Time to raise prices?

[Chingo]

I see where you're coming from Brownie, and I'll be struggling to buy a season ticket next season.

That said, it's the bit in bold that I contest. My point is that the prices may well be put up to an average level due in a small part to the cheap tickets we've had for a number of seasons now.

It's like a bloke leaving his wife because after a few years of being together, he's gone from making the beast with two backs every night to three nights a week.

This post has been brought to you by DodgyAnalogiesRUs.

I agree with the bit in bold Houso , we are having to make up the money diverted away from football by the board and a lot of that money we put in !

Football 1st ... speculating on property when we are established and have some spare cash to do it with second.

 

[raul]

Chingles, do you accept that we have cheap prices and excellent offers?

If so, surely the fact that we're potentially getting an increase and therefore being brought into line with pricing for comparative clubs cannot be whinged at.

But, as stated earlier, it's of no relevance. Who are the comparative clubs people will buy a ST for?

The club will look at the finances and decide what they want to pitch at. People will look at it and decide if they want to or not. I suspect many of the annual "that's it" brigade ( I include myself) will end up renewing ( I don't include myself), but there may well be too many bluffs called for it to be beneficial in terms of raising extra revenue and all you've done is reduce your customer base for zero financial gain.

Again, timing is everything. Last two seasons have seen the team on the up and up at renewal time. There would have been a chance to squeeze some extra out of people on the back of the positivity around the place. This time around, it's all doom and gloom (so we get Clev Trev instead of KM) so they should think very very carefully about it.

One way round it would be looking at how Bradford have done their ST sales perhaps?

 

[Micalijo]

Maybe we could do what Cardiff did.

 

[Bramley]

It's a worry in the recession.

 

[raul]

The technical term is, I believe ,a "Woolhouse".

 

[Chingo]

It seems to me we are heading down the Dave Allen route of ............. lets squeeze all the dosh we can out of them and don't give a damned about customer relations , the big logo last renewal time was "affordable football for everyone" ... its soon out of the window that one !

 

[Houso]

It seems to me we are heading down the Dave Allen route of ............. lets squeeze all the dosh we can out of them and don't give a damned about customer relations , the big logo last renewal time was "affordable football for everyone" ... its soon out of the window that one !

Been affordable for many seasons; this at a time when others weren't making any effort to help out their fanbase? Yet, the predominant sentiment in your post is that McCabe is now akin to Dave Allen.

 

[lenners]

McCabe increasing season ticket prices to find the money to pay off McCabe will not go down very well.
Can't we keep prices as they are and have regular bucket collections instead?

 

[beightonblade]

well i wud pay twice the pricer if cheap as chips got his P45 and we had sumat to shout about.

 

[Chingo]

Been affordable for many seasons; this at a time when others weren't making any effort to help out their fanbase? Yet, the predominant sentiment in your post is that McCabe is now akin to Dave Allen.

Not that bad mate ... but they are after our dosh big time now , and KM's you're on you own statement through Birch takes him a huge step towards DA !

and here here Lenners !

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Wasn't it Birch that hiked the prices at Chelsea to prop up the ailing Chelsea village ?

To be fair when Birch was brought into Chelsea they were well on their way to the wall. If Roman hadn't bought them then I don't think there would of been a Chelsea. They were really in that much trouble much worse than Leeds.

 

[Chingo]

To be fair when Birch was brought into Chelsea they were well on their way to the wall. If Roman hadn't bought them then I don't think there would of been a Chelsea. They were really in that much trouble much worse than Leeds.

Give uncle Ken time

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Give uncle Ken time

Don't you mean Agent Ken?

 

[super_pig]

>wallop £50 on a season ticket
blech.. nearly choked on my sandwich!! .. yeah bring it on.. that'll be a right f**king laugh..
tbf if the entertainment value improved i might buy it.. but atm it isn't worth the price at the 'current' level..

 

[super_pig]

>predominant sentiment in your post is that McCabe is now akin to Dave Allen
no not yet.. but a 100 quid hike on the st price will put him right up there mate.. believe me..

 

[bottletree]

A £100 price hike would make me pick and choose my games. The trouble with that though is i would not be arsed to go down after working sat morning, cause i'm usually falling asleep. The reason i go now is because i'm a tight arse and i've already paid for me ticket.
I think for the football we are watching at the moment they should pay us and flog the players and manager afterwards in the middle of the pitch.

 

[Blade]

I also think raising the price too much (more than around 5% in my view) would be a short sighted and stupid thing to do.

As has been mentioned it matters not whether we've had reasonable priced tickets for the last few years what matters is people soon get accustomed to their outgoings; if you suddenly ask punters for a large increase at a time of recession, when the product being served up is patently getting worse and half of our fans are already contemplating weekly whether to turn up with a ticket already in their hand then you are going to be left looking a cunt.

The powers that be need to realise that every time they talk about football being a business they have to accept that it works two ways and although fans may have more loyalty for united than for any other product they purchase this commitment is not to be taken advantage of.

My personal circumstances are that I've been going to at least 35+ games a season for years but have had to cut down on away games for financial reasons (the poor performances just happen to make this unfortunately more bearable). If season tickets were to go up by £100 over the summer I'd have to think seriously hard about getting one and to be honest I wouldn't be too disappointed to see it backfire on the club because I think it would be crazy.

Also at the moment I'm living in pleasant denial about where my money goes, I for one would feel terrible if it was forced into my mindset that I'd be paying an extra £100 to cover the signings and wages of players like Henderson, Evans, Stewart, Kenny etc. Please leave tickets alone and I can continue to think my money is being saved for a manager who will invest it wisely.

 

[grafikhaus]

I have some ITK on this


Clubs have been ciculated with an article that says all clubs can expect a 20% drop in gates receipts next season and the boards intention is to pass this on to people renewing to make up the shortfall ... so us on the GAC are looking at an 80-100 pound hike :thumbdown:

I can see more than 20% not renewing at these prices !

Jeez, which financial whizz-kid works this stuff out, Alistair Darling?

I think, rather than increasing ST prices, clubs will have to accept that people paying money up-front is going to be withered away.

Man U are down 8k on last season, with a threatened blanket ban for next season. That clown Strafford is storing up big problems by raking in ST money and then taking the piss with endless offers and freebies.

Why - especially in a recession - should people pay in advance without seeing the goods, when there's every chance the bloke in the next seat has got in for a fiver?

It's high time football paid a visit to the real world, realised money is tight and we don't need car parks full of Range Rovers with tinted windows.

 

[SheepdipBlade]

If we're going to see lots of people not renewing their STs, then we should have a good few spare seats scattered around the place - SO - why not bump up the prices in the posh seats and put a freeze on the costs of the cheap seats. That way those who can pay more are asked to do so - and those that are (like me) a bit tight up can stay in/move to the Kop.

Might help generate more of an atmosphere by keeping a full(ish) Kop and encourage our more affluent compadres to cough up a few more sheckles for Mr McC

 

[Micalijo]

Jeez, which financial whizz-kid works this stuff out, Alistair Darling?

I think, rather than increasing ST prices, clubs will have to accept that people paying money up-front is going to be withered away.

Man U are down 8k on last season, with a threatened blanket ban for next season. That clown Strafford is storing up big problems by raking in ST money and then taking the piss with endless offers and freebies.

Why - especially in a recession - should people pay in advance without seeing the goods, when there's every chance the bloke in the next seat has got in for a fiver?

It's high time football paid a visit to the real world, realised money is tight and we don't need car parks full of Range Rovers with tinted windows.

Totally agree with all that.

One good thing to come out of this is that our players will be getting paid a more realistic wage. We are then relying on a manager to get them playing well and inspite what Blackwell will tell you, it isn't impossible.

If we can average 20k, that plus the TV income and other commercial income should be enough for a decent manager to put out a competitive CCC team.

Ask Blackwell and he would have you believe he is making do on a Scunthorpe type budget

 

[JohnDenver]

Totally agree with all that.

One good thing to come out of this is that our players will be getting paid a more realistic wage. We are then relying on a manager to get them playing well and inspite what Blackwell will tell you, it isn't impossible.

If we can average 20k, that plus the TV income and other commercial income should be enough for a decent manager to put out a competitive CCC team.

Ask Blackwell and he would have you believe he is making do on a Scunthorpe type budget

I can't wait until we're back operating on an even keel. Then we'll all know where we stand, what our chances are and what we've a right to expect from the team.

It's the constant turmoil that's killing us.

 

[Lincoln Blade]

Your talking about raising season ticket prices... it just wouldnt make any finanicial sense and wont even bring in that much more money anyway. I mean if season tickets were put up by say £100 then we would only make £1.5million more money if we get say 15000 (may be ambitious) season tickets holders.
Yes £1.5million seems a lot of money but all it will mean is maybe one small signing or extra money for the wage budget. Either way, its not going to make any significant impact.

 

[wardlowwanderer]

How many have kids?

On the train over on Saturday my lad asked how much it cost for him each game (he's 11). We worked out it's approx 50p per match because I renewed early and got his for £11 (£1+£10 junior Blade). There are a lot of kids around and if they charged £50 (+£10 JB) I'm sure a lot would pay it because it's still good value. But if they try to put prices higher then they will also start to lose future full price ST holders.

SUFC PLC has actually managed the family side of things fairly well in the last few years and it would be a shame for them to throw it down the pan now. However, based on previous experience of this club I'm not going to hold my breath.

 

[WhiteHawk]

Right now I'm seriously considering not renewing given the shite that we're being served up at the minute but I just know that when the renewal forms get sent out, mine will be filled out straightaway and sent back. As much as my head is saying now that I'm not having a ST next season, I just can't see me not renewing.

If the prices went up by £50 then personally, I'd still think that was a good price so it wouldn't bother me at all. If it was a £100 increase though then that is a bit too much and I would seriously reconsider.

 

[alcoblade]

Right now I'm seriously considering not renewing given the shite that we're being served up at the minute but I just know that when the renewal forms get sent out, mine will be filled out straightaway and sent back. As much as my head is saying now that I'm not having a ST next season, I just can't see me not renewing.

If the prices went up by £50 then personally, I'd still think that was a good price so it wouldn't bother me at all. If it was a £100 increase though then that is a bit too much and I would seriously reconsider.

Good point fella. We must all remember that the club, SUFC, and the bond with the fans, will always be the thing that we love. If the club is damaged, so is our bond. Sadly, our chairman, though undoubtedly with the best of intentions, has fucked things up. But the fans need to stick with the club and support it when it needs it most. McCabe and Blackwell will be long gone, but we'll still be left supporting Sheffield United.

I desperately hope Blackwell is replaced by someone who knows how to entertain, I desperately hope the chairman sells to someone who cares about football more that bricks, but I know my two lads and I will be season ticket holders next season.

UTB

 

[Chingo]

It depends on Ward staying for me , if what I have read on Bladesmad (the horses mouth thread)is true (and Clayx doesn't feed bull) ... if Blackwell stays and Ward goes I'm out !

Ward should be treasured not shunned to make a point.

 

[raul]

Clayx's real name is Peter Mandelson.