It is certainly the case that this always was designed to reduce the number of season tickets and increase match day income. Liverpool had a similar sized stadium to City but vastly higher match day takings because they kept season tickets sales deliberately low.Whatever the motivation for the minimum attendance numbers I’m almost certain it’s not so City can make £25 extra from selling the ticket as a single match day ticket…
Trust me, I don't like it one bit. But I've tried to understand it from their point of view a little in recent times.Yep, I guess my problem is I go to games because I love football and City and have no idea of commercial considerations. I'm the daft so and so who has had a Premium Bond from the first week they came out when £1 was a lot of money (I earned £4.50 a week as an office junior) and I still haven't won a penny on it. But I leave it there 'just in case'!!! *lol*
I've felt that this 10 game attendance was a direct response to the protests.Yes I think the availability of tickets and slow sales at the back end of the season has been an eye opener for the club.
The fact the fans could mobilise/organise protests and the ‘occasional fan’ demand is not a given has made the club think again.
They have been forced to show a bit more respect to the regulars as in 12 months they will have another 8000 tickets to shift.
Whatever the motivation for the minimum attendance numbers I’m almost certain it’s not so City can make £25 extra from selling the ticket as a single match day ticket…
It's not & its a system that worked for the majority but imho the club are trying to clamp down on the social media site that sell & exchange season tickets. The clubs money men have taken a sledgehammer to a nutshell approach, when implementing the 3 friends & family criteria would have gone along way to solving that problemYou know I may be being a bit stupid or thick but if a SC holder can't make a game themselves I do not see anything wrong if they make sure the seat is used by someone.
Because of my health I struggled last season but my seat was only empty on one occasion when I was taken ill about an hour and a half before the game.
So why is it wrong?
It's not & its a system that worked for the majority but imho the club are trying to clamp down on the social media site that sell & exchange season tickets. The clubs money men have taken a sledgehammer to a nutshell approach, when implementing the 3 friends & family criteria would have gone along way to solving that problem
I agree with you in some ways, but many of the concerns you raise are, in my opinion, the direct outcome of lax selling criteria for season tickets. Last year's criteria of 15 games attended over two seasons to be eligible for a Flexi Gold was too lax, and prior to that season tickets were on a first come, first served basis; the only rationale for this, in my opinion, was to shift more match day memberships by giving people the impression that they had a chance of getting a season ticket quickly. In recent years, every ticketing decision has been made with the goal of maximising short-term profits. Only this summer have we witnessed decisions that prioritise long-term benefits over short-term profits.The ownership of a ST grants you certain privileges: first dibs on away/cup final tickets, guaranteed seat for home games, 10% discounted prices in stadium and shop, reduced prices match-by-match as opposed to buying tickets individually. And you’re able to spread the cost monthly at no extra.
If the club wants to still grant you all of the above but make it subject to you attending just over HALF of the matches, then I don’t see the problem with that. It’s a two way street.
Yes, some people may be unable to make ten games a season, but that’s when they can ask the club for dispensation. Hopefully the club will listen to those cases on an individual basis. What the club are trying to do is weed out those who buy season tickets knowing full well they’re hardly going to use it save for the big games yet still apply for Cup Final tickets every time. These types don’t deserve a ST and I’m happy to see them targeted.
The downside for me is that you are getting financially penalised if you don't do all 19 gamesEven so, after my rant above I don’t think the flexi is as bad as people are saying. I renewed my ST but I’m actually thinking the flexi might be better for me eventually.
My seat is never free but I’ll miss the midweek games and some weekends too - it’s called life you know.
For me the biggest benefit of ST is to be next to my mates and that just won’t happen ever again if I let go of my ST.
The club should just stop being cunts.
Are you though.The downside for me is that you are getting financially penalised if you don't do all 19 games
You pay a fee upfront for flexi, it used to be £150 & only get that back if you do all 19 gamesAre you though.
Don't they give you back a 19th amount of your season for 6 games.
But, if that’s true, why not just say your ticket has to be used, rather than attending? If my ticket is sold on the exchange they get the add-ons on the occasions I can’t make it but a guaranteed bum on seat whenever I don’t list it.I imagine it’s more all the bits and bobs a day tripper would relieve the club shop of rather than just the ticket price. That’s not a dig at day trippers just the reality is they’ll spend far more on a match day than I would.
If I’m the commercial director / money man I’m gonna want more of them and less of me. That said, on the flip side they are allowing flexi golds to go to full ST if they attend 16 games in a season. It’s almost like promotion / relegation.
You got none of the £150 back, next season is a lot better for that.You pay a fee upfront for flexi, it used to be £150 & only get that back if you do all 19 games
Yes, all fair points you made there.I agree with you in some ways, but many of the concerns you raise are, in my opinion, the direct outcome of lax selling criteria for season tickets. Last year's criteria of 15 games attended over two seasons to be eligible for a Flexi Gold was too lax, and prior to that season tickets were on a first come, first served basis; the only rationale for this, in my opinion, was to shift more match day memberships by giving people the impression that they had a chance of getting a season ticket quickly. In recent years, every ticketing decision has been made with the goal of maximising short-term profits. Only this summer have we witnessed decisions that prioritise long-term benefits over short-term profits.
It appears that some common sense has finally prevailed.
So who or how is it being paid for, do they take cash ?!I just put this in another thread before I saw this one. So I’ll just copy it here.
There’s plenty of reasons why a ticket hasn’t been used once by the account holder. Working abroad for a year or two. Serious illness. Maybe a prison sentence.
But I’d guess that the majority of those 1,200, or at least a fair chunk of them are touts accounts. And the named holder probably isn’t even a real person.
They stopped letting me pay cash a long time ago, but in 2007 if you didn't pay cash the club gave you a hefty card charge whether debit or credit.So who or how is it being paid for, do they take cash ?!
So who or how is it being paid for, do they take cash ?!
I’m trying to think of another commercial transaction where you’ve paid for something in full and are penalised for not making use of it even when you make what you’ve paid for available to someone else.The ownership of a ST grants you certain privileges: first dibs on away/cup final tickets, guaranteed seat for home games, 10% discounted prices in stadium and shop, reduced prices match-by-match as opposed to buying tickets individually. And you’re able to spread the cost monthly at no extra.
If the club wants to still grant you all of the above but make it subject to you attending just over HALF of the matches, then I don’t see the problem with that. It’s a two way street.
Yes, some people may be unable to make ten games a season, but that’s when they can ask the club for dispensation. Hopefully the club will listen to those cases on an individual basis. What the club are trying to do is weed out those who buy season tickets knowing full well they’re hardly going to use it save for the big games yet still apply for Cup Final tickets every time. These types don’t deserve a ST and I’m happy to see them targeted.
But, if that’s true, why not just say your ticket has to be used, rather than attending? If my ticket is sold on the exchange they get the add-ons on the occasions I can’t make it but a guaranteed bum on seat whenever I don’t list it.