Are we going to see the end of Season Tickets?

[bluemoon32]

Look at the light show and cringey announcements when someone scores

Thats more just the modern day tik tok bollocks than US interference

 

[blue b4 the moon]

At this moment in time this is my last season.

Even ignoring all the shit with parking/rearranged games/ travelling (approx 8 1/2 to 9 hours all-in to attend a game with although not much in my calendar is a pain in the arse).

I have a mate though who was a ST holder until life got in the way and now can't get back in, he's happy to use it until the NS is extended in the hope of getting his own then so, I'll likely keep it going and have the odd game off him.

Done 50+ years and it's not what it was sadly....and yes as per the OP ST's will become less and lass as there's no money ion it for clubs.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

10 years time football will be completely different.
Look how it's changed in the last 10 years

Yeah, we'll have a rule that fouling only applies in certain area. Oh, hang on a minute, that's what we have now!

 

[Gorton_Tubster]

What's the historical data? Are they increasing or declining? Sorry if I missed that.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Yep; it's not the same game I grew up watching in the 70s and 80s. I'm rapidly falling out of love with it, even allowing for the wonderful teams we've been blessed with during the last decade or so. Not sure if I'll be bothering coming over any more. With flights and hotels it's impossible to justify spending upwards of €300 to watch a single game.

JCL.

 

[mexico1970]

What's the historical data? Are they increasing or declining? Sorry if I missed that.

It's a tough one surely? Some season tickets are bought as an investment and every ticket is sold separately piecemeal, then we have the corporate season tickets where many people are suggesting more and more season tickets are going.

ST sales go up and down depending on the club, it's got to be a hard thing to quantify.

I look around me and see different people sitting in the same seat game after game, if we become shit they're gone, they wont want to know.

This club should be pandering to the core support IMHO.

 

[stonerblue]

A bit tricky running a season ticket these days what with ever changing ko days and times

 

[Always Ali]

Fucking hell, this is a grim read! I appreciate that it's just a potential vision of the future by the OP, but some of the signs are already there, and as said by a previous poster, if the club alienate/forget the core support, they do so at their peril.

 

[PPT]

Fucking hell, this is a grim read! I appreciate that it's just a potential vision of the future by the OP, but some of the signs are already there, and as said by a previous poster, if the club alienate/forget the core support, they do so at their peril.

Unfortunately they already have done.

 

[callumcity]

I am referring mainly to the top, most popular clubs in the Premier League.

It seems to me that Season Tickets are something of an anachronism in modern football for these clubs - getting to see every game for a reduced price when you have tens of thousands on various waiting lists.

All the top clubs offer memberships, at varying price tiers, simply allowing you the ability to purchase a ticket in a scrum with tens of thousands of others. Member numbers, whilst in no doubt affected by quality on the pitch, are also hyped/increased by social media presence, globalism and branding. Season ticket numbers, in the main, have stayed stationary with prices creeping ever upwards. As a United fan said to me recently, "it now costs me over £50 a game on my season ticket".

Team	Capacity (approx)	ST holders (est. in 2022)
Manchester City	53,000	36,000
Manchester United	74,000	53,000
Arsenal	60,000	45,000
Liverpool	54,000 (now 60,000)	27,000 (now 28,000)	now 1,000 more with expansion
Tottenham Hotspur	62,000	45,000

When the Glazers took over United, they are said to have been shocked at how little the average fan spent on matchday, compared to American sport. Why would someone who spends every other Saturday at the ground spend time dining there or spending money in hotels? you turn up, watch the match and go to the pub.

It is this which has sparked a revolution in fan commoditizing, and City are certainly doing very well at it. Who would you prefer, economically; the cheapest season ticket holder who turns up and leaves, or a family/group of mates who go to about 5 games a season and really push the boat out. The average spend per match of these attendees is hugely different, the latter burns through money.

With that money in mind, in our 'experience' culture as people look to own less and 'do more', why would a club hierarchy want supporters spending their hard earned in the Northern Quarter or Soho or Matthews St? You want them at the ground in the affiliated bars and restaurants, staying over in the hotels. Ticket prices reflect a waiting list of 100k, City charging north of £60 for Burnley at home.

It will be interesting to see just how many extra ST holders City add with the North Stand expansion, but my guess is not many at all. In football, the economics of fan spending and matchday income has always lagged strangely behind the success of the TV and sponsorship deals, but this is changing; 10 years ago matchday revenue was about 10% of all Premier League clubs' income, that rose to 14% post pandemic and is set to rise further. Given general turnover is increasing, the average punter is paying out a lot more, and this cannot be generated through small increments to season tickets. I predict ST numbers will begin to decrease, relatively, in a few years time and prices will push right up.

Fans are the lifeblood of football, without them football is nothing. Covid saw a soulless edition of the league system with an ironic twist in that the free to air games hooked more people on to pay-per-view services. But they are also the cash cow, and we're being milked for every penny.

The amount of tourists at the games this season, especially the last 4/5 games is absolutely mental.

Not really noticed a difference until this season, but they are everywhere now.

Wouldn’t be so bad if the club treated local fans with the respect they deserve.