The Holte Suite

[Des Little]

After having a ST for over 40 years, I think I'm nearing the end of my time going down every week.  They're targeting a new breed of fanbase, and I think I'll be leaving them to it.  There are many other ways of watching the matches these days, without burning all your money. 

[LeeB]

After having a ST for over 40 years, I think I'm nearing the end of my time going down every week.  They're targeting a new breed of fanbase, and I think I'll be leaving them to it.  There are many other ways of watching the matches these days, without burning all your money. 

My mate has vowed to not spend a single penny inside the ground from now on. Enjoy decent food and drink in town before or after the game, at reasonable prices, and just visit to watch the match.

[Percy McCarthy]

After having a ST for over 40 years, I think I'm nearing the end of my time going down every week.  They're targeting a new breed of fanbase, and I think I'll be leaving them to it.  There are many other ways of watching the matches these days, without burning all your money. 

My mate has vowed to not spend a single penny inside the ground from now on. Enjoy decent food and drink in town before or after the game, at reasonable prices, and just visit to watch the match.

If only we could drink in town.

[algy]

I wouldn't call a trip to your local world of Cine cheap anymore either.

It's not that bad though ... £5 a ticket round us (Odeon, book online).  So the whole family could go and watch a film for the same price as one kids ticket at Villa Park pretty much.

Now, it's not comparing apples with apples cos I don't see them as at all the same thing, but equally football isn't a cheap thing.  For me, the cost of going to 2 Villa games a season - one with the kids, one with just me & my dad - is roughly the same as a season ticket at Wrexham for me, my dad, and the kids.  That's not "when you account for travelling" or "when you account for food".  It's simply the price of the ticket, plus membership at Aston Villa because I weirdly want to sit next to my 6 year old boy not 2 rows and 20 seats apart.

Not that I plan to get a season ticket at Wrexham, but still ... the costs involved going to Villa with a famliy, for me, are very, very difficult to justify when I know my wife is struggling a bit to get the food money to go round.

[chrisw1]

I don't mind them trying this on if they thing they can make it work, even though I'd never pay that, but it pisses me off hugely that elsewhere you have people paying 60 odd quid for a ticket yet encountering overflowing disgusting toilets.

It's like there's a certain level of shit service they do not give a fuck about, so long as people keep ponying up the money.

The answer for them seems to be all about getting people to pay more money based on "this new thing is better than what you'd get otherwise with the bulk of the fans" rather than improving general standards.

"It's hard to buy food at half time, but look, if you can pay another 50 quid (or whatever) you'll be able to get some food" rather than just making it easier for more people to get something on the concourses.

This is where I'm at really.  I'm not that fussed about the Holte Suite as I wouldn't necessarily expect a free private lounge included in the price of a match ticket.  Now imagine if instead of halving the facilities in the upper Holte they'd actually improved them and made it somewhere people are happy to dwell - I'd guess the loss of the Holte Suite wouldn't have been such an issue then?

But the fuckers can't even be bothered to install an extra urinal, extend the size of the remaining inadequate bar facilities or even pay for an extra fucking beer pump.

[artvandelay]

I think the issue is there isn't the demand they're banking on. Precisely zero Terrace View tickets were sold for Crystal Palace on a game by game basis. In London, there's a built in market of tourists who will pay over the odds to go to their one Premier League game. In Manchester and Liverpool, teams have sufficient global demand now to have people make a trip to see their favourite TV stars. We're in the middle, unless we get Man City levels of success we're not going to get the market of people.

There just aren't a few thousand people in the Midlands who suddenly want to go to Aston and eat a chicken curry out of a vat and have a warm lager in a windowless room for over £100 on a Sunday at 2pm.

The sensible play, surely, is to make the facilities for the majority of fans nice enough that they'll spend more money at the ground and less elsewhere.

[Clampy]

I don't mind them trying this on if they thing they can make it work, even though I'd never pay that, but it pisses me off hugely that elsewhere you have people paying 60 odd quid for a ticket yet encountering overflowing disgusting toilets.

It's like there's a certain level of shit service they do not give a fuck about, so long as people keep ponying up the money.

The answer for them seems to be all about getting people to pay more money based on "this new thing is better than what you'd get otherwise with the bulk of the fans" rather than improving general standards.

"It's hard to buy food at half time, but look, if you can pay another 50 quid (or whatever) you'll be able to get some food" rather than just making it easier for more people to get something on the concourses.

This is where I'm at really.  I'm not that fussed about the Holte Suite as I wouldn't necessarily expect a free private lounge included in the price of a match ticket.  Now imagine if instead of halving the facilities in the upper Holte they'd actually improved them and made it somewhere people are happy to dwell - I'd guess the loss of the Holte Suite wouldn't have been such an issue then?

But the fuckers can't even be bothered to install an extra urinal, extend the size of the remaining inadequate bar facilities or even pay for an extra fucking beer pump.

The Holte Suite is not just for Holte Enders though.

[chrisw1]

Precisely zero Terrace View tickets were sold for Crystal Palace on a game by game basis.

Whilst I absolutely agree with your overall point I'm not sure this is right.  There were about 90 left on Friday I seem to recall, so I assume that means they must have sold approx 200 on the game by game basis? 

I imagine the numbers will drop when people realise they're paying £114 for a seat in the wings or right at the back.  My big fear is the club will realise that to truly make this work they're going to have to have dedicated seating and take the best 1,000 seats in the upper Holte (or maybe some in the lower too)

[luke95]

After having a ST for over 40 years, I think I'm nearing the end of my time going down every week.  They're targeting a new breed of fanbase, and I think I'll be leaving them to it.  There are many other ways of watching the matches these days, without burning all your money. 

This is where I am too. Once it goes to £1k for a season ticket I'll finally give up after 45 yrs. I can't really justify  £800 currently but it's a hard habit to break
Think theres 3 or 4 seasons before then so hopefully the FACup in the few seasons please

[chrisw1]

I don't mind them trying this on if they thing they can make it work, even though I'd never pay that, but it pisses me off hugely that elsewhere you have people paying 60 odd quid for a ticket yet encountering overflowing disgusting toilets.

It's like there's a certain level of shit service they do not give a fuck about, so long as people keep ponying up the money.

The answer for them seems to be all about getting people to pay more money based on "this new thing is better than what you'd get otherwise with the bulk of the fans" rather than improving general standards.

"It's hard to buy food at half time, but look, if you can pay another 50 quid (or whatever) you'll be able to get some food" rather than just making it easier for more people to get something on the concourses.

This is where I'm at really.  I'm not that fussed about the Holte Suite as I wouldn't necessarily expect a free private lounge included in the price of a match ticket.  Now imagine if instead of halving the facilities in the upper Holte they'd actually improved them and made it somewhere people are happy to dwell - I'd guess the loss of the Holte Suite wouldn't have been such an issue then?

But the fuckers can't even be bothered to install an extra urinal, extend the size of the remaining inadequate bar facilities or even pay for an extra fucking beer pump.

The Holte Suite is not just for Holte Enders though.

Right, but I guess the point remains if the facilities in the stands are acceptable then there's less need for it.

[dave.woodhall]

I've said all along that they're looking at the block front centre upstairs and thinking how much they can corporate them for.

[Des Little]

Probably not the right place for this, but in the centre block of Upper Trinity (A4?) there are two rows of a dozen seats bang on the halfway line that have been completely empty for both games this season.  Mental

[Clampy]

Not necessarily. Fans like to get there early, have a sit down, watch the early game, have a bite to eat, meet up with friends etc. Having better facilties in the ground would not necessarily put people off using the Holte Suite.

[Chico Hamilton III]

After having a ST for over 40 years, I think I'm nearing the end of my time going down every week.  They're targeting a new breed of fanbase, and I think I'll be leaving them to it.  There are many other ways of watching the matches these days, without burning all your money. 

My mate has vowed to not spend a single penny inside the ground from now on. Enjoy decent food and drink in town before or after the game, at reasonable prices, and just visit to watch the match.

I reckon there were 10 of us who met up in the OC on Saturday, had a few before the game, got an Uber to the ground, jumped into a “taxi” on Trinity Road after the game, back to town to the pub for several more. My bank statement showed that I spent over £50 - and I’m sure the others with me probably spent the same - and none of it was spent in Villa Park. And  that’s a typical home game for us.

[chrisw1]

Not necessarily. Fans like to get there early, have a sit down, watch the early game, have a bite to eat, meet up with friends etc. Having better facilities in the ground would not necessarily put people off using the Holte Suite.

No, but the point I'm making is you don't necessarily expect a private lounge with a standard match ticket and if facilities elsewhere were up to scratch the loss may not be so keenly felt.