£100 season tickets

[jaspa888]

http://www.htafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/SeasonTicketsDetail/0,,10312~1286457,00.html

To celebrate the club's centenary, Huddersfield are selling adult ST in selected stands for £100 for next season.

Fantastic PR and strategy as each match day ticket is £20, making a ST very much viable for fans. This should ensure big crowds for them next season.

I wish we would look at such progressive ideas...

[PeteWolf]

There are a lot of clubs who are doing interesting ideas. Port Vale are another one -

http://www.port-vale.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10381~1281088,00.html

They've stolen that idea from Bradford who did it last season, going from an average attendance in League 1 of 8694 to 13,662 this season in League 2, despite not challenging for promotion.

I think Bradford aimed for 10,000 season ticket holders before reducing the prices.

[Kenny-11]

I wish we would look at such progressive ideas...

When we are a mid table League 1 team with hardly a chance of doing anything of note, i'm sure we will

[jaspa888]

When we are a mid table League 1 team with hardly a chance of doing anything of note, i'm sure we will

Kenny, the days when we would sell every home game 3 weeks in advance have gone. I believe yesterday was our first sell-out this season.

I am not criticising our club's approach, but actually praising HTFC's strategy. Early Bird is great at renewing existing fans, but most of these would renew regardless due to habit, loyalty, mates, etc.

I, like many on here, am worried at where the next lot of STH's will come from. I would also like Wolves to look at ways to entice new supporters so we can fill the spare 3-4k empty seats each game.

[jaspa888]

There are a lot of clubs who are doing interesting ideas. Port Vale are another one -

http://www.port-vale.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10381~1281088,00.html

They've stolen that idea from Bradford who did it last season, going from an average attendance in League 1 of 8694 to 13,662 this season in League 2, despite not challenging for promotion.

I think Bradford aimed for 10,000 season ticket holders before reducing the prices.

Cheers Pete. I didnt know about Bradford or PV. Fair play to them.

[Visage Wolf]

Yup. Rather than sell 15,000 season tickets at 300 quid we should sell 26000 at 100 quid. You $$$$.

Thank god we have a CEO who can do sums.

[jaspa888]

Yup. Rather than sell 15,000 season tickets at 300 quid we should sell 26000 at 100 quid. You $$$$.

Thank god we have a CEO who can do sums.

Now I know you are not thick, so I assume you are just being a deliberately obtuse $$$$.

I did not say that we need to sell ST for £100, but that we need a progressive pricing policy. This would ensure full houses to aid the atmosphere, and bring through the next generation of fans. It is also important as a contingency with a potential recession on the horizon.

It can be made to work, though obviously I do not know the detailed numbers from Molineux... but here is an example based on (many) assumptions:

PRESENT SCHEME (based on avg pices and present attendances)
15,000 ST @ £425 = £6.4m
4,000 Floating @ £27 = £2.5m
£8.9m

ALTERNATIVE SCHEME (based on capacity 25k Wolves fans)
20,000 ST @ £350 = £7.0m
5,000 Floating @ £20= £2.3m
£9.3m

Similar ticket revenue, and that does not include the additional matchday revenue from more fans.

It is simply a case of the club accurately assessing the elasticity of demand from the potential fan base, and we could improve attendances and encourage the future generation of supporters.

[Reach For The Sky]

Interesting debate this one. If Bradford's full offer comes to fruition, they will have 18,000 season ticket holders and will get the revenue of 4,500! Bradford and Huddersfield are both in leagues where the salary cap dictates that their wage bill is limited to a percentage of their income, they are committing commercial suicide. Bradford would actually be far better off with only 5,000 STHs paying full price, than having 9,000 STHs at half price (each entitled to one free ST).

[djackl]

Since when is a mere price decrease described as 'progressive'?

[Reach For The Sky]

It is simply a case of the club accurately assessing the elasticity of demand from the potential fan base, and we could improve attendances and encourage the future generation of supporters.

And therein lies the problem, no one can accurately asses this.

Lowering the price of season tickets to this extent causes a rise in season ticket sales, but a knock on effect of lowered match day ticket sales.

To use Bradford as an example again, with effectively 18,000 season tickets at £75 each floating around, is anyone going to pay £20 per game matchday prices? You only need to attend 4 games to make it cost effective to buy a season ticket, how many of the other 19 games is that season ticket going to be passed among friends?

[jaspa888]

And therein lies the problem, no one can accurately asses this.

Lowering the price of season tickets to this extent causes a rise in season ticket sales, but a knock on effect of lowered match day ticket sales.

To use Bradford as an example again, with effectively 18,000 season tickets at £75 each floating around, is anyone going to pay £20 per game matchday prices? You only need to attend 4 games to make it cost effective to buy a season ticket, how many of the other 19 games is that season ticket going to be passed among friends?

But the Bradford example is extreme. In my (albeit fictional and idealised) example, the emphasis is on turning the floating fans into STH without neglecting existing STH's. It would also encourage new fans and re-attract old fans who no longer attend for financial reasons.

As to your first point, I agree to some extent. But there are experts in this field who could give the club excellent advice on the matter.

[jaspa888]

Since when is a mere price decrease described as 'progressive'?

It is more than a price decrease though, with the added benefits this could bring...

- higher crowds, thus improving atmosphere
- potentially greater match day revenue from more supporters
- allowing a socio-economic wider range of fans to attend

[Mr Wolf]

I'm not sure how they would do it but I like the idea of the more season tickets we sell the cheaper they should be. So if we sell say

13,000 @ £350 then if we break 15,000 sales lower the price to £300 then if we sell 17,000 lower it to £250.

I'm not sure how they would rebate the money though.

[fenella]

In real terms, Wolves season tickets (through the early bird) have been coming down in price every season for some time now. Wolves have also reduced child rates significantly (I believe). So they are doing things. Prices are coming down.

And attendances remain high. I'd like to see more kids come to the Molineux, and I'm sure Moxey and Morgan would as well, but he's running a business not a charity at the end of the day, and finances have to balance.

[Law's Bus]

Wolves have also reduced child rates significantly (I believe).

The U12 tickets are quite reasonably priced. My daughter has an U12 season ticket, and it's a lot better value than the previous "child" scheme.