The Albion Roar - 18th August

[Stat Brother]

You could tell Mr Barber I'm really happy.
I understand the concept of making money.
I'm pleased with the product on offer.
And I understand after ticket price, I don't have to spend any more money.

 

[Captain Sensible]

The new prices are certainly too high, but the second part isn't actually true, is it?

Well last season 900 tickets sold out in 48hrs for most games, theres still about 150 left for Cardiff, without adding the extra ones in the upper East and if any would be handed back by Cardiff. imho not selling as well as last year.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Well last season 900 tickets sold out in 48hrs for most games, theres still about 150 left for Cardiff, without adding the extra ones in the upper East and if any would be handed back by Cardiff. imho not selling as well as last year.

150 tickets available for a Tuesday night game in four days time? Terrible marketing. Sack the Board!

 

[Captain Sensible]

I regularly pay £3.20-£3.60 a pint, in my locals (Worthing.) I go there more than my Amex. So I do not see £3.60 as being 'over the top.'

£3.60 (£3.30 with ST) wasn't OTT. it was about right. £3.90 (£.3.51) is starting to get expensive. I can handle it but add on all the other rises in Pies burgers etc, its not just 30p, it starts to get £3-5 per match more expensive. Its the thin end of the wedge. Once you accept this rise without question, then the next one and the next one comes and suddenly you're drinking official Carlsberg beer at £4.40 and we all wonder where the reasonable prices went.
£3.51 with ST is still ok, but you can't use it at the mobile stands. Thats what gets me. Unless I add to the kiosk Que's I have to pay £3.90.

 

[Captain Sensible]

150 tickets available for a Tuesday night game in four days time? Terrible marketing. Sack the Board!

Theres a few more than that LB. add in Upper east and still waiting for the Returns for Cardiff and Barnsley. I'm just saying they aren't selling as well as last year.

 

[Stat Brother]

£3.60 (£3.30 with ST) wasn't OTT. it was about right. £3.90 (£.3.51) is starting to get expensive. I can handle it but add on all the other rises in Pies burgers etc, its not just 30p, it starts to get £3-5 per match more expensive. Its the thin end of the wedge. Once you accept this rise without question, then the next one and the next one comes and suddenly you're drinking official Carlsberg beer at £4.40 and we all wonder where the reasonable prices went.
£3.51 with ST is still ok, but you can't use it at the mobile stands. Thats what gets me. Unless I add to the Que's I have to pay £3.90.

No you don't.

If you don't like it don't pay it, and things will change back.

 

[Stat Brother]

I doubt there will be any drop off in sales, because the product is so good.

If I'm wrong I seriously doubt the drop off will be enough to make a difference in the profits.

You're right CS, in one regard, nobody will pay stoooopid money for Carlsberg and a Pukka.
All the time the club are selling premium products the majority of fans will pay for them, as part of the 'experience'.

 

[Brovion]

I *still* don't get the beer prices moan. With a smartcard, its like £3.60-ish right? I was paying more than that a pint drinking in Worthing on a Tuesday night! Do the moaners actually go to other pubs other than Wetherspoons ?

Can non-STHs get a smartcard? Genuine question as I go on a game-by-game basis and it might be in my interest to get one.

And currently I pay £3.20 for a pint of Harveys in a pub off Lewes Road. And no it isn't a Weatherspoons.

 

[Captain Sensible]

No you don't.

If you don't like it don't pay it, and things will change back.

Well this is the thing isn't it. At what point, do you decide its too expensive? At what point do you say, 'Tell you what mate, lets stay here in the Queens Head or Open House and drink a few more, rather than getting to the ground early'.
I get what you are saying, nobody is twisting our arms to spend at the Amex. But they are risking losing the fans arriving early and staying after. It will probably still happen this season but with a few less than last year (proportionaly, not including the extra fans).That was part of the success of the Amex last season. It would be a shame to lose that. TAKE NOTE! Mr BARBER

 

[Captain Sensible]

Can non-STHs get a smartcard? Genuine question as I go on a game-by-game basis and it might be in my interest to get one.

And currently I pay £3.20 for a pint of Harveys in a pub off Lewes Road. And no it isn't a Weatherspoons.

You can get a smartcard, but you don't get your 10% off I don't think.

 

[Brovion]

And for the record I *still* don't get why people think it's ok to be ripped off at concerts, sports events etc. That's something else I've read on here: "You always pay over-the-odds at these events so what's the problem?" f***'s sake why are we always so willing to bend over and get shafted?

 

[Stat Brother]

Well this is the thing isn't it. At what point, do you decide its too expensive? At what point do you say, 'Tell you what mate, lets stay here in the Queens Head or Open House and drink a few more, rather than getting to the ground early'.
I get what you are saying, nobody is twisting our arms to spend at the Amex. But they are risking losing the fans arriving early and staying after. It will probably still happen this season but with a few less than last year (proportionaly, not including the extra fans).That was part of the success of the Amex last season. It would be a shame to lose that. TAKE NOTE! Mr BARBER

All true.

It's a fine line, but I'd imagine the staggering sales last year, have encouraged the desire to 'print money' this year.
We just can't argue with that.
It's a business not a charity.

 

[Captain Sensible]

All true.

It's a fine line, but I'd image the staggering sales last year, have encouraged the desire to 'print money' this year.
We just can't argue with that.
It's a business not a charity.

They were hardly giving the stuff away last season.

 

[Brovion]

You can get a smartcard, but you don't get your 10% off I don't think.

Is there any advantage in me getting one then?

I must admit, although I am obviously not in favour of the massive price increases and I shan't drink/eat as much, I can see the logic. It will suppress the demand which Azure patently can't cope with and the money is (hopefully) going to the club. I wonder how many of the people moaning about the price increases are also those who say "it's not the fans fault!" whenever a club gets into trouble?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Well last season 900 tickets sold out in 48hrs for most games, theres still about 150 left for Cardiff, without adding the extra ones in the upper East and if any would be handed back by Cardiff. imho not selling as well as last year.

Er---don't you think that is because many of the people who were buying the match day tickets last year, are now amongst the 4000 EXTRA season ticket holders, rather than because of the prices?

 

[Springal]

Lets not forget, the club are still losing around £4m a year as of last published accounts (from memory as haven't had a chance to look again) and this needs to be made up somewhere, all the time while spending more on our playing squad (Bridge on £9k a week, a few now over £5k a week, Vicente contract being negotiated and could well be nearing Wayne Bridge level.) So I'd love to know, if YOU were CEO, how you'd do this? Stadium naming has been negotiated and still has 4 years left. We know BHAJOBS are likely to priced out of sponsoring for 13/14 season, but unless we go up we're unlikely to close the gap with a 'larger' sponsor that much.

We had a great trade in spend at the stadium last year, so it seems simple to target a slight increase on this to try and kill off some of our debt. Its clear that Tony Bloom has given Paul some very direct orders, to target matchday revenue.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Er---don't you think that is because many of the people who were buying the match day tickets last year, are now amongst the 4000 EXTRA season ticket holders, rather than because of the prices?

I think its a bit of both.

 

[Brovion]

Lets not forget, the club are still losing around £4m a year as of last published accounts (from memory as haven't had a chance to look again) and this needs to be made up somewhere, all the time while spending more on our playing squad (Bridge on £9k a week, a few now over £5k a week, Vicente contract being negotiated and could well be nearing Wayne Bridge level.) So I'd love to know, if YOU were CEO, how you'd do this? Stadium naming has been negotiated and still has 4 years left. We know BHAJOBS are likely to priced out of sponsoring for 13/14 season, but unless we go up we're unlikely to close the gap with a 'larger' sponsor that much.

We had a great trade in spend at the stadium last year, so it seems simple to target a slight increase on this to try and kill off some of our debt. Its clear that Tony Bloom has given Paul some very direct orders, to target matchday revenue.

I don't disagree, and I alluded to the fact of 'we need the money' in my earlier post. The problem is is that costs are going up left right and centre and some, like football, like energy, like rail fares are going up at WELL over the rate of inflation - and my income has gone down slightly over the last five years. Something has to give, and an extra 60 or 70p on the price of a pie and a pint doesn't sound a lot, but it is at the level where I'm starting to think, "Naa, too much." Probably just have one a match rather than two.

 

[Stat Brother]

Er---don't you think that is because many of the people who were buying the match day tickets last year, are now amongst the 4000 EXTRA season ticket holders, rather than because of the prices?

T'is a good point, well made.

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Did I mention we have a show tomorrow as well.................

All points will be made. We are recording on Wednesday btw so all questions need to be in by then.

Apart from the obvious pricing issues does anyone have anything DIFFERENT to add??