[Albion] Are you going to the Chelsea Cup game?

[S.T.U cgull]

What about the 4,500 Chelsea fans? How come they will be able to get home OK? When the majority of them will live a lot further away than the majority of Brighton fans. And they are playing an inferior opposition, in what is effectively a much smaller game for them than it is for us.

Flakey fanbase.

In fairness of the three match-going chelsea fans I work with.. none are going to the game despite being able to get tickets because of the kick off time. All live in various suburbs of SW London..

 

[Weststander]

What about the 4,500 Chelsea fans? How come they will be able to get home OK? When the majority of them will live a lot further away than the majority of Brighton fans. And they are playing an inferior opposition, in what is effectively a much smaller game for them than it is for us.

Flakey fanbase.

4.5k out of 40k regulars, easily achieved by a raft of PL/Championship clubs. The other 36k will be doing the same as most here … watching on the box.

 

[Simster]

I can't get animated about our support in games like this. It's a shite kick-off time against an opponent we play a few days later. If you want to go, then go. If you don't, then don't. Clubs of similar size to us have had shocking gates in the FAC. I think Sheff Utd got 6,000 for Cardiff in the last round. Are they "flakey" too? I wouldn't say so.

I do hope the club are awarding attendees with a reasonable number of points though - I haven't paid attention.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I can't get animated about our support in games like this. It's a shite kick-off time against an opponent we play a few days later. If you want to go, then go. If you don't, then don't. Clubs of similar size to us have had shocking gates in the FAC. I think Sheff Utd got 6,000 for Cardiff in the last round. Are they "flakey" too? I wouldn't say so.

I do hope the club are awarding attendees with a reasonable number of points though - I haven't paid attention.

If the club were smart then they'd accept they've misjudged demand for this game and announce that there will be 15pts for everyone who buys a ticket. And then use this experience to get it right next time with the ticket prices.

 

[Commander]

Great whataboutary

It's not really whataboutary. Just making the point that for so many people in Sussex this game isn't an option because of the kick off time / transport issues etc, but for people in London it seems to be OK. Just seems a bit strange.

 

[ROSM]

I can't get animated about our support in games like this. It's a shite kick-off time against an opponent we play a few days later. If you want to go, then go. If you don't, then don't. Clubs of similar size to us have had shocking gates in the FAC. I think Sheff Utd got 6,000 for Cardiff in the last round. Are they "flakey" too? I wouldn't say so.

I do hope the club are awarding attendees with a reasonable number of points though - I haven't paid attention.

THIS in letter size only usually reserved for Ernest's comedy posts.

We took over 3k to sheff utd last year and they were largely empty as we played them a few weeks later. Same with stoke when we took 4.5k.

 

[Bozza]

If the club were smart then they'd accept they've misjudged demand for this game and announce that there will be 15pts for everyone who buys a ticket. And then use this experience to get it right next time with the ticket prices.

Is it really a pricing thing?

There's not much scope on the price, really. This was never going to be £15 a ticket, so £20 is about as low as it would be.

Is saving a fiver really going to sway the folk who see it as a travel ballache and have chosen to buy a few beers in at home and watch it on the sofa?

 

[Bozza]

THIS in letter size only usually reserved for Ernest's comedy posts.

We took over 3k to sheff utd last year and they were largely empty as we played them a few weeks later. Same with stoke when we took 4.5k.

Whilst broadly agreeing with the point - and I would guess we'd also have sold 4,500 tickets if the tie was being played at Stamford Bridge - there was a lot of "I need the points for Europe" going on last season!

 

[Professor Plum]

It's not really whataboutary. Just making the point that for so many people in Sussex this game isn't an option because of the kick off time / transport issues etc, but for people in London it seems to be OK. Just seems a bit strange.

You’re a 1901 member which I think gives you a free ticket. Do you also have a parking space? What if you had to travel by train? A little more empathy with the grubby masses wouldn’t go amiss.

As for the Chelsea fans attending, I suspect most of them will be travelling from a lot closer to the Amex than London.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

What happens if you don't get home by midnight then ?

If I don't get back to Brighton station by midnight, then I'm waiting until 4:30 for a train back to London.

If this one goes to penalties, I will have to do that, or miss the end of the match.

 

[ROSM]

Whilst broadly agreeing with the point - and I would guess we'd also have sold 4,500 tickets if the tie was being played at Stamford Bridge - there was a lot of "I need the points for Europe" going on last season!

Fair point well made..I'd have turned up at the opening of a crisp packet at 1am in midhurst if it would have got me a ticket to qarabag in the europa league quarter finals

 

[Uh_huh_him]

If the club were smart then they'd accept they've misjudged demand for this game and announce that there will be 15pts for everyone who buys a ticket. And then use this experience to get it right next time with the ticket prices.

I'm not sure I agree with dishing out the highest points allocation, to coax fans who can't be arsed to attend a home game.

It's supposed to be an award for loyalty, to fans who spend significant chunks of their income to follow the club.
Not a carrot, for fans to buy a cheap ticket to a home game.

 

[Simster]

THIS in letter size only usually reserved for Ernest's comedy posts.

We took over 3k to sheff utd last year and they were largely empty as we played them a few weeks later. Same with stoke when we took 4.5k.

Also, the Chelsea game will see a gate of well north of 25,000 - probably nearer 30,000 despite the kick off time. I think I read on this thread that 23,000 seats at least had been sold before yesterday was out.

Now put that into context. Before the Amex (and indeed before it was expanded), we'd only had about FIVE 30,000+ gates that anyone on here could remember being part of. Why is it such a problem suddenly if 2-3,000 of the 31,800 seats remain empty? The Chelsea game, despite being fairly low profile, will probably still be watched by more than the 28,800 who watched the epic 1983 quarter final against Norwich (which in turn was the biggest Goldstone gate for 4 years and wasn't even close to being matched ever again at that place, except for 2 cups games against Southampton and then Arsenal).

 

[Simster]

I'm not sure I agree with dishing out the highest points allocation, to coax fans who can't be arsed to attend a home game.

It's supposed to be an award for loyalty, to fans who spend significant chunks of their income to follow the club.
Not a carrot, for fans to buy a cheap ticket to a home game.

Eh? Says who?

The club should clearly be looking after its home fans first and foremost. That's an absolute no brainer.

 

[BN9 BHA]

It's not really whataboutary. Just making the point that for so many people in Sussex this game isn't an option because of the kick off time / transport issues etc, but for people in London it seems to be OK. Just seems a bit strange.

Many posters on this thread and forum don’t live in Sussex.
I’m not sure I would want to drive to Hampshire, Dorset or other counties where fellow fans live if the game goes to ET and pens.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Eh? Says who?

The club should clearly be looking after its home fans first and foremost. That's an absolute no brainer.

It already does.

Being a Season ticket holder is a pre-requisite for the highest possible loyalty points totals

 

[Simster]

It already does.

Being a Season ticket holder is a pre-requisite for the highest possible loyalty points totals

So where's the problem in extending that to an unattractive* home cup fixture?


* it's not actually unattractive, but is on TV with a terrible kick off time

 

[Bold Seagull]

Is it really a pricing thing?

There's not much scope on the price, really. This was never going to be £15 a ticket, so £20 is about as low as it would be.

Is saving a fiver really going to sway the folk who see it as a travel ballache and have chosen to buy a few beers in at home and watch it on the sofa?

Would be interesting to know. Agree with you £20 to £25 is the difference of a pie. However, pyschological pricing is a dark art. We all see it when quoted prices, £490 rather than £500 etc.

ST holders also don't often see match day pricing. Most won't see that the same ticket a week later for the PL will be £55 or more. Looks a good price for someone like myself who goes match by match, but for someone already paid out on an ST, maybe less so and enough to be put off? Guess the number of ST holders going will paint a picture whether the price just wasn't tempting enough for the time of day etc.

 

[Bombardier]

If I don't get back to Brighton station by midnight, then I'm waiting until 4:30 for a train back to London.

If this one goes to penalties, I will have to do that, or miss the end of the match.

If it goes to penalties I would not want to be part of the carnage that will be Falmer station when thousands like you are desperately trying to get back to Brighton station for the onward journey back to London. Could be the biggest fire drill ever experienced at the Amex!

 

[Uh_huh_him]

So where's the problem in extending that to an unattractive* home cup fixture?


* it's not actually unattractive, but is on TV with a terrible kick off time

Because you would be giving more points to an unattractive home fixture, than were given to fans forking out full priced ticket and travel costs to go to Manchester/Newcastle/Villa etc.

The incentive is already there with the reduced price.
Likelihood is that it wouldn't move the needle too much anyway.