It it worth buying a sesaon ticket for 2016/7

[P!ssed Off]

The team starting next season will be far worse than the one that started this one.

Decreased quality.
Not sure how you could disagree with that.

You aren't ITK so I can comfortably disagree. Please feel free to show me solid evidence it will be 'far worse'.

Performances have improved recently, results haven't admitted. Still a lot better than the dross we had under Adkins, then Clarke at beginning and end of his reign.

Like I said, you evidently don't attend games judging by your recent tripe.

Team tipped for top 6 at the start of this season.
We'll be tipped for relegation at the start of the next.

[Top Flight]

I think the club really need to look at the social aspect alot more. Because when the football is sh*t that is what keeps you going. And at Reading the social side of it is pretty bad at the moment. There is alot that they need to work on.

Have you got any suggestion as to how this could be improved?

I think we all know more or less what the problems are Wazzock. We all know what we'd like the matchday experience to be.

There is no point me telling you how it could be improved because I have no power over the matter at all. So now I'll go on and tell you how it can be improved.

The East Stand should be unreserved seating, better still it should be a standing terrace. I go with my 6 year old kid and my Dad and we don't even sit together. How stupid is that. My kid has a couple of vouchers to bring his friends to a couple of games. We didn't use it. If I can't sit next to my Dad. Why would I waste my time bringing someone else and not sit with them either. The place isn't designed to be sociable. At Elm Park, I could stand with whoever I wanted. At the Madejski, I'm stuck. There is nothing spontaneous about going to football anymore or who you go with.

There is nothing to do at the stadium. You just turn up and watch sh*te football. You sit with the same people. There is no point organising anything with anyone else because moving seats around is a hassle.

Colchester fans hate their new stadium which is outside the town centre. They loved Layer Road.

You put a stadium on the edge of town and you take it out of the community. Football clubs like Reading are losing their sense of community and belonging and socialising.

Now they want to build a community around the stadium, so they are doing something. There needs to be bars, restaurants, pubs etc.

There is no point putting two pubs on the stadium site at the moment because apart from match day, no one will use it. But if there are lots of houses there too and the area is more developed then it will be different. Just convert the East Stand to a terrace and most problems will be solved. Add a few pubs and football will be better again.

I live 10 minutes walk from Wealdstone FC in Ruislip. If you think the football is dire at the Mad Stad, what they have to watch at Wealdstone is utterly appalling. But no one cares. They have a real sense of community and family over there. The club is based around the Ruislip Social Club and people go meet their mates, have a few drinks, chant and PROPERLY support their team on the terraces and go back in the pub after the game. The quality of football is irrelevant. That's not why they go. They'll be there every week. It doesn't matter.

We need to get some of that back at Reading. But maybe football has moved on now. Maybe it is too corporate. But it's getting boring. Long-term crowds will suffer because it does get boring after a while if the reason we go is only because of the football match.

Pricing definitely comes into it as well. I have watched a few Wealdstone matches this season when Reading have been playing far away. But they ask for £12 to come and watch them. F*ck that. Too much. It's only because they have an offer for season ticket holders of Championship and Premiership clubs where you can watch Wealdstone for £6 that I have bothered going to a few games. Otherwise, no chance. And Wealdstone too look like they have a hardcore support of old duffers who have been there for years but they are not getting new fans in. And at £12 for non league football, I'm not surprised. It's cheaper to watch Borussia Dortmund.

My brother in law lives in Stanmore, 5 minute walk from Barnet's new ground, the Hive. I said to him, let's go and catch a game. It'll be a laugh. I looked up the ticket prices. £23. For Barnet, in League 2. F*ck that. I'll pay it for Reading, because I'm a long-term supporter. But I wouldn't go elsewhere for that. But that is what people are thinking before they become a fan. Shall we watch a game, it'll be a laugh. £23, no fricking way.

Clubs have to drop their prices sharply otherwise there will be no new fans coming. Clubs are just hanging on to their old, long-term support at the moment. And crowds are dropping year by year. Maybe I'm wrong on that. But that is the feeling that I get.

[LWJ]

The team starting next season will be far worse than the one that started this one.

Decreased quality.
Not sure how you could disagree with that.

You aren't ITK so I can comfortably disagree. Please feel free to show me solid evidence it will be 'far worse'.

Performances have improved recently, results haven't admitted. Still a lot better than the dross we had under Adkins, then Clarke at beginning and end of his reign.

Like I said, you evidently don't attend games judging by your recent tripe.

Team tipped for top 6 at the start of this season.
We'll be tipped for relegation at the start of the next.

Tipped for top 6? Any proof, again?

Doubt it. As we weren't.

[Maguire]

I live 10 minutes walk from Wealdstone FC in Ruislip

Hawks are playing well.

[Silver Fox]

The team starting next season will be far worse than the one that started this one.

Decreased quality.
Not sure how you could disagree with that.

You aren't ITK so I can comfortably disagree. Please feel free to show me solid evidence it will be 'far worse'.

Performances have improved recently, results haven't admitted. Still a lot better than the dross we had under Adkins, then Clarke at beginning and end of his reign.

Like I said, you evidently don't attend games judging by your recent tripe.

Team tipped for top 6 at the start of this season.
We'll be tipped for relegation at the start of the next.

That's working out alright for Leicester this year, sweet!

[Top Flight]

I live 10 minutes walk from Wealdstone FC in Ruislip

Hawks are playing well.

You mean Whitehawk? I don't know mate. I've seen 4 of their matches. Against Margate, Havant, Sutton and Maidstone.

Scott Davies is at the heart of the Wealdstone midfield and he is their classiest player. You can see why he never made it in the football league though. I've been in Ruislip since 2010. If I'd have known Glen Little was playing for Wealdstone just a couple of seasons ago, I would have gone back then, just for Glen Little. Little has achieved cult status at Wealdstone as well. In one game, he received the ball in his own half, went past everybody and then chipped the goalkeeper, a bit like his chip at Plymouth when we won the league. Typical Glenn Little. What a legend, for Reading, Burnley and also Wealdstone.

[WAZZOCK]

I think the club really need to look at the social aspect alot more. Because when the football is sh*t that is what keeps you going. And at Reading the social side of it is pretty bad at the moment. There is alot that they need to work on.

Have you got any suggestion as to how this could be improved?

I think we all know more or less what the problems are Wazzock. We all know what we'd like the matchday experience to be.

There is no point me telling you how it could be improved because I have no power over the matter at all. So now I'll go on and tell you how it can be improved.

The East Stand should be unreserved seating, better still it should be a standing terrace. I go with my 6 year old kid and my Dad and we don't even sit together. How stupid is that. My kid has a couple of vouchers to bring his friends to a couple of games. We didn't use it. If I can't sit next to my Dad. Why would I waste my time bringing someone else and not sit with them either. The place isn't designed to be sociable. At Elm Park, I could stand with whoever I wanted. At the Madejski, I'm stuck. There is nothing spontaneous about going to football anymore or who you go with.

There is nothing to do at the stadium. You just turn up and watch sh*te football. You sit with the same people. There is no point organising anything with anyone else because moving seats around is a hassle.

Colchester fans hate their new stadium which is outside the town centre. They loved Layer Road.

You put a stadium on the edge of town and you take it out of the community. Football clubs like Reading are losing their sense of community and belonging and socialising.

Now they want to build a community around the stadium, so they are doing something. There needs to be bars, restaurants, pubs etc.

There is no point putting two pubs on the stadium site at the moment because apart from match day, no one will use it. But if there are lots of houses there too and the area is more developed then it will be different. Just convert the East Stand to a terrace and most problems will be solved. Add a few pubs and football will be better again.

I live 10 minutes walk from Wealdstone FC in Ruislip. If you think the football is dire at the Mad Stad, what they have to watch at Wealdstone is utterly appalling. But no one cares. They have a real sense of community and family over there. The club is based around the Ruislip Social Club and people go meet their mates, have a few drinks, chant and PROPERLY support their team on the terraces and go back in the pub after the game. The quality of football is irrelevant. That's not why they go. They'll be there every week. It doesn't matter.

We need to get some of that back at Reading. But maybe football has moved on now. Maybe it is too corporate. But it's getting boring. Long-term crowds will suffer because it does get boring after a while if the reason we go is only because of the football match.

Pricing definitely comes into it as well. I have watched a few Wealdstone matches this season when Reading have been playing far away. But they ask for £12 to come and watch them. F*ck that. Too much. It's only because they have an offer for season ticket holders of Championship and Premiership clubs where you can watch Wealdstone for £6 that I have bothered going to a few games. Otherwise, no chance. And Wealdstone too look like they have a hardcore support of old duffers who have been there for years but they are not getting new fans in. And at £12 for non league football, I'm not surprised. It's cheaper to watch Borussia Dortmund.

My brother in law lives in Stanmore, 5 minute walk from Barnet's new ground, the Hive. I said to him, let's go and catch a game. It'll be a laugh. I looked up the ticket prices. £23. For Barnet, in League 2. F*ck that. I'll pay it for Reading, because I'm a long-term supporter. But I wouldn't go elsewhere for that. But that is what people are thinking before they become a fan. Shall we watch a game, it'll be a laugh. £23, no fricking way.

Clubs have to drop their prices sharply otherwise there will be no new fans coming. Clubs are just hanging on to their old, long-term support at the moment. And crowds are dropping year by year. Maybe I'm wrong on that. But that is the feeling that I get.

I think you've missed the point with a lot of that, but fair play for your passion.

[Top Flight]

Have you got any suggestion as to how this could be improved?

I think we all know more or less what the problems are Wazzock. We all know what we'd like the matchday experience to be.

There is no point me telling you how it could be improved because I have no power over the matter at all. So now I'll go on and tell you how it can be improved.

The East Stand should be unreserved seating, better still it should be a standing terrace. I go with my 6 year old kid and my Dad and we don't even sit together. How stupid is that. My kid has a couple of vouchers to bring his friends to a couple of games. We didn't use it. If I can't sit next to my Dad. Why would I waste my time bringing someone else and not sit with them either. The place isn't designed to be sociable. At Elm Park, I could stand with whoever I wanted. At the Madejski, I'm stuck. There is nothing spontaneous about going to football anymore or who you go with.

There is nothing to do at the stadium. You just turn up and watch sh*te football. You sit with the same people. There is no point organising anything with anyone else because moving seats around is a hassle.

Colchester fans hate their new stadium which is outside the town centre. They loved Layer Road.

You put a stadium on the edge of town and you take it out of the community. Football clubs like Reading are losing their sense of community and belonging and socialising.

Now they want to build a community around the stadium, so they are doing something. There needs to be bars, restaurants, pubs etc.

There is no point putting two pubs on the stadium site at the moment because apart from match day, no one will use it. But if there are lots of houses there too and the area is more developed then it will be different. Just convert the East Stand to a terrace and most problems will be solved. Add a few pubs and football will be better again.

I live 10 minutes walk from Wealdstone FC in Ruislip. If you think the football is dire at the Mad Stad, what they have to watch at Wealdstone is utterly appalling. But no one cares. They have a real sense of community and family over there. The club is based around the Ruislip Social Club and people go meet their mates, have a few drinks, chant and PROPERLY support their team on the terraces and go back in the pub after the game. The quality of football is irrelevant. That's not why they go. They'll be there every week. It doesn't matter.

We need to get some of that back at Reading. But maybe football has moved on now. Maybe it is too corporate. But it's getting boring. Long-term crowds will suffer because it does get boring after a while if the reason we go is only because of the football match.

Pricing definitely comes into it as well. I have watched a few Wealdstone matches this season when Reading have been playing far away. But they ask for £12 to come and watch them. F*ck that. Too much. It's only because they have an offer for season ticket holders of Championship and Premiership clubs where you can watch Wealdstone for £6 that I have bothered going to a few games. Otherwise, no chance. And Wealdstone too look like they have a hardcore support of old duffers who have been there for years but they are not getting new fans in. And at £12 for non league football, I'm not surprised. It's cheaper to watch Borussia Dortmund.

My brother in law lives in Stanmore, 5 minute walk from Barnet's new ground, the Hive. I said to him, let's go and catch a game. It'll be a laugh. I looked up the ticket prices. £23. For Barnet, in League 2. F*ck that. I'll pay it for Reading, because I'm a long-term supporter. But I wouldn't go elsewhere for that. But that is what people are thinking before they become a fan. Shall we watch a game, it'll be a laugh. £23, no fricking way.

Clubs have to drop their prices sharply otherwise there will be no new fans coming. Clubs are just hanging on to their old, long-term support at the moment. And crowds are dropping year by year. Maybe I'm wrong on that. But that is the feeling that I get.

I think you've missed the point with a lot of that, but fair play for your passion.

Why? What was the point that I missed?

I'm quite good at missing the point.

[Rea Ding]

Great value as always, about a fiver a game for 23 is decent. These last two seasons we have had 2 great cup runs, other clubs have had it far worse and have higher ticket pricing.
So happy as ever to renew

[paultheroyal]

The team starting next season will be far worse than the one that started this one.

Decreased quality.
Not sure how you could disagree with that.

You aren't ITK so I can comfortably disagree. Please feel free to show me solid evidence it will be 'far worse'.

Performances have improved recently, results haven't admitted. Still a lot better than the dross we had under Adkins, then Clarke at beginning and end of his reign.

Like I said, you evidently don't attend games judging by your recent tripe.

Team tipped for top 6 at the start of this season.
We'll be tipped for relegation at the start of the next.

Like Brighton were? Like Leicester were?

All these comments about us being good on paper? Must be a shit oxf*rd paper!

[P!ssed Off]

Great value as always, about a fiver a game for 23 is decent. These last two seasons we have had 2 great cup runs, other clubs have had it far worse and have higher ticket pricing.
So happy as ever to renew

What have the cup games got to do with season ticket pricing?

[royalp-we]

a truly shit season or 3 every now and then is good for you. builds the character.

Or, as I learnt today - be like Coventry City; who have not managed a top 6 finish since the 1969/70 season. That's value for your ST!

We have been so bloody spoilt; and I have certainly changed my tune over the past week by finally forgetting about this season. Can't wait for the new season build up to begin already

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Good pricing imho

[Elm Park Kid]

They don't have to money to bail us out for big losses on a yearly basis.
we don't make enough money to finance the team.
our season tickets/day tickets were already pretty cheap, and that is one of the reasons we don't make enough money.
they need to ensure crowd numbers don't drop too much while at the same time ensure enough money is brought in to finance the running of the club.
If you think a club/owner in that position should really be dropping prices even further than the 50 quid they've just knocked off, I must respectfully disagree. it can only impact on the pitch, or the bank balance, and both of those areas are vital to the continued success of the club.

I understand - but if you look at the total income that season tickets bring in it's not actually that big a part of our revenue.

I reckon that RFC probably gets no more than £3M in total season ticket sales (after VAT). Ok, a bit of a chunk but it's probably around that same as what we spent to bring Vydra to the club this year. Imagine if someone had given the fans the choice at the start of the season of having free season tickets or Vydra?

Pretty much every fan that walks through the gates spends money at the ground. They buy replica kits (especially season ticket holders). They add to the total 'customer' figures that RFC can use when selling advertising and other marketing.

I honestly think that if the club brought all adult season ticket prices down to £200 then the worse case scenario would be that it costs the club maybe £1.5M in total. I think that positives of having more people in the ground would outweigh that.

At the end of the day though, the club would see it as a ludicrous prospect to just completely write off £1.5 mill. At the end of the day, the club is a business, and on a day to day and month to month basis, pay its employees (both football and business side).

A £375 investment across nine months is just over £40 a month. It's really not a bank breaker.

The long term success of the club is really dependent on either one of two things:

1. Getting a rich owner who will bankroll us indefinitely (a la Leicester).

2. Getting 25,000+ fans to come to games on a regular basis.

We've tried 1 and it hasn't worked out so far.

I honestly think that 2 is possible but it's going to take time and hard work on the part of the club (and a stadium expansion ). Ticket pricing is one of the biggest tools they can use to encourage people into the stadium - along with (as the guy put above) creating a match environment that people find enjoyable. Other clubs has forgone the additional short term revenue in order to keep prices low and I think it's time RFC took a risk and tried to build a support base that our population merits.

[Maneki Neko]

:lol:

a truly shit season or 3 every now and then is good for you. builds the character.

Or, as I learnt today - be like Coventry City; who have not managed a top 6 finish since the 1969/70 season. That's value for your ST!

We have been so bloody spoilt; and I have certainly changed my tune over the past week by finally forgetting about this season. Can't wait for the new season build up to begin already

that's an incredible record


yeah, im excited about next year already.

[muirinho]

I honestly think that if the club brought all adult season ticket prices down to £200 then the worse case scenario would be that it costs the club maybe £1.5M in total. I think that positives of having more people in the ground would outweigh that.

A £375 investment across nine months is just over £40 a month. It's really not a bank breaker.

The long term success of the club is really dependent on either one of two things:

1. Getting a rich owner who will bankroll us indefinitely (a la Leicester).

2. Getting 25,000+ fans to come to games on a regular basis.

We've tried 1 and it hasn't worked out so far.

I honestly think that 2 is possible but it's going to take time and hard work on the part of the club (and a stadium expansion ). Ticket pricing is one of the biggest tools they can use to encourage people into the stadium - along with (as the guy put above) creating a match environment that people find enjoyable. Other clubs has forgone the additional short term revenue in order to keep prices low and I think it's time RFC took a risk and tried to build a support base that our population merits.

The only way you can get 25000 people week-in, week out in the Mad Stad is if we are competing in the Premier League. Pricing on its own isn't going to get us anywhere - look at last week - people couldn't be bothered going for a game they had already paid for!

Similarly with Rotherham, they couldn't get people in there for free

I don't think reducing the cost of tickets would make a significant different to the numbers attending. Playing entertaining football, and still being competitive at the end of the season will make a difference though. And the money you'd lose on cheap tickets could conceivably contribute towards the team success.

Some of the things that really would make a difference are possibly prohibited by the Football League. Standing, obviously. But it would be good to have a section of the stand where it's free seating. So you don't have to jump through hoops to get seats with your mates, just all get tickets in the same section. And no more than two-thirds of that section should be reserved for season tickets, so there's enough capacity for day-trippers.

[72 bus]

Is it worth £400 to watch the likes of Kermorgant and Cox ?
Lets see what the summer brings, one thing is for certain we need a good clear out.
The standard of entertainment this season has been poor but really it's the whole matchday experience that puts me off attending.

[Top Flight]

A £375 investment across nine months is just over £40 a month. It's really not a bank breaker.

The long term success of the club is really dependent on either one of two things:

1. Getting a rich owner who will bankroll us indefinitely (a la Leicester).

2. Getting 25,000+ fans to come to games on a regular basis.

We've tried 1 and it hasn't worked out so far.

I honestly think that 2 is possible but it's going to take time and hard work on the part of the club (and a stadium expansion ). Ticket pricing is one of the biggest tools they can use to encourage people into the stadium - along with (as the guy put above) creating a match environment that people find enjoyable. Other clubs has forgone the additional short term revenue in order to keep prices low and I think it's time RFC took a risk and tried to build a support base that our population merits.

The only way you can get 25000 people week-in, week out in the Mad Stad is if we are competing in the Premier League. Pricing on its own isn't going to get us anywhere - look at last week - people couldn't be bothered going for a game they had already paid for!

Similarly with Rotherham, they couldn't get people in there for free

I don't think reducing the cost of tickets would make a significant different to the numbers attending. Playing entertaining football, and still being competitive at the end of the season will make a difference though. And the money you'd lose on cheap tickets could conceivably contribute towards the team success.

Some of the things that really would make a difference are possibly prohibited by the Football League. Standing, obviously. But it would be good to have a section of the stand where it's free seating. So you don't have to jump through hoops to get seats with your mates, just all get tickets in the same section. And no more than two-thirds of that section should be reserved for season tickets, so there's enough capacity for day-trippers.

Absolutely mate, standing would make a big difference, but if it aint possible for the time being then I think the whole East Stand should be unreserved. Not just one section of it.

If the club wants new support, which they should want then they have to remove the barriers that prevent new fans from coming.

One of the problems is that there is no spontaniety about football anymore. Everything is planned. Tickets should be bought in advance. Pay on the day prices are always higher, it is pre-planned where you sit, who you go with, the whole thing is planned in advance.

Thing is, we're all blokes here. We don't plan that far ahead. I'm not going to plan and organise who I'm taking to watch Reading V someone in October. My wife makes plans weeks ahead. I don't. I live day by day. Take each day as it comes.

So, it's a Saturday morning. My kid is playing football in the front garden with my next door neighbours kid. My kid is really excited because he is going to watch Reading that afternoon. He won't stop bigging up how good Reading are to my neighbours kid and telling him how much he loves watching Reading and all the songs that he sings. My neighbours kid looks really curious and interested, he fancies a bit of it as well. I say to my next door neighbour, hey mate, what are you doing this afternoon? He says, Nothing. Do you wanna come and watch Reading with us? Then it suddenly dawns on me, how much hassle it is to arrange and how much he as not a supporter yet is expected to pay. If they come, where are they gonna sit? They aint gonna sit with us. How much are they gonna pay? You really gonna ask non Reading fans to pay £30 or £40 to come and watch a team that they dont have any feeling for at all?

In terms of pricing, it has to feel like, it's no skin off my back going to watch a football match. It's just a small amount of money, nothing serious, well worth it to have a laugh. £10 for a Dad and his kid to come and catch a Reading match spontaneously is how much it should cost with no real hassle. Yeah, come with us, we'll sit together. We'll have a couple of beers, get the kids some hot dogs at half time, it'll be fun. But it's not like that. It costs an absolute fortune and as a result only very serious, dedicated people go.

You can see how seriously we all take it just by reading a few pages of hob nob. We pay good money to watch Reading. If the players don't pull their weight fury is rained down on them from HNA and Twitter. It shouldn't really be like that. If you want new fans, existing fans have to drag them down. And existing fans like my kid, will sell it, but they won't close the deal. Because the cost and hassle of actually bringing them here and not being with them once they're here, means it just aint worth the bother.

Mate, you want to watch Reading with us this afternoon? It'll cost ya £40. And you will have to sit miles away from us. Nah, not really up for that.

My kid had a voucher this season where he could bring two of his mates to a couple of games for free. We didn't even bother.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

I like sitting with the people I know. I've got to know all the people around me over the years, which has been great - all different ages, backgrounds and interests, united with a love of football in general and Reading in particular. Same people every game, every season.

I like the view from my seat. I like I can finish off a nice ale with friends that sit elsewhere and wonder up to my seat 5 minutes before kick off.

I like having a season ticket for 16 years. About to become 17. I like the continuity.

I would love to see safe standing in the North Stand. I would love the extra noise and atmosphere. If it works in Germany then it can work here.

[Top Flight]

I like all that too.... But if the club wants to grow it's fanbase and attract new supporters then it needs to make it easier for that to happen. I'd be happy to see the North Stand converted to a terrace. I'd prefer the East Stand to convert (maybe that's my fondness of the old South Bank), but I'd settle for the North Stand.