Swanny in todays Daily Fail calling for reduced ticket pricing from The Allams to create some atmosphere against the backdrop of falling attendances and the club for pushing for a very unlikely (in my view) play off place. Firstly the problems that would potentially cause amongst existing membership holders makes it a non starter. Keep it simple, offer every existing member an additional free ticket to be claimed, that's another c8,000 to be watered and fed. Give all the local schools an opportunity to claim free tickets for everyone, generate some interest for future cultivation All those who come to the next game with one of the above offers get entry to all remaining games this season, £10 adult, fiver a kid and concessions. All existing members who 'introduce' anyone who takes up the offer gets a credit towards next seasons membership scheme No need to phone existing members asking how to improve the home atmosphere etc., just do it and use some initiative!
I've got an even better idea - create a price bracket for those under 21 and over 60 and use it for not just games going forward, but for season tickets too! Sounds like a good one, right?
All of the above + a commitment to scrap the membership scheme and reintroduce concessions for the 2019-20 season. I'd make the 3.5hr drive to Hull for that
Should ticket prices be nationally set? Based around a max price for each division, with defined concessions.
It'd benefit 'the fan' would it not? It'd allow clubs to be as cheap as they wanted or could afford, but not take the piss with massive increases. It'd also define concessions. Why would you oppose it?
A couple of issues with that. Some under 21s working and living at home and over 60s have more disposable income than families with a mortgage and kids. As a 68 year old with my state pension, private pension and no mortgage I have more disposable income than my kids. Better to have low prices for all under 18s, like Brentford. Or graduated, with lowest prices the younger they are. Give a concession for over 65s to cover those with no private pension. They could then, if the dad couldn't afford it, take the grandkids and get the potential supporters of the future hooked. A prime example was when Wolves got promoted it would have cost me to see them play Leeds a total of £33 to sit behind the goal. £15 for me and £5 for two of the grandkids and £8 for the elder one. To see the best run club in the country play them it would have cost me £98. One would be good, reasonably priced day out with the grandkids. The other would put most grandads off.
Because a club with a smaller ground like ours couldn't compete with clubs like Sunderland, Wednesday, Villa, TWS and others if there was a maximum you could charge. They would all charge the maximum and they would get far more in. For the clubs in the PL with massive sponsorships, kit deals and TV money it wouldn't matter. Lower down the leagues it would.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying my off-the-cuff idea is perfect, or even that workable, but it could be seen as a step towards a new fairer deal. Plus, we don’t have the most expensive ticket prices now (nor the highest gates) or ever have in recent times and we outperform or nearly equal those you mention - even though they've charged more or had bigger gates for years. Would its implementation have any real bearing on us in the way you suggest these days (as in, is there any convincing correlation between success and higher ticket prices outside of the PL so far, this century?) I think you do raise a valid concern, but the intransigence of several owners (and the outright greed of others) needs some kind of solution, particularly as in top flight terms, it’s barely an existential concern anymore.
