Have you renewed your season ticket?

[perseus]

The biggest factor I've heard for not renewing is too many evening games which some people can't make. Skews the value of season tickets to the detriment.

Fixtures not organised very well. Two games in a week and then a big gap. Applies to all clubs.

The second most factor is the trains for the evening games being so awful. Football as not got so bad (short memories). Not me, our group.

 

[London Irish]

Into trouble for what. ?
A modern comfortable ground Premier League standard ground instead of lets say the wooden seats, and barbed wire of a Selhurst or a Den,
A world class training ground / academy worth of the top 6 of the Premier League instead of lets say a Blackpool training on muddy pitches and with portakabins
Extensive progressive grassroots activity in the community, youth football, womens football worthy of the Premier League.
And two seasons out of four in the Championship where we've been 90 mins or so away from the Prem League itself. but hey thats football. Lets see where we are in 15/16.
Are fans really pissed of with this or are they really pragmatic and appreciate the club are in it for the long term and that teams can have one bad season but are proud of the incredible progress of the club in the last 10 years..

At least we can be grateful that in one sense we aren't Premier League Ready. Unlike the imminent changes for our friends up the A23, Albion is still owned by a lifelong fan who supports the club and effectively pays for it unlike the rest of the franchise Prem League.
And had the foresight to hire Paul Barber...

OK - just one question then.

How much do you expect season ticket sales are going to go up by this coming season if everything is as fine as you say?

Put an approx. figure and then we can check back in August to see how close you were. I think we need a measurable test of whether fans are backing what board loyalists are saying by the only test that counts, with their own hard-earned.

My own feeling is that the rhetoric has not quite matched up to reality, hence we will see a first significant erosion this season, on top of the declines of last.

 

[Icy Gull]

The last 4 home games have been entertaining haven't they?

In fact the last 2 I went to - Reading and Forest - we're very entertaining, even though we won neither!

You are assuming that the fans that we are talking about even bothered to turn up! I have really enjoyed the last 4 home games, delighted not to have gone away since Charlton though.

 

[chaileyjem]

OK - just one question then.

How much do you expect season ticket sales are going to go up by this coming season if everything is as fine as you say?

.

I think if the club limit ST sales to a fall of about 5% then that would be a result. And thats what i'm expecting.
Freezing prices, transport, u21s prices will help a bit. All smart decisions from the club. DDebits always help in terms of renewals. And the improvements on the pitch (however intermittent) since Xmas. Those wins against Derby and Leeds won't have hurt too.
Of course we'd better stay up too. And we're not quite there yet.

As for being a board "loyalist" then i've been to Millwall, Reading and Wolves in the last week. And its been bloody awful. On the pitch at least.

 

[durrington gull]

I think if the club limit ST sales to a fall of about 5% then that would be a result. And thats what i'm expecting.
Freezing prices, transport, u21s prices will help a bit. All smart decisions from the club. DDebits always help in terms of renewals. And the improvements on the pitch (however intermittent) since Xmas. Those wins against Derby and Leeds won't have hurt too.
Of course we'd better stay up too. And we're not quite there yet.

As for being a board "loyalist" then i've been to Millwall, Reading and Wolves in the last week. And its been bloody awful. On the pitch at least.

I'll be amazed if we only have a 5% drop - that would be a result for the club imo - expect at least 10-15% non renewals - lets wait and see

 

[chaileyjem]

Calling them pathetic is not very constructive either. Some people pay to be entertained, they haven't been and the club can't be surprised if they talk with their wallets. We don't all live and breath Albion, well not more than about 6,000.of us do.

Agree with all of this
The 6000 figure though ? Is your definition of the core fan base on the basis that 6000 was the average crowd in the decade at the Withdean ?
Aren't there now 1000s of fans who "live and breathe the Albion" who only started going regularly in August 2011. I suspect there might be. Of all ages.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I think if the club limit ST sales to a fall of about 5% then that would be a result. And thats what i'm expecting.
Freezing prices, transport, u21s prices will help a bit. All smart decisions from the club. DDebits always help in terms of renewals. And the improvements on the pitch (however intermittent) since Xmas. Those wins against Derby and Leeds won't have hurt too.
Of course we'd better stay up too. And we're not quite there yet.

As for being a board "loyalist" then i've been to Millwall, Reading and Wolves in the last week. And its been bloody awful. On the pitch at least.

I would be staggered if the ST sales only drop by 5%

I think it will be nearer 20%

Hope I'm wrong, and that you're right, but talking to people I know, loads are not renewing.

 

[Withdean11]

If we do end up relegated, will the club be reducing the price on season tickets? Much like they told us last year they would increase them if we were to get promoted?

 

[mac04]

Aren't there now 1000s of fans who "live and breathe the Albion" who only started going regularly in August 2011. I suspect there might be. Of all ages.

Count me in that figure - I'm mid 40's in age BTW

 

[chaileyjem]

If we do end up relegated, will the club be reducing the price on season tickets? Much like they told us last year they would increase them if we were to get promoted?

Club have already said they will review pricing if circumstances change (*code for we will change prices if we're relegated).

 

[chaileyjem]

I would be staggered if the ST sales only drop by 5%

I think it will be nearer 20%
.

The biggest average attendance drop in the entire football league last season was Peterborough with a 22% drop (between 12/13 and 13/14 that is)
They were of course relegated.
It really is extremely rare even for clubs who have a stinker of a season to experience such a sharp drop.
Some users are confidently talking on here of 30%/40% drops on basis of what i'm not quite sure.
Source:
http://www.football-league.co.uk/documents/average-attendance549-2006711.pdf
Discounting poor Coventry (-77%) who of course stopped playing in Coventry. Thankfully that won't be on the cards ever again.

NB: Our average crowd this season *(or tickets sold for those who prefer it) this season is currently 25,500. Down just over 2K.

 

[el punal]

Cancelling my 4. Hacked off with the club for a couple of years now and it's clear they don't give a toss. This season has had little enjoyment, felt like a chore and I don't like being lied to/fed bullshit. I've had enough and need a break. I'll take in 5-6 home games next season and do more away games I think.

Will renew when Barber Goes.

Blimey mate! You're hard to please. Go on to the Wolves forum - Molineux Mix, and they think that as a club we've got it spot on and the Wolves should adopt a lot of what we offer. I'd be be interested to know what you've been lied to about.

 

[London Irish]

I think if the club limit ST sales to a fall of about 5% then that would be a result. And thats what i'm expecting.
Freezing prices, transport, u21s prices will help a bit. All smart decisions from the club. DDebits always help in terms of renewals. And the improvements on the pitch (however intermittent) since Xmas. Those wins against Derby and Leeds won't have hurt too.
Of course we'd better stay up too. And we're not quite there yet.

As for being a board "loyalist" then i've been to Millwall, Reading and Wolves in the last week. And its been bloody awful. On the pitch at least.

OK, -5% is a reasonable call (yes the DD could keep our figures more stable than at other clubs) - I think if we get of this season with just that, I agree that we will all breath a sigh of relief, whatever your views on the performance of the board over past 2 seasons.

 

[Icy Gull]

Agree with all of this
The 6000 figure though ? Is your definition of the core fan base on the basis that 6000 was the average crowd in the decade at the Withdean ?
Aren't there now 1000s of fans who "live and breathe the Albion" who only started going regularly in August 2011. I suspect there might be. Of all ages.

Not long before we find out, I think we can agree that you are much more optimistic in your expectation of fans loyalty. I wonder if the club will give us a figure that have renewed after Saturday's deadline?

 

[chaileyjem]

Not long before we find out, I think we can agree that you are much more optimistic in your expectation of fans loyalty. I wonder if the club will give us a figure that have renewed after Saturday's deadline?

I'm not optimistic, just realistic on the basis of the existing data out there.
Its just extremely unusual, looking at historical football league attendances, for clubs to experience the kind of falls you are predicting whatever their circumstances..
I also think the club has made a number of changes, which you acknowledge to help prevent non renewal which i think will limit numbers..
But i'm still interested in this 6000 figure. On what basis are there 6000 fans who "live and breathe the Albion" . Why is it 6000 ?

 

[ewe2]

If all your own circumstances allow....and you are a true fan !....Why on earth would you not renew !!!?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I think if the club limit ST sales to a fall of about 5% then that would be a result. And thats what i'm expecting.
Freezing prices, transport, u21s prices will help a bit. All smart decisions from the club. DDebits always help in terms of renewals. And the improvements on the pitch (however intermittent) since Xmas. Those wins against Derby and Leeds won't have hurt too.
Of course we'd better stay up too. And we're not quite there yet.

As for being a board "loyalist" then i've been to Millwall, Reading and Wolves in the last week. And its been bloody awful. On the pitch at least.

Paul Barber said there is a loss of 7% of sth every year due to death, moving out of the area and supporter's finances.

 

[SAC]

I'm not optimistic, just realistic on the basis of the existing data out there.
Its just extremely unusual, looking at historical football league attendances, for clubs to experience the kind of falls you are predicting whatever their circumstances..
I also think the club has made a number of changes, which you acknowledge to help prevent non renewal which i think will limit numbers..
But i'm still interested in this 6000 figure. On what basis are there 6000 fans who "live and breathe the Albion" . Why is it 6000 ?

The board probably need more cheerleaders like you but I think you are woefully optimistic with your 5% guess. I suspect that we wont find out for months but I'd imagine that ST renewals will be down by 25% and then once new STs are included the overall figure is down by about 20%.

Having a ST can save a fortune if you go to most matches but if you can't/don't get to that many and now realise that getting a ticket isn't going to prove difficult, why would you renew?

 

[brightn'ove]

Gonna be a busy posting day for you Paul I believe!!

*corrected

 

[Icy Gull]

I'm not optimistic, just realistic on the basis of the existing data out there.
Its just extremely unusual, looking at historical football league attendances, for clubs to experience the kind of falls you are predicting whatever their circumstances..
I also think the club has made a number of changes, which you acknowledge to help prevent non renewal which i think will limit numbers..
But i'm still interested in this 6000 figure. On what basis are there 6000 fans who "live and breathe the Albion" . Why is it 6000 ?

Average crowd at Withdean which had a capacity of 8000ish and not much more at the Goldstone when we turned shit, Ok so we have probably picked up some fans who are now ardent, but we'll see if it does actually run to just 10 percentish of 23K not renewing, which I think is very optimistic.

I just know how fickle Brighton fans watching an unsuccessful team have been in the past and I see no reason for it to change dramatically now

Edit I have just seen your prediction of just 5% not renewing