So... Who's renewing?

[DPE]

It’s not about the money for me because of the position I am in. For me it’s about investment of time, want to be entertained and be competitive.

 

[sc91]

That last paragraph is the key. I always find it utterly bizarre people who seem to genuinely dislike it and still carry on. In the 30 plus years I’ve had mine the only time I’ve genuinely thought of packing in was the Hoddle season. That summer me and the three mates I go with all left it to the last minute to renew (looking back I think had one decided not to renew we’d all have packed it in). For me it’s not just the 90 minutes on the pitch but the social side of it as well. Right now I think the only thing that would stop me would be a ground move out of town to some trading estate.

Amen, people need to not do it if there enjoyment is gone.

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

Really hope you're not suggesting that people who don't renew aren't supporting the club?

Financial implications for a lot of people make this such a difficult decision.

Wouldn't have pegged you as one of those but the post (and maybe how I'm taking it) is a bit "superfan" esc.

I think as @JadeWolf has said. I've got a figure in mind where I just know I can't justify it.

Genuinely hope the club see that increasing them, at this time, is really going to be a tipping point for some.

Of course not - I hope everyone is able to say!

 

[Timberwolf]

Im renewing for one reason only , i would miss the pre match drink in the pub and the people i sit by, So Shi has me by the *******s

That’s not Shi, that’s your love for the club.

 

[Sevenwolves]

I probably will, but the journey from Sevenoaks is starting to feel a lot further with every sideways pass and every game without a goal.

 

[beppe7619]

Just a thought if fans had drinks in the ground instead of the pubs in town on match day ie fan zone by subway and it guaranteed season ticket prices would not increase or keeping our best players or money for new signings would you do it

 

[WickedWolfie]

That’s not Shi, that’s you’re love for the club.

Indeed. It was like that before Fosun and doubtless would be like that if Fosun sold up tomorrow.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Just a thought if fans had drinks in the ground instead of the pubs in town on match day ie fan zone by subway and it guaranteed season ticket prices would not increase or keeping our best players or money for new signings would you do it

I'd consider it if they had decent drinks and those that they had weren't getting on for twice the price.

 

[WickedWolfie]

I probably will, but the journey from Sevenoaks is starting to feel a lot further with every sideways pass and every game without a goal.

Travelling from London myself l feel your pain.

 

[Glow69]

Yep a renewal over here.

 

[Black Coffee]

We will renew I fully understand the financial reasonings for not carrying on but to walk away because of some poor performances and results while sitting in the top half of the PL seems a bit petty considering some the **** we've had to endure even in the last decade.

I was very angry Saturday as was around 30'000 other people walking out of Molineux Saturday but If there was a time to walk away in hindsight Saturday wasn't one of them. It has to be said there were lower points than where we are now the only time where I've been close is Hoddle and relegation to League 1.

 

[Bankswolf The Third]

Home yes
Away I am thinking of packing it up. I admit I havent been going for decades just since the championship season but I don't feel excited by this team anymore to justify it

 

[wolvesjoe]

I am amazed no-one yet has mentioned the farce of VAR and the near corruption-bias in favour of the Greedy Six.

THAT is what is making me seriously throw in the towel after 30 years of being a STH.

I hate the way professional football has gone / is headed.


Oh, and the last two seasons have been abysmal.

Interesting. I find var not as bad as it was first season. Still too easy penalties, too tight offsides and an element of bias, but just not quite as pervasive. I don't get as oissed off

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Interesting. I find var not as bad as it was first season. Still too easy penalties, too tight offsides and an element of bias, but just not quite as pervasive. I don't get as oissed off

Yeah it’s definitely getting better slowly and it’s less involved as it was to begin with where it felt every goal went to VAR.

 

[sc91]

Travelling from London myself l feel your pain.

I've not missed the journey at all, not going to beat around on that. Especially as the costs have risen and risen to the point where to get into the Midlands I have to go on the Marylebone services because Euston has become ridiculous.

 

[WickedWolfie]

I've not missed the journey at all, not going to beat around on that. Especially as the costs have risen and risen to the point where to get into the Midlands I have to go on the Marylebone services because Euston has become ridiculous.

Or the slow London Northwestern trains. Avanti prices are an unfunny joke.

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

Not intending to upset anyone but - we have had 4 or 5 seasons of some great football after decades of mediocrity. I find it odd that, arguably, the first challenging times we are experiencing in several years some are talking about bailing. I guess this demonstrates the transient nature of football fans and probably consolidates the clubs reasons why the stadium wont be expanded.

 

[steve vena]

Cheap product cheap price. Unfortunately (and I totally get it) the price this summer has to match the product we get next year.

Not intending to upset anyone but - we have had 4 or 5 seasons of some great football after decades of mediocrity. I find it odd that, arguably, the first challenging times we are experiencing in several years some are talking about bailing. I guess this demonstrates the transient nature of football fans and probably consolidates the clubs reasons why the stadium wont be expanded.

How about the cost mate?

 

[Perton Wolf]

Not intending to upset anyone but - we have had 4 or 5 seasons of some great football after decades of mediocrity. I find it odd that, arguably, the first challenging times we are experiencing in several years some are talking about bailing. I guess this demonstrates the transient nature of football fans and probably consolidates the clubs reasons why the stadium wont be expanded.

When the cost keeps increasing by 10 to 15% each year, surely the product on offer should be getting better? Not worse.

And yes, I'm talking about it in business/capitalist terms as that's certainly how Mr Shi and Mr Clark view it.

 

[Padraig]

Fosun need to be very careful. The reason Man City are in the mess they are ticket wise is pricing their traditional fans out of coming so quickly and depending on a fickle fan base. They're given the best team in the world and those "johnny come lately" supporters produce neither atmosphere or commitment. All the new season ticket holders around us in the SB just sell their tickets most weeks (and sometimes dont bother) so you're often surrounded by people whove hardly ever been to a game. Is that the direction we want to go?

You’re giving Clark way too much credit if you think he understands/cares about this. In five years he’ll be working somewhere else and it won’t matter if he’s destroyed our atmosphere.

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

When the cost keeps increasing by 10 to 15% each year, surely the product on offer should be getting better? Not worse.

And yes, I'm talking about it in business/capitalist terms as that's certainly how Mr Shi and Mr Clark view it.

I think that's a valid argument perhaps if you are buying a car or a computer etc, but the investment we are making is in a product (for want of a better word) where there are absolutely no guarantees of success. We are investing in a game that is already ring-fenced to ensure the "big-six" remain the big six and no additional investment (no matter how big is a guarantee of improvement)- look how much Everton, Villa, Leicester have spent for relatively little reward.

I am not saying I am not disappointed in our performances, more that I didn't enter into this contract with Wolves expecting us to be conquering everyone in our path. From the time Nuno took over we have been generally on an upward curve (in my opinion) - we have hit a bump and Fosun are not the sort to put up with that for long but if your priority is only a football team that's doing well/improving its a hard expectation to achieve.

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

How about the cost mate?

Cost is a barrier to anything and you personally make decisions based on what you can afford but I would argue that has never been any different. We have lived in a world for many years where prices increase all the time - you pay £10 to go to the Cinema, £4.00 for a cup of coffee, £50 to go and watch a band (or a lot more) - all this stuff was a couple of quid when I was younger.

I think it is hard for Wolves to justify a season ticket rise based on performance / transfer investment etc but, like many other companies, they will be affected by the hike in energy prices etc just the same as us so its probably going to be coming. I an not happy about it but struggle to see how it stops when we have been experiencing price hikes, year on year for decades without the issues we are facing currently.

 

[welshy]

As it stands its 11% out and 40.5% undecided, truth is that 99% of undecided fans will actually renew and roughly the same figures for the out brigade.

 

[Perton Wolf]

I think that's a valid argument perhaps if you are buying a car or a computer etc, but the investment we are making is in a product (for want of a better word) where there are absolutely no guarantees of success. We are investing in a game that is already ring-fenced to ensure the "big-six" remain the big six and no additional investment (no matter how big is a guarantee of improvement)- look how much Everton, Villa, Leicester have spent for relatively little reward.

I am not saying I am not disappointed in our performances, more that I didn't enter into this contract with Wolves expecting us to be conquering everyone in our path. From the time Nuno took over we have been generally on an upward curve (in my opinion) - we have hit a bump and Fosun are not the sort to put up with that for long but if your priority is only a football team that's doing well/improving its a hard expectation to achieve.

I understand there are no guarantees and I certainly don't expect us to get into the top 6 of the league for example, 7th is probably our best and most realistic hope. I expect us to be competitive, which is an objective we've largely achieved this season (last few games aside) and entertaining, something we've not achieved for a while now, harking back to Nuno's last season, albeit it was behind closed doors. I think most fans are realistic with regards to expectations but even when we win, I've found most of our performances to be dull and uninspiring. Maybe that's just me but if the matchday experience was all about the game and not the pre-game or post-game crack with friends, I doubt I'd be going anymore and I've been there for 19 years.

 

[Bill McCai]

Villa released their prices yesterday.

• They have gone from 6 'zones' of pricing to 4
• Cheapest adult ticket goes from £370 to £531 (our cheapest was £549 renewal price, £622 'new')
• Most expensive adult ticket goes from £684 to £752 (our most expensive was £733 renewal, £830 'new')
• Villa are not charging admin/booking fees on renewals (think we usually pay £6 per ticket?)
• Villa claim they have 24k on their waiting list (30k ST holders)
• Renewal window open until June 8 (fixtures released on 16 June)

 

[Highlandwolf2]

I understand there are no guarantees and I certainly don't expect us to get into the top 6 of the league for example, 7th is probably our best and most realistic hope. I expect us to be competitive, which is an objective we've largely achieved this season (last few games aside) and entertaining, something we've not achieved for a while now, harking back to Nuno's last season, albeit it was behind closed doors. I think most fans are realistic with regards to expectations but even when we win, I've found most of our performances to be dull and uninspiring. Maybe that's just me but if the matchday experience was all about the game and not the pre-game or post-game crack with friends, I doubt I'd be going anymore and I've been there for 19 years.

Balanced comments. I saw my first match in 1958 (no memory of it) and regularly attended from 1965ish onwards. Therefore, giving up my season ticket would be a big decision. But the football over the last two seasons has been largely awful/dreary and with all the other current financial restraints not renewing is a distinct possibility. Forget any short or long term possibility of breaking into the top 6 (our ground size and hence possible income preclude this, along with Fosun's understandable self financing stance) and thereafter being entertained is what is most important to me (most?). Sadly, we might well be faced with more of the same in the future, which could well make me an armchair fan.

 

[Oliwolf44]

Thats a huge increase by Villa, would imagine the same is coming at Wolves and i also imagine that people just pay it anyway no matter what. The prices then go up next year aswell and the circus is repeated every year. Until the waiting lists go down and people stop buying the prices will increase.

 

[Oliwolf44]

The price for "new" ST's is a great data exercise for the finance department because they can see how quickly the higher price was taken up by people, if it was snapped up straight away then they know they can just raise it to that level for everyone next year.

 

[Corporate Wolf]

Thats a huge increase by Villa, would imagine the same is coming at Wolves and i also imagine that people just pay it anyway no matter what. The prices then go up next year aswell and the circus is repeated every year. Until the waiting lists go down and people stop buying the prices will increase.

I think one of the key differences is Villa fans know their owners will continue to invest significant funds into improving their first team.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

I think one of the key differences is Villa fans know their owners will continue to invest significant funds into improving their first team.

Trouble is they aren’t improving are they? They’ve spent a shed load to finish lower than last season.

 

[Oliwolf44]

I think one of the key differences is Villa fans know their owners will continue to invest significant funds into improving their first team.

I actually disagree. I think people at both clubs just renew because they do every year and its part of their life and brings them relief, emotion, social side all that stuff. The reason i personally believe (and you can say im wrong on this) that so many are questioning buying is not due to where the team are in the league (you could argue its never been better) its because of the price rise and realising that they arent treated as fans anymore but very much as customers. It stopped being a football club a while ago and is now a business, look at the membership plus scheme, loyalty isnt being rewarded you have to pay for the privilege now aswell.

 

[Corporate Wolf]

Trouble is they aren’t improving are they? They’ve spent a shed load to finish lower than last season.

I agree - that's why I chose my words carefully
What I should have said was "...significantly more funds to see an improvement..."

 

[Alex Rae The Substitute]

Seen so much worse than this, and very appreciative that this is the best it’s been in my Wolves supporting life (1992 first game).

However, a potential cost increase if it happens will likely see me cancel. I live in London and it’s costing me a fortune just to get to games, let alone the ST itself.

 

[SmokeyGB]

For me it was never about the teams performance if i was to renew my season ticket or not.
I renewed when we went down to league 1 in a heartbeat after the **** show in the Championship, the only reason i had to stop was the costs were going up to much to justify a purchase along with getting to games and time off work for Non Saturday games.

Sometimes for us fans it's about the 'real life' economic decisions and you just have to put the heart back in the box and follow your head. 15 years in the Southbank and stopped.
Again the main reason what i do miss is the pre-match meet up with lads who you form a bond with in the pub (some have passed away as well) so I guess i'm not the only one in this position (Don't we all wish we lived 20 miles from Molineux).

 

[sc91]

Seen so much worse than this, and very appreciative that this is the best it’s been in my Wolves supporting life (1992 first game).

However, a potential cost increase if it happens will likely see me cancel. I live in London and it’s costing me a fortune just to get to games, let alone the ST itself.

I still struggle to see the justification for such high rail fairs.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

I still struggle to see the justification for such high rail fairs.

Rail fares in this country are an absolute joke. Had a meeting in Edinburgh recently and due to the current mess at airports I thought I’d go by train, nearly twice the price of flying up.

 

[lets all have a disco]

Just read the villa talk on the season ticket increase, just like reading on here.....cost of living, football being no better, waiting list where people have no intention of buying a season tickets....moaning about facilities in some stands.....Maybe everyone on here is human after all....

 

[sc91]

Rail fares in this country are an absolute joke. Had a meeting in Edinburgh recently and due to the current mess at airports I thought I’d go by train, nearly twice the price of flying up.

Its absolutely insane. Often wonder why people don't leave their bubbles but for me to even contempt getting to Scotland is ridiculous.

Blows my mind after travelling around Eastern Europe for a few euros.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Its absolutely insane. Often wonder why people don't leave their bubbles but for me to even contempt getting to Scotland is ridiculous.

Blows my mind after travelling around Eastern Europe for a few euros.

I have to go quite regularly for work but think I’ll drive from now on. An obvious ball ache but the airports are trash currently and train is slower than driving.

 

[Sheriff Woody]

After 32 years (31 in the same seat) it’s time for me to hand it over to somebody else.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been a lifelong love affair for me. They were my first love, long before I knew anything about women (my wife would probably say I still don’t!).

Living in deepest darkest Cheshire it took effort to support Wolves, I didn’t have the internet or local papers to keep me in the loop. It was a challenge, a badge of honour to tell people who I supported.

For the first 22 years it was me and my Dad. It was our time together. Cheering, shouting, tutting our way through season after season. Listening to Radio 5 Sports Extra on the way home, dissecting the game and turning the volume down on the radio when the scores were read out if we’d lost.

We didn’t go to games for the entertainment, ****ing hell we watched John Paskin, Darren Simkin, Dennis Pierce, Paul Jones in the first few years so we’d be daft to expect it!

I must admit I had a wobble 10 years ago when he died. It coincided with those two awful seasons when our players couldn’t get enough of the taste of sweet sweet relegation. I stuck with it though and my brother took over my Dad’s seat. We watched the revolution and we’re lucky enough to see the best players I’ve ever seen play for Wolves.

I’ve struggled with depression over the past few years, I thought I could manage it myself (did I mention I was also delusional!). Going to the game always made me feel better (well apart from Wembley), it was the routine. It’s all I’ve know since I was 10.

The enforced absence thanks to the little talked about Covid outbreak broke the routine. I spent more time with my kids (they were 4 and 6 then), I enjoyed it, they’re great little people. The break allowed me to reassess what’s important to me and also to go and see a doctor and get the help I needed.

My brother gave up his ticket post Covid but I missed it and renewed anyway. So for the past season it’s been me on my own traipsing down the motorway or sitting on a train. It’s not the same.

The cost has been mentioned by many people already and that is an understandable factor but I’ve been prepared to sacrifice the money and the time before so it’s not the deciding factor. To be honest though the thousands of pounds I spend each year watching Wolves could be used elsewhere!

The fact is I just don’t love football like I used to. I get emotional about it still but that emotion isn’t joy. The Mix is no longer the first thing I look at in the morning, I barely post anything anymore. I don’t tune into Sky/BT to watch every single game. I know I don’t ‘need’ it.

So to whoever takes over my seat, look after it for me.