Cost of football at SWFC compared to other clubs in our division

[jonnyowl]

1 hour ago, Warnocchio said:

Most of our fan base are able to afford the prices. Some cant or wont. I dont see why the chairman should limit the ambitions of the club by reducing prices.

 

Completely agree with you, but it won't wash with people whilst we are mid table!

Edited November 16, 2017 by jonnyowl

[S36 OWL]

Just confirming what we all knew . We get ripped off at Hillsbro 

[S36 OWL]

3 hours ago, Andoverowl said:

Oh great I'm going the other way FFS.

 

Me too mate 

[Andy Hallott]

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Edited November 16, 2017 by Andy Hallott

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Warnocchio said:

Most of our fan base are able to afford the prices. Some cant or wont. I dont see why the chairman should limit the ambitions of the club by reducing prices.

 

 

It is difficult to argue with DC being justified in raising the prices since he took over given the money he has spent on the team and also off the pitch - vast improvements have been made. 

It is worth noting that this survey shows that in the 3 seasons before Chansiri came in, when we had just been promoted, had a team budget in the bottom 6 in the division and spent 2 of those 3 seasons in a relegation battle, our ticket prices were still above the division average.

[Whatahoot]

Basically we are in the top quartile of every section of charges for cost of football,replica kits and commercial activities (including cost of a cup of tea). But I would bet we are in the lowest quartile of income per head of population as an economic/geographic area. ? Sustainable or make sense ?

[S36 OWL]

Its on Look L***s shortly about our ticket prices 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Whatahoot said:

Basically we are in the top quartile of every section of charges for cost of football,replica kits and commercial activities (including cost of a cup of tea). But I would bet we are in the lowest quartile of income per head of population as an economic/geographic area. ? Sustainable or make sense ?

 

We have been above the average prices in most categories since the last time we got promoted and probably before that as well and our economic profile as a demographic won't have changed significantly in that time.

 

So basically before DC took over we were paying above average prices for poor quality kits, poor catering, poor facilities like the pitch, scoreboard etc and most importantly an underfunded playing squad which resulted in relegation battles more often than not.

 

Since DC took over prices as you say are now in the top quartile but at least we are now paying for a product capable of competing in the top quartile.

 

I think we have reached a limit though, if we are still a Championship side next season I reckon a fair few won't stomach another rise in ticket prices.

 

[Holmowl]

4 hours ago, Andy Hallott said:

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Spot on. 

[Dutch McLovin]

We’re getting ripped off ! End of thread really 

[legendaryswan]

Revenue had to rise to make us competative,think we all knew that,we used to be well down the bottom end a couple of years back for bringing cash into the club and it showed on the field.

Its a harsh reality of modern football.

[Whatahoot]

1 hour ago, hirstyboywonder said:

 

We have been above the average prices in most categories since the last time we got promoted and probably before that as well and our economic profile as a demographic won't have changed significantly in that time.

 

So basically before DC took over we were paying above average prices for poor quality kits, poor catering, poor facilities like the pitch, scoreboard etc and most importantly an underfunded playing squad which resulted in relegation battles more often than not.

 

Since DC took over prices as you say are now in the top quartile but at least we are now paying for a product capable of competing in the top quartile.

 

I think we have reached a limit though, if we are still a Championship side next season I reckon a fair few won't stomach another rise in ticket prices.

 

A real fly in the oinment would be a United promotion and we miss at least the play offs. They charge much lower prices on nearly everything and could continue to do so if they got to the Prem. We would then have a lower product base, on all aspects of what we do AND charging top prices, which really would not be sustainable for very long. Not forgeting that we are a two club city and I suspect any increase in support numbers, sponsorships and commercial income would go to S2 and not us. Those heavy prices we are charging would really come back to bite us in terms of s/t sales and commercial sales, very quickly.

[tarn owl]

Ticket prices being higher doesn’t equal better quality football and promotions. Lots of teams in the championship spend big year in year out and don’t charge what we charge. Derby County, have a good squad with big names and consistently compete for promotion. Have lost in playoff finals and semi finals like us. They charge £319 for a season ticket. They aren’t the cheapest, but looking for a similar club that isn’t receiving parachute payments. We are being ripped off on tickets. Lots of stuff at hillsborough is great. Ticket prices are wrong and are clearly not attracting NEW fans. We are all converted and lots will pay and pay. A neutral won’t pay the stupid one off prices to come to hillsborough. Long term it will effect our club. 

[tarn owl]

1 hour ago, legendaryswan said:

Revenue had to rise to make us competative,think we all knew that,we used to be well down the bottom end a couple of years back for bringing cash into the club and it showed on the field.

Its a harsh reality of modern football.

If it’s the harsh reality then why are we the only ones charging really high prices in an area of the country that isn’t affluent? Look at the list, Norwich affluent and been in the premier a lot, Ipswich affluent without the premier, QPR west London, Leeds have been increasing prices and how has that gone for them? No playoffs recently. Middlesbrough just been relegated, Preston I don’t get, Sunderland just being relegated. Then you are down to Bristol city who charge £110 less for a cheap season ticket and they are 4th! High ticket prices in communities that can’t afford it are not needed for promotion or to be competitive. It’s wrong. 

[Guest]

18 hours ago, Whatahoot said:

A real fly in the oinment would be a United promotion and we miss at least the play offs. They charge much lower prices on nearly everything and could continue to do so if they got to the Prem. We would then have a lower product base, on all aspects of what we do AND charging top prices, which really would not be sustainable for very long. Not forgeting that we are a two club city and I suspect any increase in support numbers, sponsorships and commercial income would go to S2 and not us. Those heavy prices we are charging would really come back to bite us in terms of s/t sales and commercial sales, very quickly.

 

We are a 2-club city but I doubt many decide which club to go and watch based on price. Some unfortunately might be priced out of watching us but if that was ever the case for me I would never consider paying for myself of my children to watch the blunts.

 

 

Of course the riches of commerical income, sponsorship etc would go to whoever got promoted. They are riding high at the moment due to good management, a belief in what they do and result breeding extra confidence. I don't think they have anywhere near a top 6 squad in terms of technical ability but nor did Huddersfield. If they keep it going fair play to them.

I said when during the 2015-16 season, with the way we were spending money on and off the field I thought we would have a 3-year window to get promotion with this approach and if it didn't happen in this time then we might have to suffer for a few seasons.

 

DC was within his rights to increase our prices given the vast improvements he has been funding. The problems stem from us charging above average prices even when we were dire and spending nothing on the team or the stadium. Even at that time we were still bleeding money which highlights the poor management of the club for many years.

[Dick_Turpin]

2 hours ago, hirstyboywonder said:

We are a 2-club city but I doubt many decide which club to go and watch based on price. Some unfortunately might be priced out of watching us but if that was ever the case for me I would never consider paying for myself of my children to watch the blunts.

 

 

When I was younger we could pull bigger crowds than United even if we were in the Division below them. I don't think that's the case anymore - we're as close as we've been since the War maybe -apart from the immediate aftermath of their Premier League season.

 

Something has happened  - either our fanbase is shrinking or theirs has increased.

 

 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, rickygoo said:

 

When I was younger we could pull bigger crowds than United even if we were in the Division below them. I don't think that's the case anymore - we're as close as we've been since the War maybe -apart from the immediate aftermath of their Premier League season.

 

Something has happened  - either our fanbase is shrinking or theirs has increased.

 

 

 

Well our average has gone up recently.

 

I think it's normal for them to be getting bigger crowds now that they have been promoted. They have spent 6 seasons playing the dog and duck, it's no surprise they are turning out in greater numbers to watch in the Championship, especially when they are doing well.

When they had their season in the sun in 2006/07 they averaged more than 25k for the next 3 seasons in the Championship and more than us for 5 seasons in a row. Throughout the 70's the also averaged more than us.

 

Unsurprisingly both sets of supporters turn out more during periods of success. Generally our fan base was, is and shall be bigger than theirs.

[legendaryswan]

22 hours ago, tarn owl said:

If it’s the harsh reality then why are we the only ones charging really high prices in an area of the country that isn’t affluent? Look at the list, Norwich affluent and been in the premier a lot, Ipswich affluent without the premier, QPR west London, Leeds have been increasing prices and how has that gone for them? No playoffs recently. Middlesbrough just been relegated, Preston I don’t get, Sunderland just being relegated. Then you are down to Bristol city who charge £110 less for a cheap season ticket and they are 4th! High ticket prices in communities that can’t afford it are not needed for promotion or to be competitive. It’s wrong. 

I wouldnt disagree with what you say........thing is we dont decide the direction the club wants to take.

its only 3 seasons back we had to sell our best player to bring in a striker,around then we had a higher average gate then Leeds,yet they raked in way more revenue then us,we were in or around the bottom 3 revenue wise.

Thats changed now,we dont have to offload our best players to sign new players anymore,we have the likes of Bannan,Forestieri,Hooper and Jordan Rhodes,no way could we have afforded players of this calibre without a contribution from the fans

[ReginaldD]

I think an awful lot of us have been fooled into justifying the stupid prices based on this being needed for us to compete. However the amount of cash brought in through ticket sales appears relatively small.

 

Selling 21000 season tickets with a price rise of £100 generates just over 2 million. When also taking into account match day tickets increases I guesstimate that brings in another 2 million per season.

 

So by my tough estimations our price increase funded Abdi last year.

 

Rather than a ticket price rise to compete I think we'd have been better off with a smaller price rise and a better recruitment policy.

[legendaryswan]

17 minutes ago, ReginaldD said:

I think an awful lot of us have been fooled into justifying the stupid prices based on this being needed for us to compete. However the amount of cash brought in through ticket sales appears relatively small.

 

Selling 21000 season tickets with a price rise of £100 generates just over 2 million. When also taking into account match day tickets increases I guesstimate that brings in another 2 million per season.

 

So by my tough estimations our price increase funded Abdi last year.

 

Rather than a ticket price rise to compete I think we'd have been better off with a smaller price rise and a better recruitment policy.

We could always go back to Stevie May and have lower ticket prices