£3.50 for a program???

[Hiney]

This season's programme is going to be excellent, building on the top work from last year.

 

[redhill seagull 66]

i think the programme last season was top quality.like many others i have hundreds cluttering up the place from my first game..away to palace fac reply 1976 to now.
programmes today are more like magazines than 50/60/70/80s programmes,but for me an essential part of the match.boy do i get the arseache if i cant get a programme!!
il reserve judgement on this seasons programme til after tonight as cant judge on the chelski,reading programmes.
but a 50p increase is still good value imo.

 

[Knotty]

So paper costs only affect us and not the 20-22 other Championship clubs that price their programmes at £3?

Are you disputing the fact that paper costs have risen or just saying that all the other clubs have absorbed these increases?

Have NONE of the others put their prices up? Are they the same size and number of pages as ours?

TLO is quite correct - paper and printing prices have risen greatly in the past few years. What price has our programme been in that time? I was surprised that it stayed at £3 last season!

Based purely on the materials used, it had to go up - the club is not a charity. One could, however, debate whether all the content is necessary and that, to keep the price down, there should be fewer pages.

 

[Knotty]

Paul Barber.

Why are people so keen to blame Barber for any price increases wehen they have no idea whatsoever exactly how these decisions are arrived at. Does anyone seriously think Tony Bloom is not involved?

 

[Biffer]

I really don't know what it is people want.
We could have a cheap stadium, cheap catering, cheap programme and a cheap club.
As it happens we have a chairman who's dug deep into his pockets to provide us with class. No doubt he'll continue to bankroll us for years to come too.
Today everyone is calling for a quality centre forward which can only be brought in on a big fee or big wages.
Unfortunately it seems to me that people want the best but aren't prepared to pay for it. We can grow as a club to keep getting bigger and better but it's a fact of life that this costs money and this money has to come from somewhere.
My personal preference is that we all contribute rather than just get bankrolled by a rich chairman who for whatever reason may not be able to provide in the future.

 

[trueblue]

I was surprised to hear that a programme was only £3 last season given the price of magazines these days and what they cost at theatres etc. £3.50 sounds about right to me.

 

[LamieRobertson]

£3.50 far too cheap should be £4 at least

 

[Medwayseagull]

Other clubs programmes are usually of significantly worst quality for £3.
The increase is not substantial in the context of the previous period of price freeze.
It is a good quality product and is value for money compared to theatre programmes.
It is a programme not a program.

 

[narly101]

I'd pay a fiver - considering the daily Olympics Programme was £10. £3.50 in the great scheme of things isn't all that expensive to be honest. It's half the price of a pack of fags, and much less than a Big Mac Meal. If you don't like the price, don't buy it.

 

[Gazwag]

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.

But that's where you are wrong, granted those who walk and cycle or get dropped off their match ticket costs more, however the vast majority who are using public transport/P&R/parking are paying exactly the same this season as they were last season

 

[Everest]

I's pay a fiver cos Charlie's writing in it.

 

[Charlotte1988]

I just buy one every now and again so I don't mind splurging here and there

 

[Captain Sensible]

Ok so some will still buy the program. Just taking a cross section on here, there are an awful lot of people that aren't going to buy it anymore (me included). Also there are an awful lot of people on here that are not going to drink after or buy a pie etc etc.
So I think the price increases will in real terms have the opposite effect. Less money for the club. The extra 50p isn't going to cover the £1 profit they are missing out on from others that don't buy any more. The Albion will make more this season with the extra seats, but they could make it so much more profit if they went with freezing the prices or a small 3-4% rise across the board.

Imagine with 5000 extra fans and a very small or no price increase. There would be no talk of boycotting anything and the place would be selling like there's no tomorrow. Shame.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

). Also there are an awful lot of people on here that are not going to drink after or buy a pie etc etc.
.

Or an awful lot of people that are SAYING they won't...

 

[DJ Leon]

Whinge, whinge, whinge, whinge.

Don't like the new price? Don't buy it. If the price rise is really too much, the club will find out and prices will adjust accordingly.

Oh and all these class players we have and our beautiful new stadium - they cost A LOT OF MONEY. I heard one guy paid £90m out of his own pocket for it all!?

The path we've taken is to try and play as higher quality football as possible. Be aware this will cost YOU, don't think it won't. It's sad if you don't like that or can't afford it, but it's the way of the world now. Deal with it.

 

[Gazwag]

Imagine with 5000 extra fans and a very small or no price increase. There would be no talk of boycotting anything and the place would be selling like there's no tomorrow. Shame.

Be interesting to see how late all these fans who are drinking in Brighton before the game intead at the Amex will arrive tonight when they can't get on a train because of the queues

 

[Captain Sensible]

Or an awful lot of people that are SAYING they won't...

Well I guess nobody will know that except the club. It's just a no brainier to me. Why push prices up so far, you are pissing people off and getting the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve. ie, getting people in early, get them spending and get them to leave late. Looks like around half (on here anyway) are not going to do that or are reducing what they normally spen or how long they spend for. These rises are just too big. It gets people backs up and when you do that people stop handing over the cash. Small rises across the board are the way to go year on year. Some will always spend but my opinion is the Albion have just pushed the prices up that bit too far for alot of folks.

As you say though, who says they won't and still will buy. I guess TB and PB are hoping that's the case too.

 

[TonyTownersShorts]

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

Simply solution do not buy one..

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Well I guess nobody will know that except the club. It's just a no brainier to me. Why push prices up so far, you are pissing people off and getting the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve. ie, getting people in early, get them spending and get them to leave late. Looks like around half (on here anyway) are not going to do that or are reducing what they normally spen or how long they spend for. These rises are just too big. It gets people backs up and when you do that people stop handing over the cash. Small rises across the board are the way to go year on year. Some will always spend but my opinion is the Albion have just pushed the prices up that bit too far for alot of folks.

As you say though, who says they won't and still will buy. I guess TB and PB are hoping that's the case too.

I agree with everything you say. I'm sure most do.

I really doubt though, that many people at all will actually change their habits.

If people stayed last season and drank a pint for £3.60 (£3.24 with smartcard) because they hate standing in a queue, they are not going to suddenly embrcae queueing at the station, for the sake of an extra 30p (27p).

Programs (unit) sales MIGHT take a hit though. But they won't dip, by nearly enough, that the PROFIT won't still be higher.

 

[Greavsey]

I really don't know what it is people want.
We could have a cheap stadium, cheap catering, cheap programme and a cheap club.
As it happens we have a chairman who's dug deep into his pockets to provide us with class. No doubt he'll continue to bankroll us for years to come too.
Today everyone is calling for a quality centre forward which can only be brought in on a big fee or big wages.
Unfortunately it seems to me that people want the best but aren't prepared to pay for it. We can grow as a club to keep getting bigger and better but it's a fact of life that this costs money and this money has to come from somewhere.
My personal preference is that we all contribute rather than just get bankrolled by a rich chairman who for whatever reason may not be able to provide in the future.

Spot on! All of the rises this season are a case of:
1) Natural Inflation
2) Supply and demand - if you don't buy them then the club will know their pricing policy is wrong. Just stop moaning about it. Life is too short!
3) Increased fan and manager expectations leading to the need for an increased playing staff budget

This is not the work of just one man, arriving and going into the granular detail of the price of a pie. I'm sure he has bottom line revenue targets that he employs people to meet.

Thank God the club is now in professional hands, the previous CEO was found wanting. All the time Tony is ultimately in charge of the club I think we can rest easy that he can make decisions with his 'fan' head, as well as his business head!

Can't wait for the meltdown next season when we starting changing both kits every year as per the rest of the Football League and Premier League!!