[Albion] Anyone else considering cancelling their ST's?

[METALMICKY]

To be fair I think the club are well aware of the financial times we are living in. Freezing prices is one thing but what's critical for me is the ability to pay by interest free installments. I still love going to watch the Albion through thick and thin and I'd knock other expenses on the head to preserve cash for that pleasure.

 

[el punal]

I’m fortunate that I’m in the position not only to be able to afford two season tickets (me and Mrs.Punal) but as I’m retired I am able to go to most matches home and away. This was not always the case, back in the 90s and early 2000s financial constraints and the need to work weekends meant that attending Albion matches was a luxurious rarity. I can therefore relate to those who are having difficulty in being able to afford the cost of seeing our heroes. My advice, therefore, is please don’t give up. I’m sure with a lot of you circumstances will change for the better, as it did for me.

The thrill of watching the Albion is as strong now as it was 50 odd years ago - if not better! These are heady times and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I'm renewing, but I believe they won't sell ST's out.

The club have some serious thinking to do

Firstly they need to stem the flow of those drifting away. They have done really well to hold ST prices and this will help. But I also think the messaging coming out of the club isn't always helping (ie "sky pay us well so they can schedule when they like" and "the fans can't register their displeasure with a performance" "you have to jump through a million hoops to come to a match" are the messages which the fans are hearing). I believe this messaging needs to be more customer oriented, more on our side.

Secondly without a ST waiting list the club will have to think harder about how to attract new generations of supporters. Advertising in different ways. Billboards in town, radio adverts, I don't know. I spoke to a work colleague and told her season tickets were available and she went straight out and bought a couple. She had no idea before that this was possible. How many more are out there, who would only need a little nudge to plant the idea in their heads.

 

[Glawstergull]

I'm renewing, but I believe they won't sell ST's out.

The club have some serious thinking to do

Firstly they need to stem the flow of those drifting away. They have done really well to hold ST prices and this will help. But I also think the messaging coming out of the club isn't always helping (ie "sky pay us well so they can schedule when they like" and "the fans can't register their displeasure with a performance" "you have to jump through a million hoops to come to a match" are the messages which the fans are hearing). I believe this messaging needs to be more customer oriented, more on our side.

Secondly without a ST waiting list the club will have to think harder about how to attract new generations of supporters. Advertising in different ways. Billboards in town, radio adverts, I don't know. I spoke to a work colleague and told her season tickets were available and she went straight out and bought a couple. She had no idea before that this was possible. How many more are out there, who would only need a little nudge to plant the idea in their heads.

If she was unaware of the sale of season tickets i doubt she has any experience of any of the reasons that most are not renewing have to contend with.

 

[bhanutz]

We have a lot of fickle fans

 

[portlock seagull]

As has been said by many including me, I’ve sort of discovered my support of BHA is really up to and including the Championship. PL Brighton costs 3 times as much per match basis because can’t shift tickets and can’t go. They got you by the balls…so had to issue a poke in the eye so I could be released!

Now joined the Non League scene too though down for the Villa game. 1st Amex visit in 2 years, when once I was 20 years every home and plenty away too. Shame but that’s modern football for you: too hard to attend and increasingly hard to justify for walk up fans or what’s known as ‘legacy’ ones

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I'm renewing, but I believe they won't sell ST's out.

The club have some serious thinking to do

Firstly they need to stem the flow of those drifting away. They have done really well to hold ST prices and this will help. But I also think the messaging coming out of the club isn't always helping (ie "sky pay us well so they can schedule when they like" and "the fans can't register their displeasure with a performance" "you have to jump through a million hoops to come to a match" are the messages which the fans are hearing). I believe this messaging needs to be more customer oriented, more on our side.

Secondly without a ST waiting list the club will have to think harder about how to attract new generations of supporters. Advertising in different ways. Billboards in town, radio adverts, I don't know. I spoke to a work colleague and told her season tickets were available and she went straight out and bought a couple. She had no idea before that this was possible. How many more are out there, who would only need a little nudge to plant the idea in their heads.

I don’t know but there aren’t necessarily any. You can’t extrapolate from one example.

 

[TomandJerry]

I understand everyone's thoughts and views on this subject, and thank you for replying.

Quite simply I just can't justify the cost with all other prices going up (no pay rise this year) unless I am able to get a second job, which would restrict my hours to such that I would rarely even get to a football match, therefore having a season ticket would also be pointless.

Feels like a double edged sword.

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[DavidRyder]

I've renewed - I think the fear of being at the back of the queue for tickets IF we were to ever reach the heady heights of a European spot was partly within my decision!

But I no longer buy programmes. I've got so many, and I've probably not even read the vast majority. Buying one just became a routine I'd go through each game. Those £3.50s all add up.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

We have a lot of fickle fans

You don’t have to have a season ticket to be a fan…

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I don’t know but there aren’t necessarily any. You can’t extrapolate from one example.

But we have to at least try.

I really think not selling out ST's (if that happens) will focus minds in the club. How we can build the fanbase of the club? how we can get the next generation off their sofas and into the stadium?

We've not really had to think about this too much since promotion but now we do.

The normal promotional things apply surely. There's a very good product there. It's just about letting people know it's there, make it easy to access, trying to ensure it's at a convenient time as much as possible

 

[Lower West Stander]

Bloom has put about £300m of his own money into the club. Let’s worry about paying that off before we criticise the club for not lowering ST prices this year. No?

It’s not debt though….


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[el punal]

I'm renewing, but I believe they won't sell ST's out.

The club have some serious thinking to do

Firstly they need to stem the flow of those drifting away. They have done really well to hold ST prices and this will help. But I also think the messaging coming out of the club isn't always helping (ie "sky pay us well so they can schedule when they like" and "the fans can't register their displeasure with a performance" "you have to jump through a million hoops to come to a match" are the messages which the fans are hearing). I believe this messaging needs to be more customer oriented, more on our side.

Secondly without a ST waiting list the club will have to think harder about how to attract new generations of supporters. Advertising in different ways. Billboards in town, radio adverts, I don't know. I spoke to a work colleague and told her season tickets were available and she went straight out and bought a couple. She had no idea before that this was possible. How many more are out there, who would only need a little nudge to plant the idea in their heads.

While I agree with you that changing kick off times and dates is a pain in the arse it was always going to be. The Premier League is dictated to by TV companies as they put in a huge amount of money into the League coffers, and ultimately the clubs, so that any individual club would find it hard to protest as they are contractually obliged to toe the line. In fact when we were in the Championship in 2016/17 we were chosen for (I believe) 17 live matches at a fraction of the rewards of TV coverage that is on offer in the PL. Nothing changes in that respect.

I disagree with your point about attracting new generations of fans. Success on the pitch will always attract new fans - they want to be part of that success. The opposite is true if the team does badly and gets relegated. Attendance figures will decrease accordingly. The club has its faults for sure but generally speaking they understand the need to be on-side with their fans and as such have been very good at that.

My final point is why would any fan, apart from being restricted by finances or unable to attend for other reasons, would want to give up watching the Albion in what is arguably their most successful season in history?

 

[Denis]

I’m thinking of giving up my ST. I’ve missed so many matches this season, what with 8pm KO’s, Covid fear and not wanting to pick up Covid before holidays abroad.
I go alone so it’s not much fun and not very keen on the man I sit next to, always reeks of alcohol and garlic.
So I’m thinking of buying My Albion + membership (it is offered when you go on cancellation site), then going to the matches that suit me and choosing different areas in the ground to sit.

 

[martin tyler]

This is going to become a tough choice I think for many. Personally I don’t want to cancel mine, but friends I go with I know 2’are worried by the cost as one lives alone with minimal wages but cost of living in eating in to the little spare cash he has, whilst the other has a decent job to a point but a wife and 2 kids and money could be put to other uses. Both love the football but if it starts to come to a point where it’s football or food and hearing or holidays with family then I can see people outing football on the back burner.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

We have cancelled one out of the three of us but made him an Albion Plus member therefore he can have two free games at least. And have our tickets when we can't go.
He has a young family now and that takes precedence.
I was on the verge of cancelling but the thought of missing days out like Watford away got me back on track especially as we are Tier One in loyalty points

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[South west gull]

I’m thinking of giving up my ST. I’ve missed so many matches this season, what with 8pm KO’s, Covid fear and not wanting to pick up Covid before holidays abroad.
I go alone so it’s not much fun and not very keen on the man I sit next to, always reeks of alcohol and garlic.
So I’m thinking of buying My Albion + membership (it is offered when you go on cancellation site), then going to the matches that suit me and choosing different areas in the ground to sit.

If 1 cancels season ticket then gets Albion +1 then changes mind & gets season ticket do you get the money taken of your season ticket ?

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[Wardy's twin]

We have a lot of fickle fans

No there are a lot of fans who are being challenged by the financial crisis and dare I say it COVID so they are reviewing their renewal options. If they were fickle they would not be giving up when we are playing to highest level

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

Do you get a 10% discount if you leave on 81 minutes?

 

[chaileyjem]

As has been said by many including me, I’ve sort of discovered my support of BHA is really up to and including the Championship. PL Brighton costs 3 times as much per match basis because can’t shift tickets and can’t go. They got you by the balls…so had to issue a poke in the eye so I could be released!

Now joined the Non League scene too though down for the Villa game. 1st Amex visit in 2 years, when once I was 20 years every home and plenty away too. Shame but that’s modern football for you: too hard to attend and increasingly hard to justify for walk up fans or what’s known as ‘legacy’ ones

I can understand there’s all sorts of reasons for stopping going (cost, family, job, non league football is more fun etc) but PL Brighton really isn’t 3 times or even twice more expensive , it’s not hard to attend, and why have a season ticket if you want to shift em ? , and the inconvenience of tV and non 3pm games didn’t start in 2017/18 . in the Champ Rescheduled games due to TV etc, midweek were commonplace.
Why not just say you like non league more ? (PS: plenty of fans do both)