£3.50 for a program???

[kevo]

I agre our programmes are class BUT why oh why is everything going up in price?

Paul Barber.

 

[Captain Sensible]

You're both right. A lot of people look at these price rises and dismiss them as just a few pence, but when people who don't read NSC turn up at The Amex tomorrow they will find out they are paying £4 more to get in, 50p more for a programme, 30p more per pint, 40p more for a pie. It could quite easily be £6 a game, or £140ish a season. That's when your realise that these sums are actually serious. I predict the vast majority of people will cut back on their Amex expenditure this season.

And the really bad news is what Captain Sensible has alluded to. It's all very well accepting these things when The Amex is new and exciting and the team is on the up, but what happens if we finish 12th this season? On the face of it, that wouldn't be too bad, but to the thousands of new fans it would show a lack of progress and leave many failing to renew. This season more than ever we need to pray Gus does the business and we have a good time on the pitch, because I see that 22,000 STHs figure we're all rightly proud of being slashed next summer if we don't.

BARBER OUT.

Although I wouldn't go as far as Barber out yet. I think the Albion do need to be careful. You put it much better than I did, but when (and it will at some stage) the football becomes less attractive. The word has already got around that the Amex is 'a rip off' and not with it, that's when it's hard to go back and get people back into the ground.
I know this club has ambitions of the Premier League, but they are bumping up the prices as if we are already there. Those that are fobbing this off as a few pence will be moaning when the ST prices rocket up next season. £18 per game won't be around for long at this rate.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I have to say that I like what you get at Atlético Madrid - a free programme / magazine, in some respects with the production values of the Friday Ad, but with all the information you need and a few articles of interest. My gripe about the Albion programme is that it has too much reading material. But I guess that comes across as ungrateful churlishness.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I agre our programmes are class BUT why oh why is everything going up in price?

Paul Barber.

I suspect the correct answer might be ... Tony Bloom.

 

[Beach Hut]

I suspect the correct answer might be ... Tony Bloom.

Serious question, are BHAFC over pricing badly this season ?

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Programme is usually a decent read. 50p hike seems fair particularly given the huge increase in paper costs over the last few years.

 

[Whitterz]

To be expected surely. Regardless of whether Barber had taken over or not, the prices would have gone up. People were more than willing to dip their hands in thier pockets last season, and that showed with the release of the catering figures.
This season will really see how deep the fans pockets are.
The reality of it is, if you dont like it, dont buy it, make a protest by not handing over your money. There are opportunities for fans to eat before the game, and if people cant go 90 minutes without eating, then they have a problem.

 

[The Large One]

Without knowing the exact print and paper figures in this particular instance, anyone who says this is a rip-off is showing their lack of understanding of the production process. The fact is, print and paper costs have shot up astronomically over the past six years. To the club's credit, they have held firm on the prices, and last season they pretty much doubled the size of the programme. An average annual increase of 2.8% is hardly the stuff of 'rip-offs'. Of course, the club could strip the programme back to 60 pages, thereby reducing the print costs, but then people would grizzle of another rip-off.

That said, I'm sure the programme sellers would be delighted to give out change for £3.20 for the programme.

And before anyone asks, this is one area I should know about - it's my job.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

I suspect the correct answer might be ... Tony Bloom.

Sounds the most plausible explanation to me too. Wasn't it "The club must be operationally self-sufficient at Falmer" in a 2009 interview with er..... Nick Szczepanik?

 

[kevo]

While the programme is on the whole very good, I agree with Goldstone Rapper - as much as I enjoy the articles by Spencer Vignes, Dan Tester, etc, it's not really a 'programme' is it?

There is very little information on the opposition players - and they could also include some background on our own (especially as we have a lot of new fans who will be visiting the Amex for the first time this season). Have one or two interesting 'colour' archive features, and one big interview per game, but keep the rest of it purely informative.

 

[Old Greg]

Without knowing the exact print and paper figures in this particular instance, anyone who says this is a rip-off is showing their lack of understanding of the production process. The fact is, print and paper costs have shot up astronomically over the past six years. To the club's credit, they have held firm on the prices, and last season they pretty much doubled the size of the programme. An average annual increase of 2.8% is hardly the stuff of 'rip-offs'. Of course, the club could strip the programme back to 60 pages, thereby reducing the print costs, but then people would grizzle of another rip-off.

That said, I'm sure the programme sellers would be delighted to give out change for £3.20 for the programme.

And before anyone asks, this is one area I should know about - it's my job.

For me, as already said, the programme price increase is the straw the broke the camels back. The 50p rise isn't that significant, but it is when everything else is being priced up. Every week there seemed to be something else that would cost me more...

 

[middletoenail]

I asked this of Insider the other day (as I live abroad, it is the only way I get to see the programme at the time it comes out). His answer is here - the demand didn't justify the cost, apparently, but they are looking at a cheaper option.

Thanks

 

[Falkor]

ant as if Bloom just built us a new f***ing stadium is it clearly wants to get more money running through the club so you lots can stop moaning about not having a decent f***ing striker. Money dont grow on tree's the club does not have an endless pot of money it has to make it, so either stop your whining and spend at the club and help take it forward or dont moan when we dont grow to your liking

 

[GingerBeerMan]

A four page thread over something that has had no real price increase

 

[bennibenj]

According to the picture officialbhafc has just put on twitter. Nothing can escape the barberation. 3.50 is a bit of a pisstake realy

Buy in the shop with your season ticket and you will get 35p off no?

 

[Surf's Up]

While I understand the general level of consternation about price increases I actually think that last year's programme was underpriced, particularly when you compare it to the last few year's programmes at Withdean

 

[AZ Gull]

I seem to recall there being a digital copy last season? Has anyone bought it and s it the same price?

Breaking news! The Official BHA twitter account, in answer to a question, has tweeted that the digital version WILL be available this season.

 

[rouseytastic]

And they also throw them around the boxes. All 3 times I went in to my works box last year they were just left.
I know a bit about printing and I know the printers who print this for the club. From a margin point of view the printers won't be retiring on these because the cost of producing a program of that quality does cost. They do a bloody good job as well. Also the club will probably be making circa £1 profit from each one sold I would imagine. Again not huge.
I think the problem comes because they order too many. Both Young Seagulls events I have taken the kids to they have had boxes and boxes of them lying around just being handed out. The trouble is the less you order the more your cost per unit.
The price increase reflects this I think. So hopefully the quality stays the same but because they will be ordering less they have to pay slightly more per copy. A cost passed on.
Makes sense to me......