Season Ticket Sales

[NickG]

no when I first said email came out with season ticket detail he called me a liar.

 

I don't doubt the club could/have should have been more proactive.

 

My post was just pointing out Stu is making a habit of getting facts wrong and making fool of himself

[The Kraken]

So after 8 pages I’ve come to the following conclusion:

 

Pretty much everyone agrees that the club has no obligation to provide an interest/cost free instalment plan.

 

There is mixed opinion over whether the club should provide a payment scheme through a third party.

 

Immaterial of the above, most people agree that the club should have given more notice of the intention to scrap the old payment scheme.

 

No-one can come up with a sensible idea as to why half-season tickets have been scrapped.

 

The club seems to have done too little in the active recruitment of existing season ticket holders.

 

Pretty much everyone agrees (to differing extents) that the club has communicated poorly with the fans over the above issues. And a lot of the resentment felt towards the club by some over these issues could very easily have been solved by the club communicating better.

 

To conclude; two key excerpt from the Supporters Charter read as follows:

 

"I firmly believe that this Supporter’s Charter will be the embodiment of what we stand for and it will target what we deliver year in, year out.”

 

“Within the next few months we will be delivering news of our Supporter Engagement Policy whereby our supporters, specifically our Season Ticket Holders, can actively play a part in dialogue with their club in an effort to shape its destiny, such as pricing policies for ticketing and retail products. We intend this strategy to be ground breaking in football by enabling supporters to build a unique relationship with the Club.”

 

The one common area of agreement within this thread seems to be that the club has fallen down in engaging with the supporters over the key issue of ticketing. And this is such an easy thing to prevent, and indeed to rectify. As supporters we’re not asking for involvement with everything that the club does, and indeed understand that there are a huge amount of decisions which will be made by the club which have absolutely no right being aired in the public domain. We are simply asking for the club to live up to the promises that it made in their own formal published document.

[NickG]

yep, fair and reasoned - and not OTT!

[Block 5]

So after 8 pages I’ve come to the following conclusion:

 

Pretty much everyone agrees that the club has no obligation to provide an interest/cost free instalment plan.

 

There is mixed opinion over whether the club should provide a payment scheme through a third party.

 

Immaterial of the above, most people agree that the club should have given more notice of the intention to scrap the old payment scheme.

 

No-one can come up with a sensible idea as to why half-season tickets have been scrapped.

 

The club seems to have done too little in the active recruitment of existing season ticket holders.

 

Pretty much everyone agrees (to differing extents) that the club has communicated poorly with the fans over the above issues. And a lot of the resentment felt towards the club by some over these issues could very easily have been solved by the club communicating better.

 

To conclude; two key excerpt from the Supporters Charter read as follows:

 

"I firmly believe that this Supporter’s Charter will be the embodiment of what we stand for and it will target what we deliver year in, year out.”

 

“Within the next few months we will be delivering news of our Supporter Engagement Policy whereby our supporters, specifically our Season Ticket Holders, can actively play a part in dialogue with their club in an effort to shape its destiny, such as pricing policies for ticketing and retail products. We intend this strategy to be ground breaking in football by enabling supporters to build a unique relationship with the Club.”

 

The one common area of agreement within this thread seems to be that the club has fallen down in engaging with the supporters over the key issue of ticketing. And this is such an easy thing to prevent, and indeed to rectify. As supporters we’re not asking for involvement with everything that the club does, and indeed understand that there are a huge amount of decisions which will be made by the club which have absolutely no right being aired in the public domain. We are simply asking for the club to live up to the promises that it made in their own formal published document.

 

Good post Dav.

[hugh]

Well thought out and reasoned post Dav.

 

Are you sure you are in the right place?

[Whitey Grandad]

Dav, there's a job for you at ACAS.

[Thedelldays]

who gives a flying about some supporters charter/propaganda....? really..?

 

if you want to go to watch saints....you have various options...

 

dear god

[rocknrollman no2]

who gives a flying about some supporters charter/propaganda....? really..?

 

if you want to go to watch saints....you have various options...

 

dear god

 

And one of those options is to never believe anything the club says again.

[Thedelldays]

And one of those options is to never believe anything the club says again.

 

that clearly is stupid...then again..we have many stupid fans that think the club litterally owe them a living...

[rocknrollman no2]

that clearly is stupid...then again..we have many stupid fans that think the club litterally owe them a living...

 

I doubt anyone things the club owe them anything.But considering the club came out with the fans charter on their own,surely its not unresonable for us fans to believe it,then feel let down when its withdrawn?

[Thedelldays]

I doubt anyone things the club owe them anything.But considering the club came out with the fans charter on their own,surely its not unresonable for us fans to believe it,then feel let down when its withdrawn?

things always change...I spect the fans charter will change..or even cease to exist at some point...

[JRM]

Just a quick note on this as a comparison, i have attended games as a neutral at a few clubs in doing which i registered on their websites to buy tickets. Birmingham city, coventry, fulham and arsenal have all sent me automated emails, with special mention for fulham who have emailed 3 times pushing season ticket sales offering incentives and making the process easy. They also had adverts for season tickets in programme at uefa cup semi and at woking train station and others in south west london. That is a sign of a club who are actively trying to attract season ticket holders. We couldn't be more different.

[SFC Forever]

It appears to have already doesn't it.

[John B]

that clearly is stupid...then again..we have many stupid fans that think the club litterally owe them a living...

 

Some clubs look after their fans better than others

 

Some Companies look after their employees better than others and prosper because of it

[Thedelldays]

Some clubs look after their fans better than others

 

Some Companies look after their employees better than others and prosper because of it

 

well...like I said..I will give NC the benefit of the doubt over the likes of stu...im sorry, I just dont think the gulf in financial expertise could NOT be bigger..

 

nothing like giving a new bloke a chance is there..?

[John B]

well...like I said..I will give NC the benefit of the doubt over the likes of stu...im sorry, I just dont think the gulf in financial expertise could NOT be bigger..

 

nothing like giving a new bloke a chance is there..?

 

I agree but it all leaves a bad taste I would have thought which could have easily be avoided

 

Cortese maybe a banker but that does not mean that he has common sense .

 

If the banking industry had the Credit Crunch may not have happened

Edited 22 June, 2010 by John B

[Thedelldays]

I agree but it all leaves a bad taste I would have thought which could have easily be avoided

 

Cortese maybe a banker but that does not mean that he has common sense .

 

If the banking industry had the Credit Crunch may not have happened

 

what if cortese had nothing to do with it sat in the swiss alps...I thought is started to wrong with the sub prime market in the states..?

[John B]

what if cortese had nothing to do with it sat in the swiss alps...I thought is started to wrong with the sub prime market in the states..?

 

I doubt if Cortese caused the Credit Crunch but that does not mean that all bankers know what they are doing but we will have to wait and see what happens but his Honeymoon period is over

[The Kraken]

who gives a flying about some supporters charter/propaganda....? really..?

 

if you want to go to watch saints....you have various options...

 

dear god

 

Quite clearly a fair few people do care about it DellDays. If you don't, then it's not really an issue that affects you is it? So why bother commenting?

[Dave Benson Phillips]

who gives a flying about some supporters charter/propaganda....? really..?

 

if you want to go to watch saints....you have various options...

 

dear god

 

Hello Delldays,

 

I just popped on this thread, and here you are again, disagreeing with people to get a reaction.

 

Have you taken my advice and found a girlfriend yet?

[Micky]

Hello Delldays,

 

I just popped on this thread, and here you are again, disagreeing with people to get a reaction.

 

Have you taken my advice and found a girlfriend yet?

 

I take it you are the 'Forum Stalker', do you need help? Your persistent harrassing of TDD is more than a little tedious to read over multiple threads. If you have a problem with him, why not PM him and try and sort it out as opposed to hi-jacking 3 threads with the sole purpose of baiting him. Are you yoof, just looking for a bundle - if so - it's after midnight and you probably have school in the morning.

[Block 5]

Hello Delldays,

 

I just popped on this thread, and here you are again, disagreeing with people to get a reaction.

 

Have you taken my advice and found a girlfriend yet?

 

POTD.

 

[John B]

Hello Delldays,

 

I just popped on this thread, and here you are again, disagreeing with people to get a reaction.

 

Have you taken my advice and found a girlfriend yet?

 

I notice you are a new poster on here.

 

If you did not realise the point of the forum is to discuss Saints issues not to slag off other Posters.

 

DD is a very prolific poster who generally posts reasonable content which in this case I fully support.

 

The Charter was just PR and means very little what do you think?

[Thedelldays]

Hello Delldays,

 

I just popped on this thread, and here you are again, disagreeing with people to get a reaction.

 

Have you taken my advice and found a girlfriend yet?

 

 

This will be my last post to you..

 

I have a missus who is stunning thanks

I use this place when at home on my laptop (or at work if I get the chance) as I enjoy the banter etc

life is great, have just been selected for promotion at work..

 

Hope you have a nice day xxx

[Dave Benson Phillips]

I notice you are a new poster on here.

 

If you did not realise the point of the forum is to discuss Saints issues not to slag off other Posters.

 

DD is a very prolific poster who generally posts reasonable content which in this case I fully support.

 

The Charter was just PR and means very little what do you think?

 

I personally speaking would say that the Supporters Charter is one of the most important pieces of information that a club could release and shapes the future of the club and gives the fans an idea of what to expect, it is quite disturbing they have just pulled the supporters charter, pulled the facebook page, refused to speak to the Echo anymore, limited the amount of contact with fans etc...

 

The point I was making is that in the time I have been here, Delldays doesn't seem to post unless he is disagreeing with someone, and he does it in a very patronising way, as if he could only be the person who is right.

[John B]

I personally speaking would say that the Supporters Charter is one of the most important pieces of information that a club could release and shapes the future of the club and gives the fans an idea of what to expect, it is quite disturbing they have just pulled the supporters charter, pulled the facebook page, refused to speak to the Echo anymore, limited the amount of contact with fans etc...

 

The point I was making is that in the time I have been here, Delldays doesn't seem to post unless he is disagreeing with someone, and he does it in a very patronising way, as if he could only be the person who is right.

 

Yes I agree with your first point so it has turned out to be a PR stunt and not something which can be relied upon.

 

I dont think there is anything wrong in posting something which you disagree with because lots posted on here is bollix anyway

[NickG]

I genuinely wonder how many read the charter?

 

Like other posters on here I admit to being obsessed with sanits info - but I never read it.

 

They clearly should not publish a charter and not stick to it.

[La BoIS Saint]

I genuinely wonder how many read the charter?

 

Like other posters on here I admit to being obsessed with sanits info - but I never read it.

 

They clearly should not publish a charter and not stick to it.

 

Or at least explain why they have ripped it up.

[John B]

Or at least explain why they have ripped it up.

 

The only explanation I have heard was the Charter was for last season

[Dave Benson Phillips]

I genuinely wonder how many read the charter?

 

Like other posters on here I admit to being obsessed with sanits info - but I never read it.

 

They clearly should not publish a charter and not stick to it.

 

I read it cover to cover with interest, it shaped the future and what I can expect from my customer experience, unlike many on here, I spend £thousands each year on SFC and do not do so without expecting something back from the business side of the club. It does seem that the fans are no longer valued customers by the club, which personally I find very worrying.

 

The club have cut communication ties with the local press, which regardless of what some may say on here, people have relied on this as a source of Saints related news for decades. It is very arrogant to assume people will log in to Saintsfc.co.uk

 

The club have decided against passing information on the fans in a timely manner. Examples are the installment plan, the friendlies which we have arranged ( we are now 3 weeks away from the first pre-season game and as yet, they have not told us who that will be nor where will the pre-season tour be )

 

The club refuse to interact with fans now as seen from the response on this thread, and the complaints procedure also seems to be ripped up, and the supporters engagement policy has also been nuked.

 

Effectively they have batoned down the hatches and now refuse to communicate with the fans, nor take them into consideration when making business decisions. I find this a bit worrying, especially as the change coincided with the termination of Mr Oldknows contract, which does seem to suggest that Mr Cortese has a different way of running the club that all other English chairmen.

[NickG]

I read it cover to cover with interest, it shaped the future and what I can expect from my customer experience, unlike many on here, I spend £thousands each year on SFC and do not do so without expecting something back from the business side of the club. It does seem that the fans are no longer valued customers by the club, which personally I find very worrying.

 

The club have cut communication ties with the local press, which regardless of what some may say on here, people have relied on this as a source of Saints related news for decades. It is very arrogant to assume people will log in to Saintsfc.co.uk

 

The club have decided against passing information on the fans in a timely manner. Examples are the installment plan, the friendlies which we have arranged ( we are now 3 weeks away from the first pre-season game and as yet, they have not told us who that will be nor where will the pre-season tour be )

 

The club refuse to interact with fans now as seen from the response on this thread, and the complaints procedure also seems to be ripped up, and the supporters engagement policy has also been nuked.

 

Effectively they have batoned down the hatches and now refuse to communicate with the fans, nor take them into consideration when making business decisions. I find this a bit worrying, especially as the change coincided with the termination of Mr Oldknows contract, which does seem to suggest that Mr Cortese has a different way of running the club that all other English chairmen.

 

Whilst I agree with nearly every word of that and share your concerns (except the actual charter as already said) it worth remembering that - what ever we would like to think - they are not a community cluband owned by us.

 

The majority will be happy if they are playing good football, winning games and heading in the right direction on the field.

 

Was at BBQ other day with group of older season ticket holders I had not seen for a while. There was one passing comment about the installment plan, loads about how much all enjoyed JPT, the positive end to the season, the looking forward to this with the belief that there will be good players coming in.

 

We are only a small percentage of the fan on here, over analysing, debating and questioning the running of the club. I suggest that a huge majority of fans pay their money and enjoy the game and are very happy with Cortesse.

 

He knows that if we run away with this league fans will be happy and attendance good.

[The Kraken]

The only explanation I have heard was the Charter was for last season

 

John, I'll refer you to the first quote I listed in my summary above. It was lifted from Nicola Cortese's introduction to the document.

 

"I firmly believe that this Supporter’s Charter will be the embodiment of what we stand for and it will target what we deliver year in, year out.”

 

It should be pointed out, we are far from the only club to have some form of Fans' charter. It is not a ground-breaking document, it is very simple in that it sets out the basic aims and working practises of the club. If others think it holds little weight then fine, that's your opinion, but I have to disagree. I find it a little disconcerting how far the club has deviated from its stated principles of "engagement with the fans" in only a very short time.

[The Kraken]

Whilst I agree with nearly every word of that and share your concerns (except the actual charter as already said) it worth remembering that - what ever we would like to think - they are not a community cluband owned by us.

 

The majority will be happy if they are playing good football, winning games and heading in the right direction on the field.

 

Was at BBQ other day with group of older season ticket holders I had not seen for a while. There was one passing comment about the installment plan, loads about how much all enjoyed JPT, the positive end to the season, the looking forward to this with the belief that there will be good players coming in.

 

We are only a small percentage of the fan on here, over analysing, debating and questioning the running of the club. I suggest that a huge majority of fans pay their money and enjoy the game and are very happy with Cortesse.

 

He knows that if we run away with this league fans will be happy and attendance good.

 

Nick, you are very right of course, and once the season gets underway and (hopefully) the club gets off to a flying start then I'm sure this will very quickly slip into the dima nd distant past. That said, its just very disappointing how completely unnecessary this all is, and how it could have been so easily avoided with just a small amount of consideration from the club.

[Dave Benson Phillips]

Whilst I agree with nearly every word of that and share your concerns (except the actual charter as already said) it worth remembering that - what ever we would like to think - they are not a community cluband owned by us.

 

The majority will be happy if they are playing good football, winning games and heading in the right direction on the field.

 

Was at BBQ other day with group of older season ticket holders I had not seen for a while. There was one passing comment about the installment plan, loads about how much all enjoyed JPT, the positive end to the season, the looking forward to this with the belief that there will be good players coming in.

 

We are only a small percentage of the fan on here, over analysing, debating and questioning the running of the club. I suggest that a huge majority of fans pay their money and enjoy the game and are very happy with Cortesse.

 

He knows that if we run away with this league fans will be happy and attendance good.

 

I think though, that more people are affected than some might think. I think the proof will be in the pudding when season ticket numbers are announced before the start of the season, however I expect that news to come from the Echo and not the football club, as I cannot see the club wanting to publish the figures.

 

I am indifferent to Cortese, I neither hate him or love him, what I do know though, is that I am a man of principles and if I don't feel as though the club is showing appreciation for my custom, then I will make every effort to make sure they don't get my money and take up fishing or the like.

 

You are right that we, on this forum are the minority of Saints fans, but we are also the core of the SFC support, the fact we log in to a forum every day, check the Saints website, even during the pre-season, for every fan like us there are 3 or 4 fans who pay no attention to SFC in the pre-season apart from maybe scan the back page of the Daily Echo when they are in the newsagents or have a chat about potential transfers etc in the pub, having said that, my friends are not interested in even talking about Saints at the moment - there's a World Cup on.

 

As the people on here are the more ardent , the majority here will pay their money no matter what. Reading the forum the last few days it is easy to pick up on the arrogance of people on these forums which completely refuse to accept that some customers DO need reminding/prompted/tempted to renew their season ticket. Some people DO rely on the installment plan, and many won't be able to find alternative ways of paying for a season ticket up front, and even the ones that do, some of them won't renew because they have better things to spend their money on.

 

And lastly, people like myself will make their buying decision not just based on the on the pitch performance but also how they are valued as a customer, how easy it is to buy the product, the value of the product, and the reputatation of the person pocketing the money. People are very naive and arrogant to not be able to put themselves in other peoples shoes when it comes to their thoughts of SFC.

 

Having said that, I've renewed, but I also have alot of sympathy for those that have not been able to, and I lay the blame firmly at the door of Mr Cortese's office for that.

 

He is playing a very dangerous game. If things do not go well this season he could end up more hated than Rupert Lowe.

[Big Bad Bob]

Thing is Dave, there's these new UEFA directives that state that football clubs must become self sufficient if they want to play in UEFA sanctioned competitions.

 

Basically this means that Owners aren't allowed to plow money into clubs with gay abandon and that clubs can't spend more than they generate!!

 

Whilst I may not agree with what has been done by Mr Cortese I can see it as laying the cornerstones for the future.

 

The removal of the installment plan at such a late stage was a bad move BUT fans will find other means of getting their STs if they really want to.

 

Communication lines is a tough one, YES the club should be selling their products more proactively BUT this is a Football Club not some small business. If you were a internet diconnected fan not living in Soton would you not have phoned the club up by now asking about ST renewals? I know I would have!

 

Toruble is though if you start liasing with Fans you'll never get anything done as fans can never agree in anything!!

[Dave Benson Phillips]

Thing is Dave, there's these new UEFA directives that state that football clubs must become self sufficient if they want to play in UEFA sanctioned competitions.

 

Basically this means that Owners aren't allowed to plow money into clubs with gay abandon and that clubs can't spend more than they generate!!

 

Whilst I may not agree with what has been done by Mr Cortese I can see it as laying the cornerstones for the future.

 

The removal of the installment plan at such a late stage was a bad move BUT fans will find other means of getting their STs if they really want to.

 

Communication lines is a tough one, YES the club should be selling their products more proactively BUT this is a Football Club not some small business. If you were a internet diconnected fan not living in Soton would you not have phoned the club up by now asking about ST renewals? I know I would have!

 

Toruble is though if you start liasing with Fans you'll never get anything done as fans can never agree in anything!!

 

Football clubs should indeed be run as self-sufficiant businesses, but with a capacity of 32,000, Cortese should be looking to fill the ground every game. By maximising season ticket holders you also benefit from the other revenue streams, such as a merchandise which people buy for a matchday like replica kits, scarfs etc, 32,000 people in the stadium is 32,000 people buying food. Pitchside sponsorship revenue is increased as the club can demand a higher fee, Corporate hospitality will benefit as it makes it a much nicer environment to host business clients.

 

It is much easier to have 20,000 season ticket holders and only have to go out looking for 10,000 other fans each game to pay on the day than it is to have 10,000 season ticket holders and rely on a walk-up of 20,000. Which for the smaller games will leave St Marys half full.

 

Season tickets are there to gain a commitment from the customer, the customer has one cost justification to make. Is £350 worth the expense in order to see Saints play every game for a whole season? Now the season tickets are good value, and with the help of an installment plan, it's an easy decision to make.

 

If customers pay on a match by match basis then their buying and cost justification changes. Instead the decision they have to make is - Is it worth £25 to watch this game? It is easy not to justify paying this for many reasons - It might be on TV, it might be a midweek game, the weather might be bad, they might be off out somewhere in the evening or have other commitments, Saints might be on a bad run, the opposition might not be attractive, there might be a few games and cup games in a short space of time etc etc etc etc

 

What I am saying, there is a million reasons why a season ticket provides good value and a million reasons why I strongly believe the club will not recover the loss made on season tickets by people paying on an individual match purchasing customer.

 

We should have had alot more season ticket holders for the coming season than last season. I can't help feel that Mr Cortese has been very naive and foolish.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Thing is Dave, there's these new UEFA directives that state that football clubs must become self sufficient if they want to play in UEFA sanctioned competitions.

 

Basically this means that Owners aren't allowed to plow money into clubs with gay abandon and that clubs can't spend more than they generate!!

 

Whilst I may not agree with what has been done by Mr Cortese I can see it as laying the cornerstones for the future.

 

The removal of the installment plan at such a late stage was a bad move BUT fans will find other means of getting their STs if they really want to.

 

Communication lines is a tough one, YES the club should be selling their products more proactively BUT this is a Football Club not some small business. If you were a internet diconnected fan not living in Soton would you not have phoned the club up by now asking about ST renewals? I know I would have!

 

Toruble is though if you start liasing with Fans you'll never get anything done as fans can never agree in anything!!

 

Fans very seldom agree as one about anything to do with their club. In removing the installment plan without notice (being the operative element) it has moved many of us close to an agreement, in principle. With the EUEFA ruling in mind then it is very obvious to me that the club should be communicating in every possible way with the fans to generate interest and committment to the coming season. NC is missing an opportunity to lay a cornerstone here BB Bob! Not all of us have the money spare to buy a season ticket outright. Due to a change in employment this was my first opportunity, in many years, to get a pair so I had prepared myself for paying outright.

 

Not all the fans have an easy line to credit either. Some don't want credit and others have sadly learned that they cannot control their credit spending.

 

So, for many, the installment plan was a way out.

 

How many, as Dave Benson Phillips opines, will turn to another (cheaper, more affordable) hobby because they feel the club has pulled away from them?

 

I just wondered, in a convoluted way, if Ford, BMW or the like have decided to try something similar and tell their customers they need to pay up front for their vehicles?

 

How many would they sell?

 

All they needed was the courtesy of a decent amount of notice that the facility was being removed. This is what the anger is all about.

[Big Bad Bob]

We should have had alot more season ticket holders for the coming season than last season. I can't help feel that Mr Cortese has been very naive and foolish.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens come August when STs stop being sold.

 

There will probably be less renewals BUT I think that there will be more new/returning ST sales. Indirectly increasing revenue to the club (as SRS says ad nauseum this is probaly Cortese's plan)

 

If I had the spare cash I would probably be buying an ST again (wife's objections aside).

 

I think a target of 20K for League One is a bit ambitious. And (as others have said) if we are successful we will be selling more tickets on a game by game basis.

 

Concur about the commitment thing but also consider that Season tickets are good for the fans but not good for the club, a ST covers 14 games does it not, so who finances the other 9?

 

I see it as a big balancing act for the club, maximise ticket revenue (the main source of income aside from player sales) without upsetting too many fans!

 

Who'd be a director of a football club??

[Big Bad Bob]

Not all the fans have an easy line to credit either. Some don't want credit and others have sadly learned that they cannot control their credit spending.

 

So, for many, the installment plan was a way out.

 

I agree but the club have decided that running their own installment plan was not financially viable so that leaves the likes of Zebra or Premium Credit who WILL charge fans interest (and a lot of it I'm guessing).

 

Should we, as fans, charge the club with running an expensive operation to help (what is afterall) a small percentage of fans!

 

Also Zebra et all WILL credit check you, so if you have no line of credit you probably won't get any from Zebra either.

 

How many, as Dave Benson Phillips opines, will turn to another (cheaper, more affordable) hobby because they feel the club has pulled away from them?

 

Probably a few at the start of the season, but they will soon come drifting back to get their football fix, esp if Saints are doing well.

 

I just wondered, in a convoluted way, if Ford, BMW or the like have decided to try something similar and tell their customers they need to pay up front for their vehicles?

 

How many would they sell?

 

It always used to be thus!! HP was only introduced mid 70s (IIRC) before that if you couldn't afford you didn't buy! Not that I'm trying to belittle anyone but look what damage credit has done to the world's economy! We should all go back to a barter system

 

All they needed was the courtesy of a decent amount of notice that the facility was being removed. This is what the anger is all about.

 

Absolutely

[Whitey Grandad]

I genuinely wonder how many read the charter?

 

Like other posters on here I admit to being obsessed with sanits info - but I never read it.

 

They clearly should not publish a charter and not stick to it.

It's a telling point that every season ticket holder was sent a copy of the charter in the post but not an invitation to renew their ticket.

[Whitey Grandad]

It was explained to me once that clubs like Manchester United prefer to have fewer season ticket holders and more casual attendees, providing that the ground is filled. The occasional supporter will visit the club shop and fill his sacks with Ryan Giggs duvet covers and Wayne Rooney mugs whereas the regular supporter mike only buy a pie and a pint, if they're lucky.

[Dave Benson Phillips]

As I said, people who post on this forum are the more ardent of fans, and it does seem no matter what they are told, they completely refuse to accept that to many people, infact the majority of season ticket holders / supporters just do not share the same obsession.

 

I have the obsession with SFC, but I am also intelligent and open-minded enough to appreciate that many other people won't come crawling back , nor will they buy tickets regardless , nor will they break the bank to find an alternative payment method to the payment plan being removed.

 

I do know of one family who used the payment plan before. They spent well over £1000 on season tickets. As the facility has been removed, they have decided to have a season off watching Saints, will are going to save the 6 months installments as they had budgeted anyway, and instead go on a family holiday to Egypt in the winter.

 

 

There is just one example of 4 season ticket holders who SFC have not only lost this year, but have made the decision to spend their money on something else, so SFC have lost them completely, not only that, but once they fall out of the habit, they may never return.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

As I said, people who post on this forum are the more ardent of fans, and it does seem no matter what they are told, they completely refuse to accept that to many people, infact the majority of season ticket holders / supporters just do not share the same obsession.

 

I have the obsession with SFC, but I am also intelligent and open-minded enough to appreciate that many other people won't come crawling back , nor will they buy tickets regardless , nor will they break the bank to find an alternative payment method to the payment plan being removed.

 

I do know of one family who used the payment plan before. They spent well over £1000 on season tickets. As the facility has been removed, they have decided to have a season off watching Saints, will are going to save the 6 months installments as they had budgeted anyway, and instead go on a family holiday to Egypt in the winter.

 

 

There is just one example of 4 season ticket holders who SFC have not only lost this year, but have made the decision to spend their money on something else, so SFC have lost them completely, not only that, but once they fall out of the habit, they may never return.

 

That family of four are exactly the type of example I had in mind when I mentioned your previous comment. I do wonder how many other groups will founder? Maybe a group of four or five mates who always went together, sat together. Three can no longer do it because they cannot afford, at such short notice, the lump payment. What do the other two from that group do? They saw the football as a total experiences with their mates. Are they still going to go? Will they be surrounded by the same people or a revolving cast of buy on the days? They may try it but tire of it. They may not even try it at all. Some may say poor fans, others might well see their point.

[mikee]

Whilst I don't agree with the anti-Cortese agenda of some on this thread, it does appear that Cortese either doesn't understand the value of ST holders, or actually thinks that a ST is a benefit to fans rather than the club and should therefore be restricted and controlled. This goes against the traditional football club view that you want as many ST holders as possible and it is better to take a lower price now guaranteed rather than hope that people turn up on the day of games at a higher price.

 

I think it is this principle which some many are finding difficult to cope with and i do think that many will let their ST's lapse because of this, which is a shame.

 

I do hope that this is just a lack of understanding of the football business culture on Cortese's part and not some statement of intent for the future. The problem may be who does Cortese turn to for this kind of guidance?

[NickG]

Whilst I don't agree with the anti-Cortese agenda of some on this thread, it does appear that Cortese either doesn't understand the value of ST holders, or actually thinks that a ST is a benefit to fans rather than the club and should therefore be restricted and controlled. This goes against the traditional football club view that you want as many ST holders as possible and it is better to take a lower price now guaranteed rather than hope that people turn up on the day of games at a higher price.

 

I think it is this principle which some many are finding difficult to cope with and i do think that many will let their ST's lapse because of this, which is a shame.

 

I do hope that this is just a lack of understanding of the football business culture on Cortese's part and not some statement of intent for the future. The problem may be who does Cortese turn to for this kind of guidance?

 

Good post.

I hoped he was going to really push season tickets, low prices, good marketing, feelgood factor etc and try and get 20k+ for the season.

[once_bitterne]

the regular supporter mike only buy a pie and a pint.

 

Good old pie eating Mike!

[fromdayone]

Could i renew my adult and u12 season tickets and also claim a free u8 ticket for a friends son who we would take along with us?

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Could i renew my adult and u12 season tickets and also claim a free u8 ticket for a friends son who we would take along with us?

 

You've not taken the child before?

 

I'd guess that the child would need to have the same address as you and (although not necessary in these times) the same family name?

 

All fine while it works and your conscience lets you do it?

[fromdayone]

You've not taken the child before?

 

I'd guess that the child would need to have the same address as you and (although not necessary in these times) the same family name?

 

All fine while it works and your conscience lets you do it?

 

Nothing to do with my conscience, just need to know whether i would be allowed to do this for a potential young fan who loves his footy but unfortunately his parents dont share his enthusiasm! Guess i'll just ask the ticket office.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Nothing to do with my conscience, just need to know whether i would be allowed to do this for a potential young fan who loves his footy but unfortunately his parents dont share his enthusiasm! Guess i'll just ask the ticket office.

 

Please accept my apologies, I totally misread your genuine question and after re-reading it I can see your good intentions.

 

As you say, best to ask at the ticket office. The cynic in me thinks that you'll get a rebuff though.

 

Good luck.