Empty seats.. worsening trend?

[marco]

It has already been said more than once but some don't seem to be getting it. It is very, very unlikely that there are a significant number of season ticket holders who don't turn up on a regular basis. The empty seats are obviously mainly tickets unsold for whatever reason. The fact that they are all together at the front of the north stand is a clear indication that they are simply not sold. Obviously there are a few who buy a season ticket and don't go to that many games but we are talking about a few not any significant number.

A better question is why there are unsold tickets. If it is the cost then that is your answer.

post of the thread buddy, these are not missing people these are blocks of unsold seats, seats i think that have been past onto third party agencies and have remained unsold however city can declare a sell out because in effect they have got no more tickets 'good for FFP income' get the point, now whoever is head of getting shut of the tickets at city his head needs to roll because he's simply not doing a good enough marketing job

as a paying customer i would not see a problem of unsold tickets going FREE to the schools to invest in getting more kids hooked

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

If people who don't intend to use their season tickets much stop buying them there will be more match day tickets available. Presumably then the price of match day tickets will come down allowing people who can't afford them now to go to matches.

Absolute rubbish.

Why? Don't you understand market forces, more supply against demand will bring down prices

Not necessarily. I've proved this before. If we only sell 42,000 tickets @ £50 that's £210k. If we sell 48,000 @ £40 that's £192k. From a revenue point of view, it's about finding the mix of demand and price which maximises total income. Even though that might mean empty seats.

 

[moomba]

Absolute rubbish.

Why? Don't you understand market forces, more supply against demand will bring down prices

Not necessarily. I've proved this before. If we only sell 42,000 tickets @ £50 that's £210k. If we sell 48,000 @ £40 that's £192k. From a revenue point of view, it's about finding the mix of demand and price which maximises total income. Even though that might mean empty seats.

Unless those 6k extra people spend an average of £3 or more in club shop, programmes or food/drink.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Full marks for arrogance. If you want to set the parameters for the definition of a "supporter", perhaps time and money invested, and inconvenience endured, should be included as well as games attended. Either way, unless you've been going fairly religiously, home and away, since the late 70's/early 80's, you're unlikely to worst me in this argument......not that it matters anyway. A supporter is someone who loves his club (preferably since childhood), and attends as often as he can, as his or her financial, domestic, or employment circumstances dictate

I've said earlier in the thread that if people who don't intend really using their season tickets stop buying them then match day ticket prices would have to go down. I read your own contributions in this thread and presumably that would suit your own circumstances better? But I stick by what I said a supporter does exactly that. Not really bothered what you did in the 70's and 80's it doesn't give you the right to leave a seat empty so that some other guy has to pay £50 plus to attend a single game

He has every right to leave his seat empty if he so wishes.

He has the right, sure. But is it right? And should he have the right? Rules are made to be changed.

I can see both sides, but let's say for sake of argument Sheikh Lookatmewad who's a mate of Sheikh Mansour decides he wants to come to the odd home game, but he hates crowds. So he buys all 36,000 season tickets and has whole stands to himself. It's his money, right, so by your logic, not a problem.

Of course this is a ridiculous extrapolation, but I think in principle it's the same thing. People buying season tickets and not turning up may be allowed, and it may be their money and their choice. But I don't think it's right and I think some sensible restrictions might not be inappropriate. Like a requirement to attend 10 home games or something like that.

 

[marco]

Absolute rubbish.

Why? Don't you understand market forces, more supply against demand will bring down prices

Not necessarily. I've proved this before. If we only sell 42,000 tickets @ £50 that's £210k. If we sell 48,000 @ £40 that's £192k. From a revenue point of view, it's about finding the mix of demand and price which maximises total income. Even though that might mean empty seats.

TBH i think city would sooner have it as a sell out 'full stands' and take a knock on the prices, there probably working on it as we chat about it especially with the new stand entering completion, i dose not look good on TV and our owners wont be happy about it

 

[squirtyflower]

It's still selfish though

I own a nice sports car that I rarely use
My neighbour often looks at it with envy
is it selfish that I don't let him use it?

The least you could do is let him wash the vehicle , whilst going next door to sh*g his missus

You haven't seen his missus

 

[squirtyflower]

No and for the want of a better reply that's got sweet FA to do with the argument

just like it has sweet FA to do with anyone what he does with the purchase he has made too

Fair enough but how would you react if I said I was going to buy a ticket for Chelsea away but not go and deny another Blue the opportunity? The tickets are half price and I've got enough points but the game's 200 miles away so I can't be arsed. Don't think you'd express the same opinion then

It's up to you, it's your money to waste and no-one else's.
Personally I think you'd be mad to throw away £30 but I still believe it should be your choice.

The difference with a seasoncard is that the owner is buying their seat and will be using it when they see fit, unlike buying a ticket and deliberately not going.

My mate is currently working abroad but has kept his season ticket on as he doesn't want to lose his seat and go to the back of the queue when he returns to Blighty. He gets over for some games, goes to the European games which he couldn't do if he had no seasoncard.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

It has already been said more than once but some don't seem to be getting it. It is very, very unlikely that there are a significant number of season ticket holders who don't turn up on a regular basis. The empty seats are obviously mainly tickets unsold for whatever reason. The fact that they are all together at the front of the north stand is a clear indication that they are simply not sold. Obviously there are a few who buy a season ticket and don't go to that many games but we are talking about a few not any significant number.

A better question is why there are unsold tickets. If it is the cost then that is your answer.

You don't get it mate!

There are a range of contributory factors that many Blues have highlighted. It's much wider than the one issue you have chosen to select!
The club have sold 99 percent of available tickets as per the club accounts.!

 

[squirtyflower]

I've said earlier in the thread that if people who don't intend really using their season tickets stop buying them then match day ticket prices would have to go down. I read your own contributions in this thread and presumably that would suit your own circumstances better? But I stick by what I said a supporter does exactly that. Not really bothered what you did in the 70's and 80's it doesn't give you the right to leave a seat empty so that some other guy has to pay £50 plus to attend a single game

He has every right to leave his seat empty if he so wishes.

He has the right, sure. But is it right? And should he have the right? Rules are made to be changed.

I can see both sides, but let's say for sake of argument Sheikh Lookatmewad who's a mate of Sheikh Mansour decides he wants to come to the odd home game, but he hates crowds. So he buys all 36,000 season tickets and has whole stands to himself. It's his money, right, so by your logic, not a problem.

Of course this is a ridiculous extrapolation, but I think in principle it's the same thing. People buying season tickets and not turning up may be allowed, and it may be their money and their choice. But I don't think it's right and I think some sensible restrictions might not be inappropriate. Like a requirement to attend 10 home games or something like that.

I understand what you are saying, but why isn't it right?
Where are all these desperate people to get in the stadium on Sunday?

 

[Blue Streak]

I'm glad the mind set is slowly changing and people are finally starting to see this is a problem. When I saw the high lights of the Sunderland game on MOTD I was seriously shocked at the amount of visible empty seats, that was the worse it's been for a league game for a long, long time. When you are at the game (especially if you are at the other end of the ground) it's not so obvious.

What also worries me is the fact that people think this will change once the expansion is completed because they think that lots of cheap tickets will suddenly become available. They won't. Can anyone seriously see City lowering prices because I can't.

If we aren't filling the ground consistently after winning two league titles, the FA Cup and a League Cup then it's an issue I'm afraid.