Category A Pricing. Is it too much?

[Luke93]

Personally, £15 -£20 would feel about right for a league game in the second tier of English football. Anything above that, and I'm out. I could afford to go, but for me it just doesn't seem worth it, especially when travel costs are factored in too.

Yeah, the free subsidised match day travel is such a bummer to fork out for.

 

[Working class pride]

Sounds like they have shifted circa 30,000 for a game against Reading in the second tier with the capacity 32,000. So its difficult to argue with. The question is what happens when Arsenal roll into town. Either the capacity goes up or the price goes up. Simple supply and demand.

 

[Luke93]

I think that's extreme. It might be right for you.

When I suggest too much, I'm referring to the capitalist ideology of supply and demand. At £32 there is not the demand. At £25 there is. At £15-£20 I suggest there might be too much demand, meaning less revenue and less money to spend on player, so less success on the pitch

There is demand though. Obviously more people would go if it's cheaper, but that doesn't mean revenue will be greater. For example, at 25 a ticket 2,000 people might go (25x2000=£50000). At 32 only 1600 (20% less) people may go, but that still brings in £51000+ revenue. Obviously I have no idea what the club's sales figures are.

Average tickets sold per game is above 26000, that suggests demand! Lower prices are also available. The club has a very accurate and successful pricing scheme IMO, and this is proven by the stats. People are obviously unhappy with the expensive tickets, and the cheaper tickets are limited. So the future is unclear as the average attendance may decrease over the coming years (especially without promotion). That's when the club needs to adjust their prices.

 

[Beach Hut]

There is demand though. Obviously more people would go if it's cheaper, but that doesn't mean revenue will be greater. For example, at 25 a ticket 2,000 people might go (25x2000=£50000). At 32 only 1600 (20% less) people may go, but that still brings in £51000+ revenue. Obviously I have no idea what the club's sales figures are, but are. Average tickets sold per game is above 26000, that suggest demand! Lower prices are also available. The club has a very accurate and successful pricing scheme IMO, and this is proven by the stats. People are obviously unhappy with the expensive tickets, and the cheaper tickets are limited. So the future is unclear as the average attendance may decrease over the coming years (especially without promotion). That's when the club needs to adjust heir prices.

Basic understanding of pricing structure and economics, be careful as this goes straight over a lot of peoples heads these days.

 

[crookie]

My text said tickets are available from £25. No idea which stand though

 

[Quinney]

My text said tickets are available from £25. No idea which stand though

South and a few in the North I would imagine.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Yeah, the free subsidised match day travel is such a bummer to fork out for.

I wasn't aware that the subsidised match day travel would cover my costs from Cambridge to Brighton and back again.

 

[Beach Hut]

I wasn't aware that the subsidised match day travel would cover my costs from Cambridge to Brighton and back again.

Really ?

Barber out NOW

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Sounds like they have shifted circa 30,000 for a game against Reading in the second tier with the capacity 32,000. So its difficult to argue with. The question is what happens when Arsenal roll into town. Either the capacity goes up or the price goes up. Simple supply and demand.

Since when has our capacity been 32000? As far as I'm aware is 30750.

 

[Bry Nylon]

There is demand though. Obviously more people would go if it's cheaper, but that doesn't mean revenue will be greater. For example, at 25 a ticket 2,000 people might go (25x2000=£50000). At 32 only 1600 (20% less) people may go, but that still brings in £51000+ revenue.

You can't take a ticket price, multiple it by potential sales and then declare it to be potential revenue. For a start 20% of every ticket sales is VAT. Therefore these revenue figures are over-stated by at least one fifth. Also, within the mix there will be a significant number of concessions, which again will deflate the revenue.

I don't disagree with the broad point that current attendance levels suggest the club haven't got it too far wrong in terms of pricing. But for me it is more than I am prepared to pay to watch football these days. I accept that for at least 28'000 others that demonstrably isn't the case.

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Yeah, the free subsidised match day travel is such a bummer to fork out for.

He's obviously not talking about the subsidised travel is he, some people actually have to pay to visit Brighton, it isn't free.

 

[1066familyman]

...I think £30 marks a psychological boundary for fans at our level. When the ticket price starts with a '2', it feels OK, but when it starts with a '3' it feels pricey.

Agreed. See Ipswich away for us in recent times as a classic example.
Football ticket prices are already over priced in this country and every fan knows it, but when they feel clubs are starting to really take the piss then plenty will vote with their feet.

 

[Luke93]

He's obviously not talking about the subsidised travel is he, some people actually have to pay to visit Brighton, it isn't free.

No shit Sherlock. I was obviously pointing out that he club already provides something for most fans in terms of travel. Not every club does that!

 

[Luke93]

You can't take a ticket price, multiple it by potential sales and then declare it to be potential revenue. For a start 20% of every ticket sales is VAT. Therefore these revenue figures are over-stated by at least one fifth. Also, within the mix there will be a significant number of concessions, which again will deflate the revenue.

I don't disagree with the broad point that current attendance levels suggest the club haven't got it too far wrong in terms of pricing. But for me it is more than I am prepared to pay to watch football these days. I accept that for at least 28'000 others that demonstrably isn't the case.

Then don't buy the expensive tickets, but the cheaper ones (south corner).

 

[GingerBeerMan]

No shit Sherlock. I was obviously pointing out that he club already provides something for most fans in terms of travel. Not every club does that!

Everyone on this board is aware of the travel subsidy included with the ticket, Bry Nylon made no reference to the travel subsidy, yet you felt it necessary to make a sarcy reply and bring it up.

 

[Luke93]

Everyone on this board is aware of the travel subsidy included with the ticket, Bry Nylon made no reference to the travel subsidy, yet you felt it necessary to make a sarcy reply and bring it up.

So reminding people of subsidised travel isn't relevant in a thread were people are complaining about expensive tickets? Of course it is...

 

[liam82]

Great thread

I had to give up my season ticket this year for the first time in about 14 years, although £38 is not a huge amount to pay a month a couldn't commit to it, I obviously plan to go to as many games as I could but when push comes to shove the one off match prices just seem to high, £25 I don't mind to much but £32 is OTT.

What really annoys me is this banding of games, why is Ipswich for £32 for example and Middlesborough £25? I don't really care who we are playing as I pay to see Brighton, this banding might make a bit more sense for top flight games when Man U come to town but by and large the rest of the games are just plain everyday fixtures.

The higher up the leagues you go the less pivotal ticket prices are to a club anyway, all the season ticket sales at Old Trafford probably cover about 2 weeks wage bill!!!!

Football is out of control the fans pay to much the players get paid too much, the fans are the ones getting short changed week after week that's the reality.

 

[Weststander]

Could be but the club are forecasting 28500 and they are rarely far off for obvious reasons.

Agree with Bozza's "starting with a 3... ." comment but the vast majority of Albion fans never know what category/price individual games are because they pay for a ST on a monthly basis so it's really only an issue for those attending away games.

They were far off, therefore a duff theory.

 

[brakespear]

I've often argued, particularly when talking about away games, that the match price ticket is largely irrelevant given the other costs incurred during the day - travel, food and drink.

I can't speak about away matches but for me the ticket is the only price, apart from the small price to get to Brighton. I don't eat or drink at the stadium or beforehand. £25 is where your £30 boundary is for me which is why I can only go two or three times a season.

 

[Weststander]

You can't take a ticket price, multiple it by potential sales and then declare it to be potential revenue. For a start 20% of every ticket sales is VAT. Therefore these revenue figures are over-stated by at least one fifth. Also, within the mix there will be a significant number of concessions, which again will deflate the revenue.

I don't disagree with the broad point that current attendance levels suggest the club haven't got it too far wrong in terms of pricing. But for me it is more than I am prepared to pay to watch football these days. I accept that for at least 28'000 others that demonstrably isn't the case.

A small correction, but its effect is significant - only 1/6 or 16.67% of every ticket sale or indeed all income goes in VAT.

On gross of VAT club revenue of £30m, or on an individual ticket sale, it matters.