Barnsley Game Heading For A Sell Out? So What Now Mr L?

[cheese]

One thing I can't square is what constitutes poor attendances. No doubt SL and CS had a figure they thought would be an average attendance this season. Naturally we're not privy to that information but, given that attendances are higher than at any time during the past (is it 30years?) then I would expect that attendances are running higher than they expected.

In that context, I'm sure they can continue to justify this seasons ticket prices. The fact that, anecdotally, there are people who used to regularly attend who now cannot, is of little consequence.

C

[forbespm]

Quite quiet at times today though I thought. Perhaps the cash-strapped, bargain hunting, part-timers who attended today didn't realise that they were allowed to participate vocally to support the team.

ashton gate is always quiet,even the affluent,no need

for a xmas bargain,full timers don,t participate very

vocally.too busy munching on the prawn sarnies!

[openEnd]

So lets get down to it

Did Lansdown (and The sexy one) balls it up or not?

[openEnd]

So lets get down to it

Did Lansdown (and The sexy one) balls it up or not?

in answer to my own post

please somebody exxplain how todays attendance can suggests otherwise?

(any a merry christmas to you)

[cheese]

in answer to my own post

please somebody exxplain how todays attendance can suggests otherwise?

(any a merry christmas to you)

Was it a sell-out?

[megansdad]

We'd probably see a decent return from that in the long term.

mmmm that's the best yet!!!! give season tickets away and get a decent return in the long term- would love to know how that would work!

[bh_red]

I've read a post of yours where you said that most teams that have been promoted barely improve on their attendances regardless of form... Would that not suggest that the attendance is down to the people, and not the price?

agree,

however too drunk to say anyinthg else without ###### swearing, oh ######

[bh_red]

mmmm that's the best yet!!!! give season tickets away and get a decent return in the long term- would love to know how that would work!

yeah but..........if.........but.......if......maybe

[redcityman]

Disagree there it works out around £17 on a season tickt, yes maybe £28 is too high but dropping to £20 is an insult to those that commited early, saving £3 a game, and only around £65 on the season.

If we go up again prepare for £40 - £50 a game and I bet the homes with Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all sell out even at those prices.

For over 100 years football has been the working man's game, this is the attitude that is, along with Sky, slowly removing it from the grasp of your average Joe.

Still as long as you are alright, ###### jack.

[Nibor]

mmmm that's the best yet!!!! give season tickets away and get a decent return in the long term- would love to know how that would work!

I guess the irony was too much for you.

[Nibor]

agree,

however too drunk to say anyinthg else without ###### swearing, oh ######

You mean you actually post sober sometimes?!

[megansdad]

I guess the irony was too much for you.

oh so you were being facetious as well as the original poster..

[italian dave]

Well, after yesterday's attendace, I think Mr L's answer is pretty obvious - stay as we were.

Like it or not it proves SLs point, and it also supports the point megansdad makes.

Assuming 10000 season ticket holders, that means we had 5,700 customers last week paying the full price and 6,500 this week paying half price.

Do the sums!!

[Nibor]

Well, after yesterday's attendace, I think Mr L's answer is pretty obvious - stay as we were.

Like it or not it proves SLs point, and it also supports the point megansdad makes.

Assuming 10000 season ticket holders, that means we had 5,700 customers last week paying the full price and 6,500 this week paying half price.

Do the sums!!

I think in your sums you forgot the 1,500 difference in away fan numbers, the fact that Cardiff is a far more attractive game than Barnsley and the fact that it was 3 days before Xmas.

[Tunley Legend]

For over 100 years football has been the working man's game, this is the attitude that is, along with Sky, slowly removing it from the grasp of your average Joe.

Still as long as you are alright, ###### jack.

Absolutely spot on. As long as BH Red gets his/her big discount for paying up front then sod the people who cannot afford to come. Let's look after the people who can afford to pay and just dump the ones who can't!! We don't want special offers to entice people to football and fill the ground - no, because that would make more money for the club in the long run and the players far prefer playing in front of full crowds - why would we want to increase club revenue and benefit the players? Presumably BH Red and his/her ilk will then be delirious knowing that they are sat in a half empty stadium making a nice discount on their seat with a better class of supporter in attendance.

[Barrs Court Red]

Well, after yesterday's attendace, I think Mr L's answer is pretty obvious - stay as we were.

Like it or not it proves SLs point, and it also supports the point megansdad makes.

Assuming 10000 season ticket holders, that means we had 5,700 customers last week paying the full price and 6,500 this week paying half price.

Do the sums!!

Where you even there? It's clear the home fans sold out, yet a piss poor away turn out stopped a sell out.

People like Megansdad are in a great posistion to give a well considered opinion, given that they live the other side of the world.

[Redtucks]

People like Megansdad are in a great posistion to give a well considered opinion, given that they live the other side of the world.

Why does that make their opinion any less valid?

[bristolcitysweden]

Absolutely spot on. As long as BH Red gets his/her big discount for paying up front then sod the people who cannot afford to come. Let's look after the people who can afford to pay and just dump the ones who can't!! We don't want special offers to entice people to football and fill the ground - no, because that would make more money for the club in the long run and the players far prefer playing in front of full crowds - why would we want to increase club revenue and benefit the players? Presumably BH Red and his/her ilk will then be delirious knowing that they are sat in a half empty stadium making a nice discount on their seat with a better class of supporter in attendance.

The price on any market differs from time to time. The situation today is different from when season tickets first where sold. I'm sure that the correct price at any time can be mathematically decided. The starting points are a sold out AG and as much revenue as possible for the club.

The club can easily keep the ST holders happy by inviting them to for example an exclusive "after season reception" down the Gate.

Why don't the club introduce the babysitter. Bring five kids between ten and fifteen and you get in for free.

[zidereddy]

with a good away following(which there wasnt) there would of been around 17,500-18,000 there yesterday which would of been a terrific attendance 4 days before christmas when alot of people are skint and out shopping etc

[Barrs Court Red]

Why does that make their opinion any less valid?

How can someone that doesn't even go comment on prices we have to pay? For example, the comment on yesterday not selling out. Everyone there could see it was only 16+ because of the sparse away turn out.

[Redtucks]

How can someone that doesn't even go comment on prices we have to pay? For example, the comment on yesterday not selling out. Everyone there could see it was only 16+ because of the sparse away turn out.

Still don't see why you can only have a valid opinion if you went to the game.

What about everyone else from all over the world, who post on here about all aspects of BCFC?

Are their opinions invalid as well?

Or are they just invalid if you disagree with them?

[Blagdon red]

Well, after yesterday's attendace, I think Mr L's answer is pretty obvious - stay as we were.

Like it or not it proves SLs point, and it also supports the point megansdad makes.

Assuming 10000 season ticket holders, that means we had 5,700 customers last week paying the full price and 6,500 this week paying half price.

Do the sums!!

Indeed, do the sums - but not on a one-game basis ... look at the lifetime value to the club of new fans weaned onto the City habit through price discounts. I saw a lot of kids there yesterday ... many of these may have been at their first game ... they saw five goals, a sending off and a last-minute City winner ... think they'll be hooked? - you bet they will! And what's the lifetime value of converting a ten-year old into a fan for life (£15-20k maybe, probably more). So yesterday's half-price tickets may well have gained the club several tens or even hundreds of lifetime fans at that sort of rate. Now do the sums - worth it? (the alternative was perhaps a 12,500 crowd of us die-hards). By contrast, how much lifetime revenue is lost for every would-be fan kept away from attending by high prices?

I think yesterday certainly proved that price is a major factor in whether many people come to the games or not. Judging by how full the EE was, it plays a particularly big part in spontaneous, last-minute decisions, as - since the overflow was only opened late in the week - it can be assumed that many of the fans in the EE on Saturday only decided to come to the game at the last minute. In other words, the affordable price made it an easy decision for them.

I don't think the answer is half-price tickets for evey game for the rest of the season, but more imaginative pricing is certainly needed. Yesterday was a good start. I have posted before that I'd love some club to introduce easyJet-style supply and demand pricing. That's a long-term project, but in the short term the club can continue - as they did yesterday - adjusting prices to match demand by introducing similar cut-price deals (at varying levels to match the projected demand for each game) for all home games between now and March.

If City are still in the top six come March, there will probably then be no need for any more deals, as demand will be such that the ground will sell out at the current matchday prices. Until end-of-season excitement takes hold, however, discounting prices to match demand is the best way to fill AG and to maximise the opportunity to attract more new fans with lifetime values to the club in the many tens of thousands.

[robins72]

Indeed, do the sums - but not on a one-game basis ... look at the lifetime value to the club of new fans weaned onto the City habit through price discounts. I saw a lot of kids there yesterday ... many of these may have been at their first game ... they saw five goals, a sending off and a last-minute City winner ... think they'll be hooked? - you bet they will! And what's the lifetime value of converting a ten-year old into a fan for life (£15-20k maybe, probably more). So yesterday's half-price tickets may well have gained the club several tens or even hundreds of lifetime fans at that sort of rate. Now do the sums - worth it? (the alternative was perhaps a 12,500 crowd of us die-hards). By contrast, how much lifetime revenue is lost for every would-be fan kept away from attending by high prices?

I think yesterday certainly proved that price is a major factor in whether many people come to the games or not. Judging by how full the EE was, it plays a particularly big part in spontaneous, last-minute decisions, as - since the overflow was only opened late in the week - it can be assumed that many of the fans in the EE on Saturday only decided to come to the game at the last minute. In other words, the affordable price made it an easy decision for them.

I don't think the answer is half-price tickets for evey game for the rest of the season, but more imaginative pricing is certainly needed. Yesterday was a good start. I have posted before that I'd love some club to introduce easyJet-style supply and demand pricing. That's a long-term project, but in the short term the club can continue - as they did yesterday - adjusting prices to match demand by introducing similar cut-price deals (at varying levels to match the projected demand for each game) for all home games between now and March.

If City are still in the top six come March, there will probably then be no need for any more deals, as demand will be such that the ground will sell out at the current matchday prices. Until end-of-season excitement takes hold, however, discounting prices to match demand is the best way to fill AG and to maximise the opportunity to attract more new fans with lifetime values to the club in the many tens of thousands.

Absolutely spot on there!! Loads of parents with their kids coming to their first match all really excited because of the feast of goals and match action!! Parents were happy too!! We need to look at the fans of the future because so many of them are being drawn into the prawn sandwich of the premiership. I had a customer the other day buy his lad a full Liverpool kit for christmas! Saddens me that so many youngsters are wearing Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea shirts in Bristol. Wouldnt it be great if we could change that to Bristol City? I know Sky Sports doesnt help but we need to be realistic and pricing for families needs to be considered for future matches this season and into next season. IF Sl is serious about the club moving forward and a new stadium we need to fill it not have it half empty with adults because we've outpriced the families.

[megansdad]

add 1500 to the attendance total and the revenue numbers still don't add up - as a one off for traditionally weak attendance day a good idea- as a long term strategy i don't think so. Whether i was there or not makes no difference to the economic facts.

[megansdad]

The way to get kids wearing the city kit is to achieve long term success on the pitch - SL and the team seem well on there way to doing that. only through being in the premiership are things likely to change on that front - a secure financial base is an imperative if that is to be achieved.

[bh_red]

How can someone that doesn't even go comment on prices we have to pay? For example, the comment on yesterday not selling out. Everyone there could see it was only 16+ because of the sparse away turn out.

Yes. The ground wasn't just sold out in the away end, there was also large amounts of seating in home areas empty, and that is something that can be told by someone not at the ground based on the pictures on the website.

Yes there was a low amount of away fans, however the club cleared had expected that, based on where segregation blanket was laid, it still meant that at block least a whole block of the east end went unsold, around the ground there was also various pockets of seating free around the ground.

It was no where near a sell out in the slightest as the attedance showed, but that can't be solely blamed on away fans,

People can point towards it being the last weekend before xmas and money being an issue, but this half-price offer has been advertised for ages and people have had PLENTY of time to buy tickets whether they had been to games before or not this season, the simple fact is even with these offers, it wasn't a sell out.

People seem to think I'm against any reductions, which I'm not, for certain games for the rest of the season, such as Colchester, Hull and Blackpool they it's fair that the club should/could make discounts available for those games, maybe just with a couple of quid off for adults but with bigger reductions for kids, such as quid a kid etc for thoses games, but in general I'd leave the ticket prices as they are for majority of the games for the rest of the season.

The biggest thing that needs to be looked next season from my view on ticket prices is kids prices, where the cheaper prices should be available in more blocks than the ones currently available, adult prices are fine.

[Old Dazzler]

Where you even there? It's clear the home fans sold out, yet a piss poor away turn out stopped a sell out.

People like Megansdad are in a great posistion to give a well considered opinion, given that they live the other side of the world.

It wasn't a home sell-out. There were 2 more blocks in the East End that were set aside for City fans, which was clearly shown by the positioning of the segragation sheeting. The blocks that City fans were sitting in were by no means full.

The club knew that Barnsley would bring less than 500, so I would guess that 1500-2000 home tickets didn't sell.

[Blagdon red]

Yes. The ground wasn't just sold out in the away end, there was also large amounts of seating in home areas empty, and that is something that can be told by someone not at the ground based on the pictures on the website.

Yes there was a low amount of away fans, however the club cleared had expected that, based on where segregation blanket was laid, it still meant that at block least a whole block of the east end went unsold, around the ground there was also various pockets of seating free around the ground.

It was no where near a sell out in the slightest as the attedance showed, but that can't be solely blamed on away fans,

People can point towards it being the last weekend before xmas and money being an issue, but this half-price offer has been advertised for ages and people have had PLENTY of time to buy tickets whether they had been to games before or not this season, the simple fact is even with these offers, it wasn't a sell out.

People seem to think I'm against any reductions, which I'm not, for certain games for the rest of the season, such as Colchester, Hull and Blackpool they it's fair that the club should/could make discounts available for those games, maybe just with a couple of quid off for adults but with bigger reductions for kids, such as quid a kid etc for thoses games, but in general I'd leave the ticket prices as they are for majority of the games for the rest of the season.

The biggest thing that needs to be looked next season from my view on ticket prices is kids prices, where the cheaper prices should be available in more blocks than the ones currently available, adult prices are fine.

Not sure where you were looking - except the Premier seating! Areas that are traditionally thinly populated at low-attendance games (like the front and rear corners of the Williams) were well filled and even the little A block of the Atyeo behind the wheelchair enclosure was in use, which it only ever is when crowd numbers dictate.

The fact that the home section of the EE looked from my seat in Atyeo about 80% full (I could only see gaps behind the pillars) also suggests that on the day the only place where you could get 2 or 3 seats together was in there (as we know from the OS on Friday, the Dolman, for instance, was officially sold out).

The club could tell us how many more home fans could have been accommodated with yesterday's segregation configuration - and they may well do in due course, but I would suspect that it was less than 1,000.

Achieving something of the order of a 90% sell-out in the home stands on 'Black Saturday' is clearly a success. And while it was good, as I said above, to see lots of kids there, it was also no doubt the reduced prices on offer to their parents or guardians that played a major part in them being there. For many adults, the normal adult prices are clearly not OK, and I would hope that the club continues to operate a flexible approach to matchday pricing over the next few months, matching the price charged to the projected appeal of each game.

[bh_red]

Not sure where you were looking - except the Premier seating! Areas that are traditionally thinly populated at low-attendance games (like the front and rear corners of the Williams) were well filled and even the little A block of the Atyeo behind the wheelchair enclosure was in use, which it only ever is when crowd numbers dictate.

The fact that the home section of the EE looked from my seat in Atyeo about 80% full (I could only see gaps behind the pillars) also suggests that on the day the only place where you could get 2 or 3 seats together was in there (as we know from the OS on Friday, the Dolman, for instance, was officially sold out).

The club could tell us how many more home fans could have been accommodated with yesterday's segregation configuration - and they may well do in due course, but I would suspect that it was less than 1,000.

Achieving something of the order of a 90% sell-out in the home stands on 'Black Saturday' is clearly a success. And while it was good, as I said above, to see lots of kids there, it was also no doubt the reduced prices on offer to their parents or guardians that played a major part in them being there. For many adults, the normal adult prices are clearly not OK, and I would hope that the club continues to operate a flexible approach to matchday pricing over the next few months, matching the price charged to the projected appeal of each game.

90% full? still not sell out, where are the rest of the fans?

read the rest of my posting.

there was an entire EMPTY BLOCK in the East End, the segration area was obviously covered by the blanket, but there was still an empty block that the stewards didn't feel needed to be used due to lack of fans in that stand, most of the remaining seats were dotted around the ground, but there was still a few fair empty, either way it was no where near a sell out even at half price,

if tickets prices aren't the problem..........what is?

[Stoke_Gifford_Red]

90% full? still not sell out, where are the rest of the fans?

read the rest of my posting.

there was an entire EMPTY BLOCK in the East End, the segration area was obviously covered by the blanket, but there was still an empty block that the stewards didn't feel needed to be used due to lack of fans in that stand, most of the remaining seats were dotted around the ground, but there was still a few fair empty, either way it was no where near a sell out even at half price,

if tickets prices aren't the problem..........what is?

Not sure where these empty seats dotted around the ground were? A mate looked at getting two tickets, but ended up going in the East End as there weren't even two tickets available in the same block in Williams or Dolman (so in other words a virtual sell out as they weren't even after seats necessarily next to each other). I would also be fairly sure that the Atyeo sold out as well, as from where I was sitting even H block seemed full. A lot of these empty seats dotted around the ground would be due to season ticket holders not turning up due to the time of year (in fact the ares I noted where there were gaps in the Atyeo/Williams were in the areas where there are most season ticket holders eg near the centre of the stands). As for the East End, I think there was only one more block available (it is highly unusual for the club to let City fans in the same block as the netting is). And what can't be denied is that was one of, if not, the biggest home crowd of the season, and much bigger than the crowd for Cardiff.

It will be interesting to see the take-up of the tickets for Middlesbrough which are slightly cheaper than normal match tickets, as well as tickets for Colchester when there are special deals for people with children (quid a kid/free tickets etc).