It's obvious some stay away due to price. A few clubs have done the same thing, reduced ticket prices to get bigger attendences (many lower league). I feel if we reduce the prices we would get more people in. But I still feel around 40k would be our limit, due to the how small our fanbase is like others have said.
This is an assertion. I am not convinced that if the ticket prices were reduced by 30%, for example, those "missing" fans would suddenly turn up. That ticket prices are high compared with some other leagues - e.g. Germany - is certainly true. I also think that a mighty price hike would deter some fans. I just don't know how price sensitive the whole thing can be. How much does Joe Mightgoifthepriceswerelower need as a reduction to get him to go to a home match against, say, Watford?
Could also be seen as a disadvantage in terms of they have the biggest club on the entire planet to compete with whilst we have, well no one of note!
Can you quantify TLL? How much reduction and how much of a difference. Does £10 less make you go to19 league games?
I know plenty of people that would go if the tickets were cheaper and some have even said on here tickets are to expensive. Joe public is being priced out of going to watch football and it is pretty sad to see.
I for one would go to game if it was more affordable for me.the only games i am lucky enough too go to are cup games/europe and friendly games
It's hard to quantify an exact number as it's not the sole reason I don't get to as many as I like. Ironically next year is probably the first time I could possibly afford a season ticket in years... but as I work shift work I'm unsure whether it will be worth it... typical eh? This year so far we seem to be at home nearly all weekends I work and away when I'm off... got our next lot of rotas today which run to the middle of February and I'm working every home league game in that time I suppose the best way I can quantify it is by saying the games I've been/am going to: Home: Sparta, Hapoel, Milan & Sunderland (efl cup) - also already paid for Liverpool semi. Away: Arsenal (efl cup) & Milan. Now for this, I'm going to exclude Milan as it was a bit if a anomaly (for multiple reasons) and a special occasion*. Now a quick tally of those 6 games (ticket price only) comes to £98... which is exceptional value for money if you ask me. Whereas I think that amount of money would of only got me 3 PL games at most? Again that's a quick estimate and I'm happy to be corrected if it's wrong but I'm pretty sure PL games for where I sit range from between £33 & £42? So yes I think a tenner reduction would make a big difference (to me personally) and obviously availabilty pending would make me see 5 or so more games year... also that would make a ST what, 100-120 quid cheaper say? So might even be more able to go for that. I just find it hard to justify approx £35-40 for one game when I'm a single Father on a low income not much more than minimum wage. Apologies for really long reply mate and I still may not have answered your question properly but I've given it a bloody good go *Obviously I have to say, and it goes without saying, that had I not gone to Milan I would probably have attended at least 2 league games in Burnley & Chelsea. I chose to go to that for multiple reasons and I don't regret it for a second. I also think for those reasons it's fair to leave it out of the above discussions (though the ticket itself was only £19... plus 7 delivery!!)
Depends on the fan though surely? Just to take 40 as an example (easier maths ) 30% of that is 12 quid... might not be a lot to some people but to those on lower incomes it can be.
Years ago McMenemy pulled off one of the deals of the 80s in Kevin Keegan. If the Dell had had the capacity, 40,000 would have turned up every match. Given that the catchment area (an hours travel say,) is around a million, being the only PL club other than Bournemouth, fans should be flocking to stadium. So maybe we need an imaginative signing. Rooney as he comes to the end of his time at Old Trafford????
Yeah I'm sure millions will rock up to see Rooney when they can just watch him be **** on tv at home. Football has changed so much since the 80s a marquee signing won't do much for raising attendances, and attendances aren't really that important for income anyway.
Another reason why I think lowering the prices would be a good idea. Ticket income means jack **** these days. So lower the price and get a bigger crowd.
Yep, 100% behind you there Beefy. Lower prices = larger crowds = better atmosphere etc. The money 'lost' pales into insignificance against the Sky money. We all have different reasons for being able to afford/not afford a season ticket or match ticket - not always purely income related. I remember 8 or 9 years ago I had to fork out for mine and my daughter's. Now its only mine. I am an old sad bastard so really don't get out much now, so I can justify £750/yr on a ticket. If i was younger with a young family or a late teen etc I could probably afford it but my priorities are different. In my twenties, I had different thing to spend money on than now. I think if the club made the season ticket the average of say £15/game and the game price top whack of say £30, we 'd have maybe another 5-7,000 season ticket holders and every game would be topped up by those who go once in a while. It may not sound fair to those who cant always go, but it's a business and those prices are more than reasonable? Think of the extra money that would be made on match day with 33,000 (or more if we expanded) going every week. EG, if I don't drive, my average spend in the ground is probably £30 on top of my ticket. Now if you get a family of 4 in at cheap season ticket prices, you probably get and extra £50-75 per game for the family - maybe the same as the price of the extra ticket they are not currently selling. Just my mid week drunken thoughts Ps "Just my mid week drunken thoughts" Not retired, or split up for Xmas. Just someone who works from home and has a 10 second commute to work each morning, that doesn't involve driving
Good post. Also it would be a good way to get people into 'the habit' for if/when we do expand... look at Sunderland, averaging 40k+ is unbelievable considering the **** they've served up in recent years and we could only dream of that... AT THE MOMENT. A lot lose that habit once they don't attend for a while, a few on here have said it themselves. Make it available to more people, get them in the routine of going and it's likely they'll stick around. Good PR as well... reckon a lot of similar sized clubs would end up following suit.
As a long distance fan the ticket price is an important factor. A 350 mile round trip costs about £35-£40 + a coffee on the way + lunch so about £50-£60 before I have bought a ticket so needless to say I don't go to many league games but concentrate on Euro's and cup games + the well priced away games that are very often a lot closer than a trip down to SMS. I am a young aged pensioner so I rely on a pension that is half of what I used to earn ( no fiddling mileage either in a company car) so if Saints dropped their ticket prices would I go more often? Probably
Which will drop by 25% should they get relegated. Same would happen to West Ham if they dropped. (the dream for some fans on here)
Some fair points in there TLL, but the biggest pony to me is actually that even if the club reduced their prices, you may not be able to go to many more games. It is hard and sad that when people can't afford to go when they want to, or need to spend their money on other priorities. There is not a lot of point the club reducing them now though as we are what, 97% sold out most games? We currently have the right size stadium if the club want it almost full. If we increased capacity, then that gives more opportunity to reduce prices. You also mentioned he price of tickets where you normally sit. Would you consider sitting elsewhere?
