We Got Our Pricing Right

[cityboy]

this has been discussed until the cows come home; namely, you simply cannot compare prices in the prem with the champs simply because we do not benefit from £30m + prize money. its a very distorted lop sided playing field and, as a very direct result, prices in the championship will not be such good value until and unless the proportion of prize money is re-balanced.

That's quite an odd way of looking at it. Prize money may be higher in the Prem but then so are transfer fees / player wages / stadium upkeep costs etc etc. It's an issue regrading league competiveness for sure, but that's a whole different argument. The fact is that Liverpool don't need to attract new fans - they could almost charge what they like for tickets and still sell out. City aren't in that position and should be looking to build a fan base for the future. Imo, by hiking prices so much they have missed the chance to do so. Mr Lansdown may want to balance the books, and it's a vision I'm happy with, but this could be acheived with lower prices and more season tickets sold. The poster earlier that pointed out that having 13,000 season tickets means less seats to sell for the day than having 9,000 at higher prices is missing the point that not every game will attract enough pay on the day people to sell the ground out. It is season ticket holders that will boost the club coffers more. 13,000 people eating pies/drinking tea makes more money than 9,000 doing the same. Getting your kids to the ground with you week in week out also increases the likelihood they'll be buying their own season tickets one day. It's how my dad got me hooked. The price rise may not seem much when you take it in isolation. When you're dragging your two kids with you on a regular basis, it soon adds up. It may well be that people can afford it, but the simple fact is that they may not want to. Football needs to realise it is competing for customers against a whole range of activities these days and not just other clubs in the area.

[punnett]

That's quite an odd way of looking at it. Prize money may be higher in the Prem but then so are transfer fees / player wages / stadium upkeep costs etc etc. It's an issue regrading league competiveness for sure, but that's a whole different argument. The fact is that Liverpool don't need to attract new fans - they could almost charge what they like for tickets and still sell out. City aren't in that position and should be looking to build a fan base for the future. Imo, by hiking prices so much they have missed the chance to do so. Mr Lansdown may want to balance the books, and it's a vision I'm happy with, but this could be acheived with lower prices and more season tickets sold. The poster earlier that pointed out that having 13,000 season tickets means less seats to sell for the day than having 9,000 at higher prices is missing the point that not every game will attract enough pay on the day people to sell the ground out. It is season ticket holders that will boost the club coffers more. 13,000 people eating pies/drinking tea makes more money than 9,000 doing the same. Getting your kids to the ground with you week in week out also increases the likelihood they'll be buying their own season tickets one day. It's how my dad got me hooked. The price rise may not seem much when you take it in isolation. When you're dragging your two kids with you on a regular basis, it soon adds up. It may well be that people can afford it, but the simple fact is that they may not want to. Football needs to realise it is competing for customers against a whole range of activities these days and not just other clubs in the area.

Couldn't of put it better myself, spot on

[Midge]

In what should have been the most exciting time in the club's recent history,it is turning into the saddest situation since 1982.

Reading all this,I'm getting increasingly upset this club,the point is that those fans who were at the Swansea 7-1 have been sold down the river,loyal fans are what has made the club what is is today and without them,where will the atmosphere come from.

One thing I've noticed is the usual fan friendly S Lansdown has been very quiet on the situation,I'm hoping that when he returns he will make Mr Sextone realise just what he's done to some of our most loyal supporters.

I agree with the comment about football going to the wall,it surely can't go on like this forever,there will be more an more Leeds situations in the near future.

Could we as fans not make a protest against this or does everyone feel that there will be no strength to it.

Anyway I will be at the Gate tomorrow so that will be a good way of subsiding my dissapointment by the players putting on a performance that shows that we are ready for next week.

[havanatopia]

That's quite an odd way of looking at it. Prize money may be higher in the Prem but then so are transfer fees / player wages / stadium upkeep costs etc etc. It's an issue regrading league competiveness for sure, but that's a whole different argument. The fact is that Liverpool don't need to attract new fans - they could almost charge what they like for tickets and still sell out. City aren't in that position and should be looking to build a fan base for the future. Imo, by hiking prices so much they have missed the chance to do so. Mr Lansdown may want to balance the books, and it's a vision I'm happy with, but this could be acheived with lower prices and more season tickets sold. The poster earlier that pointed out that having 13,000 season tickets means less seats to sell for the day than having 9,000 at higher prices is missing the point that not every game will attract enough pay on the day people to sell the ground out. It is season ticket holders that will boost the club coffers more. 13,000 people eating pies/drinking tea makes more money than 9,000 doing the same. Getting your kids to the ground with you week in week out also increases the likelihood they'll be buying their own season tickets one day. It's how my dad got me hooked. The price rise may not seem much when you take it in isolation. When you're dragging your two kids with you on a regular basis, it soon adds up. It may well be that people can afford it, but the simple fact is that they may not want to. Football needs to realise it is competing for customers against a whole range of activities these days and not just other clubs in the area.

I agree with the crux of your sentiments.

I still think a comparison between prem and us is somewhat of a futile discussion.

by all means compare with other champ clubs but even then its not even.. take out all the parachuters, take out all those who spend diddly squat on players and upgrades.. how many does that leave?... perhaps 10 clubs tops. lets look at all those gate fees and and then disseminate all their overheads and investments and then have a meaningful discussion.

As I said I agree with your sentiments. but its a tad off topic; who can argue with the argument 'you hiked it too much and i cannot bring my children'.

[CIDER PANTS OF TWERTON]

There is a FCF meeting tonight and this point will be raised.

I am particuarly annoyed by the fact my 7 year old Nephew cannot sit by me in the dolman. That pathetic stance by the club cost them 8 season tickets alone. Hope they are glad that the future generation of my family may well bugger off elsewhere because of it.

Wasn't the target 11'000 by the start of the season?

How many have been sold?

[Guest]

How many have been sold?

~9'250 was the figure quoted to the meeting. Of that 10% of last years s/t holders haven't renewed but that's been the usual % for many many years apparently.

[Nogbad the Bad]

~9'250 was the figure quoted to the meeting. Of that 10% of last years s/t holders haven't renewed but that's been the usual % for many many years apparently.

10% seems a really high figure to me.

That means 7-800 didn't renew. Many possible reasons apart from price of course, but if it's usually 10%-ish you'd expect that figure to be markedly reduced after a promotion season.

[cityboy]

I agree with the crux of your sentiments.

I still think a comparison between prem and us is somewhat of a futile discussion.

by all means compare with other champ clubs but even then its not even.. take out all the parachuters, take out all those who spend diddly squat on players and upgrades.. how many does that leave?... perhaps 10 clubs tops. lets look at all those gate fees and and then disseminate all their overheads and investments and then have a meaningful discussion.

As I said I agree with your sentiments. but its a tad off topic; who can argue with the argument 'you hiked it too much and i cannot bring my children'.

I can see your argument but I just don't think the club have been far sighted enough. Promotion was an excellent opportunity to increase our core supporter base; by upping prices so much they have potentially missed this chance. Please don't think that this argument is purely from a selfish point of view - I live too far away to be a season ticket holder these days and have done for a couple of seasons now so once again I'll simply be cherry picking the games I wish to attend meaning the prices don't affect me too much either way. The argument about kids also doesn't apply to me personally, as happily I don't have any, but I would imagine it applies to many others though. It's not so much "Oh I can't bring my kids now - boo hoo" but more about if by taking those children to the ground we'd potentially convert another future follower instead of seeing yet another ManUre supporter grow up. Without the wide tv exposure of a successful premiership club, the best way to get brand BCFC out there is to attract them to the ground on a regular basis. It's all ifs and buts ofcourse, although it does seem a rather simple way of attracting future followers.

I have to admit though; it is pleasing to see that the club seem to be utilising this money to improve the playing squad rather than just clearing debts etc. If this wasn't the case I expect that mine, and others, protests would be voiced somewhat louder.

[Blagdon red]

10% seems a really high figure to me.

That means 7-800 didn't renew. Many possible reasons apart from price of course, but if it's usually 10%-ish you'd expect that figure to be markedly reduced after a promotion season.

Agree, and with only a further 120 STs sold in the week since LT's arrival (as per Doug Harman on main site now), it would seem that practically everyone who is going to buy an ST has done so. The final figure might just creep up to 10,000, but it's looking as though it may not, which - to quote CS - would be disappointing.

Who knows where we might have been with an earlybird offer and some more imaginative pricing for some of the seats in the less attractive areas of the ground. One thing is for sure, the goodwill of the fans would not have been lost as dramatically as it was by the lack of such initiatives.

[Nibor]

~9'250 was the figure quoted to the meeting. Of that 10% of last years s/t holders haven't renewed but that's been the usual % for many many years apparently.

Was Sexstone there and are we still "well on our way to breaking 10,000"?

Was the club happy with selling 1,600 more season tickets after promotion and what do they expect for match ticket sales?

Any substance to the rumours of Alistair Campbell being spotted at Ashton Gate?

[Fodbarmyarmy]

10% seems a really high figure to me.

That means 7-800 didn't renew. Many possible reasons apart from price of course, but if it's usually 10%-ish you'd expect that figure to be markedly reduced after a promotion season.

Over £300k in hard cash lost because of ST not renewed? ( 800 x £425)

Against the additional £200k generated by extra £100 on 2000 new tickets

:noexpression: :noexpression: :noexpression: :noexpression: :noexpression:

Is that right?

[cheese]

If I want this peace of mind and protection I have to pay an extra £9, what kind of lunatic policy is this in the dangerous times we live for children?

I will not be blackmailed into paying this,as a result he will miss out, so will BCFC on his admission price.

Hw will probably cry when his brother and I get ready to go to football. You certainly got it right Sexstone!

You're willing to see your boy cry over 40p a game?? Wow, what a great dad.

[Nibor]

You're willing to see your boy cry over 40p a game?? Wow, what a great dad.

£9 per game...

[CiderHider]

Oh Yawnarama - just pay the money if you want to watch them, it's the same for everyone.

[bernie from barrow gurney]

Over £300k in hard cash lost because of ST not renewed? ( 800 x £425)

Against the additional £200k generated by extra £100 on 2000 new tickets

:noexpression: :noexpression: :noexpression: :noexpression: :noexpression:

Is that right?

what? :noexpression:

10% didn't renew which means 90% did. then another plenty of thousand also bought them. so the club is up by miles and completely quids in.

[bernie from barrow gurney]

Oh Yawnarama - just pay the money if you want to watch them, it's the same for everyone.

absolutely completely totally agree, see you next season.

[Nogbad the Bad]

10% didn't renew which means 90% did. then another plenty of thousand also bought them. so the club is up by miles and completely quids in.

Well just over 2,000 new one's anyway.

10% ( Eight hundred ) dropout seems a hell of alot when you've only got 8,000 in the first place.

Only 2,000 new one's has got to be seen as an added disappointment after the euphoria of promotion.

The club might be "quids in" revenue wise but what cost the lost goodwill of possibly hundreds of long time fans and their offspring?

[tin]

Well just over 2,000 new one's anyway.

10% ( Eight hundred ) dropout seems a hell of alot when you've only got 8,000 in the first place.

Only 2,000 new one's has got to be seen as an added disappointment after the euphoria of promotion.

The club might be "quids in" revenue wise but what cost the lost goodwill of possibly hundreds of long time fans and their offspring?

10% is a massive drop for a promotion winning team. An 'early bird' offer would've sufficed to lower that percentage whilst rewarding the fans that backed them to promotion with reasonably priced tickets at the same time.

The club are obviously going to put a postitive spin on sales and revenue earned from the ST's but that's all in the short term. Only a few years down the line will they feel the pinch because they've alienated the fans and unless they do something to change that then the 10% of non-renewers WILL be a lot higher in the future.