33 replies to this topic

[RogerT]

What intrigues me after a conversation on thursday behind the stand was, which system would the club(s) prefer, having season ticket holders and having the guaranteed money or all pay at the gate and not knowing what was going to come.

I personally would prefer to get a season ticket and know I have paid already in case I was short of funds on match day.

The next thought is at what point are attendances counted, i.e every one counted or season tickets, vip's sponsors and freebies excluded.

As I said at the start of this, it as intruiged me since thursday.

[Piggy's mate]

I have only ever had a season ticket once, not because of any financial reason or to benefit me or the club, I am just a bit lazy like most people and find it too much trouble to sort one out!

[Blind side johnny]

In general clubs prefer season ticket income as it benefits cash flow in the short-term. It also, to some extent, offers an insurance against a slump in form and a subsequent fall in attendance.

I believe that the attendance posted includes season ticket attendees rather than the gross number of season ticket holders, but I stand to be corrected.

[birstallbill]

Aren't numbers based on the numbers who pass through the turnstiles? Therefore all pay on the day support plus season ticket holders and comp pass holders?

Based on this match sponsors etc wouldn't be included at the mount.

[fredm]

It is of great benefit to the club if you purchase a season ticket. The club has an income prior to the season starting with the money in the bank and can therefore more accurately work out their budget for the season. It enables them to offer appropriate contracts to players and avoids them either having to offer low contracts, which are then beaten by other clubs so the players go elsewhere, or offer contracts based upon informed guesswork as to what the income will be. This is where certain clubs have fallen foul when that income has not matched what was estimated and the contracts/bills still have to be paid.

[Morleydog]

Before the start of the season, we were unsure whether to buy a season ticket or not. Due to holidays, we miss a couple of games and it becomes 50/50 as to the value. However, we decided to buy one anyway and after the start of the season the decision proved to be a good one when we were given discounts at Fev and Leigh (I think), swinging it in our favour.
For this reason, I think all clubs should offer a discount to away season ticket holders. While it may not benefit you on match day (although that is debateable with food / drink etc) it would mean more people buying season tickets as a whole. The value of the season ticket would go up if you were saving £5 or more on every away match.
Generally I think it would raise attendances all round.
Similar thing already happens with the kids season tickets. I would always buy my lad a season ticket because of the away games. Again, the value for home games is 50/50 as its only a couple of quid entrance. However, with some clubs charging £7 for kids, the ticket becomes a bargain. Even more so when they are given away to local sports teams as they were this year.

Edited by Morleydog, 17 July 2012 - 06:21 AM.

[wayneg]

Before the start of the season, we were unsure whether to buy a season ticket or not. Due to holidays, we miss a couple of games and it becomes 50/50 as to the value. However, we decided to buy one anyway and after the start of the season the decision proved to be a good one when we were given discounts at Fev and Leigh (I think), swinging it in our favour.
For this reason, I think all clubs should offer a discount to away season ticket holders.

We were in the same position and didn't buy them(after having them for a few years now) I felt this year they were too expensive for amount of games but we goto Florida for 4 weeks tomorrow plus missed a few games earlier in season. As I said before the season, I believe they could attract many more people by giving added benefits, free parking and 10% discount on food would have swayed me this year, even though I will miss games the benefits then make it worth buying.

Edited by wayneg, 17 July 2012 - 07:39 AM.

[Robin Evans]

There are pros and cons to either. There were some of our BoD from last year who do not like the idea of receiving the bulk of their gate income in one lump at the begining of the season, preferring a regular income/cash flow as the season goes on.
Of course, getting in one lump enables planning and effective budgeting given that you have a lot of your income up front. It enables you to forecast where the shortfalls will be and plan cash generating events around those times.

[Griff]

It is of great benefit to the club if you purchase a season ticket. The club has an income prior to the season starting with the money in the bank and can therefore more accurately work out their budget for the season. It enables them to offer appropriate contracts to players and avoids them either having to offer low contracts, which are then beaten by other clubs so the players go elsewhere, or offer contracts based upon informed guesswork as to what the income will be. This is where certain clubs have fallen foul when that income has not matched what was estimated and the contracts/bills still have to be paid.

I would dispute this, if only on the grounds that contracts are offered to players largely before 30th November, whereas season ticket money generally comes in after that.

As I've said on several occasions, season tickets are an outdated throwback to the subscriptions of the members' club. There are options more suited to 21st century life, such as a book of twelve tickets for the price of ten - use them at any game including cup ties. No time limit. (And if you don't like those terms, make up your own rules.)

[Robin Evans]

griff - ya keep saying! nobody's listening owd cock! well, not yet anyway!!!

[bazbulldog]

I think the attendance figure given should be exactly that,the number of people in attendance at the match less of course complimentaries although
since that would include people who have supported the club through sponsorship maybe even they should be included provided the taxman was made
aware of this so he didn't tax more than he should. The figure at the Mount is actually a little more than stated since as a vice president i go up the steps
at the back of the top stand and just show my pass which isn't counted and presumably this also applies to other vice presidents who access the ground
this way, it doesn't affect the clubs income of course but just makes the attendance look a little lower than it actually is.

[Blind side johnny]

As I've said on several occasions, season tickets are an outdated throwback to the subscriptions of the members' club. There are options more suited to 21st century life, such as a book of twelve tickets for the price of ten - use them at any game including cup ties. No time limit. (And if you don't like those terms, make up your own rules.)

Ooomph! Good point.

Better copy Man Utd and Chelsea in on these posts whilst you're at it - bunch of dinosaurs the lot of 'em.

[Griff]

griff - ya keep saying! nobody's listening owd cock! well, not yet anyway!!!

Yep, said so on just about every forum now.

[Griff]

Ooomph! Good point.

Better copy Man Utd and Chelsea in on these posts whilst you're at it - bunch of dinosaurs the lot of 'em.

Or it might be that they have less trouble getting folk through the gate than us.

It's about selling people what they want to buy instead of what you want to sell.

[jt]

I think that the discount for away supporters should be agreed pre season by each club so if say Batley agree to allow Fev season ticket holders in for £10 we should do the same for them as with any of the clubs that agree this would make the season ticket more appealing to people even if they were to miss a couple of home matches.

I'm also interested on what people would think about letting season ticket holders of other clubs into the Live Thursday matches for free This may boost crowds and they would get income from sales in the ground and make the season ticket worth as much as a supporter wanted it to be worth

[Blind side johnny]

Or it might be that they have less trouble getting folk through the gate than us.

It's about selling people what they want to buy instead of what you want to sell.

So "season tickets are an outdated throwback to the subscriptions of the members' club" was meant to convey what exactly?

[fredm]

As I've said on several occasions, season tickets are an outdated throwback to the subscriptions of the members' club. There are options more suited to 21st century life, such as a book of twelve tickets for the price of ten - use them at any game including cup ties. No time limit. (And if you don't like those terms, make up your own rules.)

Surely that is what season tickets are? You pay £x which is the equivalent of y matches and are entitled to go to y + 2 matches. They cannot be used for cup ties as these are shared gates, so everyone has to pay to generate the income which is then shared between the two clubs.

[Griff]

Surely that is what season tickets are? You pay £x which is the equivalent of y matches and are entitled to go to y + 2 matches. They cannot be used for cup ties as these are shared gates, so everyone has to pay to generate the income which is then shared between the two clubs.

Not the same at all. They wouldn't be linked to y+2 specific matches, they could be used anytime in the future. Which means you could sell them at any time during the season. Personally, I wouldn't care if you used two at the same game and brought a mate - who knows, he might buy tickets in the future. I don't see why you couldn't use them for all pay games - you'd have to come to some agreement with the away club but we already do that for hospitality packages and the like. One of the big contentions in the game at the moment is that season ticket holders stay away from all pay games so this should help. I don't even see why the away team's "flexi" ticket couldn't be used - the clubs just need to talk to each other.

If people want it to work, it'll work. If they don't, they'll invent obstacles. End of the day, do you want bigger crowds or not? It's about time we tried something different.

Edited by Griff, 18 July 2012 - 11:05 AM.

[Griff]

So "season tickets are an outdated throwback to the subscriptions of the members' club" was meant to convey what exactly?

Jeez, BSJ - it's just plain English. Can't make it much easier.

Originally, we had members' clubs. They had members. The members got in for free.

Season tickets have replaced that concept.

[Blind side johnny]

Jeez, BSJ - it's just plain English. Can't make it much easier.

Originally, we had members' clubs. They had members. The members got in for free.

Season tickets have replaced that concept.

OK I'm being pedantic (or should that be semantic?) but it is your use of the emotive word "throwback" that irritates me. I know what you are saying but the implication is that anyone who has a different opinion is living in the dark ages, hence my reference to soccer clubs who seem to make this throwback concept work.

You also ask "Do you want bigger crowds or what?". Simplistic though it may be what clubs want first is a better income stream. Despite the belief of some bigger crowds don't necessarily relate to more income. Despite its dissimilarity to RL the dotcom bubble of the late 90's is an interesting comparator - plenty of people will participate for free but the numbers drop off the cliff when you ask them to pay.

The real secret is fostering identity and the feeling of being valued by the club - a real long-term project and one that i believe Batley succeed in, particularly more than certain other clubs that I could mention.