Season tickets 2023/24

[Holyport Rebel]

This is in 3 parts as it has had to be split as it appears to be the only way I can post it.  I hope this works...

As the dust ( for us ) settles on the 2022/23 season, I guess thoughts of some fans will soon turn to season tickets for the new season ahead.

Fans of that footballing giant Torquay Utd will no doubt be suffering mental torture at the thought of having to share a whole league season with undesirable teams such as ours, as well as already knowing that they will have to pay the same season ticket prices for next season's National League South campaign as they did for last season's National League one. No price drop for them despite relegation.

And our fellow Rebels Worthing are offering their fans the chance to buy a 10 year season ticket for 2000 pounds. I'm sure they are selling fast. I'm sure our club will have several sales promotions to encourage us fans to purchase a season ticket for the new campaign.

One sales promotion I hope we do NOT see is a repeat of last year's "Flash Sale."

This Flash Sale appeared on the club website on Friday 29th April 2022, and was the first time us fans had any details or opportunity to buy a season ticket.( This article can be found if you go to the top of the club website homepage , click on the News tab, select season 2021/22 and scroll down to the article on 29th April, just in case anyone wants to check the accuracy of what I say in this post. ).

The banner headline says

"2022/23 Season Tickets: Flash Sale on Saturday"  ( Saturday was the following day.)

It goes on

 

"This special Flash Sale will only apply to sales made on Saturday 30th April and ( in bold print ) prices will be frozen from the previous season." 

Reading this made me think prices of season tickets were  going to be available at this price only for the following day.

This thought was for me totally confirmed when I clicked the " Download Application Form" link at the bottom of the article, and the season ticket application form that then appears clearly says in black and white

" We are delighted to offer season tickets for our National League South campaign with prices frozen from last season on Saturday 30th April only"

There is a table of season ticket prices  below this, listed as "Discounted Prices" and in brackets "only on 30th April." 

I intended to buy a season ticket last summer anyway, so despite the inconvenience of having to find nearly 250 quid ( season ticket and St. Joe's car park ) at only 24 hours notice, thinking I was getting a good deal I bought one under this sales promotion.

Despite the promotion saying that this offer was only available on the following day, it subsequently turned out that I could still have bought one at this same price nearly 6 weeks later.

This Flash Sale one day only price was still available up to Sunday June 5th.

Now you could say to me that I was always going to buy one anyway, so it's no big deal, and buying one when I did entered me into the special prize draw to have the chance to win back the money I had spent.

Yes.

This Prize Draw. 

Did anybody see or hear anything regarding this "Prize Draw" after this original announcement ?

I certainly didn't, and I like to think I keep a close eye on news coming out of the club.

I did raise this Prize Draw question in another of my posts on here a few months ago, asking if anybody knew anything about it, and I got zero replies about it.

If this draw did take place and I missed the details informing people about please tell me.

So can anybody tell me what was "Special" about this  Special Flash Sale ?

How was a "one day only" offer still available nearly 6 weeks later ?

What became of the special prize draw that ( as far as I am aware) seemed to disappear straight after it was announced ?

What advantage or benefit did I get from buying my season ticket at such short, 24 hours notice last year under this " Flash sale" promotion ?

Bugger all as far as I can see.

Do I think somebody at the club intentionally ran this sales promotion to trick us fans into parting with our money early ?

Of course I don't.

But it was a sales idea flawed and inaccurate.

Will I be buying another season ticket at short notice under another "Flash Sale " headline ?

Absolutely not I'm sorry to say. 

[Holyport Rebel]

Posting this in 3 parts so quickly together seems to have merged them altogether somehow.

[Reading Rebel]

I don't remember any announcement of a winner of this 'prize draw'.

HR, I'm sure there must of been a few people who had to rustle up the money at short notice just to beat the flash sale deadline.

If a one day only 'flash sale' is announced by the club it's got to be for one day only and not last for 6 weeks without any explanation to go with it.

[GlenSTFC]

22 minutes ago, Reading Rebel said:

I don't remember any announcement of a winner of this 'prize draw'.

HR, I'm sure there must of been a few people who had to rustle up the money at short notice just to beat the flash sale deadline.

If a one day only 'flash sale' is announced by the club it's got to be for one day only and not last for 6 weeks without any explanation to go with it.

Pretty certain there was no underhand tactics intended, obviously a mistake. Maybe Craig Edwards can shed some light on why it may have happened seeing as he was commercial manager at the time?

[Holyport Rebel]

1 hour ago, GlenSTFC said:

Pretty certain there was no underhand tactics intended, obviously a mistake. Maybe Craig Edwards can shed some light on why it may have happened seeing as he was commercial manager at the time?

Hi Glen.

As I said in my original post I don't for one second think there was anything underhand intended.

It just would have been a lot easier and helpful to me to have been able to pay that amount of cash at another time in that nearly 6 week period rather than finding it in 24 hours.

Especially as there was no apparent advantage to me in having done so.  

[GlenSTFC]

13 minutes ago, Holyport Rebel said:

Hi Glen.

As I said in my original post I don't for one second think there was anything underhand intended.

It just would have been a lot easier and helpful to me to have been able to pay that amount of cash at another time in that nearly 6 week period rather than finding it in 24 hours.

Especially as there was no apparent advantage to me in having done so.  

Totally agree and anyone else in your situation would be pretty miffed too. Hopefully the club can give an acceptable explanation.

[Reading Rebel]

Early bird season ticket prices at St Albans are £300 adults and £200 seniors.

Sounds a bit of a rip off compared to our S/T prices of £195 and £145.

 

 

[Curtis]

I’m pretty sure we have had comments about St Albans high season ticket prices in previous seasons…. it doesn’t appear to have a major impact on their home attendances though that were one of the highest in our division at around 1,400.

[Reading Rebel]

4 hours ago, Curtis said:

I’m pretty sure we have had comments about St Albans high season ticket prices in previous seasons…. it doesn’t appear to have a major impact on their home attendances though that were one of the highest in our division at around 1,400.

Could be down to the success they've recently had.

Nothing like winning matches and being successful to bring the crowds in.

Edited June 8, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Irishadrian]

2 hours ago, Reading Rebel said:

Could be down to the success seasons they've recently had.

Nothing like winning matches and being successful to bring the crowds in.

Could also be that their concession price covering 6 categories including pensioners and the unemployed is only £165. Cheaper than ours. I wonder what proportion of their of their STs are concessions?

[Reading Rebel]

49 minutes ago, Irishadrian said:

Could also be that their concession price covering 6 categories including pensioners and the unemployed is only £165. Cheaper than ours. I wonder what proportion of their of their STs are concessions?

Adrian, other than pensioners and the unemployed what else do their S/T for £165 cover?

 

[Reading Rebel]

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Edited June 8, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

 

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Edited June 8, 2023 by Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

1 hour ago, Irishadrian said:

Could also be that their concession price covering 6 categories including pensioners and the unemployed is only £165. Cheaper than ours. I wonder what proportion of their of their STs are concessions?

I think these are the 6 categories you mentioned:

* Concessions for league games include:

• Seniors aged 65 and over
• Unemployed (JSA recipients)
• Personal Independence Payments recipients
• NHS and Blue Light Services staff members
• Serving Members of the Armed Forces
• Students in full-time education (aged over 23 years old)

I think it also covers their under 18's matches.

[Reading Rebel]

4 hours ago, Irishadrian said:

Could also be that their concession price covering 6 categories including pensioners and the unemployed is only £165. Cheaper than ours. I wonder what proportion of their of their STs are concessions?

Our concessions S/T is £145 with no time limit on buying it.

It also covers all home pre season games, Under 18's, Academy games and all Ladies fixtures.

[Irishadrian]

2 hours ago, Reading Rebel said:

Our concessions S/T is £145 with no time limit on buying it.

It also covers all home pre season games, Under 18's, Academy games and all Ladies fixtures.

That £145 price appears to cover 65 + only?

[Reading Rebel]

1 hour ago, Irishadrian said:

That £145 price appears to cover 65 + only?

Both clubs concessions are for 65+.

[Irishadrian]

9 hours ago, Reading Rebel said:

Both clubs concessions are for 65+.

But not the unemployed etc etc

[Reading Rebel]

Weston Super Mare have announced record sales of season tickets for their return to the NLS.

I would like to think we've also exceeded last years S/T sales by some margin.

Having said that, with no end date on our new membership schemes it could be a slow drip of sales rather than at the front end.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Reading Rebel