City Matters thread

[MCFC1993]

I've spoken to 3 1894 members who are all FG card holders and all three reiterate the point that they would prefer a normal seasoncard. They got their FG card to 'get on the ladder'.

I honestly do not understand any benefit to FlexiGold (compared to a normal SC). I've yet to hear a valid argument in their favour. My views are:

- they are more expensive (£150 if you attend every game)
- they are less flexible (you have to sign in 3 weeks early and buy a ticket for every game)
- you cannot transfer to friends/family for league games
- no access to ticket exchange for league games

Flexigold is far less flexible and more expensive. It's the only option to many fans who've never had a seasoncard so they don't understand why it's worse (they are comparing FG to a matchday membership).

If the club offered every seasoncard holder the chance to change their ticket to FlexiGold, I honestly think less than 1% would. If the club truly wants to offer flexibility, give fans the choice of FG or normal SC OR as a minimum, drop the £150 charge.

Can add me to the group of people that would swap my FG for a normal ST if it were an option. Only got it to get back in and hope that a normal one would become an option.

 

[Blue Smarties]

Don't know much about the flexi tickets etc, but I've been a season ticket holder for over 20 years. Does this mean I can't get my son a season ticket with me when he gets older?

As things stand, that would unfortunately seem to be so. This is poor from the club, imo. A further cash grab, which will be at the detriment of the atmosphere.

 

[TivvyBlue]

Answering my own question here, but from talking to friends who do have them, the price per ticket is about £10-20 depending on where in the ground you are. So, say you attend all 19 games, you'd pay £190-380 in addition to the £150 so £340-530. Not sure which bit of the ground that is, or how that compares to walk up or season ticket prices.

But what it does say is the £150 bit is a red herring. Say the club drop the price to £20...all they will do is lump the remaining £130 onto the additional price you pay per ticket...so no benefit to anyone.
The critical argument with the club is to provide options for both new STs and Flexis and not continue to restrict new seats to flexi only...

I wish it was that cheap. East Stand L3 (only place I could get one) is £705 + £150 charge for my seat for all 19 games.

Prices so far this season for me:-

Ipswich - £27
Brentford - £27
Arsenal - £59
Fulham - £27
Southampton - £21

 

[Beaker]

Answering my own question here, but from talking to friends who do have them, the price per ticket is about £10-20 depending on where in the ground you are. So, say you attend all 19 games, you'd pay £190-380 in addition to the £150 so £340-530. Not sure which bit of the ground that is, or how that compares to walk up or season ticket prices.

But what it does say is the £150 bit is a red herring. Say the club drop the price to £20...all they will do is lump the remaining £130 onto the additional price you pay per ticket...so no benefit to anyone.
The critical argument with the club is to provide options for both new STs and Flexis and not continue to restrict new seats to flexi only...

As far as I’m aware, and I stand to be corrected on this, flexi gold adds up to the same price of a standard gold season ticket in the same area if you were to attend all 19 fixtures, apart from you pay the £150 surcharge.
So you will pay more for Arsenal, Liverpool, United than you will for Fulham, Bournemouth, Southampton etc, but if a standard gold season ticket in your block is £800 for example, that’s the price a flexi gold will balance out to if you attend all the matches.

The £150 is the rip off part.

 

[TivvyBlue]

As far as I’m aware, and I stand to be corrected on this, flexi gold adds up to the same price of a standard gold season ticket in the same area if you were to attend all 19 fixtures, apart from you pay the £150 surcharge.
So you will pay more for Arsenal, Liverpool, United than you will for Fulham, Bournemouth, Southampton etc, but if a standard gold season ticket in your block is £800 for example, that’s the price a flexi gold will balance out to if you attend all the matches.

The £150 is the rip off part.

Yep that's exactly it

 

[Gone for a Burton]

All the real wokaratti believe any fucker’s been to the moon.

Surprised you fell for that one mate.

I was with them !!

 

[Gone for a Burton]

All the real wokaratti believe any fucker’s been to the moon.

Surprised you fell for that one mate.

....and you're still avoiding the questions.

Have you got a beard and something to hide ??

 

[moomba]

Really disappointing if this is going to be the case. Flexi gold doesn't work for my kids when I've got a regular season ticket.

And if they can't get one with a brand spanking new stand and extra capacity I won't bother trying again as I'll be sat watching games on TV like them.

 

[Beaker]

Really disappointing if this is going to be the case. Flexi gold doesn't work for my kids when I've got a regular season ticket.

And if they can't get one with a brand spanking new stand and extra capacity I won't bother trying again as I'll be sat watching games on TV like them.

And that’s where they want you, apart from games like Sparta Prague next week when their favoured “customers” aren’t interested, they want you there for that, as long as you’re happy to then take a back seat for the United game in December.

It’s a sorry state of affairs.

 

[Manc Born & Bred]

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

The club don’t care about local fans or our core fan base. It’s becoming impossible for your average person to afford premier league match day tickets.

If we turn shit again or when pep leaves I don’t know who’s filling the ground up, as the locals have been priced out.

 

[paulchapo]

The dynamics of attending football games has changed to something I never thought I'd see when I started standing on the Kippax as a kid in 1968. Back then you could turn up at almost any game in the country, queue up, pay cash at the turnstiles and go in. The only exceptions were the Derby and big cup games. Season tickets were a good way of ensuring clubs had a guaranteed income each season and those fans had first shout for big game tickets. The rest of us had to present our vouchers on the voucher sheet which usually came in the seasons first programme. ( If I remember correctly)

Fast forward and things have changed beyond belief. No more cash at turnstiles ( Or indeed anywhere else in the ground) nor can you just turn up and pay into a game anywhere. The premier league clubs are now just an entertainment industry that will sell tickets to anybody irrespective of years of support or loyalty, so long as you pay the price and buy the relevant package you're in. The very top clubs have realised they don't need the steady revenue season tickets once brought. They still get part of that by charging for a membership or this Flexi package. Then they can charge what they like per game. A less attractive fixture, drop the price. A more attractive one crank it up to the max.

This is a slightly risky policy of course and relies on the clubs continued success. Hopefully we all hope it continues but a few years of no trophies and mid table mediocrity would see us struggling to fill the ground. They can of course then start selling season tickets again but will people buy them? Interesting times.

 

[Ric]

Really poor from the club this. Hope they have a rethink.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

But CityMatters have posted saying the club plans to ONLY offer flexigolds going forward (no new seasoncards in the traditional form). So normal seasoncards will not increase with the expanded North Stand.

Your second line I agree with completely. That's why they should have the choice out of a normal seasoncard or a flexigold membership. Fans are desperate to watch as many games as possible and they should be given the choice (and definitely not charged £150 on top of me or you).

Honestly, would you swap your ticket to Flexigold and pay £150 extra for the "flexibility"?

But no one is being charged more. If you have a Flexi gold and attend all games, my understanding is that you won't pay any more than if you had a season ticket.

 

[SkyBlueAlex]

But no one is being charged more. If you have a Flexi gold and attend all games, my understanding is that you won't pay any more than if you had a season ticket.

You will pay £150 more than a Gold Seasonticket for the same seat even if u go to all 19 games

 

[Champions Again Ole Ole]

- they are less flexible (you have to sign in 3 weeks early and buy a ticket for every game)
- you cannot transfer to friends/family for league games
- no access to ticket exchange for league games

I really don’t get these point. Why would you need to transfer a ticket to a friend or family. You’re buying the tickets 3 weeks before. If you know you can’t go, don’t buy it. Same applies to the ticket exchange. There’s no reason you’d need access to it.

I don’t get all the hate for them. You’re GUARANTEED a ticket for EVERY game. They’re a lot better option than what you were on being a match day member. That’s £35 membership and then £60-£70 a ticket. On top you’re panicking at the start of the season in a queue of 20,000 whether you’ll get a ticket for the games you want.
You can also join all 3 cup schemes which will guarantee you a ticket for United or Liverpool in the fa cup semi finals and finals and any home champions league ticket which, following the piss poor performance a couple seasons ago for Madrid in the semi final, it’s a massive bonus.

 

[paulchapo]

The club don’t care about local fans or our core fan base. It’s becoming impossible for your average person to afford premier league match day tickets.

If we turn shit again or when pep leaves I don’t know who’s filling the ground up, as the locals have been priced out.

They will start dropping prices and trying to flog season tickets again. Those frozen out now may take them up. It's a calculated game they're playing.

 

[blue44]

The dynamics of attending football games has changed to something I never thought I'd see when I started standing on the Kippax as a kid in 1968. Back then you could turn up at almost any game in the country, queue up, pay cash at the turnstiles and go in. The only exceptions were the Derby and big cup games. Season tickets were a good way of ensuring clubs had a guaranteed income each season and those fans had first shout for big game tickets. The rest of us had to present our vouchers on the voucher sheet which usually came in the seasons first programme. ( If I remember correctly)

Fast forward and things have changed beyond belief. No more cash at turnstiles ( Or indeed anywhere else in the ground) nor can you just turn up and pay into a game anywhere. The premier league clubs are now just an entertainment industry that will sell tickets to anybody irrespective of years of support or loyalty, so long as you pay the price and buy the relevant package you're in. The very top clubs have realised they don't need the steady revenue season tickets once brought. They still get part of that by charging for a membership or this Flexi package. Then they can charge what they like per game. A less attractive fixture, drop the price. A more attractive one crank it up to the max.

This is a slightly risky policy of course and relies on the clubs continued success. Hopefully we all hope it continues but a few years of no trophies and mid table mediocrity would see us struggling to fill the ground. They can of course then start selling season tickets again but will people buy them? Interesting times.

I'm 60 next feb and of your generation.
My son is still only 17 and been a season ticket holder since he was 4,thankfully.
He'll qualify for that 18-25 year old away ticket allocation next season (very slim chance he will get an away ticket mind ) ,he,now like me as virtually zero chance of away tickets,i know many that do get them via hospitality cos of their money, supporters clubs,friend of friends etc
when his kids come along i can't imagine what the situation will be if we continue with the success we've been having, but if it all goes to pot ,and it will sooner or later , and the current team who decide prices ,season cards etc have fled and City go back to attracting locals again as we've always done, I'll advice them not to bother.
They once cared,actually all our history until circa 2010-2024 .

that bob hat City once had, blue fan,red fan,tourist , local . Do they want tourist,tourist ?

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

They will start dropping prices and trying to flog season tickets again. Those frozen out now may take them up. It's a calculated game they're playing.

Perhaps. I think once you’re out of the habit of going it’s easy to stop. Why would you come back knowing the club will ditch you at the first sign of success.

You can notice it when you go to a league match vs fa cup games. Usually full of younger fans, families and priced out people compared to league matches where the average age must be 50+.

 

[Stephen230]

For pretty much every season since season tickets were introduced up into the last few years, anybody who wanted a season ticket could happily buy one, no problem.

This current cycle of non stop success won’t last forever. They never do.

And when things turn a bit shit on the pitch, I’m sure we’ll quickly return to the days when they are freely available.

I do genuinely have sympathy for people who are wanting to attend every home game and are having to fight for the privilege of buying them at the best part of a ton a pop.

But unfortunately that is probably going to happen at any club in the world when you want to get on the season ticket ladder during the most successful period in the club’s history.