Over 1,000 City fans took the time to complete the recent Supporters’ Club & Trust online poll and in doing so provided some very interesting results, which are well worth a look. Here are the headlines:
- The football club can rely on unconditional support from 68% of fans; however, 26% are feeling detached and undervalued, with 6% gradually disengaging.
- A broadly similar pattern is seen in attendance with 60% offering unwavering support, 34% attending less and 6% not attending games any more.
- We asked you to rank in importance the reasons why you come to games. Only 3 out of 5 fans state the football game as the primary reason for going to matches with 2 out of 5 coming mainly due to habit or to catch up with friends and family.
- Active engagement with the football club, supporters groups and related charities, beyond cheering the lads on, is low at just 17%.
- When asked if fans should take steps to protect the heritage (Club name and home colours) 88% answered an unequivocal yes. Just 2% said no and 10% were curious about what we might otherwise be missing out on.
- Similarly, if the promise of premier league football through foreign investment in exchange for changing the Club name or home colours, 79% said they would never agree to this. 19% would be open to persuasion and just 2% would jump at the chance.
- 74% believe that fans representation at board level would help the board see things through the eyes of normal fans, with 26% disagreeing.
Nearly a quarter of all respondents took further time to add their own comments. We can see some clear messages emerging after experiencing several seasons of poor football including relegation. Some fans are disengaging, but there are likely to be other factors other than the quality of the football. Potential is there because the fan community surrounding Bristol City Football Club remains strong; people come to engage with that community despite the recent entertainment value. Protecting our heritage is clearly important; fans do not want Bristol City to become the next Cardiff. Fans want to be heard at the highest level about things that most affect them and their match day experience.
Thanks to those who took part in this poll, which is now closed. Other polls will emerge on specific subjects in the future. The results will be shared and discussed with officials at the Football Club to ensure that your voice is being heard.