FRIDAY NIGHT IS COUNTY NIGHT – BUT FOR HOW LONG?

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The major and most enduring innovation at the Vic Bernard era was Friday night football and long after he’d gone, and indeed until fairly recently, County followers could look forward every 2nd Friday to a trip to the match followed by whatever took their fancy. The last few seasons have seen a disturbing trend away from this – instituted firstly by the Football League ruling that allows the visitors to refuse a switch from Saturday.  Since they no longer pick up a share of the gate there is little incentive to switch unless they want a reciprocal arrangement. Those are the rules and much as we might disagree we can’t do much about it. However when there is talk of voluntarily moving to Saturday games as the norm I find this incomprehensible for a number of reasons.

1. The atmosphere at an evening game is far greater and can at times be intimidating for the visitors. I seem to recall at least one manager of a visiting club refusing to switch to a Friday night for this very reason. To contemplate giving up disadvantage is nonsensical.

2. Until the last few weeks when the house full notices have been posted the crowd for a Friday game could be anything up to 1000 greater than a corresponding Saturday. These can only be the casual spectators who presumably spent Saturday at Old Trafford or Maine Road. If the club is serious about attracting more hardcore support it has to provide the opportunity for these floaters first to come and then to stay. They have to be enticed and certainly won’t be if their first love is at home on the same day.

3. Friday night football at Edgeley is successful – there is an audience for it. County blazed the trail and are associated with it in the public eye. Locally Bury and Rochdale tried to follow suit but failed because there wasn’t a market for it there. But at EP it is successful and good businessman shouldn’t go around abandoning a good product.

Brendan Elwood’s throw away comments in The Pink, (18.4.92),  about a move to Saturday football are therefore, if reported correctly, totally illogical even taken in the context of money.  (And made yet again without sounding out their fans opinions – ED.)  He seemed to be inferring that County won’t be asking for a switch to Friday nights for games against the clubs with a big following – let’s throw away all the advantages of Friday night for additional gate receipts. However it is arguable that these clubs, (the Stoke’s Huddersfield’s and Newcastle’s be it in Division 2 or 3), will bring a sizeable following whether the game is at 7:30 on a Friday; 3:00 on a Saturday or 5:30 on a Monday morning so quite frankly money just doesn’t come into the argument.

As a businessman Mr Elwood surely recognises the principle of successful business provide what the people want when they want it. Danny Bergara has gone an incredible way towards providing the product, (ie a successful team).  The issue when it is wanted rests on two factors – firstly when it is at a competitive advantage and secondly when the customers will buy it. To throw away market advantage is business folly or, to paraphrase, “the fans prefer it on a Friday; the opposition don’t like it on a Friday; the economic arguments don’t hold water –  so let’s keep it on a Friday”.

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May 1992