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The Kraken

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Ticket prices for kids aged over 11 are obscene. £22 for my nipper who is 12 in April is way too much. We won't do a home game this season unless we are using Corky's STs when he's away as it's simply too much money. Liverpool away for the pair of us, including the train, is cheaper than just the two match tickets yesterday.

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Proper fans watch games in pubs, wearing their football shirts and shouting at the telly. They'd rather spend their money on LAGER and a burger and chips in the boozer than pay the rip of prices to go and watch thier team.

 

What are you babbling on about you complete ***t.

 

Watching the game in the pub is obviously not as good as being at the game but it's a decent option for people who can't or don't want to stump up £40 odd quid.

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Why though? Its the ideal scenario for the club, charge as much as they can and get near sell outs week in week out and maximise on revenue. If demand outstrips supply then put the price up again. Do the money men running football really care that some people will have to pick and chose their games? As long as the ground is 90% full most weeks then the club will think they are charging the right amount. I know some people think its a great idea to spend millions on expanding the stadium then reduce the price to sell them but the reality is no one with any sense would do this.

Spot on. Much better to have 90% - 95% of the stadium full at around £40 per ticket than to have 99% sold out at £25 per ticket.

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What are you babbling on about you complete ***t.

 

Watching the game in the pub is obviously not as good as being at the game but it's a decent option for people who can't or don't want to stump up £40 odd quid.

 

Anger and abuse is a sign of stupidity.

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BUT BUT BUT!!! it was a bank holiday weekend, there are a couple music festivals going on, There was a murder in Woolston on Friday night, everyone is on holiday, lots of people get married in August, lots of people would have assumed it would have sold out so wouldn't have bothered trying to get a ticket, August 24th is traditionally the most popular weekend of the year for surprise great aunts birthday parties, the Ashes is on. We need a bigger ground.

 

Very good points.

The biggest for me is the lack of information coming from the club. The marketing is truely appalling and has been for a while now.

Being a casual visitor I am one that would be there more often if I didn't think it's always going to be sold out. Ticket info on the web site is hard to find or was the last time I wasted 30mins if my life trawling it... After all mostly unless you pay you can't access the site either which is a very strange marketing parody.

I would guess with far better communication from the club on ticket availability there would less empty seats....

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I'm not angry, just impressed by your mathematical genius.

No idea what you're going on about now. VFTT made the point that West Brom have slashed their prices to £25 a ticket to combat dwindling crowds. We've chosen not to do that. TBH I'm not surprised it sailed over your head but there we go.

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Proper fans watch games in pubs, wearing their football shirts and shouting at the telly. They'd rather spend their money on LAGER and a burger and chips in the boozer than pay the rip of prices to go and watch thier team.

 

Okay usual stuff from you but come on, surely even you must see the basic costs can be off putting? I dont buy this "I can afford to go to more games therefore im a 'proper' fan concept".

 

That £37 does not include transport, refreshments etc. Others it may be different but for me to now attend a game and split a kitkat at halftime I wont get much change from £50 which is an expense that doesnt sit well with a student/part time job budget.

 

(Expecting a lovely sarcastic reply but it'd be nice to be surprised...)

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Okay usual stuff from you but come on, surely even you must see the basic costs can be off putting? I dont buy this "I can afford to go to more games therefore im a 'proper' fan concept".

 

That £37 does not include transport, refreshments etc. Others it may be different but for me to now attend a game and split a kitkat at halftime I wont get much change from £50 which is an expense that doesnt sit well with a student/part time job budget.

 

(Expecting a lovely sarcastic reply but it'd be nice to be surprised...)

 

Read my post about ticket pricing, number 50 on this thread. I'm not going to repeating myself but If the ground is 90% full minimum then the club will feel the price is right and it is from a business sense.

Edited by Turkish
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Okay usual stuff from you but come on, surely even you must see the basic costs can be off putting? I dont buy this "I can afford to go to more games therefore im a 'proper' fan concept".

 

That £37 does not include transport, refreshments etc. Others it may be different but for me to now attend a game and split a kitkat at halftime I wont get much change from £50 which is an expense that doesnt sit well with a student/part time job budget.

 

(Expecting a lovely sarcastic reply but it'd be nice to be surprised...)

 

I think you are missing the point. The prices are of course off putting for some, but from a business perspective, not enough for it to matter. The company are maximizing revenues by charging the price point that they do and either selling out or getting close to.

 

If that changed to below 60% or 70% then the club might have to look at it, but for now, they really couldn't give a monkeys if the price forces some people away from the matches.

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Read my post about ticket pricing, number 50 on this thread. I'm not going to repeating myself but I'd the ground is 90% full minimum then the club will fill the price is right.

 

I have read it, no worries. I dont disagree it may make business sense for the club but that doesnt make it right.

 

My opinion is that football should be available, at least on some level, to a wide range of people regardless of income with high prices making match attendance somehwat exclusive.

 

All I was after was how you felt about the ticket prices and if they were counter productive to building a large loyal fanbase?

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I think you are missing the point. The prices are of course off putting for some, but from a business perspective, not enough for it to matter. The company are maximizing revenues by charging the price point that they do and either selling out or getting close to.

 

If that changed to below 60% or 70% then the club might have to look at it, but for now, they really couldn't give a monkeys if the price forces some people away from the matches.

 

Not missing the point honest, I understand the way the world works and that the club is a business ...

 

I was simply venturing an opinion on why the attendance may not have been as high as some hoped. Matchday expenses are wider then a ticket price (especially for those with families) and I just feel it is a shame we may lose potential and existing fans by pricing them out.

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I have read it, no worries. I dont disagree it may make business sense for the club but that doesnt make it right.

 

My opinion is that football should be available, at least on some level, to a wide range of people regardless of income with high prices making match attendance somehwat exclusive.

 

All I was after was how you felt about the ticket prices and if they were counter productive to building a large loyal fanbase?

 

I didn't say it did make it right but it is how it is. Do you think the club give a toss if you or I can't afford £40 a week every week but there are others that can take our places who can? Football is ridiculously over priced but whilst every ground in the country is 90% full most weeks why are they going to make it cheaper?

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BUT BUT BUT!!! it was a bank holiday weekend, there are a couple music festivals going on, There was a murder in Woolston on Friday night, everyone is on holiday, lots of people get married in August, lots of people would have assumed it would have sold out so wouldn't have bothered trying to get a ticket, August 24th is traditionally the most popular weekend of the year for surprise great aunts birthday parties, the Ashes is on. We need a bigger ground.

 

 

...and some people were stuck at work while everyone else enjoys the B/H. Don't forget the shift workers! :-(

 

;-)

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Some people pay to see the opposition, not Saints. Sad but true. Sunderland is not a glory fixture and we're at the start of the season, not the business end. Wasn't the pattern identical last year?

 

Aside from the disappointing numbers I thought it was strange that we didn't make much fuss for Osvaldo. Home debut and he gets a polite ripple of applause. No attempt to get any chants going for him.

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Some people pay to see the opposition, not Saints. Sad but true. Sunderland is not a glory fixture and we're at the start of the season, not the business end. Wasn't the pattern identical last year?

 

Aside from the disappointing numbers I thought it was strange that we didn't make much fuss for Osvaldo. Home debut and he gets a polite ripple of applause. No attempt to get any chants going for him.

As has been said though, we had around 1,500 less Saints fans yesterday than we did on opening day last season against Wigan. Now I'd argue that even Sunderland are a bigger draw than Wigan. Time will tell; its likely that we'll start selling out games as we get into September and October but if we don't then the pricing argument will start to hold some weight, plus all the other factors. I genuinely think that having all pubs showing games will make a difference; it was something of a niche last season but much more commonplace this time round.

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Very good points.

The biggest for me is the lack of information coming from the club. The marketing is truely appalling and has been for a while now.

Being a casual visitor I am one that would be there more often if I didn't think it's always going to be sold out. Ticket info on the web site is hard to find or was the last time I wasted 30mins if my life trawling it... After all mostly unless you pay you can't access the site either which is a very strange marketing parody.

I would guess with far better communication from the club on ticket availability there would less empty seats....

 

This is by far the worst excuse I've seen on the forum.

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A fair comment, Bear. Especially given Wigan probably brought around half the fans that Sunderland did. So we had around 1,000 fewer fans at St. Mary's yesterday than on opening day last season.

 

 

And I was one of them. For the past 10 years I have gone to see Saints with my grandson. This year he wants to go with his mates, it had to come. Just didn't fancy it a, on my jack jones, b, £37 to watch us against Sunderland. Hopefully I will get to a few during the season.

 

As for the attendance, it was good in my opinion considering things mentioned above.

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Some people pay to see the opposition, not Saints. Sad but true. Sunderland is not a glory fixture and we're at the start of the season, not the business end. .

 

I watched the Saints at St Marys in the couple of years prior to relegation. The atmosphere was dire, and there were loads of ManU fans in the home 'end' when we played them. They weren't hard cases, just ' soccer' fans wanting to watch a match, and there was no problems getting a ticket. It was like watching school football - after the Saints had been top div for 23 years. - it was during Lowe badness, but I hope we don't get to that position again!

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This is by far the worst excuse I've seen on the forum.

 

Hello Mr Angry person who doesn't 'read' posts.

I quite plainly do not offer or employ excuses I offer comment to back up a previous post. Those that bury heads in sand will continue to complain that every person old enough to walk doesn't go to St Mary's every single time the doors are open.

Please offer arguments for or against with evidence to back up your rather drab rude replies but do try to resist replying to posts you haven't bothered to read properly.

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I didn't say it did make it right but it is how it is. Do you think the club give a toss if you or I can't afford £40 a week every week but there are others that can take our places who can? Football is ridiculously over priced but whilst every ground in the country is 90% full most weeks why are they going to make it cheaper?

 

Fair comments. My hope is that the actions of fan groups and even pressure from politicians will help drive down prices. I understand the need to make a decent turnover but would not be too surprised to see some sort of regulation brought in for ticket prices. Personally I think im all misty eyed about the "german model" even if it may never happen over here ..

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Hello Mr Angry person who doesn't 'read' posts.

I quite plainly do not offer or employ excuses I offer comment to back up a previous post. Those that bury heads in sand will continue to complain that every person old enough to walk doesn't go to St Mary's every single time the doors are open.

Please offer arguments for or against with evidence to back up your rather drab rude replies but do try to resist replying to posts you haven't bothered to read properly.

 

I read your post mate. You're saying that if the club announced ticket availability more frequently or if this info could be accessed in a easier way, more people would come. It's a terrible excuse as if you are thinking of going, it's quite simple to find out if tickets are available. The easiest is to call the ticket office. When someone answers, ask them if there are any tickets available for the game you want to see. If they say yes, tell them you would like to book. If the answer is no, thank them and try again next time.

 

Hope this info helps you and anyone else who doesn't go for this reason get to more games.

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I read your post mate. You're saying that if the club announced ticket availability more frequently or if this info could be accessed in a easier way, more people would come. It's a terrible excuse as if you are thinking of going, it's quite simple to find out if tickets are available. The easiest is to call the ticket office. When someone answers, ask them if there are any tickets available for the game you want to see. If they say yes, tell them you would like to book. If the answer is no, thank them and try again next time.

 

Hope this info helps you and anyone else who doesn't go for this reason get to more games.

Also Diggers, a similarly easy way to see if there are tickets available is to check online on the official site. Although saying that, Chris says that he normally takes 30 minutes to trawl through the site. Granted, he seems to also think you have to pay money to access this information, so we're perhaps not dealing with the sharpest knife in the drawer. Hopefully this new info will mean that people like Chris won't miss future games when there's really no need for their absence. Saintswebforum help at its best.

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£37 is too much frankly. When you add up

Petrol parking programmes drink food its easily £60+. And that's just for one person. My family and it nearer £200 + per game. I love saints but cannot afford that. Not is it vfm because

I can get a flight to turkey Greece Spain etc for a weekend withy gf including hotel breakfast transfers etc for that. And watch the match online from my laptop from the beachside bar with wifi. Or on the multitude of TV's showing it live. And NO, seeing Sunderland live does Not make it worth it for me. Single bloke i once was many moons ago - yes- bloke with saints supporting gf and two saints supporting kids - no, sorry. Only occasional matches for me nowadays......

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Noticed that seats had been removed either side of the TV Gantry' date=' did anyone else see this or were they always missing and I just never noticed[/quote']

 

Noticed that too from my new vantage point on the Itchen/Chapel corner. Can't think why they would do it though.

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Just an alternative opinion, and if I've got facts wrong then please pick it to pieces (without resorting to abusive or sarcastic comments, please).

At this stage of our "development", gate figures are far less important than TV revenue. for example, the difference between a 25,000 and 30,000 average attendance @ 35 pounds per ticket is only just over 3 million over the course of a season. The difference between 30,000 @ 35 pounds and @ 20 pound per ticket (for arguments sake) is around 5 million. With the latest TV deals, and ignoring the extra "facility fees" paid to each club (which is based on whether it's based as a 1st pick game or something similar I think), then that money can be generated by improving our league position by 3 or 4 places.

 

Of course all revenue is important and an extra 3 million would pay most of the wages for 1 new "star" player, however, the higher up the table we are (at the same time continuing to play attractive football) the more times we are likely to get picked for prime TV games (and, in turn, generate more revenue).

 

At the moment, the club has it priced right (much as I hate to admit it) as they are still filling 90% of the ground.

 

Rather than reduce prices, they would do better to take a leaf out of Stokes book and give free transport to away games. It would cost a fraction of the cost of reducing ticket prices (less than a million a season, based on an average cost Of 10 pounds per person and an average away following of 5,000 which is an over-estimation). I believe having a large (and positive) support make a difference to any team. It's a bit of a catch-22 situation, but I bet the teams with the best away records are those with the highest amount of away support. Of course, one of the reasons they take more fans is because they are more successful and hence, win more games anyway. Even the players acknowledge that the fans make a difference. It's probably something that can't actually be proved as you will never know the results if they didn't have so many fans, but I bet statistics would generally bear that out (always exceptions to the rule of course).

The more successful we are, the more likely we are to fill St Mary's (and to take a sizeable away support). The club wins all round. Of course, there is the risk that more fans would choose to go to away games rather than home one if they think they are getting something for nothing, so maybe you give a voucher at every home game which gives you access to 1 free travel pass (meaning season ticket holders get free away travel anyway).

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Also Diggers, a similarly easy way to see if there are tickets available is to check online on the official site. Although saying that, Chris says that he normally takes 30 minutes to trawl through the site. Granted, he seems to also think you have to pay money to access this information, so we're perhaps not dealing with the sharpest knife in the drawer. Hopefully this new info will mean that people like Chris won't miss future games when there's really no need for their absence. Saintswebforum help at its best.

 

There are far too many people on here who are from the USA and have little irony.

Look my point is - I agree with the original poster. I am not thick like you. The attendance was low and there are reasons. I find that I agree with people on this that it is often thought that the games are sell outs when they are not.... If you think that is wrong then more fool you because that is not is a solution to the issue. Please feel free to bring your solution to the issue or shut up!

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Looking forward to Kraken's threads when we sell out games. Or is it only the ones that we don't that are news worthy?

 

They'll be threads when we sell out, don't worry. Mainly demanding we tie up millions and millions and millions of pounds in thousands of new seats which we then flog at rock bottom prices.

 

And something about the German model. And dynamic pricing.

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Just an alternative opinion, and if I've got facts wrong then please pick it to pieces (without resorting to abusive or sarcastic comments, please).

At this stage of our "development", gate figures are far less important than TV revenue. for example, the difference between a 25,000 and 30,000 average attendance @ 35 pounds per ticket is only just over 3 million over the course of a season. The difference between 30,000 @ 35 pounds and @ 20 pound per ticket (for arguments sake) is around 5 million. With the latest TV deals, and ignoring the extra "facility fees" paid to each club (which is based on whether it's based as a 1st pick game or something similar I think), then that money can be generated by improving our league position by 3 or 4 places.

 

Of course all revenue is important and an extra 3 million would pay most of the wages for 1 new "star" player, however, the higher up the table we are (at the same time continuing to play attractive football) the more times we are likely to get picked for prime TV games (and, in turn, generate more revenue).

 

At the moment, the club has it priced right (much as I hate to admit it) as they are still filling 90% of the ground.

 

Rather than reduce prices, they would do better to take a leaf out of Stokes book and give free transport to away games. It would cost a fraction of the cost of reducing ticket prices (less than a million a season, based on an average cost Of 10 pounds per person and an average away following of 5,000 which is an over-estimation). I believe having a large (and positive) support make a difference to any team. It's a bit of a catch-22 situation, but I bet the teams with the best away records are those with the highest amount of away support. Of course, one of the reasons they take more fans is because they are more successful and hence, win more games anyway. Even the players acknowledge that the fans make a difference. It's probably something that can't actually be proved as you will never know the results if they didn't have so many fans, but I bet statistics would generally bear that out (always exceptions to the rule of course).

The more successful we are, the more likely we are to fill St Mary's (and to take a sizeable away support). The club wins all round. Of course, there is the risk that more fans would choose to go to away games rather than home one if they think they are getting something for nothing, so maybe you give a voucher at every home game which gives you access to 1 free travel pass (meaning season ticket holders get free away travel anyway).

 

Experts on here will probably pick two pretty damned big holes in that.

 

First one being that we seem to sell out (almost) all of our Away Games. (I expect the midday Televised games would be an exemption)

 

Second one being that BPL have just announced funding for Away fan travel (Granty will be along in a minute to have a pop 8) )

 

For Saints that funding could no doubt be used to get fans to stupid O'Clock Televised games, but otherwise the laws of Supply & Demand mean that it would be daft to subsidise Away fan travel when we are selling out anyway before most games get to General Sale. And anyway Financially Selling Away Tickets is a cost to the club that they don't get such a good return on (even with the fees)

 

On the PLUS side, it could mean that our Attendances at SMS go up with more of the Northern Clubs subsidising travel costs and allowing us to sell out the Away End more often.

 

I have no idea what that all means, must stop posting while sober

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As has been said though, we had around 1,500 less Saints fans yesterday than we did on opening day last season against Wigan. Now I'd argue that even Sunderland are a bigger draw than Wigan. Time will tell; its likely that we'll start selling out games as we get into September and October but if we don't then the pricing argument will start to hold some weight, plus all the other factors. I genuinely think that having all pubs showing games will make a difference; it was something of a niche last season but much more commonplace this time round.

 

I genuinely think that the Authorities will notice this and will act as all big Monopolies eventually do,with a Jackboot to crack a walnut.

 

There WAS a reason that Sky were not allowed to show EVERY game live and why Football Fans have had to cope with stupid O'Clock Kick-Offs. They WILL find a way to crack down, maybe not immediately but you can bet a few hundred k's in legal fees to get a solution will seem a solid ROI in Corporate Land.

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They'll be threads when we sell out, don't worry. Mainly demanding we tie up millions and millions and millions of pounds in thousands of new seats which we then flog at rock bottom prices.

 

And something about the German model. And dynamic pricing.

 

Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be along to comment on such threads. We can all predict the content of your contribution, and more importantly, the tone and style.

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Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be along to comment on such threads. We can all predict the content of your contribution, and more importantly, the tone and style.

 

Today is the day!! I knew it would happen eventually, although at times I began to lose hope. Well done on managing to post without mentioning playing football or living in Italy. I feel like this is a pivotal day in mongboard history.

Edited by Turkish
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Hey, I've got an idea to stop all this arguing, - stick the unsold tickets on price drop tv, then the price starts high, satisfying some on here, then reduces till they're all sold, satisfyingly all the others complaining about not selling out! Urika! Piece and harmony could return to saintsweb....well, for a second or two.

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Today is the day!! I knew it would happen eventually, although at times I began to lose hope. Well done on managing to post without mentioning playing football or living in Italy. I feel like this is a pivital day in mongboard history.

 

And it's also the day Turkish joins the fat fingered club of D_P & Frank's Cousin in putting typos out there!

 

Wow, too much to take in one day, time for lunch

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And it's also the day Turkish joins the fat fingered club of D_P & Frank's Cousin in putting typos out there!

 

Wow, too much to take in one day, time for lunch

 

I see Turkish is being a bullying **** again. Anyway, why would I need to mention those two subjects when Turkish seem to mention it every time I see one of his posts, and _far_ more than I ever have. He likes to give the impression that I do by constantly repeating the fact, but you've probably all noticed how unpleasant and repetitive he is on this board...

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