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

[steward 433]

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.

OK i will PM you as soon as i am home. Let us know how you get on at the hospital

 

[steward 433]

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?

Can't sell at Withdean due to planning/council rules

 

[The Large One]

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.

Whereabouts are you? Horsham?

I suspect that the club are concentrating on schools closer to home first, and mainly junior schools. Schools locally do get bombarded with offers - especially those who took them up first time round. Schools further afield will inevitably come later, although Horsham really ought to be on the club's hitlist.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

A point or two: if tickets are on sale for ALL home matches (except Leeds) does this mean that the Albion are not having their four cut-price matces this season that they are allowed? I'd be a little pissed off if I bought a full-price ticket way in advance and then some great offer was announced for that match. I can see that they are trying to get cash in early, but I'm not sure people are really going to buy tickets too far in advance. Perhaps they could have identified the special offer matches in advance if they were going to have all home match tickets available from now, so that they really could sell out? And maybe there could be a small discount if you buy tickets for four matches or more at once, that would encourage people to buy earlier?

 

[Brovion]

Whereabouts are you? Horsham?

I suspect that the club are concentrating on schools closer to home first, and mainly junior schools. Schools locally do get bombarded with offers - especially those who took them up first time round. Schools further afield will inevitably come later, although Horsham really ought to be on the club's hitlist.

You know where I am! And we got the Southampton offer through Stringer.

 

[The Large One]

You know where I am! And we got the Southampton offer through Stringer.

So what were you banging on about NW Sussex for?

Edit: Bollocks, that wasn't you...

Anyhoo, I think the Albion are targetting the junior schools.

I think there must have been some old tie-in with Southampton, because I went to The Dell when I went to Stringer. We played a school in Chandlers Ford in the morning, and saw a really boring game of Southampton against Coventry City in the afternoon. Mark Hateley scored after 15 seconds, and Southampton equalised with a scrappy goal.

The previous season's corresponding match finished 8-2, and the following season's match finished 5-5. Sodding typical.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

So what were you banging on about NW Sussex for?
Edit: Bollocks, that wasn't you...

Anyhoo, I think the Albion are targetting the junior schools........

It is/was me whinging from up here on the border in the Albion wilderness.

The following Sussex Primary schools are within a 6mile radius (NB this excludes Horsham):
Rudgwick, Slinfold, Loxwood, Warnham, Broadbridge Heath, Billingshurst, Wisborough Green, Kirdford + Pennthorpe Prep School in Rudgwick.
The "local" Secondary School is The Weald (+6th Form College) in Billingshurst with approx 1800 pupils.
There are four Surrey Primary schools and one secondary school within the same radius to the west and north (at Alfold and Cranleigh)
We've lived in Rudgwick for 18 years, our kids went to the local Primary School and The Weald. I have never, ever heard of any Albion contact/visit to any of these schools during the time we've been here. Portsmouth yes, Rugby Union yes (Harlequins - spits on floor) but nothing from the stripes.
The current Albion supporters from this area comprise Brighton/Hove "ex-pats" like myself, their offspring and occasionally one or two friends who we "talk into" coming along.
As I've said previously, there's no publicity, no information, absolutely nothing from BHA.

 

[The Large One]

It is/was me whinging from up here on the border in the Albion wilderness.

The following Sussex Primary schools are within a 6mile radius (NB this excludes Horsham):
Rudgwick, Slinfold, Loxwood, Warnham, Broadbridge Heath, Billingshurst, Wisborough Green, Kirdford + Pennthorpe Prep School in Rudgwick.
The "local" Secondary School is The Weald (+6th Form College) in Billingshurst with approx 1800 pupils.
There are four Surrey Primary schools and one secondary school within the same radius to the west and north (at Alfold and Cranleigh)
We've lived in Rudgwick for 18 years, our kids went to the local Primary School and The Weald. I have never, ever heard of any Albion contact/visit to any of these schools during the time we've been here. Portsmouth yes, Rugby Union yes (Harlequins - spits on floor) but nothing from the stripes.
The current Albion supporters from this area comprise Brighton/Hove "ex-pats" like myself, their offspring and occasionally one or two friends who we "talk into" coming along.
As I've said previously, there's no publicity, no information, absolutely nothing from BHA.

There you go - a new job for you. The Albion's 'Man in the Wilderness'.

Chief cheerleader, leaflet dropper-offer, personal speaker and all round maladroit - and all for no money...

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

There you go - a new job for you. The Albion's 'Man in the Wilderness'.

Chief cheerleader, leaflet dropper-offer, personal speaker and all round maladroit - and all for no money...

Very drole Alan but at the moment I'll settle for being at Crewe next month and not back in hospital.

Just stating things as they are because you'd asked what is particularly wrong with the Albion's marketing. In brief, there is none in NW Sussex and it's difficult to come to any conclusion other than the club isn't interested.

I think maladroit is an adjective, not a noun?

PS: There's a rumour that our Village Fete has some Charlton tickets amongst the raffle prizes.

 

[Jamie]

There are different models of seling, direct, indirect and different models work best for different markets. The Club need to first look at the different markets in Sussex, such as age, geographical ara ect and then implement a scheme to sell to that specific market. In other words one selling scheme for schools, another for pubs and another for the pensioners (the grey pound is very powerful, hence SAGA makes a few quid.Simply, it is not and has not been done for yeas (ever perhaps). That is why the club has gone from crowds of 30,000 to 5,000.

As a short fix for raisng the profile and overcoming the need for a shop in each town in Sussex, I would look at mutual benefit and sell through third parties on a commission basis. I also would link up with schools and pubs.

But why is the club silent on this? Can somone raise with them?

Anyway, up the Albion.

 

[Gary Leeds]

you dont need a wifi connection to take credit card payments, how about just hooking a PDQ machine up to a mobile phone sim card that then rings the merchanting services when a payment is requested? sure it might take 10 seconds longer than a hard wired one but it would mean payments could be taken by card.

As for a kiosk, Brighton and Hove Buses have one for inspectors at Churchill Square, why not just tack another on onto one of the other bus shelters up there? or share the one thats there.

Club shop should be open for longer on Friday evenings, catch the commuters coming down Queens Road, who knows season time people might make it home unexpectedly for the weekend and think they might as well get a ticket for the game on the Saturday while they pass the shop. You are only talking stay open till 8pm max. Failing that chuck a ticket kiosk at the station as well.

Using rail or bus premisies for ticket sales will benefit everyone as I am sure the more tickets sold the bigger the wedge that Southern and B&HBCC will get for transport.

I agree with making the tickets on sale for every game. People cant make every game but could plan round games they can make and be certain of getting a ticket. My only concern is what happens if you buy a ticket now and they cut the price of the game at a later date?

Of course perfomances on the pitch will lead to increased sales and you can bet if after 6 games we are near the top then sales will increase

Anyway enough of my ramblings

Gary

 

[The Large One]

Very drole Alan but at the moment I'll settle for being at Crewe next month and not back in hospital.

Just stating things as they are because you'd asked what is particularly wrong with the Albion's marketing. In brief, there is none in NW Sussex and it's difficult to come to any conclusion other than the club isn't interested.

I think maladroit is an adjective, not a noun?

PS: There's a rumour that our Village Fete has some Charlton tickets amongst the raffle prizes.

I found it as both in my dictionary. Must be an Americanism, or a shit dictionary...

Charlton are spreading their wings VERY far then. Wonder why

 

[The Large One]

There are different models of seling, direct, indirect and different models work best for different markets. The Club need to first look at the different markets in Sussex, such as age, geographical ara ect and then implement a scheme to sell to that specific market. In other words one selling scheme for schools, another for pubs and another for the pensioners (the grey pound is very powerful, hence SAGA makes a few quid.Simply, it is not and has not been done for yeas (ever perhaps). That is why the club has gone from crowds of 30,000 to 5,000.

As a short fix for raisng the profile and overcoming the need for a shop in each town in Sussex, I would look at mutual benefit and sell through third parties on a commission basis. I also would link up with schools and pubs.

But why is the club silent on this? Can somone raise with them?

Anyway, up the Albion.

I've suggested loads of stuff to them in the past. I know budgets are virtually non-existent, including a pre-Mackay hookup with SCCC, but... nada. Admittedly, SCCC have NEVER been interested in cross-promoting with the Albion.

Hopefully, the new marketing manager might be a tad more imaginative, and might have the purse strings loosened a bit.

 

[Jamie]

Maybe we should make the marketing director as high profile as Dick Knight and the players. Lts get him to give us a monthly update on Ian Hart's show to answer the suggestions that have been made and comment why they have or have not been implemented. He should be able to give logical ideas as to how he is to sell 8,000 tickets to the people of Sussex.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

That is very true. They stay poked away in their little shop whilst there are masses of people wandering about less than 100m away. Get out there with flyers, get Gully wandering about Churchill Square, get someone pedalling a bike up and down Brighton with an advertising trailer on the back etc. etc.

Even crappy little nightclubs have a better attitude to marketing than the club. They may as well not exist for all you see of them in the city centre.

It's one thing getting interest for tickets.....then comes the problem of selling the things. The club have what can only be described as a shambolic system for selling tickets. It's little wonder sales are dropping.

 

[SICKASAGULL]

The low gates are not entirely due to the price, I know a number of one time supporters like myself who will not attend games until the club are back in the Championship,the club did not spend to avoid relegation and the resulting standard of play in Div 1 has led to low attendances.
The crop of freebies does not give me much confidence that matters will improve.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Charlton are spreading their wings VERY far then. Wonder why

Absence of competition perhaps? I think one of their supprorters' coaches picks up in Worthing so it could stop off a Broadbridge Heath to collect people from around here.
Also came across some Charlton tickets as one of the prizes at a charity ball at Goodwood Racecourse a few months back.

 

[Mendoza]

a year on down the line..............................

 

[murraymints4brighton]

They aren't that expensive anyway are they? £400 quid is not bad value.

 

[Icy Gull]

Absence of competition perhaps? I think one of their supprorters' coaches picks up in Worthing so it could stop off a Broadbridge Heath to collect people from around here.
Also came across some Charlton tickets as one of the prizes at a charity ball at Goodwood Racecourse a few months back.

Doubt they'll get much of an uptake this season when the same level of football is available so much closer to home

Maybe we can return the favour in a few years and do pick ups from their area...