Shrimpsvoices

I see Southend are increasing their Season Tickets by £50, to £350, and their matchday ticket to £19, from £16. Is this a brave decision or a necessary one? They are losing money hand over fist, but is it the right way to go in these economic conditions? OK the VAT has gone up but this is inflation gone mad.

With crowds on the decrease, which way will we go?

Financially speaking, I can only imagine prices to rise. But with decreasing attendance figures, an increase in price isn't going to help! I would imagine that they will hold fire for a bit to give themselves more time to assess things before announcing their decision. Alternatively, they may have already decided and are just waiting to see what happens for the rest of the season.

I think it would be a stupid idea for us to bump up our a ticket prices, i always hear grumblings about how expensive they are now and putting the prices up to gain extra revenue, I think, would have a negative effect, sure the hardcore fans would pay anything (within reason) to watch matches week in week out however when you strip away those hardcore fans there are hundreds of people who are fickle when it comes to the club and putting the prices up would make they're minds up as whether to come and watch the team.

Given the falling attendances this season, and I know the naysayers will have a go at me about this but I do think it's down to the management and the performances - I am guessing at other people's reasons for not coming, not expressly criticising, as I am still turning up - then I would strongly argue against increasing prices, as I think that will deter even more. A change in management may result in a change in attendances, but whether that will be positive or negative, who knows? Obviously if we fail to stay up, prices surely have to go down, not up.

I think you're right. I'd suggest an increase for next season would be false economy, bearing in mind many people's disappointment with this season and them probably weighing up the cost/enjoyment ratio.

We need to keep what supporters we have and not risk losing them - even a lot of the die-hards who got a season ticket this time, at the new stadium, will be thinking about whether to buy another for next season.

Then see what happens next season and if we're back firing again they can look at a small increase for 2012/13.

It is a sign of football gone mad that any ticket at Morecambe is over £10. But there we go. Unfortunately, I can't see 3000 turning up each week at £10 than 2000 at £15 though, so it won't change.

Attendences are NOT going down. This is another lie that several people are using to fuel their irrational arguments and subsequently people take it as gospel on this forum.

Average attendence 2008/09: 2,153

Average attendence 2009/10: 2262 (2126 if you remove the Aldershot game which artificially inflates attendence average due to it being the last league game)

Average attendence so far this season: 2,267

Back to the main point of the original post, I dont think we should increase prices at all for the considerable future. I can only talk in terms of the MBW but £15 is too much already for what you get there. Burton only charge £13 and their terraces are comparable to the MBW.

Is this years figure based on the two sell outs for Burnley and Coventry though? That will skew it big time. Oh it is this season, but with the heavy weights of Burton and Hereford coming I can see them not bringing many, alongside an end of season washout with Northampton.

Also, the difference between the first 10 games and the second 10 games are a real cause for concern.

goneshrimping wrote:Is this years figure based on the two sell outs for Burnley and Coventry though? That will skew it big time.

No, the figure does not include those games.

[quote="goneshrimping"]but with the heavy weights of Burton and Hereford coming I can see them not bringing many, alongside an end of season washout with Northampton.quote]

Would have to disagree there goneshrimping. Those three teams are ALL literally fighting for their lives and will all bring good numbers up here. Couple that with the "new ground to visit and tick off syndrome."

goneshrimping wrote:Unfortunately, I can't see 3000 turning up each week at £10 than 2000 at £15 though, so it won't change.

I agree, reducing the prices by that much to try entice more fan wouldn't attract the numbers required to make it worth while.

One thing that some premier league teams deploy is prices adjusted depending who the team is playing. So a tickets at Fulham v Wigan is cheaper than that of a ticket for Fulham v Man utd. Firstly I think this is wrong as it means that fans of top level teams are always paying the top amount. Secondly I don't think this would work in league 2....

however I believe that a similar scheme could be deployed, Instead of being based on teams but league position. This would directly relate to the quality of football. if we are doing well and we were top, then its say £18 per game, if we are bottom then its £10 or something. with the prices varying per position (Or set positions such as automatic, play off, top mid table, bottom mid table, relegation, bottom).

As for season tickets. I think there should be different options available.
1) standard season ticket, does what it says on the tin. you pay the full price, you get every home game.

2) direct debit season ticket. more expensive than 1) but is cheaper than paying for every game as a single entity. The benefits are that some people might not have to cash to pay in one go. Other benefits could be that they are allowed to miss x amount of games. This would also create another guaranteed revenue stream.

3) Variable season tickets. This is something I have seen up here at Clyde and is quite a good scheme. Basically you pay for your season ticket as normal. however. its possible to use as many tickets as you want at one time. What this means (or has meant for me) is that you can use one ticket for yourself and one for anyone else or all on one day (if you had enough friends). My friend bought this because he knew he wouldn't make every game but realised this option was still a better option than paying for single games.

Combined with above should be a scheme that makes it cheaper for families. so they can take the above options but also get discounts for buying a kids season ticket with an adult.

Outside of season tickets I think there should be some grounds for group tickets. Some kind of discount if there is a group of 5/10/15 (obviously this is only applied to home fans) the amount saved varied depending on the numbers.

anyway these are my thoughts. I have more but Im pretty sure know one cares.

Goneshrimping stop clutching at straws. You can't compare the first 10 games with the last 10 games because clearly the opposition is one of the main determining factors.

Equally, there would obviously be a lot of people in those first 10 games who came just to see the new ground (i.e. neutrals looking to do their 92 etc). Those numbers were always going to fall.

The bottom line of this argument is that we moved to the new stadium because our attendences have always been crap. The whole point of the move was so that we didnt have to rely on attendences, so they shouldn't be as much of a concern.

Last year - Hereford (1st game of season) 2119
Northampton 2041 (relegated season before so this was always a new ground for them then, I doubt the "glittering attraction of the Globe" counts there!)
Burton 1537 (though granted this was a Tuesday in Feb)

Two sub 2000 attendances and maybe a 2500 for the last game. Average attendance will be down and that's with a shiny new ground

goneshrimping wrote:Last year - Hereford (1st game of season) 2119
Northampton 2041 (relegated season before so this was always a new ground for them then, I doubt the "glittering attraction of the Globe" counts there!)
Burton 1537 (though granted this was a Tuesday in Feb)

Two sub 2000 attendances and maybe a 2500 for the last game. Average attendance will be down and that's with a shiny new ground

Again, I disagree, sorry.

All three will do what we did to Barnet I reckon. Bring masses to try and help their teams out of the predicaments they find themselves in.

Morecambe Jack wrote:Goneshrimping stop clutching at straws. You can't compare the first 10 games with the last 10 games because clearly the opposition is one of the main determining factors.

Equally, there would obviously be a lot of people in those first 10 games who came just to see the new ground (i.e. neutrals looking to do their 92 etc). Those numbers were always going to fall.

The bottom line of this argument is that we moved to the new stadium because our attendences have always been crap. The whole point of the move was so that we didnt have to rely on attendences, so they shouldn't be as much of a concern.

What straw am I clutching at exactly? You are saying that the attendances are miles up on last year because the figures were skewed by the Aldershot game, yet the figures clearly show that we've had an equal if not greater effect from the the new stadium and hence they actually falling?

Even if you take 1500 as the attendences for each of the 3 last home games our average attendence for the season would be 2167 - thats higher than 2008/09 and higher than 2009/10 if you take out the outlier of the last game at Christie Park which distorts our true attendence figure.

Keep trying to disprove me though, I only need half an excuse to avoid doing Uni work.

EDIT: In response to your last post, I am not saying that attendences are miles up on last year. But I AM saying that they are UP and not down as everyone keeps saying because people like you are lying to them. They are UP (just) even if you DO include the Aldershot game (but I stand by saying that should be seen as an outlier). I cannot comprehend how you are arguing with me here when the figures are right there - check them yourself.

Seasider9601 wrote:

goneshrimping wrote:Last year - Hereford (1st game of season) 2119
Northampton 2041 (relegated season before so this was always a new ground for them then, I doubt the "glittering attraction of the Globe" counts there!)
Burton 1537 (though granted this was a Tuesday in Feb)

Two sub 2000 attendances and maybe a 2500 for the last game. Average attendance will be down and that's with a shiny new ground

Again, I disagree, sorry.

All three will do what we did to Barnet I reckon. Bring masses to try and help their teams out of the predicaments they find themselves in.

Disagree all you like but all three of those clubs are skint so won't be putting on any fun buses so failing a massive increase in support because they are struggling the attendances will be lower.

Feel free to point to the figures in a few weeks!

Morecambe Jack wrote:Attendences are NOT going down. This is another lie that several people are using to fuel their irrational arguments and subsequently people take it as gospel on this forum.

Average attendence 2008/09: 2,153

Average attendence 2009/10: 2262 (2126 if you remove the Aldershot game which artificially inflates attendence average due to it being the last league game)

Average attendence so far this season: 2,267

Back to the main point of the original post, I dont think we should increase prices at all for the considerable future. I can only talk in terms of the MBW but £15 is too much already for what you get there. Burton only charge £13 and their terraces are comparable to the MBW.

If you're going to be selective about matches to choose, why not bump the first few matches of this season off the average calculations, as numbers were inflated by the curiosity factor?

FWIW, it seems like attendances are rising, albeit slowly. I started watching Morecambe seven years ago, and it was rare to break 1500 at a match then. Now we see that as a poor attendance.

However, we are "troughing out". We're an established League 2 club now, and that has bought a boost in attendances. The trick is now to how to encourage more people through the gates, and despite many different schemes, nothing seems to be working, although the ambomination on the pitch this season isn't helping.

Morecambe Jack wrote:Even if you take 1500 as the attendences for each of the 3 last home games our average attendence for the season would be 2167 - thats higher than 2008/09 and higher than 2009/10 if you take out the outlier of the last game at Christie Park which distorts our true attendence figure.

Keep trying to disprove me though, I only need half an excuse to avoid doing Uni work.

EDIT: In response to your last post, I am not saying that attendences are miles up on last year. But I AM saying that they are UP and not down as everyone keeps saying because people like you are lying to them. They are UP (just) even if you DO include the Aldershot game (but I stand by saying that should be seen as an outlier). I cannot comprehend how you are arguing with me here when the figures are right there - check them yourself.

Alright, the fact that despite having a brand new stadium and the best we can hope for is to just about match last years massive attendances isn't a point for concern.

Look at the trend for the attendances. It's frightening.

We could spend hours picking and choosing games that we should and shouldn't include. The Aldershot game was blatently inflated by about 3,000 - I dont think there was a comparible game at the Globe, personally. That is why I chose to take it out, though I have made my argument with it included as well.

At the end of the day, an average attendence of 2150-2200 is about where we have been since coming the league and that is no different this year.

I completely agree with your last paragraph though, morecambe geek.

Goneshrimping, the new stadium was never going to bring in hundreds more home fans was it. The prices went up, transport to the globe is worse and a lot of people do not enjoy the experience there as much as Christie Park. The fact that we are getting the same average attendence as last year is great, particularly given we are in a bad position in the league.

Talking of transport to The Globe, are the York still putting on that free bus to and from games?

Not seen it for ages ....

Christie Park was technically in a "town centre" location, whereas The Globe of course, is proper out on a limb. As are all newbuild stadiums these days.

As I was the one to say that attendance figures were dropping, I shall explain what I meant.
Before Christmas:
v Rotherham (Sat) 3258
v Gillingham (Sat) 2325
v Chesterfield (Sat) 2323
v Barnet (Sat) 2221
v Bury (Tue) 2607
v Shrewsbury (Sat) 3239
v Stevenage (Sat) 2254
v Stockport (Sat) 2005
v Lincoln (Sat) 2085
v Crewe (Sat) 1793
10 Game Average = 2411

After Christmas:
v Port Vale (Sat) 2326
v Accrington (Sat) 2702 - New Year's Day
v Torquay (Sat) 1643
v Cheltenham (Sat) 1691
v Aldershot (Tue) 1703
v Oxford (Sat) 2171
v Southend (Sat) 1917
v Bradford (Sat) 3521
v Macclesfield (Tue) 1612
v Wycombe (Sat) 1940
10 Game Average = 2123

The two biggest home games of the season for attracting away fans, Bradford and Accrington, were both in the second half of the season, and yet we have had lower attendances.

That's what I was meaning.

Morecambe Jack wrote:Attendences are NOT going down.

I meant as we speak Jack actually, sorry to confuse. Of course the crowd over the Season has been higher than last season for the reasons that have been stated.
So what I meant was they have decreased from 2200 to 2500 ish up to the end of November (although the Crewe game was 1793) and then went up over Christmas for the 2 games that were still on.
But since the postponements, playing on Tuesdays and our generally crap run of form it has somewhat deteriorated to between 1600 and 1800, barring the Oxford and Bradford games where the away fans topped it up. Macclesfield, a local derby, on a Tuesday hit just 1612. The turnout from Wycombe, who are chasing promotion, also boosted last week

The trend must be a concern and even though we play these teams around us this next month or so, I don't see the home fans coming out in droves to support the team in 3 "cup finals" to stay in the League. If they were 3 Cup finals to be promoted then I would say yes they would.

Thanks for the figures Ntini, although I can assure you Port Vale was before Christmas!

Seasider, the York Bus is no longer. Due to reasons Sgnt. Major has made clear.

I WOULD expect the new stadium to have brought about an increase in attendances, to be honest.

I think it has, in a way, but that has been cancelled out by the disappointing season.

If we'd had a season anything like our previous ones in the FL, then I expect we would have seen a few hundred more on average.

I think our base support HAS probably increased - my reckoning being that we'd have smaller crowds than we're getting now if we'd stayed at CP and been near the bottom of the league.

The trick now is to keep those fans coming next season in the hope that results and performances improve - and that needs some serious thought.

As I've said - with finances tight and this season a disappointment, many will be thinking hard about how they spend their money.

Just out of interest, does anyone know what our average crowds have been without including the away support. Cheers.