Blades to boycott over ridiculous ticket prices!

[Aanvalluh]

I saw this this morning and the prices are jaw-dropping. Bolton need every fan they can get, home and away, and we're talking third division. OK< £15 smackers for Gillingham might be good value, but how many teams will be Cat A?
never mind home fans who have the cheaper season ticket option -
Bury(?), Oldham (?), Sheff U, Bradford....I would expect an aggregate of 12,000 away fans (at least, depending on league positions) and if they paid £20 that's £1/4m before tax, and add bar takings, programme sales etc.
If the prices mean that's reduced by half, and it's bloody likely that fans won't pay £30 for third division football, it not only reduces the gate and income but the atmosphere of the ground. These games could get 15k+ but at those prices 10k at best?

Bloody barmy decision. Someone ought to let them know they aren't playing Bayern Munich any more.

But you're guessing at numbers. Possibly we'll have higher revenue with higher prices? Perhaps although numbers will be less the extra money will still outweigh additional numbers at cheaper prices. It is not an easy thing to predict. I know from conversations I had with the previous regime many years ago that they did a lot of modelling on prices and attendances and that it isn't necessarily a case of lower prices balancing out by higher numbers. Yes attendances may go up, but not necessarily enough to offset the reduction.

As was then pointed out to me, even if ticket prices were £5 each, we still wouldn't fill the ground every match of the season.

We could have skip full of help yourself free tickets in the Town centre and people wouldn't go, because they'd have to fork out £4 on the bus

The people of Bolton generally, just don't really give a fvck about the club anymore.

Unless they are top four/six; it's gonna be very difficult to get anyone from Bolton to Horwich for a mid-table third division game as it is. Moving out to the sticks is fine when you're a top club, but now the club are making it difficult for the committed fan, let alone the now-and-again types/glory-hunters/armchair brigade.

[BWFC_Insane]

Unless they are top four/six; it's gonna be very difficult to get anyone from Bolton to Horwich for a mid-table third division game as it is. Moving out to the sticks is fine when you're a top club, but now the club are making it difficult for the committed fan, let alone the now-and-again types/glory-hunters/armchair brigade.

But the club is no longer in a position to subsidise ticket prices. We have been through a drawn out takeover process and our new owners are not wealthy individuals able to pump the money in that the previous owner did. Nor are we in the premiership with the vast TV money.

We have still got premiership or at least championship salaries to pay though. The new owners submitted a business plan which will have included gate income to the FL.

There can be a debate around whether lower prices COULD maintain the same revenue. I agree there is a potential debate there.

But we're still under the scrutiny and monitoring of the FL. The club doesn't have the ability to simply sacrifice money. Long term or short term, the immediate position is every £ counts.

So whilst you can argue that we'd get more gate revenue with cheaper ticket prices, and make the case, I think the idealogical "need to attract more fans regardless of income" is dead in the water right now.

[boltonboris]

I saw this this morning and the prices are jaw-dropping. Bolton need every fan they can get, home and away, and we're talking third division. OK< £15 smackers for Gillingham might be good value, but how many teams will be Cat A?
never mind home fans who have the cheaper season ticket option -
Bury(?), Oldham (?), Sheff U, Bradford....I would expect an aggregate of 12,000 away fans (at least, depending on league positions) and if they paid £20 that's £1/4m before tax, and add bar takings, programme sales etc.
If the prices mean that's reduced by half, and it's bloody likely that fans won't pay £30 for third division football, it not only reduces the gate and income but the atmosphere of the ground. These games could get 15k+ but at those prices 10k at best?

Bloody barmy decision. Someone ought to let them know they aren't playing Bayern Munich any more.

But you're guessing at numbers. Possibly we'll have higher revenue with higher prices? Perhaps although numbers will be less the extra money will still outweigh additional numbers at cheaper prices. It is not an easy thing to predict. I know from conversations I had with the previous regime many years ago that they did a lot of modelling on prices and attendances and that it isn't necessarily a case of lower prices balancing out by higher numbers. Yes attendances may go up, but not necessarily enough to offset the reduction.

As was then pointed out to me, even if ticket prices were £5 each, we still wouldn't fill the ground every match of the season.

We could have skip full of help yourself free tickets in the Town centre and people wouldn't go, because they'd have to fork out £4 on the bus

The people of Bolton generally, just don't really give a fvck about the club anymore.

Unless they are top four/six; it's gonna be very difficult to get anyone from Bolton to Horwich for a mid-table third division game as it is. Moving out to the sticks is fine when you're a top club, but now the club are making it difficult for the committed fan, let alone the now-and-again types/glory-hunters/armchair brigade.

I disagree that it's difficult to get to. There are about 20 bus routes from Salford / Leigh / Bolton some around the Burnden park area too.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Went to the Emirates back when Elmander scored and it was 1-1 at half time. Bouncy seats, good players, not that long ago (2010) and it was £33. The same season I paid £31 for a home game against Everton on smaller, less bouncy seats... but it was £15 against Blackburn. I guess prices haven't changed much despite relegations due to an astronomical wage bill.

The minimum I want for £30 is 1) a decent chance of winning and 2) no booing. We should have 1), or at least we shouldn't know if we don't have 1), for the first game.

[Bijou Bob]

I have a personal spending cap of 25 quid for away matches. Any more than that and I just won't go. The trouble with boycotts is that they never garner enough support. Wembley charge about 7 quid for a hot dog. They get way with it because so many thick footie fans are stupid enough to pay it. Same goes for ticket prices.

[Bruce Rioja]

I have a personal spending cap of 25 quid for away matches.

That's for the entire season, Ladies and Gentleman. Don't be fooled here.

[Burnden Paddock]

I have a personal spending cap of 25 quid for away matches.

That's for the entire season, Ladies and Gentleman. Don't be fooled here.

[twilight]

I have a personal spending cap of 25 quid for away matches.

That's for the entire season, Ladies and Gentleman. Don't be fooled here.

Oh yes we know this!

[TKIZ!]

£30 is extremely steep for an away game and understand why Sheff Utd fans are naffed off. However, we still have to take into account that it will be a Category A game after advice from the Police who will still lumber us with a hefty bill and no guarantee that by lowering prices that we are going to hit a mark were it's still financially viable.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

BN says BWFC have changed plans for the Blades game: they're selling the £28 lower-tier tickets first.

Also only "expected" to be two or three other Cat-A games, like Boxing Day and the last game, depending on circumstance. Derbies not expected to be Cat-A. Most matches will be B or C.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I understand the category thing when demand outstrips supply, but there isn't any home league game that will come remotely close to selling out. Is there a realistic chance of a visiting team selling out the available away space?

[BWFC_Insane]

I understand the category thing when demand outstrips supply, but there isn't any home league game that will come remotely close to selling out. Is there a realistic chance of a visiting team selling out the available away space?

Basically it is a get out of jail card as far as I see it. If there were no categories and just a flat ticket price they couldn't increase prices for a big game, or say a promotion 6 pointer or even the last home game promotion/relegation decider (should that happen).

On the other side should we have a few meaningless games they have a mechanism to lower prices by downgrading the category status of the game.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I understand the category thing when demand outstrips supply, but there isn't any home league game that will come remotely close to selling out. Is there a realistic chance of a visiting team selling out the available away space?

Basically it is a get out of jail card as far as I see it. If there were no categories and just a flat ticket price they couldn't increase prices for a big game, or say a promotion 6 pointer or even the last home game promotion/relegation decider (should that happen).

On the other side should we have a few meaningless games they have a mechanism to lower prices by downgrading the category status of the game.

Just select a sensible price and go with it. If we have been struggling for crowds and we've got we've got Exeter on a winters night coming up then discount it. There is very little goodwill around at the moment and squeezing fans pockets will dispense with what little is left.

[BWFC_Insane]

I understand the category thing when demand outstrips supply, but there isn't any home league game that will come remotely close to selling out. Is there a realistic chance of a visiting team selling out the available away space?

Basically it is a get out of jail card as far as I see it. If there were no categories and just a flat ticket price they couldn't increase prices for a big game, or say a promotion 6 pointer or even the last home game promotion/relegation decider (should that happen).

On the other side should we have a few meaningless games they have a mechanism to lower prices by downgrading the category status of the game.

Just select a sensible price and go with it. If we have been struggling for crowds and we've got we've got Exeter on a winters night coming up then discount it. There is very little goodwill around at the moment and squeezing fans pockets will dispense with what little is left.

As I say, £ far more critical than fans goodwill right now. Lets be realistic Sheffield fans will still travel in numbers.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I understand the category thing when demand outstrips supply, but there isn't any home league game that will come remotely close to selling out. Is there a realistic chance of a visiting team selling out the available away space?

Basically it is a get out of jail card as far as I see it. If there were no categories and just a flat ticket price they couldn't increase prices for a big game, or say a promotion 6 pointer or even the last home game promotion/relegation decider (should that happen).

On the other side should we have a few meaningless games they have a mechanism to lower prices by downgrading the category status of the game.

Just select a sensible price and go with it. If we have been struggling for crowds and we've got we've got Exeter on a winters night coming up then discount it. There is very little goodwill around at the moment and squeezing fans pockets will dispense with what little is left.

As I say, £ far more critical than fans goodwill right now. Lets be realistic Sheffield fans will still travel in numbers.

There'll be no £s if there are no fans. There'll be no club without the fans. Goodwill is hugely important to a club with no Premiership payments.

[BWFC_Insane]

I understand the category thing when demand outstrips supply, but there isn't any home league game that will come remotely close to selling out. Is there a realistic chance of a visiting team selling out the available away space?

Basically it is a get out of jail card as far as I see it. If there were no categories and just a flat ticket price they couldn't increase prices for a big game, or say a promotion 6 pointer or even the last home game promotion/relegation decider (should that happen).

On the other side should we have a few meaningless games they have a mechanism to lower prices by downgrading the category status of the game.

Just select a sensible price and go with it. If we have been struggling for crowds and we've got we've got Exeter on a winters night coming up then discount it. There is very little goodwill around at the moment and squeezing fans pockets will dispense with what little is left.

As I say, £ far more critical than fans goodwill right now. Lets be realistic Sheffield fans will still travel in numbers.

There'll be no £s if there are no fans. There'll be no club without the fans. Goodwill is hugely important to a club with no Premiership payments.

But as Iles has pointed out, previous price reductions haven't necessarily seen huge increases in the fans attending. So could easily drop to low prices and lose £. Might have less grumbles but reality is, Sheffield United fans will still come. Might seem like a tough business but club has to maximise income. I agree that there is a fine balance it just seems that those who want lower prices don't accept the balance exists.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

If you set a standard price, then when nobody turns up you drop it to buttons, ST holders complain - and understandably so, as they're the ones who committed first and hardest.

In a market of elastic demand, it makes complete sense to me to have grades (and flexibility within them). I'd argue the top one is too high - £30 is an emotional barrier - but I'd also argue we'd be daft to charge the same price for a November midweeker against MK Dons and a late-April promotion decider against Bradford. (Hypotheticals but you get the point.) Remember that last time we were in this division there was a big swing between gate figures – 4,000 in October, 20,000 in May – and it wasn't a smooth graph reflecting a rise up the table.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I'm not talking about charging a tenner, just something sensible, which £30 is not. They need to hang on to fans before worrying about getting more. I accept there is a balance to be had, but it seems that they're alienating folk with the pricing of the categories, so why not go with something middling and reduce for matches that need it. I think there'd be plenty of wiggle room given the fairly reasonable prices of season tickets.

[Beefheart]

If you set a standard price, then when nobody turns up you drop it to buttons, ST holders complain - and understandably so, as they're the ones who committed first and hardest.

In a market of elastic demand, it makes complete sense to me to have grades (and flexibility within them). I'd argue the top one is too high - £30 is an emotional barrier - but I'd also argue we'd be daft to charge the same price for a November midweeker against MK Dons and a late-April promotion decider against Bradford. (Hypotheticals but you get the point.) Remember that last time we were in this division there was a big swing between gate figures – 4,000 in October, 20,000 in May – and it wasn't a smooth graph reflecting a rise up the table.

I reckon they must do some sort of elasticity analysis. If you were to get 10,000 @ £30 you'd need 15,000 @ £20 to not lose out and I doubt you'd get that much of a swing.

I obviously couldn't be arsed, but it'd be interesting to see a graph of ticket prices vs attendances for last season.

[BWFC_Insane]

If you set a standard price, then when nobody turns up you drop it to buttons, ST holders complain - and understandably so, as they're the ones who committed first and hardest.

In a market of elastic demand, it makes complete sense to me to have grades (and flexibility within them). I'd argue the top one is too high - £30 is an emotional barrier - but I'd also argue we'd be daft to charge the same price for a November midweeker against MK Dons and a late-April promotion decider against Bradford. (Hypotheticals but you get the point.) Remember that last time we were in this division there was a big swing between gate figures – 4,000 in October, 20,000 in May – and it wasn't a smooth graph reflecting a rise up the table.

I reckon they must do some sort of elasticity analysis. If you were to get 10,000 @ £30 you'd need 15,000 @ £20 to not lose out and I doubt you'd get that much of a swing.

I obviously couldn't be arsed, but it'd be interesting to see a graph of ticket prices vs attendances for last season.

They do. Or at least did used to do that analysis and modelling under the previous regime when setting ticket prices. As PG said to me once, you offer £5 tickets for a one off game and market it, you might fill or nearly fill the ground. You offer £5 tickets as a standard for every game and the result is very different.