2009/2010 season ticket prices - what will the club do?

[ATFC Seagull]

Yep, that for me is the most ludicrous thing. I've read it adds £4 to the cost of a ticket. Our prices (£24.50-£26.50) are an absolute disgrace and really should be banned by the F.A, and even with £4 knocked off they would still be too expensive. But to be paying for something that the majority of people don't use or want is disgusting and, you never know, scrapping it might just bring a few people back who are prepared to spend £20 but not £24.

The worst thing is that, as my questions on Ask the Club have shown, the club seem largely unaware of what the travel voucher is actually for - for example, there doesn't seem to be any concrete rule as to where and when you can actually get buses. When you bear in mind that unlimited bus travel from anywhere in the city, and as far out as Eastbourne is only 3.60, its a joke. I wouldn't be paying that amount (on behalf of the thousands of people who fund the club), and not even have negotiated exactly what its for.

 

[Spider]

For £120 I get 23 league games, as well as 23 return train journeys from Haywards Heath to Preston Park. I'd say that in this case that's some of the best value football anywhere - obviously not taking into account the fact that Withdean is shit.

The season tickets aren't actually that expensive though if you use your travel voucher, I suppose it's just annoying for those that don't need them.

 

[Acker79]

They'll leave the prices as they are then argue a) they couldn't reduce it because of the two year STH (BS, whenever you buy something there's a chance it'll be cheaper next year) b) that staying the same price is like having a price cut.

But they should reduce it. 8000 paying £15, or 4000 paying £25? I know what I'd want as the club's accountant.

 

[Spider]

They'll leave the prices as they are then argue a) they couldn't reduce it because of the two year STH (BS, whenever you buy something there's a chance it'll be cheaper next year) b) that staying the same price is like having a price cut.

But they should reduce it. 8000 paying £15, or 4000 paying £25? I know what I'd want as the club's accountant.

The problem is though, how can you garantee that you would sell double the amount of tickets? And also that's a little simplistic because if we were riding high next year and challenging for finishing top, we'd effectively have sold 4,000 seats that we could have sold at £25 for nearly half the price. Perhaps an unlikely situation, but all these things have to be taken into account.

 

[Titanic]

They'll leave the prices as they are then argue a) they couldn't reduce it because of the two year STH (BS, whenever you buy something there's a chance it'll be cheaper next year) b) that staying the same price is like having a price cut.

But they should reduce it. 8000 paying £15, or 4000 paying £25? I know what I'd want as the club's accountant.

There is no indication that we would sell 8000 ST at £345 each is there?

 

[Acker79]

I'm not talking about selling 8000 season tickets, I mean game tickets. Many more would be willing to go to withdean if it was only £15 than now.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Maybe a scheme alone the lines if a season ticket holder gets a non season ticket holder to purchase a season ticket, that season ticket is half, thrice?

A sort of referal scheme, them if 2 people can get a 2 seasons tickets for 300 pounds each, there would be some incentive for marketing via word of mouth.

 

[clippedgull]

I'm not talking about selling 8000 season tickets, I mean game tickets. Many more would be willing to go to withdean if it was only £15 than now.

I understand your point, but with the current quality of football the gate would not really increase that much by lowering the prices, although it would be welcome!

 

[drew]

You're missing out demand theory (the effect of demand in relation to price) here.

Not really, I imply the starting price is based on the two points I referred to. Other factors then come into account. Eg if you those two factors result in a price of £25 a game and you know that you will not be able to sell at that price then one or both of my points have to change. The Directors have to put more in to subsidise the club or the running costs have to be reduced and that would mean selling players or offloading high earners. No prizes for guessing how that would affect the team.

They'll leave the prices as they are then argue a) they couldn't reduce it because of the two year STH (BS, whenever you buy something there's a chance it'll be cheaper next year) b) that staying the same price is like having a price cut.

But they should reduce it. 8000 paying £15, or 4000 paying £25? I know what I'd want as the club's accountant.

If you can give some assurance that the extra 4000 will keep coming back irrespective of the crap on the pitch then that's a good sound economic arguement but fact is you can't and in reality, if the team are not winning then they won't and we will have a bigger shortfall.

There is no indication that we would sell 8000 ST at £345 each is there?

Bit of a moronic comment bearing in mind there is no suggestion that prices would be any way near that high.

Maybe a scheme alone the lines if a season ticket holder gets a non season ticket holder to purchase a season ticket, that season ticket is half, thrice?

A sort of referal scheme, them if 2 people can get a 2 seasons tickets for 300 pounds each, there would be some incentive for marketing via word of mouth.

Sounds good but only worthwhile from the clubs point of view if the second season ticket holder is new and not an existing one or someone who already goes to more than 16 games a season. The system would be bound to be abused.

 

[blue'n'white]

I doubt that I shall renew at these prices
a) it is bloody expensive and
b) the football is shite and not entertaining
Halve the prices and I would think about it.
I don't want any sort of schemes like "bring a friend and get a ticket cheap" because none of my mates up here support the Albion. I suppose that's sort of selfish but I have given up caring. Quite honestly the likelihood is that we'll be in League 2 next year which is, whichever way you dress it up, the Fourth Division and £470 is far too expensive for that standard however many times people trot out the bollocks about how much we have to pay to play at Withdean and how much Falmer is costing. In 30 years or more of supporting this club this is the lowest standard of football I have seen and, more importantly, the lowest that I have felt about it. Time to vote with your feet when the begging letter drops through your door in February or March

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Expect it just to be a price freeze that they'll try and spin as being a fantastic deal.

Is the right answer.

Annoyed the hell out of me last season when they triumphantly announced that prices wouldn't rise for 2008-09. No club in their right mind at this level would be increasing prices: many were cutting them, recognising that the economic climate and falling gates dictated a need to get more bums on seats.

But no, not the Albion: "Great news, valued season ticket holder, next season you can watch even worse football at the same price! Why delay, sign up today!". They tried to disguise this with efforts to entice young fans in- very commendable but at the same time entirely ignoring the loyal supporters who've endured the Football League's worst stadium for nearly ten years now.

I would love to think they would cut prices next season- as most clubs will now start to do. But unfortunately the Albion's marketing strategy is about as effective as the nightwatchman on the Titanic, albeit we appear to be sinking slightly faster, and thus I fully anticipate more of the same old crap next time round.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

The season tickets aren't actually that expensive though if you use your travel voucher, I suppose it's just annoying for those that don't need them.

It might not be that expensive at £120, my friend, but I can assure you that at £415+ (as most ticket holders pay), it most certainly is.

 

[Titanic]

Bit of a moronic comment bearing in mind there is no suggestion that prices would be any way near that high.

Pardon me for being moronic... but when I was at school 23 x 15 was £345... and this was a thread about season ticket prices.

If you are suggesting that a one off ticket should be £15, then the season ticket would need to be £250 to be attractive... costing the club hundreds of thousands of pounds on ST revenue.

Sorry it just doesn't add up.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

If I didn't renew, chances are I'd end up there most weeks anyway, but spreading the cost would definitely do me a favour. Only problem is the Gold Member system for away tickets, I haven't put all these years of money into the Albion to miss Man U/Arsenal/Chelsea away when it finally comes around.

Complete and utter rip of though - especially if as people say, the ticket voucher is worth 4 quid each game.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The problem is though, how can you garantee that you would sell double the amount of tickets?

Of course you cannot guarantee to sell double BUT you do some market research and see what might be possible within your chosen boundaries of risk. As I have often said I am not aware of the club having done any research or analysis in all my time as a supporter.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Is the right answer.

Annoyed the hell out of me last season when they triumphantly announced that prices wouldn't rise for 2008-09. No club in their right mind at this level would be increasing prices: many were cutting them, recognising that the economic climate and falling gates dictated a need to get more bums on seats.

But no, not the Albion: "Great news, valued season ticket holder, next season you can watch even worse football at the same price! Why delay, sign up today!". They tried to disguise this with efforts to entice young fans in- very commendable but at the same time entirely ignoring the loyal supporters who've endured the Football League's worst stadium for nearly ten years now.

I would love to think they would cut prices next season- as most clubs will now start to do. But unfortunately the Albion's marketing strategy is about as effective as the nightwatchman on the Titanic, albeit we appear to be sinking slightly faster, and thus I fully anticipate more of the same old crap next time round.

I'd prefer to be on the Titanic.

 

[les dynam]

they will freeze prices and claim its good news. same old story. the club is very badly run... i've had fairly close access at times and it is VERY amatuer on certain functions. marketing being particularly poor. but then as fans we know that becuase we're the ones who they should be targetting - when was the last time they tried to sell you something?

if adams stays then i won't renew my ST. if i knew he was coming back i wouldn't have renewed for THIS season.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

The only good thing about the fact we are so crap at the moment is that there's no way the club will post the season ticket renewal forms out in February, as they have done on previous occasions.

They'll be far too nervous about which division we'll be in to set prices now.

Does my head in when the Albion come asking for yet more money with three months of the season still to go.

 

[Spider]

It seems like the only sensible way of doing it is the way Bradford do it - where the more people buy season tickets, the lower the price is set at. This ensures that people are enticed to buy one at what will hopefully be a low price, but also safeguard the club should the sales not be as high as required. The proble with this system though, I suppose, is that it's a little unfair asking people to pay for something they don't know the price of - a little like United charging their season ticket holders for cup matches they don't want to go to.

Not sure a scheme like this would necessarily work at Withdean as we are probably just about at a high enough capacity in terms of % full to make it a little dangerous to try and sell too many season tickets.

 

[dougdeep]

The only good thing about the fact we are so crap at the moment is that there's no way the club will post the season ticket renewal forms out in February, as they have done on previous occasions.

They'll be far too nervous about which division we'll be in to set prices now.

Does my head in when the Albion come asking for yet more money with three months of the season still to go.

It was in May this season. It's never been in February.