Season Tickets 2018/19

[Stuart]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

So there will be 20,000 avaliable home seats - Jack Walker, Riverside and BBEnd lower. Suppose it makes sense to have the 11/12000 home fans in a smaller area. Less scattered. 

I assume the rise in ST prices will also mean matchday prices also increase, so get ready for £30 walk-on prices. 

As seen with the 1875 Lounge, the £120 per person end of season dinner etc, Waggott is going to try and squeeze out every penny - however I worry that he has misjudged our fanbase and we won’t see much, of any increase in ST holders.

 

Is this another one of these Masonic things like the secret 20 year celebration only for people who know people?

[tomphil]

God knows what matchday prices will be like now.

[Mattyblue]

They have been advertising the dinner on social media, but I assume it’s largely aimed at local businesses

[Stuart]

Just now, tomphil said:

God knows what matchday prices will be like now.

Seems that away fans are now driving policy so it’ll be whatever Leeds fans normally pay...

 

[tomphil]

Just now, Stuart said:

Seems that away fans are now driving policy so it’ll be whatever Leeds fans normally pay...

 

Scary thought but yep I can see them starting at 29/30 quid for an adult in the BBE most games.

[Mattyblue]

End of the day a £50 increase is a fair old whack in one go, I expected the BBEnd to maybe go up to £320 or so, but £299 to £349 is not insignificant.

[unsall]

17 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Could still shove away fans uo in the Gods most games and lay Rovers flags on the DE lower tier

Yep you’re right,that is what I heard,anything 3000 and under away fans in top tier,as are Oxford on Sat.

[Mattyblue]

Oh and why Wednesday? Could have had them on sale today.

[unsall]

9 minutes ago, meadows said:

It will go up significantly after Early bird period. £350/£380 ?

Yeah,you’re right,are Preston prices at £400 early bird or standard?

[roversfan99]

19 minutes ago, Stuart said:

I do think that closing the DE is the right thing to do. Even though I know people that this will upset. Getting the BBE full and singing together has to be a good thing. It will also make it easier to milk the larger Championship clubs as others have said.

I wasn’t expecting a price reduction but I think the club need to carefully consider their plan of significantly increasing the price by stealth every year. It’s a clever marketing trick calling it an early bird offer when you are really asking people to pay at last season’s price hike rate to avoid this year’s price hike for one season. “Too late and you’ll pay next year’s early bird price today”. There will be a limit to what people will pay so this needs to be monitored.

Next season is going to be really tough compared to this year so much may depend on the calibre of Summer signings. Without a marquee (or at least notably positive signing) we may well top out at 11-12 ST holders. A marginal increase on this season.

But then if we win the League tomorrow and are presented with the trophy tomorrow...

(Who am I kidding, nobody cares about that).

As already touched on, fans will just move elsewhere, not just into the Blackburn End.

Darwen End also has the unique selling point of being unreserved, when I've had to move elsewhere for certain games ive felt incredibly restricted compared to being able to stand on the back row without impeding anyone at all.

Id probably agree with your estimate of season ticket holders for next season, as positive as tomorrow will be, it is very much a one off, im sure we will get a bit of a spike but it wont be loads.

18 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

very pleased that we announced the season tickets prices finally. will be down next Thursday to sort my season ticket out. 

I can understand why the club has decided to use the darwen end just for away fans. sensible move and fill the other stands in the ground and if enough people renewal we might open the BBE Upper end to home fans. 

I'm hoping we can get 15 k plus fans who get season tickets for next season

 Absolutely no empathy with anyone else. It doesnt affect you so its fine. Grimly predictable.

Of course you will agree with the clubs decision, you always do, but for me, its an aggravation to fans that didnt need to be made.

It is pandering to the wills of potential away supports, presumably, ahead of the wants and needs of home fans who are happy in the Darwen End.

[Stuart]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

End of the day a £50 increase is a fair old whack in one go, I expected the BBEnd to maybe go up to £320 or so, but £299 to £349 is not insignificant.

It’s only an increase to the most loyal of loyal Rovers fans. Those who had no hesitation in renewing after relegation. I actually think they deserve better after the last few years. But of a kick in the nuts.

Of course, Waggot, like Hunt, Shaw, Cheston,Senior before him he will simply claim “Mia culpa but I can’t be held responsible for the mistakes of my predecessors. We can’t ppl backward we can only look forward”. That’s all well and good Steve but we’ve been here many many times and been asked to buy in to the vision of each of them.

What is the vision for this new era of higher ticket prices? Are we going to see better players?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

16 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Scary thought but yep I can see them starting at 29/30 quid for an adult in the BBE most games.

Not good if true....the area is not affluent enough to afford a pricing structure like that.

[Stuart]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

As already touched on, fans will just move elsewhere, not just into the Blackburn End.

Darwen End also has the unique selling point of being unreserved, when I've had to move elsewhere for certain games ive felt incredibly restricted compared to being able to stand on the back row without impeding anyone at all.

Id probably agree with your estimate of season ticket holders for next season, as positive as tomorrow will be, it is very much a one off, im sure we will get a bit of a spike but it wont be loads.

Like I said, it’s a shame.

I can see why they would make the DE away fans. I see positives from all the singers together.

The way this becomes a winner is if the back 8 rows of the BBE lower becomes bundesliga-style safe standing. Sadly we are a long long way from that because of the political implications (due to misconception and lack of imagination).

I would love to see Rovers leading the way to pilot / trial such a system.

[roversfan99]

Just now, Stuart said:

Like I said, it’s a shame.

I can see why they would make the DE away fans. I see positives from all the singers together.

The way this becomes a winner is if the back 8 rows of the BBE lower becomes bundesliga-style safe standing. Sadly we are a long long way from that because of the political implications (due to misconception and lack of imagination).

I would love to see Rovers leading the way to pilot / trial such a system.

Firstly, would be a total supporter of the prospect of safe standing. Shrewsbury I believe are implementing it.

Can you understand, from my perspective as a regular in the Darwen End, and a fan of the unique aspects that sitting (or more so, standing) there provides? And why I feel annoyed and usurped that my right to that has been randomly removed, presumably to give some away teams up to a needlessly high 8000 fans?

The idea of everyone singing together is a nice one, but for me, a fanciful and unrealistic one. The club cant put fans exactly where they want, it doesnt work like that. 

[Mattyblue]

If the rumours are true and away followings of under 3k (which will be most matches) are going to be in the DEnd upper next season, then that end of the ground is going to look pretty desolate.

[Stuart]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Firstly, would be a total supporter of the prospect of safe standing. Shrewsbury I believe are implementing it.

Can you understand, from my perspective as a regular in the Darwen End, and a fan of the unique aspects that sitting (or more so, standing) there provides? And why I feel annoyed and usurped that my right to that has been randomly removed, presumably to give some away teams up to a needlessly high 8000 fans?

The idea of everyone singing together is a nice one, but for me, a fanciful and unrealistic one. The club cant put fans exactly where they want, it doesnt work like that. 

I can see your point of view yes. You’ve had something you enjoyed taken away from you.

The thing is, you have no ‘rights’ with regards seating. And you definitely have no ‘right’ to stand in an all-seater stadium. The club can put fans where they want, it does work like that. That’s not a pop, those are just the facts. Apart from being kept reasonably safe, your only ‘right’ is the right to not attend.

I don’t think that the idea of merging the singing fans is a fanciful one, it just seems that there is a reticence from some fans to join together at all - possibly from the anti-Venkys protest days.

Where I do sympathise is in that the club have withdrawn the unreserved seating arrangements. Although I expect most people will have a ‘usual’ or ‘preferred’ seat, it does give flexibility to bring friend with you on a walk-in basis that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do. In that regard it’s a retrograde step. The club should have tried to find a way to keep an unreserved seating area at the rear of the Blackburn end.

The really disappointing thing though is the apparent lack of consultation. It would be interesting to get a FF view - if they are still invited to meetings.

[tomphil]

After they went to the trouble and wasted expense to move the cameras across to the Riverside because the ground looked fuller they are now going to be mostly looking at an empty end, rather odd.

[JHRover]

I don't see what difference it will make to Rovers in shutting the Darwen End to home fans in terms of what we offer away fans. Realistically only Leeds, Villa, Middlesbrough and Preston would fill the Darwen End in the Championship. One of those is likely to go up this season and I doubt Preston will bring a full allocation in future years as the novelty wears off of coming to Ewood.

The decision will be some sort of attempt to improve 'atmosphere' by concentrating home fans together or to save costs by not having stewards and caterers in the Darwen End for the sake of 500 at most people. 

The drawback is that I can't see the Darwen Enders moving into the Blackburn End unless they are allocated a block to themselves so the more likely outcome is they end up mixed in with more sedate supporters in the Riverside or JW Lower.

My season ticket is going up by £50 which i think is a substantial rise. I'll pay it because I'd happily lose £50 to watch us in the Championship rather than League One but it is dangerously high to upset people amidst a positive period for the club. 

Lets have a Price of Football check. Our cheapest ST next year will be £319. This season Barnsley (270), Birmingham (230), Bolton (316), Burton (255), Cardiff (299), Derby (319), Fulham (254), Hull (252), Reading (305), Sheffield Utd (288) and Wolves (299) all offered cheaper season tickets than that. Yes some will increase as ours have but it gives you an idea as to where we are at. Also Forest (330), Millwall (333), Bristol City (345) and Villa (322) sit ever so slightly higher but not much. PNE are at 380 according to the survey. Whilst Norwich, QPR and Wednesday are at 400+. 

I'm not going to complain because I don't think our prices are unreasonable but I also don't think they are cheap in comparison to most either. 

[JHRover]

Just now, tomphil said:

After they went to the trouble and wasted expense to move the cameras across to the Riverside because the ground looked fuller they are now going to be mostly looking at an empty end, rather odd.

I actually think the 'plan' remains the same - to fill the  3 new sides of the ground. They will expect Darwen end home fans to either fill up the BBE or lower JW and then they can use the whole of the DE lower for away fans - 5000 allocation behind the goals - plenty of clubs will fill that or get close to it whilst the upper need only be opened for Leeds and possibly Preston.

[tomphil]

Just now, JHRover said:

I actually think the 'plan' remains the same - to fill the  3 new sides of the ground. They will expect Darwen end home fans to either fill up the BBE or lower JW and then they can use the whole of the DE lower for away fans - 5000 allocation behind the goals - plenty of clubs will fill that or get close to it whilst the upper need only be opened for Leeds and possibly Preston.

Aye sorry i should have included i was assuming they are putting away fans upstairs.

[McClarky]

Clearing out the DE will be to save on policing and stewarding costs won’t it. I would just let the away fans go in the bottom tier because that will make the atmosphere in general better than if they’re hidden away at the top.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Have to say I'm disappointed with that. At the very least it should have been a price freeze.  Fantastic opportunity to entice fans back with a bargain deal on the back of a positive season and they've blown it IMO.  Can't see them shifting any more than this season at those prices.  Yes, we've had a great season but the club have a lot of wrongs to right. 

[Proudtobeblue&white]

In my view the club has missed a trick. They probably came up with this prior to knowing the groundswell of support for tomorrow's game. Why not the same early bird price of last year? Rewards the fans who bought ST's last year, and encourages those like me to come back. I think a fifty quid hike has missed the point. Whatever happens tomorrow, I don't believe there will be a significant increase in ST sales. That and high match day prices will not put bums on seats. Pity.

Oh, and my preferred seat would be back in the BE upper, which, despite closing the DE to home supporters, remains closed. The lack of consultation, as they didn't do when moving the family stand (that together with Coyle's appointment did for me) is appalling.

Edited May 4, 2018 by Proudtobeblue&white

[Mattyblue]

I always remember Gordon, formerly of this parish, warning against de-valuing our product too much with cheap ST deals. 

JH’s list tells us that they are now competitive with the league we’ll be in, not the noticeably cheap prices they once were.

Edited May 4, 2018 by Mattyblue

[tomphil]

They are still good value obviously although as pointed out they aren't really what you'd call cheap anymore. Thing is though next season is highly likely to be a right grind and they need as many as possible in there as often as possible but it's likey to be just the usual hardcore plus maybe a few extra.

Over 25k home fans tomorrow and they need to be aiming to get half of those signed up but without incentive it's a big ask. Factor in it'll probably be dear match by match they are going to ailienate quite a few I'd wager.

Mind you a big signing or two could boost it