O/T MK Dons slash season ticket prices

[redrobo]

https://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/sport/fo ... ts-5031336

Does that bring them in line with our current pricing structure

IF we do get relegated I wonder if our Season Ticket prices will see a modest decrease......

[Billy bodger]

This is a very important topic, I don’t think any early bird tickets should be decided until we know our fate.

I remember when we were promoted to League 1, Season ticket prices were held, the effect was more people because we had been promoted found they were well worth the price.

I have previously stated I thought they should have risen as it would have helped with getting maybe a better player through gate receipts alone. In the end it’s one of those as long as more money comes into the Club the better.

Therefore if we stay in League One I would like to see in the region of £35 rise in season tickets for seating and £25 for standing, ( 5 pints a year, 50p a week), to help families no rise on children pricing. We will still be below many other Clubs in pricing of tickets.

If we go down, to keep as many fans as possible, I think it would be right if the pricing of season tickets were reduced (35%!!??). By £40-60 for seating and £25-40 for standing.

It would be better if we get gates of 2,000-2,500 than 1,000-1,500. It’s a hard balance to get right.

One thing I would say is the National League is a lot better than many people think and if we are in it we need to be more competitive and a winning team than we have been of the recent past. That comes down to funding and fans through the gate.

So we also need to get the sale of the Club over the line and hope our new owners commit to funding the Club properly.

I have no doubt it will be a hot topic once a decision is taken, but it is an important one to get right.

[Lurchy]

I think they actually reduced season tickets prices when we got promoted. They had the offer that the more people that bought the lower the cost for everyone. I got 2 standing season tickets that 1st year in league 1 for £150 each.

If we do get relegated think we'll struggle for crowds no matter the price if Jason is still here and half the fanbase go with the "not a penny more" campaign

[redrobo]

I think they actually reduced season tickets prices when we got promoted. They had the offer that the more people that bought the lower the cost for everyone. I got 2 standing season tickets that 1st year in league 1 for £150 each.

If we do get relegated think we'll struggle for crowds no matter the price if Jason is still here and half the fanbase go with the "not a penny more" campaign

Turning your backs on your club is disgraceful

[Redalert1970]

I will be buying a season ticket whatever the price and whatever league we are in

[marky No.1]

Obviously the natural thought is prices will be cheaper in a lower League. Problem with this is that the cost of overheads stays similar in terms of business rates, insurance and utilities, all of which will be increasing anyway.

[redrobo]

I'd willingly pay £500 if that included a disable parking space.

[Hodgie1978]

People can paint it what ever way they want. Next season if Jason is here I won't be spending my money at home games. We've lost 600 on fans from last season. Who's fault is that?
Really everyone that chooses to boycott should stay quiet like the 600 from this year because you don't get insults.

[Andy D]

It might get like the Miners's strikes in 1980s with people getting called Scabs for crossing the picket line

[Redalert1970]

Pretty bad state of affairs if people get abused for going or not going to football something they look forward too every week

Everyone as a choice and an opinion

No one should have to stay quiet either way

[Billy bodger]

People can paint it what ever way they want. Next season if Jason is here I won't be spending my money at home games. We've lost 600 on fans from last season. Who's fault is that?
Really everyone that chooses to boycott should stay quiet like the 600 from this year because you don't get insults.

I don’t agree with the people giving you insults, that’s is wrong, we can all have a different opinions, but to debase it with personal insults is wrong.

In the end you are trying to do something that will help get rid of our current owner, I won’t be doing it and that should be that.

Hopefully before next season we do actually have a new owner (yes we live in hope!), and I hope all those who will join in the ‘not a penny more’ campaign will carry on coming and supporting the Shrimps, whatever league we are in.

[Keith]

If we do get relegated think we'll struggle for crowds no matter the price if Jason is still here and half the fanbase go with the "not a penny more" campaign

Turning your backs on your club is disgraceful

If you choose to keep giving your money to Whittingham, that's your choice.
If other people choose not to give Whittingham their money, that's their choice.

If we're relegated, then we need to get Whittingham out, and as fans, the only power we have is withholding our money. He doesn't care what league we're in, only how much he can milk from us. I'm of the opinion that he'll suck us dry until we go bust, so the longer that takes, the more money he gets.

[Hodgie1978]

I do know the Union have talked about how to support the club if a boycott has been decided. I like the idea of donations for the Community Trust like they did for Worcester Warriors foundation.

[KenH]

Whatever league, I think we need to revert back to differential pricing in the seating blocks. It makes no sense to charge the same in the central C block compared with the Corner E block. C block pricing also gave you entry to the suite. I said at the time it was a big mistake to take away the suite entry and standardise pricing across all three blocks.

Get back to charging a premium for C block and a heavy discount for E block so that those wanting seats have a choice of prices so that they're affordable for all but those with deeper pockets can pay premium for a more central seat and a bit of warmth at half time!

It may help fill up the E block and get more money out of people willing to pay more for the C block.

[KenH]

Obviously the natural thought is prices will be cheaper in a lower League. Problem with this is that the cost of overheads stays similar in terms of business rates, insurance and utilities, all of which will be increasing anyway.

I agree. Also players wages won't be any cheaper as we're already only paying National League level of wages. And the NIC hike will also really hit the club, especially as a lot of the match day and hospitality staff will be minimum wage part timers for whom the club will have to start paying NIC if they're earning over £5k per year whereas previously most would have been earning under £9k and therefore exempt from employers NIC. Plus of course the NIC rate hike to 15% for all those earning over £5k. It's a massive cost for businesses like the club who employ a lot of low earning part timers not to mention the extra NIC on all the higher earners too such as the players, management, etc.

[redrobo]

The more finances we can get from within the club to cover NIC costs etc without having to rely on excessive interest loans from the owner the better. That for me is one reason why I personally can not support the 'Not a Penny More' campaign.

We have to find ways to increase in house revenue and any reduction will only bring more and more financial problems on the club that we ALL support.

[Andy D]

Let's not forget we get parachute payment's if we go down

But get the feeling this is why Jason wants to hang around that bit longer so he can pocket it.

[redrobo]

Let's not forget we get parachute payment's if we go down

But get the feeling this is why Jason wants to hang around that bit longer so he can pocket it.

Please explain to me where that will happen....

How many more times does the BoDs have to say that money that comes into the club such as the above is used to fund our club on a daily basis.

In fact my understanding is that of late Jason has no control of the club's bank account and therefore can't benefit from such income. I also understand that the interest on any loans is now included in the sale price that the owner is seeking.

If I am wrong then no doubt I will be corrected on this forum.

[Hodgie1978]

So if we are relegated the price of the club goes up because Jason is putting the interest he makes from loans on the club value.?
It will continue to go up at an alarming rate making a sale more and more unlikely.

[redrobo]

Doubt we will ever agree on this matter BUT at the end of the day we ALL want rid of the owner.

Problem is that the new one/s may be just as bad that's why I suggested the Trust try to work alongside of the owner in an attempt to show any new owner that the majority of fans are totally behind the selling process.

BUT Jason being Jason will probably refuse such a collaboration......

[Keith]

Let's not forget we get parachute payment's if we go down

But get the feeling this is why Jason wants to hang around that bit longer so he can pocket it.

Please explain to me where that will happen....

How many more times does the BoDs have to say that money that comes into the club such as the above is used to fund our club on a daily basis.

Because the interest on the loans will remain the same.

This year:
£1 million loan at 20%.
£200,000 paid to Whittingham.

Next year:
Loan remains the same,
£200,000 paid to Whittingham.

Last year:
Loan was £1 million.
£200,000 was paid to Whittingham.

Forever more:
£200,000 paid to Whittingham...

Okay, I don't know how big the actual debt is, or what interest rate, but the accounts show an enormous amount of the club's income is going out on interest payments. That remains the same, even though our income is greatly reduced if we're relegated to the National League. If we go down again, as I think there would be a high likelihood, we'd have National League North income, and still have the same interest payments. At that point, we go under.

If you were Whittingham, being given £200,000 (or whatever) every year, then what's your motivation to move off? Promoted to League One or relegated to National League North, he still gets the £200k.

The only way to survive is to get rid of Whittingham. If he sees a 'Not a Penny More' campaign gain traction, then perhaps he'd decide that the time had arrived, to get out. Anything else, in my opinion, simpy increases Whittingham's wealth while postponing the inevitable for a short time.

All of that said, if we do have a miracle escape, and remain in League Two, then we're into groundhog-day, and have to support the club 100%.

[KenH]

Let's not forget we get parachute payment's if we go down

But get the feeling this is why Jason wants to hang around that bit longer so he can pocket it.

Please explain to me where that will happen....

How many more times does the BoDs have to say that money that comes into the club such as the above is used to fund our club on a daily basis.

In fact my understanding is that of late Jason has no control of the club's bank account and therefore can't benefit from such income. I also understand that the interest on any loans is now included in the sale price that the owner is seeking.

If I am wrong then no doubt I will be corrected on this forum.

Say Jason commits to paying in a million to cover the projected loss.

If, say, Derek has a good cup run and we pocket £500k then that let's Jason off the hook and he only needs to put in £500k to make up the million shortfall.

So, no he doesn't "physically" take the half million, he just makes the unilateral decision not to put the equivalent amount into the company.

I think that's exactly what happened in January with regards the cup run and television money. Derek and the board were expecting the monies to be available for Derek to spend on players. Yet the EFL stopped us bringing anyone in, presumably because any guarantees/advances from Jason for the rest of the season didn't materialise.

Given who we shipped out and who we brought in, it's clear that Derek didn't get all the cup run money which the Board suggested he would get. In fact, I'd say he got very little of it to spend.

[Andy D]

and talking about parachute payments and dodgy owners.

Lets not forget Blackpool, they'd something like 20 million what vanished with the Oystens after being relegated from the premier league, resulting with fans going mental and boycotting home games

[Keith]

resulting with fans going mental and boycotting home games

...which resulted in Oystens going. It's the only power fans actually have.

[Hodgie1978]

I noticed that Barrow are looking at a Hollywood actor for outside investment.
That is something we should be doing but who in the right mind would do that ? The longer Jason is at the club the harder it to progress. It will be
too late and before you know it Jason moves onto his next project to ruin and we are gone. It will be game over.