Well I think in these first 4 seasons at the Amex, myself included, a lot were prepared to make sacrifices to enable them to attend games. They would tolerate the sometimes difficult travel arrangements, tolerate the high prices, tolerate the night game logistics, tolerate the earlier up and down food and beer quality and availability, all to ensure they had a place to call their own at the Amex....... that drive of necessity is not there as much anymore......hence the drop of circa 20%.......sadly the club have missed the boat of goodwill.....now they need to provide entertainment and a quality competitive squad again to get people back.
I think as you would expect, we have fans in the full gambit of commitment categories of course, but the baulk will continue to support, just not as many from the security and perhaps extravagance of a ST......that's my point really.In an earlier post you said " People who make a choice to stop buying STs are not fairweather as you put it, they are just realistic.."
In this post you say that the club need to "provide entertainment and a quality competitive squad again to get people back."
So some must be fairweather supporters, surely? In my view some definitely are - every club has supporters who will only go if they are successful - and others choose not to renew for a host of different reasons.
I wouldn't criticise any of them. We all have a choice and we don't have to justify it to anyone.
Personally, I go to support BHA; I have never had a ticket that promised me successful or attractive football, and all the peripheral stuff of getting to and from the Amex, prices for beer and food etc. is just that ..peripheral. I respect your view that the club "has missed the boat of goodwill" but I don't feel that way at all.
On the 14th March last year the club announced that over 20,000 had renewed: http://www1.skysports.com/football/...ason-ticket-renewals-for-brighton-hove-albion
On the 14th March last year the club announced that over 20,000 had renewed: http://www1.skysports.com/football/...ason-ticket-renewals-for-brighton-hove-albion
Patently the initial Amex ST sales were massively skewed upwards on a) the feelgood/emotional factor of the new stadium victory and b) the fact that everybody had to attend a presentation to secure their ST seat.
After the initial new stadium euphoria, basic economic reality is now starting to kick in. Fewer long distance STHs will want to make the trip on a Tuesday night or make forward train/hotel bookings for a Saturday 3pm match in the second half of the season when such fixtures are very likely to be jerked around by SKY at short notice.
Most seem to be saying a large dropoff in s/t for next season, how they know as the club won't release any detail at the moment, but today I wanted to move seats in WSU and the available choice in the area I want was very limited. So from that it would seem that the support in the WSU is staying pretty strong amongst the s/t's.
RubbishWe currently sell an incredibly small number of match by match tickets. The prices are too high.
We'll have to be pushing at the top of the league to shift any reasonable quantity on a regular basis.
Rubbish
We actually sell more now than previous seasons...This season we have 21500 St holders not 23k like many think.Many games we have between 2k-5k match day sales and it will increase even more next season as many give up ST's.
i think Tony's big PR push in the Argus about aiming for the top 6, signings in the summer etc is quite telling.
i think Tony's big PR push in the Argus about aiming for the top 6, signings in the summer etc is quite telling.
I agree with this, but I also think it will happen. We need to see the club to continue heading back in the right direction.Trouble is that people won't believe it after last Summers shambles, he needs to show serious intent not just come out with the same platitudes
Because everyone is moving forward and towards the centre......I assume you weren't looking to move to the wings, or to the back ten rows.Most seem to be saying a large dropoff in s/t for next season, how they know as the club won't release any detail at the moment, but today I wanted to move seats in WSU and the available choice in the area I want was very limited. So from that it would seem that the support in the WSU is staying pretty strong amongst the s/t's.