Season ticket sales update

[The Kraken]

being in a league lower how on earth can you say what deems to be a success in ST sales..?

hence why I was wondering if anyone knew what the sales were in the champ...more so the playoff season..!!

 

I've just given the reasons why I think 15K would be a "successful" figure, based on last year's ST figure (when we were in League 1 with a minus 10 deduction and with many people initially having average to low expectations of our form); plus all of other factors I listed.

 

Maybe I'm missing the point.

[Alanh]

that would be quite an interesting ploy if it was deliberate to say there `will not half season tickets' to encourage people to buy a full one, only then to make an about turn to maximise revenue.

 

In the past haven't half season tickets always been sold for the second half of the season? I don't recall a situation where you could buy a half season ticket for the first half of the season anyway.

 

Based on this I always thought it was a strange statement for the club to make.

[benjii]

There's a point of learning here folks:

 

If someone ever shows you to be incontrovertibly wrong and made to look stupid, what you should do is acknowledge this and maybe offer a bit of humility. If you attempt to persist with the line that you were actually right you will only look like an ever bigger muppet than you already did.

 

There endeth today's lesson.

[up and away]

Originally Posted by Ewell

I think the key point here is how many season ticket holders have not renewed because of a lack of an installment plan?For me if there is just 1 case then that is a shame and SRS/DBP has won this argument.

 

We were always going to get more sales this year due to our investment, potential to achieve, and the return of the feel good factor, after all we did win a trophy last season!

 

I really fail to understand the hostility shown. Having more options for fans to pay for their season ticket is a no brainer and the club are missing a trick here. I think it is for certain they would have had more sales if they gave people the option to pay for their season ticket over the season.

A voice of reason at last.

 

Is it? For most people the cost of the ticket represents about half the cost of match day. If they can't afford it, maybe they are better off just going to selected games within their budget?

 

I would have preferred to have kept some form of instalment plan, but it's not that big an issue. Some clubs require full payment of the instalments before our ST offer ends, so it's not that cut and dried. Fans can still go to games and have plenty of time to save up for next year, so in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big.

[Golden Balls]

I got an e-mail sometime ago regarding the latest news at Saints which contained information regarding season tickets.

 

As did I, no doubt Stu will ignore that though

[miserableoldgit]

It's quite a simple point, now you may be getting old and senile, so I will put it in clearer English for you.

 

The season tickets were not for him, he bought them for his employees to share ( many businesses do similar ) . As a result he doesn't look at the OS or pro-actively chase, he waits for the bill to come in and then sends it back with the payment.

 

As there was no 'bill' he hasn't bothered this season, especially because he is a businessman and shares the view that if they can't be arsed to contact him, then he can't be bothered to give them his money.

 

Actually, I think I know what you mean... they are not a super fan like you so the club is better off without them...

 

OK

My point is that he couldn`t be asked to renew them even after you told him that there was still time to do so, so these were not "fans" that did not renew. What we lost was revenue from those tickets, not fans. Would the people who used the tickets go to SMS any way or did they only go if they had a freebie??

[up and away]

Originally Posted by Saint_clark

The 13,000 figure from last season includes half season tickets. The pre-season figure for last year was around 11,000.

11500 actually. So probably less than 2000 extra at the same point last year when we had 2 weeks to sell them, -10 points, no chance of promotion etc.

 

Dress it up any way you want, I wouldn't call that a significant rise.

 

Since when has 1/2 =1? Season tickets are firmly up and will be even further ahead come the start of the season. But this is all a slight misnomer, because the gate will be the defining factor. I would expect with all those ex instalment holders to be busily saving to boost that number up over the 15000 mark, but maybe not!

 

As a point of logic, why would anyone strapped for cash restrict themselves to the far more costly away games? Let alone the hedge fund required for the court appearances?

[Dan]

13,000 sold may be sold, but how many of them are free under 8 season tickets?

 

Nearly everyone I know who has bought a ST this year has claimed a free under 8 ticket.

[Matthew Le God]

13,000 sold may be sold, but how many of them are free under 8 season tickets?

 

Nearly everyone I know who has bought a ST this year has claimed a free under 8 ticket.

 

They were also free last season.

[Third Division South Days]

I'm going to predict, due to fans request, half-STs are reintroduced just before Christmas.

 

I don't think they will be this season. NC does not strike me as the sort of person who would go back on this. He would be open to the charge of misleading those who bought a full ticket who would have waited for results in the first half of the season. I could be wrong but couldn't you buy a season ticket at anytime with the cost reduced to accommodate matches missed. Perhaps there will be opportunies to purchase a group of matches with a small discount?

[Smirking_Saint]

I really can't be bothered to go through this whole thread however, most of the points a certain poster has made are pretty laughable.

 

We should have had 20k STH's ??? - - - Lol, 20k, at a league 1 club, in a recession, when the club has no requirement to gain the cash sum from ST's at a start of a season and no more than 2/3rds of a clubs attendance should be STH's

 

That he actually said they would be around 13k mark - - - I don't really know, some threads he said about 7.5k, some 9k and others higher, all threads he said they would be less than last year, they are higher, so he is wrong.

 

NC has gone out to reduce the STH's - - - Well, he has failed in that respect if he wanted to, which is b*llocks, because if he wanted to he would not have offered a decent renewal price, simples.

 

The payment plan was a big deal to EVERYONE - - - Clearly it wasn't.

 

 

 

 

Please please give up now Stu, it really is f*cking boring

[the saint in winchester]

13,000 sold may be sold, but how many of them are free under 8 season tickets?

 

Nearly everyone I know who has bought a ST this year has claimed a free under 8 ticket.

 

Are you saying ... even if they don't have an under 8 in the family? Surely a name has to be given and identity confirmed (passport?)

Are you suggesting there will be ghosts or waifs n strays in seats?

[Smirking_Saint]

13,000 sold may be sold, but how many of them are free under 8 season tickets?

 

Nearly everyone I know who has bought a ST this year has claimed a free under 8 ticket.

 

It was the same last season

[for_heaven's_Saint]

I hope noone has claimed a free under 8 ticket just for the hell of it or for some extra leg room. Anyone who has is a d*ck in my opinion.

[Dave Benson Phillips]

Since when has 1/2 =1? Season tickets are firmly up and will be even further ahead come the start of the season. But this is all a slight misnomer, because the gate will be the defining factor. I would expect with all those ex instalment holders to be busily saving to boost that number up over the 15000 mark, but maybe not!

 

As a point of logic, why would anyone strapped for cash restrict themselves to the far more costly away games? Let alone the hedge fund required for the court appearances?

 

Just a quick point before I dash off again.

 

11500 / 13500 - The difference is 2000

 

Oh, and thanks for the financial advice. I never said I couldn't afford to buy a season ticket because I didn't have the money in the bank... more than I couldn't justify paying out for one in one hit as I had other things to pay for over the last few months which I deemed more important. And as a matter of principle, I don't fancy giving the club my money this season.

 

And away games on a value for money basis are much better than home games.

[Nexstar]

Just a quick point before I dash off again.

 

And as a matter of principle, I don't fancy giving the club my money this season.

 

Instead you replaced money with giving every second of you free time to talk about the club.

[Sour Mash]

Is it? For most people the cost of the ticket represents about half the cost of match day. If they can't afford it, maybe they are better off just going to selected games within their budget?

 

I would have preferred to have kept some form of instalment plan, but it's not that big an issue. Some clubs require full payment of the instalments before our ST offer ends, so it's not that cut and dried. Fans can still go to games and have plenty of time to save up for next year, so in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big.

 

Who are you speaking on behalf of?

[Sour Mash]

I hope noone has claimed a free under 8 ticket just for the hell of it or for some extra leg room. Anyone who has is a d*ck in my opinion.

 

Stupid policy of free under 8 tickets, should at least be something like £50 to stop this sort of thing.

[NickG]

I got an e-mail sometime ago regarding the latest news at Saints which contained information regarding season tickets.

 

As did I, no doubt Stu will ignore that though

 

called me a liar when I said I received an email. Then admitted he had one as well!

[Dave Benson Phillips]

I really can't be bothered to go through this whole thread however, most of the points a certain poster has made are pretty laughable.

 

We should have had 20k STH's ??? - - - Lol, 20k, at a league 1 club, in a recession, when the club has no requirement to gain the cash sum from ST's at a start of a season and no more than 2/3rds of a clubs attendance should be STH's

 

Please please give up now Stu, it really is f*cking boring

 

Norwich had OVER 20k STH's last season.

 

What was that???

[Saint_clark]

Norwich had OVER 20k STH's last season.

 

What was that???

 

Their STs were dirt cheap and there is f*ck all else to do in Norwich anyway.

[Saint_John]

Compared to last season :-

 

14th July 5,000 http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1721970,00.html

22nd July 8,700 http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1729983,00.html

2nd Aug 10,600 http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1740123,00.html

** start of season 8th Aug **

21st Aug 11,300 http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1761089,00.html

.

25 Jan +1,200 Half St (12,500) http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1943451,00.html

[Saint_clark]

Compared to last season :-

 

14th July 5,000 http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1721970,00.html

22nd July 8,700 http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1729983,00.html

2nd Aug 10,600 http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1740123,00.html

** start of season 8th Aug **

21st Aug 11,300 http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1761089,00.html

.

25 Jan +1,200 Half St (12,500) http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~1943451,00.html

 

 

Come on then Stu, let's see you put some spin on this. Maybe the club went back and edited the figures to make it look better this season?

[NickG]

Not actually seen number sold only this:

 

"season ticket sales sail through the 13,000 mark.

 

Season ticket sales are now well past the 13,000 mark, far in excess of the total number from last year which also included half season ticket sales.

 

Sales have increased for the second consecutive year, with fans clamouring to get their hands on the hottest tickets in town ahead of Saints' golden 125th anniversary season."

 

wonder how many "well passed" means.

[Saint_clark]

Not actually seen number sold only this:

 

"season ticket sales sail through the 13,000 mark.

 

Season ticket sales are now well past the 13,000 mark, far in excess of the total number from last year which also included half season ticket sales.

 

Sales have increased for the second consecutive year, with fans clamouring to get their hands on the hottest tickets in town ahead of Saints' golden 125th anniversary season."

 

wonder how many "well passed" means.

 

I think we'll only know the exact figure when sales close on the 6th of august.

[Joensuu]

Superb news. More season tickets sold than last year, with plenty of time for the number to increase further.

I'm sure some people will have lost out by the removal of instalments, but I honestly feel most will have begged or borrowed the money. I doubt the total number of people who have been unable to reneue exceeds 100 in total. It's probably closer to 50. Obviously, I would like to extend sympathy towards these few individuals.

Some on here have argued that if a single person has been forced out by the pricing, this would justify the position taken by SRS. However, by extension, there are countless other people in Southampton who were already unable to afford the season ticket price, surely the price should have been lowered to avoid anyone missing out. If fact let's take it further still, but charging anything, someone will be missing out. All tickets should be free. Err...

Quite simply, the club is a company. They have devised pricing and marketing strategies, which they hope will maximise income, without adversely affecting the fans. By exceeding last years season ticket numbers Cortese has demonstrated that he has successfully managed to improve both numbers and income. Have the fans been adversely affected? A tiny minority which appears to be less than 1% certainly have; the vast, vast, majority haven't been directly affected, certainly not to the extent of forcing them not to purchase a season ticket.

As for StuDaveRomseyJonesBensonSaintPhilips, by all means argue the case of the tiny minority, point out how they have been let down, or overlooked, but stop with the Cortese bashing. Cortese isn't perfect, but he is a heck of a lot better than our previous chairman. His decisions are forward thinking, decisive and professional. Yes, he seems to be a man who it's best not to cross, but he also seems to be a man who is directly leading saints in very much the right direction. Thank goodness these character traits make it unlikely he will be concerned by the whinging of a tiny group of oddballs online. All of the 'evidence' that you have stacked against Cortese is hearsay and unfounded. All of the real evidence, the development both on and off the pitch have been superbly progressive. Just because he seems hard-nosed (which is often a trait in business), why have you taken it upon yourself to try to undermine him at every opportunity, in spite of the evidence against your argument? Liebherr and Cortese are the best thing that has happened to Southampton in years, it seems apparent that they trust each other, and have entered into the ownership of the club as a team. An attack on one, is an attack on both. The more I hear the tiny minority of 3 or 4 trolling posters who highjack every thread and argue against Cortese, the more it sickens me. What do you stand to gain from undermining the club? I smell fish, and the smell isn't coming from the Romsey branch of Goodies.

[NickG]

think you maybe right, but decent amount sold even if we sell no more

[Dave Benson Phillips]

Their STs were dirt cheap and there is f*ck all else to do in Norwich anyway.

 

Were they? Are they dirt cheap? Do you want to toddle off and do some research before you start making assumptions?

[NickG]

wonder if we should have made ours more expensive Stu, as they are selling so well, to get more revenue into the club?

[Dave Benson Phillips]

Come on then Stu, let's see you put some spin on this. Maybe the club went back and edited the figures to make it look better this season?

 

I am not sure what your obsession is about attendances and amount of season tickets sold. I speculated that season tickets will be slightly down... infact they are slightly up... it's still got fook all to do with the fact the club have forced an 'unknown' number of people out of having a season ticket.

 

So the people coming back this season have outnumbered the ones being pushed out... I still don't think that deserves a pat on the back.

[NickG]

think you used slightly twice when you meant significantly.

 

Maybe no-one has been pushed out at all.

[Trader]

Superb news. More season tickets sold than last year, with plenty of time for the number to increase further.

I'm sure some people will have lost out by the removal of instalments, but I honestly feel most will have begged or borrowed the money. I doubt the total number of people who have been unable to reneue exceeds 100 in total. It's probably closer to 50. Obviously, I would like to extend sympathy towards these few individuals.

Some on here have argued that if a single person has been forced out by the pricing, this would justify the position taken by SRS. However, by extension, there are countless other people in Southampton who were already unable to afford the season ticket price, surely the price should have been lowered to avoid anyone missing out. If fact let's take it further still, but charging anything, someone will be missing out. All tickets should be free. Err...

Quite simply, the club is a company. They have devised pricing and marketing strategies, which they hope will maximise income, without adversely affecting the fans. By exceeding last years season ticket numbers Cortese has demonstrated that he has successfully managed to improve both numbers and income. Have the fans been adversely affected? A tiny minority which appears to be less than 1% certainly have; the vast, vast, majority haven't been directly affected, certainly not to the extent of forcing them not to purchase a season ticket.

As for StuDaveRomseyJonesBensonSaintPhilips, by all means argue the case of the tiny minority, point out how they have been let down, or overlooked, but stop with the Cortese bashing. Cortese isn't perfect, but he is a heck of a lot better than our previous chairman. His decisions are forward thinking, decisive and professional. Yes, he seems to be a man who it's best not to cross, but he also seems to be a man who is directly leading saints in very much the right direction. Thank goodness these character traits make it unlikely he will be concerned by the whinging of a tiny group of oddballs online. All of the 'evidence' that you have stacked against Cortese is hearsay and unfounded. All of the real evidence, the development both on and off the pitch have been superbly progressive. Just because he seems hard-nosed (which is often a trait in business), why have you taken it upon yourself to try to undermine him at every opportunity, in spite of the evidence against your argument? Liebherr and Cortese are the best thing that has happened to Southampton in years, it seems apparent that they trust each other, and have entered into the ownership of the club as a team. An attack on one, is an attack on both. The more I hear the tiny minority of 3 or 4 trolling posters who highjack every thread and argue against Cortese, the more it sickens me. What do you stand to gain from undermining the club? I smell fish, and the smell isn't coming from the Romsey branch of Goodies.

 

Good post.

 

Wholeheartedly agree.

[Matthew Le God]

I am not sure what your obsession is about attendances and amount of season tickets sold. I speculated that season tickets will be slightly down... infact they are slightly up... it's still got fook all to do with the fact the club have forced an 'unknown' number of people out of having a season ticket.

 

So the people coming back this season have outnumbered the ones being pushed out... I still don't think that deserves a pat on the back.

 

You really do like digging a whole for yourself!

 

You said...

 

You would be very lucky if season ticket sales are half of 15000

 

Half of 15,000 is 7,500.

 

7,500 is NOT "slightly down" on last season.

 

Over 13,000 is significantly more than the "struggle to make 7,500" that you predicted.

 

:D

 

Yet you still won't concede you were very wrong...

Edited 20 July, 2010 by Matthew Le God

[EastleighSoulBoy]

Not actually seen number sold only this:

 

"season ticket sales sail through the 13,000 mark.

 

Season ticket sales are now well past the 13,000 mark, far in excess of the total number from last year which also included half season ticket sales.

 

Sales have increased for the second consecutive year, with fans clamouring to get their hands on the hottest tickets in town ahead of Saints' golden 125th anniversary season."

 

wonder how many "well passed" means.

 

It's all a bit subjective really. Elsewhere it was mooted that 31 was the wrong side of 30 with others opining that 35 was the wrong side.

 

So 13,500 is well past 13,000. As would be 28,756,000 ?

 

And even more well past the figures DBP mentioned.

[Matthew Le God]

It's all a bit subjective really. Elsewhere it was mooted that 31 was the wrong side of 30 with others opining that 35 was the wrong side.

 

So 13,500 is well past 13,000. As would be 28,756,000 ?

 

And even more well past the figures DBP mentioned.

 

It isn't more than 14k or else they would have said "sold more than 14k".

 

Thus it is between 13k and 14k. Probably 13,400 to 13,999.

[View From The Top]

Stupid policy of free under 8 tickets, should at least be something like £50 to stop this sort of thing.

 

B o l l o x s to that. Some of us actually take U8s!

[RedFear]

think you used slightly twice when you meant significantly.

 

Maybe no-one has been pushed out at all.

 

exactly. anyone can make up any assumption they like, based on their own personal bias

 

the only definite fact is that there will be more season tickets holders at games this year then last

[Doctoroncall]

You really do like digging a whole for yourself!

 

You said...

 

 

 

Half of 15,000 is 7,500.

 

7,500 is NOT "slightly down" on last season.

 

Over 13,000 is significantly more than the "struggle to make 7,500" that you predicted.

 

:D

 

Yet you still won't concede you were very wrong...

 

I don't know why I'm doing this, but in the interest of fairplay and an end to this futile argument, the 7,500 figure quoted seemed to be made more in jest as he did say a few posts down 9-10k.

 

No need to ask him to conceed, it's all there for everyone to see and STs will still be on sale for another few weeks so hopefully sales will reach the 15k mark.

[EastleighSoulBoy]

It isn't more than 14k or else they would have said "sold more than 14k".

 

Thus it is between 13k and 14k. Probably 13,400 to 13,999.

 

Fair comment, so not more than twice the amount of sales that DBPRS originally estimated, although nearer to the figure he more recently speculated.

[Sour Mash]

B o l l o x s to that. Some of us actually take U8s!

 

Yep, fine, so you can pay £50 (£2.50 a game) for the privillege?

[Smirking_Saint]

Norwich had OVER 20k STH's last season.

 

What was that???

 

As i said in my post, we are not a club with 'a requirement to gain the cash sum from ST's at the start of the season' in fact they have quite a large debt and have recently even considered selling the ground in order to pay off some of the said debt.

 

So........Um.............next ?

[Smirking_Saint]

Yep, fine, so you can pay £50 (£2.50 a game) for the privillege?

 

I think it is good to get the under 8's in free, it solidifies a love for football and going to football at a young age, that way when they get older i am sure the young VFTT's will be asking daddy to pay for another ST and hopefully a good percentage of these under 8's will grow up into STH's.

 

It makes long term financial sense, especially as we have no need to clamour for the upfront ST sales cash that many clubs rely on at this time of the season.

 

You will probably see this feature become watered down as the STH's rise through us rising through the divisions etc

[View From The Top]

Yep, fine, so you can pay £50 (£2.50 a game) for the privillege?

 

B o l l o x s to that.

 

I'm getting in as many free games in for the nipper whilst I can. Won't be long before it's costing me my left knacker to take him!

[Sour Mash]

I think it is good to get the under 8's in free, it solidifies a love for football and going to football at a young age, that way when they get older i am sure the young VFTT's will be asking daddy to pay for another ST and hopefully a good percentage of these under 8's will grow up into STH's.

 

It makes long term financial sense, especially as we have no need to clamour for the upfront ST sales cash that many clubs rely on at this time of the season.

 

You will probably see this feature become watered down as the STH's rise through us rising through the divisions etc

 

I completely agree with encouraging "future generations" of Saints support. The free ticket thing doesn't matter too much either way now as we won't really be selling out at all, but if we do move up through the divisions there is no way they can continue unfortunately.

[Smirking_Saint]

I completely agree with encouraging "future generations" of Saints support. The free ticket thing doesn't matter too much either way now as we won't really be selling out at all, but if we do move up through the divisions there is no way they can continue unfortunately.

 

True, and i wouldn't expect them to at all, even though some would bemoan the removal as an act of evil from the devil incarnate.

 

But at the moment it makes sense to take advantage of the situation for growth and prosperity.

[Block 5]

Some right wanchors on this forum.

[View From The Top]

I completely agree with encouraging "future generations" of Saints support. The free ticket thing doesn't matter too much either way now as we won't really be selling out at all, but if we do move up through the divisions there is no way they can continue unfortunately.

 

It's standard in our division. Last season there were some away games when Corky and I took the kids for free.

[Sour Mash]

It's standard in our division. Last season there were some away games when Corky and I took the kids for free.

 

Would just be a pity if we do sell out games this season, that then have empty seats due to people taking up the free season ticket option, but only occassionally (or never) using it. Hopefully, that'll only apply to a real minority of cases.

[View From The Top]

Would just be a pity if we do sell out games this season, that then have empty seats due to people taking up the free season ticket option, but only occassionally (or never) using it. Hopefully, that'll only apply to a real minority of cases.

 

They should have limited the free ones to the family centre IMHO.

[Wes Tender]

I've just given the reasons why I think 15K would be a "successful" figure, based on last year's ST figure (when we were in League 1 with a minus 10 deduction and with many people initially having average to low expectations of our form); plus all of other factors I listed.

 

Maybe I'm missing the point.

 

The point that should not be missed, is that comparisons between two consecutive seasons are useless, unless one factors in the economic circumstances prevailing between that timespan. Many who could afford a ST last season cannot this season and vice versa. All very well comparing the club's circumstances, the lack of the -10 points, the buying in of better players, the removal of Norwich, Leeds and Millwall, etc, but if somebody was made redundant earlier this year, that will all be irelevant to them if they cannot pay their cost of living bills.

 

IMO, the increase in ST sales is a pleasant surprise and there is still time for the figures to increase further. Anybody decrying the sales before the end of the purchase period, is headed for egg on their face potentially, the yolk being on some already at this stage.