How to counter Bristol Sport's attitude

[The Constant Rabbit]

As most of you gather I live abroad so only get to see 2-3 games a year on my trip back home, but I share your disgust at Bristol Sport and the attitude of Jon Lansdown and especially Mark Ashton.

You can fight back though!

They want to charge you extra money - so protest and cost them more than they gain so they have to rethink.

How?

Some principled fans will not buy a season ticket - fair play and that is the ultimate sacrifice - a terribly tough choice but some people just CANNOT  afford the increase.

If you do renew - here's how you can 'kick them in the goolies'

This applies to all wether you drive, walk or take public transport.

1) Alcohol - find your local pubs who are City friendly and drink there pre-game - hit to BS - 4.50 per pint.  Drink cans if you like. Don't buy one at half-time. Support your local boozer or corner shop.

2) Soft drinks - drink water - Bristol Sport BY LAW have to provide free tap water and vessel to anyone who asks

"Most restaurants, pubs and bars don't have to provide free tap water to the public. If they do, they can charge for it since the provision of any water includes an element of service. However, if they are licensed to serve alcohol and operate in England, Wales or Scotland, then they must provide free drinking water under the terms of their licence.

It's illegal to pass tap water off as bottled water." - cost to BS - plastic cups and water

3) Hot Drinks - take a thermos - they CANNOT stop you taking your own non-alcoholic drinks in by law - cost to BS 1.50 per drink

4) Food - eat before the game, and bring in your own sandwiches - they cannot stop you bringing unheated food into the ground by law. Hot Food can be seized. Cost to BS - whatever you usually spend - plus Clarks pies are the best in the world - have a pie and a pint outside the ground!

5) Disabled people should apply for TWO carer tickets - as per their legal entitlement - give one to a mate - Cost to BS - 2 season Tickets

6) Merchandise - just don't buy any. Ebay is your friend for older stuff, plus support S82 and buy some of theirs - Cost to BS - Huge

7) Don't buy a programme - download the teams of the internet

8) All midweek games will soon be streamed by Sky/Fox/Bein. A lot of Saturday ones as well outside the UK - use a VPN and watch for free - cancel the rubbish Bristol Sport TV service - cost to BS 150 quid each subscriber

This will cost them millions over a season - support the lads by still going to the non- TV games, and spend the savings by going to an extra away game.

For every pound they steal off you with these draconian engineering price hikes, you can hit them twice as hard by simply not spending a penny in the ground throughout the entire game. Next year half the games at least will be on TV or the internet.

So Mr Ashton - This is our club - up yours!

[Bryans Left Peg]

Good post. It's nice to see that, regardless of how much money you have, nobody is prepared to accept being treated in such a disgusting,underhanded way - lying down.

Hit the ******* where it hurts them the most.

[Phileas Fogg]

Good post. Agree and so easy to do. There are plenty of great places to eat and drink around BS3.

We need to make sure as many are on board with this as possible. 

[Guest]

Hate B Sport and what they`ve done to my club, this is not the first or last time they will kick their clients in the goolies. Not this client they wont, I will never give them a penny more of my pension.

Sad I know but my memories and watching from my armchair will do me from now on; great days have gone for me but they will never be forgotten; rip Eastend, Parkend, even the enclosure....stick your soft seats and rules and regs.

Fair play to Sect82 for still trying, up hill battle for you.

 

[cidercity1987]

I don't understand why any fan would actively deprive the club of income?

If we want continual promotion pushs, it has to be paid for from somewhere.

[Phileas Fogg]

1 minute ago, cidercity1987 said:

I don't understand why any fan would actively deprive the club of income?

If we want continual promotion pushs, it has to be paid for from somewhere.

Have you somehow missed all the season ticket news?

[cidercity1987]

3 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Have you somehow missed all the season ticket news?

No, some bad moves by Bristol Sport. Although as far as I'm aware children can still get a ST before the goal or on the side for less than £50 and an adult same options for £345. Not too bad.

A step by step guide of how to actively avoid giving cash to our club is too far in my opinion.

[Phileas Fogg]

4 minutes ago, cidercity1987 said:

No, some bad moves by Bristol Sport. Although as far as I'm aware children can still get a ST before the goal or on the side for less than £50 and an adult same options for £345. Not too bad.

A step by step guide of how to actively avoid giving cash to our club is too far in my opinion.

It’s worse than that - as I understand it, families are being told move to Lansdown or pay a hugely inflated rate. This breaks up groups who may have sat together for years. Terrible issues for disabled supporters too. Add to that the awful way they handled it at Wednesday’s meeting.

It’s all very nasty and we must do what we can. If their takings remain the same they’ll think they can get away with it. Money is a language these people speak and we have the power to influence that. This, as a passive protest, is a great idea and it will get through to these people if it’s upheld.

[Bristol Rob]

#goolies

[CyderInACan]

22 minutes ago, cidercity1987 said:

No, some bad moves by Bristol Sport. Although as far as I'm aware children can still get a ST before the goal or on the side for less than £50 and an adult same options for £345. Not too bad.

A step by step guide of how to actively avoid giving cash to our club is too far in my opinion.

You should try listening to the Chief Finance Officer of Bristol Sport then. Then you might understand. 

[Guest]

I can see both sides. The club want to be self sustainable and we cannot expect Lansdown to keep writing off debt year after year. If you get everyone to hit them hard in their pockets, you end up damaging all the good work from the last couple of years. Available money for transfers dry up, gates are down etc etc,  and then people will be moaning when the club refuses to buy any players or pay high wages due to having no finance available. This is when we will see your Flints, Bryans, Reids disappear very quickly and probably cheaply as they will need the money to stay sustainable - could end up doing a Hull/Sunderland etc.

I understand (and agree) how people think some of the decisions have been poor, but only time will tell if these decisions have been good or bad in the longterm for the club itself. I agree with the comment "a step by step guide of how to actively avoid giving cash to our club is a step too far".

 

[CyderInACan]

1 minute ago, Bristol Rob said:

#goolies

Mine again?

[RedM]

29 minutes ago, cidercity1987 said:

I don't understand why any fan would actively deprive the club of income?

If we want continual promotion pushs, it has to be paid for from somewhere.

We don’t get to choose to have increases on ST’s but we can choose to eat and drink elsewhere. I’d rather go hungry than pay for overpriced items. A soft drink you can get nearby for 59p is over £2.00 at the ground last time I looked, probably nearer £2.50 now.

The food quality has improved but you can get better value outside the ground or eat before or after at home. On a normally week day I don’t feel the need to be eating a pie at 3 o’clock in the afternoon so I don’t at football. I guess for many it’s habit, pints, programme, pie, tea, pints, crisps, mars bar. Cut down buying it the ground you will feel the benefit financially and health wise too

[Red Army 75]

7 minutes ago, RedM said:

We don’t get to choose to have increases on ST’s but we can choose to eat and drink elsewhere. I’d rather go hungry than pay for overpriced items. A soft drink you can get nearby for 59p is over £2.00 at the ground last time I looked, probably nearer £2.50 now.

The food quality has improved but you can get better value outside the ground or eat before or after at home. On a normally week day I don’t feel the need to be eating a pie at 3 o’clock in the afternoon so I don’t at football. I guess for many it’s habit, pints, programme, pie, tea, pints, crisps, mars bar. Cut down buying it the ground you will feel the benefit financially and health wise too

Before this season we always arrived at the ground about 2.45 . But this season 5/6 of us with kids have been arriving early. But of music. Couple of beers . Soft drink and food for kids . Probably every game. Over a season a substantial bit of money spent. And we’ve all enjoyed it no problem. But if this isn’t resolved. We will go back to our old routine. Cheese and onion roll and a pepperami. 

[Lord Northski]

Have to say that if I was forking our over £10 million a year of my own money to prop up a football club in my home town to try and make it viable, paying pretty much for all transfers. This in addition to supporting other sports for men and women in the city and paying for the building of state of the art stadiums and training facilities. I’d probably be reading your post with at least raised eyebrows and a shake of the head. 

We all know that to make a small fortune out of football you have to start with a large one. The whole idea is to make the club financially sustainable ie not collapse when Steve or his family say goodbye and stop writing cheques. Clearly you can’t please all the people all of the time, but I’m pretty pleased with what’s going on down there at the moment. Best football for years, an academy producing home grown players capable of playing in the Premiership etc. 

I for one am pretty grateful for all he’s done. Thank you Steve 

[Bar BS3]

36 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

It’s worse than that - as I understand it, families are being told move to Lansdown or pay a hugely inflated rate. This breaks up groups who may have sat together for years. Terrible issues for disabled supporters too. Add to that the awful way they handled it at Wednesday’s meeting.

It’s all very nasty and we must do what we can. If their takings remain the same they’ll think they can get away with it. Money is a language these people speak and we have the power to influence that. This, as a passive protest, is a great idea and it will get through to these people if it’s upheld.

Hang on one minute. Let’s have some level of balance here. 

Yes, children’s tickets have gone up massively in percentage terms, but they haven’t gone up to a ridiculous price. They were just exceptionally cheap before. 

£99 for an under 12 season ticket is still very reasonable.  I agree it’s a big increase, but that doesn’t make it an unfair price. 

[General Zod]

11 minutes ago, wood_red said:

I can see both sides. The club want to be self sustainable and we cannot expect Lansdown to keep writing off debt year after year. If you get everyone to hit them hard in their pockets, you end up damaging all the good work from the last couple of years. Available money for transfers dry up, gates are down etc etc,  and then people will be moaning when the club refuses to buy any players or pay high wages due to having no finance available. This is when we will see your Flints, Bryans, Reids disappear very quickly and probably cheaply as they will need the money to stay sustainable - could end up doing a Hull/Sunderland etc.

I understand (and agree) how people think some of the decisions have been poor, but only time will tell if these decisions have been good or bad in the longterm for the club itself. I agree with the comment "a step by step guide of how to actively avoid giving cash to our club is a step too far".

 

It depends what you want from your match day experience.  For me, having a pint before the game and sitting with  people, some who I only see during the football season but consider mates is just as important as success on the pitch.  If it wasn’t I’m sure I would have stopped going long ago. Whilst I’d love to watch City in the prem, if you gave me the choice of keeping my match day experience the way it is now but staying in the championship or first division or having my group dispersed but the carrot of prem football then you can stick chasing the dream.  Personally, I don’t think anyone minds paying an increase year on year but it should be affordable for as many fans as possible and not done just to move people to other parts of the stadium on economic grounds.  I will be spending as little as possible on my future trips to the gate and think the list provides food for thought.

[lager loud]

41 minutes ago, cidercity1987 said:

I don't understand why any fan would actively deprive the club of income?

If we want continual promotion pushs, it has to be paid for from somewhere.

Well, personally I have a problem with being taken for granted and treated with contempt by an organisation I've patronised for over 30 years.

It would be great if club and fans were pulling together to do the best for the club. But this episode has demonstrated the club has no interest in treating the fans with respect; and that as a commercial organisation it has no understanding of what's important for its customers.

If there are no consequences for the club it will continue to treat us badly. So causing the club a bit of short term pain to make it treat its customers well seems a pretty good idea to me. 

I won't be buying anything from the concessions from now on - although to be fair my average spend is probably about £2 a game, I don't buy programmes and haven't bought anything from the shop since I stopped getting my kids City-related presents, so I'm not expecting to have much effect. But if enough of us stick to that it might get the club to consider genuinely working with us so that we want to give as much as we can to the cause.

[RedM]

2 minutes ago, Lord Northski said:

Have to say that if I was forking our over £10 million a year of my own money to prop up a football club in my home town to try and make it viable, paying pretty much for all transfers. This in addition to supporting other sports for men and women in the city and paying for the building of state of the art stadiums and training facilities. I’d probably be reading your post with at least raised eyebrows and a shake of the head. 

We all know that to make a small fortune out of football you have to start with a large one. The whole idea is to make the club financially sustainable ie not collapse when Steve or his family say goodbye and stop writing cheques. Clearly you can please all the people all of the time, but I’m pretty pleased with what’s going on down there at the moment. Best football for years, an academy producing home grown players capable of playing in the Premiership etc. 

I for one am pretty grateful for all he’s done. Thank you Steve 

Anyone who takes over ownership of a football club must realise it’s going to cost them. I too am greatful for Steve Lansdown doing what he has done. But when it comes to the ST increases it is leaving people committing almost their last spare money to fund it or not being able to attend at all. As far as I’m aware SL isn’t down to his last few million yet, it’s easy to spend 10 when you have loads left, but not so easy to spend what you cannot afford.

I would hope that if we the lowly ST holders are contributing more then those further up the chain are too, or at least tightening their belts. I know there must be a lot of corporate meetings etc all with good food and drink, probably put down as expenses and covered by the club. I hope they are reigning this in accordingly. 

[Cowshed]

1 hour ago, cidercity1987 said:

I don't understand why any fan would actively deprive the club of income?

If we want continual promotion pushs, it has to be paid for from somewhere.

What is a club?

And if the second sentence was a question how much are you prepared to pay, and how much is too much? 

A club is more  than tough shit that is the rate you have to pay isn't it?.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, General Zod said:

It depends what you want from your match day experience.  For me, having a pint before the game and sitting with  people, some who I only see during the football season but consider mates is just as important as success on the pitch.  If it wasn’t I’m sure I would have stopped going long ago. Whilst I’d love to watch City in the prem, if you gave me the choice of keeping my match day experience the way it is now but staying in the championship or first division or having my group dispersed but the carrot of prem football then you can stick chasing the dream.  Personally, I don’t think anyone minds paying an increase year on year but it should be affordable for as many fans as possible and not done just to move people to other parts of the stadium on economic grounds.  I will be spending as little as possible on my future trips to the gate and think the list provides food for thought.

Yes I understand that, BUT that isn't what the club wants, even if many fans do. They want Prem football and with that comes huge money (in and out of the club). Lansdown will only chase that dream with the help of finance from the fans spending - I am not saying the way they have done is correct, just that I can see why.

[Stortz]

1 hour ago, cidercity1987 said:

I don't understand why any fan would actively deprive the club of income?

If we want continual promotion pushs, it has to be paid for from somewhere.

I don't understand why any club would actively deprive disabled people of their income?

I don't think you've quite grasped the problem here have you. But no doubt you're alright Jack, so screw your fellow fans and those who can afford it least eh.

[Lew-T]

6 hours ago, SX227 said:

As most of you gather I live abroad so only get to see 2-3 games a year on my trip back home, but I share your disgust at Bristol Sport and the attitude of Jon Lansdown and especially Mark Ashton.

You can fight back though!

They want to charge you extra money - so protest and cost them more than they gain so they have to rethink.

How?

Some principled fans will not buy a season ticket - fair play and that is the ultimate sacrifice - a terribly tough choice but some people just CANNOT  afford the increase.

If you do renew - here's how you can 'kick them in the goolies'

This applies to all wether you drive, walk or take public transport.

1) Alcohol - find your local pubs who are City friendly and drink there pre-game - hit to BS - 4.50 per pint.  Drink cans if you like. Don't buy one at half-time. Support your local boozer or corner shop.

2) Soft drinks - drink water - Bristol Sport BY LAW have to provide free tap water and vessel to anyone who asks

"Most restaurants, pubs and bars don't have to provide free tap water to the public. If they do, they can charge for it since the provision of any water includes an element of service. However, if they are licensed to serve alcohol and operate in England, Wales or Scotland, then they must provide free drinking water under the terms of their licence.

It's illegal to pass tap water off as bottled water." - cost to BS - plastic cups and water

3) Hot Drinks - take a thermos - they CANNOT stop you taking your own non-alcoholic drinks in by law - cost to BS 1.50 per drink

4) Food - eat before the game, and bring in your own sandwiches - they cannot stop you bringing unheated food into the ground by law. Hot Food can be seized. Cost to BS - whatever you usually spend - plus Clarks pies are the best in the world - have a pie and a pint outside the ground!

5) Disabled people should apply for TWO carer tickets - as per their legal entitlement - give one to a mate - Cost to BS - 2 season Tickets

6) Merchandise - just don't buy any. Ebay is your friend for older stuff, plus support S82 and buy some of theirs - Cost to BS - Huge

7) Don't buy a programme - download the teams of the internet

8) All midweek games will soon be streamed by Sky/Fox/Bein. A lot of Saturday ones as well outside the UK - use a VPN and watch for free - cancel the rubbish Bristol Sport TV service - cost to BS 150 quid each subscriber

This will cost them millions over a season - support the lads by still going to the non- TV games, and spend the savings by going to an extra away game.

For every pound they steal off you with these draconian engineering price hikes, you can hit them twice as hard by simply not spending a penny in the ground throughout the entire game. Next year half the games at least will be on TV or the internet.

So Mr Ashton - This is our club - up yours!

Is point number 3) true? Because a mate of mine and I walked through the gates from the Eastend and the steward stopped us bringing a bottle of water through?

I simply laughed at him.

[General Zod]

12 minutes ago, wood_red said:

Yes I understand that, BUT that isn't what the club wants, even if many fans do. They want Prem football and with that comes huge money (in and out of the club). Lansdown will only chase that dream with the help of finance from the fans spending - I am not saying the way they have done is correct, just that I can see why.

There was me thinking that the fans are the club and always will be.  If Prem league football is Steve’s dream I suggest that he’s in a much better position to fund it than me and my mates

[Phileas Fogg]

43 minutes ago, Bar BS3 said:

Hang on one minute. Let’s have some level of balance here. 

Yes, children’s tickets have gone up massively in percentage terms, but they haven’t gone up to a ridiculous price. They were just exceptionally cheap before. 

£99 for an under 12 season ticket is still very reasonable.  I agree it’s a big increase, but that doesn’t make it an unfair price. 

You know the issue is the forced movement of seats or big percentage increase - you don’t always have to play devil’s advocate you know.

[Dredd]

I’ve seen #fansnotcustomers banded around quite a bit and to be honest I think it reflects accurately how most people feel. A football club without its fans is nothing. 

 

If the club wants to treat its fans like customers and people feel that way then they are well within their rights to act like a consumer(customer) and buy their goods (pies pasties drinks etc) elsewhere. Cheaper

[TV Tom]

8 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

You know the issue is the forced movement of seats or big percentage increase - you don’t always have to play devil’s advocate you know.

I don’t think he’s playing devils advocate he always tries to justify higher prices at AG. He’s one of the few who actually thinks paying £41 potd to sit in the Lansdown is perfectly reasonable 

[ExiledAjax]

37 minutes ago, Cowshed said:

What is a club?

A club is more  than tough shit that is the rate you have to pay isn't it?.

I'm not an ST holder and have put up with the outrageous General Sale/POTD prices for the whole of my City supporting career (£123 for 3 adults to watch City v Reading on Boxing Day).  However, it seems to me that this is the nub of the problem this year.  For all the arguments surrounding economically forced movement, indirect segregation and perceived social engineering at the heart of it seems to be the issue that it's just not what a "club" should do to members.

Generally a "club" is, in my definition, a group of two or more people joining together to enjoy or support a particular activity or cause.  The operative word in that sentence is "together".  In this case though it is those temporary custodians of the club enforcing dramatic changes in the manner in which other members of the club partake in the club's activities.  To many it seems as though the dictatorial, inconsistent and seemingly arbitrary manner in which these ST price changes have been imposed is not in the spirit of togetherness.

SL talks about emulating F.C. Barcelona. Més que un club Steve?

[Tin Soldier]

7 hours ago, SX227 said:

As most of you gather I live abroad so only get to see 2-3 games a year on my trip back home, but I share your disgust at Bristol Sport and the attitude of Jon Lansdown and especially Mark Ashton.

You can fight back though!

They want to charge you extra money - so protest and cost them more than they gain so they have to rethink.

How?

Some principled fans will not buy a season ticket - fair play and that is the ultimate sacrifice - a terribly tough choice but some people just CANNOT  afford the increase.

If you do renew - here's how you can 'kick them in the goolies'

This applies to all wether you drive, walk or take public transport.

1) Alcohol - find your local pubs who are City friendly and drink there pre-game - hit to BS - 4.50 per pint.  Drink cans if you like. Don't buy one at half-time. Support your local boozer or corner shop.

2) Soft drinks - drink water - Bristol Sport BY LAW have to provide free tap water and vessel to anyone who asks

"Most restaurants, pubs and bars don't have to provide free tap water to the public. If they do, they can charge for it since the provision of any water includes an element of service. However, if they are licensed to serve alcohol and operate in England, Wales or Scotland, then they must provide free drinking water under the terms of their licence.

It's illegal to pass tap water off as bottled water." - cost to BS - plastic cups and water

3) Hot Drinks - take a thermos - they CANNOT stop you taking your own non-alcoholic drinks in by law - cost to BS 1.50 per drink

4) Food - eat before the game, and bring in your own sandwiches - they cannot stop you bringing unheated food into the ground by law. Hot Food can be seized. Cost to BS - whatever you usually spend - plus Clarks pies are the best in the world - have a pie and a pint outside the ground!

5) Disabled people should apply for TWO carer tickets - as per their legal entitlement - give one to a mate - Cost to BS - 2 season Tickets

6) Merchandise - just don't buy any. Ebay is your friend for older stuff, plus support S82 and buy some of theirs - Cost to BS - Huge

7) Don't buy a programme - download the teams of the internet

8) All midweek games will soon be streamed by Sky/Fox/Bein. A lot of Saturday ones as well outside the UK - use a VPN and watch for free - cancel the rubbish Bristol Sport TV service - cost to BS 150 quid each subscriber

This will cost them millions over a season - support the lads by still going to the non- TV games, and spend the savings by going to an extra away game.

For every pound they steal off you with these draconian engineering price hikes, you can hit them twice as hard by simply not spending a penny in the ground throughout the entire game. Next year half the games at least will be on TV or the internet.

So Mr Ashton - This is our club - up yours!

Great post. I am falling out with the club I have loved for years.

Just don’t like where all this is heading. Football clubs are nothing without there fans. People need to sit up and take notice as to what is going on here. Gradual change to ensure “no one notices so much” scenarios. Not good. Danger of falling out of love with BCFC for me.

I assume everyone will accept it in the end though?

[Bar BS3]

36 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

You know the issue is the forced movement of seats or big percentage increase - you don’t always have to play devil’s advocate you know.

Yes I know. I have a ticket for my son, so I’m fully immersed in those effected. 

Moving is not an option for me, so I decide if renewing my sons ticket is reasonable value. 

Is £99 as excellent as £50..? No, of course not! 

Is £99 a decent price, regardless of what it cost last/this season..? Yes, I think it’s still a pretty good price. 

Do I think doubling the price overnight is a good idea..? No. I think it should be explained, pointed out that they aren’t going to be “expensive” now, they were just unsustainably cheap before. 

I think that, for renewals, they should maybe go up to £75 next season, with full clarity that they will then be brought in line the following season at £100. 

I think £99 is a fair price for anyone buying for the first time next season, but existing STH should have the increase staggered over a couple of seasons. 

EDIT: @Alan Dicks' Barmy Army What part of this is me “going against supporters”..?!