Open Letter on Season Tickets and Pricing | Club announce price freeze on "general admission season tickets & PL match tickets" for next season (p163)

[Shirley]

I can see Danny Wilson being recruited by Man U to work on their new stadium project.

Probably discussing who will pay for it…

 

[Mcfc1.9.8.0]

Apologies if I have missed something here (a few bad things happened personally in recemt months) - am I right in saying the club is not going to be allowing us to renew traditional season tickets, and we'd have to buy a Flexi one?

No if you already have a season ticket you can renew it people think there will be no new season cards issued

 

[dannybcity]

No if you already have a season ticket you can renew it people think there will be no new season cards issued

Yeah there's no issue with renewing, but no new regular season tickets are being issued. So people are beginning to discover they can't get a regular season ticket for their kids and grandkids.

Barclays did a survey, admittedly a years ago now, and found that we've got the highest percentage of fans that had followed for 20/30 years. You only have to look around at games to see a lack of kids and a fan base that on average is getting older.

We've got an aging fanbase and no new "proper" season tickets to replace them. It won't take long before they'll be very few regular season ticket holders left.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Yeah there's no issue with renewing, but no new regular season tickets are being issued. So people are beginning to discover they can't get a regular season ticket for their kids and grandkids.

Barclays did a survey, admittedly a years ago now, and found that we've got the highest percentage of fans that had followed for 20/30 years. You only have to look around at games to see a lack of kids and a fan base that on average is getting older.

We've got an aging fanbase and no new "proper" season tickets to replace them. It won't take long before they'll be very few regular season ticket holders left.

In my view Danny, we’ve not had regular season card for years. A season card holder doesn’t need to attend a single game with all the ticket transfer and ticket exchange listings that can be made.

 

[Zabbasbeard]

No if you already have a season ticket you can renew it people think there will be no new season cards issued

Thank you very much.

 

[TheGhost]

Cheers mate, it's a good question and I don't really know to be honest. Hopefully we'll have a date for the meeting very shortly.

I don’t believe for a second the figures that club have come out with this week.

Especially the number of tickets that go to licensed agencies and the number of no shows.

I’d happily boycott the forthcoming Brighton or Leicester home games if that’s the last resort that the City Matters team need to turn to.

 

[Zabbasbeard]

Yeah there's no issue with renewing, but no new regular season tickets are being issued. So people are beginning to discover they can't get a regular season ticket for their kids and grandkids.

Barclays did a survey, admittedly a years ago now, and found that we've got the highest percentage of fans that had followed for 20/30 years. You only have to look around at games to see a lack of kids and a fan base that on average is getting older.

We've got an aging fanbase and no new "proper" season tickets to replace them. It won't take long before they'll be very few regular season ticket holders left.

Thanks. That is a very sad state of affairs. I really hope the club listen and engage properly.

Thanks very much for your work on this. Much appreciated.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I don’t believe for a second the figures that club have come out with this week.

Especially the number of tickets that go to licensed agencies and the number of no shows.

I’d happily boycott the forthcoming Brighton or Leicester home games if that’s the last resort that the City Matters team need to turn to.

I’d rather we boycott away games like Bournemouth in the Cup

 

[dannybcity]

In my view Danny, we’ve not had regular season card for years. A season card holder doesn’t need to attend a single game with all the ticket transfer and ticket exchange listings that can be made.

That's true, and whilst we've not necessarily asked for it, I'd defend that. Whilst we're unable to buy a traditional season ticket (if you'd prefer) it's a good safe guard to prevent long standing blues being forced onto flexigold.

For example, you could have a seasoncard holder for 40 years who is diagnosed with a long term illness, if further restrictions were put in place they'd potentially lose their traditional season ticket once they'd used up their "allowance". This is the same for anyone that might be forced to miss a number of games for something outside their control. I suspect no one on here would agree that this would be fair.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

That's true, and whilst we've not necessarily asked for it, I'd defend that. Whilst we're unable to buy a traditional season ticket (if you'd prefer) it's a good safe guard to prevent long standing blues being forced onto flexigold.

For example, you could have a seasoncard holder for 40 years who is diagnosed with a long term illness, if further restrictions were put in place they'd potentially lose their traditional season ticket once they'd used up their "allowance". This is the same for anyone that might be forced to miss a number of games for something outside their control. I suspect no one on here would agree that this would be fair.

City look after people with long term illnesses if it’s brought to their attention tbf.

I’m conflicted on whether I see existing season cards or flexi-golds as more like a season cards. I dislike the set up fees with flexi-golds and the failure of City to make the tickets not taken up, available for sale cheaply. I dislike the non attendance and industrial scale ticket transfers and ticket exchange prices that seem to be bi-productds of our version of season cards.

Regardless, there has been more egregious piss taking by the Club including the Barca 8 at Anfield and the Spanish 8’at Ipswich, as well as match day ticket prices.

 

[Zabbasbeard]

Thanks very much for your work on this. It's much appreciated.

 

[TheGhost]

I’d rather we boycott away games like Bournemouth in the Cup

With such a small allocation we’ll sell all our tickets anyway.

I’m spitballing here. Something like an inflatable banana day. Get everyone to dig out their old bananas. Get them to front of each tier at the start of a game.

The club can’t ban them, or if they tried the PR would highlight the protest even more, especially as they’re signifiers for us legacy fans.

Fans don’t have to spend any money.

But if you don’t have an old banana at the back of a cupboard or in the attic.

Maybe 1894 could take donations to buy them cheaply in bulk and then distribute them outside the ground, including a donation towards the Foodbank?

 

[A57 the snake]

That's true, and whilst we've not necessarily asked for it, I'd defend that. Whilst we're unable to buy a traditional season ticket (if you'd prefer) it's a good safe guard to prevent long standing blues being forced onto flexigold.

For example, you could have a seasoncard holder for 40 years who is diagnosed with a long term illness, if further restrictions were put in place they'd potentially lose their traditional season ticket once they'd used up their "allowance". This is the same for anyone that might be forced to miss a number of games for something outside their control. I suspect no one on here would agree that this would be fair.

It happened to myself.. diagnosed with a serious illness whilst in hospital I missed the re-new window my season ticket got re-sold.
And that was that The end of my match going days , forty five years of match going eighty odd away grounds . Countless appeals to the club but got nowhere.
Loyalty counts for absolutely nothing.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

With such a small allocation we’ll sell all our tickets anyway.

I’m spitballing here. Something like an inflatable banana day. Get everyone to dig out their old bananas. Get them to front of each tier at the start of a game.

The club can’t ban them, or if they tried the PR would highlight the protest even more, especially as they’re signifiers for us legacy fans.

Fans don’t have to spend any money but if you don’t have an old banana at the back of a cupboard or in the attic.

Maybe 1894 could take donations to buy them cheaply in bulk and then distribute them outside the ground, including a donation towards the Foodbank?

I like the idea of banana day

 

[dannybcity]

It happened to myself.. diagnosed with a serious illness whilst in hospital I missed the re-new window my season ticket got re-sold.
And that was that The end of my match going days , forty five years of match going eighty odd away grounds . Countless appeals to the club but got nowhere.
Loyalty counts for absolutely nothing.

Sorry to hear that mate.

 

[A57 the snake]

Sorry to hear that mate.

It’s fine mate, the team will always be mine but the club just feels so distant now

 

[NickyWeaverTheMagician]

In my view Danny, we’ve not had regular season card for years. A season card holder doesn’t need to attend a single game with all the ticket transfer and ticket exchange listings that can be made.

Was only the same as when they were physical cards and you would give it to a family member or your mate down the pub when you couldn't go or was off on your holiday. The fact they are digital doesn't change that this was always the case.

There are always other traditional benefits associated with a 'regular'' season ticket: reduced prices from match to match cost, guaranteed seat outright (without the need to be messing around before each game to sort by the deadline) etc.

 

[franksinatra]

Yeah there's no issue with renewing, but no new regular season tickets are being issued. So people are beginning to discover they can't get a regular season ticket for their kids and grandkids.

Barclays did a survey, admittedly a years ago now, and found that we've got the highest percentage of fans that had followed for 20/30 years. You only have to look around at games to see a lack of kids and a fan base that on average is getting older.

We've got an aging fanbase and no new "proper" season tickets to replace them. It won't take long before they'll be very few regular season ticket holders left.

Danny,

When the club stated the numbers for tickets passed over to official reselling sites did anyone question whether this total included tickets relisted on the exchange?

It’s only anecdotal evidence but when regular season tickets holders near me miss a match it’s invariably the ticket ends up in the hands of a tourist/neutral and some have mentioned they bought a package which included a meal etc or ticketing website. I think the club are being a bit cute with the numbers.

 

[dannybcity]

Danny,

When the club stated the numbers for tickets passed over to official reselling sites did anyone question whether this total included tickets relisted on the exchange?

It’s only anecdotal evidence but when regular season tickets holders near me miss a match it’s invariably the ticket ends up in the hands of a tourist/neutral and some have mentioned they bought a package which included a meal etc or ticketing website. I think the club are being a bit cute with the numbers.

I questioned some of the numbers at the time but it's not easy without a full break down of how they were calculated. So I went back to the club recently and asked a few more questions and for a bit more detail.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Was only the same as when they were physical cards and you would give it to a family member or your mate down the pub when you couldn't go or was off on your holiday. The fact they are digital doesn't change that this was always the case.

There are always other traditional benefits associated with a 'regular'' season ticket: reduced prices from match to match cost, guaranteed seat outright (without the need to be messing around before each game to sort by the deadline) etc.

You can transfer your ticket around world with a couple of clicks under the new system. That wasn’t an option with physical cards mate. I think things like unlimited transfer and guaranteed refunds on the Ticket Exchange have created more problems than they’ve sold.