Dale Supporters Trust Coach Service
With the away games played this season so far, the coach service has been positively received and appreciated by those who have used the service, and for whose support we are grateful. The problem we have faced, however, is the limited numbers using the service, which has resulted in the inability, especially on the longer trips, to cover the costs involved, despite the generous subsidy provided by the Ogden Family. It was always the Family’s intention when approaching the Trust to adopt the coach travel to encourage fans to attend those trips with significant mileage. Still, the imbalance of the number of such trips in this league versus the less expensive relatively shorter ones has proved financially difficult to justify. At the Trust Board meeting on Wednesday 5th February, we reviewed the remaining away games and how we could continue to provide the coach service by reducing the current significant costs. Below is the result of this review.
The proposal is to offset some of the costs involved on the longer scheduled trips by applying the subsidies available for those weekday trips not being scheduled, games which are being beamed back to the Ratcliffe Suite, and involve earlier departure times which some may find difficult to meet, therefore reducing the numbers able to travel.
Proposed scheduled coach service
Southend United Saturday 15th February – Departure 0800
Halifax Wednesday 19th February – Departure 17.30
Maidenhead Saturday 22nd March – Departure 10.00
Solihull Saturday 5th April – Departure 11.00
**Altrincham Friday 18th April (Good Friday) – 13.00
**Although this game will be screened live, it’s on the same day as the Hornets are playing at the COA, so a beam back to the Ratcliffe Suite will not be possible because of difficulties regarding access, car parking and set-up, so a coach is being scheduled.”
Proposed coach travel not scheduled (local)
Oldham Saturday 15th March
Proposed coach travel not scheduled (Games beamed back to Ratcliffe Suite)
Tamworth Tuesday 25th February – Departure 15.45
Woking Tuesday 1st April – 12.30 departure
Sutton Tuesday 8th April – 14.00 departure
++Braintree Monday 5th May – 09.00 departure
++ A coach may later be able to be scheduled, dependent on league position/qualification for playoffs
The additional key factor in assisting in making the provision of the service more viable is an increase in the numbers utilising it. At the same time as we do accept it is very much a personal choice as to the alternative ways to travel to the games, why not give the coach a try and help the Trust to continue to provide the service?