Gaps & Spaces = the sign of apathy

[PeterWithesShin]

We have a history of low prices and ticket offers and attendances haven't dramatically gone up for the cheap games. The only time they do is when we we have looked like we might be having some success, and then they were high regardless of price.
But even if we were to get say 40K every week at £15 a ticket then that is £600K a game. 30K a game at £30 a ticket is £900K a game. So by charging less, even on the very slim chance that we filled the ground the odds are high that we'll be generating less money than we are now. And we don't seem to be rolling in it as it is.

And the non league comment is that we are a top flight club. If we charge home fans non league prices then we have to do the same for away fans. And then what, will sponsors expect to pay less, and box holders, and corporate functions so on etc? Or should we expect them to pay top flight prices while everyone else in the ground pays non league prices?

Whether we like it or not, the club needs to generate as much money as possible, so unless every other club slashes their prices I can't see how it's going to help us if we're the only ones doing it as our prices are one of the cheapest as it is.

[MarkM]

Just be reducing prices you dont ensure higher attendances or extra revenue

The cup games this season are a good example of reducing prices but not increasing attendances.

Making an assumtion that the average ticket price at VP is £30 then the following applies:

32,000 attendance times £30 ticket price = £960,000 ticket revenue

Now suppose the club dropped the ticket price to £20 for an average ticket to increase the attendance

38,000 attendance [19% increase] times £20 average ticket price [33% reduction] = £760,000 ticket revenue [a net loss of £200,000 [20%]

Even selling out 42,000 @ £20 a ticket would not bring in as much as 32,000 @ £30 a ticket

So simply reducing prices would not mean an increase in attendance or an increase in revenue for the club.

However, keeping the 32,000 @ £30 and then selling the other 10,000 at a lower price would increase revenue [at the risk of alienating the 32,000 who paid a higher price]

[UsualSuspect]

I think the way forward is to keep prices as they are and play in a stadium with 8-10k empty seats every game

and as for the cup games what do you think the attendances would have been if we were charing upwards of 20 quid for the cheapest ticket

[NeilH]

I think the way forward is to keep prices as they are and play in a stadium with 8-10k empty seats every game

I'd say our average outside the good times is around the 28-30k mark and given that we are now not in the good times I'd say that its about right.
As things currently stand, there is no purchase in trying to attract the lost thousands back into the stadium. We just need to make sure that we don't lose the ones we've got and I suspect, unless we go down, we won't.

[MarkM]

I think the way forward is to keep prices as they are and play in a stadium with 8-10k empty seats every game

I'd say our average outside the good times is around the 28-30k mark and given that we are now not in the good times I'd say that its about right.
As things currently stand, there is no purchase in trying to attract the lost thousands back into the stadium. We just need to make sure that we don't lose the ones we've got and I suspect, unless we go down, we won't.

We always need to try to attract fans into the ground,however a major problem is that if the product is not very good, people will not buy it no matter what it costs.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think the way forward is to keep prices as they are and play in a stadium with 8-10k empty seats every game

I'd say our average outside the good times is around the 28-30k mark and given that we are now not in the good times I'd say that its about right.
As things currently stand, there is no purchase in trying to attract the lost thousands back into the stadium. We just need to make sure that we don't lose the ones we've got and I suspect, unless we go down, we won't.

We always need to try to attract fans into the ground,however a major problem is that if the product is not very good, people will not buy it no matter what it costs.

I think the main issue in this season ticket window just gone wasn't so much the paucity of the product, as the feeling that hope and ambition had been killed.

Three years ago, we averaged over 40,000. The product at home wasn't particularly brilliant then, but the main reason - in my opinion - was that people were full of hope and positivity for the future.

This was sapped a fair deal last season, but nowhere near as much as over the last summer.

I can't understand why anyone would be remotely surprised to see attendances down so much when you combine the prevailing economic climate (which does have an impact) with the message that selling our best players again, and appointing Alex McLeish (and how many of us would even have believed that a possibility at the end of last season?) sent out to the fanbase.

[pauliewalnuts]

Just be reducing prices you dont ensure higher attendances or extra revenue

The cup games this season are a good example of reducing prices but not increasing attendances.

Making an assumtion that the average ticket price at VP is £30 then the following applies:

32,000 attendance times £30 ticket price = £960,000 ticket revenue

Now suppose the club dropped the ticket price to £20 for an average ticket to increase the attendance

38,000 attendance [19% increase] times £20 average ticket price [33% reduction] = £760,000 ticket revenue [a net loss of £200,000 [20%]

Even selling out 42,000 @ £20 a ticket would not bring in as much as 32,000 @ £30 a ticket

So simply reducing prices would not mean an increase in attendance or an increase in revenue for the club.

However, keeping the 32,000 @ £30 and then selling the other 10,000 at a lower price would increase revenue [at the risk of alienating the 32,000 who paid a higher price]

People paying less money to get in. enjoying it, telling their mates, families, colleagues etc are far more likely to generate more attendees in future games than empty seats, though.

A full house also generates a far better atmosphere than 32,000 does, and this has the effect of (we dream) inspiring the team on, and making it a more pleasant experience for the other people attending, who are then going to be more likely to return than they are having spent 90 mins in a moribund atmosphere, surrounded by 10k empty seats.

Revenue also isn't just about ticket price, there's also programme sales, food and drink sales etc etc to put on top. Nowhere near as much, obv, but it all helps.

[Clampy]

Talking of Season Tickets, i got a mate and his missus tickets for the Albion game and being the nice person that i am, i gave them a couple of vouchers out of my ST pack for a free cup of tea and a free pie.

Amazingly, the cuppa was only free if you bought two and as for the free pie which he went to get at half time, he was told it was only valid before the game.

[Legion]

There were signs put up a few weeks ago about the pie only being available before the match. The cup of tea/coffee offer amendment is a new one for me. What is the point in issuing these vouchers if they are not being honoured? I'm going to use mine on Wednesday before the match and cause merry Hell...

[Clampy]

The cup of tea/coffee offer amendment is a new one for me.

The small print on the back of the tea/coffee vouchers tells you that you have to buy 2 to claim a free one, which i had'nt read. It's a bit poor really.

[Legion]

The cup of tea/coffee offer amendment is a new one for me.

The small print on the back of the tea/coffee vouchers tells you that you have to buy 2 to claim a free one, which i had'nt read. It's a bit poor really.

Ah, I hadn't realised. Thanks for that.

[Pete3206]

£40 to take the nipper into the Doug Eliis on Saturday where I have my ST. Think I may have to relocate for this week.

[Chris Smith]

It's been driving me mad but as per the thread title, why "gaps" and "spaces", aren't they the same thing?

Is it caused by not enough fans or supporters turning up?

[5ft811st2 Durham]

Just be reducing prices you dont ensure higher attendances or extra revenue

The cup games this season are a good example of reducing prices but not increasing attendances.

Making an assumtion that the average ticket price at VP is £30 then the following applies:

32,000 attendance times £30 ticket price = £960,000 ticket revenue

Now suppose the club dropped the ticket price to £20 for an average ticket to increase the attendance

38,000 attendance [19% increase] times £20 average ticket price [33% reduction] = £760,000 ticket revenue [a net loss of £200,000 [20%]

Even selling out 42,000 @ £20 a ticket would not bring in as much as 32,000 @ £30 a ticket

So simply reducing prices would not mean an increase in attendance or an increase in revenue for the club.

However, keeping the 32,000 @ £30 and then selling the other 10,000 at a lower price would increase revenue [at the risk of alienating the 32,000 who paid a higher price]

I think to test the theory you have to offer a package where money is no issue even to the most impecunious supporter  and the only question the punter is asking is "Can i be bothered to go ?

In my view adults  at £5 and kids for a quid (in the decent seats not just behind the goal in the North Stand) would see a massive increase in attendances not that that's ever going to happen.

[Dante Lavelli]

There is definitely merit in getting more bodies into the ground as Legion has mentioned.  Another key benefit for me is getting the next generation of villa fan into the stadium. 

Maybe next season there could be more offers were a child season ticket is dirt cheap when accompanied by an adult.  I also think a few free tickets to local football clubs would not be a bad idea.