadium car-park are
much nicer”
Members were next asked to rate the quality of the products on
sale in the kiosks and the service provided.
Of those who responded, 32.6%
said the quality of products/service was average. However, 22.1%
said they were poor and 24.2% said
it was very poor. 16.8% said they do not buy food and drink at Ashton Gate.
71.6% said that the food/drink did not offer value
for money. Only 6.3% said that the food/drink was value for money. The remainder (22.1%) had no strong feelings on the matter.
Those who felt that the food/drink was not value for money were
asked why they felt like this. A large
number of responses were generated. Some
typical comments are listed below.
“It's simply too expensive. I can buy the same or similar
products on my way to the ground for much less”
“Too expensive and too often sold out of key items”
“Over priced, hot items not always that hot, staff can be rude”
“Poor quality unhealthy food sold at a ridiculous price”
34.7% of respondents said that they would buy
food/drink if there was a wider range available at the kiosks and 40% said they would consider it.
Those who said they would buy food/drink if there was a wider
range available and those who said they would consider it were asked what
additional products they would like to be sold in the kiosks. Some typical responses are listed below.
“Healthier options for kids”
“Some well filled baguettes for the warmer weather and anything
hot and filling when it is colder”
“Sandwiches, Jacket potatoes, Meal deals”
10. COMMUNICATIONS/CUSTOMER SERVICE
Please
rate the club’s performance for each area below.
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
Official club website |
56
(58.95%) |
29 (30.53%) |
7 (7.37%) |
0 (0.00%) |
0 (0.00%) |
3 (3.16%) |
|
Ease of contacting club |
7 (7.37%) |
36
(37.89%) |
36
(37.89%) |
2 (2.11%) |
3 (3.16%) |
11 (11.58%) |
|
Listening to fans |
3 (3.16%) |
15 (15.79%) |
40
(42.11%) |
18 (18.95%) |
16 (16.84%) |
3 (3.16%) |
|
Matchday programme |
8 (8.42%) |
36
(37.89%) |
20 (21.05%) |
2 (2.11%) |
1 (1.05%) |
28 (29.47%) |
Do you feel that
|
Yes |
|
26.3 |
|
No |
|
46.3 |
|
No strong feelings |
|
27.4 |
Do you buy/read the match day
programme?
|
Yes |
|
42.1 |
|
No |
|
57.9 |
Do you think the matchday
programme is value for money?
|
Yes |
|
24.2 |
|
No |
|
25.3 |
|
No strong
feelings |
|
50.5 |
Do you ever visit the club’s
official website?
|
Yes |
|
96.8 |
|
No |
|
3.2 |
If you answered Yes to the previous question, how often do
you visit the website?
|
Very
rarely |
|
0.0 |
|
Once
a month |
|
3.3 |
|
Once
a week |
|
13.0 |
|
Once a day |
|
75.0 |
|
Once
an hour |
|
8.7 |
Do you contribute to any fans’ forums?
|
Yes |
|
65.3 |
|
No |
|
34.7 |
When asked if BCFC
values their opinion on important issues, 46.3%
of respondents answered No, BCFC did not value their opinion. 26.3%
felt that BCFC did value their opinion and 27.4%
had no strong feelings.
As a follow up to the
above question, members were asked how they thought communication between the
club and supporters could be improved.
Some typical comments are listed below.
“The club NEEDS to
listen to the fans' and not always think £££”
“By holding regular
question and answer sessions and placing suggestion boxes around the ground and
implement popular / workable ideas”
“They could try
listening and actively looking for fans opinions”
“More open forums.
More use of local business. Mixing with fans in the bar and around the stadiums
before and after games. Giving the east end one more chance. Use Gary Johnson’s
philosophy and judge it over 10 games”
57.9% of
respondents either buy or read “Well Red” and 24.2% said it was value for money.
However, 25.3% said it was
not value for money and 50.5% said
they had no strong feelings.
The ones who said
that they did not think it was value for money were asked how it could be
improved. Some typical responses are
listed below.
“Reduce the price -
it seems to go up and up. Increasing the pages is no justification just to have
more adverts”
“Even though the
number of pages increased it is filled with too many adverts surely this would
cover any need to increase the price”
“By reducing the
cost and fluffiness which makes it appear to be a party political broadcast
rather than an informative, unbiased journal”
This
survey was issued in both hard copy and electronic format. The majority of responses were submitted
electronically. 96.8% said they visit the club’s official website. Of these 75%
said they visit once a day, 13% once
a week and 3.3% once a month.
8.7% visit once an hour
65.3% contribute to fan’s forums.
The most popular choices are OTIB, Rivals, Subcider and the Supporters
Trust forum. Other forums mentioned are
Citylist, BBC 606 and the Football Forum
11. DEMOGRAPHICS
The
purpose of the questions in this section was to find out what makes a typical
Are you male or female?
|
Male |
|
90.5 |
|
Female |
|
9.5 |
How old are you?
|
Under 16 |
|
0.0 |
|
17 – 21 |
|
8.4 |
|
22 – 30 |
|
24.2 |
|
31 - 40 |
|
29.5 |
|
41 – 50 |
|
22.1 |
|
51 – 60 |
|
11.6 |
|
61+ |
|
4.2 |
Do you have children who accompany you to Ashton Gate?
|
Yes |
|
37.9 |
|
No |
|
62.1 |
How do you travel to Ashton Gate?
|
On foot |
|
19.6 |
|
Car |
|
60.7 |
|
Train |
|
6.3 |
|
Bus |
|
8.0 |
|
Bike |
|
1.8 |
|
Other |
|
3.6 |
The following
demographics and behaviours represent the overall profile of responders,
typically long standing and loyal supporters who have a wide experience of the
football club. It would be a good exercise to overlay this profile with the
football club database and see how close the fit is.
90.5% of
respondents are male. 29.5% are aged 31-40, 24.2% are aged 22-30, and 22.1% are aged 41-50. Of the remainder, 11.6% are between 51-60, 8.4%
17-21 and 4.2% are 61 or over.
37.9% have children
who accompany them to Ashton Gate.
When it comes to
travelling to Ashton Gate, by far the biggest percentage travel by car (60.7%).
19.6% travel on foot. Only 14.3% use public transport (8% by bus and 6.3% by train) and 1.8%
cycle.
62.1% of
respondents are season ticket holders and 17.9%
do not have a season ticket but go to games regularly.
53.7% have
supported
36.8% go to 20-23
home games and 30.5% go to every
game (including cup games).
55.8% go to between
1-4 away games and 22.1% go to 5-9
games.
12. THE TYPICAL TRUST
MEMBER?
Based on the
responses to the survey, a typical Bristol City Supporters Trust member would
appear to be a male aged between 31-40 who has supported City for over 25
years. He is a season ticket holder who
sits in the Dolman stand and travels to Ashton Gate by car. He will go to between 20-23 games at Ashton
Gate and will follow City away between 1-4 times a season.
13. CONCLUSIONS
In some areas the
club does not appear to have done badly.
Apart from some concerns over pricing, the club has scored fairly well
on Ticketing and Products/Merchandise.
The club has also scored fairly well on Communications/Customer
Service.
It is the areas of
the Matchday Experience and Catering that give the most cause for concern. At best it appears that the Matchday
Experience is considered average and for Catering the performance is considered
to be poor.
How can improvements
be made?
This survey was
limited to trust members. However, if
the wider
Although the club’s
performance on communication is not bad, perhaps the club should remember that
communication is a two way process. It
is worth noting that a large number of respondents felt that the club do not
value their opinions on important issues and that the club should listen more
to the fans.
There is evidence
that on the occasions when the club has been seen to be listening to fans they
have risen in fans’ estimation. The most
recent and perhaps best example is over the choice of shirt suppliers for the
current season. A further example is the
Ask the Chairman sessions, the concept of which has been well received and
there are plans to hold further sessions, including sessions at away games.
Obviously it would
not be practical for the club to consult fans on every issue but on some issues
consultation could be advantageous.
Perhaps an example of when consultation would have been beneficial would
have been over the question of smoking inside Ashton Gate. This may have avoided the situation we have
now where a large section of supporters feel disaffected because they choose to
sit in the Atyeo but do not have a designated smoking area.
For many the matchday
experience is all important. Fans will
meet beforehand, perhaps going for a drink, before going to the ground. Obviously what happens outside of Ashton Gate
is beyond the control of the club but the club should be looking at what
happens inside the stadium and trying to make the matchday experience as
pleasant as possible for all fans.
There is evidence
that some supporters do not feel this is happening. Many say the atmosphere inside the ground
could be better. There is a perception
that since the Taylor Report and the advent of Sky, football is becoming
gentrified and that too much emphasis is place on the corporate customer as
opposed to grassroots fans. Many fans
feel that they are viewed as nothing more than a revenue stream. This is borne out in some of the comments
about the catering. It may well be that
the club needs to look at the current catering contract or seek ways of
improving what many deem to be very costly and of a very poor standard for what
is on offer.
Atmosphere, or
perhaps the perceived lack of it, is a major concern. It has been noted in this survey and
elsewhere and perhaps the club should be looking at ways to address this. Some supporters have stated that they
actually prefer to watch City away and do not go to Ashton Gate, thus losing
the club revenue.
Although the club
have gone on record as saying that the
The Supporters Trust
is keen to see the club succeed both on and off the field and is willing to
work with both the club and the fans to achieve this goal.