The commercial department?

[cracker]

Not even sure this is the right title but I'll tell you my problem/issue.

 

Some of you may know I work as a teacher at a school in North Wales. Tbh it is full of Mancs - both on the staff and among the kids - and I hate that part!! Over the years the pupils have been taken on tours of OT and had group tickets for CL games ...etc.

 

In mid November I was thinking this over and thought not unreasonably -the kids should have the chance to do something like that at my club too as there are also lots of LFC fans at the school and a few other teachers who like me are LFC fans too.

 

So I wrote LFC a warm letter (1 side of A4 on school headed note paper)telling them of my allegiances, my frustrations at what MUFC had done for kids at my school and my hope that our club could do something. I asked them to suggest something which they as a club could do to help us and offred to pay ...etc. I was not sure who to address it to but guessed at Brain Hall, Commercial Manager, LFC, Anfield, Lpool.

 

So far? - no reply over 6 weeks since they would have got the letter. A PR own goal imo. Did I do anything wrong? What can i do now to try to make some progress? Is there anyone I could write to, ring up or email?

 

Now obviously this will not stop me supporting the club (which I have done for 50 years already!!) and it has not cost the club any reputation in the school as no pupils know of my letter but everything I hear of this side of how the club operates seems to be very slap dash shall we say. Not happy.

[caracaracara]

Not even sure this is the right title but I'll tell you my problem/issue.

 

Some of you may know I work as a teacher at a school in North Wales. Tbh it is full of Mancs - both on the staff and among the kids - and I hate that part!! Over the years the pupils have been taken on tours of OT and had group tickets for CL games ...etc.

 

In mid November I was thinking this over and thought not unreasonably -the kids should have the chance to do something like that at my club too as there are also lots of LFC fans at the school and a few other teachers who like me are LFC fans too.

 

So I wrote LFC a warm letter (1 side of A4 on school headed note paper)telling them of my allegiances, my frustrations at what MUFC had done for kids at my school and my hope that our club could do something. I asked them to suggest something which they as a club could do to help us and offred to pay ...etc. I was not sure who to address it to but guessed at Brain Hall, Commercial Manager, LFC, Anfield, Lpool.

 

So far? - no reply over 6 weeks since they would have got the letter. A PR own goal imo. Did I do anything wrong? What can i do now to try to make some progress? Is there anyone I could write to, ring up or email?

 

Now obviously this will not stop me supporting the club (which I have done for 50 years already!!) and it has not cost the club any reputation in the school as no pupils know of my letter but everything I hear of this side of how the club operates seems to be very slap dash shall we say. Not happy.

 

You are wasting your time mate. They are not listening as they are blinded by the holy grail of mass merchandising or community projects that they can 'sell' on tv site, etc.

 

I wrote to Ian Ayre, made (what I thought) was a decent suggestion as to how the club could tap into the wealth (of knowledge) and web of supporters worldwide to improve scouting and merchandising. Over four months lapsed and not even a 'thank you' for taking the time to articulate something to help the club, etc. If they can't get the basics right(as in your case) you have to wonder about the leaderhip of the club and the direction it is heading. Wrong leaders create wrong culture.

 

Noticed they have just released a 'community app' for I-phones to track where the 'hot-spots' of suporters reside in the world. I wonder it it will morph into using it for my idea - maybe that is why I didn't get a reply ;-)

[cracker]

You know I hate this so much as it is not the club most of us want it to be - how can quite a few other clubs (mainly the ones I hate with a passion - and always will) get this so right and us get it so wrong?

 

Actually it gets more like one of these businesses where you press 1 for this, 2 for the other ...etc cos as far as i can see it is almost impossible to ring up and speak to a person - short of going to the ground in person presumably which is not exactly practical given how far away i live.

 

Fan friendly? Interested in the fans? - you are having a laugh.

 

Please someone come on and tell me I have got it horribly wrong and what I should do - nothing would please me more

[Tossed and blown]

Often with these things it's a case of who you know. Is it possible that one of your dirty manc colleagues has a contact at the piggery? Can't see them dishing out tickets to every good cause.

[Guest ShoePiss]

You know I hate this so much as it is not the club most of us want it to be - how can quite a few other clubs (mainly the ones I hate with a passion - and always will) get this so right and us get it so wrong?

 

Actually it gets more like one of these businesses where you press 1 for this, 2 for the other ...etc cos as far as i can see it is almost impossible to ring up and speak to a person - short of going to the ground in person presumably which is not exactly practical given how far away i live.

 

Fan friendly? Interested in the fans? - you are having a laugh.

 

Please someone come on and tell me I have got it horribly wrong and what I should do - nothing would please me more

 

Well Brian Hall is the PR Manager isn't he? It appears you want tickets for your school kids and maybe a tour of the stadium/museum?

 

Tickets for Anfield are much harder to come by, maybe you should settle for the stadium tour/museum thing?

[xerxes]

The uncomfortable truth?

 

Selling league capacity isn't a problem for the Club, the glory hunters are banging at the gates for League Cup tickets, we are not in Europe and the FA Cup will take care of itself.The Clubs priority is to get more money from existing ticket holders- not to create new ones ( see the lethargy on the redevelopment/new stadium issue).

 

Obviously the Mancs are not twice as nice as us - they just have almost twice as many seats to fill.........................

 

My suggestion? The Club has a good and active schools programme. Write to the Academy and see if you can get someone from the Club to come out and do some coaching, that IS their job. Then, when you have a point of contact, discounted tours/tickets can be raised with someone with whom you have a relationship, and i suspect you will get somewhere.

 

There is never any excuse for rudeness though- and the next Dean Saunders/ Ian Rush/Joey Jones might be in short trousers at YOUR school!

 

Good luck, keep us posted.

[Guest ShoePiss]

Here :- https://bookings.liverpoolfc.tv/stadiumtours/booking/default.htm

 

Stadium tour and museum is £9 for kids, museum alone is only £4

[Guest San Don]

I suppose it is a little poor the club not responding but bear in mind the mancs have a stadium with 35000 plus more seats than us. I guess the club also receives quite a few requests from clubs and possibly schools for tickets for games so where to draw the line?

[cracker]

Thanks for the replies lads - and I have had a couple of private messages too with suggestions which I will act on.

 

Tbh I have no real expectation of match tickets as i know the ground capacity issue makes 'them' offering tickets far easier than for LFC to do. All I wanted was some kind of a response which would end giving the kids a memorable experience at our club so that pics of it could be put up around school and make us look good rather than pics of kids at OT with the PL trophy on display which are seen at present - make me want to puke every time I go past them!!

 

And yes you are prob right the Head of Boys PE who is the main mover behind the OT trips and a big MUFC fan obviously prob does have a contact there I have no doubt - I have never really asked him as I don't like him and it does not interest me!!

[Flying Pig]

What school do you work at?

[Antynwa]

It is who you know.

 

Although I am surprised at this, the club is usually really good with this sort of thing. You're best writing to the community department. I doubt you'll be able to get tickets, but you will be able to get tours of the stadium and probably pics with the European Cup FWIW.