Are we now just accepting the ST price increases then?

P

Prefix_T

New member
Have RF finished their protest? Is that it now in terms of representations from supporters’ groups? Are we just taking it on the chin?

There’ll surely be a drop off in sales if the proposed prices stay as they are, despite the recent, slightly more positive PR generated by concessions around junior prices and the interest free payment plan.

There’s an emerging apathy evident at home games now the playoff push is faltering, and an apparently increasing number of unused season tickets visible match my match. Not great conditions under which to impose significant price hikes!

I think it was said that like for like sales would generate an extra £400k? Presumably they’ll actually generate less total income though as sales fall away? And I know this is England and not Germany, but surely the Bayern Munich chairman’s approach would be to save £400k in a transfer negotiation, and not burden (fleece?) the fans? Not a bad shout perhaps?

Having successfully built the crowds and match day experience to a very respectable level, I fear we could be about to take a huge step backwards. How far will crowds fall, how much will the match day experience suffer?

Is there still time (need?) for the supporters’ groups to speak up and do something about it? Or will they now just sit back and let it happen?

UTB
 
If you get hold of a copy of the latest FMTTM Mag - there's a very interesting article about a chap and his Dad have been attending games since the Ayresome Angels days at Ayresome Park. In it, he describes why he and his Dad have felt a gradual disconnect between football and the average fan. He quotes lots of examples. He also points to the huge cost of a season card for him and his Dad and has decided not to renew for the first time in well over 50 years. Furthermore, he says he will listen to BBC Tees and has decided that is IT for him and his Dad. Well worth a read.
 
Gibson was never going to row back, too much a climb down, he threw RF a bone and froze the ‘U18’ st price (not reduced) to quiten them down and stop any potentially embarrassing protests, they bought it after a off the record private meeting with Gibson & Bauser.
Gibson won’t give a toss if he gets 18k+ season ticket holders, as far as he is concerned that will be job done.

You don’t have to ‘accept’ the season ticket price increase, as a consumer which is what the club think of you, there is always a choice, if the price doesn’t reflect value for money for you, don’t buy it, it’s that simple, and will probably be the only way Gibson will look at the pricing policy, empty seats where they were once backsides will show him the error of his ways and hopefully a time of reflection on providing ‘consumers’ value for money.
 
r00fie1 said:
If you get hold of a copy of the latest FMTTM Mag - there's a very interesting article about a chap and his Dad have been attending games since the Ayresome Angels days at Ayresome Park. In it, he describes why he and his Dad have felt a gradual disconnect between football and the average fan. He quotes lots of examples. He also points to the huge cost of a season card for him and his Dad and has decided not to renew for the first time in well over 50 years. Furthermore, he says he will listen to BBC Tees and has decided that is IT for him and his Dad. Well worth a read.
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Cheers, and what a shame. Hopefully the club will have read it and will take note. It likely represents similar sentiment from far too many others.
 
Hammies_Tash said:
Gibson was never going to row back, too much a climb down, he threw RF a bone and froze the ‘U18’ st price (not reduced) to quiten them down and stop any potentially embarrassing protests, they bought it after a off the record private meeting with Gibson & Bauser.
Gibson won’t give a toss if he gets 18k+ season ticket holders, as far as he is concerned that will be job done.

You don’t have to ‘accept’ the season ticket price increase, as a consumer which is what the club think of you, there is always a choice, if the price doesn’t reflect value for money for you, don’t buy it, it’s that simple, and will probably be the only way Gibson will look at the pricing policy, empty seats where they were once backsides will show him the error of his ways and hopefully a time of reflection on providing ‘consumers’ value for money.
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True of course, but whether we individually accept the prices or not, we know it will impact negatively and many would rather not be in a half empty ground or see one on TV, and then experience ridicule from other clubs’ fans. Particularly when the crowd base is potentially so much bigger than the club’s mismanagement permits it to be. And it’ll be too late to act when the seats are already empty.
 
It’s such a shame as there appears to have been a steady increase in season ticket holders over the past ten years and the hard work that has been done in attracting and then maintaining those folk looks as if it might be undone at a stroke. Coupled with the cost of living crisis and the faltering promotion push, we could be back to the days of circa 13k season ticket holders.
 
Prefix_T said:
Have RF finished their protest? Is that it now in terms of representations from supporters’ groups? Are we just taking it on the chin?

There’ll surely be a drop off in sales if the proposed prices stay as they are, despite the recent, slightly more positive PR generated by concessions around junior prices and the interest free payment plan.

There’s an emerging apathy evident at home games now the playoff push is faltering, and an apparently increasing number of unused season tickets visible match my match. Not great conditions under which to impose significant price hikes!

I think it was said that like for like sales would generate an extra £400k? Presumably they’ll actually generate less total income though as sales fall away? And I know this is England and not Germany, but surely the Bayern Munich chairman’s approach would be to save £400k in a transfer negotiation, and not burden (fleece?) the fans? Not a bad shout perhaps?

Having successfully built the crowds and match day experience to a very respectable level, I fear we could be about to take a huge step backwards. How far will crowds fall, how much will the match day experience suffer?

Is there still time (need?) for the supporters’ groups to speak up and do something about it? Or will they now just sit back and let it happen?

UTB
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But surely if we spent less on players then we would not compete at the top of the table and support would drop off.
Of course we all want cheaper tickets but realistically we are going to have to work towards that next season.
 
Prefix_T said:
Cheers, and what a shame. Hopefully the club will have read it and will take note. It likely represents similar sentiment from far too many others.
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As soon as I received it I contacted the club and Yvonne called him and invited him down to the football club and they had a chat at the Riverside. We did the same for someone else I heard about on twitter. I think in both cases they really enjoyed the experience and felt valued.
 
fmttmadmin said:
As soon as I received it I contacted the club and Yvonne called him and invited him down to the football club and they had a chat at the Riverside. We did the same for someone else I heard about on twitter. I think in both cases they really enjoyed the experience and felt valued.
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did they get the same discount as the red faction 😬

awful you have to threaten not to attend after 50 years to feel valued.
 
I doubt the club actually pay much attention to who they lose and how many. It's an incredibly badly ran organisation.

I can't imagine that they lose as many fans as they do AND know about it.

It's not Boro-specific; it's a football thing generally.

I doubt that there is somebody who is employed at the club who knows I've not spent any money in years and for those of you still do, they won't know that either.
 
I think the renewal figures at the end of March could be really telling for the club.i imagine they are more nervous than they have been for a number of seasons. Very hard to call this one. I was adamant that was it for me over the renewal email arriving as it did in the middle of a terrible run of results and performances. Definitely felt the club has lost the goodwill of a lot of fans. A couple of wins, a couple of concessions may have helped. Who knows. Personally I have renewed this week - like many I suppose habit rather than loyalty was the deciding factor. Couldn’t think of what a season would look or feel like without a Boro season ticket. As I say couple of interesting weeks ahead for the club.
 
fmttmadmin said:
But surely if we spent less on players then we would not compete at the top of the table and support would drop off.
Of course we all want cheaper tickets but realistically we are going to have to work towards that next season.
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The extra revenue is a drop in the ocean though Rob. Assuming ST sales stayed the same (which they won't as we know), then we would generate circa £600k additionally from ST sales. We know realistically its going to be less than that by the amount of people who have expressed they won't renew because of it.

Is it really worth ******* off the fans so badly for an amount of money that probably wont cover a low level development player's wage?
 
B_G said:
Leeds have just released their renewal prices. Cheapest tickets are £435 and £85 juniors.
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Try and buy a season ticket ticket @ Leeds.

They have a core of 23k season ticket holders that are in effect subsidised by other fans including the away fans at Elland Road.
 
sherlock1969 said:
Gibson doesn't care about the fans, been obvious for years.
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If he doesn't care why is he still here?
I believe he is still driven by a mission to take us back into the top flight.
He isn't in it for his own glory or for his own financial gain. He personally is losing out massively. You may say he can afford it but it is still millions of pounds a year.
TheWolfman said:
did they get the same discount as the red faction 😬
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I think he believes with so much bad stuff happening around here that the club both as a major employer and also as a deliverer of dreams is more important than ever to the morale of Teesside.
I know I will be attacked for this - but that is what I reckon he really believes.
Unravel_Morrison said:
I doubt the club actually pay much attention to who they lose and how many. It's an incredibly badly ran organisation.

I can't imagine that they lose as many fans as they do AND know about it.

It's not Boro-specific; it's a football thing generally.

I doubt that there is somebody who is employed at the club who knows I've not spent any money in years and for those of you still do, they won't know that either.
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In my experience they are well on top of the figures and care very much indeed. It will hurt them a great deal if there is a big decline in ticket sales - and that will hurt all of us in terms of match experience and possibly in terms of ability to compete. I really don't take to the argument that we should buy less players - I do not believe most people would want to pay for a team sinking down the divisions. And as Lennie Lawrence said you cannot stand still in football you spring forward or fall back.
What is the answer? I really don't know - football at the Championship level is in an appalling mess financially - the Premier League has a lot to answer for and a lot of money it refuses to share.
 
Redwurzel said:
Try and buy a season ticket ticket @ Leeds.

They have a core of 23k season ticket holders that are in effect subsidised by other fans including the away fans at Elland Road.
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Do you not think that's actually worse?
They've got a waiting list for season ticket holders yet still don't rip their fans off. The demand is actually there and they could probably raise their prices by £100 and still sell their STs but they don't
 
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