Priced out?

[franksinatra]

It used to be about £30 as a kid in the early 80s I’m sure it was a £1 on the turnstile as kid , maybe I’m wrong.

My first season ticket, from memory, was £40 quid in 1991 on the Kippax. It was not considered expensive.

 

[franksinatra]

Why not though?

Bayern München have cheap tickets, and not just a few thousand, but thousands upon thousands of them (16,000 season tickets under €350, with most of them being €275… City barely have 1,200 cheap tickets). I always use that particular club as my example because they are a juggernaut of the game who smash their revenue records all the time, but they fucking look after their fans!

Their CEO (a dodgy City hating ****, but fucking bang on here!) once made the famous statement;

‘We could charge more than €204 for season tickets. Let's say we charged €400. We'd get €2m more in income, but what's €2m to us? In a transfer discussion you argue about that sum for five minutes. But the difference between €204 and €400 is huge for the fan. We do not think the fans are like cows, who you milk. Football has got to be for everybody. That's the difference between us and England’.

A Mancunian Father and son could look out for cheap flight offers and attend a Bayern game for cheaper than the upcoming City v Chelsea game in their own city.

Even Liverpool have all Premier League Under 18s tickets at Anfield in all stands apart from the new Anfield Road Second Tier, at £9 (yes NINE British pounds). And they give local fans with an ‘L’ post code a window of a week before tickets go on sale to other fans to get tickets.

City v Chelsea next week: adult prices £72-90; children’s prices £48-62. With nothing for locals to get in there before anyone else. And good luck getting two seats together.

The Bayern model is an interesting one and not sure how fans would adapt to it here.

Quite correct a lot of cheaper tickets but the two stands to the side of the pitch you cannot pick a ticket up for less than 100 euros (vast majority 120 euros) for the big champs league matches. Real variation in prices and I wonder how many of the cheaper tickets go to general sale not already sold to season ticket holders

 

[jrb]

Unfortunately the £7 a pint bars are rammed too. People queue up to get in them! That’s why they get away with it. The demand is there.

In the city centre yes, but not in the suburbs. The Gateway in Didsbury is a Spoons and it’s busy every day and night. Go into Didsbury and many of the pubs are quiet. They are only busy at the weekends, which is probably enough for them to survive and to make a profit, especially when the University students are doing the Didsbury Dozen in costumes and fancy dress outfits.

 

[jrb]

Instead of sending us generic email questionnaires about ticket prices, etc, why doesn’t the club just read this thread?(I’m sure they do) All the answers they want to know to their email questions are in this thread.

 

[hello]

Going back to match day ticket prices. If I didn’t have season ticket I wouldn’t pay the adult match day ticket prices for a match ticket.

£467 quid for the 3 of us v Chelsea with the 80 min train journey. Its a fucking expensive past time for sure.

 

[Stephen230]

I’m not one for really moaning too much. I’m at the age where I kind of think, what’s the point?

But the one thing that I do feel reasonably strongly about is the price of kids tickets.

I took my little girl against Salford. She’s been a couple of times before. But just sat there bored really. But this time, maybe because she’s a little older, she got into it and said she really enjoyed it. She’s asking to go to the next round and even kept bobbing in the front room on Sunday asking what time they were doing the draw? And the first thing she said when I picked her up from school today was, have I got tickets for the next game yet?

Now she may well lose all interest as quickly as she found it. But if I was analysing the data, as I’m sure someone at the club is, I’d be looking at her demographic and thinking, here’s a bunch of people who are interested enough that their parents have forked out for memberships for them. So there must be something there. But so far, they’ve only been to a handful of games when the tickets have been cheap as chips. Be we have a potential fan here for maybe the next 50/60/70 years. What can we do to encourage them to move up to the next level and become regular match goers?

I’m not sure what the answers are. But I know what the answers aren’t. And that’s charging £50/£60 for a child to be able to watch a league game.

 

[jrb]

There has been some honest, to the point, and frank posts today. Thank you all. It’s been a great, but sometimes sad read.

 

[PitchInvader BHA away1983]

I don't think that fans wanted more seats they can't afford or facilities they didn't ask for that they can't see because matchday tickets are excruciatingly expensive.

Nobody I know wanted that at all.

You are correct???

But the club see you as it’s past??!!

But as it’s future!!??

 

[NPBlue]

I go and watch Altrincham a few times a season. It's my local club and the team I was raised on in the 60's by my father until he started taking me to Maine Road in the late 60's, so it's always been a team I've supported.

What's noticeable when you are there are the groups of teenagers, 14, 15, 16 year olds, all having a good time and enjoying themselves.

They make up a good proportion of the attendance, and that's an aspect of the crowd at City, and probably every other premier league club, which is now missing. Groups of youngsters having a laugh. I was similar at their age with my friends when we went to Maine Road in the early 70's, with pocket money paying the admission.

I doesn't happen now. It's largely people aged over 50 at the games, and I don't suppose clubs give a stuff about future generations turning up in their teens like I, and my friends, used to years ago.

They sell their tickets for as much as they can, and as long as the stadiums are full, why would they care about attracting a younger demographic that can't afford 'the experience'?

 

[Gone for a Burton]

We should replace the word local with loyal.

Any fan who attends matches regularly, irrespective of where he or she comes from should be treated with far more respect and consideration than we currently are.

100%.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

Instead of sending us generic email questionnaires about ticket prices, etc, why doesn’t the club just read this thread?(I’m sure they do) All the answers they want to know to their email questions are in this thread.

....which is why WE @ BMF must keep the pressure on by posting/listing sensible,constructive and consistant proposals on the matters that concern us/ fan base most.

BMF is read by people at the club, therefore we must try to establish it as the authorititive 'go to' place for the club to hear the voice of the people.

We have to 'encourage/demand' the club changes its culture and practices on the fundementals of pricing, supporter relationships & communication etc.

Our proposition should be based on two simple polarised choices -:

1) A club that has CHOSEN to turn its back on its fans & to persue a policy of alienation in persuit of revenue......or

2) A club that puts fans at the core of their thinking,policies and practices, by taking decicive, immediate and long term decisions to reduce the cost to fans of a attending games, radically changing fan engagement and positioning itself as the club of difference.

Two choices that box the club in, no in between,compromise or dilution..

Choice 1
or
Choice 2

Complete clarity !!

 

[give it to gordon]

I’m not one for really moaning too much. I’m at the age where I kind of think, what’s the point?

But the one thing that I do feel reasonably strongly about is the price of kids tickets.

I took my little girl against Salford. She’s been a couple of times before. But just sat there bored really. But this time, maybe because she’s a little older, she got into it and said she really enjoyed it. She’s asking to go to the next round and even kept bobbing in the front room on Sunday asking what time they were doing the draw? And the first thing she said when I picked her up from school today was, have I got tickets for the next game yet?

Now she may well lose all interest as quickly as she found it. But if I was analysing the data, as I’m sure someone at the club is, I’d be looking at her demographic and thinking, here’s a bunch of people who are interested enough that their parents have forked out for memberships for them. So there must be something there. But so far, they’ve only been to a handful of games when the tickets have been cheap as chips. Be we have a potential fan here for maybe the next 50/60/70 years. What can we do to encourage them to move up to the next level and become regular match goers?

I’m not sure what the answers are. But I know what the answers aren’t. And that’s charging £50/£60 for a child to be able to watch a league game.

I'm sure City just to do junior blues for a fiver, one game before Christmas and one after. Or is my mind playing tricks ?

 

[Gone for a Burton]

I go and watch Altrincham a few times a season. It's my local club and the team I was raised on in the 60's by my father until he started taking me to Maine Road in the late 60's, so it's always been a team I've supported.

What's noticeable when you are there are the groups of teenagers, 14, 15, 16 year olds, all having a good time and enjoying themselves.

They make up a good proportion of the attendance, and that's an aspect of the crowd at City, and probably every other premier league club, which is now missing. Groups of youngsters having a laugh. I was similar at their age with my friends when we went to Maine Road in the early 70's, with pocket money paying the admission.

I doesn't happen now. It's largely people aged over 50 at the games, and I don't suppose clubs give a stuff about future generations turning up in their teens like I, and my friends, used to years ago.

They sell their tickets for as much as they can, and as long as the stadiums are full, why would they care about attracting a younger demographic that can't afford 'the experience'?

......but the stadiums are NOT full

......and NOT full of contented fans who feel valued and appreciated by their club.

There is a rising mood of apathy,frustration and anger towards a club who is alienating, and failing to attract local fans, in equal measure.

Any organisation who CHOSES to disregard and alienate its CORE customers is treading a dangerous path littered with corpses.

The current executives responsible for such a policy of short term gain will be long gone when Manchester is dropped from our name because the club no long represents Manchester or Mancunians.

A tipping point is approaching which may arrive much quicker than expected if we have a couple of transitional seasons or if (say) Pep & Harland leave.

Our victory in the 115 case will create a huge out pouring of relief and which the club should ride and use to CHOSE a different,more caring,reasonable realistic and benevolent

 

[Gone for a Burton]

....

......but the stadiums are NOT full

......and NOT full of contented fans who feel valued and appreciated by their club.

There is a rising mood of apathy,frustration and anger towards a club who is alienating, and failing to attract local fans, in equal measure.

Any organisation who CHOSES to disregard and alienate its CORE customers is treading a dangerous path littered with corpses.

The current executives responsible for such a policy of short term gain will be long gone when Manchester is dropped from our name because the club no long represents Manchester or Mancunians.

A tipping point is approaching which may arrive much quicker than expected if we have a couple of transitional seasons or if (say) Pep & Harland leave.

Our victory in the 115 case will create a huge out pouring of relief and which the club should ride and use to CHOSE a different,more caring,reasonable realistic and benevolent

.....club, which the fans truely feel valued & part of.

 

[Chappie]

Instead of sending us generic email questionnaires about ticket prices, etc, why doesn’t the club just read this thread?(I’m sure they do) All the answers they want to know to their email questions are in this thread.

But the answers are not the ones they are interested in.
The day we became customers was the day the club lost its identity.
Unfortunately we can not have it both ways as the news this morning breaks about Erling, brilliant for the club,but someone has to fund that deal.

 

[Sheikh rattle and roll]

But the answers are not the ones they are interested in.
The day we became customers was the day the club lost its identity.
Unfortunately we can not have it both ways as the news this morning breaks about Erling, brilliant for the club,but someone has to fund that deal.

That is the problem if you want to win trophies sign expensive players ( 100 m etc) develop a training ground which is the envy of the world and extend the stand these things cost
Hence why there is a need to maximise its income

 

[Stephen230]

I'm sure City just to do junior blues for a fiver, one game before Christmas and one after. Or is my mind playing tricks ?

It rings a vague bell. But I think that offer went with Uncle Harry Godwin.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

That is the problem if you want to win trophies sign expensive players ( 100 m etc) develop a training ground which is the envy of the world and extend the stand these things cost
Hence why there is a need to maximise its income

I don’t think City admin are maximising income even though that’s their focus. For example, sell an average of 300 unsold single tickets per game at £30 and that’s £200k over the season. City don’t want the moaning off people who bought their tickets earlier at higher prices.

Throw in another 20 ticket points for anyone who buys 4 or more tickets for individual home champs group games at a time )like it used to be) and that could be another 1,000 tickets per game sold. Maybe another 150k in the kitty. No doubt a few would moan anout the fictitious integrity of the points system (for 20 points here and there).

Plus there are knock on benefits of more sales in the club shop and drinks / food in the ground.

Not massive amounts in the City scale of things but they could replace the annual inflationary uplift in season card costs.

 

[Gone for a Burton]

That is the problem if you want to win trophies sign expensive players ( 100 m etc) develop a training ground which is the envy of the world and extend the stand these things cost
Hence why there is a need to maximise its income

The new Etihad and FAB deals are agreed and just waiting for the PL shit to be sorted.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I'm sure City just to do junior blues for a fiver, one game before Christmas and one after. Or is my mind playing tricks ?

Fulham and Palace at home a few seasons ago were a fiver for kids, in the family stand. City hiked the prices the following year but have reduced this season to about £12 (I’m not sure on the exact price).