A Chat With Richard Batho.

[DP8789]

I previously posted a thread to show i was a little dissapointed with the way the 2 year freeze on tickets was being implemented (basically im struggling to afford a season ticket as im starting a pgce in sept)

Anyway i spoke with him today and he has given me a bit of information with regards to our ticketing policy next year.

* The Deadline for the price freeze for the 17th will stand and wont be moved.
* He seemed to think flexi tickets and mini season tickets will be scrapped
* There will be a few more games being classified as 'category c' (to get bums on seats for tuesday night games at half term etc)
* Matchday prices will be going up - he didnt know how much by, but their will definately be an increase.
* He was very adamant to point out that it will be about a saving of 150-200 over the year for season ticket holders.
* Their will only be a couple of games where united will reduce prices for students, any other student offers will be at the universities discretion and if they choose to take a loss on tickets by offering them to their students that is up to them (he didnt expect much to come of that either)

So, the main point of it is if you dont/cant buy a season ticket but still go to a lot of games you are going to get stung in the pocket when compared to the season ticket offers.

I personally feel this is a bit of scaremongering from the club, if we go down and the club is in the top 6 at xmas i cant imagine them scrapping half season tickets.

nice bloke to be fair to him and he seemed to be sympathetic to my situation and did ask me to get back to him on what i decide to do and he said he was keen to see if anything else could be done based on what i decide to do.

i would strongly recommend anyone to contact him if they have a relevant issue.

 

[Muttley]

Matchday prices going up eh? Fr 3rd tier "football"? Well I wont be going then. Stuff it.

 

[raul]

You're either in, or you're out.

 

[Vancouver]

It's True, Blades are getting the shaft.

 

[boo radley]

I previously posted a thread to show i was a little dissapointed with the way the 2 year freeze on tickets was being implemented (basically im struggling to afford a season ticket as im starting a pgce in sept)

Anyway i spoke with him today and he has given me a bit of information with regards to our ticketing policy next year.

* The Deadline for the price freeze for the 17th will stand and wont be moved.
* He seemed to think flexi tickets and mini season tickets will be scrapped
* There will be a few more games being classified as 'category c' (to get bums on seats for tuesday night games at half term etc)
* Matchday prices will be going up - he didnt know how much by, but their will definately be an increase.
* He was very adamant to point out that it will be about a saving of 150-200 over the year for season ticket holders.
* Their will only be a couple of games where united will reduce prices for students, any other student offers will be at the universities discretion and if they choose to take a loss on tickets by offering them to their students that is up to them (he didnt expect much to come of that either)

So, the main point of it is if you dont/cant buy a season ticket but still go to a lot of games you are going to get stung in the pocket when compared to the season ticket offers.

I personally feel this is a bit of scaremongering from the club, if we go down and the club is in the top 6 at xmas i cant imagine them scrapping half season tickets.

nice bloke to be fair to him and he seemed to be sympathetic to my situation and did ask me to get back to him on what i decide to do and he said he was keen to see if anything else could be done based on what i decide to do.

i would strongly recommend anyone to contact him if they have a relevant issue.

Told you didn't I. He is a nice gent but i cannot get my head round what the club will be doing for exiled Blades as reported in the 'Tickets' thread. They all agree that its better to get those who can only make it back for so many games to get bums on seats. the problem I see is that they dont want to leave this open to abuse by people who live local and would use the system somehow to avoid season tickets.
I know ther has been talk of membership card system but until we know how this works, then we'll have to wait and see.

 

[DP8789]

Told you didn't I. He is a nice gent but i cannot get my head round what the club will be doing for exiled Blades as reported in the 'Tickets' thread. They all agree that its better to get those who can only make it back for so many games to get bums on seats. the problem I see is that they dont want to leave this open to abuse by people who live local and would use the system somehow to avoid season tickets.
I know ther has been talk of membership card system but until we know how this works, then we'll have to wait and see.

i asked about those cards boo, he didnt seem to have much to say on the matter, its like you say, too many people will exploit the system, it would have to be based around you providing proof you dont live in sheffield and then maybe you could give an estimate of how many games you could go too.

but thats just like the flexi ticket - and thats getting scrapped!!!

 

[SwissBlade]

To be fair I don't think there is anything new in that, except the match day pricing.

The scrapping of these flexi schemes was on the OS.

Sure they'll lose some people with the stance, how many remains to be seen. Having said that they'll lose people based upon the "True Blades" marketing campaign, it seems to have had a bigger and more negative impact than a price freeze.

It also remains to be seen now if the roll out of the price freeze, which is a big saving for fans buying a new season ticket will have a big impact in bringing additional fans in.

I think that my season ticket price is at the top end of what I want to pay. I'm slightly disappointed that my loyalty is not also rewarded with a price cut, but I'm not about to grumble as its costing me no more than it did last season, when really if I wanted to pick the bones out of it, nothing added for the VAT rise and nothing added for the inflation rise.

The one thing I heard as pub talk was that United have major problems with people buying concessions (kids or OAP's) tickets but then people who should pay full price are abusing the system by not actually paying the full price (i.e. buying a season ticket in your grandads name and going yourself). I don't know if its true or if its an issue for the club, but I guess thats the issue with the season card and unmanned turnstyles.

 

[Foxy]

The one thing I heard as pub talk was that United have major problems with people buying concessions (kids or OAP's) tickets but then people who should pay full price are abusing the system by not actually paying the full price (i.e. buying a season ticket in your grandads name and going yourself). I don't know if its true or if its an issue for the club, but I guess thats the issue with the season card and unmanned turnstyles.

Incidentally.... More concession turnstyles anyone?

I know that this is an area that has definately been previously abused and in fact heard a head steward discussing one such case at half time at the Leeds match.

 

[Big Mart]

Did he mention anything about the squad being shit? Or the fact that we're relegation bound? Or did he simply toe the club's line of ignoring all that stuff, and of course if you pretend there isn't a problem there then there can't be.........can there?

 

[DP8789]

Did he mention anything about the squad being shit? Or the fact that we're relegation bound? Or did he simply toe the club's line of ignoring all that stuff, and of course if you pretend there isn't a problem there then there can't be.........can there?

nothing about that, sorry.

 

[Wapping Blade]

Incidentally.... More concession turnstyles anyone?

I know that this is an area that has definately been previously abused and in fact heard a head steward discussing one such case at half time at the Leeds match.

You see it every match when the concession (yellow) light goes on on the turnstile for a middle aged bloke and the stewards just carry on with their thousand yard stares.

 

[Northyorksblade]

If you have a concession ticket, it will now only work on the concession turnstile. I know this for a fact as I tried to go in the wrong turnstile recently and it wouldn't let me. They now have stewards stood at the inside of the concession turnstile checking, but not all the time! And when I say checking, they just stand there and presumably look for people who look over 16 and under 60!! Not sure what they do, if they see one! Knwoing our stewards, probably arm up the back and frogmarched out again.

 

[Foxy]

Did he mention anything about the squad being shit? Or the fact that we're relegation bound? Or did he simply toe the club's line of ignoring all that stuff, and of course if you pretend there isn't a problem there then there can't be.........can there?

I expect the squad is high up the remit of anyone charged with supporter communications. Perhaps we could save money on all the football staff and have Richard doing all their jobs?

 

[SwissBlade]

Did he mention anything about the squad being shit? Or the fact that we're relegation bound? Or did he simply toe the club's line of ignoring all that stuff, and of course if you pretend there isn't a problem there then there can't be.........can there?

Why would you want the fans liaison to talk about that stuff?

 

[broomhillblade]

A chat with Richard Batho.

What next? - A Bath With Richard Chatto?

 

[Deleted member 1486]

Sounds like a "fuck you" to the fans to me. Bollocks to it, with any luck McCabe will decide he's sick of paying the taxman/bunch of worthless players every month and we'll get a Chairman in who gives a shit about the club and the fans.

Is Richard Batho the new Blackwell btw? The guy who takes the shit for McCabe. Hope the moneys good!

 

[Stafford Blade]

I previously posted a thread to show i was a little dissapointed with the way the 2 year freeze on tickets was being implemented (basically im struggling to afford a season ticket as im starting a pgce in sept)

Anyway i spoke with him today and he has given me a bit of information with regards to our ticketing policy next year.

* The Deadline for the price freeze for the 17th will stand and wont be moved.
* He seemed to think flexi tickets and mini season tickets will be scrapped
* There will be a few more games being classified as 'category c' (to get bums on seats for tuesday night games at half term etc)
* Matchday prices will be going up - he didnt know how much by, but their will definately be an increase.
* He was very adamant to point out that it will be about a saving of 150-200 over the year for season ticket holders.
* Their will only be a couple of games where united will reduce prices for students, any other student offers will be at the universities discretion and if they choose to take a loss on tickets by offering them to their students that is up to them (he didnt expect much to come of that either)

So, the main point of it is if you dont/cant buy a season ticket but still go to a lot of games you are going to get stung in the pocket when compared to the season ticket offers.

I personally feel this is a bit of scaremongering from the club, if we go down and the club is in the top 6 at xmas i cant imagine them scrapping half season tickets.

nice bloke to be fair to him and he seemed to be sympathetic to my situation and did ask me to get back to him on what i decide to do and he said he was keen to see if anything else could be done based on what i decide to do.

i would strongly recommend anyone to contact him if they have a relevant issue.

So for some games united are going to charge MORE THAN THIRTY FOUR QUID to watch division 3 football? If that is the case united can fuck right off and I hope games are played in front of 8 or 9 thousand next year. Robbing bastards

 

[Tuns]

It was a simple choice in the end - cut prices, do something innovative and try and increase ST numbers or maintain/increase prices and hope that we only deter a couple of thousand more fans.

We've gone for the latter. The club can't be half hearted about it and needs to see it through with the predictable warnings of price increases and not moving the ridiculous early deadline etc. If they really think that holding a gun to fans' heads is going to make them get a ST then they seriously misjudge the mood of the average Blade but having gone down this road then I can see why they are trying it on in their usual misguided way.

I hope the group of Blades I know is not representative but season before last we were up to 8 ST holders. Lost 3 last year including me and of the remaining 5, 2 say they won't renew next season.None of the 3 that left last season are tempted at all by the price freeze - it's just the same price we didn't buy them at last season.

All of us have been ST holders for over 25 years and done more than our fair share of away games.

Of the 3 that gave up their STs I'd say we have averaged about 4 games each this season with most of those on borrowed STs and £10 games. I don't think any of us have paid for a Cat A game.

If matchday prices really are going to increase then I'd suggest the club shuts the ticket office as I can't see the cost of operating it will cover how many matchday tickets we will sell. Or maybe we could merge our ticket office with our neighbours to cut costs?

 

[lenners]

Batho is a complete waste of space.
A fans rep who finds himself trotting out the club's establishment line is utterly pointless.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

You see it every match when the concession (yellow) light goes on on the turnstile for a middle aged bloke and the stewards just carry on with their thousand yard stares.

I'm older than I look....

 

[SwissBlade]

Batho is a complete waste of space.
A fans rep who finds himself trotting out the club's establishment line is utterly pointless.

Did you manage to get your Youth Semi tickets Lenners?

 

[Foxy]

Batho is a complete waste of space.
A fans rep who finds himself trotting out the club's establishment line is utterly pointless.

...and the beauty of it is, you can decide what he finds himself "trotting out" as you are the self appointed "establishment line" detector!

Out of interest, have you asked anything of the person you are labelling a waste of space?

 

[Yossarian]

It was a simple choice in the end - cut prices, do something innovative and try and increase ST numbers or maintain/increase prices and hope that we only deter a couple of thousand more fans.

We've gone for the latter.

If this is true, then the whole marketing department may as well pack their desks away. No club heading for 3rd tier football should be increasing their prices. Chimpanzees could come up with better promotional ideas than the ones I've seen from BL.

 

[Large Mendonca]

Well that's made up my mind on the number of games I will be attending next season. Top stuff blades, how much do you pay people to come up with such innovative ideas???

 

[Bladesman]

Matchday prices going up eh? Fr 3rd tier "football"? Well I wont be going then. Stuff it.

Yep just what I thought.

Its either buy now or we really screw you over next year for League 1 football.

Well done the club must be aiming to get a lower attendance than the oinkers got into the sty last night.

 

[lenners]

...and the beauty of it is, you can decide what he finds himself "trotting out" as you are the self appointed "establishment line" detector!

Out of interest, have you asked anything of the person you are labelling a waste of space?

Er, the original post is pretty clear.
I've no intention of asking him anything. His role has been an abject failure and waste of time.
The absurdity of a fans rep informing a fan that matchday prices are definitely going up next season when we've never heard a peep out of him on the subject is wondrous.

 

[Latters]

Er, the original post is pretty clear.
I've no intention of asking him anything. His role has been an abject failure and waste of time.
The absurdity of a fans rep informing a fan that matchday prices are definitely going up next season when we've never heard a peep out of him on the subject is wondrous.

I agree with you here Lenners. I see no point in the man's role whatsoever.

I just want to pay a reasonable price to watch a decent Blades team on a Saturday (and the occasional Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Pigsday, thanks Sky). I don't want to ask some "Fans' liaison officer" what great innovations are coming out of the club to diminish the number of season ticket holders. I don't want to feel like part of the "Blades Family" where we're all happy friends together in the decision making process. I just want to turn up on a matchday because they've set a reasonable ticket price and look like they're trying to build a decent side. I don't want to receive bollocks newsletters saying how generous they're being by freezing prices whilst completely ignoring the fact that it's more than likely we'll be relegated. I also don't want threats about "buy your season ticket now or else it'll cost you even more! It won't because I just wouldn't bother, like a lot of others. Come on Blades, pack it in with all this Americanised marketing bollocks and trying to create a friendly and approachable face of the club and invest some cash in the team on the pitch. We're a football team, not a brand.

Bollocks to having a global brand, bollocks to having Fans' liaison officers and bollocks to having a Chairman who couldn't really give a shit about the FOOTBALL club and is so far out of touch with how the fans feel it's untrue. Just invest in a team of our own and sell tickets, be it season, half season or just matchday, at a reasonable price for the level we're performing at. It is, as I believe somebody once said, not rocket science. It doesn't need a marketing department costing shitloads to come up with that.:thumbup:

 

[lenners]

Did you manage to get your Youth Semi tickets Lenners?

Not yet but shall be there.

 

[Vancouver]

Ok; who had money on Len replying between 5-6 hours after posting? We didn't give odds on it being a critical response.

 

[Yossarian]

I had 6-7.

Days. 6-7 days.