I'm not sure we could even achieve 30,000 on a regular basis. Our support has been shown to be pretty **** this last year or two. Talk of stadium expansion is daft, really.
I suspect the reason for so many empty seats against Villa was that it was an evening game and kids had school next day.
Badly worded by me. He implies that there would be savings to pass on, but only cos he knows there's no chance of it happening and he won't be held to account.
We do get **** support, but that's because of the lack of ambition and effort to be a big club. We're still content with 22, 000.
None. It was a hypothetical. However, it is probably the argument that Allam is using to suggest that a higher capacity would lead to cheaper ticket prices. If the current capacity was 40,000 I reckon current circumstances would see us with crowds of around 25,000 including around 18,000 season tickets. Result? Allam would probably try and make family season tickets cheaper (or children's season tickets with accompanying adult) and would probably get a few thousand more in. Next he'd probably knock £5-10 off the typical ticket price and he will probably get attendance up to mid 30s. I realise it's not that simple but he doesn't have to get it right overnight. He'd tweak it based on the demand side.
You could be right Ric,and i'll admit that did cross my mind, but given Allams track record, i'll stick with my own instincts. He's telling us the stadium needs to be expanded,if entry fees are to be lowered. Someone would have to foot that bill,yes ? It's a very simple,and obvious question, that we can only nod our heads in agreement to.Yes ?
I can't work why we don't adapt a 'Dynamic ticket system' like Derby. This is a article from October 2012. Price of Football: What is dynamic ticket pricing? By Tom RostanceBBC Sport Dynamic pricing. This is how we have paid for train tickets, hotel rooms, flights and theatre tickets for years. Pay on the day and you know you will have to pay more. Football could be next. If you head down to Cardiff, Derby or Bristol City this season there's a good chance you will be sat next to someone who has paid a fraction of the cost of your ticket. please log in to view this image Read comprehensive division-by-division tables here to find out what it costs to follow your team The three Championship teams are the first in Britain to bring in the system, which has been pioneered in American sports and sees prices change daily based on demand. If it proves a success, more clubs could follow. Dynamic pricing involves charging for games according to the perceived attractiveness of the match. Tickets are always slightly more expensive than the price the season ticket holder is judged to have paid for that fixture. Prices start as low as £10 for some matches, but the nearer you get to matchday, the more likely it is that the price will rise. There is in effect no maximum price. If there are only a handful of tickets left on matchday then the cost could increase considerably. The aim is to increase attendances while allowing the clubs to capitalise when there is great demand. But clubs believe the system allows supporters to bag a bargain - if they get in early. How a £300 season ticket is priced at Derby Three games at £18 Seven games at £15 Eight games at £13.25 Five games at £7 "People in this economy are looking for value for money and we are providing it," says John Vicars, vice-president of operations at Derby. "We are trying to be inclusive and make it affordable - but if you roll up at five to three on a Saturday afternoon then just accept the fact that you'll be paying more than the guy who bought his tickets six weeks ago." Crucially, the whole system works by changing the mindset of season ticket holders - loyal supporters who always pay less than anyone else and who traditionally feel aggrieved if a club slashes prices for 'casual' fans. Julian Jenkins, director of international marketing and special projects at Cardiff, explains. He told BBC Sport: "We have to educate the season ticket holder that no longer are they paying the same price for every game. "If someone buys a season ticket which costs £329, they will divide that in their head by 23 games and say that they pay £14.30 a game. "What they won't say is that the Bolton game may cost them £20, and the Barnsley game on a Tuesday night may be £8 to them. If they accept that variety, that allows us to discount the Barnsley game down to £10 for other ticket holders." View from the States Baseball team the San Francisco Giants were the first sports team to use dynamic pricing. Head of ticket sales and services Russ Stanleyexplains why: "For 20 games a year we are now able to advertise an $8 ticket. That's less than it costs to go and see a movie. That's a powerful message. "You want to sell as many tickets as possible. The atmosphere inside the stadium is so much better when it is full. If you are not pricing your product properly, you will not sell out." The Giants are on a run of 165 sell-outs in a row and have increased revenue by 7% since moving to dynamic pricing. Crucially, individual tickets do not go on sale for less than the dynamic price a season ticket holder has paid. Once the 'base price' has been established - slightly above what season ticket holders are charged - software then tracks demand and suggests daily price changes. Jenkins says the system has already proved a hit at Cardiff. He said: "We are seeing a very full stadium every game so far. "There is still work to be done in terms of educating our supporters that the earlier they buy the less they pay, but what we are trying to do is make it affordable for everyone." As a whole, attendances in the Championship were slightly up on average last year, with Derby averaging 26,020 last season. That was the third-highest behind promoted Southampton and West Ham, but still meant that on average Pride Park had nearly 7,000 empty seats at every game. Derby decided to move into dynamic pricing after a trial on the website Groupon saw them sell 3,000 of those tickets - priced at £20 for two adults - in just 12 hours. Three quarters of the purchasers were either brand new customers or fans who had not attended for at least two years. Football League statement "The Football League has regulations in places to ensure that fans in similar areas of the stadium are paying the same price regardless of whether they are supporting the home or away team. Clubs are required to submit their ticket prices to the Football League at the beginning of each season. Derby County have been given permission to trial dynamic ticket pricing in specific areas of their stadium. This does not include the away supporter section or the equivalent area for home supporters where set ticket prices apply." Vicars said: "We formed our opinion that there was a price point which would enable us to entice new supporters to the club and win back fans who had for whatever reason stopped attending. "People have told us that they can't afford £25-30 for a ticket. Those are the facts. We could have buried our heads in the sand and continued to charge those prices, or you can try to make it more affordable. "Having a full stadium can only help the team, and having a load of empty seats in the stadium doesn't do the league any favours when you see the pictures on TV." Bristol City are the third club to bring in the system this season, though not for all games. Commercial director Kevin Smith has also seen the benefits. He said: "The more affordable it is for fans, hopefully the more they will arrive to get behind the team." The message is clear: Buy early, buy cheap. Dynamic pricing could be coming to your club soon.
Refreshing to read Castros balanced and well thought out comments and good responses for and against.This kind of forum would draw back many disillusioned members fed up with CTWD "or else" brigade
As has been pointed out, 16 quid tickets don't sell out so why some people think an overall reduction would affect our gates is baffling. Anyone who thinks Derby will keep those prices if they get promoted are bonkers too. Castro, thanks for the balanced and sensible posts on this from you.
About 6,000 from Middlesbrough, that small town at the edge of Yorkshire, at Arsenal. How many did we take? And they are all stood up.
Not really comparable is it? We took 8,000 to Villa and Liverpool in the 90's wile only average about 6,000. They had a rubbish 5 years and got a glamour cup draw. We've played Arsenal 5 times in the last 18 months.
The Pittsburgh Penguins used to do a program where all unsold tickets went down to $5 in price after the first period was over. One could do something like that to help fill the stands.
Castro's completely right on this. The demand is evidently there, so why reduce the prices? Granted, from a supporter's point of view it would be brilliant but stupid from a business point of view. Assem always said he'd run it like a business and he is
20p to watch us concede in the last 5 mins? The problem would be getting past the thousands trying to get out!
It didnt work that way from what I understand from people who are from Pittsburgh. There are only 3 periods in hockey so anyone who did that missed 1/3 of the game.
We didn't take 8,000. More like 6-6,500. All the Villa and Liverpool crowds showed, same with Newcastle, that we had a lot of people who would spend money for glamour games or because their kids wanted to go see the big PL stars. But wouldn't spend money for everyday bread and butter games. A bit like now. Any other clubs accusing us of having gloryhunterscwould have been right. Although the small time mentality didn't help the HDM with its Thrilla at the Villa crap talking about excitedwide-eyed Young fans setting off on a once in a lifetime trip was cringe-making. The fact that a place with a smaller population can take15 times more fans a further distance is rather embarrassing.
The 75-year-old Egyptian-born businessman, who says he is 'not a football fan but a community fan', ... If he's such a community fan & the recue / takeover was the fabled 'gift; why not reduce prices for juniors / families as an investment for the future? If our crowds in the SicKY Premier league only count for 7-9% of revenue with the old deal, surely with the new one were even more irrelevant / a smaller % of overall earnings Really he can do it if 'he wants' - community man with 'gifts for the good local people' (it won't even help people like me who were moved last season & >>> ticket £ increase & voted NO) Capacity increase ... more smoke & subterfuge
Thanks for that, it certainly puts his remarks into context. As I said in my earlier post, he gave answers to questions that were asked of him. Beyond the obvious elephant in the room, I thought he gave quite honest and straightforward answers. I think his general principles in working towards ticket reduction are spot on, but the bloody elephant gets in the way of stadium development. I dislike the guy intensely, mainly due to the protracted name-change nonsense and his constant denigration of the clubs support. When he speaks sensibly it should be accepted in a sensible manner, but that should not prevent attacking the essence of his immoral and despicable campaign against the club, it's support and the city in general; his dishonesty should be focussed on and loudly denounced. He should also consider not doing interviews and leave them to one of his dark cohorts.
