The club has always tried to make our matches as accessible as possible to supporters, both on and off the Island. For the last few seasons, we have had a dedicated broadcast team producing high-quality live streams of many of our away fixtures for fans to experience on our YouTube channel.
The board and the players value our enthusiastic travelling support, but we understand that the cost of a day’s travel to the mainland, along with meals and accommodation, can quickly become prohibitive. These streams have allowed thousands of supporters to follow the Bulls without incurring travel costs and helped build our dedicated following.
We have often hosted live streams of away matches in the Bulls Bar at Springfield, offering supporters the opportunity to watch the game together. This has created an exciting live atmosphere and developed opportunities for fans to connect with each other and build the club community.
We want to nurture that atmosphere and sense of community at Springfield for away fixtures and have made some important changes in an attempt to carefully balance the needs of the club, while incorporating your feedback about the Bulls Bar experience.
From the next away fixture at Bedfont Sports on Friday 25 September, our live match stream will no longer be publicly available on our YouTube channel, but will be streamed live to the televisions in the Bulls Bar. We would like to invite fans to enjoy an ‘away day’ in the familiar surroundings of Springfield, in a fun and inclusive atmosphere. We want our supporters to back the Bulls Bar, and in return, we need to deliver more value to you.
We have engaged with fans and members of the Supporters’ Club about the Bulls Bar experience and the feedback we received centred mostly around the fact that the venue’s drinks prices have historically been higher than those in other establishments in the surrounding area. Pricing was initially determined to help offset the significant investment the club made in developing the Bulls Bar, but we appreciate that there is a need for balance. As a result, we have reviewed our bar pricing and reduced prices across different drinks to offer better value for fans, going forward.
We are constantly looking for ways to improve the Bulls Bar experience and are working on initiatives to enhance the matchday experience at the venue for both home and away fixtures.
We appreciate that this decision to make the away live stream exclusive to the Bulls Bar at Springfield will come as a disappointment to many of you – and it isn’t a decision we have taken lightly. We have a responsibility to operate sustainably to preserve the long-term future of the club, and take our stewardship of that responsibility incredibly seriously.
Whether the Bulls are home or away, Springfield is our home. Come down to the Bulls Bar, watch the live stream of the match with fellow supporters, have a drink, create a festive atmosphere and help us make the venue the place to be.
Every drink bought, every live home match attended at Springfield and away fixture enjoyed at the Bulls Bar – and every supporter who chooses to spend an afternoon or evening with us – contributes directly towards keeping the Jersey Bulls on the pitch and helps us continue our quest to climb the football league ladder.
Thank you, as always, for your incredible support.
The Jersey Bulls Board