waiting for potential board melt down here

This is chapter one of the sales and marketing handbook stuff - give someone an opportunity to get something for below the standard price and you'll get a lot more interested, even if the normal sale price is an inflated one. An indiscriminate blanket price reduction wouldn't have the same effect.

The council thing is just because it's the town's biggest employer and there's lots of people to target.

 

It won't get anyone interested if they don't work for the council.

Someone who lives in Sheffield or Rotherham who works for Barnsley council could get into Oakwell for £5 less than a born and bred Barnsley fan who works on a production line for minimum wage. Summat not quite right about that...

 

For those moaning about it, would you rather the council offer discounts for Wednesday tickets?

I don't work for BMBC but I think it's brilliant news and well done to all concerned.

Bear in mind that this is just one offer BMBC staff have. They can get high street discount vouchers too. A number of employers do that. Mine included.

BFC ticket offer just one of a few benefits that the council offer their staff and good luck to them.

It's all bums on seats.

 

I'd sooner pay full price, partly because i'm in a well paid job. Just think this will open a can of worms and rightly so.

 

Has this actually been confirmed by the club?

 

Not by the club. Was told by an employee that it was emailed to all council employees.

 

Bfc offer a cheap ticket policy to get extra fans in and still some people whinge. I have a season ticket and am happy to see more home fans down at Oakwell.

 

I know what you're saying but this is just another one of those public sector employee things - I'm aware that NHS and teaching staff can get laptops etc at knockdown prices and pay for them over two years interest free and there will be other things as well.

At BMBC you can get BPL gym membership for about £20, you can get a very low interest loan for a car and there are other limited time offers that come up very often. This BFC thing would just be another thing to fall into that category.

I don't know how true it is for Barnsley but, in general, public sector workers are paid lower than those in the private sector and salaries are fixed to the job title, you can't just ask for a pay rise if you think you deserve one like in the private sector. Salaries are rising by 1% this year which will be the first increase since 2009, and to me that is a bit of a smack in the face considering that they probably won't go up again for a few more years either - MPs getting an 11% rise on a much better basic salary is also a bit of a head-scratcher.

I get paid less at the council now than I did working in the private sector in 2007 - not complaining as it was a conscious decision I made to leave that job but I did think at the time that the salary would have at least gone up at maybe half the rate of inflation.

 

They're not offering a cheap ticket policy though are they?

 

Good idea for more bums on seats! Never moaning are you Troutman?

 

Good, more incentives the better. We struggled to get over 9,000 gates for some games last season.

I would go as far as saying BMBC employ a significant amount of people in the Barnsley region. Yes, many of them will probably be able to afford to go anyway, but its about incentive, they are more likely to go to games if they get a sort of ''personal discount'.

I like the 'kids for a quid' one for the S****horpe game.

I know Huddersfield Town used to do this (for a few league games too) to fill empty seats in the Panasonic Stand. I grew up and went to school in Huddersfield, and most of my mates were 'socialized' into going to Huddersfield Town games through the 'kids for a quid' initiative when they were at school. 10/12 years on and most of them are season ticket holders now, and don't miss many away games either. Can remember a couple of Town players (Andy Booth era) coming into school every year and signing shirts, giving away merchandise etc. Nico Vasen/Rob Edwards etc getting involved in local under 11's clubs like Hepworth United.

No disrespect to Don Rowing, but Ben Mansford (just from listening to his impressive interviews) could prove to be a bit more pro-active in terms of getting people through the gates, and improving links within the community etc. He comes across as very enthusiastic/passionate about changing things for the benefit of the club.

 

Can't see the relevance of pay freezes at the council to be honest. A lot of private sector employers are only awarding slight pay increases - maybe the club could offer them incentives too?

 

God there's some moaning gets on here. Everyone bleating about lack of marketing vision. So we tap in to the biggest employer in the area to encourage more through the door and some are unhappy. As someone said gyms do it, coffee shops do it, hairdressers do it. I'm sure however it doesnt fit some people's anti-public sector workers agenda.

 

It's called an opinion. Last time I checked they were just about allowed on here.

 

Like

 

It's no different to a gym offering corporate membership deals. It's clever marketing to a large local employer.

So long as it is open to other companies that may approach the club in the future looking for similar corporate 'membership' deals for their employees (subject to a minimum number uptake of the deal).

 

It's completely different to a gym offering it. Plenty of gyms to choose. Pretty sure there's only one Barnsley Football Club.

 

Yeah I'd agree offering it to businesses with say, over 300 employees, so that there is likely to be some take-up of it and it is worth the club's time to administer but if you're going to offer it to every business you might as well not bother and just reduce the price to £18 for everyone at which point the offer loses it's effect and that then sets the benchmark for the price.

At least if you're just targeting large organisations, especially like BMBC where a good number of staff are based at a desk and have email, you can email them now and again and say things like "don't forget, as a <insert company name> employee you get £5 off regular prices"

 

There's also plenty of other football clubs. And cinemas. And shops. And art galleries. And museums. And bowling alleys. And lots of other things that vie for people's attention on a Saturday afternoon

 

I don't see the relevance of your point.

The fact is that Barnsley FC are competing with all kinds of diverse leisure industries and attractions for people's money and time these days. Especially on a Saturday afternoon.