Season Ticket Rip Off

[havanatopia]

Personally, I think many are over-estimating the draw of Championship football. Likelihood is that we will be mid-low table, and after the first few weeks will hardly be packing fans in, especially for the more mundane opponents. Matchday takings may not be that great, and what really worries me is the knock-on effect next year, once the novelty and excitement of promotion wears off. And if we are relegated, the chickens will well and truly come home to roost.

In my opinion, the prices went up just a bit too much, the axing of the early bird was a major error, the limit of 10,000 before inflicting another increase is a major mis-judgement, the lack of cheap family tickets will lose a lot of customers, and potential ones, and the unsympathetic utterances from City (Even if they don't give a damn, just pretend!) don't help.

There just seems to be an assumption (And many posters are also making it) that fan numbers are static, and the increased prices = more money. A bit more thought and care, and we could have had the same revenue with more customers, thus increasing match-day revenues from food/ programme sales as well. And improving the atmosphere!

[stick]

I know this topic is rambling on a bit, but this only goes to show the depth of feeling

I know a secratary at the club and she has confirmed that the club has recieved masses of letters complaing about pricing.

I accept that the tickets were going to go up, and to be fair they havent gone up much in the last few seasons so this could be 2 - 3 years rises at once.

The problem as i see it is simple. Hitting fans this sharply, this quickly is bound to hurt peoples pockets.

A 30% rise on any annual product is simply bad PR / business.

Yes the club needs to increase revenue, and yes its going to come from the fans (or as CS prefers to think of them ... customers)

The point is, piss too many fans off and your product becomes less attractive

City will get loyal ST holders again as we always do, but the "floating" fans will be put off by high prices.

The EP reported this week that 11 clubs in the CCC (including 2 relegated from the prem), and 5 clubs in the prem will be chaeper than city for ST`s.

Again arguments about ground size / TV money are all valid, but it still wont make it any easier for fans to buy tickets.

Peoples wages havent gone up because City have

Whilst "fans" like CS may be raking in large salaries most of you average city fans are not.

My main gripe is not so much the price increase (unfortunatly i guessed about right) but about the lack of any early bird / loyalty bonuses for exsisting ST holders. The same fans who have been buying ST`s for donkeys years and supporting the club whilst in the drabness of the lower divisions.

I feel this is the biggest PR disaster for a long time at the gate.

These are the fans who sat through early round JPT games etc where the corporate spongers and "glory boys" were noticable by thier absence.

My final point is that i can also see a situation where ST holders are paying more for their tickets than POTD punters.

If the worst happens and city are struggling next season, or get off to a ropey start , the high prices will put people off. The club would then reduce prices in an effort to get them back. The ST holders wouldnt get any kind of refund if this happened and they are the ones who have paid up front and pledged support in advance for the season.

I hope all this is just ranting and we all get proved wrong, City have a blinder of a season, and we get ourselves established in what is undeniably a very good league. Only time will tell i guess.

[Drew Peacock]

the corporates will be the first to dessert and where will you be then?

Very funny

[megansdad]

So on that basis Man Utds would be fourpence & Colchesters £5,000 :noexpression:

Try again

No need to as the point made is an entirely valid one- sorry if you can't see that but you are the one who needs to try again - since you seem to ignore the other side of the equation - demand. No matter what they charge Man U would fill their huge stadium- they have the demand you see, keeping up? while Colchester struggle to fill the rather mediocre facility they have so charging more would not make any sense - still with me?

Sunderland would not fill their stadium at prices above where they are but can accommodate more people, at no extra cost than can we. We must therefore charge more.

You have been very vocal on this subject but my view is you are wrong season ticket sales are going well and the modest increase in price per game is worth it for the improved facilities and higher division we are playing in. The club cannot simply rely on SL to continue to fund losses so please stop moaning.

[Chappers]

Demand - How many people will py £28 to watch City v Colchester, Barnsley, QPR, Scunny, Plymouth, Stoke, Palace, Cardiff, Burnley, Hull, and Blackpool (Possibly). Heaps of empty seats at half of the games.

How many League games will we sell out if we don't do very well, my guess is NONE. Not at £28+ per ticket.

Simple economics-

8,000 X £400 = £3.2 Mill

10,000 X £320 = £3.2 Mill

Option 2 also gives more matchday revenue.

The 'demand'/ 'we must raise more cash' argument falls flat unless we are seriously challenging at the top (Which I doubt).

A short-sighted move that will backfire if we are not successful!

[LSR]

facts about Britain.

1. the South of england is a much more richer part of britaina dn the average wage is higher,also house prices are higher..

2. The north of britain has a lower average wage and house prices are alot lower.

the end result.... Our season tickets will be higher.

well 360 for derby may be for them extortion but to us it mat look like we are being ripped off.

Bristol is one of the wealthiest city outside london(i know not everyone can afford it me included) so our prices will be higher and if we want succes we have to pay for it.

[LSR]

oh and also there season ticket from adults range from 360 upwards ,under 12 is 115 pounds at sunderland so we must really do research before we bleet

http://www.safc.com/tickets/?page_id=12176

Edited May 26, 2007 by RBFCTillidie

[Chappers]

The only research most of us do is "Can I afford it"?

[megansdad]

In order to ensure we get revenue from some of the less popular games we offer season tickets- I expect that both the number this season and certainly the revnue will be above last year's numbers- because the demand is there. This will help facilities to be improved and I expect us to acquire better players than we otherwise might have done- it makes sense.

And to those knocking Robbored for attending the play off yesterday- I'd far rather he did that than watched a premiership game - the Gas are an irrelevance, not our competition and a spirit of friendly rivalry should be encouraged. we mut set our sights far higher if we are to progress - far more interested in those above us playing in a league we aspire to than those below. We had our success why begrudge them theirs- after all they have had precious little of it. Cardiff are our closest rivals now-and when we were singing at the end of the Rotherham game are you watching Nottingham - I would far rather we had sung are you watching Manchester because that is where we should set our sights- Forest is the past Manchester is the future!!