Why the HELL have ticket prices been frozen for next season?

[Easy 10]

OK so what about the security of the cash taken in the kiosk and the person selling the ticket ?

What if the customer wants to use a credit / debit card and no comms to do on-line authorisation.

These are all completely INSURMOUNTABLE problems in this day and age then are they ?
Perhaps this is why the marketing of the club is so shite. First hint of an obstacle to overcome and thats the end of the idea. Christ, you can't walk 6 paces in most town centres without the AA or RAC trying to get you to sign up for them from a desk under an umbrella. They seem to manage alright.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I think wireless communications were invented some time back.

 

[Brovion]

OK so what about the security of the cash taken in the kiosk and the person selling the ticket ?

What if the customer wants to use a credit / debit card and no comms to do on-line authorisation.

No, you're right, it's all too much hard work so let's not bother. Lets just run the club for the benefit of a few thousand STHs and a thousand or so other die-hard fans who'll go out of their way to buy their tickets and will turn up whatever the opposition and whatever the price.

 

[British Bulldog]

No, you're right, it's all too much hard work so let's not bother. Lets just run the club for the benefit of a few thousand STHs and a thousand or so other die-hard fans who'll go out of their way to buy their tickets and will turn up whatever the opposition and whatever the price.

Thats how it seems to work with our club, Lets look for a reason why we cant do something instead of just getting on and trying it.

 

[The Large One]

These are all completely INSURMOUNTABLE problems in this day and age then are they ?
Perhaps this is why the marketing of the club is so shite. First hint of an obstacle to overcome and thats the end of the idea. Christ, you can't walk 6 paces in most town centres without the AA or RAC trying to get you to sign up for them from a desk under an umbrella. They seem to manage alright.

But they're not taking money.

Beachy's got a point. Kiosks aren't cost-effective - especially with the credit card issue. You ideally need a permanent place to sell tickets / shirts / dreams. But the places Easy 10 identifies are the right ones - except Churchill Square. I don't think they want the club there.

Brovion - regarding 'marketing being a joke', I think you're a bit off the mark there. It isn't only ticketing which is the benchmark for judging how the marketing is going, although it is of course important, and does need improving.

There is also the reaching out to the schools, the community programmes (both of which increase the club's profile a considerable extent), the Friends of the Albion - growing all the time, the sponsors, advertisers and so on, all of which the marketing department (Dodge) has to work flat out on. Hence ticketing being its own department.

 

[Beach Hut]

Guys you need to think these things through, yes they can be done but you need to ensure you cater for all methods of payment that's all - not saying they cannot be done just the process thought through correctly to make it a viable option that pays for itself as someone needs to be employed to do it.

 

[Easy 10]

Beachy's got a point. Kiosks aren't cost-effective - especially with the credit card issue. You ideally need a permanent place to sell tickets / shirts / dreams.

Has it ever really been looked into ? Obviously there are permits to be arranged and presumably some kind of 'ground rent' payable to the local authority, but plenty of other small businesses seem to manage this. OK its mainly food outlets that you see dotted around, which involves small amounts of cash changing hands, but I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of man to have a kiosk with wireless connections for credit/debit card transactions set up just to sell tickets.

Just think of the thousands upon thousands of shoppers that are milling about in these towns every day, weekends particularly. If just the tiniest fraction of them rolled up and bought a ticket, the boost to attendences could be huge, and the knock-on effect in getting the Albion out there in High Streets all around Sussex cannot be understated. Has something like this EVER been seriously looked into ?

 

[The Large One]

Has it ever really been looked into ? Obviously there are permits to be arranged and presumably some kind of 'ground rent' payable to the local authority, but plenty of other small businesses seem to manage this. OK its mainly food outlets that you see dotted around, which involves small amounts of cash changing hands, but I cannot believe it is beyond the wit of man to have a kiosk with wireless connections for credit/debit card transactions set up just to sell tickets.

Just think of the thousands upon thousands of shoppers that are milling about in these towns every day, weekends particularly. If just the tiniest fraction of them rolled up and bought a ticket, the boost to attendences could be huge, and the knock-on effect in getting the Albion out there in High Streets all around Sussex cannot be understated. Has something like this EVER been seriously looked into ?

As I understand it, it has.

Suppose you're talking Churchill Square - unlikely, but for the sake of this argument. You're talking set-up costs, rent to Churchill Square for the space, rent for wireless connection, extra staff, ticket machine etc. All do-able, but all bloody expensive for short-term 'in-and-out' periods, especially when the club's entire ticketing system is getting an overhaul in a couple of years time.

If you mean to have a permanent fixture there, it would pay for itself, in which case, why not endeavour to have a permanent shop? In which case, then we're back to getting an Albion presence in shops in various towns anyway.

They only did it for the Christmas shopping period for a couple of years running because they did it for several days on end at 'mates rates'. They have a different manager there now who isn't quite so Albion-friendly.

I'm not trying to make excuse or apologise for the club, but, with the meagre marketing budget they have to work with, this is the reality.

 

[Easy 10]

As I understand it, it has.

Suppose you're talking Churchill Square - unlikely, but for the sake of this argument. You're talking set-up costs, rent to Churchill Square for the space, rent for wireless connection, extra staff, ticket machine etc. All do-able, but all bloody expensive for short-term 'in-and-out' periods, especially when the club's entire ticketing system is getting an overhaul in a couple of years time.

Run a batch of tickets off at the shop to be sold in the kiosk(s). You don't necessarily need a full-blown ticket machine installed. And paying some monkey a hundred quid to sit in a kiosk all day selling tickets is hardly going to bankrupt the club. I admit I have absolutely no idea what rental costs would be involved, but as I've said, small food retail outlets manage it to peddle their burgers and hot dogs, so it can't be anything astronomical.

If you mean to have a permanent fixture there, it would pay for itself, in which case, why not endeavour to have a permanent shop? In which case, then we're back to getting an Albion presence in shops in various towns anyway.

Thats a whole different ball park. A permanent shop would cost FAR more than a rented kiosk to set up, and would need to have a decent enough turnover across 6 days a week to justify those costs, as well as more staffing. I'm just talking a small tin shack thats manned and open a few days a week to shift a few tickets, not another retail outlet selling allsorts.

They only did it for the Christmas shopping period for a couple of years running because they did it for several days on end at 'mates rates'. They have a different manager there now who isn't quite so Albion-friendly.

So if Churchuill Squares a dead duck then forget it. After all, there is a permanent ticket office round the corner from there anyway. But is doesn't mean this kind of thing couldn't be done, or at least TRIED, around other Sussex towns. Worst case scenario is it falls flat on its arse and the club have maybe blown, what, £50k £75k ? I dunno. We've wasted that kind of money before on a shit midfielder.

I just fink its worth a GO.

 

[British Bulldog]

Cant we just get permission to park one of those mobile shop vans in a prominant place on match days so they can sell tickets as well as other merchandise?

 

[Easy 10]

Cant we just get permission to park one of those mobile shop vans in a prominant place on match days so they can sell tickets as well as other merchandise?

It does seem a bit pointles parking at at Withdean on matchdays - is it actually there all day ?

 

[British Bulldog]

It does seem a bit pointles parking at at Withdean on matchdays - is it actually there all day ?

I dont know how long it's there for but in all honesty they could use a portakabin type thing at the ground as a club shop and send the van else where to try & drum up more buisness.

 

[steward 433]

I dont know how long it's there for but in all honesty they could use a portakabin type thing at the ground as a club shop and send the van else where to try & drum up more buisness.

It's there permanantly

We would need planning permission for a portakabin but not the trailer

 

[The Large One]

Run a batch of tickets off at the shop to be sold in the kiosk(s). You don't necessarily need a full-blown ticket machine installed. And paying some monkey a hundred quid to sit in a kiosk all day selling tickets is hardly going to bankrupt the club. I admit I have absolutely no idea what rental costs would be involved, but as I've said, small food retail outlets manage it to peddle their burgers and hot dogs, so it can't be anything astronomical.

Thats a whole different ball park. A permanent shop would cost FAR more than a rented kiosk to set up, and would need to have a decent enough turnover across 6 days a week to justify those costs, as well as more staffing. I'm just talking a small tin shack thats manned and open a few days a week to shift a few tickets, not another retail outlet selling allsorts.

So if Churchuill Squares a dead duck then forget it. After all, there is a permanent ticket office round the corner from there anyway. But is doesn't mean this kind of thing couldn't be done, or at least TRIED, around other Sussex towns. Worst case scenario is it falls flat on its arse and the club have maybe blown, what, £50k £75k ? I dunno. We've wasted that kind of money before on a shit midfielder.

I just fink its worth a GO.

Costs ARE astronomical. Why do you think shitty burgers and hot dogs cost over three quid a pop for something that costs them about 40p?

OK, so you don't need a ticket machine. Besides, that's the one aspect the club wouldn't have to pay for. But your costs for pitch space and wireless connection for paying by card are still going to be horrific. And in a shopping area which isn't a precinct, whose wireless connection are you going to use?

It also depends what you are trying to achieve. If you are only shifting tickets, how many do you want to shift? 2,000? In one space? In which case, where? Or 2,000 across four or five towns? Fine, but to make it worthwhile, you've got to KNOW you can shift those tickets.

The club might spunk £50,000 on a midfielder, you take a risk on one of them now and then, but throwing £50,000 away for something which has already been worked out to be a non-starter would be insane.

All I'm saying is that it's the tiny details that make it do-able are the tiny details that cost a packet. I still believe they're still better off sub-letting someone else's shop.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

We would need planning permission for a portakabin but not the trailer

Drat and double drat - you beat me to it! Would be another afternoon out for us at Hove TH though?

Btw, I can't make the planning meeting next Wednesday now as my routine CT scan has been re-scheduled for that afternoon at the Royal Surrey Hosp'l in Guildford.

 

[Mackenzie]

What is the deal with selling tickets at Withdean? Are we forbidden to sell tickets from a kiosk outside the ground (like Northampton?)? Is the club shop, 3 miles from the ground, the only place that you can physically attend and buy a ticket? Could you vender tickets at the park and ride carparks?

 

[Perry Milkins]

because the signings of Micky Adams and Adam Virgo will bring back all the people that didnt come last season, and we will instantly turn into a force to be reckoned with in this league, playing attractive football, and only 2 years away from Falmer and Premiership Football, and 3 years away from Champions League GLORY - meaning no matter what the costs, people will fill the ground anyway.



that or because Season Ticket prices were frozen and you cant mess with STHers!!

Do you want them to fail Mendo?

 

[British Bulldog]

Could you vender tickets at the park and ride carparks?

I would've thought you could but no doubt somebody will find a reason why you cant.

 

[Wilka]

If we continues to only get 5,500 next season I think the club should think about selling tickets at Brighton station/Preston Park and at the park and ride site IF the council allow this.

Sure not for Millwall or Leeds but other games aren't a problem surely.

The credit card thing could be got around by using the same thing they do in the mobile club shop. It's one of those things where they take a print of the card on 3-4 sheets of paper and get you to sign it.

 

[Brovion]

... Brovion - regarding 'marketing being a joke', I think you're a bit off the mark there. It isn't only ticketing which is the benchmark for judging how the marketing is going, although it is of course important, and does need improving.

There is also the reaching out to the schools, the community programmes (both of which increase the club's profile a considerable extent), the Friends of the Albion - growing all the time, the sponsors, advertisers and so on, all of which the marketing department (Dodge) has to work flat out on. Hence ticketing being its own department.

Maybe we're talking at cross-purposes. I was referring to the marketing of the club to the general populace of Sussex as opposed the business community. And if the club ARE reaching out to schools then they need to lift their game by about 1000% because as the parent of a (semi) Albion fan in Year 10 I have yet to hear of a single schools' ticket offer all the while he's been at school. Brighton ticket offer that is, we've already been to Southampton - and this was when they were in the Premiership!

You're right about one thing though: In the same way that a sunny day sells more beer, soft drink and ice cream than any number of clever-clever ad campaigns so a successful team on the pitch will mask a lot of these problems.