Have the club got this wrong?

[brightn'ove]

I'm sure now half the south stand end will be on match by match sale to the Albion and not full of away support, we will see far less clubs who win the toss up letting us play into the North in the second half, which produced such good home results last season, spurred on by the great vocal support.
I think home form may well drop as a result, we should have kept it as it was and used ESL for extra numbers of away allocation.

I think the fact we up the ante in the second half isn't the 'pull' of the north stand, its more that our tactics seem to be, do nothing in the first half, and then go for it in the second half.

 

[Triggaaar]

Yep you're right, they are pretty good seats.

It's strange, if there aren't many people behind the goal, they're probably not very good seats (there are no bad seats at the Amex, but compared to others) - it's the atmosphere that makes seats behind the goal good, and it would be great if there were enough in those seats to make it lively. With the number of STs we've sold though, I don't know if there'll be that many match by match fans.

Match by match should not be forgotten but after last season of match by match being in the WSL and ESL corners, it's a bit surprising, especially if they don't always sell out.

Of course people that pay for the whole year should come first, but match by match is an important part, not just for existing loyal fans that can't commit to the whole season, but also to new fans that haven't yet got the bug. I think we can ignore last season though because we didn't know how many STs there'd be, and the seating is changing drastically (in fact this applies to the coming season too).

Having a new ground, new STHs (some of which won't renew), a new locaton for away fans and still changing seats (corners not finished for the start of the season), we'll have changing atmosphere and 'places to be' for a while yet. It should settle down in a couple of years.

 

[Rugrat]

It's the clubs intention to sell out all available season ticket seats, limiting the 'match by match' seats to the minimum required, as they did for last season. That equates to 23800 STH and 4200 seats to be divided between away fans and "match by match fans". That equates to 1400 "match by match" tickets available per game where the away fans take/use their allocation of 2800. It would also mean that for cup games where the away team takes its full 15% then there will be no tickets available until STH have decided whether to buy tickets or not. This all increase the need for the ticket exchange system IMO to ensure as many fans as possible are able to get to games with as few empty seats as possible*.

Is that a fact or an assumption? If the latter it makes perfect sense except that I thought (as had been posted here) that the entire South Stand is match by match. There are 2500 or so seats in there so your comments suggests they are selling about 1100 ST's in the South (subject to demand) ... that right?

 

[MACROBLUE]

After buying a ST yesterday (no its not another thread about that), I noticed the club have sold the areas for match by match last year as ST's and now have the entire south stand for match by match. I find it a bit odd that they are selling ST's in the South West corner but not behind the goal? Surely it should be the other way around?
Alot of match by match fans from last year, now have ST's. So I think the club will find it harder to sell these seats, especially for a less attractive fixture. I don't wanna see a half empty south stand next year. It might get worse if the away support only bring a few hundred and then the club have the South East to fill as well.
Anyone else think they got this a bit wrong?

I think the club can find a way of filling these seats by perhaps inviting unemployed Albion fans on a reduced price every so often. I know of two Albion fans that are unemployed and haven't a hope of affording a season ticket. If I know of two then there must be many many more in the same boat. It would be a way of keeping the ground near full.

 

[Joe Gatting's Dad]

Not sure which way we kick as such makes any real difference. It is very rare at an away game where we win the toss that we ask the home team to turn round.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

I guess they have to keep half of the South (East end of it) as match by match because of the increased away allocation they need to provide at Cup games ... although I'd have thought they would have kept 1000 odd available for that in the East and then sold the South to ST's. Don't understand why they aren't selling the other half of the South (West End) as ST's now

So Yes, it does seem a bit odd

It makes sense unless you want to be sat with a season ticket between two sets of away fans, or want to be asked to be moved so an away fan can take your seat.

The issue is to keep home and away fans segregated (in the concourses as well, not just the seats), so it simply cannot happen that there are seasons tickets in any part of the ground that might (at some point) be offered to away fans.

 

[Rugrat]

It makes sense unless you want to be sat with a season ticket between two sets of away fans, or want to be asked to be moved so an away fan can take your seat.

The issue is to keep home and away fans segregated (in the concourses as well, not just the seats), so it simply cannot happen that there are seasons tickets in any part of the ground that might (at some point) be offered to away fans.

Getting myself confused now!!

The general allocation for away fans will be 2800 which increases to 4200 for cup games. The 2800 are in the (Lower) East at the South end .. is that correct? If so where are the additional 1400 going to be? Would be logical that they continue further along the East towards the centre and obv these will be match by match seats ... in which case I still don't get why no ST's in the South

I'm obviously missing something pretty fundamental

 

[kingcole]

I think the club can find a way of filling these seats by perhaps inviting unemployed Albion fans on a reduced price every so often. I know of two Albion fans that are unemployed and haven't a hope of affording a season ticket. If I know of two then there must be many many more in the same boat. It would be a way of keeping the ground near full.

If some lazy scrote got to see games for less money than me I would be very unhappy indeed. The only club I have ever seen to offer a discount to the unemployed was Leyton Orient.

Now if that's the kinda thing we wish to emulate.......

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Getting myself confused now!!

The general allocation for away fans will be 2800 which increases to 4200 for cup games. The 2800 are in the (Lower) East at the South end .. is that correct? If so where are the additional 1400 going to be? Would be logical that they continue further along the East towards the centre and obv these will be match by match seats ... in which case I still don't get why no ST's in the South

I'm obviously missing something pretty fundamental

I think your missing the fact that the away fan allocation will be stretching into the SOUTH stand, not the EAST stand, as that is how the concourse divisions are arranged. So for a 4200 allocation away fans get the old 'match by match' section of East stand lower, the south east corner, and part of the south stand ( but NOT all of it, i.e. the stand is split in half as was the case occasionally last season ). The west part of the south, and south west corner can have home ST's, but NOT the east part.

 

[Superphil]

Is that a fact or an assumption? If the latter it makes perfect sense except that I thought (as had been posted here) that the entire South Stand is match by match. There are 2500 or so seats in there so your comments suggests they are selling about 1100 ST's in the South (subject to demand) ... that right?

I was at the stadium last week and was with some senior management of the commercial team. They are intending to sell out the season tickets if at all possible, that is their aim, and as they did it last year, I wouldn't bet against them doing it again. As of last Friday morning they told me they had sold 20K and still had the majority of presentations/visits etc to go, and the extra 1901 seats were nailed on to sell out. The feeling was that they would hit the target, albeit with a lot of hard work.

Also, a little stat that was mentioned when we were there, across English football grounds the average spend on food/beer/drink etc per fan is around 32p (thirty two pence) per match, at the Amex last season it was in excess of £4.60 (four pounds sixty pence!) per fan per game.

This is going to be one hell of a ride

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Is that a fact or an assumption? If the latter it makes perfect sense except that I thought (as had been posted here) that the entire South Stand is match by match. There are 2500 or so seats in there so your comments suggests they are selling about 1100 ST's in the South (subject to demand) ... that right?

I have every reason to believe it's fact, not assumption.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I was at the stadium last week and was with some senior management of the commercial team. They are intending to sell out the season tickets if at all possible, that is their aim, and as they did it last year, I wouldn't bet against them doing it again. As of last Friday morning they told me they had sold 20K and still had the majority of presentations/visits etc to go, and the extra 1901 seats were nailed on to sell out. The feeling was that they would hit the target, albeit with a lot of hard work.

Also, a little stat that was mentioned when we were there, across English football grounds the average spend on food/beer/drink etc per fan is around 32p (thirty two pence) per match, at the Amex last season it was in excess of £4.60 (four pounds sixty pence!) per fan per game.

This is going to be one hell of a ride

I like this sort of news. It makes perfect sense to sell as many STs as possible. With capacity at 28,000 then 85% STs = 23,800 and that will be a fantastic number.

 

[34064 Fighter Command]

Also, a little stat that was mentioned when we were there, across English football grounds the average spend on food/beer/drink etc per fan is around 32p (thirty two pence) per match, at the Amex last season it was in excess of £4.60 (four pounds sixty pence!) per fan per game.

Which proves the point that if you offer a quality catering experience, people will want to use it..........

That extra spend makes a considerable difference to the clubs turnover and profitability, whilst the quality of the catering is bound to attract more corporate visitors, lounge sponsors and boxholders, something the club could never hope to offer to businesses at Withdean. And that extends to visitors on non-match days as well, conferences, wedding receptions and so on and so on........

 

[Easy 10]

Also, a little stat that was mentioned when we were there, across English football grounds the average spend on food/beer/drink etc per fan is around 32p (thirty two pence) per match, at the Amex last season it was in excess of £4.60 (four pounds sixty pence!) per fan per game.

That is a PHENOMENAL stat.

However, in a few seasons time we will officially be the fattest fans in the league.

 

[Superphil]

That is a PHENOMENAL stat.

However, in a few seasons time we will officially be the fattest fans in the league.

a few seasons oh, and I may have been mistaken, it might have been 39p, not 32p, sorry but the number quoted was definately less than 40p

 

[Lady Whistledown]

That is a PHENOMENAL stat.

However, in a few seasons time we will officially be the fattest fans in the league.

Speak for yourself

(although, that said, I've shifted about a stone since the season ended )

 

[Rugrat]

I was at the stadium last week and was with some senior management of the commercial team. They are intending to sell out the season tickets if at all possible, that is their aim, and as they did it last year, I wouldn't bet against them doing it again. As of last Friday morning they told me they had sold 20K and still had the majority of presentations/visits etc to go, and the extra 1901 seats were nailed on to sell out. The feeling was that they would hit the target, albeit with a lot of hard work.

Also, a little stat that was mentioned when we were there, across English football grounds the average spend on food/beer/drink etc per fan is around 32p (thirty two pence) per match, at the Amex last season it was in excess of £4.60 (four pounds sixty pence!) per fan per game.

This is going to be one hell of a ride

Cheers ... cleared up my misconceptions

As for the food and booze that'll be the benefit of being in middle of nowhere ... bet they never thought of that benefit at the time

 

[Simster]

I like this sort of news. It makes perfect sense to sell as many STs as possible. With capacity at 28,000 then 85% STs = 23,800 and that will be a fantastic number.

That assumes that the club is making every possible seat available to potential season ticket holders which I doubt is the case.

I can't imagine that they would choose to do that unless there was a ticket exchange in place. A small section of home seating will surely be held back for comps and scouts, and another small section for a match by match sale, which would obviously increase for matches against teams with smaller away support. Therefore my guess is that the commercial team have a target of around 22,000-22,500 season tickets to shift.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

That assumes that the club is making every possible seat available to potential season ticket holders which I doubt is the case.

I can't imagine that they would choose to do that unless there was a ticket exchange in place. A small section of home seating will surely be held back for comps and scouts, and another small section for a match by match sale, which would obviously increase for matches against teams with smaller away support. Therefore my guess is that the commercial team have a target of around 22,000-22,500 season tickets to shift.

Well you can guess, but Phil's info came from a member of that commercial team.

 

[Rugrat]

I think your missing the fact that the away fan allocation will be stretching into the SOUTH stand, not the EAST stand, as that is how the concourse divisions are arranged. So for a 4200 allocation away fans get the old 'match by match' section of East stand lower, the south east corner, and part of the south stand ( but NOT all of it, i.e. the stand is split in half as was the case occasionally last season ). The west part of the south, and south west corner can have home ST's, but NOT the east part.

Got it ... cheers! Didn't appreciate that away fans would extend into the South (South) and nor that the concourse division would accommodate that but thanks for clearing up