I can’t help but think the crack down on FPP has also led to it. Clubs need to increase revenue streams as much as possible, finding the balance will be the tricky bit. I heard that one of the main reasons the PL became the “bestest and most popular” league globally was due to stadiums selling out and atmosphere in grounds coming across well on TV. Price out a lot of people who contribute to that atmosphere and you lose that.
I do agree with the general point you make Tom (however unempatheticly you’ve expressed it over the past few days) As I understand it (correct me if wrong) the extra cheap season tickets were a one off for last season and price comparisons to the previous one would maybe be more relevant here. I think what you are missing here (probably if you’ve not had to ever make this choice) is the emotional side of it for those who are affected in a way they now can’t afford to get a ST. We stopped our STs four years ago after children, we couldn’t afford to do STs and nursery fees. Now that’s a choice we made and knew for months that we were going to our last matches for a while and wouldn’t be renewing. But still the first game the following season it felt very wrong not being there for the first time in 20 years, knowing 32000 others were. Now that was a decision we made ahead of time and with clear reasoning behind. Those who have had that put upon them this week and in the space of a few hours had to realise they can’t go any more have my full sympathy, as going to games becomes both a habit and for some an emotional connection. It really isn’t as simple as just saying “take it on the chin” or “be better at budgeting” for everyone.
TBF it's not a case of ST or no games at all. There are things in the middle. A membership which gives you priority on tickets for example. Obviously there will be people who were relying on the cheap ST's and can no longer afford one and that sucks for them. But I had a membership for years before buying my first ST a few years ago and went to plenty of games a season. It's not the same as a ST but you can pick the games you go to. My main point is that people are angry with the club when they haven't done much wrong. The fans wanted the away fans moved - check. Fans wanted better facilities in and around the ground - check. Fans wanted safe standing - check. The club have been proactive in making these changes more quickly than I think anyone imagined. What the club got wrong was the communication around the price increases. Everyone saw the 10-15% figure and assumed that would apply to them. They should have been clearer about each section. Of course the changes may price some people out and of course I'm sorry for them. But the club has to look at the majority and I think the changes they are making will make St Mary's a better place to watch football. I may have worded my previous posts badly. Price increases are always difficult to stomach and for some it's harder than others.
The communication was and is pathetic, the latest email in response to a lot of complaints mentions moving to the wings. There are only a couple of small wing sections now and I am part of a group of people who sit together, no way could we all get seats together. It then mentions the DD and says it would be under £48. Mine will now be almost £60. As for the standing area, away games moved and facilities most fans I know could not give an f about all that, so no 'most' fans were not calling for that. As for creating a home fan end, the chapel has always been there but never used.
I agree with most of this. The price rises are sharp from the cheaper seats this year (and last?). The club set the wrong expectations by saying 10-15% rise. Whilst we aren’t by any means the most expensive, the 40-50% rise had to be communicated better. FWIW, I think even if we had stayed down the prices would have been the same. Moving the away fans isn’t though to create a home end (as you say we had one of those), but more to not have an away end - the last couple of games have probably shown what having fans on your side can do.
Just because most of the fans you know haven't wanted something, it doesn't mean the majority didn't want it either. At every fan forum I've listened to, fans have been asking the club about moving the away fans and safe standing. They've also sent out fan surveys about this so they would have gone by the answers to that as well.
I don’t care about safe standing as long as I don’t have to do it, therefore I wouldn’t care enough to do a survey. Surveys tend to be biased towards strong views as those are the people who complete them.
Completely agree. The vast, vast majority of fans I know have been calling for what the club have done. They wouldn’t have made the changes otherwise.
Nice one Saints, got in, chose 6 tickets together, won't let me assign them to any of my Friends/Family
Apparently i'm ineligible, but I don't have time to sort it out because i'm on calls from 10-12. Edit: so it finally let me in at 9.50 with only scraps left. Block 47 and 48 being safe standing is a farce, why are we being forced into standing? Club have handled this so poorly, it really undermines all the good will they have generated over the past year for me.
Got timed out for the 6 tickets I had whilst trying to get through on the phone. Now got 6 others but still on phone and got 17 mins until I get timed out again.....
It was an absolute ****ing joke honestly, I am livid larry. If I can't get block 17-20 at 1.30 i'm not renewing. What genius decided that 3 blocks of seats would only be eligible for 2 corner blocks of seating? If we wanted standing we would have gone before. I genuinely think the club have handled this very poorly, what does it matter though, they can always find some replacement customer. Blocks 36 and 2 should have been marked as wing and available to us as well, club has mugged us off there. Notice that noone is touching Blocks 47 and 48.
I finally managed to get 6 together in block 1, had to do it over the phone though as like I said earlier it wouldn't let you select Friends/Family when booking online (to be fair the person in the ticket office that sorted it for me was spot on). Agree that it was a complete nightmare though, lost the first tickets I had as got timed out, then had to delete the second set of tickets so that the ticket office could reserve them for me so that I could then do the payment plan and it took ages for them to appear in my reserved tickets so that I could do that (made sure that I kept them on the phone though until I had completed everything). Good luck to those trying this afternoon. My advice if you want seats together, ring them about 1 o'clock and keep somebody on the line to do it for you
The difference with Wembley was it was a screw up for one (important) game. As long as you were going in the scheme of things it didn't matter. This screw up is for a whole season
