Empty seats

[The Kraken]

most expensive ticket price is irrelevant. Norwich ST holders didn't have to pay more because they got promoted.

 

How is it irrelevant? You were responding to a post which read:

 

"We got promoted so the relative rise would be less than these absolute figures. As a fan base we are not used to promotions and the associated increase in ticket prices, that incidentally happens at every club."

 

That post makes no distinction between season tickets and match tickets; you came to that conclusion on your own. So highlighting that Norwich's match tickets have risen sharply since they gained promotion is entirely relevant to the original topic of discussion. It just doesn't fit with your own argument (which incidentally is contrary to the majority of team's prices when they gain promotion in any case).

[um pahars]

Have to say that I thought 21,300 Saints fans wasn't that decent a showing considering the start to the season and a victory meant going to the top of the table. I'm sure the rearranged Sunday had some impact, but can't help thinking it will be a tough sell to get decent gates off the back of some stilted season ticket sales.

 

The most we have had is 23,000 v Forest and given our start would have liked to have seen 25,000 + away fans. Not a million miles away, so fingers crossed we can get there.

[Appy]

Have to say that I thought 21,300 Saints fans wasn't that decent a showing considering the start to the season and a victory meant going to the top of the table. I'm sure the rearranged Sunday had some impact, but can't help thinking it will be a tough sell to get decent gates off the back of some stilted season ticket sales.

 

The most we have had is 23,000 v Forest and given our start would have liked to have seen 25,000 + away fans. Not a million miles away, so fingers crossed we can get there.

 

Can see West Ham being a big attendance.

[The Kraken]

Can see West Ham being a big attendance.

 

Only problem I can see is that it's a midweek game; some people may not be able to bring younger kids, and it's more difficult for the longer travellers to make the game. Also, the the corporate areas (which are massively quiet anyway) will struggle as it's not as much value as weekends (Saturday games you can get there for free boozing from midday onwards, much more difficult to do during the week).

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see a gate under 23K actually. We really need to sort out the hospitality areas; the "normal" seats will take care of themselves if the team are performing.

[Appy]

Only problem I can see is that it's a midweek game; some people may not be able to bring younger kids, and it's more difficult for the longer travellers to make the game. Also, the the corporate areas (which are massively quiet anyway) will struggle as it's not as much value as weekends (Saturday games you can get there for free boozing from midday onwards, much more difficult to do during the week).

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see a gate under 23K actually. We really need to sort out the hospitality areas; the "normal" seats will take care of themselves if the team are performing.

 

25k plus for sure, West Ham will sell out easilly.

[The Kraken]

25k plus for sure, West Ham will sell out easilly.

 

I'm sure they will, but that'll be 3,000. We sold 21,300 home tickets against Brum so we'd have to sell 700 more than that to top 25K. On a weekday, I can't see it.

[70's Mike]

Only problem I can see is that it's a midweek game; some people may not be able to bring younger kids, and it's more difficult for the longer travellers to make the game. Also, the the corporate areas (which are massively quiet anyway) will struggle as it's not as much value as weekends (Saturday games you can get there for free boozing from midday onwards, much more difficult to do during the week).

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see a gate under 23K actually. We really need to sort out the hospitality areas; the "normal" seats will take care of themselves if the team are performing.

 

exactly

[Sour Mash]

25k plus for sure, West Ham will sell out easilly.

I think we'll obviously get a good crowd in for West Ham, but I very much doubt it'll be a complete sell out (opening and filling Itchen North etc).

[Nexstar]

I think we'll obviously get a good crowd in for West Ham, but I very much doubt it'll be a complete sell out (opening and filling Itchen North etc).

 

Think he means that West Ham will sell out their allocation.

[Appy]

Think he means that West Ham will sell out their allocation.

 

Yes, yes I did.

[JRM]

Think he means that West Ham will sell out their allocation.

 

http://www.whufc.com/articles/20110601/a-v-southampton_2236896_2396492

 

they have already had tickets on sale for this game for the last week, and they went on general sale today, most likely they will have sold out their end with a few weeks before the game

[Sour Mash]

Think he means that West Ham will sell out their allocation.

Yeah, I realised that after posting, couldn't be bothered to go back to edit it though. 25k with West Ham selling their allocation would probably be my call as well to be fair.

[sandwichsaint]

http://www.whufc.com/articles/20110601/a-v-southampton_2236896_2396492

 

they have already had tickets on sale for this game for the last week, and they went on general sale today, most likely they will have sold out their end with a few weeks before the game

 

Old, but frequent, gripe; why do our away tickets seem to go on sale so much later now?

 

I'm waiting for Reading and Derby tkts to come out yet West Ham (which game is in the same week) have had theirs for at least a week and they are available on their general sale now.

 

Is it that all our opponents only give them to us a week or 10 days before a fixture, or do the club actually receive them earlier but only release them relatively close to the match date?

[JRM]

Old, but frequent, gripe; why do our away tickets seem to go on sale so much later now?

 

I'm waiting for Reading and Derby tkts to come out yet West Ham (which game is in the same week) have had theirs for at least a week and they are available on their general sale now.

 

Is it that all our opponents only give them to us a week or 10 days before a fixture, or do the club actually receive them earlier but only release them relatively close to the match date?

 

being someone who has a lot of contacts with fans of other clubs saints seem to be partcularly slow at putting away tickets on sale, but they probably get away with blaming other clubs as our fans don't know otherwise. I think we should go for longer selling periods.

 

back on the subject of ticket prices i hear Leeds are charging the skates £36 for the game in a couple of week, yes THIRTY SIX quid, can i be the first to say if they try that with us i will be boycotting it

[Appy]

being someone who has a lot of contacts with fans of other clubs saints seem to be partcularly slow at putting away tickets on sale, but they probably get away with blaming other clubs as our fans don't know otherwise. I think we should go for longer selling periods.

 

back on the subject of ticket prices i hear Leeds are charging the skates £36 for the game in a couple of week, yes THIRTY SIX quid, can i be the first to say if they try that with us i will be boycotting it

 

After the prices, leg room and view from the Leeds away end when I went to our last game there, it doesn't interest me in the slightest.

[Nexstar]

After the prices, leg room and view from the Leeds away end when I went to our last game there, it doesn't interest me in the slightest.

 

The only time I would ever go back to Elland Road would be a play-off game.

[Sour Mash]

The only time I would ever go back to Elland Road would be a play-off game.

Been loads of times over the years and it's always been a s**t away day full-stop.

[Sour Mash]

Old, but frequent, gripe; why do our away tickets seem to go on sale so much later now?

 

I'm waiting for Reading and Derby tkts to come out yet West Ham (which game is in the same week) have had theirs for at least a week and they are available on their general sale now.

 

Is it that all our opponents only give them to us a week or 10 days before a fixture, or do the club actually receive them earlier but only release them relatively close to the match date?

We only release them as close to the match day as possible - harder for fans to buy in person = more £3 payments for the TO.

[mitch01]

You don't understand the notion that less successful teams (i.e. those further down in the footballing pyramid) will typically attract lower crowds than those further up in the pyramid (or also lower crowds than they themselves used to attract when occupying those higher leagues)?

 

It's not exactly a new phenomenon so I'm not too sure where your confusion stems from.

 

Yes, I understand the general trend of Premier League teams attracting more fans than lower league teams. My point was that, arguably, there has been NO better time to watch this football club in the last 10 years (except perhaps 2003). If they aren't coming back to watch a young, motivated, exciting team, with a committed, talented manager, then I don't see what would attract them to, say, Stoke at home, in the Premiership. Will it be more exciting? Probably not. Will there be bigger names? Barely. Therein lies my confusion, do try not to be quite as patronising if you decide to reply.

[The Kraken]

Yes, I understand the general trend of Premier League teams attracting more fans than lower league teams. My point was that, arguably, there has been NO better time to watch this football club in the last 10 years (except perhaps 2003). If they aren't coming back to watch a young, motivated, exciting team, with a committed, talented manager, then I don't see what would attract them to, say, Stoke at home, in the Premiership. Will it be more exciting? Probably not. Will there be bigger names? Barely. Therein lies my confusion, do try not to be quite as patronising if you decide to reply.

 

I think you're judging it on the whims of an average fan; we will have a standard level of die-hards (who'd go to every game) then a large number who will pick and choose games. A lot of people will simply choose to go to more games against the likes of Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool etc etc than they will the likes of Doncaster, Millwall and Preston. Although Stoke, Bolton etc aren't massive names, it's still the Premier League bandwagon and a bigger highlight by association than playing Birmingham or Leeds in this division.

 

Then you also have the factor of the hospitality suites; these are, as anyone can see on a matchday, very very empty at the moment. Less than half of the corporate boxes are full, and the suites seem to be very empty too; this accounts for (I believe) around 2,500 fans and during our Premier League days were pretty much always sold out. I'd suggest we're up to 2,000 fans short in that department alone. And I'd very much suggest that hospitality sales are hugely increased by being in the top division; lots of the corporate customers are there for a day out rather than supporting the team, and it being a Premier League is the be all and end all.

 

Also, nothing to do with leagues, but the current financial climate is clearly going to have an effect across the board.

 

I maintain that an average of 25K over the season would be an excellent achievement; we're 1k short of that right now, so not very far away at all.

Edited 21 September, 2011 by The Kraken

[JRM]

i think we can expect a big crowd on 18th Oct - west ham have already sold out their allocation for the game http://www.whufc.com/articles/20110601/a-v-southampton_2236896_2396492 as of last week so surprised this game isn't restricted to those on the database now.

[saintrich]

West Ham game is restricted database sale only - saw it on the ticket office board when collecting Cardiff tickets Tuesday.

[The9]

The weather killed the walkup, the match moving twice and many people not having bought tickets in the first place as it was expected to be on tv, and the floating plastics being able to watch Spurs v Liverpool and Man U v Chelsea have to be the determining factors.

 

It's a crap attendance for a high-flying Saints team nevertheless, we don't really have a comparable League position, but we're getting fewer than the first season after Prem relegation and the Play-Off season which are reasonably similar.

 

As for STs, they must count them all, because they chuck the stubs straight in the bin at the turnstiles!

 

How do you work that out?

 

I assumed you didn't mean that the 2011/12 start isn't hugely dissimilar to the two seasons in which we were highest up the Championship for the longest, so I decided to have a look at the actual figures.

 

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/soto.htm

 

Average attendance for 2005/6 : 23,614 for a season when we'd dropped from the Prem

2006/7 : 23,556 when we made the Playoffs

 

Current average home league attendance : 25860 + 23333 + 24784 + 22155/4 = 24,033.

 

So fair point, our current average is currently a fair bit higher than it was in those two seasons - have to say I'm surprised to see that, but we have played four well supported sides in Leeds, Forest, Brum and Millwall, and none of them are exactly "ratings death"... but the only fair comparison will be over 19 home matches, when we've played the non "box office" sides like Doncaster, Barnsley and Coventry (as well as the likes of West Ham).

 

I does illustrate that we got 3,700 fewer for Birmingham than Leeds though, which I guess is why this discussion started.

[IFHP]

I assumed you didn't mean that the 2011/12 start isn't hugely dissimilar to the two seasons in which we were highest up the Championship for the longest, so I decided to have a look at the actual figures.

 

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attnclub/soto.htm

 

Average attendance for 2005/6 : 23,614 for a season when we'd dropped from the Prem

2006/7 : 23,556 when we made the Playoffs

 

Current average home league attendance : 25860 + 23333 + 24784 + 22155/4 = 24,033.

 

So fair point, our current average is currently a fair bit higher than it was in those two seasons - have to say I'm surprised to see that, but we have played four well supported sides in Leeds, Forest, Brum and Millwall, and none of them are exactly "ratings death"... but the only fair comparison will be over 19 home matches, when we've played the non "box office" sides like Doncaster, Barnsley and Coventry (as well as the likes of West Ham).

 

I does illustrate that we got 3,700 fewer for Birmingham than Leeds though, which I guess is why this discussion started.

 

2700 of which were away fans see as Leeds had 3000 and Birmingham 800

[IFHP]

2700 of which were away fans see as Leeds had 3000 and Birmingham 800

 

2200 even

[sotonian]

back on the subject of ticket prices i hear Leeds are charging the skates £36 for the game in a couple of week, yes THIRTY SIX quid, can i be the first to say if they try that with us i will be boycotting it

 

if we go up, £36 will seem a bargain

[saintmatt]

On the subject of empty seats, there seems to be a fair few at the Britannia Stadium this evening!