Pay At The The Gate Prices Increase

[GrantB]

Jeezo, it's a bloody quid!

 

Some people have said, "That's 2 years in a row now, which makes it worse."

Well, look at the facts, we hadn't increased gate prices since we got relegated from the SPL, up until last season. Yes £17 is expensive & not value for money, but neither is £16/£15 etc etc. If you're watching football expecting value for money, then you're never gonna get it, not even at Man Utd.

 

It does make the season ticket more attractive to those who can afford them, but I don't see how £1 every 2 weeks (roughly) is going to break the bank. Save up all the 5 & 10p's you have & it'll pay for itself plus a pint or 2.

 

It's not that it's a quid, it's the fact that they are expecting us to pay more for less.

 

I've already said, I'd happily pay £20 if they got us some decent players with a genuine shot of winning the league. I am not paying extra to watch mid table mediocrity or worse, a relegation battle.

[GrantB]

I suggest Eddie Prentice takes a pay cut and feeds that into the budget.

 

[1 John Lambie]

A wee summary of other clubs.

 

The sceario, a father & son go to the footie (age 14), where to go he wonders?

 

 

Airdrie = £22

Ayr = £23

Dundee = £27

Dunfermline = £26

Inverness = £25

Morton = £20

THISTLE = £17

QotS = £18

Raith = £24

Ross County = £19(Stand)/£16(Terracing)

 

Brechin = £16 (2nd Div)

Cowdenbeath = £15 (2nd Div)

 

So, in comparison to other clubs we are one of the cheapest for the scenario I set, which I would say isn't an unusual one.

I should add this includes what we expect to be our new adult price, but still has all of last years prices for the other teams, which may well increase.

[1 John Lambie]

It's not that it's a quid, it's the fact that they are expecting us to pay more for less.

 

I've already said, I'd happily pay £20 if they got us some decent players with a genuine shot of winning the league. I am not paying extra to watch mid table mediocrity or worse, a relegation battle.

 

As would I, but we would massively be in the minority.

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

So, in comparison to other clubs we are one of the cheapest for the scenario I set

Which is a scenario that suits your argument. I wonder if the club's carried out market research to determine the make-up of the Firhill crowd and the impact the price increases will have on the majority of their followers.

 

For example, of the crowd I sit with, seven of us are child-less adults and only two have season tickets.

[Guest grahamgibsonlickedmyaero]

the above poster has a point, and a good one at that.

 

the offer caters well for fathers/mothers (JUST TO BE PC) who have children who need entertained

 

its a good deal as well. and the comparison is well made.

 

however there are a lot not in that boat. and thats where it will sting.

[1 John Lambie]

Which is a scenario that suits your argument. I wonder if the club's carried out market research to determine the make-up of the Firhill crowd and the impact the price increases will have on the majority of their followers.

 

For example, of the crowd I sit with, seven of us are child-less adults and only two have season tickets.

 

Not just to suit my arguement, add grandpa in as well, I'm sure it'll still leave us as one of the cheapest.

 

Yes, individual fans will feel it, but alot of people want us to be a 'family club' (& I would say we are) even with a family stand. As I said, it's £1 a fortnight, I think most people are rejecting it out principle rather than anything else.

[Vom Itorium]

The £17 for father and son is great... but let's not forget it was £16 last season and £15 the season before that! Adding in a wean to stack up the argument is a tactic Con-Dem would be proud of.

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

Not just to suit my arguement, add grandpa in as well, I'm sure it'll still leave us as one of the cheapest.

 

Yes, individual fans will feel it, but alot of people want us to be a 'family club' (& I would say we are) even with a family stand. As I said, it's £1 a fortnight, I think most people are rejecting it out principle rather than anything else.

Which is why I'd like an update from the club on the success of the 'Kids Go Free' scheme. It's a noble idea, and one that has a long-term goal. But is it right for the club at this time?

[1 John Lambie]

The £17 for father and son is great... but let's not forget it was £16 last season and £15 the season before that! Adding in a wean to stack up the argument is a tactic Con-Dem would be proud of.

 

£16 last season, yes. But not the season before, I think it was introduced the season before for a few games, but not the whole season.

 

Which is why I'd like an update from the club on the success of the 'Kids Go Free' scheme. It's a noble idea, and one that has a long-term goal. But is it right for the club at this time?

 

I suppose it's kinda like the youth system, you don't know if it's working until about 5 years down the line when you can then evaluate properly what's happened over that time.

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

I suppose it's kinda like the youth system, you don't know if it's working until about 5 years down the line when you can then evaluate properly what's happened over that time.

Oh, five years down the line makes for a good milestone, but surely the club evaluates its initiatives on a year-by-year basis?

[GOVAN JAG]

What happened to the old unemployed gate? If its £17 quid to get in i very much doubt i will be at any games next season home or away

 

 

Very good point. I would bring that back.

[1 John Lambie]

Oh, five years down the line makes for a good milestone, but surely the club evaluates its initiatives on a year-by-year basis?

 

I'm sure it does, I'm just saying it will be difficult to guage results when it's been going for a relatively short time. By that I mean, say after 5 years, they could try & ask every 16 - 20 yr old (for example) at the games, did you get into Thistle by the free U-16s scheme? Then we can tell roughly how successful it's been in attracting new supporters.

[1 John Lambie]

Very good point. I would bring that back.

 

It's also worth pointing out, our concession gate allows people U-21 to get a concession ticket, not just OAP & Students. Which is pretty decent, not many clubs do that.

 

I see no reason why an unemployment gate couldn't/shouldn't be introduced, but as long as you had to produce a letter dated within a month saying that you are on said benefit.

[GrantB]

As would I, but we would massively be in the minority.

 

Which is why I think it is an utter disgrace to put the prices up while reducing the quality of the product.

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

I'm sure it does, I'm just saying it will be difficult to guage results when it's been going for a relatively short time. By that I mean, say after 5 years, they could try & ask every 16 - 20 yr old (for example) at the games, did you get into Thistle by the free U-16s scheme? Then we can tell roughly how successful it's been in attracting new supporters.

At this stage though we should be able to pinpoint the increase in Under 16s over the past two seasons. That should begin to give us an idea of what we can expect three years down the line. It should be a constant process of evaluation.

[Munkey]

It's also worth pointing out, our concession gate allows people U-21 to get a concession ticket, not just OAP & Students. Which is pretty decent, not many clubs do that.

 

I see no reason why an unemployment gate couldn't/shouldn't be introduced, but as long as you had to produce a letter dated within a month saying that you are on said benefit.

I have a scenario for you.

2 or 3 home games a month, £17 a pop, 34 or 51 pound a month, plus the cost of travel, pints, food, 50/50's. Easily could be £60 a month? Sky HD full package, something likr 500 lives games a year in Glorious High Definition is £54 a month. Plus all your films, simpsons and other crap.

Do the club know what it is competing against?

 

Every fan is a customer. Not just ones with kids, why even target kids they get in for free ffs! Its everyone else you should be creating scenarios for.

 

Plus, A father and some in Dingwall who want to go to a game wont say, "oh we can save 5 bob by going to firhill, get your boots on lad." The Family argument works on a catchment area of about 30 miles around. Arn't we lucky that there isn't any other team at our level or better than us in this area that might pull people in.

 

Forget being a Family club. We should be worried about still having a sodding club atall.

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

On the back of this, it'll also be very interesting to see how the club sets prices for highlights and what the package includes. Launching paid-for highlights at the same time as increasing gate prices doesn't appear to be a sound marketing strategy to me.

 

Prices are low to medium - you run the risk of losing pay-at-the-gate fans.

 

Prices are high - you run the risk of losing out on continued pay-at-the gate fans and the stay-way and nomad communities.

 

Prices are consistent with gate prices, but have no added value - you run the risk of losing out on continued pay-at-the gate fans and the stay-away community, but buffer this slightly in the interest shown by nomads.

Edited May 14, 2010 by The Incredible Adam Spark

[1 John Lambie]

I have a scenario for you.

2 or 3 home games a month, £17 a pop, 34 or 51 pound a month, plus the cost of travel, pints, food, 50/50's. Easily could be £60 a month? Sky HD full package, something likr 500 lives games a year in Glorious High Definition is £54 a month. Plus all your films, simpsons and other crap.

Do the club know what it is competing against?

 

Every fan is a customer. Not just ones with kids, why even target kids they get in for free ffs! Its everyone else you should be creating scenarios for.

 

Plus, A father and some in Dingwall who want to go to a game wont say, "oh we can save 5 bob by going to firhill, get your boots on lad." The Family argument works on a catchment area of about 30 miles around. Arn't we lucky that there isn't any other team at our level or better than us in this area that might pull people in.

 

Forget being a Family club. We should be worried about still having a sodding club atall.

 

Yes, but when it comes down to it, I'd rather watch the Jags. Football is dying on it's arse because of tv, not just us, every smaller team.

 

It was a simple example to show that we are on a par with our rivals, rivals being teams in the same division as us.

 

What if the price of Glorious Sky HD goes up? Which it no doubt will.

 

Which is what is trying to happen, by not going, it's hardly going to help. Say we reduce the cost of an adult to £10, we would lose more money than with the price set at £16/£17. It would require 800 more adults to come to the game, to even start to break even (based on 2000 adults paying).

 

 

 

To solve your problem, if you can afford it, a season ticket works out at £14.44 a game. + it will allow you into a warriors game for free, money off vouchers for greaves etc. Which eaily amounts to at least £20, bargain.

Edited May 14, 2010 by 1 John Lambie

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Jeezo, it's a bloody quid!

 

Some people have said, "That's 2 years in a row now, which makes it worse."

Well, look at the facts, we hadn't increased gate prices since we got relegated from the SPL, up until last season. Yes £17 is expensive & not value for money, but neither is £16/£15 etc etc. If you're watching football expecting value for money, then you're never gonna get it, not even at Man Utd.

 

It does make the season ticket more attractive to those who can afford them, but I don't see how £1 every 2 weeks (roughly) is going to break the bank. Save up all the 5 & 10p's you have & it'll pay for itself plus a pint or 2.

A wee bit from my albeit limited marketing knowledge from a previous life.

1/the value for money argument is really a total red herring. No one person can speak on behalf of others and say what's vfm and what's not. More correctly it's what's perceived to be vfm to as wide a representation (of in this case) the support that counts.

2/Obviously a price increase is never going to be popular. The best way of implementing one is along with some good news, something to ease the pain. A more balanced approach if you like. It most certainly isn't by doing it this way. Lose your custom first then attempt to win them back .

 

If shooting oneself in the foot was a recognised sport we'd be parading Prentice, Coco, Hughes & Co in front of the media to show off their olympic medals. That would be real marketing.

[gianlucatoni]

I can't believe all the brouhaha and hyperbole over a single quid!

 

Let's say and average non-ST punter like me rolls up for ten home matches per season. All we're talking about in that scenario is an extra friggin tenner over the whole season on this year's prices - I mean that's only three packs of bog roll or 2 fish suppers ffs!

 

I do appreciate that for those who work their pay (like mine) may be standing still or receding in real terms over the next few years but surely the fans have got to appreciate that PTFC have to run the club as a proper viable business and have bills to pay too

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

surely the fans have got to appreciate that PTFC have to run the club as a proper viable business and have bills to pay too

Are there other clubs that can manage this without having to increase gate prices? I'm guilty of spouting here, and should probably wait until the club confirms this, outlines why it's taken this measure and states what it expects to gain from it.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

I can't believe all the brouhaha and hyperbole over a single quid!

 

Let's say and average non-ST punter like me rolls up for ten home matches per season. All we're talking about in that scenario is an extra friggin tenner over the whole season on this year's prices - I mean that's only three packs of bog roll or 2 fish suppers ffs!

 

I do appreciate that for those who work their pay (like mine) may be standing still or receding in real terms over the next few years but surely the fans have got to appreciate that PTFC have to run the club as a proper viable business and have bills to pay too

Light yellow and red touchpaper and retire

[jags365]

The club is already running at a massive loss and the same people that complain about not having any money to fund signings are now complaining about the ticket increases. You've got to choose one.

[AlwaysOutnumbered...]

Let me get this straight...

 

The BoD have told McCall he'll have a reduced playing budget.

 

We've no assistant manager.

 

There's pretty much hee-haw chance of a promotion push.

 

And we are now going to have to pay extra to see all of this.

 

Only at Firhill and in the crazy world of Eddie Prentice & co. I wouldn't mind them putting an extra quid on the gate if we were getting a decent playing budget and better quality players. This however, is a sick joke.

 

There's going to come a time where we have to say enough is enough. This BoD are taking us from one disaster to another.

 

Totally agree.

 

Clubs should be looking at ways to get lapsed fans (like myself) back to football never mind putting prices up whilst not improving the squad.

 

Another point, off topic a little, but I had a season ticket for 15 years, yet I never recieve any mail from the club asking if I would consider buying one this year, surely ex season ticket holders should be targeted by the club?

 

Time for the present board to exit the building, just a pity their doesn't look like there's anyone to replace them.