£95 to dine 1901

[Seagull by the Sea]

Seems fair enough, it is part of the ground for wealthy business men after all - Barber should be rinsing them for every penny.

Erm, no!!

The vast majority of 1901 are regular fans who have been supporting the club for a very long time. They may have a business or done well for themselves but there are many 1901 members that I have known for over 20 years and have seen them regularly at home games at the Goldstone and Gillingham.

Personally, I wanted something special after putting up with Gillingham an Falmer. I also wanted a ticket for my 6 year old where there would be less swearing etc..future seat for my young child.

The rest are corporate but I would say only about 30%.

You would be very surprised if you knew just how many 1901 members are regularly attending away games too !!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Think I may have been looking at the London Irish prices, you're right, 'lounge' dining for football starts at £85 plus VAT for a carvery and no drinks. Their most comparable offer is £125 plus vat. Their buffet is £75 plus VAT!

We do seem to have been 'underpriced' in the loosest sense of the word.

 

[trueblue]

The introduction of a cheaper option than the old 'sit down' meals seems much more suited to the majority of 1901 club fans I think - even if it's a bit pricey. At £90+, the new premium offering is for hard core business only - food will need to improve massively. But with new caterers and fewer meals to serve, maybe they'll reach the high-end restaurant standards that were mooted before the stadium opened. In which case, bigger business will actually see it as something worth doing with their clients.

 

[saafend_seagull]

I hear their better season ticket prices are eye watering too. Dread to think what 1901 is gonna go up to if we are in the Premier League when the current deal runs out in 3 years.

Friend just got to front of waiting list.

£1,250 for league and cup matches.

 

[pishhead]

The buffet offer is very competitively priced. comparable to what you'd pay in one of the Chinese buffets around town. The sit down option is a great idea for people wishing to treat themselves or to entertain clients. Limiting it to 40 people makes perfect sense and I'm sure it will benefit almost all the 1901's in one way or another. Overall to me it looks like the caterers have got this spot on.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I'm pretty tempted to report the club to the ASA for that as well, since when has giving the lower price then mentioning that VAT will be on top of that without giving the final price been allowed?

Have you already had porn blocked on your computer?

What a complete and utter drip.

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Ouch. That's a hefty 100% increase but you now get half a bottle of wine and a drink on arrival and an improvement in the food....I presume.

It's not
It was £99 last year
I booked twice last year (my ST seat at £38? is 3 seats from platinum 1901 which I then had to move on)

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Erm, no!!

The vast majority of 1901 are regular fans who have been supporting the club for a very long time. They may have a business or done well for themselves but there are many 1901 members that I have known for over 20 years and have seen them regularly at home games at the Goldstone and Gillingham.

Personally, I wanted something special after putting up with Gillingham an Falmer. I also wanted a ticket for my 6 year old where there would be less swearing etc..future seat for my young child.

The rest are corporate but I would say only about 30%.

You would be very surprised if you knew just how many 1901 members are regularly attending away games too !!

yep, and I reckon Paul Barber is gutted about that, prime seats sold off to people who don't have oodles of spare cash. As someone else says, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a hefty rise after the first five year period is finished.

 

[Luke93]

Erm, no!!

The vast majority of 1901 are regular fans who have been supporting the club for a very long time. They may have a business or done well for themselves but there are many 1901 members that I have known for over 20 years and have seen them regularly at home games at the Goldstone and Gillingham.

Personally, I wanted something special after putting up with Gillingham an Falmer. I also wanted a ticket for my 6 year old where there would be less swearing etc..future seat for my young child.

The rest are corporate but I would say only about 30%.

You would be very surprised if you knew just how many 1901 members are regularly attending away games too !!

That means nothing. The club run a business, their first priority needs to be revenue. And this increase is very justified.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I'm pretty tempted to report the club to the ASA for that as well, since when has giving the lower price then mentioning that VAT will be on top of that without giving the final price been allowed?

Isn't this custom and practice in the B2B world ? Corporates claiming expenses need a VAT receipt not a bill showing the total amount with no VAT breakdown.

 

[Bozza]

No, none of them are, they are all comparable 'suites' at other clubs, whatever way you look at it, the Amex at £95 is comparable, I fact, most of those clubs have far more expensive offers.

Don't most of those other offers include a (premium) seat in the package too?

1901ers have paid c£50 for their seat already making the 1901 package close to £150.

 

[Bozza]

It's not
It was £99 last year
I booked twice last year (my ST seat at £38? is 3 seats from platinum 1901 which I then had to move on)

Are you saying you bought one off 1901 seat+meal for £99?

If so, it's not comparable as the dining here is just that - dining. The 1901ers will have their seat pre-paid already.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It's not
It was £99 last year
I booked twice last year (my ST seat at £38? is 3 seats from platinum 1901 which I then had to move on)

It was £41 in the Profile/Platinum Lounge last year.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

The buffet offer is very competitively priced. comparable to what you'd pay in one of the Chinese buffets around town. The sit down option is a great idea for people wishing to treat themselves or to entertain clients. Limiting it to 40 people makes perfect sense and I'm sure it will benefit almost all the 1901's in one way or another. Overall to me it looks like the caterers have got this spot on.

Very much this. Sit down catering was dying on its arse. The buffet option will be more popular with us 'normal' fans but there is still a corporate option ( which is why prices are quoted + VAT BTW)

 

[Icy Gull]

Don't most of those other offers include a (premium) seat in the package too?

1901ers have paid c£50 for their seat already making the 1901 package close to £150.

That would make sense to me, I find it hard to believe that Watford are more expensive than us

Edit - having done a quick check it seems that the Watford package does indeed include a premium match day seat making the Albion offer considerably more expensive.

 

[Superphil]

Don't most of those other offers include a (premium) seat in the package too?

1901ers have paid c£50 for their seat already making the 1901 package close to £150.

Thats a good point, yes, most do include a seat. I would say though in slight defence of the Albion, even at £150 it is still cheaper than many of the top offers from the clubs I quoted, I saw top tickets at £200 plus, and I guess the £95 offer in the Overline and Bupa lounges is our top offer.

 

[Superphil]

That would make sense to me, I find it hard to believe that Watford are more expensive than us

Edit - having done a quick check it seems that the Watford package does indeed include a premium match day seat making the Albion offer considerably more expensive.

Watford offers start at £99, then £120, then £175, all plus vat. All have a pay bar, only the top offer includes a single glass of champagne.

 

[Icy Gull]

Watford offers start at £99, then £120, then £175, all plus vat. All have a pay bar, only the top offer includes a single glass of champagne.

Readings seem to be £125 also including a premium seat.

My point is that we now seem to be pretty well the most expensive in the division, not a moan but just, as I said last night, I can't believe that many clubs in the Championship are going to be more expensive. I'm surprised any are but we probably have the best facilities of any of them and people will pay if the quality is up to scratch. Prices me out except for a one off tbh

 

[Icy Gull]

yep, and I reckon Paul Barber is gutted about that, prime seats sold off to people who don't have oodles of spare cash. As someone else says, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a hefty rise after the first five year period is finished.

1901 prices were obviously a bargain given the facilities and the seating, but with no guarantee as to which division we'd be in when they were originally sold and therefore the gamble that we could pay top notch prices for League One football or cheap prices for Premier League football for some of the time. I think it is nailed on that if we are in the top two divisions come renewal it's going to become much more expensive. I wonder if they'll go for a five year package again or reduce it to yearly or bi annual?

 

[The Merry Prankster]

It's not about what others charge for me, it is about what the Albion promised and have now changed. Barber held a "focus" group last year just after the caterers changed. He promised it was the first of a regular series -turned out it was the one and only. He said bear with us we will get this right - they haven't they've just abandoned it. Again it's moving the goalposts after they've got your money. Bit of a theme developing here.