Preston: Category A

[S64 Blade]

This past year or so, watching football has been massively shaken up, in particular by the streams that take place through Facebook and the 'red button' option for midweek games as of this season.

This has undoubtedly resulted in people deciding to watch at home and spend the £25+ on something else and as Kuwaiti says, you can't really blame people who are perhaps in a vulnerable financial position in doing so. I think if I didn't have a season ticket then I'd be looking at it and thinking the same and that's as someone who is fairly financially 'comfortable'.

I don't exactly know what the right solution is, but the parameters have and continue to change and the club need to look at addressing this, to sustain the attendances and grow.

 

[I should coco]

Couldn't disagree more.

At a time where football costs are going up, normal people haven't seen wages increase for nearly a decade. 10 years ago we were paying under 30 quid to see us play Man Utd in the prem.

It's disgusting. Simple as.

It's either... Get a season ticket or fuck off.

I get your point and agree football is too expensive but cast your mind back to the summer. Loads of threads moaning we weren't spending enough on players.

So if the fans aren't to be rinsed are we just telling MCCabe he has to put more money in again?

The desperation to get to the promised land has lead to a stupid arms race in the Championship where average players like Waghorn go for £7m and £20k+ per week. In the absence of the money tree, someone has to pay for this.

I know I do the broken record thing re wages, but it might just start to sink in for some. The crazy economics of this league means that everybody pays too much to crap players and makes a loss. These losses are subsidised by the owners. The richer owners foot the bill for bigger losses.

As Bill Clinton said; "It's the economy, stupid".

 

[ShockingBadBuy]

View attachment 44462 Circa 1980, seem to remember it being more.

Crikey. £26 for a ST at Man City in the top division. Only one club listed there is cheaper, in the entire 92, and that’s Scunthorpe at £23 in Div 4.

 

[FinchleyBlade]

I don't see the ifollow/streaming thing lasting long. Attendances are noticeably down particularly for midweek games and clubs will point the finger at the streaming rather than their pricing.

 

[United Aren't Back.]

If Sheffield United charge the going rate, even perhaps slightly less than what rival clubs in the same division are charging I would say it’s fully justified.

People want rock bottom ticket prices, cheaper replica shirts, cheaper sky subscription but they also want the club to spend lots of money on players.

Clubs have to stay with the market when it comes to tickets. As a good number of our rivals are charging £30-40, I would say that the club is doing well to keep the average ticket price under that.

So why are we left with castoffs each transfer window and being ripped for 32 quid to watch Preston?
Hardly the best of both worlds is it?
But don't you know..here comes Keane Bryan.

 

[jt64]

I don't see the ifollow/streaming thing lasting long. Attendances are noticeably down particularly for midweek games and clubs will point the finger at the streaming rather than their pricing.

Are they though? Season ticket holders will still count in the attendance, it's generally only the hardcore that go to an away game midweek anyway, you're only losing a few casual home fans. Losing 2000 fans at £25 quid a pop barely buys you Clayton Donaldson these days. Streaming/TV packages, either an individual club's season ticket or just getting every single game (as the Americans do for the Premier League and the Germans do for the Bundesliga) is the future

 

[Topplayersleave]

Can the club price in the category B matches into the cost for season ticket holders but then decide category B games as the season progresses

Leeds, Villa, Wendy, Derby, Forest etc are always likely to be Category A and other games are most likely to be Category B

But, a rearranged fixture on a Wednesday night late in the season against Forest for example, with both us and them not doing very well could mean a poor turnout.

I don't know if there's any scope for changing the game categories, ie, changing a B to an A and vice versa

 

[ghandi]

I’d love to be able to offer some better input on this but I really don’t know what to suggest. We haven’t been bad in recent years price wise, particularly for season tickets, but at the same time I don’t think we do enough to get more kids through the gate.

By that, I don’t mean kids season ticket prices, because they are good value. What I mean is incentives in schools etc. I just think we (and every other club) should be thinking “right it’s 5 days to the next home game, we’ve got x thousand spare seats as it stands so realistically we will have x number spare on the day” Go and distribute those tickets around the schools to kids and get them through the turnstiles. Kids need an adult with them, they eat and drink more than the original ticket price and they will (hopefully) be hooked for life.

I’ve probably overlooked some genuine reasons for Uniteds strategy on ticketing, but that’s why I’m not the Head of Marketing/Ticketing.

United don't make any money on the amounts sold as the food outlets are outsourced to catering companies.

 

[Bert]

Forest charge £20 and are getting big crowds.

 

[SteveBlade]

Just buy a student ticket and blag it.

 

[Birdwell Blade]

United don't make any money on the amounts sold as the food outlets are outsourced to catering companies.

I didn’t know that. Adds to the point well. Could that add to the reason why clubs in general (those in the top tier or two particularly) are less interested in having walk-up fans attend?

 

[S64 Blade]

United don't make any money on the amounts sold as the food outlets are outsourced to catering companies.

Surely there’s an indirect benefit, i.e. when any future contract comes up. United can demand more if there’s more fans attending games.

 

[derfblade.3]

£7.80 for a pint and a pie. Think i may put in for the contract!

 

[nopigfansintown]

United averaged 26,854 last season; in this league. This season we are averaging, so far, 24.383. A drop off of almost 2,500. If the goal is short term revenue generation, it doesn't make sense that we aren't giving the likes of Villa the full Lane end.That could then compensate for a drop off in United's own support. Or be used to subsidise cheaper tickets. The Lane upper tier is almost redundant with an average of 24k. I would rather we were the team with cheaper than average tickets, with regular attendees, especially in the age of ifollow and the Sky sports red button - both of which threaten match going football culture.Home and away fans should see Bramall Lane as a beacon for cheaper than average football, at a fantastic, traditional stadium. That is sadly being eroded at Bramall Lane.To me, it's the antithesis of everything United stood for; or should stand for.

Ideas to keep revenue high:
1) Put a couple of quid on early bird season tickets. The difference is huge between being a season ticket holder and pay on the gate fan.
2) Give the big away teams the whole Lane end.There were times last season we could have had a capacity, or close to capacity crowds (if our fans didn't have the BLUT).Going back to last year's policy would be the ideal; if we can't have that surely there are better solutions than effectively pricing 2,500 blades out?
3)Make clear before season ticket renewal date is up, what the price bands would be, and which band would apply to which game.Spell out the economic realities of becoming a pay on the gate fan. Increase the time in which an early bird season ticket can be purchased (it seemed incredibly early this year). Prices then went up £100 on the kop.I was faced with doing a handful of games, or paying the extra £100, due to economic pressures.There will have been others who thought fuck that to paying the additional £100; then saw the matchday prices and were ultimately put off from attending at all.It's a dear do, especially with family to pay for.

 

[Topplayersleave]

United averaged 26,854 last season; in this league. This season we are averaging, so far, 24.383. A drop off of almost 2,500. If the goal is short term revenue generation, it doesn't make sense that we aren't giving the likes of Villa the full Lane end.That could then compensate for a drop off in United's own support. Or be used to subsidise cheaper tickets. The Lane upper tier is almost redundant with an average of 24k. I would rather we were the team with cheaper than average tickets, with regular attendees, especially in the age of ifollow and the Sky sports red button - both of which threaten match going football culture.Home and away fans should see Bramall Lane as a beacon for cheaper than average football, at a fantastic, traditional stadium. That is sadly being eroded at Bramall Lane.To me, it's the antithesis of everything United stood for; or should stand for.

Ideas to keep revenue high:
1) Put a couple of quid on early bird season tickets. The difference is huge between being a season ticket holder and pay on the gate fan.
2) Give the big away teams the whole Lane end.There were times last season we could have had a capacity, or close to capacity crowds (if our fans didn't have the BLUT).Going back to last year's policy would be the ideal; if we can't have that surely there are better solutions than effectively pricing 2,500 blades out?
3)Make clear before season ticket renewal date is up, what the price bands would be, and which band would apply to which game.Spell out the economic realities of becoming a pay on the gate fan. Increase the time in which an early bird season ticket can be purchased (it seemed incredibly early this year). Prices then went up £100 on the kop.I was faced with doing a handful of games, or paying the extra £100, due to economic pressures.There will have been others who thought fuck that to paying the additional £100; then saw the matchday prices and were ultimately put off from attending at all.It's a dear do, especially with family to pay for.

We're in the awkward situation where if we give away teams the entire Lane end we don't have enough space for our own fans.
Sheffield City Council and the safety executive committee will make it even worse

The stadium should have some alterations regarding segregation so that away fans get half the bottom section and half the top section, and our fans have the other half plus the corner

 

[bromtom]

They should do half season tickets for the first half of the season too.

It'd be no cheaper, and there'd be no change in the amount to United but it's a mental thing. Getting finace on ~£200 is a lot less of a risk if you're in a dodgy financial position.

Then at Christmas they can make the decision to get another one, or if they struggled or didn't get to all the games they can go POTG.

 

[nopigfansintown]

We're in the awkward situation where if we give away teams the entire Lane end we don't have enough space for our own fans.
Sheffield City Council and the safety executive committee will make it even worse

The stadium should have some alterations regarding segregation so that away fans get half the bottom section and half the top section, and our fans have the other half plus the corner

I think when we're averaging 24k (including away fans)it isn't an issue.The BLUT is then an indulgence. Nice, but a revenue losing indulgence, when we have more than enoughs seats to serve fans who can't or wont pay the increased prices.Last season, when we were averaging 26,800, you could have a point. Even then, I think it wasn't an issue for the vast majority of games.The club has to take on the authorities on freeing up seats, especially after we caved in to yet another demand with the installation of cameras for every seat in the summer (cost to the club of 200k). The club can't do any more. A capacity crowd last season was just over 30,000, and was only achieved a couple of times - with the loss of several thousand seats.

 

[South Bucks]

It does seem the club is ripping fans off with the way it now categorises matches.

Like last year I bought a "membership" which gives "a free ticket after attending 5 matches for a Cat B home league game". Last year I used the freebie on the Fulham home match, category B, this year probably little chance of using it as I expect after Preston being an "A" there will be few "B" matches.

The membership freebie is now a bit of a con.

 

[bromtom]

It does seem the club is ripping fans off with the way it now categorises matches.

Like last year I bought a "membership" which gives "a free ticket after attending 5 matches for a Cat B home league game". Last year I used the freebie on the Fulham home match, category B, this year probably little chance of using it as I expect after Preston being an "A" there will be few "B" matches.

The membership freebie is now a bit of a con.

Next 3 home games, Hull, Stoke, and Wigan.

All category A.

Don't understand it at all, that's a Champ struggler, a relegated team, and a promoted team, I'd say 2 of those should be a B.

Makes you wonder who will be B. Rotherham? They're as much a promoted team as Wigan, so if they're B, why not Wigan? Then again they can say local derby and make it A for Rotherham.

Ipswich maybe? But they finished above Norwich last season so again, what makes Norwich an A (I think they were) if Ipswich end up being a B?

I can only see Ipswich, Reading, and Bolton being B now, which is poor since I think we've only had Brum as a B so far this season.

 

[blade too long]

Saturday 22nd September, Kick Off 3:00pm

Fans attending Saturday's Sky Bet Championship encounter against Preston North End at Bramall Lane are advised to give themselves more time for their journey to and from the heart of the city.

This is owing to a large number of University students expected to arrive in Sheffield on Saturday, with the majority likely to be heading into the city centre and many on and around Bramall Lane, thus potentially making traffic heavier than normal on a matchday.

Travelling throughout the city on Saturday is expected to be significantly slowly (sic), including public transport, so please arrive at the Lane early to avoid potentially missing the start of the game against Alex Neil's side.

Supporters are reminded that the turnstiles across the stadium open 90 minutes prior to kick-off.

Sheffield United v Preston North End
EFL Sky Bet Championship

This match is a Category A fixture.

Tickets are on sale now.

Tickets are priced from £27 adults, £22 Seniors, £17 Young Adults/Students and £12 juniors (£9 Junior Blades).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

still great value compared to piggies category B
Owls v Leeds
Friday 28 September (7.45pm)
Championship

Tickets for this Category B fixture start from £34 for Adult Owls Members and £5 for Under 11 Members on the Kop.

Tickets are now on sale to Season Ticket holders and Owls Members and will go on general sale on Wednesday 5 September.

Tickets are available to purchase at the Ticket Office, by telephone on 03700 20 1867 (Option 1, £2 booking fee per ticket) or via the SWFC Online Shop.
34 to 49 pounds

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Couldn't disagree more.

At a time where football costs are going up, normal people haven't seen wages increase for nearly a decade. 10 years ago we were paying under 30 quid to see us play Man Utd in the prem.

It's disgusting. Simple as.

It's either... Get a season ticket or fuck off.

Look at prices across football. No argument to be had. You can disagree but clubs will charge what they can get in accordance with the rest of the market. It is what it is. It’s all too expensive.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

So why are we left with castoffs each transfer window and being ripped for 32 quid to watch Preston?
Hardly the best of both worlds is it?
But don't you know..here comes Keane Bryan.

Ticket revenues don’t pay for transfers and player wages because it’s a very small fraction of that expenditure. In fact it’s a very small fraction of a club’s total income at even our level. I should imagine the ticket revenues go into the day to day running of the club which in this day and age will go up and up in cost as well.

If our rivals are charging £30+ we’re hardly going to charge £15-20 for a ticket. Think about it. Does any service you pay for (e.g. TV, broadband etc.) charge half what their competition is offering? No, they try to undercut that competition by the smallest margin possible. The market is the market, if one company charges ‘x’ amount for something, then the rest know what they can get for their offering.

 

[nopigfansintown]

Ticket revenues don’t pay for transfers and player wages because it’s a very small fraction of that expenditure. In fact it’s a very small fraction of a club’s total income at even our level. I should imagine the ticket revenues go into the day to day running of the club which in this day and age will go up and up in cost as well.

If our rivals are charging £30+ we’re hardly going to charge £15-20 for a ticket. Think about it. Does any service you pay for (e.g. TV, broadband etc.) charge half what their competition is offering? No, they try to undercut that competition by the smallest margin possible. The market is the market, if one company charges ‘x’ amount for something, then the rest know what they can get for their offering.

I take your point. But at the same time our cost base is nowhere near that of most rivals, of a similar size and support. Wilder does his shopping at the car boot sale.So we can have the prices, but not the commensurate expenditure on players.

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

I take your point. But at the same time our cost base is nowhere near that of most rivals, of a similar size and support. Wilder does his shopping at the car boot sale.So we can have the prices, but not the commensurate expenditure on players.

You have to factor in the academy and the cost of running an older stadium which is far less economical than the newer ones. Maintenance alone will be very costly. I also think Wilder has spent a little bit more than many people might believe.

 

[nopigfansintown]

You have to factor in the academy and the cost of running an older stadium which is far less economical than the newer ones. Maintenance alone will be very costly. I also think Wilder has spent a little bit more than many people might believe.

All other similar clubs have a similar cost base for their infrastructure. Wilder has a positive net spend at the end of every season. He's heading for a huge plus this season.