Half-Season Ticket Prices

[Concrete John]

Thing is, if the 4 of us (that did forked out for season tickets at the start of the season) had bought match by match tickets so far this season and used all the offers for the rest of the season, we would have saved enough money to between us to pay for Wembley tickets (if we get there) and still get tickets due to our poor season ticket sales.

Now, this is the part I'm unsure about.

I'm a ST holder and I buy my ticket, which works out to £x per game.  If by only getting a half ST and taking up other offers, plus buying full price when there isn't, I could see all the games for less per game, then there's something gone wrong somewhere.  I haven't done the maths, but is this definately the case?

My initial thoughts are "Fair play to the club - if they weren't trying to bump up attendances they'd be getting blamed for that."  And I'm still not overly concerned as I'm sure I'll renew next year regardless.  Yet my concern is a fall in ST sales, which will then hurt the club, if people think there's cheaper ways of doing things.

As I understand it, the extra 2 games on the half ST are subject to early purchase?  If then the balance can be redressed by a similar deal for full STs - say 10% off if you buy by 01/06?  And I'm fully behind ST holders getting cheaper cup prices also.

[VillaAlways]

I've always paid per game as I have been unable to attend some games due to other commitments.I have just commited to a half season ticket as a trial really.If things work out ie being able to attend most games ( although Spurz is already out of the window).I would commit to a full season ticket next year.So looking at it that way,presuming other people are in the same position as me it's a positive thing especially if the football is improving on the pitch hopefully the uptake will increase

[pauliewalnuts]

How exactly do you make it less expensive and remain competitive paulie? Especially when the game itself has no intention of participating. Wages aren't coming down and neither are transfers. I'm not trying to be argumentative. It's a genuine question.

The board have done what they can to make it "less expensive". You make it sound as though the recession is only in Birmingham and nowhere else. Somehow, with higher prices they fill out other stadiums of our main competitors. Maybe there is s fundamental problem in the area, that in England's second city we can't get close to filling either stadium on a Saturday. I'm not being cynical. I'm pointing what happens when the board tries something new or different. How about somebody come up with something better that makes everyone happy. It's not easy at all. I'd be very interested to to hear what they should have done instead.

Sorry, Toronto, but you're totally missing the point, still.

It isn't just about them making it less expensive per se.  I think our tickets are not expensive when compared to other clubs, as I've said every single time ticket prices are discussed on here. I also think season tickets are reasonably priced, too. What's more, I'm personally not bothered about the fact I could probably have saved money on my season ticket by going match by match.

I also think they're right to do what they can to boost attendances.

But the entire point I was making was that to imagine season ticket income exists in some kind of bubble, uninfluenced by the cost of buying tickets from match to match is naive, and that too many of these deals and a large percentage of season ticket holders will consider whether or not they renew next season.

It seems pretty obvious these deals will have an impact, and to rail off at people who have actually forked out hundreds of pounds for their season tickets and maybe now feel aggrieved that, having been told it was the cheapest way by far to view the club (remember the hoo-haah on here about the wording of that promotional stuff a few months ago?), that might not even be the case, seems a little dismissive of the financial realities people face when investing a large lump sum like this.

[UK Redsox]

It OK by me as long as any deal or combination of deals, whereby you can attend all matches, does not end up cheaper than a full Season Ticket.

[mshurst]

Redsox:

I think the point people are getting at here is that it does work out cheaper. I'm unsure, I've not worked it out.


I'm quite tempted to get a half season ticket though ... By looking at the prices I don't think they're gonna be that tough to fund. I'll obviously have to think about it in the long run (including match attendance, parking, etc.) but I'm strongly considering it.

[Ad@m]

Redsox:

I think the point people are getting at here is that it does work out cheaper. I'm unsure, I've not worked it out.

This is key though.  One person on here has said that it works out cheaper and no one has been bothered to check his maths - I certainly can't be arsed to.

Everyone else who's worked the maths out has come to the conclusion that buying a season ticket is still quite a bit cheaper.

So we've now got a 3 page thread on someone's hunch, backed up by someone else's workings, that season tickets are now more expensive than taking up the offers, despite the much larger body of opinion that they're not.

Add to this the number of season ticket holders who've come on to this thread to say they wouldn't change a thing.

The other issue I have is paulie's view that if one person says something's wrong the club has to do something about it.  Everyone is not always going to agree and the club can't appease the minority all the time - all they'll ever do is create a new minority (or maybe a majority) who disagree with the new view.

It would also be nice for those criticising the club to occassionally offer an alternative or a preferred solution.  Makes it more constructive than apparently coming across as a bit of a whinge!

[pauliewalnuts]

The other issue I have is paulie's view that if one person says something's wrong the club has to do something about it.  Everyone is not always going to agree and the club can't appease the minority all the time - all they'll ever do is create a new minority (or maybe a majority) who disagree with the new view.

Errr, where did i suggest that?

I suggested that there's an issue to be discussed, clearly, as someone's raised it here. I also didn't demand the club do anything, I pointed out that it's a very fine line between promoting match tickets and devaluing season tickets.

It's also not just about it being cheaper than having a season ticket - it's about decreasing the obvious benefits and making it hard to sell them next season.

It would also be nice for those criticising the club to occassionally offer an alternative or a preferred solution.  Makes it more constructive than apparently coming across as a bit of a whinge!

I did. "Be careful in the match day ticket offers, it's a difficult one to get right".

Why don't you be constructive now? Rather than saying "stop moaning".

*wink*

[Ad@m]

Dammit.  This has just got the better of me so I've done some research.

My season ticket in the Holte Lower Centre was £450.

The half season ticket for the same area is £260.
The autumn 5 thing for the same area is £140.

Total therefore of £400.

The above covers 16 games (Blackpool is included in both).  Which means the missing games were West Ham, Everton, and Bolton.  Unless you could get tickets in the Holte Lower Centre for all three for under £50 (which I don't know but I'd be surprised if you could) then the season ticket remains cheaper.

Add to this the other benefits of the 10% off all merchandise (great for birthday and Christmas presents); entry to the Holte Pub, Holte Suite, etc on match days (although I agree it would be nice if it was free); the fact you get your pick of the best seats and get to keep it all season; the absence of any hassle on match day; having first dibs on away games and cup games, free entry into reserve games; the list goes on.

And no, I don't work for the club.  As Rafa Benitez would say, I'm a fan of facts!!!!

Constructive enough paulie?!

[pauliewalnuts]

None of the points you raised are at doubt, Adam, the point was that the biggest financial benefit of a season ticket is that it costs you much less to go to all the matches.

Even in your own example, the season ticket is only marginally cheaper.

The point is that the more you narrow the margin (and these ticket offers do), the less of a financial incentive there is for the season ticket, and the harder it gets to persuade people to give you all the money well before the season even starts.

[TimTheVillain]

I just hope the club can persuade a thousand or so to buy one, else I can see gates slipping down from last season after already slipping from the season before.

[Dave Cooper please]

The key point is that increasingly, if the various forums are to be believed (yes I know the internet is not the real world!), ST holders are starting to feel aggrieved that their loyalty in paying up front is being eroded.
As in any business, it's not a good idea to piss off your best customers. The club need to be aware of this whilst still trying to fill seats. It's a fine line.

[Ad@m]

The key point is that increasingly, if the various forums are to be believed (yes I know the internet is not the real world!), ST holders are starting to feel aggrieved that their loyalty in paying up front is being eroded.

Again, the view of the minority is blown up as the view of the majority.

From running through this thread there are 4 people who roughly fall in to the "The club is ripping season ticket holders off" camp (being mrvilla, pauliewalnuts, rutski, PMcGNo5Shirt) and 8 in the "The club are just doing what they can to sell tickets and I don't mind it" camp (being me, toronto, pete3206, clampy, chrissmith, johnm, villaalways, ukredsox). 

Some of those are borderline but hopefully it's a pretty clear indication that the majority think the club are doing the right thing and it's not going to affect future season ticket sales.

[Dave Cooper please]

The key point is that increasingly, if the various forums are to be believed (yes I know the internet is not the real world!), ST holders are starting to feel aggrieved that their loyalty in paying up front is being eroded.

Again, the view of the minority is blown up as the view of the majority.

Such is the way of internet forums.

But - if there is an slow but increasing sense of annoyance amongst on-line ST holders that their investment no longer worth what it was, then you can be sure that this will be replicated across the whole fanbase.
Yes it's still a minority, but the club cannot afford to ignore this, ST holders are, by the very definition, the most loyal fans the club has, no business can afford to piss off it's best customers.

I don't expect you to understand and I do expect you to dismiss this as mere whinging, but hopefully those with the responsibility for this sort of thing at the club won't be so dismissive.

[Ad@m]

I'm not being dismissive. Just arguing the case for the defence!

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I'm not being dismissive. Just arguing the case for the defence!

Fair enough Adam, but Prince William is stil a ******.