I haven’t been hiding, I promise.
I can’t believe it has been four months since I last did a blog update, wow that time has flown by.
But what do they say… ‘time flies when you’re having fun’.
Firstly, I would like to thank every single person, all 2,813 of you, for purchasing season tickets.
What an incredible achievement for Morecambe FC, to have over 2,800 of you backing the Shrimps every week, the support the fans have for this Club is something not short of unbelievable!
During the busy closed season, I have been working behind the scenes to continue helping to build on and improve the experience for everyone attending the Mazuma Stadium.
We have made changes to the ticket purchasing process again, not only to help improve and quicken the ability to buy a ticket online, but also on a match day.
If I have written one guide, I must have written around six, all of which will be online for all to see in the weeks to come.
The guides are to help different supporter groups get the answers to any questions they may have, whether they are a first-time fan making their maiden visit to the Mazuma Stadium, or they are a visiting supporter from the travelling club.
For our opening home game of the 2022/23 campaign, we handed out just under 350 complimentary tickets, via our friends at Morecambe FC Community Sports, as a thank you to several different groups within the community.
79% of the tickets handed out were used and helped create the bumper crowd and fantastic atmosphere on the day, many of which hopefully will return soon for another game too.
A lot of you will remember back in January, we launched our Supporters Survey.
My intention was to release a survey twice a season, so we as a Club can monitor the changes that you want us to, and that we are making; to ensure they are actually improving the overall experience.
From the first survey, these are some of the changes we have successfully made:
- We have increased the offering we have on the food and drink outlets located around the ground - now offering some match-by-match specials around the stadium.
- We have tried to improve the information we provide within the ticket details release for both home and away matches. In this, we now include all parking information for both cars and coaches, along with any other information supporters may need for the game.
- Morecambe FC Community Sports have teamed up with Beyond Radio to provide music on the forecourt during the build up to kick off at as many matches as possible.
- The Shrimpettes have returned, showing off their dancing skills before kick-off outside reception and on the pitch.
Our supporters also asked for more ‘fan days’, so this pre-season, Derek and the squad were happy to include supporters in an open training session at the Mazuma Stadium.
The turnout for this was amazing, with lots of you meeting your favourite players for photos and autographs.
We do intend to have other events throughout the season, to be announced over the coming months.
Additionally, due to popular demand, we have launched Morecambe FC Official Coach Travel.
We have taken supporters to Bolton Wanderers, Bristol Rovers, Oxford United and Peterborough United so far this season, with a sell-out coach travelling to Accrington Stanley this weekend.
There are still things in the pipeline that are being changed and upgraded, but lips are sealed on that for now – of course, we will share these as soon as we can!
As we approach the second quarter of the football season, yes, I know, it’s going far too quick, I will be looking to release the second supporter survey.
Following the survey, we will do another application process for the working group, like we did in February, to sit as a group and discuss the feedback from the survey.
Then last, but most definitely not least, prior to Christmas, we will be looking for young Shrimps to help create and launch our very own ‘Christie’s Youth Council’.
I think it is so important that we also listen to, and ask the future of Morecambe FC how we improve and make the Mazuma Stadium home for so many more younger Shrimps!
UTS!
Anya