Berks_Blade said:
But we need to turn the "floating fans" into regular attenders. That means making it easy for them to get to the big glamour games, where they may get a taste for the Blades and come back for the smaller ones later.
I'm not sure about anyone else but I didn't become a Blade by watching the Liverpools and Arsenals of the world... it was the Stockports, Grimsbys and Tranmeres of the leagues. I wouldn't have expected to get tickets for such games because back then, I wasn't a regular supporter of my club. If people are open to the football buzz, they should be open to it whoever we're playing and not just come out of the woodwork when we do have a big game... even though they inevitably do.
If being promoted doesn't turn people into Sheffield United fans, then I think very little will. If people want to make an excuse not to become regular attendees, they could point to the price of single match tickets as a very good reason for this. However, not many are advocating the reduction of ticket prices to attract new fans. How about offering away tickets to new fans first? Nothing would make a floater (I love that word) into a fan more than a good away trip to a big Premiership ground. I may be being slightly factious but the club, will look after people who do want to go to the most matches over those who go to the odd one. Just like Tesco give more clubcard points to people who shop there more. There's no room for maybes in business and losing money to take a chance on some people maybe turning up and maybe becoming long-terms fans is something a business has to consider a bad option.
To ensure that people who do want to come to the big match and two arguably smaller ones, the tickets were put in a package, as they have been before for W*dnesday matches at home. It didn't spark so much debate when we weren't playing Liverpool though. Single tickets did go on sale and apparently there hasn't been much take-up because some are still left.
You must have envisaged that it was going to be difficult to get tickets Berks by getting a season ticket yourself. I don't deny that it would be wonderful to see Blades up there but if there wasn't the expected demand, then you have other Blades to blame for not providing the demand, not the club for covering their backs. Imagine the questions in the boardroom if, for the first match in the Premier League for 12 years and live for the nation to see, we have a few Blades dotted around the upper tier and masses and masses of empty seats. It's all ifs, buts and possibilities, but the club has gone with the most likely scenario, that Liverpool would definitely sell out... rather than the maybe of United selling out.
MF said that they'd looked into it and with the match being on TV and during the holidays, they couldn't see any more demand. Which is fair enough and if tickets are still on sale, justifies this. If people want to go to a match, they don't mind where they sit... the Kop selling out (which can be one of the worst views) shows this.
With regards to long distance supporters I do have sympathy but again, this season was always going to be difficult for tickets... setting up BEES is an example. If matches are going to be done in packages in the future, hopefully a ticket sharing scheme could be worked out. It's all about choice though, as far as Sheffield United see, they haven't stopped you getting tickets for this match. They were put on sale with nothing to stop you buying them. It was the fact that you live away that prevented this and location is not something Sheffield United feel they have to take into account when putting tickets on sale.
I know many fans from out of the area and they still get tickets by joining the various schemes the Blades have to offer... season tickets, membership, superdraw etc etc. My cousin will be one of them. She's moving to Newcastle University but has still bought a season ticket. Mousey went to Sunderland University and still bought a season ticket. Memberships for £30 are in place to give people who only want to come to the odd match a priority and a discount. When my other cousin went to Hull, he bought one of these.
Many people must have taken up the three match package meaning fans will be coming to the Reading and Blackburn matches as well and Sheffield United are guaranteed a sell out on the first day. To me, this isn't a failure on Sheffield United's part but whatever the club decide will upset some people.
At the end of the day, if people really want tickets, they'll get them and this has always been the case.
), I'm not giving my opinion one way or the other because as well as believing in socialist ideals, I've also studied Business and Economics and understand the benefits for the club and die-hard supporters. I'd prefer to see how this works for a year.
