Ticket Prices 2008-2009

[wh]

The club has released the pricing structure for next season
www.worcestercityfc.co.uk

[dave]

"Worcester City FC have today released Season Ticket & General Admission Prices for 2008/09
Adults ... £11
Concessions ... £5
Stand Transfer ... £1



If we are in the top 3 of the League after the 1st November 2008, the prices for those games will be as follows:-

Adults ... £12
Concessions ... £6"


I am confused. Why are we proposing to charge 10% more than this season for general entry at the start of the season and 20% more than this season, should we be in the top 3 in the league at 1 November 2008?

What has the league position got to do with anything? If we are relegation fodder will it be reduced to £9 for entry?

A 20% increase in general admission prices could be enough to persuade a few more supporters to seek other forms of entertainment on a Saturday afternoon. After all adult "Villa Value" tickets start at £15 for selected games and you get to see Premiership footballers in a top class stadium for that.

[wh]

lets hope we are only 3rd when away games crop up.

This is a strange idea, we dont help ourselves sometimes.

I would have thought a reduction would have been a better idea as given that we are in the top 3 the gates would increase, so what better incentive than to get a reduction.

The club would gain either way.


Also it was said by fans at the September fans forum that the concept of the Blue Dragon club doesnt work and it would be better to just have a Georgie Dragon Club so here we are with a £5 increase to both Georgie & Blue Dragon.

[gobby cow]

Obviously some kind of bonus has been agreed for RD and/or the players. I suppose that is good for the moral of the team not necessarily so for the fan. So if the team are in the bottom half of the table or fighting relegation do we get paid to watch???

I do think they are wrong to increase the price as it is expensive enough and with money being tight for us mere mortals, choices will have to be made.

I thought the idea was to encourage more spectators. I would have cut the price to £9 and concessions to £3. If the team are doing well then more people will come and watch. Look at the Warriers, did they have 8000 every week when they were also rans??? I think not.

I do think there should be a bigger discount on the season ticket. If people could see a clear saving of say £50 more people would buy one and then the club would have more funds pre season. We would certainly buy one then. The saving is so small it isnt worth it especially as it is fairly easy to get other commitments to miss two matches. I have.

[DazaB]

Parting with £11 will put a lot of people off going to games.

I like the idea to vary the price based on league position, but it should be £11 if we're in say the play offs and a tenner else.

[dave]

A quick comparison of 2007/08 adult terrace prices and average gates so far.

It is likely we will remain one of the more expensive places to watch Blue Square North football (if we remain in the Northern Section), but that said having a price above £10 has not done Southport, Tamworth, Boston or Kettering any harm. That said, despite a fairly good season, Harrogate have only 560 as an average gate.

Not sure I have proved anything but never mind!


AFC Telford £9 2044
Alfreton £9 376
Barrow £9 903
Blyth £7 497
Boston £12 1456
Burscough £9 443
Gainsborough £8 401
Harrogate £12 560
Hinckley £9 598
Hucknall £9 403
Hyde Utd £10 474
Kettering £11 1389
Leigh RMI £10 205
Nuneaton £10 862
Redditch £7 413
Solihull Moors £9 305
Southport £11 1038
Stalybridge £8 538
Tamworth £11 954
Vauxhall Motors £8 197
Worcester City £10 863
Workington £8 409

[ac]

Attendances also have a lot to do with fan base/other clubs nearby as well as gate cost, have to agree that I'm not sure it proves a lot!

[dave]

I think all it proves is that if we are successful the crowds will come back, and that the board are happy to admit that if this is the case, they will cash in on the situation. It is a short-sighted policy in my own personal opinion, but then again desperate times and all that...

[cg]

If the current board had any commercial and/or common sense they would look at the reaction from some of their most ardent supporters here and reconsider the sheer stupidity of these price hikes. But we know from past experience that is unlikely to happen.

All the good and sensible ideas suggested by supporters at the forum last September have been compleltey and throughly ignored. It is tacit and final proof that there are some board members - presumably the most influential ones and probably not Dave Boddy or Paul Curtis who ran that meeting - who don't give a damn about the views of the supporters of Worcester City FC only how much money thay can extact from their wallets or purses.

Isn't this a final admission that they have given up the ghost at trying to attract any new supporters. The dwindling gates will surely drain faster if this madness ever gets implemented.

A potential 20 per cent price hike in the current economic climate can only alienate supporters (particularly the most fickle who ought to be drawn in). There is no evidence to suggest that charging more for success (ie if we're in the top three by 1 Nov) can or will work. There is no precident for this and it is a huge gamble.

In fact, if things were to go so amazingly well wouldn't the club actually risk of losing supporters at a key stage of the season. Especially as the weather gets colder and people's spending priorities change in the run in to Christmas? Won't that actually harm a promotion push if people drift away?

This has not - cannot - have been thoroughly thought out.

Sadly, I have to conclude that the best future of Worcester City Football Club simply has to be for the revamped Supporters Trust to perusade as many fans as possible to rally to its cause to attempt to get this decision - and so many others in recent times which have taken this club to verge of bankruptcy - to be overturned and/or for the people responsible for this blinkered thinking to be removed from tiller.

[Deleted]

Two things come to mind on this one

1. When was the last time City were in the top 3 after November?

2. A season down at New Road is really looking far better value for money!!

Anyway, don't despair, if this pricing mularky is getting you down, this'll cheer you up

On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson. Be very sure you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed. Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair, open the package and remove the thermometer.

Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not
become chipped or broken.

Now the fun part begins - Take out the literature and read it carefully. You will notice that in small print there is a statement,

"Every rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested."

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, "I am so glad I do not work for quality control at Johnson & Johnson."

See, someone does have a worse life than yours!

[almasno9]

I am bemused by the boards decision to potentially penalise supporters as a result of the team they support being successful during the season.
Do these board members live in the real world?
How many companies in the business world with falling customers actually put the price of the product up in order to try and attract new buyers? It's complete madness and has now convinced this City supporter of 30 years that there can be no-one on that board with the slightest bit of business acumen. It is absolutely crystal clear why this club is going to rack and ruin.

The only way to get City's gates up is to target new fans - get them interested with cheaper prices and incentives and if they like what they see they will come back and be willing to pay a higher price in the future. Continually targeting the existing fan base with price increases will just further alienate the supporters and cause the gates to continue declining.

Where precisely is the incentive to buy a season ticket? It's actually less of a risk to pay for each game on an individual basis just in case sickness or unforeseen circumstances occur and non attendance of a match results.
How are the board targetting new supporters? Is there an active marketing / incentives campaign at the University to tap into the thousands of students who currently study there. Are the board liaising with the Warriors, Worcester Wolves basketball and the County cricket club to see how they have managed to get so many new people interested and garner some fresh ideas?
Or are the board content to be the fourth biggest sporting attraction in the faithful city in the misguided notion that a new ground will sove all the clubs woes?

[Deleted]

Mar 17, 2008 15:23:13 GMT almasno9 said:

I am bemused by the boards decision to potentially penalise supporters as a result of the team they support being successful during the season.
Do these board members live in the real world?
How many companies in the business world with falling customers actually put the price of the product up in order to try and attract new buyers? It's complete madness and has now convinced this City supporter of 30 years that there can be no-one on that board with the slightest bit of business acumen. It is absolutely crystal clear why this club is going to rack and ruin.

The only way to get City's gates up is to target new fans - get them interested with cheaper prices and incentives and if they like what they see they will come back and be willing to pay a higher price in the future. Continually targeting the existing fan base with price increases will just further alienate the supporters and cause the gates to continue declining.

Where precisely is the incentive to buy a season ticket? It's actually less of a risk to pay for each game on an individual basis just in case sickness or unforeseen circumstances occur and non attendance of a match results.
How are the board targetting new supporters? Is there an active marketing / incentives campaign at the University to tap into the thousands of students who currently study there. Are the board liaising with the Warriors, Worcester Wolves basketball and the County cricket club to see how they have managed to get so many new people interested and garner some fresh ideas?
Or are the board content to be the fourth biggest sporting attraction in the faithful city in the misguided notion that a new ground will sove all the clubs woes?

There are one or two on the Board with very good financial acumen, and common sense. Unfortunately, there are others, more influential but lacking any financial acumen (to the point of incompentency over financial returns!!) who will garner enough boardroom support to constantly outvote them.
Don't lump all the directors into the same boat, there are one or two who are probably as frustrated, if not more frustrated, as the supporters.
As ever its the supporters who carry the can, and luckily for football clubs the length and breadth of the land, most supporters will accept whatever their club throws at them. Those who don't accept it get pilloried and accuse of "not being real supporters" those who ask questions and demand change get called "Troublemakers" and "cancers" Those at high level who propose change get "resigned" and those outside of the club with new ideas and funding to support them get "ignored".
For those who have accused me for some reason or other as being "bitter and twisted" I hope the truth is beginning to dawn. We, the supporters, are yet again being made fools of, and I think that even more supporters will start to think "enough is enough" Of course the club hope that everyone does what usually happens, a little whinge and moan, and its all forgotten come the start of the season, just like the cost of friendlies!!

[birdfeeder]

Mar 17, 2008 15:22:50 GMT Down The Pan said:

Two things come to mind on this one

1. When was the last time City were in the top 3 after November?

2. A season down at New Road is really looking far better value for money!!

Anyway, don't despair, if this pricing mularky is getting you down, this'll cheer you up

On your way home from work, stop at your pharmacy and go to the thermometer section and purchase a rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson. Be very sure you get this brand. When you get home, lock your doors, draw the curtains and disconnect the phone so you will not be disturbed. Change into very comfortable clothing and sit in your favorite chair, open the package and remove the thermometer.

Now, carefully place it on a table or a surface so that it will not
become chipped or broken.

Now the fun part begins - Take out the literature and read it carefully. You will notice that in small print there is a statement,

"Every rectal thermometer made by Johnson & Johnson is personally tested."

Now, close your eyes and repeat out loud five times, "I am so glad I do not work for quality control at Johnson & Johnson."

See, someone does have a worse life than yours!

I like this one Jem,the board at WCFC are saying just that,if you do not like it stick it up you ass, sorry plain english.

[Deleted]

Mar 17, 2008 15:23:13 GMT almasno9 said:

How are the board targetting new supporters? Is there an active marketing / incentives campaign at the University to tap into the thousands of students who currently study there. Are the board liaising with the Warriors, Worcester Wolves basketball and the County cricket club to see how they have managed to get so many new people interested and garner some fresh ideas?
Or are the board content to be the fourth biggest sporting attraction in the faithful city in the misguided notion that a new ground will sove all the clubs woes?

Answers

1. They've got no plans or ideas
2. No
3. No
4. Yes

[cg]

almasno9: I agree with everything you say.

If you were at the fans forum in September you will know all the ideas mentioned above and many more (such as family fundays, improved catering , better matchday experience blah di blah) were discussed - if you weren't, take it from me they were raised - and written down by club secretary Graham Hill with Dave Boddy and Paul Curtis also taking notes - and both directors (I know, I spoke to them), were enthusiastic after the meeting.

What I want to know is where the energy went and who drained it from Dave and Paul, and why none of those schemes have been tried?

This pricing policy is a death knell. It can only harm the club's long term aspirations, such as they are.

In response to Dave's post about the prices - of the others clubs who charge more than WCFC, two of the five were in the Conference last season so have full time players and have had to budget accordingly (and even probably lowered last seasons prices), Boston were in the Football League (so ditto), Kettering get 1,345 and are running away with the League, so don't have the same problems, and Harrogate are presumbly pushing the envelope because it is one of Britain's most affluent towns.

None are directly comparable with WCFC with the possible exception of Tamworth.

I could talk about the positive examples they could learn from - immodestly I would suggest they read my book Matchday which its liberally littered with out of the box thinking that works - but there are dozens of other financially successful clubs or clubs who do some things that are different and notable I would cite, but they just don't want to know. Not even if you bring them to their door as I did with the Matchday book launch which was held at SGL, with the notable exception of Dave Boddy and Derek Jones.

[birdfeeder]

I think certain board members who have been there to long,and think they can not be replaced should order there taxi,because they will need it very soon.

[Deleted]

Who is really running this club while Dave Boddy stands in the field signalling a bye?

[almasno9]

he's signalling a no ball. Well the board have over-stepped the mark with thses price rises so it is appropriate.

[Deleted]

You're spot on!!! Methinks there may be a few other "no-balls" in the Boardroom!!

Has Dave been put out to pasture?

[cg]

"right arm over six deliveries to come"

[birdfeeder]

Mar 17, 2008 16:16:07 GMT Down The Pan said:

Who is really running this club while Dave Boddy stands in the field signalling a bye?

No he is saying no supporters past this spot.

[B*ue dragonstander]

He is pointing Matthew Hayden to the pavillion after bowling him with a daisy-cutter through the beautifully mown square..

[cg]

Mar 17, 2008 19:30:41 GMT B*ue dragonstander said:

He is pointing Matthew Hayden to the pavillion after bowling him with a daisy-cutter through the beautifully mown square..

Oh dear, can you image what Hayden would be calling him

[Deleted]

Mar 17, 2008 19:36:43 GMT cg said:

Mar 17, 2008 19:30:41 GMT B*ue dragonstander said:

He is pointing Matthew Hayden to the pavillion after bowling him with a daisy-cutter through the beautifully mown square..

Oh dear, can you image what Hayden would be calling him

a frightful bounder?
a ghastly ninkompoop?
a f**k**g c***?

[cg]

Or whatever he called Harbhajan Singh

[Deleted]

Harby?
Singhy?
Bhajy?

[cg]

An obnoxious little twerp or something similar wasn't it? And probably No 3 above

[DazaB]

Mar 17, 2008 16:16:07 GMT Down The Pan said:

Who is really running this club while Dave Boddy stands in the field signalling a bye?

Maybe he's part waythrough signalling a four...

Four more years to the ground?

[gobby cow]

After hearing that we have to pay more to cover payrises for the players negotiated by their agents I have to say I am rather fed up with the board and the players greed. To be able to afford an agent they are obviously overpaid

The club is in serious financial difficulty and should be cutting costs not doling out payrise that the club cannot afford. If the players loved the club they would forego those payrises for the good of the club.

The players and board should start travelling on a bog standard coach. Executive coaches cost more and to have tables is even more expensive. Plus the coach firms advertising board still has 0905, that is probably 10 years out of date. Surely they club could find a more economical coach firm who would show some interest in the club.

[cg]

Two sides to every story GC. Agents have not been ruin of Worcester City. The idea that Pini Zahavi style agents are shaking clubs like Worcester City down for masses of money is a fallacy.

The players with agents will be those who were talented kids and were snapped up en masse by agencies in the hope they would make loads of money representing them in big money deals, but then have an obligation to manage their affairs for the period they are signed to them, even if - as will have happened to any player at non-league level - there is virtually no money in it.

If you speak to agents a lot as I do, believe me, (and I don't have any sympathy for them), this is the unseen loss making side of their business but is a contractual obligation they have to honour (!!) for their clients.

The foot soldiers who do this work for agencies understand the various levels of football and advise their players accordingly. Most, frankly, try to release the players to negotiate their own deals (and to get them off their hands) so the player gets the full value of the deal asuming there are fees involved.

On the other hand, I have been in the company of agents who have taken calls from distressed players who are desperate and in tears and because they cannot pay their bills because they haven't been paid for weeks by their club (their employer) and don't have a penny to their name but are still expected to travel to training and matches etc etc.

If Worcester City DO have players demanding to much money to play for them - or agents advising them likewise - then the option is to show them the door. But, lets be honest, this price hike has nothing to do with that - it is to cover the woeful financial mismanagement of the club over many years and the lack of imagination in trying to deal with the depth of debt the club is in.