Season Ticket Prices

[Slartibartfast]

Originally Posted By: DA11

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

Call me a cynic, but I wonder whether the board actually give a stuff about the average supporter.

CG. Name me one board of any club who gives a stuff about their fans. They all say they do but do they really? That's football for you.

Yeah, I hate it when these foreign millionaires come in and buy a club that they have no allegiance to and don't give a stuff about the fans.....oh hang on a minute that didn't happen here did it.

Our board are Fleet fans just like the rest of us, except it costs them a lot more.

If you can't remember what it was like before the current board took over you should give some thought to the fact that if we were still playing crap football in front of 300 fans you almost certainly wouldn't be one of them.

[DA11]

Slarti, I think you read my message wrong. Where did I say the board were not Fleet Fans?? The board of any club\business are in it to make money and get some kind of return on investment. Not to pay lip service to fans/employees. This ain't a dig a our particular board as I feel like many others, what they have achieved is nothing short of a miracle. As for being one of the 300 watching crap football? Been there, seen it and if it ever happened again would still be there.

[BustaGut]

Originally Posted By: BustaGut

Where do special rates stop? I am registered disabled, on a pension, yet well under 65, do I qualify ?

I've got tooth ache, why can't I get in for free?

I was actually being ironic, but anytime you would like me to give you a sore mouth your welcome
at times your a right pratt

[eufckev]

Personally, I cannot see the prices increasing for matchday prices, the attendances are low enough and we don't want more being driven away. I know people who don't go to the matches as often because of the current prices.

[Hirsty]

Originally Posted By: KShep

This has probably been raised before, but what about a student rate? Yes as a 16-year old, I'm talking from a very biased point of view.

But...
Young males are arguably one of the most likely groups to be drawn into watching the Fleet. They're attracted by the football as well as the atmosphere, and maybe even a new sense of identity.

However, having to pay £12 to get in next year will put many off, as it is obviously double what we paid last year, assuming prices don't go up. I appreciate the club have to make ends meet with their budgeting etc, but would it be worth trialling a Student Rate, at say, £8 to see whether the difference in new supporters would make up and outweigh the loss of part of the full price?

Thoughts on this?

You asked for thoughts...here's mine:-

why should students get in cheap just because they choose not to work ? if anyone should get in cheap it's people like me & Busta who have done our bit for queen, country & the b*stard taxman !!
You'll be asking for cheap beer next ....or aren't students the exception to the over 18 rule any longer ??? In fact students should pay double !!!

"Young males are arguably one of the most likely groups to be drawn into watching the Fleet"

Why ? you have just moaned that paying £12 puts you off !! The over 40 p*ss head brigade are more likely customers !!

Discounts for the over 40's ! Discounts for the unemployed ! Discounts for the disabled ! but no discounts for students !
Students are the future so you will have ample chance to f*ck things up and fleece us old b*stards come your 15 minutes of fame !

That was a party political broadcast on behalf of the Hirst party ! ( albeit it on the humorous ticket !!)

Cheers,

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: Hirsty

That was a party political broadcast on behalf of the Hirst party !

The Boris-Hirsty dream ticket for London!

[kmj]

An occassional fan that I know (and the sort who with some encouragement would be likely to attend more matches in the future), asked me near the end of last season whether it was fair for the club to charge him £12 full adult admission as he was retired fom work, but still under age 65? He worked in an occupation that required him to retire at age 60 (so therefore equivalent to the current state retirement age for women who at age 60 would be entitled to a concessionary admission price at the Fleet). He received an occupational pension but was not yet old enough to qualify for a state pension. He was being honest about his age.

 

Under current admission rules he has to pay full admission price. Many others may not be so honest (including those who are still working and not yet retired and yet to reach the age of 65) and pay half price anyway. Are there any checks made at the tunstiles. If not possibly the only really workable scheme would be for individuals (like the suggestion for real students) to apply to the club with qualifying evidence and then being issued with some id card to entitle reduced admission prices to apply. Might be harsh on casual visitors claiming concessions but might also stop a loss of revenue through fraud.

 

What do other posters think is fair?

[NAG Boy Dan]

Is there some sort of family ticket? You know the 2 adults and 2 kids for a cut price? Sorry I have been at uni for the last 3 years and only get to go to the games over the hols and when I'm not working. This might be improbable if we are still splitting under 16's from their parents to get in. (I know that is a bit off-topic,but still think its relevant under the cost issue)

[Bernard]

There is certainly no reason why students should not get a discount. So many grounds up and down the country give them, so why not ours? Perhaps we use the Kidderminster argument of "there's no uni here, so there's no student discount"? This is, of course, ridiculous, as even East Thurrock (not renowned as a uni town) offered reduced student rates when we played there in 2005. I for one would make the trip back to Gravesend more often if student prices were, say, £8 instead of £12.

[Stu M]

I've no problem with student tickets, but I think students should first prove they are doing a 'proper' (as defined by me) subject.

 

Anyone found to be doing Monkey Studies, Glass Blowing or Business Ethics or some such nonsense will have to pay full price.

[NAG Boy Dan]

Oh and the moan about why give students a price cut is along the lines well they aren't earning (if at all) then they wont have the money to buy a ticket. Then when they do get a real job and earn more money (dont get mad, especially BScs, I've seen studies don't you know) they will already be hooked on the Fleet and there fore pay the higher prices and chances are spend extra money in the ground.

[DA11]

I've decided that for next season if its 'Kids for a Quid' I'll get my dad to take me. If they let females in at reduced admission I'll wear a skirt and some lippie. But there's no way I'm not going to wash for a week to get a student discount. lol.....

[thatguy]

Just been to bromleys website and found that a season ticket for them is £185, so maybe £220 is not so bad. As pointed out earlier on in this thread.

[DA11]

According to Dartfords website their adult season ticket is £162. So on the face of it £220 is pretty good if you can afford it. They also offer over 70's free admission when accompanied by a parent.

[Ian_D]

Originally Posted By: DA11

They also offer over 70's free admission when accompanied by a parent.

Jeez, trying to attract the 100-and-somethings now....


...So that's why their attendances are so good...

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Does "Age Discrimination" not apply to admission prices to sports events? Given that you're not allowed to discriminate in the workplace now, I wonder how long it will be before we get a test case relating to admission to sports events?

[BustaGut]

Originally Posted By: Ian_D

Originally Posted By: DA11

They also offer over 70's free admission when accompanied by a parent.

Jeez, trying to attract the 100-and-somethings now....


...So that's why their attendances are so good...

And whats wrong with us over 100's lol

[KShep]

Originally Posted By: Hirsty

Originally Posted By: KShep

This has probably been raised before, but what about a student rate? Yes as a 16-year old, I'm talking from a very biased point of view.

But...
Young males are arguably one of the most likely groups to be drawn into watching the Fleet. They're attracted by the football as well as the atmosphere, and maybe even a new sense of identity.

However, having to pay £12 to get in next year will put many off, as it is obviously double what we paid last year, assuming prices don't go up. I appreciate the club have to make ends meet with their budgeting etc, but would it be worth trialling a Student Rate, at say, £8 to see whether the difference in new supporters would make up and outweigh the loss of part of the full price?

Thoughts on this?

why should students get in cheap just because they choose not to work ?

"Young males are arguably one of the most likely groups to be drawn into watching the Fleet"

Why ? you have just moaned that paying £12 puts you off !! The over 40 p*ss head brigade are more likely customers !!

I appreciate what you're saying Hirsty, but if someone, namely a student, is prepared to choose to extend their time in education because they want to better their prospects later on in life, surely they should be given some kind of discount? The point is they can't work because they're sacrificing that opportunity so they can gain more qualifications etc. so they can go further later on in life, when they should pay full price.

You'd allow a child in for a discount, because they are in full-time education and therefore not in a position to hold down a job.

The £12 does put people off, especially the young males, and therefore maybe we don't see as many of them as we could do?

However, if prices allowed the young male audience to come to the Fleet, I think they would be one of the largest 'groups' in the crowd. Hence why maybe a student rate would see more of them being drawn in?

You're right at the moment about how many young males there actually are at Stonebridge Road, but the potential in that audience is massive; I think a student rate would go some way into tapping into that section of the potential fan base!

[Slartibartfast]

Originally Posted By: KShep

I appreciate what you're saying Hirsty, but if someone, namely a student, is prepared to choose to extend their time in education because they want to better their prospects later on in life, surely they should be given some kind of discount? The point is they can't work because they're sacrificing that opportunity so they can gain more qualifications etc. so they can go further later on in life, when they should pay full price.

They should be paying full price now, unless of course you are suggeasting that once the go further later on life are they planning on paying more than the full price.

[Hempstead Gaz]

The club have a genuine dilemma. Do they increase match day prices to increase revenue (£20K approx from a £1 rise, £40K from a £2 rise) some of which may be offset by floating supporters deciding enough is enough and staying away?

Clearly we need to increase attendances by 300-500 as an average over the season to make sustained, affordable and continued progress in the Conference.

Remaining with gates of 1100-1200 will see us eventually stagnate, then decline.

Raising prices will not help increase gates.

Surely our number 1 priority is not a short term fix of a season of a few extra bob in the bank, but a concentrated effort to get more punters through the turnstiles, raising revenue that way.

As for any thoughts about the extra money going towards the new ground, it is pi**ing in the wind, the extra money raised from any price rise wouldn't even pay for a new tea/fast food hut.