Season Tickets 2016/2017

[Reg Smeeton]

Not the best comparison though, our one year in the Premier League coincided with my first year at University and I remember prior to that it was decidedly unfashionable to like football as a late teenager, then the world changed, the PL came along and suddenly the world was awash with Man Utd supporters (I can never understand why so many of my generation are Man Utd supporters yet I didn't know any growing up!  )

Now we have the peoples game and all that bollocks and football couldn't be more popular!

What were our season ticket sales and crowds like in the 1980's...... Reginald your are needed.

Historically, and now Im talking my time, namely 50's/60's/70/s 80/s you could get season tickets, but they tended to be the preserve of a more mature fan, who wanted to sit in the somewhat limited seating before the Arkells was built.

Football was cheap, in the 50's/60's entry not much more than the price of a pint. So your average punter just turned up as and when...a habit to which I've usually subscribed, apart from a few seasons.

Once the Arkells was built then you got those more mature fans who wanted the same seat, and to be surrounded by like minded types....

In the 50's early 60's players weren't paid for the summer, so cash flow not a problem.

The 70's/80's saw the drift off of many of the traditional older fans because of trouble...for many it was, "why did we fight and win a war, to create this shit?" Therefore season ticket sales bombed, and crowds generally had a steep decline.

It was Italia 90, that saved English football's bacon, a semi decent WC campaign and a bit of Pavarotti, convinced the Daily Mail reading classes that football was OK again.

[ahounsell]

It was Italia 90, that saved English football's bacon, a semi decent WC campaign and a bit of Pavarotti, convinced the Daily Mail reading classes that football was OK again.

The 1990 WC was key as was the formation of the Premier League but the biggest effect on attendances at our level was the introduction of the playoffs which predates both.

[Reg Smeeton]

The 1990 WC was key as was the formation of the Premier League but the biggest effect on attendances at our level was the introduction of the playoffs which predates both.

It's a fair point overall attendances in the FL rose over every season for 5 seasons to the formation of the Prem in 92/93, from 86/87 the first PO season. However this onlt returned overall FL attendances to the level of around 80 when they started to plummet.

[Ells]

Momentum, feel-good factor, club showing ambition, affordability, value for money, manager's political or religious ideology, the bloke who sits in front of me is a knob, etc - all reasons/excuses for buying a season ticket for the first time or not renewing...

It seems to me like fan mindset has become too complicated. Fine, if the price of a season ticket is too expensive (ie unaffordable or can't get to enough games), then end of story. However, if it is affordable, what is the use in applying criteria to the decision, other than STFC is the team I support and therefore I buy an STFC season ticket?

Football is too unpredictable to let chance (and even morals) criteria dictate your attendance and to let them affect the ultimate purpose of going to watch your team play football (enjoying success and accepting failure or mediocrity).

Power may be a crook syphoning swags of cash out of the club to spend on mountains of Toblerones, or he may be placing the club in a sound financial position that could actually make it more competitive when other clubs have to drastically rein in their spending. I thought Brophy was a waste of space for much of the season, but he is now one of the players I'm most looking forward to seeing next season. I hated Di Canio's fascism but his work ethic was admirable and the on-field success fantastic to witness. I was peeved when Shearer got sold and replaced with Terry Gibson. Jed's crew. I'm sure we can all come up with scores of examples that demonstrate negativity towards the club. But are they really justifiable reasons to not buy a season ticket for another completely unpredictable season?

Great post.

I'm a fairly young supporter but I've still seen everything from threats of the club folding completely to something which looks like genuine progress.. and my desire to go back at the end of the season has been more or less the same every time. Perhaps it is a romanticism that fades over time, or with modern football, or when you have kids etc (although that one I like the least). I don't know. But I look forward to every new season as much as I did the last, give or take.

[dphunt88]

Played cricket against the STFC ticket office manager (Jason) last night and I asked him about season ticket sales... he said:

"Four thousand odd. Only a couple of hundred down on last season's sales"


Now, I've known Jason for a long time and I don't think he'd lie, but I just can't believe that's true. I must have spoken to 500 people (exaggeration!) who aren't renewing in the last 2-3 months!

[pauld]

Played cricket against the STFC ticket office manager (Jason) last night and I asked him about season ticket sales... he said:

"Four thousand odd. Only a couple of hundred down on last season's sales"


Now, I've known Jason for a long time and I don't think he'd lie, but I just can't believe that's true. I must have spoken to 500 people (exaggeration!) who aren't renewing in the last 2-3 months!

Which just goes to show the inherent biases in people's perceptions as against the actual facts. Same as all those people who "don't know anyone" who's voting to stay in/leave the EU. They do, they're just only registering the ones that agree with their preconceptions. It's called confirmation bias. It's why things like GL5Red's affirmation that crowds are going to plummet because "everyone" he spoke to on the train from Stroud hated Power is unreliable evidence as to the actual mood of a much larger fanbase (although if his dire predictions are correct, the fanbase will soon erode to such an extent that we will soon all be able to fit in one train carriage!)

[MichaelPook]

Be nice if the club could be transparent and actually let people know exactly how sales are going - have a sales drive for season tickets? The club needs to be more proactive. I for one feel priced out for yet another season.

[Sippo]

How long has the season been finished?! FFS.

What will it prove?!

[horlock07]

Which just goes to show the inherent biases in people's perceptions as against the actual facts. Same as all those people who "don't know anyone" who's voting to stay in/leave the EU. They do, they're just only registering the ones that agree with their preconceptions. It's called confirmation bias. It's why things like GL5Red's affirmation that crowds are going to plummet because "everyone" he spoke to on the train from Stroud hated Power is unreliable evidence as to the actual mood of a much larger fanbase (although if his dire predictions are correct, the fanbase will soon erode to such an extent that we will soon all be able to fit in one train carriage!)

You always have to remember for everyone who maybe isn't going to renew there could be 1 or 2 that are deciding to take the plunge and take a season ticket for the first time, as match days get more expensive and people get more financially savvy the ST makes more sense.

That said I don't know how the club are ever going to recover from the loss of the Stroud Massive?

[DarloSTFC84]

I have to say, if I lived in closer prixomity to the County Ground, I would have a Season Ticket (again).

I used to go in between night shifts, but with a 150 mile-round-trip I just wouldn't get back in time for work, plus there are weekends where I have my boy for sleepovers and weekends where I'm on day shifts too. If I wanted to go to every home game, I'd have to sacrifice a huge chunk of my annual leave which I wouldn't want to do.

Like I've said in previous posts, the running of the club doesn't really bother me too much, I just go to watch the football.

Still, I expect I'll go to at least 4-5 games next season.

[Don Rogers Sock]

Be nice if the club could be transparent and actually let people know exactly how sales are going - have a sales drive for season tickets? The club needs to be more proactive. I for one feel priced out for yet another season.

Genuine question. Have you asked anyone at the club directly how many season tickets have been sold

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

If I like the look of the recruitment policy this summer I'll get a ST for the first time in many years.

If I don't I'll just go on a match by match basis.

[horlock07]

If I like the look of the recruitment policy this summer I'll get a ST for the first time in many years.

If I don't I'll just go on a match by match basis.

How many matches roughly do you need to attend before it gets more expensive that a ST?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

About 15 I reckon

[Christy]

Which just goes to show the inherent biases in people's perceptions as against the actual facts. Same as all those people who "don't know anyone" who's voting to stay in/leave the EU. They do, they're just only registering the ones that agree with their preconceptions. It's called confirmation bias. It's why things like GL5Red's affirmation that crowds are going to plummet because "everyone" he spoke to on the train from Stroud hated Power is unreliable evidence as to the actual mood of a much larger fanbase (although if his dire predictions are correct, the fanbase will soon erode to such an extent that we will soon all be able to fit in one train carriage!)

Indeed.  Having not yet renewed myself (largely due to there being no benefit of booking a Family ticket early), from the readings I'd thought I'd have the pick of the centre section of the DRS. 

Encouragingly, not so - have a look at online ticket sales and whilst fewer than last year, it's certainly a lot less dramatic than I expected.