Clubs start to reduce season ticket prices

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, SWFC Trust said:

Cheers for taking the time to read it. 

 

The Blues Trust who helped with some of the info in the report are convinced that the ticketing strategy has made a difference to attendances there. 

 

It's not just the banding/zones thing though that has an impact I'm sure. The club have made it part of their supporters charter that they will always have tickets to suit all pockets. You can pay on the day and never pay more than £25. Usually much less. 

 

They also have plenty of inventive marketing strategies. 

 

The odd local derby doesn't have a huge impact on average attendances. There might be something in new ownership, but given the relegation battles, points deduction and transfer embargo they've faced I'm not sure if that's true in the most recent years.

 

Regardless of all that - the report is designed to provoke some discussion. So, whether you agree or not with it's conclusions I appreciate you taking the time to read and discuss it. 

 

 

 

I don't doubt that Birmingham having a focused strategic approach to improving attendance had a positive impact on their crowds but I don't think that the broad range of pricing options available played a huge part in that.

 

Their adult season tickets, other than the club class exclusive tickets, range from £230-£552 for the most expensive after early bird - compare that to ours. Then, as you say their match tickets are £25 max, again compare that to us. I know you said the overall prices didn't increase much but maybe they did a much better job of advertising their tickets in comparison with other teams at this level and promoting their prices within their strategic approach? Maybe the overall average price is influenced by the club class tickets?

 

As for the impact of derby matches, Their highest attendance last season was 22K compared with 27.5K when Villa were in the division, having Villa around may also have influenced higher attendances on other games if they offered multi-match packages to include the derby match. 

 

I take you point on the impact of points deductions and relegation battles - that will also have contributed to an above 9% decrease in Birmingham's attendances last season. 

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, room0035 said:

But they will get £100m this season for finishing last.

 

Barnsley? 

[room0035]

Just now, hirstyboywonder said:

 

Barnsley? 

Thought he was on about sheff Utd oops

[@owlstalk]

5 minutes ago, hirstyboywonder said:

 

I don't doubt that Birmingham having a focused strategic approach to improving attendance had a positive impact on their crowds but I don't think that the broad range of pricing options available played a huge part in that.

 

Their adult season tickets, other than the club class exclusive tickets, range from £230-£552 for the most expensive after early bird - compare that to ours. Then, as you say their match tickets are £25 max, again compare that to us. I know you said the overall prices didn't increase much but maybe they did a much better job of advertising their tickets in comparison with other teams at this level and promoting their prices within their strategic approach? Maybe the overall average price is influenced by the club class tickets?

 

As for the impact of derby matches, Their highest attendance last season was 22K compared with 27.5K when Villa were in the division, having Villa around may also have influenced higher attendances on other games if they offered multi-match packages to include the derby match. 

 

I take you point on the impact of points deductions and relegation battles - that will also have contributed to an above 9% decrease in Birmingham's attendances last season. 

 

When was the last time our club made ANY effort to push a game?

I honestly can't remember

 

Must be years ago where we did anything other than just open the gates and just sit back and expect people to arrive

Zero effort over the years

Gets my back up when they do that and then the chairman keeps smashing the prices up for those who DO come

[Guest Therealrealist]

They went thru a phase of advertising on Hallam a few year ago

[SWFC Trust]

48 minutes ago, hirstyboywonder said:

 

I don't doubt that Birmingham having a focused strategic approach to improving attendance had a positive impact on their crowds but I don't think that the broad range of pricing options available played a huge part in that.

 

Their adult season tickets, other than the club class exclusive tickets, range from £230-£552 for the most expensive after early bird - compare that to ours. Then, as you say their match tickets are £25 max, again compare that to us. I know you said the overall prices didn't increase much but maybe they did a much better job of advertising their tickets in comparison with other teams at this level and promoting their prices within their strategic approach? Maybe the overall average price is influenced by the club class tickets?

 

As for the impact of derby matches, Their highest attendance last season was 22K compared with 27.5K when Villa were in the division, having Villa around may also have influenced higher attendances on other games if they offered multi-match packages to include the derby match. 

 

I take you point on the impact of points deductions and relegation battles - that will also have contributed to an above 9% decrease in Birmingham's attendances last season. 

I certainly think you are correct on the focused strategic approach. How far it's the pricing zones and how far other strategies is difficult if not impossible to prove without access to more data that we have. I do think though that much of their approach to marketing and promotion is made possible by those decisions to structure the zones/banding.

 

I don't think they did multi game tickets around the Villa or West Brom games, but happy to be proved wrong. And yes, by last season the various issues at the club may well have been influencing attendances. 

 

So, not all suitable for SWFC I'm sure, but worth a think about in my opinion.

[Guest Therealrealist]

9 minutes ago, SWFC Trust said:

I certainly think you are correct on the focused strategic approach. How far it's the pricing zones and how far other strategies is difficult if not impossible to prove without access to more data that we have. I do think though that much of their approach to marketing and promotion is made possible by those decisions to structure the zones/banding.

 

I don't think they did multi game tickets around the Villa or West Brom games, but happy to be proved wrong. And yes, by last season the various issues at the club may well have been influencing attendances. 

 

So, not all suitable for SWFC I'm sure, but worth a think about in my opinion.

The fact is these days (last few seasons) nobody knows how much is it to potd...it often gets asked on here midweek b4 a satday game because you get an answer quicker than goin on the official swfc site...st holders seem oblivious to the fact that our most common potd prices are 33-36-39...so when people say he can’t do much to prices because of the season ticket holders...it’s nonsence...dc has more scope than just about every chairman in England to reduce potd prices

[nevthelodgemoorowl]

There are those who can play and people will pay.

 

The nearly players fluctuate and so do the crowds.

 

You can, on a good day see a good game in tier eight but you have to be lucky.

 

All was well and good when a few Chairmen was chasing the goose that would lay a golden egg. They were the Quixall days.

 

The moguls have stepped in and those of us who have bought into it must take our part of the blame.

 

According to Stewart at New York there was embryonic talk of pressing the reset button. A good few year ago Caborn  talked of Government intervention. It's beyond boring now and little more than wind & Pi55. 

[@owlstalk]

38 minutes ago, Therealrealist said:

The fact is these days (last few seasons) nobody knows how much is it to potd 

This is the absolute truth
And that's the ones who want to watch Wednesday

The ones who have lapsed and haven't been for a while wouldn't have the foggiest how much it is and that's not a good thing

[@owlstalk]

57 minutes ago, SWFC Trust said:

I certainly think you are correct on the focused strategic approach. How far it's the pricing zones and how far other strategies is difficult if not impossible to prove without access to more data that we have. I do think though that much of their approach to marketing and promotion is made possible by those decisions to structure the zones/banding. 

I've now lost faith in all of this

It sounds like you're utterly convinced that bands, tiers, categories, zones etc are the way to shift tickets

I have the complete opposite opinion

I'm of the opinion that you should make it as clear, transparent, affordable and most of all EASY to buy football tickets

 

Perception is everything

If the perception is that buying tickets is a baffling concept then you've got a barrier to a sale

ANY barrier to a sale stops you achieving what you want to achieve 

If the perception is that buying tickets is a baffling concept then you've got a barrier to a sale and you have lost not just that sale but the opportunity and potential for more from the same person (and likely guests, friends, family too)

 

 

If the perception is that it's simple, easy and quick to buy a ticket then you have got not just that sale but the opportunity and potential for more from the same person (and likely guests, friends, family too)

 

Your language increasingly makes me feel (rightly or wrongly) that you're totally convinced that tiers, categories, zones, bands are the way to maximise sales of tickets and that's really disappointing when person after person after person (not just me - I've just been the loudest) have said that the ticketing is too complex, the tiers and bands and zones aren't needed.

The absolute worst thing that could happen with a fans organisation is that they just adopt the ignore the people strategy employed by the chairman they're trying to improve

 

 

Come on

Let's all stop playing silly beggars now

Scrap the tiers, Scrap the zone idea, scrap the bands, scrap the categories, scrap the stand difference

One ticket price - sit anywhere in any stand - and let's sell some tickets and get the lapsed fans back for once

 

 

[Guest hirstysfags]

8 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

I've now lost faith in all of this

It sounds like you're utterly convinced that bands, tiers, categories, zones etc are the way to shift tickets

I have the complete opposite opinion

I'm of the opinion that you should make it as clear, transparent, affordable and most of all EASY to buy football tickets

 

Perception is everything

If the perception is that buying tickets is a baffling concept then you've got a barrier to a sale

ANY barrier to a sale stops you achieving what you want to achieve 

If the perception is that buying tickets is a baffling concept then you've got a barrier to a sale and you have lost not just that sale but the opportunity and potential for more from the same person (and likely guests, friends, family too)

 

 

If the perception is that it's simple, easy and quick to buy a ticket then you have got not just that sale but the opportunity and potential for more from the same person (and likely guests, friends, family too)

 

Your language increasingly makes me feel (rightly or wrongly) that you're totally convinced that tiers, categories, zones, bands are the way to maximise sales of tickets and that's really disappointing when person after person after person (not just me - I've just been the loudest) have said that the ticketing is too complex, the tiers and bands and zones aren't needed.

The absolute worst thing that could happen with a fans organisation is that they just adopt the ignore the people strategy employed by the chairman they're trying to improve

 

 

Come on

Let's all stop playing silly beggars now

Scrap the tiers, Scrap the zone idea, scrap the bands, scrap the categories, scrap the stand difference

One ticket price - sit anywhere in any stand - and let's sell some tickets and get the lapsed fans back for once

 

 

Exactly. Like a friendly or league cup

Web page - but tickets here. £20 adults, £10 everyone else. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Therealrealist]

We are on one ohe of the busiest rds in Sheffield...and all we get is a tragic little sign saying ‘next game v so and so’

[@owlstalk]

2 minutes ago, Therealrealist said:

We are on one ohe of the busiest rds in Sheffield...and all we get is a tragic little sign saying ‘next game v so and so’

 
All the more bizarre when we have the back of the Kop looking up Herries Road 24/7 and could easily put signs up (electronic or not) advertising the next game as a big event

I wonder if anyone at the club actually is responsible for getting the word out to the people that dont' go to every game about our club in any way shape or form?

[SWFC Trust]

33 minutes ago, @owlstalk said:

I've now lost faith in all of this

It sounds like you're utterly convinced that bands, tiers, categories, zones etc are the way to shift tickets

 

 

 

 

I don't think I've ever said that. What I am convinced about is that there are other ways of doing things. It may well benefit SWFC to look at them and, if suitable, adapt some of those methods to S6.

 

Birmingham City have a coherent strategy that involves price, marketing and the zones/categories. They have driven up attendances even with a pretty poor team for the most part. I think it's worth considering how they did it.

 

[daleblue]

14 hours ago, Chewy24 said:

I don't know what the financial standing of all our fans are but I have a pretty good idea of the Sheffield demographic. When furlough ends and employers need to pay back CBIL loans and deferred tax etc to the government I think there will be a lot of companies struggling and this will filter down to job insecurity and redundancies.

 

The club can not expect fans to carry on paying the prices as they are now. It will be too much of a financial burden/risk for many, especially if we end up in league 1!

 

I know the price of tickets has been done to death in various threads already but basic economics and human nature mean that the club need to look at this sensibly, however the clubs track record for being sensible lately is questionable! 

 

I have to take issue with this sentence, especially the word LATELY.

[@owlstalk]

13 minutes ago, SWFC Trust said:

 

I don't think I've ever said that. What I am convinced about is that there are other ways of doing things. It may well benefit SWFC to look at them and, if suitable, adapt some of those methods to S6.

 

Birmingham City have a coherent strategy that involves price, marketing and the zones/categories. They have driven up attendances even with a pretty poor team for the most part. I think it's worth considering how they did it.

 

 

 

This is my issue with your approach though

Why does it need zones/categories to succeed?

Just have a coherent strategy based around the most valuable commodity of them all - TRUST

Then - build your ticket pricing around affordability (of course), but made so easy to buy that everyone always knows how much it is to go to a game of football, and can buy a ticket in just a few clicks

No tiers, no categories, no 'zones', no 'bands' necessary

Or to shorten it all down

Where you say that our club should look at zones and categories my simple reply is 'BUT WHY?? Why not just scrap them entirely?'

[Dutch McLovin]

4 hours ago, bradowl said:

 

Those that are carrying there's over from this season might not be too pleased.  I'm carrying mine over but wouldn't mind. 

 

Extremely unlikely to happen anyway.

See there could be ways round this by offering up a deal or options of deals to multi year season ticket holders. I would make it simple and say we’re altering all prices so in vue of this the 5 year season ticket you bought is now a 6 year one etc.

[Nero]

13 hours ago, sage owl said:

You can already pay for away points , you do it by buying away tickets. Or do you want extra points because you’re okay for money ?.

You can't get away tickets for most games unless you alreafy have the points.

[Nero]

11 hours ago, @owlstalk said:

 

if there's one thing we need at Sheffield Wednesday it's more tiers, bands, sections, memberships and categories for buying tickets to a football match

We're absolutely crying out for that

Well done for the populist rabble rousing but actually lower prices for people who cant afford to go and higher prices for people who will pay for a premium service is a fair shout.

And exactly what Owlstalk has just sensibly done.

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Dutch McLovin said:

See there could be ways round this by offering up a deal or options of deals to multi year season ticket holders. I would make it simple and say we’re altering all prices so in vue of this the 5 year season ticket you bought is now a 6 year one etc.

 

You say simple and you offer a reasonable alternative. However, how long has it the club to try and pay back a few thousand fans for the 2019-20 season.