Could someone please indicate where the pricing structure for next season was discussed as I thought some long term season ticket holders were invited into the club to meet with SMT bods.
And was this an item for discussion at the most recent FF meeting ?
Finally, I believe AB said he had been invited in too in order that his knowledge of past campaigns could be examined.
So, is it a case of the club "listening" /engaging with fans but in the end taking very little notice of their input ?
I can't say that I'm filled with optimism that progress will be made either on or off the pitch next term.
Sad times indeed, following the drum rolls & fanfare that accompanied our owner's triumphant arrival in SE7.
To highlight the nonsense of the pricing, if I renew now it will cost me £575 (Curbs E block)
If I decide to wait a couple of months to see what exciting signings we make and instead buy a ST in Curbs D block - just 20 feet along - in the summer, it'll cost me just £425
How does that make commercial sense?
What makes it even more ridiculous is the £200 difference from 11th May. That’s £200 for just 1 meter difference if you’re on the isle. Madness. Can’t believe I am saying this but for that price difference, you’ll be better off “moving” to the other block and sitting elsewhere as you won’t have a problem finding a seat in the more expensive seats.
To highlight the nonsense of the pricing, if I renew now it will cost me £575 (Curbs E block)
If I decide to wait a couple of months to see what exciting signings we make and instead buy a ST in Curbs D block - just 20 feet along - in the summer, it'll cost me just £425
How does that make commercial sense?
It makes no sense, the brochure is a little confusing but believe it's saying if you renewed in Block F/C they honour the £425, so I would assume if you renewed but moved seat to block F/C now you'd only pay £425.
*Please note that the reduced zone 2 prices (where applicable) will be honoured with immediate effect for Early Bird renewal.
It's very poorly put together and confusing.
I'll renew, as I always do and have done for the past 30 years, but I can see a lot of people not bothering, at least not during the early bird window after such a poor season. After all aside from meeting up with friends etc were going to watch football, and it's not been particularly appealing of late!
Moving East or West - Can’t face another season of the delightful characters who pitch up in the lower north every time there’s a “fill the valley” game.
And as we pride ourselves as a family club, it’s very disappointing that a family of 4 would be (my calculations) £110 better off sitting in the CBL Upper at Millwall watching Championship football than we would watching L1 in the North Upper.
Yup. I was going to check Millwall’s prices (heavily advertised in the SLP for the past couple of weeks) because that was what I expected, but you’ve saved me the bother. Pretty sure the positions have swapped and that we used to offer keener prices than them for a higher level of football not so long ago.
Will probably renew, but without much enthusiasm.
The upper rates were a stretch for Charlton in L1 and I think it’s fair to say they were swallowed this season in expectation of a Sandgaard-fuelled revival and acknowledgment of his efforts to date. Not sure how far the same applies now.
I think its fair to say a huge chunk of the good will for Sandgaard has faded because of this season.
Could someone please indicate where the pricing structure for next season was discussed as I thought some long term season ticket holders were invited into the club to meet with SMT bods.
And was this an item for discussion at the most recent FF meeting ?
Finally, I believe AB said he had been invited in too in order that his knowledge of past campaigns could be examined.
So, is it a case of the club "listening" /engaging with fans but in the end taking very little notice of their input ?
I can't say that I'm filled with optimism that progress will be made either on or off the pitch next term.
Sad times indeed, following the drum rolls & fanfare that accompanied our owner's triumphant arrival in SE7.
I attended a meeting a couple of weeks ago with two other long serving season ticket holders, this was the day before the fans forum meeting, we were told that season ticket prices were discussed by Mumford & Sandgaard the afternoon before our meeting. The pricing was not part of our discussion but i did suggest that one of only ways to retain or increase season ticket sales was to cut prices. The club seem prepared to listen to supporters but in my opinion left it far to late for for our views to have any impact on pricing for next season.
Well Im not renewing, I had already decided to leave at half time yesterday (before the sending off), and have also skipped a few games through apathy (and piss poor performances), I cant really justify the cost.
We expect owners to shell out for a playing squad to compete at the top of the league yet rue our own personal contribution to it.
It is a significant cost for most but that's the cost and economics of modern football unfortunately.
Duchatelet had the intention of (relatively) cheap/reasonable tickets but at the expense of football ambition.
In an ideal world we would have cheap tickets and an altruistic zillionaire owner bankrolling football success. Most clubs don't have this perfect scenario.
The "product" is awful and has been pretty much most seasons since I've supported this predominantly joyless outfit for 35 years and I know renewing doesn't guarantee the football or squad will be any kop.
I go because I go, because it's Charlton and it's what I've always done and will always do.
I think the squad will be worse than this year next term and just expect more of the same under the current model. Any other aspect of life you'd be mad to consider keep paying hundreds if not thousands a year to imbibe in this misery. But it's what we do.
I'll renew the early bird price and £260 for 23 games of (piss poor) football with the odd moment of joy is reasonable in this day and age.
I'm not a big fan of the owner but I find it questionable we expect them to burn their dough and yet are reluctant to contribute beyond the minimum to that.
Seems a bit entitled.
Albeit I do appreciate financially it is tough times for most. £20 a month to watch football 2 or 3 times a month is cheaper than a takeaway or sky sports subscription.
No not really, can't fill seats so give 1000s away from October onwards. Then decide to increase prices after devaluing the product.
Millions of us are piss broke due to bills going up, football will be the first to go, personally he/they have read the room wrong and they won't make any more money by increasing prices. My £400 ST will become 10 walkups at the very most., probably more like once a month or less when I lose the momentum of having a ticket in the draw all paid up and ready to use.
In fairness S/Ts will never be good value for someone going to 10 games per season. They are good value if you go to all or nearly all the games.
Sure, but if you drop them 10% it's easier for me to pretend to myself that i can break even. By making them more expensive I just don't even bother pretending to myself that it's a good idea.
I now need to do 17 walk ups or the club have lost money on me as a fan and then every fan you lose, you probably need 6 to renew at the higher prices just to maintain the sane income.
Bit disappointing tbh. After a shite season I was hoping for something incentivised and with a clear marketing plan to drive increased sales and take some positive momentum into the new season. This isn’t doing that.
And as we pride ourselves as a family club, it’s very disappointing that a family of 4 would be (my calculations) £110 better off sitting in the CBL Upper at Millwall watching Championship football than we would watching L1 in the North Upper.
With the earlybird discount finishing so early before any potential signings are made, the hope will largely be on maintaining as many as the current ST base as posssible over the next few weeks, rather than driving momentum around a cheaper offer and attracting current non-ST holders.
And what was the point of burying the news on the morning of a Matchday? Could understand if it was to be tied into a visual approach, but every poster around the ground and in the toilets were still advertising this season prices. Completely wasted Matchday opportunity, strategy just makes no sense.
Happy with the price for my pair in the CE Upper, will renew and hope for better stuff next season.
This is the spirit of course, but hard not to feel disappointed that they haven't been able to come up with anything more inspiring or innovative. The commercial team really is poor.
We expect owners to shell out for a playing squad to compete at the top of the league yet rue our own personal contribution to it.
It is a significant cost for most but that's the cost and economics of modern football unfortunately.
Duchatelet had the intention of (relatively) cheap/reasonable tickets but at the expense of football ambition.
In an ideal world we would have cheap tickets and an altruistic zillionaire owner bankrolling football success. Most clubs don't have this perfect scenario.
The "product" is awful and has been pretty much most seasons since I've supported this predominantly joyless outfit for 35 years and I know renewing doesn't guarantee the football or squad will be any kop.
I go because I go, because it's Charlton and it's what I've always done and will always do.
I think the squad will be worse than this year next term and just expect more of the same under the current model. Any other aspect of life you'd be mad to consider keep paying hundreds if not thousands a year to imbibe in this misery. But it's what we do.
I'll renew the early bird price and £260 for 23 games of (piss poor) football with the odd moment of joy is reasonable in this day and age.
I'm not a big fan of the owner but I find it questionable we expect them to burn their dough and yet are reluctant to contribute beyond the minimum to that.
Seems a bit entitled.
Albeit I do appreciate financially it is tough times for most. £20 a month to watch football 2 or 3 times a month is cheaper than a takeaway or sky sports subscription.
I respect your stance but not buying a season ticket doesn't mean 'reluctant to contribute.' It would if your decision was to give up attending but the vast majority of 'lifers' will still go and pay match-to-match. If the football is good enough they may end up contributing more than season ticket holders. Given what we have suffered for the last few years in particular, going week to week should give the owner more of an incentive to make sure we are better set for the season.
Could someone please indicate where the pricing structure for next season was discussed as I thought some long term season ticket holders were invited into the club to meet with SMT bods.
And was this an item for discussion at the most recent FF meeting ?
Finally, I believe AB said he had been invited in too in order that his knowledge of past campaigns could be examined.
So, is it a case of the club "listening" /engaging with fans but in the end taking very little notice of their input ?
I can't say that I'm filled with optimism that progress will be made either on or off the pitch next term.
Sad times indeed, following the drum rolls & fanfare that accompanied our owner's triumphant arrival in SE7.
Great point Fanny. I will take a good guess that AB wasn't involved and they would have to search hard to find existing season ticket holders who would support the same approach as in previous seasons.
Sadly I think for a large number of people general cost of living rises will mean season tickets are a commitment some won’t be able to justify
A more radical approach was needed and by that I do mean cheaper in the main.
It’s a falling number of supporters who will renew especially given 3rd division football.
Really need to see something else like buying batches of three home match tickets and getting one game at a discounted price. There will be more PAYG and it needs incentives for those.
Previous experience suggests a falling number of season tickets does NOT lead to more PAYG, just lower crowds. I think this is because just as ST holders trade down so do existing match purchasers by going less often or not at all. Obviously you can change that, at least after Christmas, with success on the pitch. It’s unlikely to happen in (July!), August and September.
Agreed. But I’m suggesting that at the moment with cost of living rises being far more of an impact than ever before we will see different choices being made so not just downgrading a ST but limiting games attended altogether.
Of course existing PAYG May drop away altogether. That’s why I suggest multi buy incentives.
The brochure was written by an incompetent and proof read (if it was) by an incompetent. The early bird renewal price for Zone 3 is £400. I'm assuming they've totally missed off Zone 3 after the early bird date, because although they list a Zone 3 the price goes down and it's in the Zone 4 colour. The club couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery and I'm getting really cheesed off with all the talk and bollocks of getting ready for the Premier League, when the reality is our set up is closer to non league. I will of course renew.
I thought the same but think after the early bird the new prices seem to have covered upper in zone 2. Bizarre.
Of course I will renew. I'm probably one of 2000 diehards, but understand the apathy. The football is rubbish. Jackson and Sandgaard think the front 2 are the answer. Fans longer in the tooth who know their football know that is not the case.
MK and Ipswich have young coaches as manager. We should go for Michael Beale.
The brochure was written by an incompetent and proof read (if it was) by an incompetent. The early bird renewal price for Zone 3 is £400. I'm assuming they've totally missed off Zone 3 after the early bird date, because although they list a Zone 3 the price goes down and it's in the Zone 4 colour. The club couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery and I'm getting really cheesed off with all the talk and bollocks of getting ready for the Premier League, when the reality is our set up is closer to non league. I will of course renew.
I thought the same but think after the early bird the new prices seem to have covered upper in zone 2. Bizarre.
Of course I will renew. I'm probably one of 2000 diehards, but understand the apathy. The football is rubbish. Jackson and Sandgaard think the front 2 are the answer. Fans longer in the tooth who know their football know that is not the case.
MK and Ipswich have young coaches as manager. We should go for Michael Beale.
Renewed mine yesterday. If I’m honest, it was more out of habit and hope than excitement and confidence. I’ve passed up going to the last 3 home games through a diminished interest which is a first for me after 40+ years - largely driven by disappointing displays and having nothing to play for.
Am I confident that things will be better? Sadly, whilst Jackson is still there, no, I can’t see much changing. We look very much like a rudderless ship these days that is likely to bump along in mid-table of the ‘3rd division’.
I don't like the early bird discount I must say. Plenty of supporters are waiting to see what we do in the transfer market before deciding what to do. I feel we were conned last season with Sandgaard making statements about how good we were going to be this season resulting in many renewing their ticket. Only for us to then retain all the shite from the season before and then giving us Arter Leco and Soaure. Once bitten and all that.
I’ve always assumed part of the rationale for the early bird discount is to get as much ST money as possible committed before the transfer window opens as it will be one of the factors that determines how much we can spend. Plus it means, if the transfer window is a total disaster, they’ve already got your money!
It’s an underwhelming approach though. With back of a fag packet maths a £50 price cut pays for itself if it retains 1,000 people who will otherwise let their ST lapse.
I would have billed the tickets as a “One Charlton” season ticket and let it include entry to every home mens, womens and youth team game (basically every match - including cup matches - that Charlton play at a home venue which is open to the public to watch in included in the season ticket). I would have made a big deal of this only now being possible thanks to Sandgaard bringing all of our teams under single ownership again. You could also sell it as a price reduction as it now includes cup matches (doubt, given our cup form, there would be much actual financial impact on the club though!).
Why is something so easy made so difficult. Covered End Upper x price, Covered End Lower y price. East and West stands not differing in price. Wing and next to centre x price, centre blocks y price.
Why is something so easy made so difficult. Covered End Upper x price, Covered End Lower y price. East and West stands not differing in price. Wing and next to centre x price, centre blocks y price.
It should of course be this simple but the reality is it’s been muddled over the years to extract every possible extra penny from the supporters. That is the truth.
They can cite comparisons to west end theatres, the O2 etc. where you see price differential on only marginally different views but that is a smokescreen.
Likewise there should be family combinations to incentivise multiple purchasers
Keep it simple should be the mantra.
I’ve previously noted that buying a season ticket offers marginal financial benefit on assumption many supporters will inevitably miss some games through illness / holidays / work / family commitments and let alone apathy. Added that in the lower reaches you can always do PAYG and most often get a seat where you prefer the need to buy a ST is not compelling.
Could someone please indicate where the pricing structure for next season was discussed as I thought some long term season ticket holders were invited into the club to meet with SMT bods.
And was this an item for discussion at the most recent FF meeting ?
Finally, I believe AB said he had been invited in too in order that his knowledge of past campaigns could be examined.
So, is it a case of the club "listening" /engaging with fans but in the end taking very little notice of their input ?
I can't say that I'm filled with optimism that progress will be made either on or off the pitch next term.
Sad times indeed, following the drum rolls & fanfare that accompanied our owner's triumphant arrival in SE7.
Great point Fanny. I will take a good guess that AB wasn't involved and they would have to search hard to find existing season ticket holders who would support the same approach as in previous seasons.
Season tickets weren’t discussed with me, to be clear. I don’t think the £260 adult price - and probably the £400 price - were ever going down (or would have made much difference to sales if they had), but the £575 rising to £625 is a mistake. It will likely result in less revenue.
Have a premium area in the lower west stand if you like - have you seen how many people buy in M and N which you are pricing at £625?
I don’t really agree with “early bird” prices full stop. Clubs used to use them to get money in early for cash flow reasons - now the money sometimes gets held back by credit card companies anyway. They are useful in promotion seasons - don’t think it is as cynical as get the cash in before the transfer window.
The whole issue of having four tiers before May and three afterwards has been completely mishandled, overcomplicated and confused the offer, and will achieve nothing financially.
They should have just moved to three tiers in one hit as virtually no one will be paying the £455 anyway - existing season ticket holders don’t have to and new ones will know they can save £30 by waiting a few weeks.
All they had to say was £425 with no May increase in those blocks. It’s already a reduction.
Around all this they could have done something interesting with U11 and U18 prices (much less revenue significant), but didn’t.
Th other point to consider is that once people give up a season ticket no matter how much they say I will still buy tickets on a match by match basis I bet they will soon stop doing so. Look out and see its pouring down or a freezing cold night and its just so easy to stay home. Sadly I speak from experience.
Throw in it is getting more difficult both to travel to games, and if you drive parking when you get to Charlton, then there's even less incentive to buy a ticket.
It I was to renew my old season ticket for myself and my son it would be over a thousand pounds. Sorry but that's just pie in the sky thinking for the dross that has beem churned out this season.
Th other point to consider is that once people give up a season ticket no matter how much they say I will still buy tickets on a match by match basis I bet they will soon stop doing so. Look out and see its pouring down or a freezing cold night and its just so easy to stay home. Sadly I speak from experience.
Throw in it is getting more difficult both to travel to games, and if you drive parking when you get to Charlton, then there's even less incentive to buy a ticket.
It I was to renew my old season ticket for myself and my son it would be over a thousand pounds. Sorry but that's just pie in the sky thinking for the dross that has beem churned out this season.
Plus anyone can watch at home for £10 with a deluxe presentation. It’s a factor, like it or not.
Comments
And was this an item for discussion at the most recent FF meeting ?
Finally, I believe AB said he had been invited in too in order that his knowledge of past campaigns could be examined.
So, is it a case of the club "listening" /engaging with fans but in the end taking very little notice of their input ?
I can't say that I'm filled with optimism that progress will be made either on or off the pitch next term.
Sad times indeed, following the drum rolls & fanfare that accompanied our owner's triumphant arrival in SE7.
*Please note that the reduced zone 2 prices (where applicable) will be honoured with immediate effect for Early Bird renewal.
It's very poorly put together and confusing.
I'll renew, as I always do and have done for the past 30 years, but I can see a lot of people not bothering, at least not during the early bird window after such a poor season. After all aside from meeting up with friends etc were going to watch football, and it's not been particularly appealing of late!
The pricing was not part of our discussion but i did suggest that one of only ways to retain or increase season ticket sales was to cut prices.
The club seem prepared to listen to supporters but in my opinion left it far to late for for our views to have any impact on pricing for next season.
Sure, but if you drop them 10% it's easier for me to pretend to myself that i can break even. By making them more expensive I just don't even bother pretending to myself that it's a good idea.
I now need to do 17 walk ups or the club have lost money on me as a fan and then every fan you lose, you probably need 6 to renew at the higher prices just to maintain the sane income.
But you'll still be glued to Charltonlife.
Same circumstances for me, so i'll be there.
Of course I will renew. I'm probably one of 2000 diehards, but understand the apathy. The football is rubbish. Jackson and Sandgaard think the front 2 are the answer. Fans longer in the tooth who know their football know that is not the case.
MK and Ipswich have young coaches as manager. We should go for Michael Beale.
We need a Chris Wilder - and quickly!
Covered End Upper x price, Covered End Lower y price.
East and West stands not differing in price. Wing and next to centre x price, centre blocks y price.
I’ve previously noted that buying a season ticket offers marginal financial benefit on assumption many supporters will inevitably miss some games through illness / holidays / work / family commitments and let alone apathy. Added that in the lower reaches you can always do PAYG and most often get a seat where you prefer the need to buy a ST is not compelling.
Have a premium area in the lower west stand if you like - have you seen how many people buy in M and N which you are pricing at £625?
I don’t really agree with “early bird” prices full stop. Clubs used to use them to get money in early for cash flow reasons - now the money sometimes gets held back by credit card companies anyway. They are useful in promotion seasons - don’t think it is as cynical as get the cash in before the transfer window.
The whole issue of having four tiers before May and three afterwards has been completely mishandled, overcomplicated and confused the offer, and will achieve nothing financially.
They should have just moved to three tiers in one hit as virtually no one will be paying the £455 anyway - existing season ticket holders don’t have to and new ones will know they can save £30 by waiting a few weeks.
All they had to say was £425 with no May increase in those blocks. It’s already a reduction.
Around all this they could have done something interesting with U11 and U18 prices (much less revenue significant), but didn’t.
Throw in it is getting more difficult both to travel to games, and if you drive parking when you get to Charlton, then there's even less incentive to buy a ticket.
It I was to renew my old season ticket for myself and my son it would be over a thousand pounds. Sorry but that's just pie in the sky thinking for the dross that has beem churned out this season.
Just tried to go on the brochure and saying content not found.