We Can't Afford It

[London Irish]

Alot left under the McGhee's 'management' and simply havn't come back.

Oh really? - 6,600 for Gills, 6,700 for Brentford. As soon as he goes, the crowds plummet, so get your facts right.

 

[London Irish]

ISimple arithmetic tells you that 5,000 @£27 = £135,000 to take in the same money if we dropped the price to £20 would mean it would need 6750 attendance disregarding VAT expenses etc to bring in the same amount of money. Would reducing the price by only £7 bring in 1750 extra supporters or £14 bring in 3500 extra I doubt it very much.

I reluctantly agree with you that the games are not as price-sensitive or elastic as some people on here think. Although no one knows for sure, granted, it would be a disaster for the club if it reduced its season ticket income and the extra crowds did not make good the shortfall.

I think the main factor motivating the stay-away fan is expectations of success, not whether the ticket is 3 or 4 quid cheaper.

My view is that the 1,500 people we've lost since the first few games of the season will come back when they are convinced we are in with a chance of promotion again. They are hedging their bets at the moment because losing to the likes of Chesterfield, Blackpool, Tranmere and Donny has left them unconvinced.

We need a couple more months of Swansea-type results and I'm convinced they will start drifting back, it will not happen overnight.

 

[BensGrandad]

LI

I think that you are probably right BHA have a large number , as do most clubs, of supporters who dont miss games unless the weather is bad, we are not top of the league, the dog needs a babysitter or there is a good program on TV, all perfectly good reasons not to attend but demand tickets for high profile games.

The financial examples that I used were just a generalisation and should not be taken as specific accurate figures before anybody jumps on me.

 

[ditchy]

Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that I am clearly a better fan than youse.

collect your 4 points on the uberfan table !!

 

[cheeseroll]

What was the gate? can't find it anywhere...

 

[Bry Nylon]

What was the gate? can't find it anywhere...

5,209 + Gully.

Not sure how many were away supporters though...

 

[Kent Seagull]

I've only been to four games so far this season. With a ticket price of £26 (including booking fee) and the cost of a round trip of over one hundred miles each time it ain't cheap and I simply can't afford to go to every game, much as I would like to. Add in the fact that an hour and a half driving home soaked to the skin being a rather uncomfortable experience means I now book online on the day only IF it looks like the weather will be reasonable. Keep me dry and I might come down more often.

Incidently, from where I live I could pay £5 to hop on a coach to take me to the Valley where I could pay another £20 to watch premiership football in the dry for much less cash that a trip to Withdean. I don't go to Charlton but what would any sensible person living in my area do?

 

[Hannibal smith]

My view is that the 1,500 people we've lost since the first few games of the season will come back when they are convinced we are in with a chance of promotion again. They are hedging their bets at the moment because losing to the likes of Chesterfield, Blackpool, Tranmere and Donny has left them unconvinced.

I think thats about right. The second half of the season will pick up in interest *if* we are pushing for a promotion place. I'll probably give Cheltenham on Saturday a miss even though my wife is out, which effectively gives me a pass to do what I like. As its over a 5 hours round trip to sit in the cold at 7.45 on a Saturday evening - I'll probably go down the pub instead. If It was a crunch game or even a potential one, I'd be there and so would others like me.

We always had an up and down support. West Ham is proof enough of that. People are just out of the routine of football and sick of Withdean at the moment. We all know only Falmer sorts that out.

 

[robbied69]

how much are tickets to Brighton games?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

how much are tickets to Brighton games?

For adults it ranges from £23.50 to £27. Then there are family offers etc. which work out to be fairly reasonable.

 

[Mrs Coach]

When people say 'I can't afford it' - I often wonder what you CAN afford? I afford the things I really want to do - even if it would mean cutting back on something else -
Four packets of fags less a month? One ticket. 7 pints of beer less a month? One ticket. Turn your heating off three nights and die of hypothermia? One ticket.

There are ways and means people - ways and means!

Personally, If I need a bit of extra cash, I sell myself on Fee-Pay, the lovely online auction site! lol!

Mrs Coach.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

I think that the game against Swansea was good value for money. One of the best I have seen for ages.


Simple arithmetic tells you that 5,000 @£27 = £135,000 to take in the same money if we dropped the price to £20 would mean it would need 6750 attendance disregarding VAT expenses etc to bring in the same amount of money. Would reducing the price by only £7 bring in 1750 extra supporters or £14 bring in 3500 extra I doubt it very much.

It has been said many times that the cost of staging matches at Withdean dictates the price and we as supporters need to do our best when ever we can to support the club in this way. I accept that there have been a number of games very close to each other like 3 this week and Millwall away but that is life.

Like your local Post Office If you want it support it if you dont dont moan when it goes tits up.

Absolutely right BG, any sensible business person will tell you that if you drop your price to generate extra sales the exra sales you need to recover lost profits are huge.

DK and the board know that they can attract around 5,000 to each game paying a heavy premium which they would prefer to a stadium packed to the rafters with people paying a much lower price per ticket.

I don't know how Withdean costs are worked out, but I guess the club would have to pay higher bills for stewarding and policing if crowd numbers were dramatically increased (they have to inform the Police of actual tickets sold before the game i guess)
also there is probably an extra insurance premium to accomodate with more people inside the ground.

Obviously increased crowds would mean more programmes/burgers etc. but I am not sure how much profit BHA make on these peripheral sales

 

[westy]

I agree with Tony Meolas Loan Spell. A buy one get one free system, OR buy 2 tickets get one free scheme would help the likes of me who just cant afford to go to as many games as I have in the past. Having just bought a property 27 quid is to 2 much to find every other week ontop of all the other bills I am now incurring.

HOWEVER, clever ticket schemes whereby I could get one game free when paying for two tickets upfront would lure me back on a more regular basis. I was there for last weekends cup game because of the pull of cheaper tickets and the prospect of some entertainment (which id say the lads delivered) and have to say some of the play made me wish I could afford to go every week!

Come on Perry, clever ticket schemes will fill the ground.