Season Ticket prices cut & revised Membership scheme

[Mr Blobby]

Oh come on! Isn't that exactly what you DO moan about? "STHs put money into the club and so deserve something back!" If the mark of a 'Good Fan' is to put money into the club without quibbling about it then you should be happy to pay for your season ticket and not expect anything other than the right to attend home matches at a reduced rate.

I've got another idea. Why not put an extra £30 on the replica shirts? Surely no one is going to complain at that are they? After all its difficult time financially for the Albion so nobody will moan about putting £30 into the club. Will they?

They are rewarding the loyalty of season ticket holders and the fact that we put our money up front for the club. As a reward we rightly get the first pick on away tickets - what is wrong with that? The fact that I am paying £413 for a season ticket now for games between August and May means that the club are rewarding us for doing this. I am happy to help the club out in difficult times and expect cheaper ticket prices when we get to Falmer. At the moment around 4,000 of us stump up the cash up front year after year and that money keeps the club going. They need and have put those 4,000 first.

We have taken under 500 to about 10 games this season, so there is hardly a huge number of regular away fans anyway at the moment. If we start ddoing well and people start wanting to go to away games, make them join a membership scheme so that the Albion benefit from these people follwoing the Albion.

Thank god that you dont support a team like Liverpool where away tickets are only available in the first instance to season ticket holders. If any are left they go on general sale, but you have to be a member to get one, and pay an annual fee for that!

 

[Beach Hut]

There is nothing like rewarding loyalty in business..........

 

[Wozza]

But really and truly will 4000 season ticket holders all want tickets for even the big games? I suspect not. At west ham only half of the tickets were allocated to season ticket holders and the other half ams, I suspect at most 2/3 of season ticket holders applied for tickets which leaves a good 1000 tickets form an allocation of 4000 which would be more than enough to cover blue members who are gonna be the fans who are regular away travellers anyway.

Don't worry, any season ticket holders who don't want to apply for their ticket will get a phone call from me - and people like me.

Let's call it the silver membership. It puts you ahead of blue members and it's free.

 

[Wozza]

I am happy to help the club out in difficult times and expect cheaper ticket prices when we get to Falmer.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Prices link now works on the official site

Adult/Senior/Kids Stand

470/286/273 North Stand Centre
422/253/242 Northstand other
413/248/237 South stand centre
384/234/223 south stand other
285 - student south stand other
363/212/201 East stand
263 - student east stand
446 Adult + U16 N east stand
400 Adult + u10 N East stand
additional family members
£384 adult
£223 U16
£16 U10

3 year season tickets

1,340/820/775 NSC
1,210/720/685 NS other
1,180/710/685 SSC
1,100/670/635 SS Other

Those are prices if you renew by the end of the month.

Hang on a minute, it's as much as EIGHTY POUNDS more if you are a new Season ticket holder or can't pay until the end of April, and even MORE if you choose to pay in installments.

f*** that

 

[Beach Hut]

Those are prices if you renew by the end of the month.

Hang on a minute, it's as much as EIGHTY POUNDS more if you are a new Season ticket holder or can't pay until the end of April, and even MORE if you choose to pay in installments.

f*** that

Get an interest free credit card then

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Get an interest free credit card then

That's not the point though. If i want to become a Gold Member i'd buy a Student ticket in the South Stand. Those who could afford one last year (not me) can buy another one for £285 because they had one last year. I'd have to pay £332 for the same seat!

Now I appreciate the club have to reward loyalty, but there's no way that they're going to encourage anyone new to buy season ticket when they an extra £50 just for 'newbies'...and as i say, there's an £80 difference in the North Stand. How can they justify that?

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

The Blue membership is only £30 because that is how much they need to charge to finance the 5% reduction in season tickets.

It appears that the knee jerk reaction to a few STH's not getting a ticket for West Ham because the club f***ed up/The STH were too slow. now means that they have gone to extremes to keep STH revenue.

What is wrong with the club trying their hardest to keep as many STH's as possible? This money is vital to the club after all.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

What is wrong with the club trying their hardest to keep as many STH's as possible? This money is vital to the club after all.

Suggests that the Non STH's AREN'T important to the club though, having to pay £30 for a 'lottery' ticket, and having to stump up LOADS more if they want to become a season ticket.

Look at the away form this season - how many points have been picked up with the assistance of loud fans? You can't go neglecting others just because of a spectacular hissy fit over tickets for one game

 

[Blue&WhiteSea]

Why is not living in Sussex stopping you from being a season ticket holder ? I live 3 miles from you and have held a season ticket for 20 years now, except for 1 at Gillingham.

Actually I have been tempted for some time now, it's just that every time I have been to watch a home game it's been shit and although I can just about put up with this the G/F will not, she would also not be willing to give up every saturday to football even though she does enjoy it.

 

[Nemesis]

I dont agree - season ticket holders cash keep the club going and should get priority. The second tier membership will only be needed in case we have a big cup game or reach the play offs, otherwise the bottom membership is still free but will enable you to get tickets to 99% of our away matches.

People who go to away games only are loyal, but revenue wise they mean nothing to the Albion, they want your cash, hence the £30 membership fee for people who dont buy season tickets.

I personally think its a good package (good commercial sense from the Albion and will keep the season ticket holders happy which was the no 1 priority) all round and will be looking at the three year season ticket again. It will be shock having to pay again after not having to pay for the last 2 seasons!!!!

An excellent assessment of the situation. If you don't put money into the club's coffers (at any time) then the club shouldn't be looking after you in any way. Your money goes to the home club, making them financially stronger-why would any business want to reward people who spend their money only at rival businesses?

The £30 move is good too-it will keep the noveau fan from shelling out a tenner once an interesting away game is coming up, giving them the same chance as the regular away fans at getting a ticket. How many times will this membership be needed? Remember that Blue members get the 10% discount, newsletters, DVDs, etc., so it isn't too bad really.

Overall, the club has got it right.

 

[Icy Gull]

An excellent assessment of the situation. If you don't put money into the club's coffers (at any time) then the club shouldn't be looking after you in any way. Your money goes to the home club, making them financially stronger-why would any business want to reward people who spend their money only at rival businesses?

.

Waiting for the "away support has led to the victories that have kept us up this season" response

 

[Nemesis]

Suggests that the Non STH's AREN'T important to the club though, having to pay £30 for a 'lottery' ticket, and having to stump up LOADS more if they want to become a season ticket.

Look at the away form this season - how many points have been picked up with the assistance of loud fans? You can't go neglecting others just because of a spectacular hissy fit over tickets for one game

Practically EVERY other club in the country gives priority to their STHs for away games that are over-subscribed. Especially those clubs with a decent supporter base. What makes Albion's non-STHs think it should be different for our club?

"Because we sing a lot at away games" is not the answer. "Because we go to nearly all away games" isn't either.

 

[Albion Dan]

Which other clubs have a better system?

None

All other clubs give STH 1st priority, and then it usually comes down to away game attendance after that.

If clubs piss off their lifeblood, ie STH, then they go bust, simple, so STH always get priority.

Away fans contribute NOTHING to the finances of a club.

 

[Wilka]

I can see people not liking the £30 charge but I think the club have got it right. It will stop the big game fans coming out and as people have been saying it gives the club some revenue from away games which they wouldn't normally get.

Season ticket prices are what they should be working out about £20 a game if you renew after April in the South Stand. Hopefully match day prices will be £22 at most in that case.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Practically EVERY other club in the country gives priority to their STHs for away games that are over-subscribed. Especially those clubs with a decent supporter base. What makes Albion's non-STHs think it should be different for our club?

"Because we sing a lot at away games" is not the answer. "Because we go to nearly all away games" isn't either.

I'm not saying STH shouldn't have priority, but making the likes of myself (a non season ticket holder who's been at all except 3 home games in all competitions) stump up £30 just to be second in line if there's any left over seems rather ridiculous.

Part of the point i was trying to make is that too much focus has been made on KEEPING season ticket holders. What about winning over new ones? With the exception of under tens, there's just no incentive to buy one if you haven't got one already if it's going to cost you £50-£80 more than an existing ticket holder. I was seriously considering getting a season ticket this year, but i won't be bothering because of that, it'll be cheaper to buy tickets game buy game with the odd offer thrown in.

The WHOLE system has been taylored at nobody other than existing season ticket holders, which is all very well, but there comes a point when the NON season ticket holders get pissed off. It's not about getting priority, as i don't expect that. It's about being completely ignored. Other than being asked to pay £30 to make up the price reductions to EXISTING season ticket holders, that's what seems to have happened.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Suggests that the Non STH's AREN'T important to the club though, having to pay £30 for a 'lottery' ticket, and having to stump up LOADS more if they want to become a season ticket.

Look at the away form this season - how many points have been picked up with the assistance of loud fans? You can't go neglecting others just because of a spectacular hissy fit over tickets for one game

Of course they are, but there is no disputing the fact that STH's are worth a lot more financially to the club. Whilst playing at Withdean this assumes greater importance than if we were already at Falmer.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Of course they are, but there is no disputing the fact that STH's are worth a lot more financially to the club. Whilst playing at Withdean this assumes greater importance than if we were already at Falmer.

Not necessarily true. I wasn't sure how much football I could see this season as I was potentially living away from Sussex, but I moved back just in September. I will have spent £490 on tickets plus that of all the home cup ties this season.

I will become a STH this season, but I just wanted to point out that there is a breed of fan that gets ignored.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Of course they are, but there is no disputing the fact that STH's are worth a lot more financially to the club. Whilst playing at Withdean this assumes greater importance than if we were already at Falmer.

I agree with this. And i think the offers to existing season ticket holders are spot on.

It's just the fact that non season ticket holders have been ignored, with this general assumption that 'they don't put money into the club' that annoys me, because that's clearly not true.

I can only hope there will be some good offers on a match-to-match basis instead, as there have been this season.

 

[S'hampton Seagull]

Not necessarily true. I wasn't sure how much football I could see this season as I was potentially living away from Sussex, but I moved back just in September. I will have spent £490 on tickets plus that of all the home cup ties this season.

I will become a STH this season, but I just wanted to point out that there is a breed of fan that gets ignored.

Good Point. However may I suggest there will be few people like yourself? Especially now as you will be an STH next season!