Ticket Prices are a Disgrace.

[PFree]

I agree with a lot of what you say, but I think the reason that the ticket prices issue has been raised again is because the quality of our play - especially at home - has been, in the main, poor. Now people are beginning to renege on the price they're paying for their tickets because of the tripe that has been dished up at the Gate this season ('irrelevant' FA Cup games excepted!). Irrespective of results people, generally, want to be entertained and see good play.

People wouldn't mind paying more for a ticket if 'quality' players were brought in and it started showing on the pitch, but it hasn't happened.

Furthermore, if the price of a ticket is directly related to the quality of players brought in and the success on the pitch, how do you explain clubs like Colchester, Plymouth, Southend, etc..?

Agree with your general sentiment as the "quality" of football this season, whilst we have an attractive league position, hasn't been great. Personally, I haven't come away from the Gate too many times this season feeling we have played particularly well.

With regard to the exceptions to the rule such as Colchester, Plymouth etc. It's difficult to explain, other than identifying good youth development, management and scouting, which brings cost efficient, talented young groups of players together. You can also add your shrewd Managers to this, as the ability to "sell" a club is all important, especially if you aren't able to offer high wages. It's worth remembering that sometimes money isn't everything, as teamwork and atmosphere is a great pull - All things considered though, a footballers career is a short one and they must make sure they earn a reasonable living whilst they can.

[Guest North Street]

have met him a number of times too but have a differnet view to you

Then we will agree to disagree but i can clearly see why "it's only a badge", "a Rovers flag", "500 fans"........maybe he needs some better advisors?

[megansdad]

people do like to moan..........would prefer the '76 badge myself but am not that concerned as for the flag so what- as I have said on other posts the Gas are a complete irrelevance and those worried about our rivalry with them are missing the point ............not sure what the 500 fans refers to- passion about taking the club forward is what I want to see and SL has that whether he happens to be photographed with a rovers fan at and England game becasue they are both from the same City worries me not one jot.

[BIGPHIL]

The price of season tickets is an issue brought to the front for disscussion, due to comments being made by Premier Clubs. These Clubs are in a position to cut or freeze prices due to the huge amount of cash from TV rights. Some Clubs have stated they will make reductions or freeze prices, where as others have not. Chelsea made the comment that they would not reduce prices as players wages had to be met. Are fans gulible enough not to realise these wages were being paid before the injection of some £600 million plus from TV, so there argument I believe is not valid. As already stated fans call for better players which one can only assume bigger wage bills. Also remember that Clubs like the City are only allowed to use somewhere in the region of 60% of income to pay these wages. So I think and it only my opinion, if you want the Club to progress accept the inevitable and pay the price. At the end of the day no one forces anyone through the gates.

[Maesknoll Red]

People wouldn't mind paying more for a ticket if 'quality' players were brought in and it started showing on the pitch, but it hasn't happened.

I'm not so sure, there are people posting that they can't afford to pay the prices now. Although perhaps they mean they won't afford the price rather than can't, smokers always manage to get a fewfags, drinkers always manage to get a beer. I can understand someone saying they can't afford £60 to watch Chelsea, but this thread contains comments that £14 or £15 would be OK, but £17 is too much - am I so out of touch of financial reality that £2 or £3 makes a difference to people nowdays?

[SimplyRed]

am I so out of touch of financial reality that £2 or £3 makes a difference to people nowdays?

I dunno, but I seem to remember, when I first went to see City as a lad with my dad back in the early Sixties, we used to go in the Open End (now the Atyeo) because it was 2d (just under 1p) cheaper than the East End. It was 6d for me and 1s (a shilling or 5p) for my Dad in the Open End, but 7d for me and 1s2d (about 7p) for my Dad in the East End. If you allow for inflation, and pro-rate it up to the present day, I can see why £2-3 would make all the difference to some families.

[Portishead Red]

£19 to sit in the Williams. I was ashamed to tell my mate the price.

No wonder our gates are so low.

It's all well and good giving out 1000's of free school tickets, what about doing more to get adults into the ground!

Thank god I got a season ticket, I don't think I'd fancy paying matchday prices!

£23 for West Brom v Sunderland - Top of the table clash in the championship

£24 for Bolton v Blackburn Rovers - Local derby in the PREMIERSHIP!

[City_pete1]

£19 to sit in the Williams. I was ashamed to tell my mate the price.

No wonder our gates are so low.

It's all well and good giving out 1000's of free school tickets, what about doing more to get adults into the ground!

Thank god I got a season ticket, I don't think I'd fancy paying matchday prices!

The price is the reason I am not going today! I also feel I need a break after Tuesday night, I am ashamed to admit.

Keeping to the point, I think football prices in general are far too high. It's all well and good comparing us to other teams prices, but they are all too expensive. Its because footballers get paid far too much money.

It is not good value for money.

[screech]

The price is the reason I am not going today! I also feel I need a break after Tuesday night, I am ashamed to admit.

Keeping to the point, I think football prices in general are far too high. It's all well and good comparing us to other teams prices, but they are all too expensive. Its because footballers get paid far too much money.

It is not good value for money.

That's the bit people are still not getting and it's crystal clear from where I am, comparing City against another is not the issue, what Forest or Swindon etc charge is not my concern, my club is too expensive for me.

[Sim]

I think it is a bit much, the extra few quid between £14 - £19 isn't too bad for one ticket, but when I take my son and perhaps a friend, it gets pricey for a couple of hours entertainment. If it was just the ticket price that would be ok, but when added to the cost of travel if you don't live near the ground, the whole package builds up.

However I don't think there's much correlation between cheap prices and good attendences - I went to a Brentford match that was free admission to all just to boost numbers a few years ago as it was a promotion to boost numbers and I was working nearby. They only got a thousand more than usual in and that boost didn't last to the next game.

I'd prefer to see cheaper tickets and I'd probably end up spending the balance on merchandise. Just a token gesture like a couple of quid of for a game I think shows the club care and the quid a kid days really help. Under the circumstances of balancing ambition with reality the club are doing a good job.

Onwards and definitely upwards.

[Portland Bill]

£19 to sit in the Williams. I was ashamed to tell my mate the price.

No wonder our gates are so low.

It's all well and good giving out 1000's of free school tickets, what about doing more to get adults into the ground!

Thank god I got a season ticket, I don't think I'd fancy paying matchday prices!

I sat in the Eastend yesterday with my TWO lads and all for just a Tenner . Why would you have a problem with that ??

[Barrs Court Red]

I sat in the Eastend yesterday with my TWO lads and all for just a Tenner . Why would you have a problem with that ??

Because what good does it do? Kids tickets are hardly expensive and there are always £1 a kid offers through the season. You got in for a tenner for taking your kids, well done. What about lads without kids, or who don't want to take theirs to a match?

You think £19 is a price a casual fan is going to pay, or someone just fancying doing something different?

[Bristol Boy]

I think if City dropped the prices to £14 it wouldn't matter a jot in terms of attendances.

The good bergers of Bristol don't want to watch third rate football (City) and even less fourth rate (The Gas).Recent games against Boro have proved that people will turn out for the promise of better fayre after years of mediocrity and worst.

The games between City & Rovers will have put more people off than turned them on with a dark depressing atmosphere and two dire matches not being helped by a threatening and intimidatory police presence.

A catchment area of more than 1m and a population of 400k+ in Bristol should yield more than a combined average of 16/17,000 a fortnight.

Also blame the govt for charging VAT on the tickets so a £19 ticket actually yields the club £16.17p.

Perhaps the corrolation between POD & ST's could be addressed.......but would that reduce the 7,600 ST Holders who are the clubs lifeblood?

We're all quick enough to demand signings from a club that's losing money on the basis, year in, year out, on the basis that it already overpays for what we employ.

It's a tricky one and what happens is that people no longer pay on the day, which is a shame and that's why we've asked SL to ensure that seats in the new EE are both unallocated and POD.

[Bristol Boy]

Because what good does it do? Kids tickets are hardly expensive and there are always £1 a kid offers through the season. You got in for a tenner for taking your kids, well done. What about lads without kids, or who don't want to take theirs to a match?

You think £19 is a price a casual fan is going to pay, or someone just fancying doing something different?

Well, if you and your mates are pi$$ed off now wait until we're in the Prem and it's pushing £40!!

Looking at the Prem I can see the wrom slowly turning and an ST at Bolton will be the same price as mine in The Dolman was this season.Wigan & Blackburn have followed suit but West Ham was still £42 a ticket yesterday and a friend of mine paid £44 at Tottenham the other week.

[Barrs Court Red]

I think if City dropped the prices to £14 it wouldn't matter a jot in terms of attendances.

Yet my experiance is that more people would be willing to come down, which goes against this view.

The good bergers of Bristol don't want to watch third rate football (City) and even less fourth rate (The Gas).Recent games against Boro have proved that people will turn out for the promise of better fayre after years of mediocrity and worst.I disagree, we've had 19,000 many times at this level, which shows that people are willing to go.

The games between City & Rovers will have put more people off than turned them on with a dark depressing atmosphere and two dire matches not being helped by a threatening and intimidatory police presence.I agree that the football played in the two recent derby games will make it hard to make a convincing arguement for floating fans to come watch, however I fail to see how the police at Ashton Gate made it intimidating for fans, and too be honest I doubt anyone over the age of 18 would be shocked or put off by reports of minor trouble at a local derby.

A catchment area of more than 1m and a population of 400k+ in Bristol should yield more than a combined average of 16/17,000 a fortnight.Agree, and if tickets were more afforable and justifiable then maybe we could see this average.

Also blame the govt for charging VAT on the tickets so a £19 ticket actually yields the club £16.17p.

That's an interesting point. I'm suprised more hasn't been made of this in the recent campaign by newspapers to get ticket prices to fall.

Perhaps the corrolation between POD & ST's could be addressed.......but would that reduce the 7,600 ST Holders who are the clubs lifeblood?

I don't belive so. The value of getting a season ticket rightfully makes better value than paying game by game, however I think that this is a mute point. Focus on the matchday price is important because it is a barrier to getting more fans to attend. This is a fact.

We're all quick enough to demand signings from a club that's losing money on the basis, year in, year out, on the basis that it already overpays for what we employ.The issue of the clubs year on year loss is a seperate one. It didn't seem long ago that the plan was to break even, yet despite the additional revenue of concerts ect this plan seems to have been put to bed.

It's a tricky one and what happens is that people no longer pay on the day, which is a shame and that's why we've asked SL to ensure that seats in the new EE are both unallocated and POD.It is important that the new east end is unallocated, but not really relevant in the context of ticket prices. in my view.

[Barrs Court Red]

Well, if you and your mates are pi$$ed off now wait until we're in the Prem and it's pushing £40!!

Looking at the Prem I can see the wrom slowly turning and an ST at Bolton will be the same price as mine in The Dolman was this season.Wigan & Blackburn have followed suit but West Ham was still £42 a ticket yesterday and a friend of mine paid £44 at Tottenham the other week.

Like I said further up mate, I don't really care what other clubs charge. It's well documented that Tottenham charge a high price, but that is up to them.

Championship clubs are now pledging to either reduce or lower prices, with West Brom and Southamton starting the ball rolling.

What I would say, is that I doubt we would have 5,000 empty seats each week at a higher level, because of demand to see first rate football. There is a demand to see City at this level, but not at the current cost.

[Spud55]

They charge what they can, it's simple business sense, you charge what will yield you the highest income, if Sl and co thought that dropping prices would increase the attendance sufficiently so that the club was actually bringing in more money then they would, fact of the matter is it wouldn't it would cause a negligable increase in attendance and a large hole in revenues which this club can ill afford. I swear some people are never happy, they moan when we don't go out and spend loads of money on players, yet moan about the ticket prices which allow us to pay the wages and prices for the players we have now.

Sl is not a moron, if he could make more money for this club by lowering ticket prices he would, but frankly (one must assume that they have looked at this) it almost definately wouldn't, and an extra few fans will not make up for the wages of 1 good player we can no longer pay.

As for us not having 5,000 empty seats at a higher level, what exactly do you base this on ? it can't be evidence as last time we were in div 1 we were only getting 14k a game, and the time before that we were nowhere near filling AG on an even mildly regular basis, fact is we will never fill AG regularly until we are in the prem even then we'd probably not sell out against the likes of Fulham, or for a run in at the end of a good season, no matter the cost most people in Bristol do not want to watch city week in week out, that will not change until we are in the Prem.

Oh and the people going on about Prem tickets, do you not think that the fact that as of next season the side that finishes bottom of the premiership will get more prize money than either Chelsea or Man U (whoever wins the prem) will this season ? Fnishing bottom of the premiership next season nets a club 29 Million quid.

[Guest east_dundry_red]

Lets Put this into perspective.

I paid £22 last week for an adult, student AND a kids ticket to watch the Newport Gwent Dragons rugby, Before you all start saying its a crap standard its not this is a team that reguarly beats the likes of Bristol, Leicester and play europen rugby and the teams in the celtic league contain some of th ebest players in the world.

It puts football prices into perspective then to go to Ashton Gate and buy the same tickets it woould cost almost £40

[Barrs Court Red]

They charge what they can,Which happens to be more than what was charged for the Middlesbrough and Coventry matches. it's simple business sense, you charge what will yield you the highest income,Ah, so that makes it ok then if Sl and co thought that dropping prices would increase the attendance sufficiently so that the club was actually bringing in more money then they would, fact of the matter is it wouldn't it would cause a negligable increase in attendanceYou have no way of knowing this, it is your assumption. and a large hole in revenues which this club can ill afford.Given that the majority of a matchday attendance is made up of season ticket holders, and on saturday roughly half of POD was made up of discounted fans of the future tickets, this is innacurate. I swear some people are never happy, they moan when we don't go out and spend loads of money on players, yet moan about the ticket prices which allow us to pay the wages and prices for the players we have now.Ever seen me moaning that we should go out and spend large amounts on a player? Nothing wrong with pointing out a clear barrier in the way of encouraging more fans.

Sl is not a moron, if he could make more money for this club by lowering ticket prices he would, but frankly (one must assume that they have looked at this) it almost definately wouldn't, and an extra few fans will not make up for the wages of 1 good player we can no longer pay.The club saw fit to do it for Premier club tickets, so why not expand this?

As for us not having 5,000 empty seats at a higher level, what exactly do you base this on ? it can't be evidence as last time we were in div 1 we were only getting 14k a game,After a near decade gap between that level, and the marketing of the Championship, plus the size of the clubs that now play in the Championship would see large away fan turn outs. and the time before that we were nowhere near filling AG on an even mildly regular basisFootball was the same across the country, terrible example to make., fact is we will never fill AG regularly until we are in the prem even then we'd probably not sell out against the likes of Fulham,Rubbish, 17,000 against Southampton in the Carling cup proves that we would get near enough capacity crowds. or for a run in at the end of a good season, no matter the cost most people in Bristol do not want to watch city week in week out, that will not change until we are in the Prem.Because the price is too high for the standard of football.

[Portland Bill]

Because what good does it do? Kids tickets are hardly expensive and there are always £1 a kid offers through the season. You got in for a tenner for taking your kids, well done. What about lads without kids, or who don't want to take theirs to a match?

You think £19 is a price a casual fan is going to pay, or someone just fancying doing something different?

I think its expensive as well. But if they keep doing the free or cheap kids tickets i would be a mug not to take advantage .