It won't be a popular observation, but they are over-incentivising one type of customer at the expense of another who they are completely alienating. There's a huge disparity between £13.70 per game season passes and £28 or £36 match tickets and this membership thing doesn't come near to addressing it. It needs to be recognised there's a sizeable chunk of support for whom a season pass just isn't appropriate. Those whose work, travel, health or family commitments limits them to 6, 8 or 10 games per season. Make a flexi-ticket available as a proper ticket option all season for those people and give them a deal which works out at £20 to £22 per game. Our supporters aren't supposed to be the target for this tit for tat pricing. At the moment it seems we are collateral damage that they don't mind sacrificing.
I haven't a clue at this stage. It depends on work, rearranged fixtures etc. Between 6 and 9 usually.
Exactly. What about those who have zero intention of getting a season ticket that just don’t like football that much (yet). My friends or my mam for example. They may have considered going to a couple of games with me but there’s not a chance at £38 pay on day/£36 in advance. And I mean literally not a chance. You’re never going to attract new people like that. Also, I now can’t ask my dad to come to Oakwell for the Leeds match with me, despite him being a season ticket holder with them for many years, when it’s £36. I’d possibly consider buying one for him but he would insist on paying at that price as he wouldn’t let me pay that much for him (and I don’t really have it to spare either). He does like football enough for a season ticket but works shifts some Saturdays and Tuesdays so a ST wouldn’t be worth it. Plus it’s still more than he’d pay anyway. To the people saying it’s only £40 a month - £40 a month is a lot. (I’m not saying they should be cheaper, just that the argument back to those who find £36 unaffordable being to spend £40 a month instead is just daft and completely misses the point).
Only category A games at that price. Plenty of games for your friends to go that is a bit cheaper, the vast majority in fact. RE Leeds, how much would it cost in the opposite fixture then?
Whilst that’s true, it’s the big games that draws the casuals interest but then the price that puts them off again. I’ve been in the situation where my mates wanted to come to a match with me, asked how much it was and looked at me like I had 2 heads when I answered. I felt very uncomfortable like it was me who had set the price. The Leeds away match will cost the same so we won’t go to that either. It’s a shame because it used to be our thing going to the Leeds home and away matches together whilst I was at uni.
if you buy a ticket a couple of days before a match it's 2/3 pounds cheaper than if you buy on the day -- why?
If it’s the price that’s stopping you then fair enough but although I’m not condoning it but it’s less than once a year (home) and if you make a big thing of it by incorporating other activities eg a drinking night , pictures , bowling etc as well so it’s a lasses day out as well as footy . Memories are very important and a childhood friend of mine used to come up from darn sarf for these matches and we used to have a good weekend together , sadly he’s passed away now almost 7years ago at 55 unexpected but I have the memories of some great times watching the reds . Money’s not everything but don’t let it rob you of memories ,you can still lodge your complaints especially on here as I think club reads this board and takes note imo.
Thanks Marlon. The Leeds match thing is with my dad but it’s the only thing we do that’s just us. I was hoping it would be near his birthday or Xmas so I could give the ticket as a present. It makes it £72 for me as I’d then have to buy mine too (away) but it was a nice tradition we had. As a one off I could but the principle of it bothers me too.
I know I'm repeating myself here but for eight years til 2017 I never knew if I'd be finished work in time to get to the game so couldn't book in advance. Then had a two hour dash over the Pennines and get charged top whack for invariably one of the worst seats in the stadium. Absolutely no way to encourage casual supporters.
Allows the club to know in advance the likely attendance on the day - for stewarding, staff and food/drink stock etc. Also means they can charge away fans the full price on the day too, whilst offering discount to home fans prior I believe (you can’t charge away fans more than the home fans sitting directly opposite in a similar seating/viewing arrangement).
Sorry, although I take your point, exactly how many Cat A games do you think we’re going to have? Not many have been in the past, and have usually been used when the away team haven’t reciprocated lower costs to us. I can only see Leeds & Weds as deffos. Maybe Hudds too, but that depends on how well they are doing. WBA probably won’t be, and Fulham won’t bring that many fans. Sometimes the club can’t win no matter what they do. But generally, I think they’ve done a good job on tickets.