How much? Next year's season ticket

[Tony Le Mesmer]

I think the season ticket prices are fair - I thought they would be highr and have renewed all 4 already (2 kids and 2 adults).

I think the price affects season ticket sales, but i don't think the match price affects individual game sales - I bet this is driven more by the quality of the opposition and our position in the league - i.e. the stadium was full in the prem despite higher prices and when we were top of the champ. Basic supply and demand that!

So, I would reduce season ticket prices (as they have done so) and have a bigger differential betwen match day prices e.g. kid for a quid promos for uninteresting games and higher prices for teams like Leeds (if up).

Good point about match day prices. If we are challenging for the title next season, the club could within reason charge what they like for match day prices and fans wouldn't really complain. The crunch comes when things don't go so well on the pitch.

For STs, the point im making is that they are expensive compared to previous championship seasons and other teams in our league. No doubt we are the most expensive for kids, which i think is a disgrace. The price is actually what i expected them to be, not what they should be, as i posted on this thread.

If we have a season in mid table, i think match day sales and, more importantly, ST sales will suffer considerably in 2009 without reductions.

[Huntley & Palmer]

A poor season would see a reduction in ST sales anyway, regardless of price. Not everyone that holds a ST is a dye in the wool RFC fan, many would probably renew with the hope that a season later RFC are back in the Premiership. Add in the fact that you would not need one to guarantee a seat (which was the whole idea of a ST in the first place) and could turn up on the day for as many games as you like

[Silver Fox]

For STs, the point im making is that they are expensive compared to previous championship seasons and other teams in our league.

The prices are higher but you're not comparing liek for like. I last paid for a chamionship season ticket 3 years ago and it was £120 less than next year's will be, this was actually the same the 2 years before as well (I think) so a £120 increase in 5 years isn't that bad. As for comparing to other teams in the league others have already pointed out that size of stadium and quality of seat are an issue there. I have sympathy for the beef about the under 12 price band but completely agree with the club's stance as stated elsewhere.

Like everything from food to merchandising in football the prices have risen exponentially recently, if you don't like that the option is to not buy, maybe as fans of football clubs we're all a bit tied in to buying the tickets, but that's a cross you have to bear. Basically though, if you can't appreciate the reduction then there's no pleasing you I reckon.

[RoyalBlue]

Surely stadium capacity only comes into it if they stand any chance of filling it. I believe Charlton's average home attendance last season was 23,159! In other words having the bigger stadium did not give them a financial advantage.

But surely them having a bigger stadium effects how much they charge for a ST. If they aren't filling it regularly then they need to charge less for STs to make them attractive to as many as possible as people will know they'll have no problem getting in due to the size of the ground.

All very well but actually I was countering someone's argument that Charlton could afford to charge less because they had a much larger capacity - the implication being that they would get crowds of 25K or more when in reality they don't get near that!!

[Huntley & Palmer]

Of course they can charge less, they have more seats to fill and hence have to encourage people to buy. Why do you think that they could offer a free ST to people that signed up at the same price the season they went down? Because they knew that even if everyone that was already an ST holder at that time took up the offer, they would still have enough seats left over for the floating fans to come along and charge them the higher price. You can't do that if you don't have the extra capacity available, it would be commercial suicide

[The 17 Bus]

For STs, the point im making is that they are expensive compared to previous championship seasons and other teams in our league.

The prices are higher but you're not comparing liek for like. I last paid for a chamionship season ticket 3 years ago and it was £120 less than next year's will be, this was actually the same the 2 years before as well (I think) so a £120 increase in 5 years isn't that bad. As for comparing to other teams in the league others have already pointed out that size of stadium and quality of seat are an issue there. I have sympathy for the beef about the under 12 price band but completely agree with the club's stance as stated elsewhere.

Like everything from food to merchandising in football the prices have risen exponentially recently, if you don't like that the option is to not buy, maybe as fans of football clubs we're all a bit tied in to buying the tickets, but that's a cross you have to bear. Basically though, if you can't appreciate the reduction then there's no pleasing you I reckon.

I cant see any seats that have a difference of £120 from the last season in the championship, you must be getting forgetful

[RoyalBlue]

Of course they can charge less, they have more seats to fill and hence have to encourage people to buy. Why do you think that they could offer a free ST to people that signed up at the same price the season they went down? Because they knew that even if everyone that was already an ST holder at that time took up the offer, they would still have enough seats left over for the floating fans to come along and charge them the higher price. You can't do that if you don't have the extra capacity available, it would be commercial suicide

Let's try this one more time shall we?!!

Someone on this thread (and if I can be *rsed, I will find it later and paste in here) argued that Charlton tickets were cheaper not because they had to be in order to shift them but because they had a 30K capacity ground and therefore could make more money than us from ticket sales because of that extra 5K capacity. I was merely pointing out that the argument failed on all grounds.

FWIW, as the recession bites deeper, I think RFC will also be left with spare capacity with their current ticket pricing structure.

[Stranded]

The post you replied to RB was H&P's where he stated:

Charlton can offer very low ST prices due to having over 30,000 seats available

I guess it's been interpreted by you differently, I read that (and going by H&P's subsequent post seem to have got it correct) that they aren't low because they can make more money, they are low to entice people to pay up front because with the extra capaity compared to us more fans can choose to pay on a game by game basis.

Make the ST very cheap, perhaps stupidly so, means they get guaranteed money in the summer when they need the income and say 20,000 bums on seats who will then buy programs, food, beer etc during the season whilst having a large number of seats and still be able to attract floaters.

If their prices were at say the £420 level, as ours will be, a decent proportion who may invest will not knowing they can get in anyway due to the size of the stadium.

[RTFC Drummer]

£185.89

[royalsteve]

For STs, the point im making is that they are expensive compared to previous championship seasons and other teams in our league.

The prices are higher but you're not comparing liek for like. I last paid for a chamionship season ticket 3 years ago and it was £120 less than next year's will be, this was actually the same the 2 years before as well (I think) so a £120 increase in 5 years isn't that bad. As for comparing to other teams in the league others have already pointed out that size of stadium and quality of seat are an issue there. I have sympathy for the beef about the under 12 price band but completely agree with the club's stance as stated elsewhere.

Like everything from food to merchandising in football the prices have risen exponentially recently, if you don't like that the option is to not buy, maybe as fans of football clubs we're all a bit tied in to buying the tickets, but that's a cross you have to bear. Basically though, if you can't appreciate the reduction then there's no pleasing you I reckon.

I cant see any seats that have a difference of £120 from the last season in the championship, you must be getting forgetful

£125 more than last time....i paid £300 for each of the 2004-5 and 2005-6 seasons

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

The post you replied to RB was H&P's where he stated:

Charlton can offer very low ST prices due to having over 30,000 seats available.

Charlton don't have over 30,000 seats available. Their ground isn't that much bigger than ours.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I cant see any seats that have a difference of £120 from the last season in the championship, you must be getting forgetful

£125 more than last time....i paid £300 for each of the 2004-5 and 2005-6 seasons

Unless you were on some sort of concession price (and aren't now), season tickets were not £300 in 2005/6. I think they were £345 for renewals.

[Huntley & Palmer]

The post you replied to RB was H&P's where he stated:

Charlton can offer very low ST prices due to having over 30,000 seats available

I guess it's been interpreted by you differently, I read that (and going by H&P's subsequent post seem to have got it correct) that they aren't low because they can make more money, they are low to entice people to pay up front because with the extra capaity compared to us more fans can choose to pay on a game by game basis.

Make the ST very cheap, perhaps stupidly so, means they get guaranteed money in the summer when they need the income and say 20,000 bums on seats who will then buy programs, food, beer etc during the season whilst having a large number of seats and still be able to attract floaters.

If their prices were at say the £420 level, as ours will be, a decent proportion who may invest will not knowing they can get in anyway due to the size of the stadium.

Indeed, that was my point. Take a look at Bradford as well, selling 20 year ST's and having extremely low prices as they have the capacity to do so. If they start getting promotions then they have the guaranteed bums on seats and the allowance for charging more for those that come back to the club over that time

[STAR Liaison]

I cant see any seats that have a difference of £120 from the last season in the championship, you must be getting forgetful

£125 more than last time....i paid £300 for each of the 2004-5 and 2005-6 seasons

Unless you were on some sort of concession price (and aren't now), season tickets were not £300 in 2005/6. I think they were £345 for renewals.

IIRC they brought in a special price for the North stand in an attempt to fill that stand as much as the West and East and so for that season they had a reduction from the level of the other stands to £300. As it happens they could have waited as that season sold itself in the end. However it now gives northstanders a feeling that they are being ripped off that was apparently missing when in the premiership they didn't get the same discount over the other stands. C'est la vie.

[The 17 Bus]

2005/06 ST renewals were offered at LW and East £360, North £300 and UW £395, this was offered up to the end of april regardless of what division we were in the following season, after all we were nailed on certs for the play-offs. There was no we we could lose the last 3 games.

[Platypuss]

£125 more than last time....i paid £300 for each of the 2004-5 and 2005-6 seasons

Unless you were on some sort of concession price (and aren't now), season tickets were not £300 in 2005/6. I think they were £345 for renewals.

I can also confirm that North Stand ST renewals certainly were £300 in 2005/06.

[emmer green dave]

The chairman stated a reduction of £120 on ST we in upper west have been offered £70 ? who got the full £120.When the club say 25% decrease this is allowing for match day prices down by 45% and I assume away fans to mad stad getting cheaper tickets.As usual in high finance a good accountant can make figures work what ever way you want.

[Mad Dog's Ghost]

You CAN compare ST prices to clubs in less wealthy areas of the country. It's not the average wage which dictates whether you can afford to go to football, it's how much disposable income you've got. Generally, I think our friends up north or in East Anglia will be shelling out considerably less on mortgages .. and they've got cheaper football.

[Silver Fox]

2005/06 ST renewals were offered at LW and East £360, North £300 and UW £395, this was offered up to the end of april regardless of what division we were in the following season, after all we were nailed on certs for the play-offs. There was no we we could lose the last 3 games.

There you go

[Wycombe Royal]

as the recession bites deeper

This country is not in recession (yet), and many experts don't expect it to either. Just a slow down in growth, but still growth.