[Archived] Season Tickets and Stand Closures

[Stuart]

Do you think Bowyer's football, even if we win 1-0 every match, will draw crowds? Did Turf Moor sell out this season? Ever?

What JW also believed in was good managers and good players - and paid wages accordingly. But JW's philosophy doesn't hold any more because part of the deal was PL opposition. Not just playing them but competing with them.

Those days are gone. We need promotion on the cheap. It might only be £80 x 15k + £0 x 15k = £1.2m but it's not a massive loss compared the next season's likely (£300 x 5k + £100 x 3k) £1.8m (admittedly by 8k is more pessimistic). There would also need to be a deal that if we have to shift out for it to apply, even 17k adults say.

Low ticket prices would generate some controversy, which would help sell them. FSF would be pleased - until we confirm it's £40 per match for away fans.

Unfortunately for you, Paul, I would also introduce a "non-use tax", an additional £10 per game for each match that your ticket isn't used. So no buying up 'spares' for the non-and-again types and leaving rakes of seats empty. Remember this exercise isn't about the money.

Fill the ground first, then entertain them or involve them as best you can. Because trying to fill a ground by entertaining them first without a further incentive doesn't really work in the Championship. Especially with a manager whose levels of caution at home rival a man with two burglar alarms.

I also think you under-estimate just how tight cash is around these parts. Cheaper will mean more attendees.

[gumboots]

Bit unfair to tax those who buy sts and don't attend Stuart. Suppose you buy one in good faith expecting to use it every game and then circumstances, work, illness etc prevent you from doing so. I've missed quite a few matches this season for one unavoidable reason and another, the next being the Wigan match when my daughter is getting married. It's the only weekend they can fit the wedding in because once the summer sports kick in she will be working nonstop, so were all missing the match. This is not buying tickets for the now and again attendance, this is buying and going whenever you can and it would alienate people further if you taxed them for no attendance.

[Stuart]

Bit unfair to tax those who buy sts and don't attend Stuart. Suppose you buy one in good faith expecting to use it every game and then circumstances, work, illness etc prevent you from doing so. I've missed quite a few matches this season for one unavoidable reason and another, the next being the Wigan match when my daughter is getting married. It's the only weekend they can fit the wedding in because once the summer sports kick in she will be working nonstop, so were all missing the match. This is not buying tickets for the now and again attendance, this is buying and going whenever you can and it would alienate people further if you taxed them for no attendance.

I don't think it's unfair at all. £80 / 23 games = £3.47 per match. For an adult ticket.

If you can't attend give your season ticket to a friend or family member who can or it goes up to £13.47 per match. Say you miss 5 games over a season then that's £130 for your season ticket. Still unbelievable value. Or you could pass the ticket on and avoid the levy.

This is about getting bums in seats in order to fill the ground. That would be the only justification for such a stupid offer. Definitely fair to 'penalise' those who don't use their ticket and puts people off buying a few for when their family chose to attend.

All or nothing I'm afraid.

[Tom]

John Williams and Tom Finn used to talk about the dangers of devaluing the product and I think they are spot on

[AndyNeil]

I don't think it's unfair at all. £80 / 23 games = £3.47 per match. For an adult ticket.

If you can't attend give your season ticket to a friend or family member who can or it goes up to £13.47 per match. Say you miss 5 games over a season then that's £130 for your season ticket. Still unbelievable value. Or you could pass the ticket on and avoid the levy.

This is about getting bums in seats in order to fill the ground. That would be the only justification for such a stupid offer. Definitely fair to 'penalise' those who don't use their ticket and puts people off buying a few for when their family chose to attend.

All or nothing I'm afraid.

I see the point that you are trying to make Stuart, but you can just imagine the headlines - BLACKBURN ROVERS CHARGE FANS FOR NOT ATTENDING

Maybe a different spin on it could be, that if your ST is used for every home league match, you got a small discount on the your ST for the following season? Saying that, I think this section of the thread is null and void as price is not the issue for 99% of supporters who no longer don't attend.

[tomphil]

Apart from the hardcore most of who will turn up regardless then to the wider fanbase it's all about belief as well as the entertainment on offer. Hardly anyone anywhere has a belief in the owners or the people running the club. A few have belief in GB and the team but not many. The faith in the club has to be at the lowest around the town since well before the Walker years. That's a huge problem, it would almost be impossible to give some away under the current apathy towards the set up at Ewood.

[Stuart]

I see the point that you are trying to make Stuart, but you can just imagine the headlines - BLACKBURN ROVERS CHARGE FANS FOR NOT ATTENDING

Maybe a different spin on it could be, that if your ST is used for every home league match, you got a small discount on the your ST for the following season? Saying that, I think this section of the thread is null and void as price is not the issue for 99% of supporters who no longer don't attend.

If the papers were reporting that Rovers were charging fans for non-use of purchased tickets and IGNORING the £80 season ticket, I think that would be pretty foolish.

Plus to clarify, you may be right about 99% of EXISTING supporters who no longer attend but does that mean we shouldn't try to attract new / non-Venkys hating supporters?

People harking back to how JW used to deal with it are not factoring in that he was able to draw on the lure of PL football in his calculations.

Any suggestions as to how we might fill the ground? Or should we just not bother? I guess there are some who PREFER smaller crowds, and who will pay 'whatever it costs' because it boosts their superfan status. (Not aimed at you, Andy). But the fact is that some of the people who used to attend Ewood Park on a match day no longer do because they don't think that PL prices are value for money for Championship opposition and League One Rovers players. Those people might come back if they could watch live football for peanuts. The only real losers of a full Ewood Park are Stanley and Chorley fans, anyway. The actual cost implications (to Venkys) are trivial compared to the losses being sustained.

It's a moot point anyway but I guess we will just have to continue to watch home attendances plummet and close sections of the ground then.

/thread

[Gav]

John Williams and Tom Finn used to talk about the dangers of devaluing the product and I think they are spot on

Yes thats my take on things also.

People are already turning up their noses at the price and we're one of the cheapest in the country!

[ABBEY]

Big increase and I'm done until they go.

[cn174]

Big increase and I'm done until they go.

And there is the problem with super cheap tickets. Not talking about you specifically Abbey, but we have now become that accustomed to low season ticket prices that when the prices do go up we feel hard done to. In the past the ticket prices have been much much higher than they are now, I'm sure if I dig out my old season tickets there's times when we've paid £400.

[Tom]

Yes thats my take on things also.

People are already turning up their noses at the price and we're one of the cheapest in the country!

True, whatever way you look at it our tickets are cheap, and now it seems that the inevitable rise of £10-£20 makes it seem expensive when its still cheap

[ABBEY]

And there is the problem with super cheap tickets. Not talking about you specifically Abbey, but we have now become that accustomed to low season ticket prices that when the prices do go up we feel hard done to. In the past the ticket prices have been much much higher than they are now, I'm sure if I dig out my old season tickets there's times when we've paid £400.

That was prem though . No way will I pay 400 now

[JamieUK]

I don't think some people realise just how good our pricing is... This is a list of this season's season ticket prices in the Championship...

£115 below the average highest price and £88 below the average lowest price. The club could increase prices by a massive 25% and we'd still be comfortably below the average in both instances... I'd like to see prices stay the same but in reality who can really begrudge a 10% or so increase?

For me there's no marketing strategy that's going to see a significant rise in attendances - as others have said, the only way to increase crowds is to be successful on the pitch. Although an option for the club to engage fans and build bridges could be to subsidise away travel for season ticket holders? Even a £5/£10er off ticket prices or free coaches - a small gesture but one that would surely be appreciated...

[ABBEY]

RATHER EAT GLASS THAN TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL COACHES

[tomphil]

Burnley aside there is not a great deal of difference in that price chart between us, Bpool & Wigan which just goes to show football just HAS to be cheaper in these small towns to get people in. Burnley have obviously suffered crowd wise this season because of the prices and despite their form.

[West Yorks Rover]

I don't think the above table tells the whole story, BBC 5Live had a phone in a while ago about prices, some great

deals around even in the Prem, plenty saying they had got family tickets for less than £400, 2 adults 2 kids etc,

Others with good discounts for early purchase.

The vast majority of clubs doing good deals, not much spare money around for most folk these last few years,

times are tough !

[gumboots]

I don't think it's unfair at all. £80 / 23 games = £3.47 per match. For an adult ticket.

If you can't attend give your season ticket to a friend or family member who can or it goes up to £13.47 per match. Say you miss 5 games over a season then that's £130 for your season ticket. Still unbelievable value. Or you could pass the ticket on and avoid the levy.

This is about getting bums in seats in order to fill the ground. That would be the only justification for such a stupid offer. Definitely fair to 'penalise' those who don't use their ticket and puts people off buying a few for when their family chose to attend.

All or nothing I'm afraid.

We do let other family members use our tickets whenever we can't attend if possible, but frankly I'd rather pay more for my ticket in the first place and not pay extra if nobody can attend. How would they collect it anyway? refuse you entry if you didn't pay at the turnstiles? Difficult if you had a legitimate ticket for that match?And I'd not be daft enough to give them my credit card details.

[tkturner]

I reckon our prices are good for what we get.

An increase would only be welcome if the product improved in my opinion.

A better product attracts more interest commercially etc as well, it shouldn't be about increasing for the fans.

I will still renew if the price went up (dependant on amount).

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Apart from the hardcore most of who will turn up regardless then to the wider fanbase it's all about belief as well as the entertainment on offer. Hardly anyone anywhere has a belief in the owners or the people running the club. A few have belief in GB and the team but not many. The faith in the club has to be at the lowest around the town since well before the Walker years. That's a huge problem, it would almost be impossible to give some away under the current apathy towards the set up at Ewood.

Agree totally,you only have to see the increase of kids wearing other clubs shirts in Blackburn...it's very,very sad.

Christ,I even saw one poor lad with a Burnley shirt on in B and Q on Sat!!!!

[den]

Well, for what it's worth, IMO attendances and atmosphere have absolutely nothing to do with ticket prices. It's obvious what the problem is.

[Claytons Left Boot]

A radical view.

One price season ticket/match day ticket, all areas of the stadium.

Unreserved seating everywhere.

[ABBEY]

now thats about the best one yet ...thumbs up.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

A radical view.

One price season ticket/match day ticket, all areas of the stadium.

Unreserved seating everywhere.

Other than not having to queue for a ticket on the day, what advantage does a ST then give you, other than to fight the bloke you used to sit next to for the seat you've sat in for the last 50 years!

[Paul]

A radical view.

 

One price season ticket/match day ticket, all areas of the stadium.

 

Unreserved seating everywhere.

Not being able to have our specific seats would be an inconvenience as my son ideally needs an aisle seat.

[thenodrog]

John Williams and Tom Finn used to talk about the dangers of devaluing the product and I think they are spot on

A point I've made many times.

Another point I've made as often is that this area is full of teams with no hope of sustaining football in the top flight. Essentially there are too many teams and too few supporters.