Seaon ticket price FREEZE then

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

If you want to get picky, then they haven't actually built in the reduction in VAT, so it's a 2.5% INCREASE.

I was thinking that, a lot of clubs advertised this last year as a reduction in prices. Thats why I thought they woul do a token reduction just to show they are in touch.

 

[Easy 10]

Not so long ago Easy, we were a merry band of 6 season ticket holders, all sat in a row, 2 of which were going to virtually every away game as well. Neither of those will be STHs next season, one of the others has also stopped, while myself and 1 other are seriously considering not renewing. Out of that group of 6 supporter, who I'd have classed as loyal, every game fans, it's possibly only you left next year.

That alone tells me the club have got something wrong over the last few years, as we are not talking 6 blokes who were only supporting through the good times of The Championship, we are lifers who are not going to be STH next season.

Our clan has indeed diminished alarmingly, but would you say it is as a direct result of the clubs pricing policy ? Or are other factors coming into play ?

One didn't renew due to work, and taking off so many Saturdays was eating into his holiday allowance too much
One isn't renewing as he's self employed, takings are generally down and its proving expensive not working those Saturdays
One has just bought his first property and is finally exposed to the reality of paying bills
One has practically moved to Portsmouth and has to battle though Worthing to get to home games
You're coming backards and forwards from Kent and pretty much writing off your Saturday

I'm not saying the price of the season ticket is completely irrelevent to any of these non-renewals (or POSSIBLE non-renewals). But I think other factors are playing a big part. People are getting increasingly fed up with Withdean, increasingly fed up with the dross we've been watching, and are now also factoring in the availability of tickets on an ad-hoc basis.

Knocking £50 or £100 off might see you renewing squire, but it wouldn't bring Chris, Steve or Colin back I'd wager.

 

[8ace]

If you want to get picky, then they haven't actually built in the reduction in VAT, so it's a 2.5% INCREASE.

Wasn't trying to be picky - hence the question mark

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Not so. One of my mates is on here every day (though he posts rarely) and didn't get to a home game at all last season. I also have an ex-workmate who reads NSC every week, without posting, who hasn't been to a game for 10 years. And a third acquaintance who watches Wycombe week in week out but also supports Brighton (particularly at away games) and is on here all the time.

Just because you can't see or hear them, doesn't mean they're not there.

Of course.

But they are less inclined to post, as you yourself have indicated above.

Perhaps I should have phrased it better. I meant the people who POST regularl are not representative.

 

[8ace]

The majority of STHs I know DON'T post on here.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

The majority of STHs I know DON'T post on here.

Only one person near me (Surreya) posts, that I am aware of.

 

[Kukev31]

You can get a Season ticket at Huddersfield for £99 behind the goal, or just over £100 at Bradford.

Our season tickets are probably the worst value for money in the entire football league.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

You can get a Season ticket at Huddersfield for £99 behind the goal, or just over £100 at Bradford.

Our season tickets are probably the worst value for money in the entire football league.

As already stated they help keep the club alive, so the factors are different. When Falmer arrives perhaps we will have the commercial clout to offer deals like the ones above. However it was 25p when I was young and I doubt this is similar in todays prices.

The club give a lot of free tickets away to members of Gullys gang, last year it was two free tickets for an adult and child with extra tickets only 50p.

I only ever bought a season ticket when we lost the Goldstone and I wanted to help the club survive. I think they were about £99 with free bus travel to Gillingham.

 

[Gritt23]

Our clan has indeed diminished alarmingly, but would you say it is as a direct result of the clubs pricing policy ? Or are other factors coming into play ?

One didn't renew due to work, and taking off so many Saturdays was eating into his holiday allowance too much
One isn't renewing as he's self employed, takings are generally down and its proving expensive not working those Saturdays
One has just bought his first property and is finally exposed to the reality of paying bills
One has practically moved to Portsmouth and has to battle though Worthing to get to home games
You're coming backards and forwards from Kent and pretty much writing off your Saturday

I'm not saying the price of the season ticket is completely irrelevent to any of these non-renewals (or POSSIBLE non-renewals). But I think other factors are playing a big part. People are getting increasingly fed up with Withdean, increasingly fed up with the dross we've been watching, and are now also factoring in the availability of tickets on an ad-hoc basis.

Knocking £50 or £100 off might see you renewing squire, but it wouldn't bring Chris, Steve or Colin back I'd wager.

Other factors, of course. But finances are a key part with all of them, and when you are stumping up the sort of money we are for STs it proves to be the final nail.

 

[Gritt23]

One has practically moved to Portsmouth

I think you may need a new map? He's out near(ish) my parents, who I pop in to see after games, because I consider it to fairly close. Or maybe that is more to do with me spending so long in the car on matchdays that I've lost the plot.

 

[drew]

God this is all a load of bollocks. The price in the south stand works out at £18 a game. The main reason most whinge about it is that we have had crap football at home for the last year and even the year before it wasn't hugely entertaining despite finishing 7th.

The fact is, if (and it's a big if) we are in the top 3 come the end of October on the back of a near perfect home record, the crowds will start coming back and paying the prices. There will be less seats available and those that have managed to get tickets for a tenner for games will find supply diminishes and their price will go up.

Fans want to see a winning team at home, like we had in our promotions campaigns over the last 33 years.

At the end of the day, do all these moaners about the price want to see the club go up or down? Would you have preferred relegation this year in order to save yourself £50 on a reduced price season ticket or would you have moaned at that as well.

Before Slade arrived, I was seriously considering not renewing for next year and that is after over 30 years watching the Albion. Now, I am keen to renew and will do so when the invite lands on the doormat. Probably like every other mug (Mug = supporter), I will be looking forward to the new season with optimism, more so than I did last year. Hopefully, this time next year I will be looking forward to championship football at the Withdean again and perhaps for just one home game, the FA will parade the World cup they just brought home from South Africa.

 

[Easy 10]

I think you may need a new map? He's out near(ish) my parents, who I pop in to see after games, because I consider it to fairly close. Or maybe that is more to do with me spending so long in the car on matchdays that I've lost the plot.

Well, perhaps I've exagerrated SLIGHTLY in order to embellish my point.
But Selsey is PRACTICALLY Pompey territory.

 

[The Great Cornholio]

Of course.

But they are less inclined to post, as you yourself have indicated above.

Perhaps I should have phrased it better. I meant the people who POST regularl are not representative.

You still haven't answered the question about how many of the prices from other clubs you have quoted include free travel.

That is not to mention other factors such as number of available seats, average price rather than cheapest price, difference from last year etc. It is very easy for Bradford to offer very cheap tickets as they have a ground much larger than their average attendance. If we reduced our prices to £200, we would have to virtually sell out to make the same revenue as we do at £400. Leaving no revenue from the "odd game" supporters. Reducing to £300 and actually getting the 5300 ST holders (A very big assumption BTW) we would need to maintain revenue would then leave only 2000 odd tickets available for when Southampton and Charlton (And maybe Leeds) come to town - and at reduced prices.

The old chestnut of "bums on seats at any costs because they will spend" does not stand up either as we do not have the catering rights leaving just the club shop minibus and programmes as the only extra revenue stream to make up the shortfall.

The very sad fact is that we cannot charge less because we have a manky stadium as we have the same costs to bear regardless. If you want lower prices then you will have to put up with a reduced budget and no promotion aspirations. Regardless of the shocking underperforming last season, the investment in players over the last couple of years has been commensurate with a team looking for promotion. Cut the revenue and that can't continue. Bitch like hell if when we get to Falmer and have 22500 seats to shift and prices are still too high. But to demand price cuts now is not a viable business model.

And, for all the gnashing of teeth, prices last year were frozen, we had a shocking season and yet the average attendance went UP by 155. Probably accounted for by the student deals admittedly. That number will probably drop unless we have a big season as people have less money and will probably pick and choose more. But your supply and demand argument doesn't really stand up does it? It is very sad that people will stop going but the alternative of reducing prices to £300 is very unlikely to generate the same revenue because of the very same problem. £400 instead of £300 will be the straw that broke the camel's back for quite a few people. But 1300 odd new people that are needed to keep the same income (From ST sales alone mind - my previous point of there being less individual tickets available at lower prices for big games still holds)? Sounds very unlikely to me in a recession.

 

[Gritt23]

Well, perhaps I've exagerrated SLIGHTLY in order to embellish my point.
But Selsey is PRACTICALLY Pompey territory.

Except he doesn't live in Selsey. Try Ferring.

Blokes, we're rubbish sometimes aren't we? The times my missus finds stuff out about my friends in a 5 minute chat that I haven't asked, heard or listened in a whole season, is outrageous.

 

[Easy 10]

Except he doesn't live in Selsey. Try Ferring.

Blokes, we're rubbish sometimes aren't we? The times my missus finds stuff out about my friends in a 5 minute chat that I haven't asked, heard or listened in a whole season, is outrageous.

I must only have been half-listening when he told me, and somehow came up with a COMPLETELY irrelevant town.
I can almost see my missus nodding in a weary "yup, thats what he does" kind of way.

 

[El Presidente]

How would reducing prices cut our losses of £3million a year?

 

[Tooting Gull]

How would reducing prices cut our losses of £3million a year?

As Lord B mapped out, only if any extra numbers at the reduced rate meant that we exceeded the previous total revenue.

However much I think the Withdean experience is terrible value for money, I probably agree with him that they wouldn't cut our losses right now.

Basically, I can't be alone in having to all intents and purposes written off Withdean as a bad job. I'm mainly bothered about prices at Falmer.

Someone posted much earlier in the thread that at Falmer it would all be OK and the people would just flock in. I hope that complacent attitude isn't shared by the board. It's going to be hard work to effectively rebrand the club and matchday experience.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

You still haven't answered the question about how many of the prices from other clubs you have quoted include free travel.

That is not to mention other factors such as number of available seats, average price rather than cheapest price, difference from last year etc. It is very easy for Bradford to offer very cheap tickets as they have a ground much larger than their average attendance. If we reduced our prices to £200, we would have to virtually sell out to make the same revenue as we do at £400. Leaving no revenue from the "odd game" supporters. Reducing to £300 and actually getting the 5300 ST holders (A very big assumption BTW) we would need to maintain revenue would then leave only 2000 odd tickets available for when Southampton and Charlton (And maybe Leeds) come to town - and at reduced prices.

The old chestnut of "bums on seats at any costs because they will spend" does not stand up either as we do not have the catering rights leaving just the club shop minibus and programmes as the only extra revenue stream to make up the shortfall.

The very sad fact is that we cannot charge less because we have a manky stadium as we have the same costs to bear regardless. If you want lower prices then you will have to put up with a reduced budget and no promotion aspirations. Regardless of the shocking underperforming last season, the investment in players over the last couple of years has been commensurate with a team looking for promotion. Cut the revenue and that can't continue. Bitch like hell if when we get to Falmer and have 22500 seats to shift and prices are still too high. But to demand price cuts now is not a viable business model.

And, for all the gnashing of teeth, prices last year were frozen, we had a shocking season and yet the average attendance went UP by 155. Probably accounted for by the student deals admittedly. That number will probably drop unless we have a big season as people have less money and will probably pick and choose more. But your supply and demand argument doesn't really stand up does it? It is very sad that people will stop going but the alternative of reducing prices to £300 is very unlikely to generate the same revenue because of the very same problem. £400 instead of £300 will be the straw that broke the camel's back for quite a few people. But 1300 odd new people that are needed to keep the same income (From ST sales alone mind - my previous point of there being less individual tickets available at lower prices for big games still holds)? Sounds very unlikely to me in a recession.

Yep go with that, perhaps we could all sneak into Falmer a couple of seasons early, screw the catering just take our own sarnies, deckchairs and pay about £100 a pop.

 

[Icy Gull]

I hope that complacent attitude isn't shared by the board. It's going to be hard work to effectively rebrand the club and matchday experience.

Whilst I don't disagree I would hope we will pretty well sell out Falmer in the 1st game there. If we have a half decent team, and reasonable prices there is no reason given a bit of success that we shouldn't emulate Reading who had ,what, 5k averages at Elm Park? We also have a bigger catchment area with no other league clubs within 50 odd miles. It may take a couple of seasons but with decent football at hopefully Championhip level I can see us averaging 14 to 16 k and selling out for the big games. We have loads of fairweather fans in waiting who will lap up football in a state of the art stadium.

 

[siclean]

look if you dont agree with price of saeson tickets then dont buy one, if like many of you were season ticket holders last season then no doubt you would have been very unhappy with what you forked out, as the team were dire at home... i could afford to buy a season ticket but chose not to, as i think £400+ for 3rd div football, and watching it from an athlectics stadium with no roof over were id want to sit, is way, way too much, £150 yeah i could swallow that !!!