Category A Pricing. Is it too much?

[kingcole]

Today's game against Reading is a great barometer in my opinion.

It's a beautiful day. We are in with the shout of the Play Offs and are facing a local team in a vitally important 6 pointer. Our season will effectively be over if we lose the next two games. These factors should mean 'Big Attendance'

Yet, looking at the available tickets, at this stage we had sold a lot more for the game against Wigan (Category C). QPR does not seem to be selling any better.

A couple of months ago Reading brought over 2000 for a cup game (great pricing) but today, also for them what could be a season defining game, they are expecting to bring around half that number.

QPR sold out their 3000 plus allocation at Charlton well before the game a couple of weeks back, but against us, they have shifted about half what they took to Charlton, despite the Amex being a new stadium for them.

The Amex is a great stadium and the benefit of transport is also superb, but however it's dressed up, pay by game punters and away fans would seem to prefer to save £7 and choose an inferior fixture. This might bode well if we one day found ourselves back in league one, where pricing would need to be keener, but for the time being, I think it shows that no matter who the opposition, £32 plus booking fees is way to much to pay for a football match in the Championship is simply way too high.

 

[Bry Nylon]

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.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Not renewing next season and won't be paying the one off prices tbh

 

[kingcole]

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.

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

 

[Goldstone1976]

Not renewing next season and won't be paying the one off prices tbh

Genuine question: you have a S/T this year, the average price increase is under 3% - that's not unreasonable. So - why not?

In answer to the OP, yes, £32 is too high for a Cat A game. £28 tops, IMO.

 

[Bozza]

Earlier this week I was looking at tickets available to get a gauge for what the crowd might be.

I clicked on some front row ESU seats, roughly equivalent with my own in the WSU. I think the cost, including booking, was £84. Something like that anyway. I'll confess, I thought it looked a lot and was thankful for my season ticket and the discount it comes with. I think it would have to be a pretty decent game for me to consider handing over £40+ for.

 

[Bry Nylon]

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

I don't disagree with you. I'm not suggesting the club price tickets at £15/ £20. I'm simply saying that is what I would be willing to pay. I fully accept that the realities of football economics means tickets are priced where they are and on that basis I'm happy to stay away these days.

 

[severnside gull]

Today is going to be our biggest crowd of the season.
As for Qpr travelling no more than a spit and a bit to Charlton on a Saturday - hardly compares with a two train ride midweek evening now does it

 

[Bozza]

In answer to the OP, yes, £32 is too high for a Cat A game. £28 tops, IMO.

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.

However, 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.

 

[Return of the Rev]

genuine question: You have a s/t this year, the average price increase is under 3% - that's not unreasonable. So - why not?

In answer to the op, yes, £32 is too high for a cat a game. £28 tops, imo.

Only been to 6 games so far and this season it seems more difficult to pass them on,i didn't get 3% pay rise so when things go up by 3% its alot.
For our two seats its just under a £1,000 which could cover alot of other things

 

[Goldstone1976]

However, 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.

Yep. Exactly this. Possibly also true for the casual home fan - hence my £28 suggestion - just under £30 when booking fees are included.

 

[chucky1973]

Today is going to be our biggest crowd of the season.
As for Qpr travelling no more than a spit and a bit to Charlton on a Saturday - hardly compares with a two train ride midweek evening now does it

Today won't be our biggest crowd of the season. To many seats left unsold

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Prices for one off tickets are too high. Simple as that. A smart marketing move would be the lower one off prices a couple of months down the line prior to next season after season ticket sales are pretty well done and dusted. Don't lower them to a level that Season Tickets don't become financially advantageous obviously. The PR value behind such a move would be massive plus the bums on seats factor combined with the extra add on revenue those bums would spend at the stadium should counter balance the price reduction. The team are having a reasonable season, hovering just around the play offs but we are still struggling to shift all the casual on the day tickets. The club have tried some good incentives such as pay on the day and the office at Brighton Station. However, the big turn off for many who aren't season ticket holders is quite simply the cost.

I'd personally go back to having just the one ticket band as well rather than categories. Throw out a special offer when we have the so called unattractive teams visiting.

Before anyone starts comparing our prices to other clubs, they are far too expensive as well. Should we ever reach the Premier League and our prices rise to something akin to Arsenal and BHAFC become a 'brand', that will be the day I consider my future as a season ticket holder.

 

[Superphil]

Considering conversations had with people at the club, they tell me their aim is to sell out every game, in which case I don't get the pricing policy. ST sales numbers are spectacular (ATM) so why can't the club get their head round the match by match pricing? STHs get heavily discounted match tickets, and are generally priced reasonably, it makes no sense to me to try and charge so much more for single match tickets. For each empty seat there are no beer sales, no pies, no merchandise, and no habit forming. If match by match tickets in the North/South were around low twenties, and mid twenties elsewhere there would be so many more sold, and that would give the club a great opportunity to try and sell more STs as well as matchday merch and pie sales.

That said, I still speak to people who are of the belief that they wouldn't be able to get tickets due to demand.

 

[severnside gull]

Today won't be our biggest crowd of the season. To many seats left unsold

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.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

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.

However, 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.

Nail on head !!

 

[Goldstone1976]

Only been to 6 games so far and this season it seems more difficult to pass them on,i didn't get 3% pay rise so when things go up by 3% its alot.
For our two seats its just under a £1,000 which could cover alot of other things

Fairy nuff. If you've only attended 6 games, and can't shift the tix for the games you can't attend, the economics are ludicrous. Paying the game by game prices is hard if previously you've had a season ticket and mentally done the Mathis that says "ok, that's £23 (or whatever) a game.

 

[kingcole]

Today is going to be our biggest crowd of the season.
As for Qpr travelling no more than a spit and a bit to Charlton on a Saturday - hardly compares with a two train ride midweek evening now does it

It shows the level of support in the right circumstances for QPR fans.

Yes, it's clear not as many will make the trip, but how many more could they have shifted for Charlton, 3500, 4000 ?

It's a small percentage coming to us.

On the other side, we sold less than 3000 (I know there were train issues before you counter again!) but we still sold out our 2000 allocation for QPR well in advance and could have sold many more - was an evening also.

I'm coming away from my point. Yes an evening game and proximity to home will of course had a bearing. But I think the price will have too

 

[Finchley Seagull]

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

Sadly, it seems to be the way of all football these days. I've seen my local club, Barnet, a few times this season when we've not been playing and they charge £16 for home fans to stand behind the goal. They do have some decent offers e.g. you get 2 tickets for the price of 1 when they have Tuesday/Saturday home games, but £16 is a lot for the fifth tier of football.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Fairy nuff. If you've only attended 6 games, and can't shift the tix for the games you can't attend, the economics are ludicrous. Paying the game by game prices is hard if previously you've had a season ticket and mentally done the Mathis that says "ok, that's £23 (or whatever) a game.

Never looked to sell on just pass tickets to people who would not have gone.