Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[Meanwood Villa]

Masses of empty seats tonight against Brentford and I think we all said from the stat that these were the games where we would se the impact of CL pricing.

Yes it was noticeable in lower Trinity on TV

[Brazilian Villain]

Masses of empty seats tonight against Brentford and I think we all said from the stat that these were the games where we would se the impact of CL pricing.

Sorry, we were all at the grand birthday bash at Chez Risso.

[pauliewalnuts]

The problem is, we are adopting the rapacious pricing policy of Champions League level clubs, having only just qualified for the first time ever for the competition, and in the belief that means we can be as big on the prices as what we see as our peers - Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea etc - without stopping to think that those clubs have won serious silverware for decades now, whilst we haven't won anything for 28 years, and even then, that win plus the one before were both the least important cup competition.

You will sell the tickets at prices you choose once you convince a lot of unconvinced people that we're fucking good at this, the sort of people who will only back a reasonably successful horse. I'm not saying it should be like that, but the fact is, it is.

I used to work with a guy who was an Albion fan but whose kids were both Chelsea fans. They're 14, born and brought up in Sutton Coldfield. He gets roped in to driving down there a few times a year to take them to see matches - largely their equivalents of tonight, the less appealing games - he's basically, with his kids, the sort of person who would have filled those empty seats tonight, and there would be plenty more like him.

We don't have that type of support right now, which is why we're going to suffer when there's a combination of mega CL prices, a game every 3 days, and a product where, when it's against Brentford, makes you double think whether it's money well spent.

We've got the 'top club' prices and attitude, without the accompanying success.

[Villan82]

Masses of empty seats tonight against Brentford and I think we all said from the stat that these were the games where we would se the impact of CL pricing.

Yes it was noticeable in lower Trinity on TV

Sick and tired watching this daft 'policy' break something that was so perfect. It's very frustrating what's gone on and criminal that we have empty seats for such a great villa team when demand is actually there.

Villa, sort this out.

[London Villan]

Just over 30000 in the ground according to a steward.

[Max Villan]

Heck and his treatment of fans has really soured what should be a great relationship with this team and management.

I find myself moaning a lot more about them when it feels as though the club couldn't give a shit about us, it shouldn't be this way.

[Accent Guy]

Just over 30000 in the ground according to a steward.

That can't be right surely? 12,000 empty seats?

What happened to the 30,000 people on the season ticket waiting list?

Something doesn't add up.

[itbrvilla]

I'll be honest, I've only been to the CL games so far this season purely as I expect this to be our only season at least for another 2-3 years. I don't like feeling I'm being treated with contempt by the club so have got to the point where I can't be bothered.

[pauliewalnuts]

Just over 30000 in the ground according to a steward.

That can't be right surely? 12,000 empty seats?

What happened to the 30,000 people on the season ticket waiting list?

Something doesn't add up.

This is probably the most explained thing ever on this forum.

If you buy a ticket - ie as a ST holder - and do not turn up, you are still counted in the attendance.

So a significant number of those empty seats will be ST holders not turning up.

And on top of that - 'empty seats at one particular game' does not equal 'people don't want to buy STs'

I was a ST holder for years, and rarely attend now I am on single games, but I would be much more likely to buy a ST again, as then I would build that regular match-going attendance into my life as a whole.

[KevinGage]

Hopefully the owners seen that tonight and give this prat his cards at the end of the season.

How far ahead are you in real terms if you sting the regular matchgoing fan for £30-40 more than he should be paying and he then has to pick and choose his games, as was clearly the case this evening.

[Rudy65]

£50 in the Holte for Southampton 🤷‍♂️

[Skerra]

It’s not a good look for the club to have thousands of empty seats. Can only think that the 30,000 on the waiting list is more like 300 otherwise why wouldn’t people bust a gut to go to a match that has so many tickets available? There’s not much point in charging vastly inflated prices for CL matches when people can’t afford to follow that up with going to a PL match. Get the pricing right for all matches and they’re virtually guaranteed to sell out most matches.

[Accent Guy]

Just over 30000 in the ground according to a steward.

That can't be right surely? 12,000 empty seats?

What happened to the 30,000 people on the season ticket waiting list?

Something doesn't add up.

This is probably the most explained thing ever on this forum.

If you buy a ticket - ie as a ST holder - and do not turn up, you are still counted in the attendance.

So a significant number of those empty seats will be ST holders not turning up.

And on top of that - 'empty seats at one particular game' does not equal 'people don't want to buy STs'

I was a ST holder for years, and rarely attend now I am on single games, but I would be much more likely to buy a ST again, as then I would build that regular match-going attendance into my life as a whole.

I've only been on the forum for a few months so haven't read every thread but whilst I understand that empty seats doesn't equate to season tickets etc, it's the sheer number of people apparently on the waiting list that doesn't add up. If it was only a few thousand then fair enough, but 30,000 people want a season ticket and yet we have thousands of unsold seats? That's what doesn't add up to me. It's a hell of a lot of people and I've never believed it's 30,000 different people.

[VillaTim]

The pricing policy is wank

[Risso]

Can only think that the 30,000 on the waiting list is more like 300 otherwise why wouldn’t people bust a gut to go to a match that has so many tickets available?

Because, as has been explained hundreds of times, just because you'd really like a season ticket in August, it doesn't mean you're automatically going to want a last minute expensive ticket for a mid week game in December, 3 weeks before Christmas, in shit weather, at 8.15 when the game's on the telly anyway.