Junior teams.clubs/associations wanted

Club Notices General
1

The club are looking to offer any junior teams/clubs/associations up to age group under 14’s in the area a free seaon ticket pass to all Albion home league games for the coming season.

If you are a member of a junior team and would like your team to get some passes please get in touch with me or Andy chad
Likewise if anyone has any contacts with any junior teams (does your son/daughter neighbour etc) play for any drop it in conversation!

Its all free to the club (the kids passes obviously not the adults) and will come with a letter from Jim Vince inviting them to the games next season.

This will be in place for all Witton junior boys and girls teams next year and is open to all other teams/clubs and associations - we do however need help in contacting them so please do your bit and get in touch with me or andy so we can start the ball rolling.

Everyone is always quick to say we need to get the gates up - well here is an opportunity to help the club and it isn’t even asking you for a donation - we’re not asking that much are we?

Look forward to some positive responses and some positive actions too.

2

Happy to give you contacts at my lads school Neil, Hartford Manor primary. I know last year they ran a trip to watch Wrexham after they were invited by the club with the incentive of meeting the players and letting a few balloons go on the pitch.

3

I will be playing U16s next season with Witton and I was told that if I requested then I would get a free season pass. Jim vince told me this himself so i trust what he says, who do I request this off because I plan to go to every home game I am available e.g not using my Crewe Alex season ticket or away

Thanks

4

You will get a pass Alexfan - probably from your manager at one of your training sessions pre season. Everyone in your squad will get one.

Do you have any friends who play for other teams who may be interested though?

5

Do the Supporters Team get free passes also??? :o

6

No they don’t I’m afraid.

7

As I work at Weaverham High School I might be able to get the lads there interested, how do I go about getting the passes?
WHS.

8

Hi Neil,

i’m the secretary of Witton Albion Juniors I’m sure all the junior teams would be delighted to get the free passes. If you drop me a pm i can get you all the necessary contacts and we can make sure all the teams get the passes.

best

Gaynor

9

Just wanted to let people know that Neil has been in touch reguarding my request for more info, didn’t want people thinking he had ignored my post, will be in touch Neil

10

Sorry Pick - I tend to ramble on through personal msgs once I get a bit of interest.
Gaynor/WHS I will be in touch via a PM later today.
Thanks so far folks lets keep them coming!

11

[center]1,800 Minutes of Memories
Witton Albion FC Invite Juniors to Watch for Free Next Season[/center]

Wincham Park, Cheshire, 4th July 2007 - Ask a football fan of any generation to recall the first football match they attended and they will recount a detailed story of standing on a terrace aged seven or eight - whether their first game ended 0-0 or took place on a cold and wet Saturday in the middle of November, the memory was permanently stored!

In recent years watching football has become an expensive pastime for parents with children and the obvious allure of famous name players, huge stadiums ‘must have’ merchandising all comes at a cost! Now juniors can build a season full of memories without it costing them a penny!

As one of the longest established and successful non-league football teams, Witton Albion FC of the UniBond Northern Premier League have launched an initiative to provide Junior Supporters with FREE Season Tickets for the forthcoming 2007/8 season.

“We want to make football accessible to juniors, families and the community as a whole” commented Witton Albion’s Chairman Mike Worthington, “Witton prides itself on being a family club and the decision to launch this scheme reflects our commitment to bring more and more local people into football”. “With Premiership football teams within a 30 minute drive of the town we need to demonstrate the excitement of football in our league and encourage children and adults alike to support their local team”, said Worthington.

The club will supply local teams, associations and clubs with free Junior Season Tickets for under 14s. Tickets will provide free admission to all 20 league games at Wincham Park during the 2007/8 season - with access to both the seated and terraced stands. In addition to providing free admission the club plans potentially to organise other events during the season if the initiative is successful.

Witton Albion’s first team manager Jim Vince was delighted by the new scheme, “Our supporters were fantastic last year and made a huge impact on results on the pitch, the atmosphere at home games was tremendous and will only get better as a result of this initiative”. Vince further stated, “Support from juniors and their involvement in our youth teams or other local youth teams is good for football in the area, we should be encouraging that at every opportunity”.

For more information contact Neil Wilson at Witton Albion on 07761 192195 after 6pm or by email to neilwilson8980@hotmail.com

Ends (398 Words)

About Witton Albion…

Witton Albion scored more goals than any other side in the Unibond Northern Premier League last season and at one stage were the top scorers in any of the English Football Leagues! A dramatic conclusion to the season saw Witton top the league on level points, only to lose out on promotion by goal difference. More than 2,200 fans were at the Wincham Park home game to watch the club’s play-off final against AFC Telford. Established in 1887 the club has a celebrated history which includes having played at the ‘old’ Wembley Stadium in 1992 where they contested the FA Trophy Final against Colchester United.

‘Junior Pass’ Details/Rules of use…

The Junior Pass is to be used as a season ticket and presented at the family gate to gain free admission.

It is valid for all 20 home Northern Premier League games in 2007/08 season.

Cup games are all pay due to League or FA rules.

Normal Adult admission is £9 and Concessions £5.50.

The pass allows you to sit or stand within the ground dependent on terrace availability.

All games subject to change please see local press/club websites (www.wittonalbion.co.uk) or call the office on 01606 43008 to confirm dates etc.

Weekend games kick off at 3pm, mid-week games at 7.45pm. Gates open around 45 mins-60 mins before kick-off.

Contact

Witton Albion’s Chairman Mike Worthington and First Team Manager Jim Vince are available for interview.

Please contact Neil Wilson on 01606 43008 or 07761 192195
or by email to neilwilson8980@hotmail.com to get involved in the scheme.

12

So anyway, about these SUpporters Team passes… :o

13

Thanks very much to the 5 people who have come forward and offered their assistance thus far (with links to clubs etc) - is that the best we can do though folks?

Out of all the regular Wittoners do we only have 4 people who have any contact whatsoever with the hundreds of associations etc in Mid-Cheshire? We’d better not hear anyone say all season that we need to get more kids involved…

14

Well folks as expected reposnse has been very poor.

After a lot of emailing/and phone calling, cutting/copying and laminating (my family are all saints!) we have at present got just over 1000 junior season tickets going out to local clubs and associations ranging from Under 7 to Under 14’s.

This will hopefully help lift the profile of the club in the local area and raise attendances next season.

No one can now say it hasn’t been tried.

15

Neil well done as usual for the efforts, am I not right in thinking that kids get in with a paying adult anyway? we tried the junior season ticket a couple of seasons ago (got one for my lad) but last year went back to the kids free option, from a personal point of view this worked better, as if someone was staying over (lads mate etc) I could drag em to the match, same with my little girl, she often got cold by half time but not before she has had pies chips sweet drinks etc, if kids are in they will

A, realise like the rest of us that witton are great and we are blessed to watch em, and grow up to turn down offers of premiership football to watch the mighty witton.

or

B, moan like hell for coke pies sweets programmes replica strips etc, therefore bringing revenue anyway,

some of us will watch no matter what but some will always say, well you dont have to pay for the kids!

16

Sigi - the previous season ticket scheme was when the club decided they would charge for U14 entry - a grave mistake.

This year the U14’s with an adult is still open to everyone there has been no change in policy. What we are doing via this scheme is spreading the knowledge and hopefully by giving kids a season ticket and letter from the club something to associate with. If they want to bring a mate along there will be no issue getting in - that is partly the plan really that they will!

By contacting the clubs in this way it also gives us the opportunity to invite them down for a game as a squad for a tour etc (something we are finalising at present) This will hopefully give kids and the adults a good experience of coming to the games. (as was done last year on a couple of occasions)

Hope that clears it up - all U14’s are free still - I just hope now that several hundred extra people know it!

17

I would not be too disappointed with the take up on this Neil. Getting people to take action is always the most difficult part of any campaign and the numbers you are talking about is in my opnion very good considering. What you have acheived beyond any doubt is raised the profile of the ‘offer’ and more people are aware that under 14’s can watch for free.

The initiative in itself is a good one without any doubt. Kids can pay anything from £2.50 to £6.50 across the water and therefore we have made Witton more accessible for first time football watchers. We want the juniors to stay on and watch Witton for many years ahead. When you grow up in an area you support one team of the other and therefore any offers and incentives to this market is a positve thing. As we know the kids might drag their parents down and that adds more to the date.

For an adult and 12 year old to watch vics costs over £20 which compared to £9 at Wincham Park, is a lot more (especially to be miserable ;))! An extra half dozen adults a game as the result of this effort and you have put over £1k on the gate this year.Well done for this - everyone on this site should remind their friends, neighbours and anyone else about this under 14s offer at every opportunity.

18

[quote]
When you grow up in an area you support one team or the other[/quote]

And here was me thinking you grew up in Stoke… So this ‘one team or the other’ isn’t just local teams?? So rather than Stoke/Port Vale/etc, it could just as easily be Man U…or Witton… ;D

19

I’m not too disappointed Rabbit - I expected it!

As for the admission you’re actually a little off the mark - the family gate as such is back with adults with an U14 paying 38 not £9. this has just being reintroduced inline with the above inititive to hopefully make it more family friendly. £1’s not a huge amount but its a token gesture - more than other clubs do!

20

Good to see a few kids there last night many of whom I’m told used their new passes. Hopefully when all the passes have been distributed there will be a few more gracing Wincham Park.

As for the tickets themselves - the offer is also available to individuals ie is your son/daughter not a member of a local team but would like a pass? This wont make any difference to their admission ie family gate etc but they may like to have the card and a letter from Jim Vince?

If you want one just let me know the name you require going on the tickets by email or PM.