Questions for the Foxes Trust

[Foxes_Trust]

Makes a price freeze seem almost generous. source

Sunderland - up 21.9%
Portsmouth - up 17.5%
Blackburn - up 12.9%
Tottenham - up 10.7%
Wigan - up 10%
Middlesbrough - up 4.1%
West Ham - up 3.8%%
Man City - up 3.5%
Arsenal - up 2.6%
Chelsea- unchanged
Blimey - us and Chelsea!.

Not sure why you are comparing with Premiership clubs, several Championship clubs have frozen ticket prices, QPR & Sheff Weds have hiked theirs up (both Trusts are campaigning against their price increases)

Everyone would love a price cut - but the prices are fixed for this year and buying before the 31st offers a reasonable purchase. You choose not to buy your ticket, fair play to you, but the time to complain was before the decision was made...a period of time when the Trust was silent, when Bason was not being quoted in The Mercury. A period of time when the rest of us were phoning, emailing and writing to the club.!.

We released the information that the club intended to increase prices, which kicked off the fans contacting the club about pricing, that was back in March, so we were far from silent

The obvious conclusion from this is that you support a decreased level of investment in the playing staff for the push for promotion, that you support the waste of money on posting rebate cheques to thousands of season ticket holders. .!.

Completely wrong, although ST sales would have fallen this season, if the club had reduced prices that fall would have been significantly less because fans would have felt it was recognised they were now paying to watch a lower level of football. Overall the net effect would have been increased revenue, so aiding investment in playing staff

 

[Biffa Bacon]

Completely wrong, although ST sales would have fallen this season, if the club had reduced prices that fall would have been significantly less because fans would have felt it was recognised they were now paying to watch a lower level of football. Overall the net effect would have been increased revenue, so aiding investment in playing staff

The problem with pushing the line that making the seats cheaper will bring in enough extra people to actually increase the revenue achieved is that the majority of marketing proffessionals in the entertainment and sporting area just don't believe it is true. I've met with quite a few of these marketing people and they'll just tell you 'it's not like selling beans' or 'we have a captive audience'. The management at city wil never accept that cheaper seats means more income.

 

[cleefox]

The problem with pushing the line that making the seats cheaper will bring in enough extra people to actually increase the revenue achieved is that the majority of marketing proffessionals in the entertainment and sporting area just don't believe it is true. I've met with quite a few of these marketing people and they'll just tell you 'it's not like selling beans' or 'we have a captive audience'. The management at city wil never accept that cheaper seats means more income.

Yep, they are so right. Pity Huddersfield this season and Bradford last season have totally disproved this theory. :icon_wink

 

[bocadillo]

offensive, you really must get out more.

I refer my honourable friend to the response I made a few moments ago.

 

[Chrysalis]

Makes a price freeze seem almost generous. source


Blimey - us and Chelsea!

Everyone would love a price cut - but the prices are fixed for this year and buying before the 31st offers a reasonable purchase. You choose not to buy your ticket, fair play to you, but the time to complain was before the decision was made...a period of time when the Trust was silent, when Bason was not being quoted in The Mercury. A period of time when the rest of us were phoning, emailing and writing to the club.

Running around like a prat claiming that sales will drop 50% will leave you looking a bigger fool come August and simply serves to further distance the Trust from the fanbase. The decision to mount a campaign that had no possibility of a successful outcome was deeply flawed, yet another example of the logic of a man more interested in being quoted in the paper than acting in the best interests of the organisation's members.

We know there will be a drop-off in sales, everyone knows this - your hysterical Chicken Likken act, proclaiming the sky is falling, helps in what way? The obvious conclusion from this is that you support a decreased level of investment in the playing staff for the push for promotion, that you support the waste of money on posting rebate cheques to thousands of season ticket holders.

The obvious conclusion is that, as a marginalised organisation and as a marginalised individual, you are pushing to destabilise the club in order to see the return of someone who will will allow you to make the cups of tea in the boardroom once more.

We need your ill-considered, poorly incepted, amateurish campaign like we need relegation. Pack up, shut up and do us all a favour - let someone competent do the job.

He is quite possibly harming the club as people might think he has a chance of success and are holding of buying season tickets.

 

[Biffa Bacon]

Yep, they are so right. Pity Huddersfield this season and Bradford last season have totally disproved this theory. :icon_wink

Looking at the figures I have Huddersfield averaged 9391 in 2007-2008 and 10573 in 2006-2007.

 

[Redditch Fox]

I congratulate the FT for their campaign on ticket prices. If only there were more like them in the game as a whole and less sheep who are only too willing to pay ever increasing prices, perhaps we wouldn't be seeing the average 16% rise in the cost of season tickets that we are seeing in the Premier League this year.

Unfortunately, I don't think much of that applies:

1. the FT and similar groups are not representative of supporters but only claim to be so and their views will not influence the individual decision making taken by people deciding to renew their STs - or not.

2. the FT appears to acknowledge that it was unable to place the 'what if we are relegated to the Third Division scenario on the pricing policy agenda - because the club did not choose to recognise that fairly clear possibility, presumably for its commercial advantage reasons,

3. the increases in the Premier League prices are simply driven by market forces - if we had been promoted instead of relegated, there would be so much adrenalin flowing that people would be snapping up the STs.

4. whether we like it or not, certainly at Premier League level, the clubs are marketing their product to the higher income earners and the corporates - who will pay up. City's problem is that their product has diminished in value - so they will suffer the consequences but frankly I don't think a modest cut in prices would lead to significantly greater sales to offset the price per unit.

 

[Biffa Bacon]

I refer my honourable friend to the response I made a few moments ago.

I honestly haven't got a clue what you are talking about, I cannot see any way in which someone could take offense to my first remark unless they have completely misunderstood it.

 

[homer]

Looking at the figures I have Huddersfield averaged 9391 in 2007-2008 and 10573 in 2006-2007.

Huddersfield have already sold 15,000 season tickets for the forthcoming campaign, having slashed their prices

 

[Biffa Bacon]

Huddersfield have already sold 15,000 season tickets for the forthcoming campaign, having slashed their prices

But does the increase in seat sales cover the loss due to the price cut? They have almost doubled their seat sales for next season but have cut the price by more than half, if they don't make any money from matchday sales (like city) they'll actually be less well off.

 

[cleefox]

Looking at the figures I have Huddersfield averaged 9391 in 2007-2008 and 10573 in 2006-2007.

They sold 7,363 season tickets last season compared to 15,430 @ £100this season (at present, although the offer is now finished) . Difficult to know how ST income compares, but surely they will make more money from more fans going to the games plus helping to encourage fans to keep going in the future. Good marketing in my opinion.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Huddersfield have already sold 15,000 season tickets for the forthcoming campaign, having slashed their prices

Very interesting.

I suppose a key difference is that we have been relegated and this will suppress customer demand.

I don't think our prices are unreasonable - match day prices (not discounted by the 'special deals') have been very expensive and I expect these to be subject to more and more special offers which might well irritate ST holders.

 

[homer]

But does the increase in seat sales cover the loss due to the price cut? They have almost doubled their seat sales for next season but have cut the price by more than half, if they don't make any money from matchday sales (like city) they'll actually be less well off.

That's assuming 100% of the crowd will be ST holders, which they clearly will not - also add in away fans and the attendances, and income, for the forthcoming season will look very nice indeed, thank you

They will also sell twice as much merchandise/food/programmes etc on match days

Overall I would suggest that their matchday income will increase as a result of their actions

 

[Biffa Bacon]

They sold 7,363 season tickets last season compared to 15,430 @ £100this season (at present, although the offer is now finished) . Difficult to know how ST income compares, but surely they will make more money from more fans going to the games plus helping to encourage fans to keep going in the future. Good marketing in my opinion.

I agree with you that it is great PR and a brilliant gesture by Huddersfield, however it does lead to reduced ticket income which I guess they will hope to make up by selling more shirts, pies and pints and some centenary celebrations (friendly matches etc).

City makes no money from food sales in the concourses because this is all contracted out which means that any reduction in ticket pricing must be made up by increased sales in the shop and increased numbers buying tickets, they (PA and MM) are obviously convinced that there is no chance of a cut in prices increasing sales and numbers enough to bridge the gap so it won't happen.

 

[bocadillo]

He is quite possibly harming the club as people might think he has a chance of success and are holding of buying season tickets.

But surely you believe the club when they say that sales are in line with last season's - the FT is obviously not causing people to hold off purchsing their season tickets then.

 

[homer]

City makes no money from food sales in the concourses because this is all contracted out

They don't give away the concourse food outlets for free, you know....

 

[Biffa Bacon]

That's assuming 100% of the crowd will be ST holders, which they clearly will not - also add in away fans and the attendances, and income, for the forthcoming season will look very nice indeed, thank you

They will also sell twice as much merchandise/food/programmes etc on match days

Overall I would suggest that their matchday income will increase as a result of their actions

I was taking into account that lasy year they sold 7,500 season tickets, so there were approx 2,000 non-season ticket holders and away fans each match. They may make more money next year but not a significant amount more imo. It is a well thought out idea though if it is cah neutral or better

 

[bocadillo]

Unfortunately, I don't think much of that applies:

1. the FT and similar groups are not representative of supporters but only claim to be so and their views will not influence the individual decision making taken by people deciding to renew their STs - or not.

2. the FT appears to acknowledge that it was unable to place the 'what if we are relegated to the Third Division scenario on the pricing policy agenda - because the club did not choose to recognise that fairly clear possibility, presumably for its commercial advantage reasons,

3. the increases in the Premier League prices are simply driven by market forces - if we had been promoted instead of relegated, there would be so much adrenalin flowing that people would be snapping up the STs.

4. whether we like it or not, certainly at Premier League level, the clubs are marketing their product to the higher income earners and the corporates - who will pay up. City's problem is that their product has diminished in value - so they will suffer the consequences but frankly I don't think a modest cut in prices would lead to significantly greater sales to offset the price per unit.

How about a decent cut?

How about making sure that the new manager is in place before fans have to make a decision whether to renew before the early-bird deadline? - another of the FT's aims.

 

[Disco Bob]

Not sure why you are comparing with Premiership clubs, several Championship clubs have frozen ticket prices, QPR & Sheff Weds have hiked theirs up (both Trusts are campaigning against their price increases)

Try thinking a bit harder why I mentioned it then.

We released the information that the club intended to increase prices, which kicked off the fans contacting the club about pricing, that was back in March, so we were far from silent

Zzzzzz...and, to repeat yet again, you were asked "And what do you plan to do about it?" to which you replied "...

Err, hang on - you didn't reply did you?! You stayed silent on the issue because you didn't have a clue what to do.

Completely wrong, although ST sales would have fallen this season, if the club had reduced prices that fall would have been significantly less because fans would have felt it was recognised they were now paying to watch a lower level of football. Overall the net effect would have been increased revenue, so aiding investment in playing staff

Absolute bollocks.

You don't have costed figures, you don't have access to the accounts, you don't have any facts to support that ridiculous statement.

Not only that, but how you manage to work out what "the fans would have felt" is beyond me. You represent your members - you do not represent the fans. Odd that you frequently confuse the two when it suits you.

They will also sell twice as much merchandise/food/programmes etc on match days

Overall I would suggest that their matchday income will increase as a result of their actions

An increase attendance does increase matchday revenue, but not in a linear fashion. We earn nothing from selling more pies.

 

[Redditch Fox]

How about making sure that the new manager is in place before fans have to make a decision whether to renew before the early-bird deadline? - another of the FT's aims.

A good idea - I still think that are prices are reasonable but it would be a decent gesture for the club to say you can have an additional couple of weeks in order that we can prove to you our ambitions.

I have other commitments which mean I would in any case miss a significant number of games and somewhat less motivation than i had when I bought STs - so I'm quite looking forward to the incentives they are going to need to sell match day tickets.