Higher division, higher costs for club means higher prices. That’s a fact for all clubs that get promoted. GET REAL for those that expect something for nothing. Amen!!
The vast majority of the financial boost from promotion comes from central income - PL solidarity and EFL TV deals. 5,000 extra spectators at, say £20 net of VAT at 23 games would still equal only £2.3m.
3,000 ST holders paying an extra £50 net on average = £150k. Barely noticeable in the big picture:
Cant be right, we've been told by experts that's this final batch have to be £90 more expensive as our upcoming campaign is dependent on it.
Looking back at our last periods in the Championship, I would expect average gates over the season of 16,000 to 17,000. The new pricing will not do much to encourage more.
The price structure is wrong. The range is too wide. This isn’t the fault of the current ownership, Sandgaard or Southall. It goes back to 2014. Yet it has become sacrosanct. At some point someone will have to deal with it.
As it stands, Charlton’s top adult price is now higher than every Championship club in 24/25 except Bristol City (£5 dearer) and Norwich (a proper outlier at £914). It exceeds 18 Championship top prices by more than £100.
The lowest price is higher than at eight Championship clubs and £100 cheaper than three.
Is there much to conclude from comparing Charlton's 2025/26 season ticket prices with those of every Championship club in 2024/25? @Airman Brown.
Blimey - I’ve just seen that Sheffield Wednesday are charging adults £781 for seats equivalent to our West Stand, and £701 for the East!
Higher division, higher costs for club means higher prices. That’s a fact for all clubs that get promoted. GET REAL for those that expect something for nothing. Amen!!
The vast majority of the financial boost from promotion comes from central income - PL solidarity and EFL TV deals. 5,000 extra spectators at, say £20 net of VAT at 23 games would still equal only £2.3m.
3,000 ST holders paying an extra £50 net on average = £150k. Barely noticeable in the big picture:
Cant be right, we've been told by experts that's this final batch have to be £90 more expensive as our upcoming campaign is dependent on it.
Higher division, higher costs for club means higher prices. That’s a fact for all clubs that get promoted. GET REAL for those that expect something for nothing. Amen!!
The vast majority of the financial boost from promotion comes from central income - PL solidarity and EFL TV deals. 5,000 extra spectators at, say £20 net of VAT at 23 games would still equal only £2.3m.
3,000 ST holders paying an extra £50 net on average = £150k. Barely noticeable in the big picture:
Cant be right, we've been told by experts that's this final batch have to be £90 more expensive as our upcoming campaign is dependent on it.
Nobody has said that
Multiple posts on every page this last week have said prices have to increase for.us to be competitive, if you can't see them you're not looking.
Looking back at our last periods in the Championship, I would expect average gates over the season of 16,000 to 17,000. The new pricing will not do much to encourage more.
I make you right, when you remove the inflated, made up attendance figures released by the club each game we probably had in the region of 12,000 home fans at our league one games.
Add in average away fans at around 1,600 I reckon around 16,000 to 17,000 will be about right in the championship
Higher division, higher costs for club means higher prices. That’s a fact for all clubs that get promoted. GET REAL for those that expect something for nothing. Amen!!
The vast majority of the financial boost from promotion comes from central income - PL solidarity and EFL TV deals. 5,000 extra spectators at, say £20 net of VAT at 23 games would still equal only £2.3m.
3,000 ST holders paying an extra £50 net on average = £150k. Barely noticeable in the big picture:
Cant be right, we've been told by experts that's this final batch have to be £90 more expensive as our upcoming campaign is dependent on it.
Nobody has said that
Multiple posts on every page this last week have said prices have to increase for.us to be competitive, if you can't see them you're not looking.
I think multiple posts have alluded to us needing to increase revenue in order to be competitive, especially in the long run.
I don't think anybody has said next season is dependent on the modest amount of money raised by a £90 increase in the current ST price.
Only singles left in the family stand it looks like. Which are going to be hard to shift I reckon with them not being together
Think we are missing an opportunity to not expand the family section to the north west or another area in the stadium. These are in high demand and bring in the next generation of Charlton fans.
Higher division, higher costs for club means higher prices. That’s a fact for all clubs that get promoted. GET REAL for those that expect something for nothing. Amen!!
The vast majority of the financial boost from promotion comes from central income - PL solidarity and EFL TV deals. 5,000 extra spectators at, say £20 net of VAT at 23 games would still equal only £2.3m.
3,000 ST holders paying an extra £50 net on average = £150k. Barely noticeable in the big picture:
Cant be right, we've been told by experts that's this final batch have to be £90 more expensive as our upcoming campaign is dependent on it.
Nobody has said that
Multiple posts on every page this last week have said prices have to increase for.us to be competitive, if you can't see them you're not looking.
I think multiple posts have alluded to us needing to increase revenue in order to be competitive, especially in the long run.
I don't think anybody has said next season is dependent on the modest amount of money raised by a £90 increase in the current ST price.
It's been used as a justification for increasing prices 1 day after Wembley by many people as we need funds for the upcoming season.... its literally why we are still talking about it 5 days later.
Higher division, higher costs for club means higher prices. That’s a fact for all clubs that get promoted. GET REAL for those that expect something for nothing. Amen!!
The vast majority of the financial boost from promotion comes from central income - PL solidarity and EFL TV deals. 5,000 extra spectators at, say £20 net of VAT at 23 games would still equal only £2.3m.
3,000 ST holders paying an extra £50 net on average = £150k. Barely noticeable in the big picture:
Cant be right, we've been told by experts that's this final batch have to be £90 more expensive as our upcoming campaign is dependent on it.
Nobody has said that
Multiple posts on every page this last week have said prices have to increase for.us to be competitive, if you can't see them you're not looking.
I think multiple posts have alluded to us needing to increase revenue in order to be competitive, especially in the long run.
I don't think anybody has said next season is dependent on the modest amount of money raised by a £90 increase in the current ST price.
It's been used as a justification for increasing prices 1 day after Wembley by many people as we need funds for the upcoming season.... it’s literally why we are still talking about it 5 days later.
If our season depends upon say another (at most ?) 1,000 STs at £400-£500 average (half a million £), imagine what the club could do if it sold another 2k-3k STs at £325 (£675k to £975k) and two to three times the merchandise and food and drinks sales over the season
Only singles left in the family stand it looks like. Which are going to be hard to shift I reckon with them not being together
Think we are missing an opportunity to not expand the family section to the north west or another area in the stadium. These are in high demand and bring in the next generation of Charlton fans.
Think this is something that the Advisory Board should take forward.
Apologies for the rambles about money, but the point I am trying to make, is that it isn't just as simple as a price increase, there are outside factors and variables.
My rent went up from £825 to £925 within 2 years.
My car insurance went up from £75 a month to £91
My electric rose by approx £10 p/m.
Every bill in the real world rose. When you factor that in with a football price hike, it becomes unmanageable to a lot of people.
I was also choosing to deliberately slash working hours to ensure attending games. I.e. I was taking less overtime to attend games, and I was using overtime for holiday days instead of actual cash to ensure I could book certain days off work to attend games, as not everyone has weekends free or can make Tuesday evening kick offs.
Which will be another variable next season, the amount of games moving will make the season ticket way less desirable to some people.
Personally I think the prices should have been frozen for at least a year, and if we managed to stay up and were bringing in a certain level of footballer, then they could justify a price increase.
I will reluctantly pay, but I'm not happy about it, and it is looking very likely to be another season of missing out on overtime, using up time in lieu and parting with approximately 10-15% of my yearly salary to cover travel costs, match tickets and potentially hotels. That isn't right.
Wouldn’t the club also be facing very similar prices rises with utilities, staff wages, travel costs? Football has become ridiculously expensive in England, but it’s not a Charlton issue and I’m not sure what the alternative is as long as player wages stay at the insane level they’re at.
True, but without sounding arrogant, I don't need Charlton, but they need me.
And that applies to wider football and every fan of every club. If fans decided to stop watching, it would all crumble. Luckily for football clubs, a lot of fans are addicted, or it's their life, or they'll get fomo etc.
But when you break it down simply, football is just entertainment, if it ever gets too much, people can just find that entertainment elsewhere. That has already been happening to a lot fans at bigger clubs than us.
In all honesty though Charlton isn't near that point, I just think it's a pisstake that they've increased prices so much without any real warning.
Sadly football clubs work on the hope you do need them, as football fans we love our clubs in a way that’s beyond reasonable, and then they take the absolute piss.
On this occasion it seems even worse as Airman’s constant argument that higher prices means lower sales makes perfect sense, especially during a prolonged cost of living crises.
Success on the pitch after so long will always be the driving factor behind increased attendances, the club should have embraced that, not tried to take advantage, when in reality the increased income is, at best, a drop in the ocean.
It’s sad, probably the only reason I support Charlton is because of how affordable it was when I started going.
Apologies for the rambles about money, but the point I am trying to make, is that it isn't just as simple as a price increase, there are outside factors and variables.
My rent went up from £825 to £925 within 2 years.
My car insurance went up from £75 a month to £91
My electric rose by approx £10 p/m.
Every bill in the real world rose. When you factor that in with a football price hike, it becomes unmanageable to a lot of people.
I was also choosing to deliberately slash working hours to ensure attending games. I.e. I was taking less overtime to attend games, and I was using overtime for holiday days instead of actual cash to ensure I could book certain days off work to attend games, as not everyone has weekends free or can make Tuesday evening kick offs.
Which will be another variable next season, the amount of games moving will make the season ticket way less desirable to some people.
Personally I think the prices should have been frozen for at least a year, and if we managed to stay up and were bringing in a certain level of footballer, then they could justify a price increase.
I will reluctantly pay, but I'm not happy about it, and it is looking very likely to be another season of missing out on overtime, using up time in lieu and parting with approximately 10-15% of my yearly salary to cover travel costs, match tickets and potentially hotels. That isn't right.
Wouldn’t the club also be facing very similar prices rises with utilities, staff wages, travel costs? Football has become ridiculously expensive in England, but it’s not a Charlton issue and I’m not sure what the alternative is as long as player wages stay at the insane level they’re at.
True, but without sounding arrogant, I don't need Charlton, but they need me.
And that applies to wider football and every fan of every club. If fans decided to stop watching, it would all crumble. Luckily for football clubs, a lot of fans are addicted, or it's their life, or they'll get fomo etc.
But when you break it down simply, football is just entertainment, if it ever gets too much, people can just find that entertainment elsewhere. That has already been happening to a lot fans at bigger clubs than us.
In all honesty though Charlton isn't near that point, I just think it's a pisstake that they've increased prices so much without any real warning.
Sadly football clubs work on the hope you do need them, as football fans we love our clubs in a way that’s beyond reasonable, and then they take the absolute piss.
On this occasion it seems even worse as Airman’s constant argument that higher prices means lower sales makes perfect sense, especially during a prolonged cost of living crises.
Success on the pitch after so long will always be the driving factor behind increased attendances, the club should have embraced that, not tried to take advantage, when in reality the increased income is, at best, a drop in the ocean.
It’s sad, probably the only reason I support Charlton is because of how affordable it was when I started going.
Football takes the piss because fans let football take the piss. I now treat football like I do other things in life. If I'm not happy with it , I won't go. The signing of the football deal by the efl sort of finished me off last season. Yes I expect a few more games In the championship to be rescheduled, but league 1 and 2? And all for an extra £4.50 for the club.
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Figure makes sense to me.
It does, without stating the bleeding obvious, all 3 top increased attendance sides got promoted.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Figure makes sense to me.
It does, without stating the bleeding obvious, all 3 top increased attendance sides got promoted.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Of course that is broadly true but not necessarily in specific cases. Charlton’s attendances recovered from very poor third tier levels in the mid-70s, but fell away again at the back end of the decade and did not recover in 1980/81 despite a dominant campaign, or after promotion had been achieved. One reason was price.
Selhurst Park was a big factor in very poor crowds in the First Division 1986-90 despite the best performances on the field in at least 30 years.
Fans were unwilling to pay inflated prices for top opposition at The Valley in the early 00s, meaning tickets (on restricted sale) did not sell out.
I think it has as much to do with the narrative and public confidence as performances per se, although clearly they are related. It’s also about recruitment, retention and the economy.
If you look at Charlton from the 50s to early 70s, officials often moaned about attendances as if the public had a moral duty to attend - there was little recognition that they had to provide anything.
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Figure makes sense to me.
It does, without stating the bleeding obvious, all 3 top increased attendance sides got promoted.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Spot on - its all about the team doing well - pricing strategy / free tickets / fan matchday experience is all fluff - if we were to go top early on and stay there for the season, the games will be banged out or thereabouts all season home and away - people have the disposable income but they don't want to waste valuable weekend time on a depressing experience - if charlton put a good team on the pitch, the fans are there and will respond
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Figure makes sense to me.
It does, without stating the bleeding obvious, all 3 top increased attendance sides got promoted.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Interestingly, Millwall - who had quite a good season, it seems to me - had the lowest average attendance in the Championship other than Oxford and Luton, who were basically at capacity. If you are right, why didn’t they do better (and I accept part of the answer is they can’t host 20,000 crowds)?
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Figure makes sense to me.
It does, without stating the bleeding obvious, all 3 top increased attendance sides got promoted.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Interestingly, Millwall - who had quite a good season, it seems to me - had the lowest average attendance in the Championship other than Oxford and Luton, who were basically at capacity. If you are right, why didn’t they do better (and I accept part of the answer is they can’t host 20,000 crowds)?
because despite all the noise that surrounds them, their a small 3rd or 4th division club with a core support to match - they'd need prem football to get 20k every week and even that would fizzle out
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Figure makes sense to me.
It does, without stating the bleeding obvious, all 3 top increased attendance sides got promoted.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Interestingly, Millwall - who had quite a good season, it seems to me - had the lowest average attendance in the Championship other than Oxford and Luton, who were basically at capacity. If you are right, why didn’t they do better (and I accept part of the answer is they can’t host 20,000 crowds)?
Because it's Millwall, they could have a prime Barca team and people still wouldn't want to go to that rusty stadium 😂
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Figure makes sense to me.
It does, without stating the bleeding obvious, all 3 top increased attendance sides got promoted.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Interestingly, Millwall - who had quite a good season, it seems to me - had the lowest average attendance in the Championship other than Oxford and Luton, who were basically at capacity. If you are right, why didn’t they do better (and I accept part of the answer is they can’t host 20,000 crowds)?
Because it's Millwall, they could have a prime Barca team and people still wouldn't want to go to that rusty stadium 😂
This is exactly my point, though. It’s not just about results, whoever you are and whatever the other factors may be. In Charlton’s case I could argue parking restrictions and inconvenient public transport options, as indeed the club once did about trams.
Otherwise, why run Valley Express at all? Presumably people would come anyway on your interpretation.
Thought this was worth a share, we have had a significant increase in match day attendance.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
In all fairness we spent a massive chunk of last season fighting a relegation battle, spent a massive chunk of season just gone fighting a promotion battle.
Figure makes sense to me.
It does, without stating the bleeding obvious, all 3 top increased attendance sides got promoted.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Interestingly, Millwall - who had quite a good season, it seems to me - had the lowest average attendance in the Championship other than Oxford and Luton, who were basically at capacity. If you are right, why didn’t they do better (and I accept part of the answer is they can’t host 20,000 crowds)?
To be fair, the only time they looked like doing anything was in the last month or so of the season & that’s when they had a few home sell-outs in a row. For much of the season they flitted between being on edge of the relegation battle & lower mid-table, hence Harris resigning. Indeed, Millwall were 13th as late as 5th April, having been as low as 21st.
They are also hindered by having an away stand that holds 4,800, but is often restricted to 2,000 for big clubs or trouble clubs (Portsmouth only got 2,000). Plus away turn outs are much lower than other London clubs on the whole anyway, Stoke City took 1,300 as one example.
As an aside, the average was more than a 1,000 down from the previous season. Going from 16,540 (with 11 home sell-outs) to 15,492 this season (with 6 home sell/outs). This can most likely be attributed to the number of games that were on tv at 12:30pm on Saturdays & all midweek games being on tv. Millwall are very much a club that rely on walk ups.
They still filled 80-90% of home seats, despite a poor / middling season up until the last month.
NB: As an aside, six clubs averaged between c15,500 and 16,500, including Millwall. Now, as this is a thread about the season ticket prices (and knock on effect on match day prices), Millwall were probably the highest revenue generators amongst them, given their pricing. However, they do have London costs. But it shows how important every pound is, perhaps?
Comments
They live in Tewkesbury Gloucestershire nr Cheltenham.
Add in average away fans at around 1,600 I reckon around 16,000 to 17,000 will be about right in the championship
I don't think anybody has said next season is dependent on the modest amount of money raised by a £90 increase in the current ST price.
I now treat football like I do other things in life.
If I'm not happy with it , I won't go.
The signing of the football deal by the efl sort of finished me off last season.
Yes I expect a few more games In the championship to be rescheduled, but league 1 and 2?
And all for an extra £4.50 for the club.
This might have influenced the spike with prices with the club thinking the demand has gone up anyway.
I am surprised at the jump, the Valley still felt empty bar about 4 games
Figure makes sense to me.
That's all football is, teams win, fans turn up, all the rest is just noise. We will start selling the Valley out if we are in a promotion race. It's unlikely of course, but all these other ticket strategy sales are nonsense long term. Just got to get a good football team on show and the fans come back.
Selhurst Park was a big factor in very poor crowds in the First Division 1986-90 despite the best performances on the field in at least 30 years.
Only Ladies and Gentleman of quality can be seated in North Lower.
Otherwise, why run Valley Express at all? Presumably people would come anyway on your interpretation.