The appeal of Non-League Day football: mushrooms, Ronaldinho and £2 tickets
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Version 0 of 1. Back in the year 2000, the Japanese government launched a new 2,000 yen banknote in the hope that it would boost spending in the country’s economy. The new notes were meant to excite consumers and encourage them to part with their cash more readily. The idea backfired. The population liked the new notes, but they liked them in the wrong way. Instead of spending the money and injecting the economy with some extra demand, people hoarded the notes, treating them as keepsakes rather than currency, and the economy stalled. Gimmicks do not always win over long-term customers, but any smart marketeer knows that a certain amount of quirkiness goes a long way to attracting publicity for a cause. And so it has proved for the people behind Non-League Day. Here are some of the most creative ideas being employed by clubs and sponsors who want to bring new fans through the turnstyles on Saturday. A free punnet of mushrooms for every fan Bungay Town are blessed with a former chairman who grows mushrooms for a living, so they decided to make the most of this opportunity and offer every fan who turns up for their match against Martham a free punnet. 200p tickets for 200 fans Boldmere St Michaels are charging 200p (otherwise known as £2) in the hope that they can attract 200 fans to their Midland Football League Premier Division match against Brocton. Ronaldinho to Basingstoke? Since leaving Atlético Mineiro in July, Ronaldinho has not found a club. Basingstoke Town could come to the rescue for the former Ballon d’Or winner. “We took a look at the transfer list to see which players were available,” said Basingstoke marketing director Simon Hood. “We were shocked to see that Ronaldinho was a free agent and thought what better way for him to get back into football than to play for Basingstoke Town. We are third in the table and it would be great for not only Basingstoke but non-league football.” Free entry for people with the letters ‘van’ in their names Also, our league sponsor @Vanarama are with us so... If your name has VAN in it, bring some ID & get in FREE. #DeedPoll #Ivan In perhaps the oddest freebee of the weekend, Gosport Borough FC are letting people who have the letters “van” in their names enter their ground for nothing. The deal is essentially an advert for Vanarama, the van-leasing company that sponsor the Conference South. Still, if you’re called Ivan or manage Manchester United, turn up with your ID and you’ll be able to watch the match for free. Help raise money for Prostate Cancer UK As well as prioritising people lucky enough to be born with the syllable “van” in their names, Vanarama are also going to donate 10p to the Prostate Cancer UK charity for every fan that attends a game on Non-League Day. Based on last year’s attendance of 40,000 fans, that would add up to £4,000, but the company have pledged to double their donation if over 50,000 fans turn up. If you go along to a match tomorrow, you could be contributing to a £10,000 donation. Enjoy the football. And if you want to find a match close to you, check out this map. |