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SOCCER SPOTLIGHT 18-9-07
Jeff Winter
As you are well aware I have given the subject of attendances at the Riverside a right good hammering over the last few months and to be honest the drum is about beaten to death.
Those who used the entertainment argument might be persuaded back eventually, but the 3-0 defeat at West Ham only provided more ammunition to some cynics. I must admit listening to many who went and watching the limited MOD highlights I did at first think that some were being over optimistically upbeat over what result wise appeared to be a good tonking.
However after watching West Brom beat Ipswich 4-0 on the Championship, when Ipswich could have had six, did make me realise that perhaps our beating was not as one sided as it first appeared. One thing is certain though, we have got to start taking some of the chances we are creating.
I had one text to the show on Saturday night stating that Dong Gook Lee, Aliadiere and Tuncay could not score in a brothel. Let's hope that they prove the doubters wrong starting this Saturday.
The one thing I am learning fast is that the most significant reason for fans not attending home games is cost. They will not and unfortunately cannot afford the admission prices. That seems to be the overwhelming argument and one to which I do not have an easy answer.
£31 for Sunderland is just too much. Well as Boro have not played a home game for three weeks and then don't have another one for another four weeks then that means there is plenty of time to save up. OK, I know I am just desperate to not have the Mackems singing "You couldn't sell all your tickets".
The bottom line is that Boro have misjudged the feelings of the floating fans and for this season it is just too late to do anything about it. Or is it?
Obviously results will always be a major factor in how many turn up, but not as much as in the past. Season ticket holders have already paid and the floaters seem as if they only come to be the biggest games, Newcastle obviously not a big game anymore.
It is so difficult to start incentives once season tickets have been sold, because any offers can infuriate those who have already paid.
What can the club do? Well next season, the cost of season tickets should be reduced along with a general decrease in admission prices, but in the short term let's reward those who have paid up front this season and encourage others to get season tickets.
Admiral as the £10/£5 concessions are for Cup games, why not make it a fiver for all season tickets holders immediately? Lost revenue no, we might lose at Spurs and not get a home game in the FA Cup, so nothing lost, but it's also a gesture.
Why not announce a season ticket sale now for the remainder of the season with the guarantee that all of this season's Red Book holders will get a further reduction when they renew next season?
Why not take a leaf out of Darlo's book and give all under 10's a free season ticket when accompanied by an adult (three per adult). Fills the seats, more revenue from catering and the shops, gets them indoctrinated and they become fans for life. Let's get the players out in to the schools on an afternoon after training, sell the club for the future...
Some ideas you might think are stupid, well at least I am trying. What are your views? I am more than happy to take them to the club for their consideration.
One thing though, it doesn't sell seats, actually costs money, but other clubs have done it. Switch the TV gantry to the East Stand, then at least the TV audiences won't see empty seats.
Failing that build an Amsterdam type brothel near to the ground. Dong Gook etc might learn how to score, concessions for Red Book holders, no under 10's though, don't want to give the Geordies anymore ammunition.
I just don't know, but like thousands of you I am embarrassed by the empty seats and somebody with the power to sort it has to take note and act quickly!
Whilst we all get upset by football and it takes over some of our lives, time for a reality check.
Take a look at my website or the www.tfmradio.com site and read about TFM's Build A Dream. An empty seat is nothing to the emptiness of losing a child to cancer. Please help me and our charity to make a difference.
YOU CAN READ MANY MORE OF JEFF'S ARTICLES ON HIS OFFICIAL SITE
RETURN TO JEFF WINTER'S SOCCER SPOTLIGHT INDEX HERE
A GUARANTEED PROFIT OF AT LEAST £41.20 ON PORTSMOUTH v FULHAM
Did you know that it is possible to win money on Sunday afternoon's Premiership clash between Portsmouth v Fulham, whatever the result?
The game kicks off at 3.00pm and we can guarantee you a profit of at least £41.20, whatever the result of the match. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions below and then sit back and enjoy the game. At full-time, you will be at least £41.20 better off, whatever the result of the match.
We must point out that if you want to take this bet, you should do it now because if the odds change, then the figures here will be invalidated. If they have changed, let us know and we will rework the bet for you.
You can still do this if you have a Betfair account but your overall profit will be reduced by £25.00 as you won't receive the £25.00 cashback as an existing account holder.
If you are unsure about this bet, you are most welcome to call us on 01642 223229 and we will help you as much as we can.
We're going to lay out a total of £71.00 on the Portsmouth v Fulham match and we will collect £115.00 if Portsmouth win, £112.20 if Fulham win and £114.13 if it's a draw. That's a minimum profit of 58%, a much higher interest rate than you will get in any high street bank.
Here's how it's done. Just follow these simple instructions.
1. Open an account with Coral. It is really important that you enter the bonus code of CORALTD when prompted. This is to ensure that you receive your bonus.
Open an account with Betfair. It is really important that you enter the promotional code of BFB425 when prompted. This is to ensure that you receive your bonus.
Open an account with Extrabet
 .
This shouldn't take you any longer than a few minutes.
2. Make the following deposits into your new accounts.
Deposit £20.00 into your new Coral account.
Deposit £26.00 into your new Betfair account.
Deposit £25.00 into your Extrabet
account.
3. Now make the following bets.
Place £20.00 on Portsmouth at 3.00 (2/1) with Coral.
Coral will now add a £10.00 bonus to your account. Place this on Portsmouth as well. You will now have £30.00 riding on Portsmouth.
Back the draw with £25.00 at 3.7 (11/4) (or higher if available) with Betfair.
Place £26.00 on Fulham at 2.2 (6/5) with Extrabet .
Extrabet match your first bet up to £25 so you will now have £51.00 riding on Fulham.
The £25.00 matched bet will not show in your account but you can read all about how it works on the Extrabet site. It's the purple box that says '£25 FREE BET FOR NEW CUSTOMERS' on the top right hand side. Click here to visit the Extrabet site.
If you are unsure about placing these bets, please feel free to mail us or call us on 01642 223229 and we will talk you through it, no problem at all. There is no such thing as a stupid question.
You have temporarily laid out a total of £71.00 on the Portsmouth v Fulham match. I stress, temporarily... Now sit back, crack a beer open and enjoy the match.
4. Here's what happens at the end of the game.
If Portsmouth win, you collect £115.00. That's £90.00 from Coral plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.
If it's a draw, you collect £114.13. That's £89.13 from Betfair plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.
If Fulham win you collect £112.20. That's £87.20 from Extrabet plus a £25.00 cashback from Betfair.
5. This means that the worst case scenario on the Portsmouth v Fulham match is Fulham win and you make £41.20 profit. However, if it is a draw you make £43.13 and if Portsmouth win you make £44.00. That's a minimum profit of 58%, a much better rate of interest that you would get at any high street bank or building society.
6. It is absolutely vital that you click on the links on this page to open the accounts with the two bookies and enter the correct bonus codes or you may not qualify for the bonuses.
Also, before you place your bets, you should check that the odds haven't changed. If they have, let us know by mail or phone us on 01642 223229 and we will rework the bet for you.
Please feel free to contact us or phone us on 01642 223229 if you have any questions at all about this bet and we will help you as much as we can.
Please note that the bonuses are valid for new customers only so if you already have an account with one or more of the bookies we are using, you won't be able to do this. If that is the case, mail us or phone us on 01642 223229 and we'll create an alternative bet for you using different bookies.
This method of betting was used very successfully during the 2006 World Cup and you can read all about how it was done right here.
We guarantee this bet
It's understandable that some people will not believe that it is possible to do this. "What's the catch?" I hear you asking. My answer to that question is that we have been publishing arbitrage bets for four seasons now and literally hundreds of people have profited from following the advice on these pages.
Only twice has our refund guarantee been triggered and that was when we did all the figures wrong and sent refunds out to those who had followed our advice and made a small loss.
Our refund guarantee works like this. If this bet doesn't work like we say it will and you end up out of pocket, we will refund your losses. Simple as that.
That means that you simply cannot lose on this, whatever happens and even if we messed up the numbers.
The only stipulation here is that you must click on the links on this page to be eligible for the refund guarantee, not that you'll be needing to claim anyway. Just enjoy the profit and stay posted for many more of these throughout the season.
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