Â£1 for kids for Sunderland and Middlesbrough

riverroyal · by **riverroyal** » 23 Oct 2007 14:20

So, young royals get in for Â£1 for matches against Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

My two nephews have junior season tickets, working out to almost Â£14.50 a game.

The maths seems to be that for being a season ticket holder they are paying Â£13.50 extra than junior royals for these two games.

Doesn't seem that fair to me . . ..

Dirk Gently · by **Dirk Gently** » 23 Oct 2007 14:23

That's a frequent attitude that stops clubs being creative, imaginative and flexible with pricing.

You're right, they are paying more - but when they signed up in July there was no way that they could be sure that these matches would have promotions - and the fact is that they're guaranteed their ticket for these matches. People taking advantage of these seats aren't sure of getting one, as there'll be limited availability of these, I'm sure.

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 23 Oct 2007 14:35

The club won't win (not a prediction for the rest of the season !)

If they don;t market / promote games and there are spare seats then they get slated

If they do push the less attractive games someone will work out that they have been 'conned'

Bottom line for STH is you decide at the start of the season if what you pay is worth it (slightly cheaper seats, guaranteed seats, same seats for every game, no need to book 19 times, cup priority etc etc etc). If it is then you pay it and take the package as offered.

If the club then do a couple of promotions that give others an incentive to come for the odd game then great - can't be bad to fill the ground and maybe get some casual fans along. If they did it for every game and a YR paid Â£19 for the season then it would be out of order, but for one or two games it's no more than they have done for a decade or more.

Dirk Gently · by **Dirk Gently** » 23 Oct 2007 14:45

I think over the next few years PL clubs will become a lot more flexible with their pricing methods - in the way that airlines have over the last 10 or so years.

So in a couple of years I think ticket prices for individual matches will vary considerably according to demand for that match and also when you buy your ticket. And what it may mean is that - like airlines - very few people sitting next to each other will have maid the same price for that match.

Hugo Boss · by **Hugo Boss** » 23 Oct 2007 15:05

riverroyal wrote:So, young royals get in for Â£1 for matches against Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

My two nephews have junior season tickets, working out to almost Â£14.50 a game.

The maths seems to be that for being a season ticket holder they are paying Â£13.50 extra than junior royals for these two games.

Doesn't seem that fair to me . . ..

Don't worry, i'm sure the Â£1 brigade will deem it not fair when your nephews get to watch the Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool games.

.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:. · by **.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:.** » 23 Oct 2007 15:07

Maybe they should just bring all the prices down, I read somewhere recently that if prices for football had risen to the equivilent price to what they were in the olden days they would be just 80p a ticket.

Dirk Gently · by **Dirk Gently** » 23 Oct 2007 15:10

.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:. wrote:Maybe they should just bring all the prices down, I read somewhere recently that if prices for football had risen to the equivalent price to what they were in the olden days they would be just 80p a ticket.

That's slightly low, but the principle is the same - but then football would appeal so much to the monied middle-classes.

And some of the players would have to go without one of their Ferraris.

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 23 Oct 2007 15:10

Good move by the club, Sunderland & Boro aren't exactily glamour ties but they will be crucial, crucial home games for us this season. If this helps to fill the ground whilst potentially grabbing young fans then great.

Dirk Gently · by **Dirk Gently** » 23 Oct 2007 15:12

Especially as it's just before Xmas. How many kids will drag their parents into the Megastore?

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 23 Oct 2007 15:24

.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:. wrote:Maybe they should just bring all the prices down, I read somewhere recently that if prices for football had risen to the equivilent price to what they were in the olden days they would be just 80p a ticket.

I'm not sure that's practical mid season !

But I'd certainly agree that the economics of watching top flight football on a regular basis have become quite crazy.

It emphasises the need for us to expand even more - get another 6000 seats and they can play with pricing. What happens to the cost of a ST this summer will be very interesting and possibly crucial in terms of determining the future of the club....

.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:. · by **.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:.** » 23 Oct 2007 15:37

Behindu wrote:
.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:. wrote:Maybe they should just bring all the prices down, I read somewhere recently that if prices for football had risen to the equivilent price to what they were in the olden days they would be just 80p a ticket.
I'm not sure that's practical mid season !

But I'd certainly agree that the economics of watching top flight football on a regular basis have become quite crazy.

It emphasises the need for us to expand even more - get another 6000 seats and they can play with pricing. What happens to the cost of a ST this summer will be very interesting and possibly crucial in terms of determining the future of the club....

if it goes up i'll be shocked, considering blackburn charge so little and have lower gates than us and still manage to compete in the league.

EASTENDER MARKY · by **EASTENDER MARKY** » 23 Oct 2007 15:42

IMO they need to have a few 'tenner for an adult' games because the atmosphere is so flat when it's kid for a quid. Fill it up with 6 or 7 year olds and then complain about the atmosphere.

Dirk Gently · by **Dirk Gently** » 23 Oct 2007 15:44

EASTENDER MARKY wrote:IMO they need to have a few 'tenner for an adult' games because the atmosphere is so flat when it's kid for a quid. Fill it up with 6 or 7 year olds and then complain about the atmosphere.

I think you're missing something here - unless you reckon 6 or 7 year olds come on their own to matches. For every 1, 2 or 3 kids for a quid, an adult comes along paying the full price.

The 17 Bus · by **The 17 Bus** » 23 Oct 2007 15:45

shame they could not have reduced the full adult price to Â£20 for these games, at that price I would have attended, and only taken up one seat compared to the 20 needed for kids at Â£1.

Behindu · by **Behindu** » 23 Oct 2007 15:46

.:BigDaveInTheDungeon:. wrote: if it goes up i'll be shocked, considering blackburn charge so little and have lower gates than us and still manage to compete in the league.

I would love to know a bit more about Blackburn's finances.
Didn't Jack Walker effectively set them up long term by leaving them a huge sum when he died (or maybe writing off debts...), and all that on top of him paying for the new ground etc.

They also have a strange fan base - IIRC more of their STH live within a few miles of the ground than any other clubs. Essentially they have to work with the 50 or 60k people in the town and know that anyone who lives outside the borough will be a United fan.

EASTENDER MARKY · by **EASTENDER MARKY** » 23 Oct 2007 16:14

Dirk Gently wrote:
EASTENDER MARKY wrote:IMO they need to have a few 'tenner for an adult' games because the atmosphere is so flat when it's kid for a quid. Fill it up with 6 or 7 year olds and then complain about the atmosphere.
I think you're missing something here - unless you reckon 6 or 7 year olds come on their own to matches. For every 1, 2 or 3 kids for a quid, an adult comes along paying the full price.

Maybe, so that means there could be 3 kids to an adult? The atmosphere is always worse on kid for a quid days. The only chant that gets going is when the drummer bangs *that tune and all the kids shout READING! It sounds awful.

Dirk Gently · by **Dirk Gently** » 23 Oct 2007 16:17

We all have to start somewhere, and an adult coming for the first time is hardly going to join in - and getting less likely the older they get.

But the kids will who get hooked will want to come back, and when they're in their teens and 20s that's when they'll contribute to the atmosphere.

The 17 Bus · by **The 17 Bus** » 23 Oct 2007 16:19

Dirk Gently wrote:We all have to start somewhere, and an adult coming for the first time is hardly going to join in - and getting less likely the older they get.

But the kids will who get hooked will want to come back, and when they're in their teens and 20s that's when they'll contribute to the atmosphere.

How about the adults returning

Dirk Gently · by **Dirk Gently** » 23 Oct 2007 16:22

The 17 Bus wrote:
Dirk Gently wrote:We all have to start somewhere, and an adult coming for the first time is hardly going to join in - and getting less likely the older they get.

But the kids will who get hooked will want to come back, and when they're in their teens and 20s that's when they'll contribute to the atmosphere.
How about the adults returning

Yep, hopefully that'll happen too - but you don't get much atmosphere from (new) adults, and it was the atmosphere that Marky was concerned with.

PEARCEY · by **PEARCEY** » 23 Oct 2007 16:40

Dirk's right. When I take my kids I usually do so with a bribe that we will go the Megastore first. I then spend a fortune in there which syphons its way back to the club...my boys then slowly and gradually become hooked and before they know it are Reading fans. Thats the master plan anyway.
My other half calls it brain-washing....shurely shome mishtake.