[Archived] Season Tickets and Stand Closures

[tomphil]

I think you're spot on there !

I think his motto must be ' Think small ' he'd never have got a job with Jack.

Aye. What was Jacks motto 'think big then double it' or something like that ? Now it's more like take something small then halve it

[pk1875]

If they put away fans in JW lower (Darwen End) could they then charge away fans the dearer prices that the JW stand has?

[tomphil]

If they put away fans in JW lower (Darwen End) could they then charge away fans the dearer prices that the JW stand has?

Just like Leeds do, infact loads of clubs do it now so we might as well. I'd stick em in the upper end sections though. It'd breathe some new like into the JW that's for sure ha ha!

[Al]

Why in God's name close sections of the ground? It saves bugger all, upsets the fans who have sat there for years, encourages more to stay away and most of all is an admition of defeat.

Just like Leeds do, infact loads of clubs do it now so we might as well. I'd stick em in the upper end sections though. It'd breathe some new like into the JW that's for sure ha ha!

Apart from the typo, if you are not good enough for the Jack Walker Upper keep your mouth shut.

[West Yorks Rover]

Why in God's name close sections of the ground? It saves bugger all, upsets the fans who have sat there for years, encourages more to stay away and most of all is an admition of defeat.

Apart from the typo, if you are not good enough for the Jack Walker Upper keep your mouth shut.

Correct any savings would be peanuts, therefore a 'drop in the ocean'

Although I do like the idea of putting fans from clubs who overcharge away fans, in a more expensive area.

[Paul]

Sorry, Paul. I'm not with you on this one. In normal economic terms, we are quality takers. Buy something, get something. Walk away. End of connection. As organisational members, effectively, we are also quality makers. We add quality to the product. The more, the better; the more passion we add, the better etc. we hang around. We are part of the product.

The Germans get this. Their model isn't driven by cheap prices so much but by making sure the fans feel part of the club. Because at the end of the day they are the club. This is why their attendances are so high. At all costs, make sure the fans stick around.

We also don't need to give tickets away as an investment in the fanbase of the future. We need people in the ground now. As many as possible. If the fans are happy, they'll spend when they are in there.

I also don't follow Glen's logic of 'I'd be prepared to pay whatever'. Sorry, mate. I can't.

Claire's idea is spot on. Fans could run parts of match days better than the club. And why shouldn't they. We are fans and know what other fans want. Look at what Luton are doing, for instance. They invite selected fans into the post-match on-pitch huddle. How much does that cost? Nowt. And the fans feel involved.

My concern is the micromanagement of the club from thousands of miles away by unimaginative bosses.

Come on, Venky's. Get the fans engaged. Give us a voice. If you'd been at Hillsborough on Saturday for once you might have heard it.

I agree with the general points you make and fully accept football can't always be viewed simply as a product - basically this is how clubs have got away with charging extortionate prices for so long. Loyal fans will continue to pay the price for as long as they can afford to when back in the real world they would have made a choice to buy an alternative product elsewhere. Football, the PL in particular, relies on that loyalty to keep filling the ground and by filling the ground the atmosphere improves and therefore the product quality improves. We all though have a point at which we have to stop paying as you said in response to Glen's "I'd be prepared to pay whatever" - I bet he wouldn't it's just different people have different cut off points. I know there is a point - probably around £600 - when I would say No.

My feeling though is if the ST is too cheap it loses it's value. Now to be clear it's the ST that loses value, not the club or the entertainment. I have two STs for myself and my son. At £80 I'd buy at least one, perhaps two, extra so when my other lads are home for the weekend /Christmas etc they can come. I always get their match tickets which works out at more than £80 over a season. Consequently those STs have no value, I'd buy them, get used 2-3 times and then stay in the draw for more than 95% of matches.

I imagine many people would have a similar reaction, if an ST is very low cost it would be something to just have hanging around for occassional use. That doesn't bring supporters into the ground, which I agree we need, on a regular basis and so has no real value to the club or its fans.

Making fans feel a part of the club again is very important but to me this is more than just the influence of the Raos. I may be accused of splitting hairs but I see the club as two parts, "the club" and the team. I still feel a very strong, as strong as ever, connection with Blackburn Rovers - it is my club and that cannot be taken away. But over the last 12-15 years I have felt increasingly disconnected from the team and would argue this is a football wide problem and not specific to Rovers. Of our current crop I feel a connection with Dunn and Robinson, the rest are simply players. Now this is a huge change which I think results from the huge amounts of money and massive influx of foreign players into our game. I may be a dreamer but I'd like to feel the players want to play for Rovers, do I get that feeling? No.

It would take a lot more than a post-match huddle to make me feel a closer connection with our players. Footballers attitudes need to change but I might as well push water up hill on that one. The game changed and left a lot of people behind, that's a football wide problem and one which I think will become increasingly apparent as the current audience gets older and stops going. Looking around most crowds suggests to me the demographic is significantly changed and much older - there doesn't appear to be a new audience coming through.

[tomphil]

Why in God's name close sections of the ground? It saves bugger all, upsets the fans who have sat there for years, encourages more to stay away and most of all is an admition of defeat.

Apart from the typo, if you are not good enough for the Jack Walker Upper keep your mouth shut.

I agree on the admition of defeat bit to be fair. On the JW Upper bit just what criteria do I have to fulfil to be good enough ? I'd suggest you keep your trap shut making statements like that, in real life someone may shut it for you !

[Al]

I agree on the admition of defeat bit to be fair. On the JW Upper bit just what criteria do I have to fulfil to be good enough ? I'd suggest you keep your trap shut making statements like that, in real life someone may shut it for you !

Sweet. If you can't take it don't hand it out.

[tomphil]

Sweet. If you can't take it don't hand it out.

Not my fault you can't take it in the light hearted way it was meant. Get back to cyber bullying young Chaddy, more your style I think

[T.J.Newton]

I think putting away fans in the wide sections of the jw is the best idea ive heard on here, then close the blackburn end upper and open the whole of darwen end lower to home fans

[Al]

Not my fault you can't take it in the light hearted way it was meant. Get back to cyber bullying young Chaddy, more your style I think

As was my reply, although reading it back maybe it could be taken the wrong way.

By the way Chaddy is 29 years old and perfectly capable of looking after himself,(and irritating people on purpose IMO).

[Lancs Rover]

I agree with the general points you make and fully accept football can't always be viewed simply as a product - basically this is how clubs have got away with charging extortionate prices for so long. Loyal fans will continue to pay the price for as long as they can afford to when back in the real world they would have made a choice to buy an alternative product elsewhere. Football, the PL in particular, relies on that loyalty to keep filling the ground and by filling the ground the atmosphere improves and therefore the product quality improves. We all though have a point at which we have to stop paying as you said in response to Glen's "I'd be prepared to pay whatever" - I bet he wouldn't it's just different people have different cut off points. I know there is a point - probably around £600 - when I would say No.

My feeling though is if the ST is too cheap it loses it's value. Now to be clear it's the ST that loses value, not the club or the entertainment. I have two STs for myself and my son. At £80 I'd buy at least one, perhaps two, extra so when my other lads are home for the weekend /Christmas etc they can come. I always get their match tickets which works out at more than £80 over a season. Consequently those STs have no value, I'd buy them, get used 2-3 times and then stay in the draw for more than 95% of matches.

I imagine many people would have a similar reaction, if an ST is very low cost it would be something to just have hanging around for occassional use. That doesn't bring supporters into the ground, which I agree we need, on a regular basis and so has no real value to the club or its fans.

Making fans feel a part of the club again is very important but to me this is more than just the influence of the Raos. I may be accused of splitting hairs but I see the club as two parts, "the club" and the team. I still feel a very strong, as strong as ever, connection with Blackburn Rovers - it is my club and that cannot be taken away. But over the last 12-15 years I have felt increasingly disconnected from the team and would argue this is a football wide problem and not specific to Rovers. Of our current crop I feel a connection with Dunn and Robinson, the rest are simply players. Now this is a huge change which I think results from the huge amounts of money and massive influx of foreign players into our game. I may be a dreamer but I'd like to feel the players want to play for Rovers, do I get that feeling? No.

It would take a lot more than a post-match huddle to make me feel a closer connection with our players. Footballers attitudes need to change but I might as well push water up hill on that one. The game changed and left a lot of people behind, that's a football wide problem and one which I think will become increasingly apparent as the current audience gets older and stops going. Looking around most crowds suggests to me the demographic is significantly changed and much older - there doesn't appear to be a new audience coming through.

Good points, Paul.

Or as former girlfriend of mine used to say, 'Dreams are free.'

Hmm. Wonder what she's doing now...

[T.J.Newton]

i think its safe to say the that the JW centre sections(upper and lower) would never be in contention for closure.

p.s

speaking of changes at ewood, large rovers 'arte et labor' signs are being fitted to all the street lights on Bolton around ewood as we speak.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

A democratic vote! I don't want to leave the BE upper, stop putting me elsewhere! If the dark lords read this, they will shut most of the stadium!

i think its safe to say the that the JW centre sections(upper and lower) would never be in contention for closure.

p.s

speaking of changes at ewood, large rovers 'arte et labor' signs are being fitted to all the street lights on Bolton around ewood as we speak.

It's to teach the Queen Latin apparently

[T.J.Newton]

They couldnt eve design the signs well

"arte et lab

ore"

[adsfortheblues]

"Why do supporters choose one team over another? Cost is certainly not the argument in the football business for fans, whereas fun, excitement, skillful players, regional embeddedness might be good reasons for supporting a team" - this is a quote I read some time ago, i beleive it to be partially true, but do believe prices have an effect.

On a side note, anyone have the full list of season ticket prices this season?

And does anyone have any idea of the ratio in terms of attendance, i.e. youths, adults, senior citizens?

[den]

i think its safe to say the that the JW centre sections(upper and lower) would never be in contention for closure.

p.s

speaking of changes at ewood, large rovers 'arte et labor' signs are being fitted to all the street lights on Bolton around ewood as we speak.

Hope they have permission.

[ABBEY]

Why in Bolton ?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I hear the Rao's are at Blackburn Cathedral right now....perhaps they can be bothered to address the fans as to what direction they intend to take our club after all the nose rubbing.

Dining with the Queen at Ewood eh....they'll be the talk of India for the day!

[tomphil]

I hear the Rao's are at Blackburn Cathedral right now....perhaps they can be bothered to address the fans as to what direction they intend to take our club.

Dining with the Queen at Ewood eh....they'll be the talk of India!

That's what they are in it for, imagine the coverage back home. f###### ######rs

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Exactly tomphil,it's nauseous.

[only2garners]

And does anyone have any idea of the ratio in terms of attendance, i.e. youths, adults, senior citizens?

This doesn't really answer your specific points but this was what the club told us about ST sales for this season at last September's Fans Forum meeting: -

5. Season Ticket Sales 2013/14

GC presented some statistical analysis of sales of 2013/14 season tickets, which had been taken off sale the previous week.

The club had sold about 10,500 season tickets, up from 9,700 the previous season.

Although a significant proportion of tickets had been bought online, about half were sold over the phone through the call centre. Despite press reports of problems 20% of tickets had been bought on the direct debit scheme.

The geographical spread of sales was as expected heavily concentrated in East Lancashire, although there were season ticket holders as far afield as Aberdeen and the west coast of Ireland.

19% of sales were to women, a figure which had been static over the last four seasons. There was a feeling that this was quite low and the club would make comparisons with other clubs.

Around 19% of sales were new sales i.e. not renewals. Of these 58% had not held a season ticket in the last three years. A further 30% of the new sales were those who had held a ticket in the Premier League but not last season.

[ABBEY]

That's what they are in it for, imagine the coverage back home. f###### ######rs

Disgusting scum .. True colours shown .. Welcoming them tommorow

[tomphil]

Disgusting scum .. True colours shown .. Welcoming them tommorow

It's been said they ain't even staying for the game tomorrow, not sure if true but if that's the case then even their most diehard lovers on here might finally wise up. They don't give a flying fig about OUR club.

[yoda]

The comms guy has task on his hands!