Pay on the gate is dead - and it’s a problem

[Belfast Owl 2]

21 minutes ago, rickygoo said:

It’s about value for money not excuses. 

 

I could afford to spend £20 on a bag of chips but I won’t because it’s a rip off. I can afford to buy Sports Mix at the motorway services but I won’t.  If people feel they’re being ripped off they’re less likely to shell out - regardless of whether they can “afford” it. 

 

Rob doggery is is a huge deterrence from shelling out. 

 

You could spend 20 quid on chips but its not comparable.

 

The fact is if we get a big game then people will find the money. The tickets are dearer but its not unnafordable for vast majority.

 

We could make it 20 quid a game but it wouldnt make a dent on attendances. People would find another reason not to attend and blame someone else.

 

 

[FlyingOwl]

7 minutes ago, torres said:

What is DC’s logic do we think? 
 

High season ticket costs 

Ridiculously high pay on the day costs 

The bit of merchandise we have is overpriced tat 

 

Or is he just a bit dim?

He genuinely ‘doesn’t get it’ from when I’ve gone to fans forum meetings. They all had massive debates about ticket prices and he constantly tried to justify it. He was of the idea that when he had them priced at £20 for the odd game, we didn’t get a massive extra influx of fans through the gate. 
 

He didn’t get that one or two kids for a quid or £20 tickets in all stands games a season wouldn’t be enough to tempt fans back often enough. 
 

He was adamant that if we want success then these are the prices we have to pay. And that we’re a family and real fans will pay the money. 
 

I do think, or rather remain hopeful, that his heart is in the right place with this club. But I bloody wish he had one or two better football advisors on board whispering in his ear.

[WBridgfordowl]

Wife want us to go to the cinema tonight.

 

Booked the tickets on my phone, we’ll park right outside, flash the phone at some ticket machine and in we go, grabbing something to eat on the way - so easy to extract my money.

 

The club needs to have a long hard look at its customers’ buying experience 

[Mr Farrell]

1 minute ago, torres said:

The first thing he did was increase season ticket prices - not sure this was ever a good move 

 

I didn't mind it, if it was a short term strategy.

 

As a long term one, it was foolish without fully understanding what it would do to POTG and future generations of support. Especially if we didn't get promoted quick.

 

He's maxed out season ticket numbers now, and these will start to decline. POTG  is dead as a revenue stream and walk up ground filler. The demographic on match days is rapidly disgruntled pre paid elderly fans, who are having serious doubts about investing in DC's very expensive flawed plan.

 

No plan b. Crazy thing to do. 

 

Can't decide if he doesn't even realise, or he's just plain stubborn.

[torres]

Just now, FlyingOwl said:

He genuinely ‘doesn’t get it’ from when I’ve gone to fans forum meetings. They all had massive debates about ticket prices and he constantly tried to justify it. He was of the idea that when he had them priced at £20 for the odd game, we didn’t get a massive extra influx of fans through the gate. 
 

He didn’t get that one or two kids for a quid or £20 tickets in all stands games a season wouldn’t be enough to tempt fans back often enough. 
 

He was adamant that if we want success then these are the prices we have to pay. And that we’re a family and real fans will pay the money. 
 

I do think, or rather remain hopeful, that his heart is in the right place with this club. But I bloody wish he had one or two better football advisors on board whispering in his ear.

To be fair, the take up for the few offers the club has done hasn’t been great or enough for him to stand up and take note. 
 

The only decent idea that the club have done in his time here is for the multi deal season ticket. Sadly they executed it like an episode of the apprentice 

[bladeshater]

1 hour ago, gbear05 said:

I used to travel up for home games a few times a year from London but have stopped in the last 2 years and just go go away games.

 

The additional costs of travel etc combined with high prices, means I just can’t justify it. 

 

I don’t really even consider going anymore. It’s often cheaper to get tickets to a club like West Ham for premier league football.  

I wouldn't want to watch West ham if they were playing in back garden in fact I would shut curtains

[crookesowl]

6 minutes ago, WBridgfordowl said:

Wife want us to go to the cinema tonight.

 

Booked the tickets on my phone, we’ll park right outside, flash the phone at some ticket machine and in we go, grabbing something to eat on the way - so easy to extract my money.

 

The club needs to have a long hard look at its customers’ buying experience 

Agree with this. If it was as easy as the cinema to buy a ticket on a phone and scan on the way in then it’s all good. 

[james o connor]

2 hours ago, bladeshater said:

I'm happy to support my club your happy to come on here and be a miserable top hat what a sad lonely person you must be

What a truly silly post ... blind stupidity /loyalty womt make the team better . Makes me laugh that certain people on here can’t accept realism and if you dare to speak the truth you’re miserable or sad or lonely ... nah just not deluded 

[Salmonbones]

39 minutes ago, Belfast Owl 2 said:

 

So you will happily spend the extra few quid on booze?

 

Maybe you are more of a drinking fan than football?

 

I just dont get how an extra 10 quid is that much of an issue. More of an excuse for majority.

 

Well, not often I agree with you.

 

I enjoy a drink as part of the day - usually a Guinness, maybe even two - inside the ground.   But without the football it would not occur.  

 

To me the game makes the day and the social aspect, not the drink.

 

 

[Dick_Turpin]

4 minutes ago, Belfast Owl 2 said:

 

You could spend 20 quid on chips but its not comparable.

 

The fact is if we get a big game then people will find the money. The tickets are dearer but its not unnafordable for vast majority.

 

We could make it 20 quid a game but it wouldnt make a dent on attendances. People would find another reason not to attend and blame someone else.

 

 

It’s a weird angle for a business to take and football fans are probably the only ones to do it - branding people as disloyal and attacking them for not turning up to an over priced unsatisfactory product. The customer is always right unless they are togger fans. 

 

According to a poster on here last NYD we made a ticket price offer and it paid off.

 

And big games are seen as more value for money. 

 

Look around at Hillsborough. Sample the atmosphere. It’s a club that is stagnating. 

[torres]

5 minutes ago, Mr Farrell said:

 

I didn't mind it, if it was a short term strategy.

 

As a long term one, it was foolish without fully understanding what it would do to POTG and future generations of support. Especially if we didn't get promoted quick.

 

He's maxed out season ticket numbers now, and these will start to decline. POTG  is dead as a revenue stream and walk up ground filler. The demographic on match days is rapidly disgruntled pre paid elderly fans, who are having serious doubts about investing in DC's very expensive flawed plan.

 

No plan b. Crazy thing to do. 

 

Can't decide if he doesn't even realise, or he's just plain stubborn.

He had a chance to get people on board, show he was here for the long term and prove he would back the loyalty of our support - instead he thought I’m going to get as much out of these as I can! 
 

He hasn’t improved or learnt since. 
 

All this heart in the right place nonsense drives me insane. He couldn’t give a t0ss about the one thing that the club can be proud of. 

The bloke at Huddersfield took over and the first thing he did was reduce season ticket prices - with the offer of a free one should they get promotion. 
 

 

 

Edited January 4, 2020 by torres

[Johnny Fantham]

Relative to other teams, our gates are still pretty good.

 

Only Leeds, West Brom, Derby and Forest are better in the Championship.

 

And next below is are Stoke despite the poor season they're having.

[Justbeanz]

51 minutes ago, Westfield Owl said:

 

I agree - we really shouldn’t employ Paul Jones, David Bates & Julian Borner and pay them a salary of £0.

 

At least put them on minimum wage or something.

I agree. Big thumbs up to the one season millionaires n all. 

[Mr Farrell]

3 minutes ago, torres said:

He had a chance to get people on board, show he was here for the long term and prove he would back the loyalty of our support - instead he thought I’m going to get as much out of these as I can! 
 

He hasn’t improved or learnt since. 
 

All this heart in the right place nonsense drives me insane. He couldn’t give a t0ss about the one thing that the club can be proud of. 

 

 

 

If that's true, his logic is even more flawed.

 

He's supposedly wealthy enough to sell our ground to himself for 60 million, but wants to rinse the fans until they turn on him and stop coming.

 

Crazy plan.

[Dick_Turpin]

6 minutes ago, torres said:

To be fair, the take up for the few offers the club has done hasn’t been great or enough for him to stand up and take note. 
 

The only decent idea that the club have done in his time here is for the multi deal season ticket. Sadly they executed it like an episode of the apprentice 

If the NYD figure someone quoted for last season is right that offer didn’t cost and generated good numbers. The difference between Hillsborough with 24k in it and 29k feels huge. But it’s no good making offers for midweek games when loads of people who have STs and have already paid can’t be bothered to turn up.

 

Properly targeted offers researched by a proper marketing department could help. Or we could do fuckall. 

[Dick_Turpin]

4 minutes ago, Statto Owl said:

Relative to other teams, our gates are still pretty good.

 

Only Leeds, West Brom, Derby and Forest are better in the Championship.

 

And next below is are Stoke despite the poor season they're having.

As a Middlesbrough fan once said to me - of course you get big crowds you’re in a big city.

 

 

[Hookowl]

3 minutes ago, Statto Owl said:

Relative to other teams, our gates are still pretty good.

 

Only Leeds, West Brom, Derby and Forest are better in the Championship.

 

And next below is are Stoke despite the poor season they're having.

[torres]

3 minutes ago, rickygoo said:

If the NYD figure someone quoted for last season is right that offer didn’t cost and generated good numbers. The difference between Hillsborough with 24k in it and 29k feels huge. But it’s no good making offers for midweek games when loads of people who have STs and have already paid can’t be bothered to turn up.

 

Properly targeted offers researched by a proper marketing department could help. Or we could do fuckall. 

i agree to a large extent but as much as it irks it HAS to be a 2 way thing initially to get it through his thick skull 

 

30k plus should make him think. A small bit of effort will help the entire fan base in the future 

[Belfast Owl 2]

10 minutes ago, rickygoo said:

If the NYD figure someone quoted for last season is right that offer didn’t cost and generated good numbers. The difference between Hillsborough with 24k in it and 29k feels huge. But it’s no good making offers for midweek games when loads of people who have STs and have already paid can’t be bothered to turn up.

 

Properly targeted offers researched by a proper marketing department could help. Or we could do fuckall. 

 

Maybe a marketing expert like you could offer their services. Or you can take pops at them on here to make things better. It must be great working for the club to have some loudmouth slag you off online. 

[Dick_Turpin]

Just now, Belfast Owl 2 said:

 

Maybe a marketing expert like you could offer their services. Or you can take pops at them on here to make things better. It must be great working for the club to have some loudmouth slag you off online. 

Priceless.