Welcome reduction on season ticket prices but are we growing the fanbase?
Core support doesn't diminish but the new generation need the encouragement
Season tickets. A price point that never pleases everyone but in the current cost of living problem it’s a case of sensitivity versus not undercooking the clubs finances at the same point.
At Barnet last season the deal was better than could have been expected, the BOGOF. Now we didn’t expect the same deal to be offered again this year, I thought Tony Kleanthous’ comments about what he expected to happen with the offer versus what actually happened to be a little naïve.
Sometimes as an owner you have to think like a fan, not always because the club would face financial ruin in the long run but after two years of cost cutting and turgid football was he really expecting a deluge of new season ticket holders?
If he was then he clearly wasn’t thinking straight, spending time dismantling the club means the same time or longer to rebuild it, that one falls down on him alone. It did draw me in however and some others, my first season ticket since the Fairclough years.
My ‘free’ partner Nick Patel didn’t have one last year so although he effectively gained one in money terms last year this year he has two. Of course that’s not a working for everyone but at times small steps on a bigger journey.
I actually attended more games than I expected at The Hive, a 5hr minimum journey for me doesn’t put me off anymore, that period when we couldn’t watch games for a year made me vow not to dislike the journey and that still sticks today, even through a poor season the year before last.
I try not to fill in too many games, it doesn’t make for a good read on www.footballwriting.co.uk where I built the brand on football at all levels, hence really the set up for this one.
Anyway, back to our subject in hand and the new season prices. The decrease for adults is superb in my opinion, Tony is looking after his own and should we have a successful, fruitful season again I’ve no doubt it will see numbers increase next summer, winning teams of course do this.
Numbers this year I expect to see similar or maybe a slight drop, however I could be completely wrong and find others see the price as suitable for their budget. Having read through the Only Barnet website, Twitter, the Supporters Association WhatsApp chat it’s a mixed bag and everyone is entitled to both their opinion and rejection to renew if they see fit.
However, there are a couple of areas that cause a little concern. The Hive stand is only back in use this year I presume is because we can offer catering for all games instead of just those in front of the BT Sport (soon to be TNT Sports) cameras, that’s what I understood having spoken to Dan Martin during last season.
But, to offer that mostly uncovered area as a Family Area with no price reduction (one may follow over the summer) is a little short-sighted not to mention the good possibility of getting wet versus staying dry in the Legends Stand, odd way to market it at the same price.
The second is a steep rise in cost for those moving between the ages of 17 and 18. The jump from £84 to £240 is quite frankly ridiculous and I know the SA are on the case but where did that logic come from?
And when you see a £36 drop for adults who work but just a £7 drop for Under 17’s does make you question how you arrive at those figures? Your adults are ingrained in the club, your Under 18’s are the next generation of fans and the ones more likely to bring friends with them to games, but pricing them out of the game at a young age doesn’t do any favours.
There has to be some middle ground in this to bridge the gap for the up and coming fanbase.
And that brings me to the matchday prices. How we still don’t make this attractive is just beyond me, especially with pricing being ever more dicey for all in the current climate.
I fully applaud what we do with the youth football club affiliation scheme, an excellent idea and a great way to build the fanbase, brilliant. But, there are fans and football fans out there to be attracted, plenty of disillusioned Tottenham supporters currently but at £22 it wouldn’t interest me, especially not with no family orientated deals either and that’s despite paying through the nose for a Premier League game.
It's almost a ‘take it or leave it’ price point in my eyes, surely we can do more to get bums on seats that can be turned into non-league football fans, can’t we?
I don’t believe National League football is worth any more than £20, when you think we were charged £22 to stand on an uncovered terrace at Bromley with minimal facilities for food and drink and toilets without working electricity, it proves my point, it’s not just the football on the pitch you’re paying for and when you go against that price however it would appear we have luxury for the same price as do the away fans in Stand 66.
But, if we are going to charge that then why not make it a matchday with a £20 ticket available until midnight Friday? Down near me in the South Division Worthing charged £14 in advance and £15 on the day, for next season they’ve abandoned the advance option and increased the matchday price to £16.
Already I’ve seen causals deciding to spend their money elsewhere on other clubs, a very small difference in cost but a big difference to the way people view from the outside.
Price points are always contentious issues and even more so in the current climate, we know our regular fans and even those who have returned to watching this season are already hooked into the club but recognising there are some on the edge of coming more often or even needing more persuasion to attend is in my opinion a bigger thing.
That’s my views on the subject, where do you sit? Is the offering right? Are the club missing a trick or two? Leave your thoughts in the comments box below.
Great article! And,of course,spot on! We really must do something about the 17-21 age bracket.We absoutely cannot afford the lose the momemtum gained by the Amber Battalion.I'm looking forward to a few new player announcements soon!