Barber and the club have lost me as a customer today

[TheOldGirl]

The Club is changing rapidly and is now a very different commercial animal to the one we left behind at Withdean. With that has come success on the field and commercial nouse is a pre requisite.

However I am concerned about how the Club (led by Barber who is CEO and has no interest in the fans, only money - which is his job) is becoming increasingly authoritarian and treating the fans as children/money pots or even an inconvenience. However the problem is that because we are fans we simply roll over because the love of our team comes first.

But what I cant stand is when someone has the temerity to question the club on tickets prices, season ticket rules, catering, 1901 terms or whatever, certain people immediately turn on the fan in question. The Club are not always right and we all fought to have a club that listens and respects the fans. I'm not necessarily saying that BHAFC doesn't respect its fans but some are clearly feeling less connected and even disillusioned. This should be a concern to us all and if necessary we should be willing to hold the Club to account.

I must say that I miss the old days of North Stand Chat when everyone wasnt quite so happy clappy with the club, where are the moaners gone, all barred I suspect. I even miss Pretty Pink Fairy

 

[Buzzer]

This is perhaps further indication that it's better to travel than to arrive.

And this is how I feel, in a nutshell. I do hope the PL doesn't cause me to start falling out of love with supporting Brighton.

 

[Husty]

What's the definition of a good customer?

Number of thumbs down received on NSC, naturally.

Like I say I'm no super fan and for the last few years I probably could have attended more games than I have, but other priorities n stuff ya know... But I followed the club through some tough times and I wouldn't be one to desert the club if they went down unlike whoever fills my seat at £45 a pop.

 

[Weststander]

I get that TB is entitled to stop subsidising the club but I don't get why the tickets are so expensive. There's, what, 10 or so category A games and the price differential between A and C matches is £15.

So say there's 2000 tickets at this price then the extra income is 2000 * 10 * £15 = £300,000. That's against an expected income of between £85m-£95m so less than 0.4% of turnover. It makes absolutely no material difference to the club so what is the point of it other than "all the other clubs do it so why don't we?"

I know the club can sell them at this price and more but in my simple mind a more modest increase would have won the club a lot of goodwill and shown that they have the fans at the forefront of their minds still. It just seems all so unnecessarily greedy.

The club's income for 17/18 will be circa £130m.

 

[Mackenzie]

Sympathies with the op, I'm in an equivalent situation. Attending games will be sparse this season for my family and me, but at least we'll have more TV coverage to keep up with things......and those matches where we can get a ticket will be magical.

 

[Buzzer]

The club's income for 17/18 will be circa £130m.

*gulp*

The club really can afford not to have such large increases then.

 

[Tooting Gull]

It is pleasing that some - not all - STHs are at least trying to put themselves in the position of match by match fans on this thread, and see it from their perspective. Because if they don't do that, then a viewpoint from someone paying as little as £26 per match on someone paying £45-£60 for Cat A games, is barely relevant.

As mentioned previously I think we all just have to make the best of it if we don't have a STH for often good reasons. But from this thread I do think there is an issue with the categorisation and pricing for young Albion fans.

You should not have to pay £25-30 for an eight-year-old, period. Not for any match, any category, any division. Alternatives are many, but the blanket Under-18 pricing looks and feels wrong, the U10s should not pay the same as a 17-year-old. I would maybe have a price point at U14 of £10 across all categories then raise it after if necessary.

 

[Drebin]

I have sympathy for the occasional visitor (like the OP) who has to plan trips to the Albion a long time in advance both logistically and financially. The increasing prices, decreasing availability and ever changing matchdays make it harder each year to go the football.

Being in this category of fan myself, I don't begrudge the club or the fans who have collected more loyalty points in a couple of seasons than I have in 20 years. But it is sh1t and booking my next trip early enough to get affordable plane tickets and being guaranteed to see the game when it is originally scheduled is becoming an ever bigger gamble with Sunday matches a possibility now.

But we are in the premier league now and that is the nature of the beast. Sky pays a lot of money to rule the league and the club has to do all it can to keep getting a slice of that pie. That cost naturally comes down to the fans, but unfortunately more and more fans can't afford the cost.

For the last few years I've managed 5 games a season traveling from Norway. This season it is likely to be a maximum of two.

 

[ilduc944]

True but concerts etc you don't go to every couple of weeks.

True to a degree but the same is true for an Albion match or a concert isn't it? You can choose to go every couple of weeks or you don't. It's a choice that needs making whether it's theatre, a concert - or it's football. Sadly it is getting more expensive but that's almost inevitable. I don't agree with it but if I want to go to a match it's the price we, as fans, pay for the success of the cub. Isn't that success what we all long for?

 

[El Presidente]

I do have some sympathy for the OP, but he could always come watch us at home to West Brom for £35.

 

[Weststander]

*gulp*

The club really can afford not to have such large increases then.

Huddersfield announced an amazing scheme this summer, recognising exactly that, but I believe it was for s/t holders.

 

[AmexRuislip]

I do have some sympathy for the OP, but he could always come watch us at home to West Brom for £35.

Without sound fick, who grades these games.
Is it the club, PL or a joint decision?

 

[Weststander]

I do think there is an issue with the categorisation and pricing for young Albion fans.

You should not have to pay £25-30 for an eight-year-old, period. Not for any match, any category, any division. Alternatives are many, but the blanket Under-18 pricing looks and feels wrong, the U10s should not pay the same as a 17-year-old. I would maybe have a price point at U14 of £10 across all categories then raise it after if necessary.

Very fair comment. Not least because the very young would most likely be accompanied by an adult paying full whack.

The Albion should never forget that we want to hook the youngsters before they choose the so called glamour clubs.

 

[Justice]

Cardiff is an example of why you shouldn't alienate fans with stupid price hikes a fiver more would be exceptable, you might very well need those fans on the way down one day.

 

[seagullwedgee]

I think STHs will probably bear the brunt of the increases when we start our second season in the PL.

There are currently about 30000 people who want 24000 season tickets. That to me suggests pushing the supply and demand pedal will be well overdue by then. So, start saving £20pm now and put it aside in a box.

 

[Weststander]

I think STHs will probably bear the brunt of the increases when we start our second season in the PL.

There are currently about 30000 people who want 24000 season tickets. That to me suggests pushing the supply and demand pedal will be well overdue by then. So, start saving £20pm now and put it aside in a box.

Just 20,000 available.

The other 3,000 are 1901 Club in the middle of the second 5 year contract.

We're forgetting one thing here - there's a decent chance that it may well be Championship football for 2018/19. Just saying.

 

[seagullwedgee]

Same point applies, there is one person in the Q for every 4 existing STHs.

Expect that to be factor in next year's ST pricing.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I have every sympathy for the OP. And given the utterly eye watering amounts of money sloshing around in the PL there shouldn't be any reason at all to charge the prices clubs do. Maybe if significant funds were going into grass roots etc there might be a case but sadly the only winners in this are hundreds of, at times very average, footballers and their agents.

 

[Buzzer]

Same point applies, there is one person in the Q for every 4 existing STHs.

Expect that to be factor in next year's ST pricing.

I wouldn't expect STs to go up by all that much to be honest. It's one thing pissing about with the pricing for a few thousand seats for occasional visitors, it's another thing altogether to target 24,000 regulars of which there will inevitably be a very vocal minority eager to let the club and the world know what they think of a sharp hike.

 

[seagullwedgee]

Not saying it would be palatable, just saying it is likely to happen. £26 per match for PL footie is way way below market rate, we all know that.