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For some time the principle complaint of just about everyone was the refusal of the club to listen. Accusations of arrogance, directed at the former chief executive in particular, were symptomatic of the frustration felt by fans who found themselves coming up against a brick wall.
The twin accusation was that the club were taking supporters for granted, trying to squeeze every last penny out of them, and taking us for fools with some of their marketing statements.
Now, the approach seems to be different. This column has long argued that the club should be more creative in trying to attract back the missing few thousand. The argument is simply that if you listen, and if you give people something to encourage them, then people will respond. There are people out there who are interested in coming and watching Burnley, who have been to watch Burnley before, but who do not have the same commitment as those who go come what may. You need to give them an incentive.
Now the club has adopted that approach, and we will see once and for all if it works. The pricing plan for the next to games is to be greatly applauded. The club has not just opted for a cheap tickets, but they’ve linked it to the whole experience. With just a bit of luck, then the club could make as much money over those to games as they would at full price.
But just as importantly, the club have continued to listen. Season ticket holders were disappointed to be excluded from the associated offers, and the club took on board their concerns and made provided for them to be included in the deal. The only complaint is that the club have required us to go to the ticket office to collect them, so for those of us who live away from the town will not be able to take part.
Other concerns have been raised. There are legitimate concerns that the attempt to turn Turf Moor into a family venue will dilute the authentic football experience. However, the sad truth is that the game has changed. You cannot just assume that kids will follow their parents’ allegiance, or support their local team, when the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool appear so much more glamorous in comparison. You have to get them to the ground and get them hooked before other clubs take over.
Aside from which, a fuller ground will hopefully result in a better atmosphere anyway. Certainly, it’s about time we came up with a few new songs to increase the volume. The one thing which does worry me, though, is the idea of the club launching a new anthem: if it’s something that has an existing connection to the club, then fair enough - but if not, then it could go down like the proverbial lead balloon. Rather than diving straight in with this one, the club might have been better to take stock and let the supporters have some sort of say.
The remaining challenge for the club is to get the off-field organisation right - to a significant number of fans, the club will be on show - it will need to make the right impression. On these occasions more than any other, the club cannot afford to run out of pies, drinks, or anything else. Oh, and a good performance by the team, with a few goals chucked in for good measure, wouldn’t go amiss either. Without something on the pitch to make the investment seem worthwhile, then the whole event falls flat.
Still, it seems churlish to get too critical. The club have made a start, and Dave Edmundson, Barry Kilby and the rest of the team deserve great credit. The atmosphere about the club seems healthier, and more united. Now all we need are those stay-away supporters to reciprocate.
The success or failure of this exercise could prove seminal to crowd expectations at Turf Moor. If the crowds don’t turn up, we will be left with a reality that we do not have quite the fan base that we first thought we had. Notions that we have the potential to pull in respectable gates in the Premiership can be scorned. But we know you’re out there, people - prove it by getting to the Turf.
