While there has been a lot to like about Sunderland’s on-field performances so far this season, off the field it’s been a different story.
Over the past decade, we’d become quite accustomed to the club being a mess off the field. However, over the last two or three years, things had improved dramatically. Communication had got better, the lack of merchandise and kits available to buy had been sorted, and the club seemed to ‘get’ the fans once again.
The hummel deal, the Welcome To Sunderland sign and Legends Way all seemed to show Sunderland AFC was once again in step with the supporters.
However, over the past few months, things seem to have seriously regressed.
On the pitch, Régis Le Bris has established Sunderland as a Premier League club; a Europa League club.
However, in terms of marketing and comms, we seem to have reverted back to League One – and it’s a major problem.
First, the ‘Membership Scheme’.
At present, this hastily introduced scheme has given zero benefit in exchange for the £48 or whatever it was they’ve charged us.
Access to ticket ballots? I think every game’s gone to general sale so far.
Access to watch under-21 games? They were free last season.
Free digital programmes. Great. If they were sent before the game. Not so great a week after.
Commentary access. Never available.
The membership scheme, we were told, was something that comes with the territory of being a Premier League club. Fine, if it’s worthwhile and has some value. Not so fine if it’s essentially a cash grab playing on the fear of potentially missing out.
Every other scheme I’ve looked at from Premier League clubs enables supporters to at least get their money’s worth back if they spend money with the club. A 10% discount on tickets sold, vouchers for the club shop… Most enable you to get more back.
Ours, you barely get a bean.
This stuff is not difficult. It’s simple marketing, and the club’s made an absolute mess of it.
Unless they rectify it over the next few weeks, they’re going to wreck a lot of goodwill that’s been established.
It’s easily sorted. Give each member 2 x £50 vouchers for the club shop, redeemable on transactions of £200 or more. The club brings in more money through club shop sales, supporters get a bit of value back. Everyone’s content.
Until something like that happens, though, it’s not a membership scheme, it’s a supporter tax – and it’s being sold on fear, not on benefit.
Talking of making a mess of things…
The club’s comms team have had their eyes completely off the ball so far this season. Almost on a daily basis, the club are making mistakes in communications they are sending out.
Seriously, we are a multi-million-pound business, and we’re making mistakes a corner shop would be embarrassed about.
Spelling mistakes are one thing. Getting information completely incorrect is another. We’ve had fixtures that are at home being advertised as being played away. Fixtures that are away being advertised as taking place at home. We’ve had the wrong dates advertised for games, ballots advertised as going live on the day of a game, ballots being drawn before they’ve opened… and we’ve been told we’d never played European football before we faced AZ.
Haway man.
This stuff is absolutely basic, it’s not difficult to get right, and it’s simply down to a lack of due care and attention.
Some people might not be bothered by this sort of stuff, but these basic mistakes aren’t one-offs, and while we always like to support the club, there are times we need to hold them to account – and this is one of those occasions. We’ve had loads of correspondence from fellow supporters on this over recent weeks – on both email and social media – and it’s an increasing issue.
And this is just the stuff we see.
What about all of the things we don’t? The emails to businesses, the pitch decks being shared, the presentations going in front of potential front-of-shirt sponsors…
And when basic mistakes happen regularly, it’s one of two things. Either people are in roles they shouldn’t be, or things are not right behind the scenes. Or both. Whatever it is, it’s a concern, and not befitting of a multimillion-pound business.
And when the club have negatively impacted the relationship with the supporters with this poorly planned membership scheme, getting the basics right is an absolute must.
Hopefully, this break from football gives the off-field people the chance to have a bit of a regroup, because at present it’s simply unacceptable.
