yeah Woody, it is difficult as you would come in on matchday, which for full-time staff / management is obviously their busiest and most stressful day.
We had a good team of around 6 / 7 volunteers selling programmes / 50-50 sellers, yes some were not vocal or the most glamorous but I maintain from a business point of view was the most effective. Programme selling is the worst job at the club as you are outside, in all weathers, in the dark, responsible for money, with minimum equipment etc, you are also away from any of the action re players etc. Compare that to the many many security staff we had on main reception at times, all paid, all eating and drinking, meeting and talking with players, VIPs etc etc. Different job I know
Club preferred to have paid staff I think as they thought they could 'motivate' them better to sell more. Not sure that worked plus programmes are far less relevant in today's instant news via social media.
The volunteers didn't ask for much and over time they did get slight more acknowledgement and invited to the end of Season dinner.
When you read about really successful clubs, especially those that are 'overachieving' they all talk about everyone being a very valued member of the team, from the tea lady to the Chairman. Sense of community and pulling toward certainly worked that amazing season with Wilder.
Harder to get the wider community of Northampton involved when we have the £10m loan fiasco and a real lack of promised development as that is all they see & know. Let alone the spates between fans, Trust, staff and owners.
I used to do the 50/50 tickets when I was at School. I remember designing a logo for posters and lost all interest when the club suggested I could pay for the printing my self