Season Ticket Reduction / Fans Forums

[Pollingtonblade]

Always happy at paying less. Going to take advantage of the free direct debit this year because I don't see why the money should be sitting in their account instead of ours.... my form of petty protest.

Don't know what the fan forums are going to achieve. If the individuals from the club attending don't already know what our frustrations are, then they aren't football fans.

Exactly- yes 10% off is good but with PL teams putting a cap on lower leagues have to follow.

As regards the forums you've been to more than me and from what I read/hear it's all 'words' - actions on the pitch speak louder.

For example NA could attend these forums and say 'next season I want 4-4-2 and and exciting passing game with lots of goals' but if we get beat by Northampton first game of season no one will remember the forums.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

The contention was strategy would be made up on a fag packet between now and the forums. Whether it's realistic or whatever it's there and it's loud and clear.

McCabe, the Prince, and Adkins are all, er, united together in how they want to take the club forwards.

Never say never but I'd be amazed if Adkins was sacked - almost no matter what. I can't see that it's even remotely possible. There's a (relatively) long term plan in place: the owners have decided to entrust him with rebuilding. I think it's the right decision.

Anyway. Thanks to the club for the news on STs - but I really want to see progress on the pitch.

You've outlined the manager's strategy, not the board's strategy. And bitter experience shows that the manager's strategy tends to get changed with changes of manager. Thus: sack Adkins and we're back to square one. But, alternatively, if the board genuinely had the goal of retaining that sort of managerial strategy and expecting any new manager to sign up to it, then we'd have made serious progress.

The point remains about player sales, financing, means for the manager to restructure his squad. All these being the remit of the board not the manager.

We'll see if we do in fact get any clear statements on these points. I'd suspect a fair few are waiting to hear what the owners/board have to say about them.

 

[Balham]

Where would we rather be, highly inflated ticket prices and challenging for promotion to the Premier League like in S6 or 10% better off facing another year in League 1?

How much is 10% of our season ticket sales? 10000x £450 = £4.5m and 10% of that is £450k.

£450k is a good player's wage. Let's refuse the deduction and donate an extra 10%.

Alternatively...

For arguments' sake, let's say that the average ST income is £200 this year and £180 next

This season: £200 x 12,000 = £2,400,000

Next season without saving: £200 x 10,000 = £2,000,000

Next season with saving: £180 x 11,000 = £1,980,000

They are hoping that the reduction in ST price will be balanced out by retaining some of the current holders who would otherwise have not renewed. The quick calc above shows that you'd break even by saving 1,000 out of 2,000 and that's before pies/bovrils/programmes/beers.

 

[spongebobblade]

Decent and probably required gesture by the club after the dross we have been served up. The club is always going to be open to critisism or suspicion but after the last 5 seasons and some of the crap that has come out of the club they only have themselves to blame. I welcome it but wait with baited breathe as to whether it will represent value for money or not. Over to the prince and Kev to see if Adkins (assuming) gets what's required. If he does then someone have a quiet word with Nige that aging championship players gets you nowhere in this division.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

I'm certainly not in a positive frame of mind over on pitch matters but then again I don't feel the need to make the same negative points several times every single day on various threads.

Ha
If everyone who made the same repetitive comments everyday stopped posting, this site would be very very quiet. Or is it just certain topics like season ticket prices you have a beef with?

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

I do think it's an interesting phenomenon. It happens on other forums in other walks of life - some of which you'd've thought would be utterly benign.

I think you have to be careful when you start amateur-psychologising but...I do wonder if this sort of thing previously played itself out in private - eg going home and kicking the cat. Now you can go home, bash on a keyboard and vent your spleen - and the cats of football fans sleep more soundly in their baskets.

Maybe the RSPCA has data on this.

...Thank heaven for footy forums...

They are becoming message-board parodies of tv characters, Norris Cole, Percy Sugden, Victor Meldrew... but who is who!!??

 

[Patrick Suffaux]

Sensible. It might save them from getting quite a few non renewals.

Now they also need to invest in the team or they will have to keep putting prices down to get people to turn up.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Ha
If everyone who made the same repetitive comments everyday stopped posting, this site would be very very quiet. Or is it just certain topics like season ticket prices you have a beef with?

I don't have a beef. That makes no sense. It's several times a day in some cases btw. In any event, I haven't said they shouldn't do it, just wonder why they need to. Most posters are aware of others opinions and very few bother answering the points anymore because they've been done to death so the only reduction in posts would be the repetitive stuff.

 

[Barney]

Although it's meant to look like a welcome move, it all seems a bit panicky to me.

ST prices are not the reason we have failed. Therefore, they didn't need changing. Keeping the prices the same but investing a lot more meaningfully would have been a far better move.

Something tells me there's less chance of the latter happening now the fans have been sweetened accordingly.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Although it's meant to look like a welcome move, it all seems a bit panicky to me.

ST prices are not the reason we have failed. Therefore, they didn't need changing. Keeping the prices the same but investing a lot more meaningfully would have been a far better move.

Something tells me there's less chance of the latter happening now the fans have been sweetened accordingly.

No reduction and a large reduction in ST sales negates that suggestion.

 

[pommpey]

Most of the moaners aren't Season Ticket holders at a guess.

Do they have to be?

Pommpey thinks this more about club financing future inward transfer ambitions to restructure the playing staff than the seemingly cynical reduction of prices to stave off an alarming rejection rate when the shout goes out.

But if Bert wants to make this into a Billy fucking Big Blade fest, then hey-ho.

pommpey

 

[1danewhitehouse]

I wonder where the cash shortfall is going to be made up? (Bye Brayford)

As for these fans forums a complete waste of time, usually a lecture from McCabe with a load of gullible fools giving McCabe a storm of applause every sentence whilst I was sat there with my arms folded thinking "this must be what it felt like to be a Liberal at a Nuremberg Rally"

And another chance for McCabe to tell the world that if someone else wants our player, there’s fuck all we can do about it which roughly translates to “come and get them” for any championship clubs listening.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

10% is perfectly acceptable. They don't have to give us anything if they don't want to. Sure, fan forums may be a waste of time, but at least they're doing it. The club have chosen to take a financial cut (not a big cut, but a cut nonetheless) to reflect the poorer performance of the squad this season. I think it's reasonable. It's symbolic more than anything, I'll only be £3.50 better off each month, but it's all in the right direction. Some of you lot will complain about anything won't ya.

I feel pretty much the same. It’s an acknowledgment of failure. Let’s just hope it’s not a pre-curser for more failure followed by “what do you expect for that price?”

 

[Sean Thornton]

And another chance for McCabe to tell the world that if someone else wants our player, there’s fuck all we can do about it which roughly translates to “come and get them” for any championship clubs listening.

Is there a list of these players that are desirable to Championship clubs? Can I see it?

 

[Woodwardfan]

The funny thing about fans forums is when the so called clappers see the anti McCabists queuing up at the end of the night to have their picture taken with their arm around Kev.

Yes so true and the clappers not going anywhere near him. Funny really.

 

[SB_90]

we've had a pretty dreadful year cant deny it, i dont get the moaning as ive got to give huge credit to Sheff utd Season Ticket 10% price cuts, any price cut is always appreciated, i cant remember last time i paid under £400 for my Season ticket in the family stand, actually i worked that with the price cuts & family package deal, compared to this season its equivalent of my 7yr niece going for free.

 

[alcoblade]

Price reduction - excellent
Fans forum - pointless*

* I don't blame them, they have to try. But as suggested before, it's another 60 minutes of political spin.

The Q&A's should be much more narrow / in depth than they ever are.

UTB

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Is there a list of these players that are desirable to Championship clubs? Can I see it?

erm,..... Brayford?... Maybe Adams????

 

[alcoblade]

Would rather they announced some serious intent and investment than reduce ST prices. Our main problem is that we are crap - not that we charge too much.

Given the numbers quoted, a 10 percent increase or decrease does not appreciably alter the amount of external investment required to run the club, so won't significantly alter any transfer budget.

UTB

 

[Woodwardfan]

I doubt ten thousand people pay £450 for their ST. You won't for example as a senior, unless you're in the executive seats.

I just doubled what I pay without thinking about it too much. The point remains though. If another 10000 made a donation of their 10% I'd be with that, much more in fact. I'm wanting this club to pull out of this going forwards, I've only about 20 years left!! My Leicester pal is really getting on my nerves these days and I can't say to him what I'm thinking all the time - McCabe paid all our debts!!! I say exactly that to my Wednesday pal but I'm jealous of them both. There's no justice in this world.

Looking at the reaction on here the gesture might not cost the club a penny as extra ticket sales they otherwise would not have got.

 

[alcoblade]

As mentioned on another thread, Huddersfield are offering the first 10,000 at £179 anywhere in the ground. Given that we are in a lower league, this should be matched at the very least. I'll still be paying more than double this after a 10% reduction.

Devaluing your offer so far is the road to the poor house, IMHO.

Once fan expectation is that you should be able to see football for "a fiver" a game, you can't row back from it. Fine, as long as you always have someone happy / able to make up the difference.

UTB

 

[Sean Thornton]

erm,..... Brayford?... Maybe Adams????

That's Brayford then

As things stand no one has any idea of what the boards plan is. Even though they'll have some sort of business plan in place it can only be an interim guesstimate because the income levels are currently unkown. The time for reasonable supposition starts with the retained list and then onto player incomings assuming things stay the same at board and manager level.
I certainly don't see it as an invitation for other clubs to cherry pick our "stars" mainly because we know nothing as yet.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

That's Brayford then

As things stand no one has any idea of what the boards plan is. Even though they'll have some sort of business plan in place it can only be an interim guesstimate because the income levels are currently unkown. The time for reasonable supposition starts with the retained list and then onto player incomings assuming things stay the same at board and manager level.
I certainly don't see it as an invitation for other clubs to cherry pick our "stars" mainly because we know nothing as yet.

I just meant that McCabe does that at every opportunity. If letting other clubs have our pants down on a regular basis wasn't enough of an invitation, regularly advertising our "powerlessness" compounds it.

 

[Maidenhead]

I feel pretty much the same. It’s an acknowledgment of failure. Let’s just hope it’s not a pre-curser for more failure followed by “what do you expect for that price?”

Better than Leeds United when Ken Bates implemented huge price increases telling their fans "if you want to get premiership football you have to pay premiership prices"

I wonder how they're enjoying the premiership? Maybe he should have said "if you want to see premiership football you need a Sky subscription"

The point being the price you pay has no relevance to what happens on the pitch.

 

[essex blade]

For us out of towners who don't attend every home game and therefore don't own a season ticket , what are the individual match tickets priced at next season?

 

[derryblade]

It's a decent gesture and a bonus to the season ticket holders who were going to renew regardless of the pricing by the club. Personally I don't think there will be a stampede of new ST holders despite the 10% reduction, fair play it's cheaper but it's still 3rd tier football. Many supporters need to see a strategy a serious intent to get promotion not just spin from owners and manager, personally I would like to see evidence of that before I parted with my money. The early release of the retained list would have given an indication of how that process was progressing.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Who wants us to stay in Division 3 - and why? McCabe? The Prince? Jim? Adkins?

Who is saying this?
Selling your best players season after season shows a lack of ambition.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Who is saying this?
Selling your best players season after season shows a lack of ambition.

Oh no it doesn't.

 

[BushBlade]

Better than Leeds United when Ken Bates implemented huge price increases telling their fans "if you want to get premiership football you have to pay premiership prices"

I wonder how they're enjoying the premiership? Maybe he should have said "if you want to see premiership football you need a Sky subscription"

The point being the price you pay has no relevance to what happens on the pitch.

Didn't KM significantly raise prices about fifteen years ago, after the collapse of ITV digital? I seem to recall prices going up from around a tenner to about £18.
I suspect that, and the first share issue provided Warnock the funds to improve us.

 

[BushBlade]

It's a decent gesture and a bonus to the season ticket holders who were going to renew regardless of the pricing by the club. Personally I don't think there will be a stampede of new ST holders despite the 10% reduction, fair play it's cheaper but it's still 3rd tier football. Many supporters need to see a strategy a serious intent to get promotion not just spin from owners and manager, personally I would like to see evidence of that before I parted with my money. The early release of the retained list would have given an indication of how that process was progressing.

It must cost you a fortune coming over from Ireland every fortnight, can't imagine 10% off the ST price making much of a dent in that.