There isn't anything to back down from, I've given a balance that the chairman is stubborn, they could have communicated better, the prices aren't cheap, but the flip side is we have a great opportunity to invest this summer, if we get it right the crowds will be there regardless, and fan protests during games never create a positive environment. It's far more balanced and nuanced than most of the ranting going on here with very little in the way of viable solutions.
So if there isn't a huge financial investment in playing staff to back Carrick in the summer, then I agree we need change. If this is strategic to take advantage of our ffp allowance, then I'm all in supporting that because I want us to get up a division where we guarantee another generation of supporters will stick with usWe have the sixth-highest average attendance in the league with the highest ticket prices.
Yet we are told even more should come out of the fans pockets
This is just Steve Gibson like short term thinking. Yes, it will negatively impact on the matchday this week but it could have a substantially beneficial impact on every matchday going forwards if it means a better ticketing structure that sees a fuller ground more regularly.
If Gibson had communicated thanks, explanation, positivity, ambition, intent, commitment, ANYTHING, before delivering a take it or leave it price increase with a brutal deadline and surcharge for any form of credit, then he would have got a very different response.
the best way to guarantee a fuller ground is to get promoted. It's probably the only financially viable way
the deadline I believe was a big mistake. To be honest I don't think openly communicating would have made a bit of difference to most fans
Seems a long time ago, but (on social media) a lot of the backlash was the ridiculous deadline and the abysmal way it was communicated.
When I had my ST 1990-2002 I bought it -
1. Because I attended every home game anyway - got the equivalent of 2? 3? free games.
2. It gave me priority for away tickets/cup games.
3. That's it.
Not sure when and how this kind of uber fan mentality has crept in, wanting to keep prices high for the plebs (newcomers and walk ups) yet as low as possible for them. Read someone make the statement that walk up prices are absolutely fine, but if their ST was increased to circa £30 game they'd think long and hard about renewing.......
And what I don't get......why are there no deals for adults/kids? Why do Boro prefer to have thousands of empty seats rather than fill them with ticket deals? Are they that scared of the Uber ST holder backlash? Will any ST openly admit on here their p*ss will be boiling if someone sat in the next two seats to them paying £5 ticket more (or a kid for £10-12 only)?
Is it indeed time for the entire pricing structure to be looked at top to bottom??
Btw this isn't a dig at ST holders, and you do deserve discounts etc for putting the money up every season.
To be fair, is he alone responsible for signing Britt, Fletcher Gestede etc? He has accountability for the clubs financial health but he is only consulted on those decisions, he isn't an expert at player identification. OK he has done some involvement in Downing, Alves etc. but I'm not sure since our last relegation we have been signing Gibson signings as such and now, he has deferred much more to a Director of Football.
Yes I think now might be the time for a bit more consultation on prices across the board. Gibson's approach has been, up until now, basically 'put up or shut up'. But at risk of sounding like a scratched record, the club is sort of entering a new era in terms of time spent outside the top flight. People's attitudes will be affected by this, consciously or otherwise.When I had my ST 1990-2002 I bought it -
1. Because I attended every home game anyway - got the equivalent of 2? 3? free games.
2. It gave me priority for away tickets/cup games.
3. That's it.
Not sure when and how this kind of uber fan mentality has crept in, wanting to keep prices high for the plebs (newcomers and walk ups) yet as low as possible for them. Read someone make the statement that walk up prices are absolutely fine, but if their ST was increased to circa £30 game they'd think long and hard about renewing.......
And what I don't get......why are there no deals for adults/kids? Why do Boro prefer to have thousands of empty seats rather than fill them with ticket deals? Are they that scared of the Uber ST holder backlash? Will any ST openly admit on here their p*ss will be boiling if someone sat in the next two seats to them paying £5 ticket more (or a kid for £10-12 only)?
Is it indeed time for the entire pricing structure to be looked at top to bottom??
Btw this isn't a dig at ST holders, and you do deserve discounts etc for putting the money up every season.
I just don't understand the attitude which seemingly runs through the club whereby they are happy if/when they reach their target figures.
.Yes, he is responsible. He is the person that hired the people that signed them. He is the one that sets strategy. He is the one that instead of setting up a proper scouting network appointed Gary Gill who, like a lot of his appointments, had no experience other than he used to play for us and he was a friend of Gibson. If you restrict all hiring possibilities to former players instead of qualified professionals then don't be surprised when they aren't very good.
I just don't understand the attitude which seemingly runs through the club whereby they are happy if/when they reach their target figures.
20k STs at 500.....but what about 26k at £400? Or increasing the number of walk-ups, accepting a lot of people just haven't got the money to pay for a ST or family/work commitments make it prohibitive.
200 new tops sold, but 500 punters disappointed.
Always very inward looking, never looking to maximise opportunities
He has hired every manager, senior appointment for 30 years. He is responsible. There is no question about that.
But are there are thousands of empty seats? Maybe there will be next season - I don't know but the South and North Stand are pretty full. The GRFZ is full. We average 27k crowds and that includes a fluctuating away end and the segregation. Most of the empty seats are West Stand Upper - won't they always be at the upper pricing?
That doesn't make him responsible for player signings, he has overall accountability for signing off on it, not responsibility and it's not the realms of the known to know that you are going to get the right guy in to make the right decisions on transfers.
He is responsible for hiring managers, in good faith and yes he's got some wrong. Then he has to back off and allow the manager to manage and develop the squad, that's then on the manager, the DoF the chief exec and the talent identification team.
