Latest SWFC Supporters' Trust Report - Ticketing Strategy at Birmingham City

[Tamworthowl]

The proof reader needs sacking.

I refer to pages 11 and 12.
 

Back on topic: I agree that we should have less price categories, but I fail to see how Hillsborough can have more than the current four stadium zones without major cost implications. SAG don’t like the North stand exiting to LL, so I doubt they will ever go for splitting the West Upper / Lower again. Creating a different category on the wings of the N/S isn’t really feasible anymore. 

[mike84]

A good read and some really sensible points.  

[Lincs Owl]

Interesting that Brums highest attendance last season was against us, not West Brom or Leeds.  

 

[Bearwood Owl1]

49 minutes ago, Tamworthowl said:

The proof reader needs sacking.

I refer to pages 11 and 12.

 

Yes, a spot of double vision there. As for the other point about the SAG and the stadium - it's a good point I think, but we don't know the answer until the question has been asked. 

[Roscoe P. Coltrane]

Needs to get rid of some of the categories

Way too many.

[OWLERTON GHOST]

4 minutes ago, Roscoe P. Coltrane said:

Needs to get rid of some of the categories

Way too many.

Bang on Rozzer less is more ...

[King_Monkey]

Great research but BCFC are doing no different to the majority of the EFL with the exception of SWFC.

 

I’m not being objective but I will pose a couple of queries on some of the proposals that is raised at every club by owners, chairman, CEO’s etc. I guarantee you that if you present these ideas to DC or Alistair you will be asked the following.

 

If you segment the Kop in to bands, example cheaper prices on wings in comparison to centre. How do you stop people buying the wing seats and moving in to central areas? 
 

if you sell tickets as a cash back scheme to junior football clubs, how do you ensure those sales made by that junior team are not made to supporters who would have attended anyway thus reducing your match day revenue?

 

be interested in any suggestions and I will say now that using stewards to Marshall the 1st query does not work.

[SWFC Trust]

20 minutes ago, King_Monkey said:

Great research but BCFC are doing no different to the majority of the EFL with the exception of SWFC.

 

I’m not being objective but I will pose a couple of queries on some of the proposals that is raised at every club by owners, chairman, CEO’s etc. I guarantee you that if you present these ideas to DC or Alistair you will be asked the following.

 

If you segment the Kop in to bands, example cheaper prices on wings in comparison to centre. How do you stop people buying the wing seats and moving in to central areas? 
 

if you sell tickets as a cash back scheme to junior football clubs, how do you ensure those sales made by that junior team are not made to supporters who would have attended anyway thus reducing your match day revenue?

 

be interested in any suggestions and I will say now that using stewards to Marshall the 1st query does not work.

Thank you, I agree that many EFL clubs will be using some of these techniques. I think the difference with BCFC is that they have put attendance at the front and centre of their aims - it's one of only four items they put at the front of their annual accounts for example. Plus, they've stuck with it for several years. 

In terms of your questions. 

Stopping people moving seats is difficult. Birmingham City do it by a mixture of using very specific entry and exit points and stewarding. Their stadium is differently  organised to Hillsborough of course, so it is not always possible to directly compare. There is also the local SAG to consider, who haven't always been very flexible about what happens at SWFC. Subject to all that therefore, a couple of quick suggestions. Firstly, lower West Stand - has been used even in recent times by home fans, separate entrance and exits available, subject to SAG approval could be a separate section for home fans. The end sections of the Grandstand at that same end, if the grandstand was split (would need some kind of partition some way along there inside) has separate entrance/exit, toilets and facilities inside. Again could be a separate section. The very end section there is often almost empty and has a partial view - ideal for cheaper tickets. After that of course it gets more complicated, but I think with imagination, the bottom sections of the South at each end could be treated separately. Entrance via the Kop maybe, and entrance under the scoreboard at the other end? I agree that doing it on the Kop would be very difficult. With some effort and imagination though I am sure the current three price bands (Kop, North&Grandstand, South) could be expanded to five or more. 

 

I''ll ask the contact at Birmingham City's Trust who helped me out with some of the report what he knows about your question about sales to junior teams etc, and I'll come back. 

[Guest whowantstoberich]

Commendable work by the Trust. Nice to see you coming up with something constructive, instead of just taking the easy route of DC bashing (like many on here choose to do).

Edited January 26, 2021 by whowantstoberich

[@owlstalk]

2 minutes ago, whowantstoberich said:

Commendable work by the Trust. Nice to see you coming up with something constructive, instead of just taking the easy route of DC bashing (like many on here choose to do).

 

"bash"

FOOOOOOK ME

[King_Monkey]

8 minutes ago, SWFC Trust said:

Thank you, I agree that many EFL clubs will be using some of these techniques. I think the difference with BCFC is that they have put attendance at the front and centre of their aims - it's one of only four items they put at the front of their annual accounts for example. Plus, they've stuck with it for several years. 

In terms of your questions. 

Stopping people moving seats is difficult. Birmingham City do it by a mixture of using very specific entry and exit points and stewarding. Their stadium is differently  organised to Hillsborough of course, so it is not always possible to directly compare. There is also the local SAG to consider, who haven't always been very flexible about what happens at SWFC. Subject to all that therefore, a couple of quick suggestions. Firstly, lower West Stand - has been used even in recent times by home fans, separate entrance and exits available, subject to SAG approval could be a separate section for home fans. The end sections of the Grandstand at that same end, if the grandstand was split (would need some kind of partition some way along there inside) has separate entrance/exit, toilets and facilities inside. Again could be a separate section. The very end section there is often almost empty and has a partial view - ideal for cheaper tickets. After that of course it gets more complicated, but I think with imagination, the bottom sections of the South at each end could be treated separately. Entrance via the Kop maybe, and entrance under the scoreboard at the other end? I agree that doing it on the Kop would be very difficult. With some effort and imagination though I am sure the current three price bands (Kop, North&Grandstand, South) could be expanded to five or more. 

 

I''ll ask the contact at Birmingham City's Trust who helped me out with some of the report what he knows about your question about sales to junior teams etc, and I'll come back. 

The opportunity is endless with regards to ticketing and commercial revenue, sadly it appears that either our executive team don’t know how to implement them or the most likely answer is that they know that they would not get approved.

 

once DC realises that those revenue streams can make a difference then that’s when the club can start to move forward.

[SWFC Trust]

3 hours ago, Nero said:

Think what is really interesting is the switch of ground bands and category bands. That might have some legs in it.

Cheap seats to get fans back on pay on the day would be a welcome development.

Make the best seats more expensive to balance it off.

 

I have a thought of padded seats in the centre of the grandstand and down through the centre of the South until about half way up. Include a free drinks voucher per game and sell them at a premium. While at the same time finding elsewhere in the stadium for much more reasonably priced seats. 

[Hookowl]

49 minutes ago, SWFC Trust said:

Thank you, I agree that many EFL clubs will be using some of these techniques. I think the difference with BCFC is that they have put attendance at the front and centre of their aims - it's one of only four items they put at the front of their annual accounts for example. Plus, they've stuck with it for several years. 

In terms of your questions. 

Stopping people moving seats is difficult. Birmingham City do it by a mixture of using very specific entry and exit points and stewarding. Their stadium is differently  organised to Hillsborough of course, so it is not always possible to directly compare. There is also the local SAG to consider, who haven't always been very flexible about what happens at SWFC. Subject to all that therefore, a couple of quick suggestions. Firstly, lower West Stand - has been used even in recent times by home fans, separate entrance and exits available, subject to SAG approval could be a separate section for home fans. The end sections of the Grandstand at that same end, if the grandstand was split (would need some kind of partition some way along there inside) has separate entrance/exit, toilets and facilities inside. Again could be a separate section. The very end section there is often almost empty and has a partial view - ideal for cheaper tickets. After that of course it gets more complicated, but I think with imagination, the bottom sections of the South at each end could be treated separately. Entrance via the Kop maybe, and entrance under the scoreboard at the other end? I agree that doing it on the Kop would be very difficult. With some effort and imagination though I am sure the current three price bands (Kop, North&Grandstand, South) could be expanded to five or more. 

 

I''ll ask the contact at Birmingham City's Trust who helped me out with some of the report what he knows about your question about sales to junior teams etc, and I'll come back. 

 

I would have thought the first thing required would be to undertake a feasibility study to get answers on the implications of changes to egress/access, both cost wise and safety implications eg. SAG, SYP etc.

[SWFC Trust]

Just now, Hookowl said:

 

I would have thought the first thing required would be to undertake a feasibility study to get answers on the implications of changes to egress/access, both cost wise and safety implications eg. SAG, SYP etc.

Yes, absolutely. The purpose of the report is to show how Birmingham City have done it. I was thinking out loud in the last answer, it's not really what the report itself covers. If the club were to go with something like this, I'm sure the next step would be to investigate what is practically possible at Hillsborough given those implications you mention.

[alan48]

Maybe SAG/SYP  should be invited onto the ' board ' of the Trust to ensure that whatever gets put to Chansiri has already met with their approval . In the meantime , well done Trust . I hope Chansiri gives it a fair hearing , [not too sure he will ].

[sonofbert2]

I just try to get in for nowt.

 

 

[Animis]

I think it's important that we use peers for assessing comparative pricing and demand. I've also thought SWFC peers were Derby and Notts Forest, but Brum will be in the near bracket.

 

I think POTG tickets changed first home game in 2015/16 against Bristol City - it was a huge rise in prices and DC said this was to a) sustain a promotion campaign and b) force people to buy a ST.

 

The strategy failed on both counts, but you could perhaps excuse DC in trying this short-term approach. We are nearly 6 years on and we will clearly need a new approach when crowds are let back in - say next season. Should we stay up, the 'product' has significantly deteriorated and whilst DC will want us to be supporters, he still refers and treats us like customers. He can't have it both ways unfortunately, and with money being tight post-COVID he will need to be a lot more creative to 'win' the fans back.

 

One thing that he perhaps should look at more with 40% of the stadium empty is deals and discounts for group orders - say £1 off 2 tickets; £2 off 3 tickets etc. He could set aside areas for non-ST and members and target POTD early sales - show limited and falling supply leading up to the game to encourage people to buy at a discount. I know other sports and clubs have tried this, but maybe we just need to reinvent something for our specific demographic and circumstances.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, SWFC Trust said:

Yes, absolutely. The purpose of the report is to show how Birmingham City have done it. I was thinking out loud in the last answer, it's not really what the report itself covers. If the club were to go with something like this, I'm sure the next step would be to investigate what is practically possible at Hillsborough given those implications you mention.

 

Hi SWFC Trust,

 

Did the introductory meeting of the new supporter group engagement that was supposed to take place on Saturday go ahead and if so anything worth talking about from this?

[Guest Hornsby]

16 hours ago, sonofbert2 said:

 

 

Lies.

Yeah , just seen a Chansiri taxi driver drinking his high energy drink outside Companies House delivering club's accounts. 

 

Now, they are porkies.

[sonofbert2]

4 minutes ago, Hornsby said:

Yeah , just seen a Chansiri taxi driver drinking his high energy drink outside Companies House delivering club's accounts. 

 

Now, they are porkies.

The EFL found NOTHING wrong with regards to our current sponsorship deals and associated companies and neither have the HMRC.

 

The accounts are late, I’ll give you that much but you need to stop telling lies on a public forum because it can get people into trouble.