Season tickets - critical decisions

[Grecian2000]

Get injured players on the phone to call non renewing season ticket holders

Now that would be fantastic.

Mrs G. : "Nah then knobhead, there's a Ryan France on the phone for you."
Me : "You stick your 'Sex and The City' DVD on dear, I may be some time"

I like the idea of a free Prem ST as an incentive to buy one now but more realistic would be a 20% discount adding up for each year until we make it.
Add Free early round Cup games (i.e Rnd 1,2 and 3 of LC, 3 and 4 of FAC). Would only cost IF we got drawn at home anyway.
Tempt this seasons NRS by giving them the renewers discount NEXT season (one off chance only).
Anyone not a ST holder but who has done, say, 15 away games to get renewers discount.
Anyone who IS a ST holder to get extra discount (on top of renewers) depending on number of aways (and home cup games) attended.
Free draw for all ST's to have a "box" for one match OR a meal/directors box package

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

As one of the travelling Blades with other associated costs there's more to it than just making the average price of a game £2 less. In addition, any price reductions normally apply to renewers and is not applied to new tickets for obvious reasons. As is currently being discussed in other threads, there's so much that's wrong with the overall match day experience these days without even going into the cost or the state of the team on the pitch.

I think if the fans could see signs that the club was on the up, that the team was showing signs of improvement then they'd have a chance but much like the country at the moment, all we see is money going in and nothing coming back in return.

I've long been an advocate of filling the ground with cheap offers just to get people in and try and get some kind of atmosphere but then of course that has a knock-on effect on the people who stump up big money in advance for Season Tickets. It's a difficult one but as Raul says above, I'm trying to think of things they could do to tempt the likes of me back and it's not easy.

Unfortunately, the club will have a target income for ST sales and with the likelihood of a few more thousand not renewing, there's no way there's going to be any price reduction just the price freeze announcement with all the usual bells and whistles.

 

[Tuns]

Barring a promotion I don't think steadily increased performances will do much to increase ST sales or walk ups and Len is right that something radical is needed and it would be great if people saw this thread as a positive place for ideas for the club rather than getting sidetracked.

Starting from the standpoint that you need fans at games to build a club, attract players, create feel good atmosphere etc and that it's even worth subsiding a bit in the short term (or a few months of Ched's wages). And these are meant to be ideas to kick the club into thinking dare I say it out of the box rather than my well thought out solutions...

Massively reduced ST prices with a voluntary/encouraged 'donation' on top which was guaranteed to go towards team strengthening/academy. ST £149 with a voluntary donation of £50 or £100 on top for the more affluent fans that is ring fenced for the team. Free for kids again with a donation toward the future of the club.

Or maybe drop the voluntary bit and say STs will be kids free and £199 everywhere in the ground and x amount of every ST will go towards team strengthening.

Everyone should be entitled to the discounted ST prices not just existing ST holders - or we may as well forget about getting back the thousands of lapsed ST holders like me (you may think that's self interest but it's a reality). I had a ST for 35 years and it would never have bothered me.

Make it an absolute doddle to buy tickets online - for gods sake how hard is it in this day and age.

Forget the 10% off in the club shop bollocks and just get the headline price down to a price that makes a headline.

We're better off financially and in many other ways by getting 15 to 20,000 fans in at say £199 a go than 9,000 at £299 a go. So just do it.

SOme areas of unreserved seating.

Maybe when you buy a ST you get a sort of side offer to buy 10 games for x amount that you can use to bring mates along.

Next year's ST £149 or buy two years for £249 or Len says free the year after on promotion etc

A kind of 'groupon' type offer where the ST price is very low assuming a minimum number sign up for the offer. Though we'd have to sort our internet out!

I know there will be predictable noises about the club can't afford these sort of ideas, they won't work etc but I think the reality is that the club can not afford to do something more radical. My ideas may not be the best but I'm sure this board has enough about it to come up with something different rather than just accepting the decline of attendances and therefore the club.

 

[ghandi]

I like the idea of a 5/10 year ST. I was a Blade 2000 member and with the 5 year ST deal you ended up getting about 1.5 seasons free.

 

[redalwaysablade]

How about some sort of debit card for food/beverages. Pay up front and spend, spend, spend.

United get the readies, we get fat and or pleasantly pickled!!!

 

[lenners]

As one of the travelling Blades with other associated costs there's more to it than just making the average price of a game £2 less. In addition, any price reductions normally apply to renewers and is not applied to new tickets for obvious reasons. As is currently being discussed in other threads, there's so much that's wrong with the overall match day experience these days without even going into the cost or the state of the team on the pitch.

I think if the fans could see signs that the club was on the up, that the team was showing signs of improvement then they'd have a chance but much like the country at the moment, all we see is money going in and nothing coming back in return.

I've long been an advocate of filling the ground with cheap offers just to get people in and try and get some kind of atmosphere but then of course that has a knock-on effect on the people who stump up big money in advance for Season Tickets. It's a difficult one but as Raul says above, I'm trying to think of things they could do to tempt the likes of me back and it's not easy.

Unfortunately, the club will have a target income for ST sales and with the likelihood of a few more thousand not renewing, there's no way there's going to be any price reduction just the price freeze announcement with all the usual bells and whistles.

I don't think the screwing the few to maintain the target is a tenable approach anymore Fleets.
So many long term fans have already walked and many more will if they adopt that approach.
They have got to sit down and think how do we get 15,000 season ticket holders next season and find a way to do it.
Some decent ideas on here but I reckon there's more to be had.

 

[Foxy]

lenners.. i've come to the conclusion that we're dinosaurs on here mate

Or it might just be that there are others with an alternative opinion?

Everyone has their own opinion on things, many will agree with the mast majority of yours, others will disagree, that's the beauty of having your own mind.

monty sums it all up for me.. the guy is a great athlete but has never been a footballer.. yet people still defend him.. 'he'd run through a wall for the club'.. i don't care about walls.. this isn't a wall running competition.. you're supposed to be able to make a five yard pass.. i give up

Again, it's down to opinion. Although the guy can clearly make a five yard pass. I don't think anyone for one second suggested he was the second coming of Tony Currie, it's just others don't share your opinion on his abilities. This would have been the case previously about other players, had this medium been available for you to talk about players back in the day.

 

[Linz]

Budgets are pretty much set on ST sales so losing ST holders to cheap offers every match would be a recipe for disaster.

I really don't know what the answer would be. I buy a ST because, grumble as much as I do leaving the pub at 14:30, I wouldn't change it for the world.

I have suggested some sort of tie-in with a bank or building society whereby they offer a Blades Regular Savings Account. Every April, you open your savings account (either in-branch, at BDTBL or online) and £35 is taken by Direct Debit every month. The money is tied up so you can't dip into it and then they make it pay out on ST renewal day.

12 x £35 = £420 plus whatever rate of interest they could offer.

This is what I do to pay for my ST anyway but I'm sure more people would think of it if it was offered by United.

 

[Ballinpigpubs13]

What about free entry to cup games for season ticket holders except for later rounds such as the quarter final onwards ( we should be so lucky ).

 

[bartman]

What about free entry to cup games for season ticket holders except for later rounds such as the quarter final onwards ( we should be so lucky ).

you would have to get the opposition to agree as they take a share of the gate money in cup games

 

[SwissBlade]

Ok so I've had a look at this thread, there are some decent ideas but it boils down to three things for me:
- Cost
- Quality on the pitch
- Ability to get to the games

Cost
Options to spread the payment options would be a good idea.
The lump sum payment works for me, I know its coming so I budget for it, I appreciate that this doesn't work for everyone.
The main issue I have with cost is value for money. This season I said that I wouldn't buy a season ticket if it was over £300 (Kop). Next season will be the same but I fear that it will be more and I really want to keep my season ticket on, so will have to think hard about it.
Personally I think the pricing for the Kop should work out at £10 per game.

Quality on the pitch
As Lenners said, there are many that think that the quality won't improve quickly. I suspect that those not buying season tickets are the fed up Blades, so why would they get sucked in with the Free season ticket when we get promoted idea?
BB has said, if Micky gets us buzzing and the atmosphere is like v Donny 2nd half then fans will want to come back.
If we continue to cough and splutter our way through the season, it makes it very hard to get fans back

Ability to get to the game
I guess this also comes as a desire too, but I know lads who've had season tickets for years and never missed games, but have started working, taking holidays on a home game weekend, going to meadowhall, building sheds etc instead. They just found better things to do.

To be fair to United, over the years we've done the offers, Free Shirts, Free season tickets for the next season if we go up, free brick in the wall. But now we need to be more realistic

Perhaps the club could offer us Free Play off final tickets for next season - This would be a big gamble as tickets for wembley are anything from £30-100, its a more realistic incentive, so perhaps all season ticket holders could get a £20 voucher for the play off final (providing we make it).

If the club (and fans) really think that a full ground is linked to success on the pitch then look at an increasing scale of incentive. Could work like this, for the number of tickets sold:
10,000 sold - Everyone gets a £10 off in the shop
11,000 - £20 off the shop
12,000 - Bring a friend Free ticket (eg for Carling cup)
13,000, 14,000, 15,000 etc etc
Up to 20,000+ where you get a free Season ticket for the following season in the Premier League

 

[lenners]

Swiss, I don't think a free season ticket is the be all and end all but it's a promotion that costs the club nothing given the amount they would get if the miracle occured and the consequent rise in season ticket sales anyway.
I'm actually wondering if we should be really bold and slash the cost of season tickets which I think Bradford did with major success.
If we think by keeping tickets at the same price we're going to lose, let's say, another 3,000, maybe the bold move would be to hack them back to instead maintain or ideally increase numbers.
The goodwill would be immense and that's something the club really needs right now.

 

[SwissBlade]

Swiss, I don't think a free season ticket is the be all and end all but it's a promotion that costs the club nothing given the amount they would get if the miracle occured and the consequent rise in season ticket sales anyway.
I'm actually wondering if we should be really bold and slash the cost of season tickets which I think Bradford did with major success.
If we think by keeping tickets at the same price we're going to lose, let's say, another 3,000, maybe the bold move would be to hack them back to instead maintain or ideally increase numbers.
The goodwill would be immense and that's something the club really needs right now.

Agreed Lenners - it would be bold and i think it would be very well received, but would it tempt that many fans back? Big risk but I think its a risk worth taking with Micky being the Blades type manager - If Micky does half as well as I expect this season then I think it will turn heads, but I think it'll be too late for the season ticket pricing... Unless the super discounted renewal price lasts until the end of the season.

 

[lenners]

Agreed Lenners - it would be bold and i think it would be very well received, but would it tempt that many fans back? Big risk but I think its a risk worth taking with Micky being the Blades type manager - If Micky does half as well as I expect this season then I think it will turn heads, but I think it'll be too late for the season ticket pricing... Unless the super discounted renewal price lasts until the end of the season.

I was thinking really bold - along the lines of £150 for the kop, £200 or £250 elsewhere.
If we were to sell close to 20,000, the income would be unlikely to be much different to what could well be around half that at current prices.
And the associated increased in commercial income would be significant.
Back of a fag packet stuff but we need to think imaginatively to sell tickets, re-engage with a lot of fans and revitalise the whole place.

 

[SwissBlade]

And if it just doesnt entice people? Were stuck with 12000 cheap season tickets and we dont pay our tax.

I think that would be too bold... £250 for the Kop would be about right.

 

[lenners]

And if it just doesnt entice people? Were stuck with 12000 cheap season tickets and we dont pay our tax.

I think that would be too bold... £250 for the Kop would be about right.

I think it would be highly unlikely we'd sell less than this year at £150 and £250.
The problem is I'm not sure a reduction to £250 makes enough difference and you do end up losing significant numbers anyway.
If you slashed them, you could also drop the free tickets and make kids £50 or summat similar and still be offering a great deal.
All in all, it's got to be something imaginative or dramatic or both.
Times are hard, fans are fed up, the team's not very good. Tinkering round the edges won't cut it.

 

[Houso]

Agreed with everything from Len in this thread.

Personally, I'd hold the season ticket price in order to fund the squad. If there is a drop, it has to be small simply for lip service as there are only a few people who will see pricing as selling point. Remember, football supporters are NOT like your average consumer. The only price drop that would make any difference would be a drastic one such as those offered by Huddersfield... but you need a wealthy benefactor to support this with transfers occurring at the same time. That's not to say that I don't disagree with following season offers dependent on promotion and renewal.

- Tempt back the traditional supporters by emphasising a return to old values and less of Tom Hark and the like.
- Throw in range of freebies such as a free pint or hot drink a month or something similar. If managed correctly, this could increase revenue from the kiosks due to getting people into the ground earlier.
- Emphasise how much the supporters are needed to increase wage bill and transfer funds. Some will resent this, but it won't stop people buying.

 

[SwissBlade]

Ok so its just a matter of how much we think the drop in Season Ticket price should be, but there should be a drop to tempt fans back.

The big thing United need to do is to market things better. Not just say that season tickets are on sale. Tell people why they think that United Season tickets are good value for money, because recommendations from other fans that its a great day out won't do much

We also need to work on the loyalty point scheme, perhaps giving further incentives to fans with high numbers of points. Miles and More Frequent flyers is excellent as they have two types of points:
Status Points - Which is for your blue, silver, gold and Hon circle. You need to achieve a certain number of points per year to maintain that level. Each level comes with additional benefits. These points are set to Zero every 12 months and you have to maintain your frequent flyer miles to that level to ensure that you keep your status for the next year.
Award Points - These points are the bonus points really, they are the points accumulated to be spent on flights, goods etc

 

[j j]

An offer such as free Premier League ST would be an empty gesture. The only time that incentives attract more people is if the club come up with an improved product. There are no short cuts. Only if the team improves between now and ST-buying time will people think about coming back. If we have a run of reasonable results and exciting games people will renew. If we are doing well by the end of the season, some lapsed ST holders will come back next season. If next season we look like contenders, more lapsed folk come back and if we look like we will actually go up new people will turn up.

Third or fourth division 10K; bottom half of second division £15k; top half of second division £20K; play offs (actual play off games) and top division full capacity.

 

[ghandi]

Agreed with everything from Len in this thread.

Personally, I'd hold the season ticket price in order to fund the squad. If there is a drop, it has to be small simply for lip service as there are only a few people who will see pricing as selling point. Remember, football supporters are NOT like your average consumer. The only price drop that would make any difference would be a drastic one such as those offered by Huddersfield... but you need a wealthy benefactor to support this with transfers occurring at the same time. That's not to say that I don't disagree with following season offers dependent on promotion and renewal.

- Tempt back the traditional supporters by emphasising a return to old values and less of Tom Hark and the like.
- Throw in range of freebies such as a free pint or hot drink a month or something similar. If managed correctly, this could increase revenue from the kiosks due to getting people into the ground earlier.
- Emphasise how much the supporters are needed to increase wage bill and transfer funds. Some will resent this, but it won't stop people buying.

Houso....I've made this point before an increase in sales at the food outlets in ground will not produce a 1p extra for SUFC. All SUFC catering (inc functions etc) is outsourced to Compass and we only get the cash from giveing them the contract. It was all brought in-house about 4years ago in response to shite catering but about 2 years ago this was outsourced again in one of the first cost cutting measures.

 

[lenners]

An offer such as free Premier League ST would be an empty gesture. The only time that incentives attract more people is if the club come up with an improved product. There are no short cuts. Only if the team improves between now and ST-buying time will people think about coming back. If we have a run of reasonable results and exciting games people will renew. If we are doing well by the end of the season, some lapsed ST holders will come back next season. If next season we look like contenders, more lapsed folk come back and if we look like we will actually go up new people will turn up.

Third or fourth division 10K; bottom half of second division £15k; top half of second division £20K; play offs (actual play off games) and top division full capacity.

Can't see how it would be an empty gesture.
Next season might be unlikely to result in promotion (hopefully from the Championship and not League One) but it isn't impossible.
I think we have to consider the playing side may not massively alter in terms of eye-catching signings etc so the emphasis has to be on pricing, initiatives and so on.
We need to look at it in those terms.

 

[j j]

It's an empty gesture because we will not be in that league. The last time we made such an offer it was an incentive because we might have gone up, but leave it for now until we have a chance and then offer it. When I say improve the football, I'm not expecting eye-catching signings. The second half against Villa was a start. Even a decent relegation fight would be good. Anything except the dullness. The thing that gets attendances up is football. Otherwise you persuade people to come and they see something not worth having.

Out of the things I've seen suggested here, on-line sales and spreading the costs are not just good ideas but basic business sense and should be sorted ASAFP.

 

[lenners]

It's an empty gesture because we will not be in that league. The last time we made such an offer it was an incentive because we might have gone up, but leave it for now until we have a chance and then offer it. When I say improve the football, I'm not expecting eye-catching signings. The second half against Villa was a start. Even a decent relegation fight would be good. Anything except the dullness. The thing that gets attendances up is football. Otherwise you persuade people to come and they see something not worth having.

Out of the things I've seen suggested here, on-line sales and spreading the costs are not just good ideas but basic business sense and should be sorted ASAFP.

But it's something that costs nothing, potentially offers something, and is relatively straightfoward. No harm done.
As I said, I would also make it for the following two years.

 

[Houso]

Houso....I've made this point before an increase in sales at the food outlets in ground will not produce a 1p extra for SUFC. All SUFC catering (inc functions etc) is outsourced to Compass and we only get the cash from giveing them the contract. It was all brought in-house about 4years ago in response to shite catering but about 2 years ago this was outsourced again in one of the first cost cutting measures.

Ah, course, sorry forgot about this. That idea is out of the window then.

 

[beightonblade]

get the product reight Blades will turn up ........ get it wrong and they won't ............... EASY !

 

[SteelCity Blade]

get the product reight Blades will turn up ........ get it wrong and they won't ............... EASY !

Yep.....that's the bottom line. End of thread.

 

[lenners]

get the product reight Blades will turn up ........ get it wrong and they won't ............... EASY !

Thanks for that quite stunning piece of intellectual gymnastics.
Will they be turning up to a new ground somewhere because McCabe's got the freehold and sold the Lane?
In the remote possibility you ever tire of being the rear-end of the panto horse, why not see if you can rustle up a few brain cells and come up with something constructive?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Houso....I've made this point before an increase in sales at the food outlets in ground will not produce a 1p extra for SUFC. All SUFC catering (inc functions etc) is outsourced to Compass and we only get the cash from giveing them the contract. It was all brought in-house about 4years ago in response to shite catering but about 2 years ago this was outsourced again in one of the first cost cutting measures.

The perils of outsourcing laid bare for all to see.

 

[beightonblade]

Thanks for that quite stunning piece of intellectual gymnastics.
Will they be turning up to a new ground somewhere because McCabe's got the freehold and sold the Lane?
In the remote possibility you ever tire of being the rear-end of the panto horse, why not see if you can rustle up a few brain cells and come up with something constructive?

oh great one i know when i'm beat ! ....... mind yer i think i've hit the nail on the head wi that quote.....and iff yer don't like it tuff.

 

[lenners]

oh great one i know when i'm beat ! ....... mind yer i think i've hit the nail on the head wi that quote.....and iff yer don't like it tuff.

Thing is Beighton, when you drop the act you sometimes have things worth hearing.
Happens that we could do with some ideas here.