10 things Leicester City could learn from the 1970s (and one thing they shouldn’t)

There’s been a lot of talk in politics recently about things going back to how they were in the past – depending on where your allegiance lies, that seems to be either the late 1990s or the early 1940s.

But can Leicester City’s current regime learn anything from a bunch of matchday programmes from the late 60s and early 70s? Let’s take a look…

1. Play the hits

Other clubs publish a matchday playlist on social media and focus on local artists.

50 years ago you could send in your requests and they’d get played by Richard Thompson. There was even some nice publicity for local record shops.

2. Ramp up the catering

One of the most common complaints about the current matchday experience is the catering. Other clubs invite local street food stalls and vans to set up outside the ground, encouraging people to arrive early and build the anticipation and atmosphere. We do a bit, but couldn’t we do more?

3. Restore the half-time entertainment

Bring back the mascot races! There must be something the club could do to help entertain the masses at half time? It’s a minor grumble but it seems representative of the half-arsed approach to many things.

Could you be the “Footbawler of the Year”?

4. Improve the season ticket relocation process

Let’s get onto more serious matters. Check out what the season ticket application process looked like in 1971.

Not perfect, perhaps, but the current relocation process has somehow ended up being a laborious exercise involving multiple emails and telephone calls where face-to-face and online should be options.

This is merely one example of where supporters complain of being treated like customers, when actually if you were a customer you’d just go elsewhere. They know they’ve got a captive audience and as a result, they’re seemingly not bothered about improving the experience.

5. Get better friendlies

A bit of fun really. I particularly like the idea that Russia remained the only country so far not represented at Filbert Street. Really?

Anyway, the prestige friendlies seem to have gone out of the window lately in favour of trips to Thailand.

6. Be more honest when communicating

The key word here is “probably”. What a gloriously honest piece of communication. Don’t base your decision to turn up to the Moscow Dynamo friendly purely on the hope of seeing Frank O’Farrell presented with the Manager of the Month award. No promises.

8. Engage with the fan clubs

The club’s disinterest in making meaningful changes to the season ticket charge policy seemed to make a mockery of engaging with the Foxes Trust, Union FS and Official Supporters’ Club. Go back in time and the club actively promoted its fan clubs in the matchday programme…

Oh, and please remember to leave the ground slowly.

9. Prepare fans for change

Some great proactivity here, which hasn’t been a buzzword in the ticket office or marketing department for a while. Let’s see how they get on when thousands more are, as the club desired, descending on Filbert Way with their mobile tickets at the ready…

10. Expand the singing section

The recent failure to predict a clamour to move to the singing section, the lack of forward notice that this wouldn’t be permitted and the general attitude towards those who make the atmosphere at home games these days is in stark contrast to this kind of encouragement…

And one we might leave in the past…

Bonus content…

A Leeds fan writes…

… quite the juxtaposition here…

… and some groundbreaking scientific work.