Season Tickets 24/25

[Fawlty Towers]

1 minute ago, Derby Jag said:

I suspect based on the lack of any back slapping we have sold considerably less than last year

With the season starting so poorly, and the squad budget clearly at a large increase on last year, are we at risk of any cashflow issues this year?

I have been told by TJF that a financial update is on the way but that was 2 weeks ago. I suggest contacting TJF about this as it will demonstrate to them that it is not just me bumping my gums over this and other issues and the more contact they get it gives them an indication of scale.

[Woodstock Jag]

13 hours ago, Fawlty Towers said:

I have been told by TJF that a financial update is on the way but that was 2 weeks ago. I suggest contacting TJF about this as it will demonstrate to them that it is not just me bumping my gums over this and other issues and the more contact they get it gives them an indication of scale.

We know it’s not just you! Besides anything else, it’s us!

[elevenone]

6% discount for anyone still looking to grab one.

https://ptfc.co.uk/ptfc-news/all-season-tickets-discounted-ahead-of-queens-park-fixture/

[jagfox]

8 minutes ago, elevenone said:

6% discount for anyone still looking to grab one.

https://ptfc.co.uk/ptfc-news/all-season-tickets-discounted-ahead-of-queens-park-fixture/

Do you get a refund if you had to sit through that Morton game and had already bought a season card? 😉

[Big Col]

Great initiative to reduce prices of season tickets.

Apart from mugging off those  supporters who had bought them before today.

Do the powers that be not think things through before going ahead with them?

[Lenziejag]

13 minutes ago, Big Col said:

Great initiative to reduce prices of season tickets.

Apart from mugging off those  supporters who had bought them before today.

Do the powers that be not think things through before going ahead with them?

Do you just mean people that have bought them between the Morton game and now. For missing one game the discount should just be 5.5%

[Fawlty Towers]

8 minutes ago, Big Col said:

Great initiative to reduce prices of season tickets.

Apart from mugging off those  supporters who had bought them before today.

Do the powers that be not think things through before going ahead with them?

Speaking as someone who renewed their season ticket as soon as they were on sale I can't say it bothers me - the more season ticket holders we have the better.

I think there is the perception that this gives those buying a season ticket now some great advantage over someone who bought one prior to the Morton game when in fact it does not.

If you bought a new adult season ticket prior to the first league game it would have cost you £330 so you are basically paying £18.33 per home game (18 games). Someone buying a new adult ticket tomorrow pays £310.20 which works out at £18.25 per game (17 games). Also they might have bought a ticket for the opening game so have paid £332.20 to see all 18 home games.

[Lambies Lost Doo]

My season ticket is there to support the club.  Never understood why people get so precious about small discounts to encourage others to help our long term budget 

[laukat]

Looked a very healthy home attendance yesterday. Do we know how many season ticket holders we have this season?

[Woodstock Jag]

2 hours ago, laukat said:

Looked a very healthy home attendance yesterday. Do we know how many season ticket holders we have this season?

I don’t have up-to-date numbers to hand, but as of just over a fortnight ago it was just shy of 2800, and I’m assuming it’s risen slightly since then. Last season there were just over 2900.

There has been a slight overall decrease in adult STs and a slight increase in concessionary STs.

Almost all of the overall difference between the two top line figures is U16s STs.

[laukat]

33 minutes ago, Woodstock Jag said:

I don’t have up-to-date numbers to hand, but as of just over a fortnight ago it was just shy of 2800, and I’m assuming it’s risen slightly since then. Last season there were just over 2900.

There has been a slight overall decrease in adult STs and a slight increase in concessionary STs.

Almost all of the overall difference between the two top line figures is U16s STs.

Our average attendance used to be in the mid 2000s so to have nearly 3000 STs seems like a big step forward

[Woodstock Jag]

29 minutes ago, laukat said:

Our average attendance used to be in the mid 2000s so to have nearly 3000 STs seems like a big step forward

The important thing for sustainability is also converting those on U18 and student concessionaires into fully-fledged adult ST holders as they enter the world of work.

[Lenziejag]

9 hours ago, Woodstock Jag said:

I don’t have up-to-date numbers to hand, but as of just over a fortnight ago it was just shy of 2800, and I’m assuming it’s risen slightly since then. Last season there were just over 2900.

There has been a slight overall decrease in adult STs and a slight increase in concessionary STs.

Almost all of the overall difference between the two top line figures is U16s STs.

I think last season during one of the interviews it had just gone over 3000. However, it would be interesting to know how many non ST holders go to games on average.

[Woodstock Jag]

53 minutes ago, Lenziejag said:

I think last season during one of the interviews it had just gone over 3000. However, it would be interesting to know how many non ST holders go to games on average.

I’m not sure how the Jags For Good STs/comps to Academy folk etc were accounted for in last year’s numbers. Just going off the numbers we were given when we asked mid-August!

[Lambies Lost Doo]

11 hours ago, Woodstock Jag said:

The important thing for sustainability is also converting those on U18 and student concessionaires into fully-fledged adult ST holders as they enter the world of work.

 

This is where the club or TJF need to "sell" the change in circumstances, age group etc.

Invite those "graduating" to the club. Team members thank them for their support.  A small gift. And then 2 burly bouncers with a card reader looking for a new season ticket upgrade.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

11 hours ago, Woodstock Jag said:

The important thing for sustainability is also converting those on U18 and student concessionaires into fully-fledged adult ST holders as they enter the world of work.

That has to be (and always has been) problematic. Basically facing a twofold obstacle in finding the financial outlay and the ability to attend. I can only imagine it's a bigger problem for the more provincial clubs, where a higher percentage of young adults will be finding employment some distance from their home town football club. 

I've no facts and figures to support this but I reckon a very high percentage of ST holders will be "continuous". By that I mean only ever once become an ST holder and remained. The thru "thick and thin" element within the ST holders is of a habitual nature. I include myself there. Other ST holders, who can't attend regularly, are clearly on the altruistic side of things. Those two elements will by and large be absent or unlikely to be as strong within the early 20s sector. Yet they're every bit as ardent Jags fans as us long in the teeth brigade.

Clearly the future of the Club is dependent on young blood. The "Kids Go Free" The Lambie Stand Standing and now Singing Sections, those initiatives proving to be a great success. It would be great if we could get over that hurdle described by WJ above. Retaining that age group thru that transitional period of their lives just seems so important.

Edited September 2 by lady-isobel-barnett

[Jaggernaut]

2 hours ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Clearly the future of the Club is dependent on young blood. The "Kids Go Free" The Lambie Stand Standing and now Singing Sections, those initiatives proving to be a great success. It would be great if we could get over that hurdle described by WJ above. Retaining that age group thru that transitional period of their lives just seems so important.

I'd been thinking of posting something about the large and growing numbers of young (and enthusiastic) supporters that we've been seeing in the past couple of seasons. It's great! Of course reaching the play-offs and some regular free-flowing, high-scoring performances help, but surely the "Kids Go Free" campaign has played a huge part. Retaining those youngsters when they get a bit older and they start work or higher education will be a challenge, as there are so many distractions out there, and of course many of them will probably move far away.

Starting with the dreadful relegation season of 69-70 and for a few years later, there were sometimes 15-20 of us from Drumchapel who would go on to all away matches on the Whiteinch bus, and at least another dozen or so that I knew at school would go to home games but not away games. We had great fun travelling and joining the "choir" wherever we went to see the Jags. Then we all hit uni/college/apprenticeship age, and gradually the number of guys (there were even a few girls too) started to dwindle. (Stirling Uni being within being around 90 minutes from Firhill was a significant factor in what uni I chose to go to in the early 70s!) During my student years my attendance at Thistle matches became sporadic, and meeting any of the guys that we used to travel with became even more rare; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them have never set foot inside Firhill since those wonderful teen years.

But as the saying goes, "Once a Jag always a Jag," and I know that some of the old Whiteinch bus crew have remained ardent supporters for their whole adult lives. I lost all touch with the Drumchapel guys, and actually have never seen any of them at a game since the 80s (unless we've all physically changed beyond recognition!).

Right, I'll conclude: In terms of potential support (the old "sleeping giant" cliche and the like), I think Thistle is probably better placed at the moment than at any time in the past 40 years. Let's hope we can maximize that potential.

I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Kirin Brewing Company to this post.

Edited September 2 by Jaggernaut

[lady-isobel-barnett]

3 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

I'd been thinking of posting something about the large and growing numbers of young (and enthusiastic) supporters that we've been seeing in the past couple of seasons. It's great! Of course reaching the play-offs and some regular free-flowing, high-scoring performances help, but surely the "Kids Go Free" campaign has played a huge part. Retaining those youngsters when they get a bit older and they start work or higher education will be a challenge, as there are so many distractions out there, and of course many of them will probably move far away.

Starting with the dreadful relegation season of 69-70 and for a few years later, there were sometimes 15-20 of us from Drumchapel who would go on to all away matches on the Whiteinch bus, and at least another dozen or so that I knew at school would go to home games but not away games. We had great fun travelling and joining the "choir" wherever we went to see the Jags. Then we all hit uni/college/apprenticeship age, and gradually the number of guys (there were even a few girls too) started to dwindle. (Stirling Uni being within being around 90 minutes from Firhill was a significant factor in what uni I chose to go to in the early 70s!) During my student years my attendance at Thistle matches became sporadic, and meeting any of the guys that we used to travel with became even more rare; in fact I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them have never set foot inside Firhill since those wonderful teen years.

But as the saying goes, "Once a Jag always a Jag," and I know that some of the old Whiteinch bus crew have remained ardent supporters for their whole adult lives. I lost all touch with the Drumchapel guys, and actually have never seen any of them at a game since the 80s (unless we've all physically changed beyond recognition!).

Right, I'll conclude: In terms of potential support (the old "sleeping giant" cliche and the like), I think Thistle is probably better placed at the moment than at any time in the past 40 years. Let's hope we can maximize that potential.

I would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Kirin Brewing Company to this post.

That's a great post, Jagger. 👍

Your "uni/college/apprenticeship age" is of course relevant to today.

Not so relevant today but another hurdle Jags fans of a certain age had to jump was the outcome of the Clayson Report. Sometime around the late 70s the pubs used to close between 2.45 and 5pm. Along came the then novelty of pubs all day opening.

Back then I drank in the Woodlands Rd area, close enough to nip up to Firhill and be back not long after pubs re-opened. Then all of a sudden decisions had to be made. My recollections are I initially managed to avoid late afternoon drinking in favour of following the Jags. But sadly as the Jags entered yon spell in the doldrums, i.e. most of the 80's, the lure of the pub gained more favour. I guess I was one of the fans who would turn up at Firhill now and again, no doubt asking "who's the fella playing alongside Kenny Watson?". Even to this day there's Jags players, who played during that spell, I can't mind if I ever saw them play or not. 

Stats will no doubt easily support a drop off in support during that era. And a long enough struggle to regain our fanbase. I guess my point is It's easy to lose support not so easy to rebuild it. Saturday's attendance is encouraging. Let's do everything we can not to lose it.

[laukat]

7 hours ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

That has to be (and always has been) problematic. Basically facing a twofold obstacle in finding the financial outlay and the ability to attend. I can only imagine it's a bigger problem for the more provincial clubs, where a higher percentage of young adults will be finding employment some distance from their home town football club. 

I've no facts and figures to support this but I reckon a very high percentage of ST holders will be "continuous". By that I mean only ever once become an ST holder and remained. The thru "thick and thin" element within the ST holders is of a habitual nature. I include myself there. Other ST holders, who can't attend regularly, are clearly on the altruistic side of things. Those two elements will by and large be absent or unlikely to be as strong within the early 20s sector. Yet they're every bit as ardent Jags fans as us long in the teeth brigade.

Clearly the future of the Club is dependent on young blood. The "Kids Go Free" The Lambie Stand Standing and now Singing Sections, those initiatives proving to be a great success. It would be great if we could get over that hurdle described by WJ above. Retaining that age group thru that transitional period of their lives just seems so important.

I think the bits in bold are were we need to figure out a better way of retaining support. 

I know from my own experiences that I had to move away for work in my early twenties. Whilst I was still mad keen on Thistle it broke the habit of watching a game on a Saturday so when I came back to Scotland and then had kids it took several years before I was a regular attendee. Last season was the first I bought a season ticket since I was 16 so just a gap of 34 however my price to renew this season will be the same as someone who has a season ticket for the last 20 years which seems a bit odd. 

Introducing the kids go free and the junior season ticket have created the opportunity of a bringing in new support. Retaining them 18 through 30 is the next step. With the advent of Partick Thistle tv and overseas access to live game I kind of think we have most of the options available to keep people watching Thistle. 

Perhaps it might be worth looking at a discounted rate for under 18s for their first adult season ticket so it eases them in or recognising that between the ages of 18 and 25 we might need another price bracket? Maybe we need a discounted rate for live streaming if you previously had a standard season ticket? Maybe we need to introduce a reduction in price or access to hospitality for consecutive years of holding a season ticket to make it more advantageous to keep renewing?

Now we have digital tickets that we should be able to identify fans that it would have attend enough games that a season ticket would have made better sense?

Also whilst its good that you can spread the cost of the season ticket into 3 lumps it would be nicer if that could be turned into a monthly fee would make it easier for most folk who are now used to paying for subscription services

 

[BowenBoys]

1 hour ago, laukat said:

I think the bits in bold are were we need to figure out a better way of retaining support. 

I know from my own experiences that I had to move away for work in my early twenties. Whilst I was still mad keen on Thistle it broke the habit of watching a game on a Saturday so when I came back to Scotland and then had kids it took several years before I was a regular attendee. Last season was the first I bought a season ticket since I was 16 so just a gap of 34 however my price to renew this season will be the same as someone who has a season ticket for the last 20 years which seems a bit odd. 

Introducing the kids go free and the junior season ticket have created the opportunity of a bringing in new support. Retaining them 18 through 30 is the next step. With the advent of Partick Thistle tv and overseas access to live game I kind of think we have most of the options available to keep people watching Thistle. 

Perhaps it might be worth looking at a discounted rate for under 18s for their first adult season ticket so it eases them in or recognising that between the ages of 18 and 25 we might need another price bracket? Maybe we need a discounted rate for live streaming if you previously had a standard season ticket? Maybe we need to introduce a reduction in price or access to hospitality for consecutive years of holding a season ticket to make it more advantageous to keep renewing?

Now we have digital tickets that we should be able to identify fans that it would have attend enough games that a season ticket would have made better sense?

Also whilst its good that you can spread the cost of the season ticket into 3 lumps it would be nicer if that could be turned into a monthly fee would make it easier for most folk who are now used to paying for subscription services

 

Good post.

How to administer all of these differential price levels? Perhaps a points based system similar to air miles. If you buy your season ticket for a tenth consecutive season, you start the season with 10 points. Buying a ticket for a non-season ticket game adds a point. A place in hospitality, add 2-3 points. At the end of the season points are used to gauge cost for next season's ticket, which you would then start with 11 points.

For younger supporters, points could be awarded for each game attended (perhaps between 15 & 18yo). The price of the first adult season ticket is then adjusted accordingly.

This system allows for easy promotional offers too. To encourage attendance at less popular cup games with double points. Or bolstering undersold hospitality.

With digital sales this ought to be possible without adding greatly to workload or overheads.

[Jaggernaut]

11 hours ago, BowenBoys said:

Good post.

How to administer all of these differential price levels? Perhaps a points based system similar to air miles. If you buy your season ticket for a tenth consecutive season, you start the season with 10 points. Buying a ticket for a non-season ticket game adds a point. A place in hospitality, add 2-3 points. At the end of the season points are used to gauge cost for next season's ticket, which you would then start with 11 points.

For younger supporters, points could be awarded for each game attended (perhaps between 15 & 18yo). The price of the first adult season ticket is then adjusted accordingly.

This system allows for easy promotional offers too. To encourage attendance at less popular cup games with double points. Or bolstering undersold hospitality.

With digital sales this ought to be possible without adding greatly to workload or overheads.

I like that idea!

The more you spend, the more points you earn, which can then be exchanged for or used towards further purchases etc.

And a small discount, accumulating each season, for buying a season ticket in consecutive seasons would be attractive.

[Dr.D]

Some other reasons that put people off may be down to the Council eliminating parking facilities around the stadium and installing parking meters forcing supporters to park further away; restricting the width of streets such as Garscube Road to accommodate cyclists, thus causing major road congestion, both approaching and especially leaving; Football bodies frequently changing dates to suit T.V. - after all, Saturdays are Football days!    

[Lenziejag]

Do we have a problem. The 1st 2 home game attendances are about 20% up on last season and over 40% on the season before. Even just comparing to the same opposition it’s 15% and over 35% up.

[jagfox]

The main financial benefit of a season ticket is that you pay less than if you paid walk up prices on the day. I don't agree with any further discounts on that for the majority of fans.

As mentioned though it is worth reviewing when younger fans are asked to pay full whack and see if there could be another tier of pricing made available. 

Marketing wise it should be a no-brainer for club sponsors and other outlets to offer discounts on their products and services for season ticket holders.

Good to see the numbers holding up and personally I've no issue with the club offering reduced prices for the remaining games or half season tickets on a pro rata basis.

[scotty]

2 hours ago, Dr.D said:

Some other reasons that put people off may be down to the Council eliminating parking facilities around the stadium and installing parking meters forcing supporters to park further away; restricting the width of streets such as Garscube Road to accommodate cyclists, thus causing major road congestion, both approaching and especially leaving; Football bodies frequently changing dates to suit T.V. - after all, Saturdays are Football days!    

Talking about parking. How long will it be before restrictions are put on parking on the footpath at Firhill Court? When I was leaving Firhill on Saturday, there was a very irate wheelchair user who could not go anywhere because of cars parked on the footpath. As this is part of the canal towpath I would think that complaints to certain bodies will need to be addressed.