Re: Season ticket sales : Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:54 pm  

It clearly said 4K memberships this morning. I am certain they were talking 4K gates average up to this morning. There is a big difference. This year we averaged over 6K gates with I believe about 2.5K season tickets in that. That means in the worst season for decades we had about 3-4K walk-ups paying full price. If they need 4K average gates then that will be easy in my opinion. We will win most games and I firmly believe we will get 7-8K gates at quite a few games. Yes there is a team in Cumbria but we had London and Catalan who brought their supporters in a taxi but still managed a respectable average.
People will wait later with no early bird offers. I am going up next week and paying with Visa so it won't need paying till this time in October - one month interest free. If we get 3K STs + 3K walk-ups I assume that will be fine for the club. My mate and his lad are also buying a ticket with me next week and they haven't had one for 3 years so some people are feeling more confident. I bet we beat last years average gate.

Re: Season ticket sales : Thu Sep 25, 2014 8:35 pm  

To be honest the Cumbrian teams usually travel in numbers, Workington certainly used to when they were in the top flight so I don't think that will be an issue tbh. Doncaster and Sheffield are likely to bring less. Gonna be getting mine after xmas as there's no rush without early bird offer. Hopefully staggered sales right through, rather than one lump sum in November will be better financially for the club.

[Bulliac]

Re: Season ticket sales : Fri Sep 26, 2014 9:16 am  

I think the 'staggered' income will be, to some extent, sorted with the 'pay over six months' deals.

It's a difficult call for the club to be fair. We've recruited a very solid squad, particularly for championship rugby and hopefully for the middle eights, and they deserve support, but Bradford isn't the most financially vibrant spot in the UK and many fans are going to find it hard to come by the extra money. I guess whether they've got the sums right or not depends on a large number of individual's financial position and their determination to stay involved.

There's no doubt for me though, that we need to perform strongly, as this is the one thing which gives the sort of 'good vibes' around the place and keeps folks happier. Stronger performances on the field might well have kept the income coming in, in a few relatively recent seasons. If you're sending people home happy it's a fair bet they'll come back.

Re: Season ticket sales : Fri Sep 26, 2014 9:41 am  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

But that is on the basis if you only pick and choose games. If you intend to go to all games then surely you'd get season tickets, which would - based on 14 games - work out at £21 a game?

It will be £8 for a junior per game in the stand, so if they plan to go to any more than 3 games, paying on the day makes no sense.

Obviously if I intended to go to all games, I'd buy a season ticket. Living 75 miles away means I can't do that so I have to see on the day if we can make it. I have no way of knowing in advance whether we'll get to 1 game or 8 next season so I can't risk buying season tickets for the boys. I just don't understand why when we have a massive stadium that we won't fill, they've decided now is the time to fleece families.

Re: Season ticket sales : Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:00 am  

The trouble with cheap tickets is just that; they're cheap. We've seen the mistakes the club has made by trying to get the fans back with discount tickets. It didn't work and nearly killed us. 4k is what I'd consider our core support as that seems to be the numbers of season tickets we usually shift. So why shouldn't the club use that as their jumping off point for working out the budgets for next year?

It's achievable, but I'd expect there to be a slow tick on the numbers sold as fans don't have to rush to buy their tickets before the early bird deadline.

But as with anything like this, it's a two way street. The club needs the money from the fans buying tickets and the fans need to see that their money is being wisely used. So far, I think the club have more than held up their end of the contract by giving us a coach with strong ties to the club and fans as well as an impressive team for next year, at least on paper.

Re: Season ticket sales : Fri Sep 26, 2014 10:32 am  

AJW wrote:

Obviously if I intended to go to all games, I'd buy a season ticket. Living 75 miles away means I can't do that so I have to see on the day if we can make it. I have no way of knowing in advance whether we'll get to 1 game or 8 next season so I can't risk buying season tickets for the boys. I just don't understand why when we have a massive stadium that we won't fill, they've decided now is the time to fleece families.

Think thats very harsh on the current board, looking at the squad and the way the clubs being run they have been realistic, conisdering theres more games than last season the difference in price to this seasons tickets are not that bad especially once the early bird offer finished. Im the boat of one income for a young family so not sure if ill get one myself but im one of the ones who hasnt been for a while and will definitely try get as many games as possible under my belt next season

Re: Season ticket sales : Fri Sep 26, 2014 11:20 am  

im sure your club isnt relying to much on away support ,at least i hope not.away spport from leeds alone will out number the total away support you get next season.
fax fev and leigh might give you 500 + each but the others might give you 1500 between them

Re: Season ticket sales : Fri Sep 26, 2014 11:51 am  

AJW wrote:

Obviously if I intended to go to all games, I'd buy a season ticket. Living 75 miles away means I can't do that so I have to see on the day if we can make it. I have no way of knowing in advance whether we'll get to 1 game or 8 next season so I can't risk buying season tickets for the boys. I just don't understand why when we have a massive stadium that we won't fill, they've decided now is the time to fleece families.

I think the fact we've gone bust twice in short order may indicate the pricing model of recent years hasn't been right, though, so you can't disagree something had to change.

So far as juniors are concerned, obviously "free" to "something to pay" is a change but I wouldn't agree that a £3 admission price is "fleecing" families.

You obviously make the choice to use the seats in the stand, as they are more value to you than being on the open terraces. I think that would be a more legitimate complaint tbh, namely that juniors pay the same £5 extra to transfer as do adults, if it wasn't for the fact that for £25 they can sit in the stand all season for free, (There is no extra charge for a junior stand pass as opposed to just a terracing pass) and so at £1.67 per game admission and free stand entry, I don't think it's fair to accuse the club of "fleecing".

I understand entirely your dilemma if you can't say whether you'll attend 1 game or 8 but with respect that's your circumstances, the result will be you pay more or less per game on average, depending on the risk you take (season pass or no pass) and how it pans out, but the club can hardly be blamed for that, can it?

If I were you I'd certainly buy season passes for the boys, since at absolute worst you will (if you end up only attending one game) be £17 x2 out of pocket, that's the worst case scenario, and after 3 games you're in front. that's not fleecing.

Re: Season ticket sales : Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:28 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

I think the fact we've gone bust twice in short order may indicate the pricing model of recent years hasn't been right, though, so you can't disagree something had to change.

So far as juniors are concerned, obviously "free" to "something to pay" is a change but I wouldn't agree that a £3 admission price is "fleecing" families.

You obviously make the choice to use the seats in the stand, as they are more value to you than being on the open terraces. I think that would be a more legitimate complaint tbh, namely that juniors pay the same £5 extra to transfer as do adults, if it wasn't for the fact that for £25 they can sit in the stand all season for free, (There is no extra charge for a junior stand pass as opposed to just a terracing pass) and so at £1.67 per game admission and free stand entry, I don't think it's fair to accuse the club of "fleecing".

I understand entirely your dilemma if you can't say whether you'll attend 1 game or 8 but with respect that's your circumstances, the result will be you pay more or less per game on average, depending on the risk you take (season pass or no pass) and how it pans out, but the club can hardly be blamed for that, can it?

If I were you I'd certainly buy season passes for the boys, since at absolute worst you will (if you end up only attending one game) be £17 x2 out of pocket, that's the worst case scenario, and after 3 games you're in front. that's not fleecing.

Fleecing is harsh - i redact that but I find it odd that when we are trying to rebuild the club have made it more expensive to bring kids in. From costing £0 to costing £16 is a bit of a hike when the adult price has remained the same. It's really not practical to have them on the terrace with me as a) They can't see and b) They can wander off too easily while I'm berating the ref! (OK, that's not the club's fault!)

If it was £3 for admission to sit down, I'd think that was fair as in order to transfer there would be at least one adult paying the extra £5, and let's face it we're not going to be short of seats.

Re: Season ticket sales : Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:39 pm  

Yes, I was half wondering whether in any games there might be a plan to open the ground as "stand only". I understand the savings of doing that but hate the concept. Obviously though if you do that, you have to let "terrace only" punters into the stand for no extra charge and suddenly all the kids who were in for free are potentially taking up valuable real estate.

If the terraces are open then I can't see any game where the stand is likely to be even half full, and I'd agree that on a one-off basis (which is what most away fans face) charging a 7 year old the same as an adult (even though they occupy the same amount of real estate) is a bit much.