Cheap(er) Season Tickets

[Juan Kerse]

Right forget all the other 'reduce ticket prices' threads - it isn't going to happen. At least not overnight and until an entire overhaul of the Scottish game comes along with it.

 

I think the answer lies with a BIG discount on Season Tickets.

 

The 'Bradford' scheme where if the club get enough nomial deposits over certain thresholds then the ST price comes way down. This way the club would get the increase in gates every week - as let's face it, it could be a tenner and in deep winter midweeks against fellow guff some fans simply wouldn't stump it up. If people have paid 'in advance' then 95% of them are there every week.

 

I am sure bradford asked for a small deposit (could be £4 or something!) and ended up giving away tickets for under £150 as they got 10,000 deposits or 'promisies'. They even gave every one who bought a season ticket a free one too - so they could fill the ground every week!!

 

We could maybe try:(based on Adult prices only)

 

3000 - 3499 Status Quo - £280 I believe?

3500 - £235

3600 - £230

3700 - £225

3800 - £220

3900 - £215

4000 - £210

4100 - £205

4200 - £200

4300 - £195

4400 - £190

4500 - £185

 

All of these figures bring in roughly the same approx income as the status quo - (based only on Adult though) and then there are the obvious benefits of increasing your matchday market at the bar, shop, catering etc..

 

There could of course even be a 'Super Target' of 5000+ Season Tickets for £150/160!!

 

I think 4500 though is a realistic target - Most 'good' weeks we can attract that many punters to Fir Park. We can even look into giving away one for free (or another £20 or something to stop people just taking it for the hell of it) to everyone (that wanted one - bring yer granny!) as we would have covered the income we normally get anyway!! There should still even be enough to give the OF their allocation too when they want it!!

 

In all we have to be real here and accept that there are 4500 customers of Motherwell FC and do everything possible to get their backsides on a plastic seat every other Saturday. Failing to do so and letting the plastic seat sit empty when someone is sitting at home willing to pay for it is and will continue to be one of the biggest follies of our time.

[MilkyJism]

see tbh ad pay 150 max for a season ticket at firpark

 

i cant say how much i payed but i managed a discount (a good one too)

[David]

In all we have to be real here and accept that there are 4500 customers of Motherwell FC and do everything possible to get their backsides on a plastic seat every other Saturday. Failing to do so and letting the plastic seat sit empty when someone is sitting at home willing to pay for it is and will continue to be one of the biggest follies of our time.

An excellent post there.

 

I'd certainly be willing to take advantage of such an offer if it were to arise.

[Finlay]

An excellent post there.

 

I'd certainly be willing to take advantage of such an offer if it were to arise.

 

+1

[Al Pacino]

Right forget all the other 'reduce ticket prices' threads - it isn't going to happen. At least not overnight and until an entire overhaul of the Scottish game comes along with it.

 

I think the answer lies with a BIG discount on Season Tickets.

 

The 'Bradford' scheme where if the club get enough nomial deposits over certain thresholds then the ST price comes way down. This way the club would get the increase in gates every week - as let's face it, it could be a tenner and in deep winter midweeks against fellow guff some fans simply wouldn't stump it up. If people have paid 'in advance' then 95% of them are there every week.

 

I am sure bradford asked for a small deposit (could be £4 or something!) and ended up giving away tickets for under £150 as they got 10,000 deposits or 'promisies'. They even gave every one who bought a season ticket a free one too - so they could fill the ground every week!!

 

We could maybe try:(based on Adult prices only)

 

3000 - 3499 Status Quo - £280 I believe?

3500 - £235

3600 - £230

3700 - £225

3800 - £220

3900 - £215

4000 - £210

4100 - £205

4200 - £200

4300 - £195

4400 - £190

4500 - £185

 

All of these figures bring in roughly the same approx income as the status quo - (based only on Adult though) and then there are the obvious benefits of increasing your matchday market at the bar, shop, catering etc..

 

There could of course even be a 'Super Target' of 5000+ Season Tickets for £150/160!!

 

I think 4500 though is a realistic target - Most 'good' weeks we can attract that many punters to Fir Park. We can even look into giving away one for free (or another £20 or something to stop people just taking it for the hell of it) to everyone (that wanted one - bring yer granny!) as we would have covered the income we normally get anyway!! There should still even be enough to give the OF their allocation too when they want it!!

 

In all we have to be real here and accept that there are 4500 customers of Motherwell FC and do everything possible to get their backsides on a plastic seat every other Saturday. Failing to do so and letting the plastic seat sit empty when someone is sitting at home willing to pay for it is and will continue to be one of the biggest follies of our time.

 

It's all very well reducing the prices the more season tickets you sell but you have to take into account that the extra tickets sold will reduce the "pay at the gate" money every week. It's not as simple as working it out so that you get the same figure for whatever amount is sold.

 

Also, I know Bradford did this once but do they still do it?

[mon_da_well]

see tbh ad pay 150 max for a season ticket at firpark

 

i cant say how much i payed but i managed a discount (a good one too)

 

And how did you get that?

[Bop]

I'm guessing he got one through the schools. Something like £60 for an east stand one.

[fatcalf]

So stop wangling cheapies and pay the full whack like the rest of us and we're £100-odd quid better off in the quest for more income. It's a start intit

[LadywellToi]

Excellent thread, our club needs to embrace ideas like this going forward. I don't know of any other initiatives there are going on in other clubs other than Leeds Utd offering cheaper tickets to those on the dole. This discussion could be pretty good if it continues and gives those who make the decisions at Fir Park some good ideas to ponder and possibly implement. One thing is certain the status quo is unsustainable and needs re-invigorating.

 

Therefore anyone care to expand?

[David]

It seems pretty obvious that the club can't really drop prices by a substantial amount on a regular basis, although i'd certainly like to see ticket prices drop a little. Perhpas by the following;

 

O'Donnell stand - It's £22 standard entry at present, which i'd like to see dropped to £20. It's a small amount, but £20 just sounds better than £22.

 

Cooper stand - Same as above.

 

East stand - Currently sitting at £18, i'd drop it to £15. Again, it's not much of a difference, but £15 just sounds a whole lot more acceptable to me than £18 for some reason.

 

I'm only speaking personally of course, but if I was thinking of going to the game, and it was £15 to get in rather than £18, i'd likely go more.

 

I'm not too sure why. It just sounds more reasonable, even though it's only a couple of quid.

 

Also, I read in another thread an idea of showing the away games in the Cooper suite? Anyone know the deal with that?

[CoF]

I think threads like this highlight the need for long term initiatives rather than one off's, which are pretty useless in guaging the level of interest from 'fringe' fans.

 

Reducing prices long term at the gate to see what happens is a financial gamble which may not pay off however the season ticket idea is one which seems pretty safe. I'd love to hear from someone who knows more about the finances of the club to point out any flaws it might have.

[mon_da_well]

If you managed to get a discount that you're unwilling to talk about then your opinions about high ticket prices carry much less weight!

[Juan Kerse]

;

 

 

East stand - Currently sitting at £18, i'd drop it to £15. Again, it's not much of a difference, but £15 just sounds a whole lot more acceptable to me than £18 for some reason.

 

 

Agreed. I've bored people at length with chat about pshycological pricing - making prices seem alot cheaper without actually dropping them by much. For instance I doubt of we halfed the £20 average price at FP to a tenner we would double our gate.

 

However people I know who go to the odd game a year have said to me they would 'go most weeks' if it was £15. It just seems a fairer price. Of course it is still a rip off when you could watch a hollywood blockbuster with A List actors in it, get your pop corn and a hot dog for that price - but it just seems fairer. A big purple £20 is a figure people are less likely to part with for little or no (or sometimes PLUS) change.

 

I still think the answer lies with Season Tickets. Get people signed up at the start of the season for a much cheaper price. And yes, Bradford still do this 'scheme' whoever was asking.

[David]

I agree that the season book idea is the way to go.

 

Fair enough, like someone has already said, we may not attract another 5,000 or 6,000 fans, but if we can even influence another 1,000 or so to put their cash down for a season, then it's got to be considered worth it.

[Tweed]

There are practical issues with the season ticket idea that concern me. For example, what if the deposits don't become firm offers because the price is higher than the person guessed and then a lot of people disappear with cheaper than budgeted for season tickets and the club make a startling loss. Because the sure fire thing that would happen is that people would start girning that the transfer budget is less, wages budget is less, the pitch hasn't been invested in, the stands are falling to bits and yadda yadda yadda.

 

I think there are ways we could make the current season ticket more appealing. I can't remember how much I paid for a season ticket this season but lets for arguments sake say £250. To me what you do is you offer people a season ticket at the same price which covers all games or you offer them a deal where you pay £60 up front and £10 per game after that. The £60 guarantees your seat and with that you hand over a voucher and a tenner and in you get. Perhaps for Old Firm Games you would need to turn the voucher into a ticket beforehand but general idea. That means people who cannot afford the initial outlay can get their seat reserved for them and only pay if they turn up. They would only lose out if we get a home game in the cup or two. Also means if their finances tighten they can stop coming and save their tenner but the club have still got something from them.

 

I still think the biggest overhaul needed in the SPL is the away support but that requires all twelve teams to work together to find a way to encourage them back. With the soaring cost of football as well as transport means its hardly a shock.

 

PATG customers need work too but I agree getting more folk in with a ST reduces that issue.

[SuperSteelman]

I think we should have a buy one get one free offer on season tickets.

[Coolhandluc]

I think we should have a buy one get one free offer on season tickets.

 

BOGOF, it wouldnae work.

 

 

[DosserJoe]

Great post and discussion item.

 

I really like the sound of the pledges resulting in lower prices. You could set it as a tenner or twenty quid deposit. If your not happy with the price that is arrived at, you don't get your money back! That would go a long way to cover the deficit caused by those who don't pay up.

 

I think the club would much rather have 5,000 season ticket holders than 2,000 with 2,000 floaters.

 

In terms of discounting prices overall, as far as I am concerned it does little to boost the long term gate. When they drop it to circa £10 a ticket, 7,000 come. If they done that every week it would drop back to 4,000 a week in less than 3 games.

[DosserJoe]

Killie done BOGOF about 6 years ago and scrapped it after 1 season.

[East_Stand_Al]

Perhaps we need look at what the season ticket gives, getting your seat most weeks if you get in a wee bit early not a problem, the club have tried to add value with being able to hire function suites for free, various discount vouchers for the club shop and catering although we've still to be notified as to what they are valid for.

 

Maybe if its seen as better value the take up will be better.

[Juan Kerse]

Perhaps we need look at what the season ticket gives, the club have tried to add value with being able to hire function suites for free, various discount vouchers for the club shop and catering although we've still to be notified as to what they are valid for.

 

 

Na. That might bring back 2 or 3 people (literally) to a Season Ticket. In times like this it comes down to cold hard cash. When people have to justify the gate entry in comparison with a list of things a mile long it comes down to cost. Simple as that.

 

I haven't been to a game since Hearts away and I'm not going to be at Falkirk or Aberdeen and I will really have to look hard at £36 to see if Hibs and Killie at home is worth it - in fact in typing that I have realised, no way in a million years is it and I'm no goin!!

 

Cost - simple as that.

[Tweed]

I know of four folk who go nearly every week but don't have a ST because they can't afford the outlay at the start. PATG customers will be influenced by 1) cost and 2) importance of the game and at the moment we are going through a low as we are out of both cups and wedged in the middle of the league.

 

To counter Dosser Joe's point about a £10 to £20 deposit on the ST scheme. Fine but if I was struggling thats a gamble I wouldn't be prepared to take and thus would drive the prices back up. I like the theory of the idea but I just see so many complications I think we need something that is hard and fast.

[Juan Kerse]

I know of four folk who go nearly every week but don't have a ST because they can't afford the outlay at the start. PATG customers will be influenced by 1) cost and 2) importance of the game and at the moment we are going through a low as we are out of both cups and wedged in the middle of the league.

 

To counter Dosser Joe's point about a £10 to £20 deposit on the ST scheme. Fine but if I was struggling thats a gamble I wouldn't be prepared to take and thus would drive the prices back up. I like the theory of the idea but I just see so many complications I think we need something that is hard and fast.

 

Ok. Hike PATG prices up to £30 accross the board and make Season Tickets £199 - accross the board with free Direct Debit facilities.

 

We will see how many 'Die Hards' prefer to PATG then.

[Yir Elder]

I think prices have to be reduced for both season tickets and pay at the gate. The idea of paying a deposit to encourage a cheaper ticket for everyone, and some the ideas mentioned have been excellent. I'd be up for a scheme similar to that.

 

Gate prices have to be looked at too, for both home and away fans. Any discounts seem to only benefit families, which is great for them but a huge percentage of our support are full paying adults, so what's in it for us?

 

Everyone would love a cheaper deal but the clubs can't seem to afford to simply drop the admission prices, so what can be done? As someone else pointed out it would take all the non- Old Firm clubs in the SPL to get round the table to agree to a plan. Maybe a discount for travelling season ticket holders? Perhaps a deal for those buying a ticket in advance?

[nethertonwellfan]

What is it with people? They greet about the value of football and that things should be better. Meanwhile there is people like Juan putting very credible ideas forward that have been researched. It has proven to be a success with Bradford. All people can do is find fault and spout what ifs.

If we continue the way we are going we will not survive and if we do it will not be in the premier league. Whether people like it, we as a club need to take a gamble because wee can't sit around and do nothing. At least if we try something and fail at least we have tried. We are a business and sometimes in business you need to gamble to survive.