Crowd vs Walsall under 5,000

[Brovion]

A casual, part-time, fairweather, used-to-go-every-week-but-don't-now fan and unashamed Big Game Charlie speaks...

As I mentioned on another thread yesterday having shelled out (including drinks etc) over £130 for two games that's us done until after Christmas - probably later if the weather's bad. (Fortunately my wife's been ill or it would have been even more expensive). To show how it should be priced - I got an email from the Cleveland Browns this morning. It offered a 'mini-season' ticket for the last three Browns home games. Included in the price was £40 worth of vouchers for stuff like hotdogs, chips and Coke - all for £50!

 

[eastlondonseagull]

As I've said on another thread, the club needs to look at the value of the tickets.

A season ticket at the Albion is only REALLY good value to supporters like ME who live in LONDON, because it saves me about a fiver on travel every game.

Therefore, take the £5-worth of free travel off my £18 ticket (which is roughly what it works out at on a game by game basis) and the game itself is only costing my £13. GREAT VALUE.

But if you live in Brighton (which is surely where most fans live) games are far more expensive.

The club need to address this. Quite how, though, is another thing.

.

 

[Bozza]

To show how it should be priced - I got an email from the Cleveland Browns this morning. It offered a 'mini-season' ticket for the last three Browns home games. Included in the price was £40 worth of vouchers for stuff like hotdogs, chips and Coke - all for £50!

You're not comparing apples with apples there (nor hot-dogs with chips 'n' curry sauce).

Premiership teams could do something similar to that due to the channels they accrue their revenue from, ie a lot comes from TV, and relatively little (now) through the turnstyle. Similarly NFL teams receive a lot of money from TV coverage which affords more flexibility to ticket deals.

Football League 1 clubs do not have the same luxury. A far higher proportion of income is derived from ticket sales meaning that apparent 'give aways' are just not sustainable in the long term, unless a benefactor or corporate sponsor is prepared to pick up the tab.

 

[perseus]

As I've said on another thread, the club needs to look at the value of the tickets.

A season ticket at the Albion is only REALLY good value to supporters like ME who live in LONDON, because it saves me about a fiver on travel every game.

Therefore, take the £5-worth of free travel off my £18 ticket (which is roughly what it works out at on a game by game basis) and the game itself is only costing my £13. GREAT VALUE.

But if you live in Brighton (which is surely where most fans live) games are far more expensive.

The club need to address this. Quite how, though, is another thing.

.

There is quite a lot wrong with how the club is run on the non-playing side of things, i.e. the paying customers and the absent ones. Who is responsible?

 

[Silent Bob]

A casual, part-time, fairweather, used-to-go-every-week-but-don't-now fan and unashamed Big Game Charlie speaks...

As I mentioned on another thread yesterday having shelled out (including drinks etc) over £130 for two games that's us done until after Christmas - probably later if the weather's bad. (Fortunately my wife's been ill or it would have been even more expensive). To show how it should be priced - I got an email from the Cleveland Browns this morning. It offered a 'mini-season' ticket for the last three Browns home games. Included in the price was £40 worth of vouchers for stuff like hotdogs, chips and Coke - all for £50!

Does that include travel voucher?

 

[Tooting Gull]

Does that include travel voucher?

That gets you about 100 miles off the coast of Ireland, and you have to make the rest of the journey on public transport coracle.

 

[Brovion]

You're not comparing apples with apples there (nor hot-dogs with chips 'n' curry sauce).

Premiership teams could do something similar to that due to the channels they accrue their revenue from, ie a lot comes from TV, and relatively little (now) through the turnstyle. Similarly NFL teams receive a lot of money from TV coverage which affords more flexibility to ticket deals.

Football League 1 clubs do not have the same luxury. A far higher proportion of income is derived from ticket sales meaning that apparent 'give aways' are just not sustainable in the long term, unless a benefactor or corporate sponsor is prepared to pick up the tab.

I accept that the mechanics are different, however the principle's the same - it's about getting people through the turnstiles. As has been pointed out if all the empty seats yesterday had been filled with people paying £1 a ticket it would have generated a few extra thousand AND maybe sparked a bit of interest among younger fans who would have enjoyed the enhanced atmosphere. After all, it wasn't that bad a game.

Silent Bob - Sadly no, othewise I'd do it!

Just editing to say Bradford Park Avenue (NPL) have given away thousands of free tickets to try and increase their attendances - you can even pick them up in McDonalds! So far not one STH (yes, they do have them) has complained on either the club's mailing list or forum.

 

[Mackenzie]

East stand £15.

Free tickets for schools/junior football clubs.

Pay on the day admission.

Travel voucher optional.

Booking fee abolished.


Any of these solutions will have a positive effect on attendance and would not piss off existing season ticket holders.

Get to it Mr Brown.

 

[binky]

I still haven't gone to a game this year.
I was free last night, and I could have gone.
So why didn't I?

1) Walsall?
2) I thought about going at circa 3:00 in the afternoon. I would have needed to get a ticket from somewhere. Couldn't be arsed.
3) Even though we are now in the playoffs, there is no "buzz" about getting promoted. Is this because it is a false positioon? Is it because there is no positivity in the media reporting. (esp. Argus). Is it because it always looks like we will struggle for goals?
4) £27 is a big slice of pie. In real terms, it may not be a lot these days, but to someone with a family, 2 kids, other commitments and other hobbies , it represents a lot of money for 90 minutes entertainment.
5) Going to footbal is a social thing. I used to go with a bunch of friends, but over the years, they no longer go, or I have lost touch. Going by yourself just seems a bit sad.
6) All seater stadiums mean that you can't go and sit with your mates, even if you had some to go with.
7) I can't smoke in the stadium anymore.


So all that said... in summary, If I could have turned up on the gate, paid up to, say, £20, I would probably have gone.

 

[Silent Bob]

I still haven't gone to a game this year.
I was free last night, and I could have gone.
So why didn't I?

1) Walsall?
2) I thought about going at circa 3:00 in the afternoon. I would have needed to get a ticket from somewhere. Couldn't be arsed.
3) Even though we are now in the playoffs, there is no "buzz" about getting promoted. Is this because it is a false positioon? Is it because there is no positivity in the media reporting. (esp. Argus). Is it because it always looks like we will struggle for goals?
4) £27 is a big slice of pie. In real terms, it may not be a lot these days, but to someone with a family, 2 kids, other commitments and other hobbies , it represents a lot of money for 90 minutes entertainment.
5) Going to footbal is a social thing. I used to go with a bunch of friends, but over the years, they no longer go, or I have lost touch. Going by yourself just seems a bit sad.
6) All seater stadiums mean that you can't go and sit with your mates, even if you had some to go with.
7) I can't smoke in the stadium anymore.


So all that said... in summary, If I could have turned up on the gate, paid up to, say, £20, I would probably have gone.

1) Brighton - Who goes to watch the opposition? Turned out to be one of our best footballing performances of the season, what does it matter who the opposition were...
2) Is it that hard to make a phone call?
3) How do you know we look like we'll struggle for goals if you don't go? Also The Argus has been fairly positive lately I think, it seems to have viewed things the same way as most fans, ie to begin with not convinced we'll doing anything but growing in confidence as the results come in.
4) Fair dos.
5) Fair dos. Maybe it's a good reason to get back in touch?
6) Fair dos, unless you buy together.
7) You can't go an hour and a half without a fag?

Most of these seem like excuses to me. I think the real reasons are crap surroundings, but mostly crap price and crap atmosphere. Both problems that we should be able to address.

 

[Napper]

regarding no 7 ) the cat and mouse game with the stewards at half time whilst smoking a fag is normally highlight of the game

 

[eastlondonseagull]

1) Brighton - Who goes to watch the opposition? Turned out to be one of our best footballing performances of the season, what does it matter who the opposition were...
2) Is it that hard to make a phone call?
3) How do you know we look like we'll struggle for goals if you don't go? Also The Argus has been fairly positive lately I think, it seems to have viewed things the same way as most fans, ie to begin with not convinced we'll doing anything but growing in confidence as the results come in.
4) Fair dos.
5) Fair dos. Maybe it's a good reason to get back in touch?
6) Fair dos, unless you buy together.
7) You can't go an hour and a half without a fag?

Most of these seem like excuses to me. I think the real reasons are crap surroundings, but mostly crap price and crap atmosphere. Both problems that we should be able to address.

I take issue with number six. Actually think that if you do take a mate, there are so many spaces you could easily persuade someone to budge up and accommodate your plus-one.

.

 

[Bozza]

1) Brighton - Who goes to watch the opposition? Turned out to be one of our best footballing performances of the season, what does it matter who the opposition were...

That's somewhat naive if you actually believe that. Do you think we'd have the same demand from Brighton fans for a game against Manchester United as for, say, Macclesfield.

 

[Storer68]

people need to get over themselves, we will get low crowds when:
a) its bloody cold
b) champions league is on
c) familys are already saving for Xmas pressies
d) prices are what they are
e) Withers is a shithole
f) Park & Ride takes too long

We are not the lowest supported team in this deivison and anyone who thinks we should be getting 8000 every game needs a reality check...or maybe just visit withdean themselves!

add to this the team is shite, the club is stagnating and the football is really BORING

 

[supaseagull]

one really obvious thing that no one has mentioned and which is my biggest issue is transport to the ground.

I have not had a car or a lift for the last two home games and I have two boys who I'd usually take. One is 6 and the other is 8.

Living outside of Brighton is a nightmare and had I have gone saturday, I wouldn't have got home until 7.45 at the earliest...Heaven only knows what time I would have got home last night AND on a school night.

Add this to the fact I'd want to sit in the North Stand because of the unpredictable weather so the kids don't get soaked, I'd have to shell out a huge amount of cash to watch the game aswell and that's without the programme and other bits you'd buy at the ground.

With the above in mind, I'd much rather listen to the game on the radio.

If however, ticket prices were cut in ALL areas of the ground, not just the family stand and for all ages and in addition, a decent bus service across Brighton & Hove and Sussex direct to the ground(NOT park & ride) was implemented, then I do think people would start to attend games. After all, why on earth do we have the travel vouchers...The club should either incentivise people to use them or get rid of them all together...A majority of people who attend don't use the vouchers anyway.

Also, for god sake, please change the pre-match music. It is dreadful and dreary and just does not get you in the mood for a game of football. Can we not have some footy related songs to at least get people feeling as though theyre at a match and not a morgue and someone with a bit of oomph on the tannoy to get the crowd going? Surely Three lions is not that difficult to get hold of on CD

Rant over...Goodbye!

 

[Silent Bob]

That's somewhat naive if you actually believe that. Do you think we'd have the same demand from Brighton fans for a game against Manchester United as for, say, Macclesfield.

Well yeah, of course, but I mean that attitude has always struck me as odd coming from actual proper Brighton fans rather than casual onlookers. If we all thought like that we'd no one at any game in this league apart from Leeds and Forest.

 

[DJ Leon]

I still haven't gone to a game this year.
I was free last night, and I could have gone.
So why didn't I?

1) Walsall?
2) I thought about going at circa 3:00 in the afternoon. I would have needed to get a ticket from somewhere. Couldn't be arsed.
3) Even though we are now in the playoffs, there is no "buzz" about getting promoted. Is this because it is a false positioon? Is it because there is no positivity in the media reporting. (esp. Argus). Is it because it always looks like we will struggle for goals?
4) £27 is a big slice of pie. In real terms, it may not be a lot these days, but to someone with a family, 2 kids, other commitments and other hobbies , it represents a lot of money for 90 minutes entertainment.
5) Going to footbal is a social thing. I used to go with a bunch of friends, but over the years, they no longer go, or I have lost touch. Going by yourself just seems a bit sad.
6) All seater stadiums mean that you can't go and sit with your mates, even if you had some to go with.
7) I can't smoke in the stadium anymore.


So all that said... in summary, If I could have turned up on the gate, paid up to, say, £20, I would probably have gone.

I totally understand and a lot of the reasons mentioned are very familiar to me - I've only been to a few games this season. The club need to take this kind of cusotmer profile and reach out to it or it's empty seats for the rest of the season.

I would say that if it had been pay on the day and the ticket £15 I would definitely have gone. At that price I could almost persuade others to go tos, even some mates that don't support Brighton. At £27 though - no chance.

 

[eastlondonseagull]

add to this the team is shite, the club is stagnating and the football is really BORING

Eh?! If people bothered to turn up, they'd find that the football is in fact SCINTILLATING at the moment!

.

 

[Bozza]

Well yeah, of course, but I mean that attitude has always struck me as odd coming from actual proper Brighton fans rather than casual onlookers. If we all thought like that we'd no one at any game in this league apart from Leeds and Forest.

Agreed, and it ties back to what someone just said on another thread (sorry to be so vague). In the main, people on here are fans who generally go to as many games as they are able, based on their own personal circumstances.

It is the thousands of floating fans that are the real issue. For whatever reason they are disenfranchised with the Albion and/or Withdean and will only attend when there is a real attraction, be it 'attractive' opposition or a high-profile game, such as a promotion or relegation decider.

 

[Bozza]

Agreed, and it ties back to what someone just said on another thread (sorry to be so vague).

...this one here:

http://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?p=2195869#post2195869