£2 charge applied to Away Ticket pre-orders

[Matt_B]

Doesn't the fact that most of these businesses are running at a loss year in, year out, despite constantly trying to squeeze more money out of the fans, concern some of you?

Especially considering the frivolous wages players receive, the exorbitant transfer fees, and unnecessarily high agents costs?

Shouldn't prudent businesses be reviewing their expenditure as much as looking to increase their charges?

Definitely. That is what FFP is designed to do, though it won't.

 

[Biffa Bacon]

Definitely. That is what FFP is designed to do, though it won't.

FFP will drive cubs to try to earn more money so they can spend more money, some clubs will try to increase income by charging more, some will try to add supporters by being more reasonable, nothing will change.

 

[bocadillo]

...prices will continue to go up as in any business.

The point is though that ticket prices have gone up at a much quicker rate than virtually every other business.

 

[Matt_B]

The point is though that ticket prices have gone up at a much quicker rate than virtually every other business.

Is that not due to the exponential growth of the perceived "quality" of the product?

 

[homer]

Is that not due to the exponential growth of the perceived "quality" of the product?

Of course it isn't

 

[Lako42]

Is that not due to the exponential growth of the perceived "quality" of the product?

Haha not for us it fecking isn't.

 

[Lako42]

The point is though that ticket prices have gone up at a much quicker rate than virtually every other business.

It's also gone up at a much quicker rate than my annual salary.

 

[SwedeFox]

If ticket prices have gone up dramatically and people still want to buy them, perhaps they have been underpriced before?

 

[RHYDAL]

Scratters Thread of the Year.

 

[bocadillo]

If ticket prices have gone up dramatically and people still want to buy them, perhaps they have been underpriced before?

Or perhaps people are addicted and will pay whatever it takes to feed their habit?

 

[Mawsley]

Scratters Thread of the Year.

I prefer the term "People's revolutionary"

 

[Matt_B]

Or perhaps people are addicted and will pay whatever it takes to feed their habit?

Then, as with any addiction, they need outside help.

 

[Matt_B]

I suppose the daft thing is, if the 20k+ fans who will attend the Peterborough match decided to do a Mawsley and go to watch Hinckley, they wouldn't all be able to due to their tiny ground and so the benefit to Hinckley wouldn't be huge. However, the increase in demand for tickets would inevitably lead to a price rise due to extra demand, making them another cog in the overpriced machine.

 

[Brown Nose]

In the end it is a question of value for money. For me the money makes me a supporter and that is worth it.

I accept that there are genuine supporters who do not attend games and only see the team when they are on TV but I cannot be one of them.

In the 1968-69 season I switched from Worcester City to Leicester City who immediately responded by losing a cup final and getting relegated. I switched because having got a job in Leicester I knew I would not be able to see many Worcester games. The idea of living in a city and not supporting its football team did not occur to me.

I do enjoy "the matchday experience." I enjoy the atmosphere - I am pleased to see the same friendly faces and I think they are pleased to see me. I know nothing about their interests away from football but for that afternoon we are all on the same side.

I enjoy the uncertainty. If I go to the theatre I know Romeo will die; if I go to the cinema I know Bond will triumph. In football I have no idea what will happen. There are people who come on this forum and know the result and who will score; they are wiser than me.

For ninety minutes the only thing that will matter is the struggle. Outside football I try to balance all points of view; during the match I am totally biased. It is the only occasion that I am known to swear; though hopefully the departure of Mills will make that happen less. At the end I will walk out obsessing over incidents in the match.

On Monday friends who if they like sport at all usually prefer rugby will identify me with the team. "I see you won on Saturday" as though I had played. I must admit to congratulating an elderly Parisian lady when France won the World Cup even though I doubt if she had any interest in sport. Football is personal in a way that going to the theatre or a concert are not.

Football has been a common bond when talking to people in Italy, Germany, France and Spain. I cannot swear to the truth of this but I am told that when Berlin became divided some Hertha Berlin fans in East Berlin would stand near the wall just to hear the noise from the stadium. It is more than just a business.

There is no memorial garden at W H Smiths, customers do not walk the streets with a McDonalds uniform and nobody asks to have their ashes scattered at Tesco.

A splendid post. I identify entirely with your sentiment.

However, what I see with decisions such as this £2 charge is an absurd pettiness that will alienate those that do struggle to afford the experience of being a Leicester City football supporter. What will this move actually generate? In total, it will perhaps pay Jermaine Beckford's salary for a day or two? Seriously, what is the point? If the club needs to redress its losses, the only way to do so effectively is to reduce the wage bill. NP appears to be on a mission to do this and should be commended for it in my view.

Personally, I look forward to the day that JB is off the wage bill because I think what we pay him is obscene given the status of our club, and his relatively minor contribution for that salary.

 

[Durham Fox]

I suppose the daft thing is, if the 20k+ fans who will attend the Peterborough match decided to do a Mawsley and go to watch Hinckley, they wouldn't all be able to due to their tiny ground and so the benefit to Hinckley wouldn't be huge. However, the increase in demand for tickets would inevitably lead to a price rise due to extra demand, making them another cog in the overpriced machine.

The effect to Hinckley of having their support on a Saturday swell from a few hundred to being sold out every week with another 16,000 fans wanting tickets wouldn't be huge? They'd be in the football league in 5 years tops.

 

[Matt_B]

The effect to Hinckley of having their support on a Saturday swell from a few hundred to being sold out every week with another 16,000 fans wanting tickets wouldn't be huge? They'd be in the football league in 5 years tops.

What does their ground hold? I chose Hinckley as a local team without really checking their capacity, which might piss on my point a tad! To be honest though, what do you think would be the effect on their ticket prices if they did shoot up the ladder?

Edit: it holds around 4k, so it doesn't really matter if you have 4k or 20k supporters if you can only fit 4k in and there is little to no TV coverage, other than to increase demand and the cost, surely?

 

[Durham Fox]

What does their ground hold? I chose Hinckley as a local team without really checking their capacity, which might piss on my point a tad! To be honest though, what do you think would be the effect on their ticket prices if they did shoot up the ladder?

Edit: it holds around 4k, so it doesn't really matter if you have 4k or 20k supporters if you can only fit 4k in and there is little to no TV coverage, other than to increase demand and the cost, surely?

If you know you can only house 20% of your fans then I'd suggest you increase your capacity pretty sharpish, which is easily done at Hinckley. However, even at just 4,000 fans every game would put them above many League 2 teams in terms of attendance and income.

They would obviously increase prices.

 

[Matt_B]

If you know you can only house 20% of your fans then I'd suggest you increase your capacity pretty sharpish, which is easily done at Hinckley. However, even at just 4,000 fans every game would put them above many League 2 teams in terms of attendance and income.

They would obviously increase prices.

That's my main point. In an ideal world, it seems most in this thread (myself included) believe that if fans move away from the club then it will be forced to reassess its pricing. However, if they move to another local club, as has Mawsley, then the effect could easily be to the detriment of the other club's supporters. It would be nice to see though, especially to see Hinckley climb that quickly!

 

[bocadillo]

Then, as with any addiction, they need outside help.

I don't doubt it.

 

[Leesoh]

Is that not due to the exponential growth of the perceived "quality" of the product?

Or the need to pay wages, fees, etc?

If ticket prices have gone up dramatically and people still want to buy them, perhaps they have been underpriced before?

Or perhaps the demographics of those purchasing tickets has changed?