Season Ticket Prices

[lambourn red]

It's a tipping point though. 20 quid is too much really, but the further you go beyond that, the more people just say "fuck it".

Have to say I didn't really twig the renewal date cut-offs when I first saw it, and although I'll probably be OK to make that myself, I can well understand why many people won't. Last season they probably allowed too much latitude in terms of renewal dates, this season they've swung too far the other way. 30 quid difference or not, again, it's a tipping point and that end of April deadline is going to put a LOT of people off.

It's all very well (though not terribly sensible in terms of building a fanbase IMO) having high matchday prices if you're counting on getting most of your business through season tickets. But if you then put people off the ST route with deadlines many can't meet, you're squeezing folks at both ends.

Thanks for eloquently putting down what I was trying to say, £2 is fuck all to your average man in the street but the perception of paying over the odds for a sub-standard product will put many off.

[pauld]

However before everyone moans the supporters were given a chance to air their views on season ticket prices and hardly any turned up to the meeting...

Which was on a midweek evening the day after an evening game in the middle of a run of evening games, which is why I couldn't go. I'd be more inclined to accept your point if the two major sticking points in this announcement (very early renewal dates and increased matchday prices) had been discussed in that meeting, so that those who went had an opportunity to have their say and those who didn't could have emailed in etc. As it is, these two factors which are a bit of a double blow tbh have come as a major surprise/shock to most, and some consultation could perhaps have avoided it.

[pauld]

Fair point however i think the board are feeling the pinch as much as everyone else. Lets face it the prices have only "gone up" because they went down so much last season and we still couldn't meet what most of us thought to be a realistic target. I think the board know they'll lose a few season ticket holders regardless of the price (like your 5 mates) and have priced accordingly to these reasons.

That's fair enough for STs and I wouldn't have been suprised or particularly upset to have seen STs go up to 299 tbh for that very reason. But it makes putting up matchday prices all the more of a double squeeze - means people are more likely to stop going all together.

[Paolo69]

Maybe maybe not. I'm surprised at the matchday increase but if people think £22 is too much then doubt they'd attend many games at £20 either to be honest.

What i'm trying to say is that some people will come and some won't regardless of the price.

[Arriba]

i would have liked to have seen a price freeze on both season and matchday tickets, apart from the townend season ticket price which should have been reduced by 15-20%.also a deadline of june for an early bird price.
 a low apr monthly deal would have been a good idea, rather than the 20% they have introduced.

[nevillew]

It's a tipping point though. 20 quid is too much really, but the further you go beyond that, the more people just say "fuck it".

Have to say I didn't really twig the renewal date cut-offs when I first saw it, and although I'll probably be OK to make that myself, I can well understand why many people won't. Last season they probably allowed too much latitude in terms of renewal dates, this season they've swung too far the other way. 30 quid difference or not, again, it's a tipping point and that end of April deadline is going to put a LOT of people off.

It's all very well (though not terribly sensible in terms of building a fanbase IMO) having high matchday prices if you're counting on getting most of your business through season tickets. But if you then put people off the ST route with deadlines many can't meet, you're squeezing folks at both ends.

I understand your point, but where would you say the tipping point was in the other direction ? If we have a successful start to the season, matchday price won't be an issue. The converse is true of course.

[pauld]

i would have liked to have seen a price freeze on both season and matchday tickets, apart from the townend season ticket price which should have been reduced by 15-20%.

I'd quite like Angelina Jolie to hijack me on the way home from work and give me a seeing to that will leave me gasping. That's not terribly realistic either. I was actually pleasantly surprised at ST prices, but I'd agree having put matchday prices up means they're rather putting all their eggs in the ST basket.

a low apr monthly deal would have been a good idea, rather than the 20% they have introduced

In fairness, as others have already pointed out, the club won't have any control over this as this is a standard credit agreement. What happens is they outsource the collection by installments to a credit company who pay the club the money up front then collect the money from the customer as per any standard hp/credit agreement. If you've got a problem with this, probably best to tackle all those who "decided not to bother renewing" last season on what was never a renewal but a staged payment agreement. It's their welshing that has forced the club to outsource it and hence the APR.

[pauld]

I understand your point, but where would you say the tipping point was in the other direction ? If we have a successful start to the season, matchday price won't be an issue. The converse is true of course.

Under 20 quid, basically. But at the two extremes of success/failure on the pitch, you're right, price won't make much difference. It's where we're doing OK-ish and non-St holders are weighing up whether or not to go that these kind of marginal tipping points come into play. And while the difference may be small, it does make a difference. There's a reason why shops charge 19.99 rather than 20.00

[Bob's Orange]

I'll be paying 22 quid a match to see Town whatever division we are in.

I never buy a match programme and always have a chippy at my grans before going to the football so never buy any food or drink so basically all I pay for is the match and a couple of pints before hand.

It may be shit football and 'expensive' but it is my shit football team, always has been, always will be.  

[Spy]

I really can't understand the "I'll go if it's £20, but not if it's £22" argument at all. It's less than the price of a burger, programme or 1 prematch drink. It's not a price decision, it's an excuse not to go to a game.

Thats an interesting opinion. Plus what about if they would have sat in the south stand maybe switch to town end to save money...

[Power to people]

Maybe maybe not. I'm surprised at the matchday increase but if people think £22 is too much then doubt they'd attend many games at £20 either to be honest.

What i'm trying to say is that some people will come and some won't regardless of the price.

A lot of it is the psycological barrier as well, i.e. £19.99 is fine but when you get to £20 that is expensive, why do you think so may shops use the .99 option ?

So £20 would be fine but people will see £22 as expensive

[flammableBen]

The thing is that £20 isn't fine. And moving higher isn't fine either.

[Spy]

How can the town end be only £10 cheaper for a whole season when per game at matchday prices its going to be £6 cheaper. Doesn't seem right. 

[juddie]

presumably the early deadline and higher matchday prices are an effort to get people to commit money earlier, which will help keep the club going through the summer, is that the idea? I can understand that, I just think the club are missing a trick making the dedline end of April, when we won't know what division we're in.

Most of us on here will go whatever, but the 'floaters' won't commit to that. Are they hoping we stay up and the floaters pay more by waiting? Seems a dangerous tactic.

If you're contemplating putting it on a credit card, it pays to do the three season option. 750 over 18 months is 42 quid, not much more than one ticket over 10 months.

Food for thought, but I think if I get one I'll be credit carding it (having just paid the bastard thing off) in the DRS - makes no financial sense to get one in the town end when you get a better view for £10 more.

[jayohaitchenn]

I thought the 3 season ticket offer was still over 10 months. Could be wrong. That's the one I'm leaning towards to be honest.