An interview with Paul Barber

[Steve.S]

Surely it would be better to pay for the travel separately. If you use the park and ride, then pay for a travel ticket for it. The same for train travel. Surely those that use the car parks pay for that separately and then they also have to pay through their season ticket.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

So you reckon the price of the actual season ticket will go up (i.e. regardless of travel subsidy)?

I would have thought increasing the subsidy we currently pay for travel to at least 90% would be a sufficient enough hike.

It is just a guess but I think the price will go up in general, with an additional increase in the travel subsidy, although as you say, if they increase the ticket holder's contribution to around the 90 per cent mark, anything outside that would be hard to swallow.

My thinking is only along those lines because when they added the subsidy cost to the ticket last season they still called it a price freeze (unless I dreamt that) but explained it as including the travel voucher cost in the season ticket.

I genuinely don't think the club has made up its mind on the pricing yet so everything from us fans is no more than guess work.

 

[Wozza]

I have had correspondence with Paul Barber, who is a very straight bloke, and our lack of commercial income is his biggest concern.

80% of the Albion's income comes via match day revenues, for Manchester United it is 25%, for Manchester City it is 13%.

Our revenues should never be compared to a Premier League club, let alone a top club. The *HUGE* TV money distorts everything.

 

[Ernest]

I asked that question several times to the point where I got a rather rude and forceful response from Derek Chapman basically telling me to like it or lump it.

It is quite easy to do as well the club just advise a period say two weeks to submit an application and what the criteria is to qualify then make a judgement.

At present the greenest fans, those that walk or cycle have to pay this which is totally pathetic in my view and extremely greedy of the club to just force a rule. In the spirit of transparency it would be nice to know what costs more car parks, train or buses which could then be priced fairly accordingly.

You have to commit to your season ticket seat so perhaps you should also commit to your mode of transport as well and it is priced fairer according to what is costs.

Oh and I expect the usual vitriol on this from the lickers and groovy gang

Would have thought their were hundreds if not more with either bus passes or train seasons that are paying this tax who don't need to

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Now all those thousands of Albion fans who contributed nothing to the Travel Voucher scheme and travelled for free throughout the 2011/1012 season will realise they have robbed the club of a 7 figure sum.

Agreed.

BUT the club's organisation of the travel vouchers was a shambles.

I used the park and ride at the race hill several times and was NEVER asked for one of the vouchers.

Likewise on the trains.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

West Stand Upper middle blocks is, what, £490 this season?

If you estimate even a five per cent increase on that your ticket would go up £24.50, taking it up to £514.50 even before the subsidy rise is added.

That is starting to get VERY steep for a championship team if more than £515 next season for WSU seat. I'd seriously have to re-evaluate if I could afford one if its much more than £515.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Would have thought their were hundreds if not more with either bus passes or train seasons that are paying this tax who don't need to

Agree completely. Those who travel by coach to games do get paid a subsidy from the club of about £2 per game, per person.

You would think something could be sorted out for those who have rail season tickets or bus passes along the lines of sending in a photocopy of your pass etc with your season ticket application.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

It is just a guess but I think the price will go up in general, with an additional increase in the travel subsidy, although as you say, if they increase the ticket holder's contribution to around the 90 per cent mark, anything outside that would be hard to swallow.

My thinking is only along those lines because when they added the subsidy cost to the ticket last season they still called it a price freeze (unless I dreamt that) but explained it as including the travel voucher cost in the season ticket.

I genuinely don't think the club has made up its mind on the pricing yet.

That is how they phrased it for the increase this season, and is what I'm expecting to happen again for next season although on a bigger scale.

Prize freeze on match costs again, hike on travel subsidy.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Surely it would be better to pay for the travel separately. If you use the park and ride, then pay for a travel ticket for it. The same for train travel. Surely those that use the car parks pay for that separately and then they also have to pay through their season ticket.

How do you check that someone has a ticket when the buses & trains are rammed? You are then back to last season's scenario where some fans robbed the club by not buying travel vouchers?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Surely it would be better to pay for the travel separately. If you use the park and ride, then pay for a travel ticket for it. The same for train travel. Surely those that use the car parks pay for that separately and then they also have to pay through their season ticket.

The travel voucher scheme in 2011/2012 was a unmitigated disaster , plus don't forget from next season the club will have to contribute to the parking enforcement zones in Coldean and Moulsecoomb

 

[Beach Hut]

Agree completely. Those who travel by coach to games do get paid a subsidy from the club of about £2 per game, per person.

You would think something could be sorted out for those who have rail season tickets or bus passes along the lines of sending in a photocopy of your pass etc with your season ticket application.

It is not rocket science and exactly what should be done then those that cannot prove it pay accordingly.

Glad I do not have a free bus pass as a pensioner as BHAFC respond by saying f*** you pay our travel tax regardless.

 

[Ernest]

Agree completely. Those who travel by coach to games do get paid a subsidy from the club of about £2 per game, per person.

You would think something could be sorted out for those who have rail season tickets or bus passes along the lines of sending in a photocopy of your pass etc with your season ticket application.

Exactly then it wouldn't cost the club so much in subsidy if they can prove x amount of season ticket holders have season tickets that cover their cost of their journey to Falmer

 

[Beach Hut]

The travel voucher scheme in 2011/2012 was a unmitigated disaster , plus don't forget from next season the club will have to contribute to the parking enforcement zones in Coldean and Moulsecoomb

Bollox to that the minority are costing the majority - fairness and transparency it isn't

 

[El Presidente]

Our revenues should never be compared to a Premier League club, let alone a top club. The *HUGE* TV money distorts everything.

I was just trying to contextualise how far behind the Premier League the Championship is.

Our revenue was £22 million in total, we are competing against Blackburn, Bolton, Wolves, Birmingham and Blackpool, all of whom collect £18 million as parachute payments this season. Burnley and Hull each receive £9 million.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I asked that question several times to the point where I got a rather rude and forceful response from Derek Chapman basically telling me to like it or lump it.

It is quite easy to do as well the club just advise a period say two weeks to submit an application and what the criteria is to qualify then make a judgement.

At present the greenest fans, those that walk or cycle have to pay this which is totally pathetic in my view and extremely greedy of the club to just force a rule. In the spirit of transparency it would be nice to know what costs more car parks, train or buses which could then be priced fairly accordingly.

You have to commit to your season ticket seat so perhaps you should also commit to your mode of transport as well and it is priced fairer according to what is costs.

Oh and I expect the usual vitriol on this from the lickers and groovy gang

There are all the older fans who have bus passes so can get free travel anyway.

 

[Smithy24]

I think I said £22-24 million.

I have had correspondence with Paul Barber, who is a very straight bloke, and our lack of commercial income is his biggest concern.

80% of the Albion's income comes via match day revenues, for Manchester United it is 25%, for Manchester City it is 13%.

To be fair they have a massive worldwide fanbase, its likely most clubs will have similar figures to ours

 

[Brighton Breezy]

If the current £30 is less than a third of the travel cost, the club is having to find around £60 each a season. I may be wrong but over the season that would work out at about £1.3million working on the basis of 22,000 season ticket holders alone.

Now, say the club ask the supporters to increase their share of the cost to even half (£45 rather than £30) that would take the price of an Upper West middle blocks season ticket to more than £500.

Also, I can't imagine the club would talk at such length about financial fair play etc just to justify a £15 increase on season tickets which is why I am, perhaps wrongly, expecting an additional increase on the cost of the ticket outside the travel cost rise.

 

[Beach Hut]

There are all the older fans who have bus passes so can get free travel anyway.

I agree entirely and the answer from the club is a convenient f*** you pay up - real transparancy

 

[Ernest]

All they need to do is allow you to scan your train or bus pass and email it to them and if you don't you pay the travel tax

 

[Ernest]

I agree entirely and the answer from the club is a convenient f*** you pay up - real transparancy

Nice attitude, I think they forget at times when they held the begging bowls out