The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Formic wrote:Whilst I think this approach worth consideration, you can't lose sight of how much lost revenue would result - as I said earlier, it could be £40k compared to away fan revenue last season.

I'm sure a few would moan at the differential, but a few seasons back we did charge less for sitting in the Airwair than the North or South stands (admittedly only £1).

The other problem is that we've also increased prices in all other areas of the ground - so that increase would be seen as way of subsidising a reduction for away fans.

One thing to take into account is that we don't get very many away fans from most of the teams. I think we'll be down on revenue for the away anyway because of the loss of Stevenage and Oxford, but an increase in home support might offset this quite a bit. We could also see a reverse sitaution with some more away fans coming as a result. Either way, apart from the usual suspects, I would not have thought away fans would contribute a significant proportion of matchday revenue when compared to the home fans overall, with the majority possibly being in the PDB.

I think one thing against complaints towards charging away fans terrace prices is that at least there is the option of going into the PDB, which many more most likely be prepared to take rather than walk away from the club.

This option means we should be to retain the fans on the PDB, offer an alternative to those against the away prices and open the door to new fans who might be more encouraged to take the risk and come along.

It's a very good point about losing revenue from Stevenage and Oxford games - and I think this was one of the reasons the £1 increase was needed.

Two of Diamonds wrote:Why the heck should we give season ticket holders a rebate since they've already got a great price for their entry? The problem is not a season ticket holder one, it is a casual fan one many of whom will not pay £17 for entry to watch a Conference match. It was disastrous at Kettrin, it'll probably be the same here. Formic, can you work out the figures for a potential loss of support equal to that £40k figure (per home game over 23 home matches) you keep mentioning please just to give us a balanced look?

Mad dog, the Conference did not force our club to raise their prices did they? The rule is wrong I agree but the Conference did not rule that prices had to go up (pretty much like there's a way around it by joining a membership scheme no doubt). Look, I've been on here times and defended the club to the hilt, but on this occasion I think they've got it wrong and it's alienating some of the previously hardcore fans even on this site. As we've seen in the past, once the fans have gone they rarely come back.

For the terracing they have done via this directive. I don't know why you keeping putting the same points across, when others on this topic such as Trek and Formic have explained this as well. Dig them up if you want your points answering again.

Have you emailed the Conference board now? If not, then I suggest you do since it is one avenue that might (not neccessarily will, but might) help towards sorting this all out. If we don't explore all avenues then nothing will get done, no matter how much we complain about it on this messageboard. Let's expand our options.

Btw I'm glad we're now discussing possible solutions to get around this.

Formic wrote:It's a very good point about losing revenue from Stevenage and Oxford games - and I think this was one of the reasons the £1 increase was needed.

I think it also highlights the need to try and ensure where possible the chances of getting more through the gates. If Luton go up this year and we don't, that's another big away attendence gone.

Even if we're doing well on the pitch, we still need to give them an incentive if we can to buy a ticket. They may wish to sit, which they would have to pay £17 anyway, however a separate terracing may encourage some to go on the terraces at first because it is cheaper before making a comitment.

Two of Diamonds wrote:Why the heck should we give season ticket holders a rebate since they've already got a great price for their entry?

Because if you lower the prices for everyone else it suddenly isn't such a great price anymore.

At £325, a seat costs £14.13 per game. If you make it £14 for away fans, you start discriminating against your own supporters.

My general point is that its better to get people into the ground, using the car park, strikers, the kimberley suite, the club shop, the snack bars, buying a 50/50 ticket etc. than to alienate them by charging too much.

Plus at the end of the day, which amount is profitable for the club to get from the casual fan - £13 or £0?

I have read over some of this thread, but it is very long having been away for a week myself.

I must say that all of the arguments for and against (this one included I should say!) will ultimately be unimportant, because even my reaction, as a long time supporter of this club up and down the country was:

£17 to stand and watch Conference football? NO CHANCE.

I don't really care about conference directives or not because we lost sight of the bigger picture - £17 to stand in the cold and watch non-league football. Who the heck is going to pay that? I do have a season ticket for next season, but can I afford to come with my partner or with the kids, no chance, and any casual fan will think the same.

As others have said - what is better for the club? £13 (even £19 if kids come with parents) or £0. This is disgraceful, no matter where the blame lies.

I keep putting these same points across because I haven't seen this directive yet in any form for myself and am concerned the loss of home support (and with it, their revenue) will more than outweigh the price rise gains. I also haven't seen a decent argument against it that persuades me our club hasn't got it all to cock.
The Conference board would only issue a directive like "you cannot charge more for away fans than home", not "your club will have to put your prices up to match the away fan price". Let's say for instance the directive came out and our club said, "well it's a huge jump from £14 to £17 for our long suffering fans on the terrace, let's find a nice balance and reduce the seated price to match the standing", can you say the Conference would object? I'll happily email the Conference when I've seen the statement and it says just that, until then my opinion is that the club have made a bad call. I stand ready to be corrected with the facts, I hope and trust you're the same? In the meantime let's hope and pray that we don't lose too many fans in the run-up, god knows we've lost enough already during this thread alone.

Ahh, I see where you're at now Andy, but it's still a saving if the club made it £15? I'd be surprised if there's many brought season tickets at that price. My point stands though, those season ticket holders didn't know what gate prices were going to be so brought for the prices advertised.

AndyKirkup wrote:

Two of Diamonds wrote:Why the heck should we give season ticket holders a rebate since they've already got a great price for their entry?

Because if you lower the prices for everyone else it suddenly isn't such a great price anymore.

At £325, a seat costs £14.13 per game. If you make it £14 for away fans, you start discriminating against your own supporters.

I'm sorry but if you make it £14 for away fans ST holders are hardly likely to get all uppity about 13p FFS. That's £2.99 throughout the season and the fact is that season ticket holders would still buy their STs because it's not just entry you're paying for.

I've been a season ticket holder for the last 3 seasons and I'll carry on getting a season ticket even if the club reduced the price so that there was no difference in overall saving across the season. I enjoy the fact that I can just rock up to the turnstiles at 2.55pm and not have to worry about finding money, or if there's an all-ticket game I don't have to worry about getting one and the ticket priority for cup or play-off games. I'd wager that most season ticket holders also like this and would carry on buying season tickets so they had these conveniences even if it made no financial difference to them.

Two of Diamonds wrote:I keep putting these same points across because I haven't seen this directive yet in any form for myself and am concerned the loss of home support (and with it, their revenue) will more than outweigh the price rise gains. I also haven't seen a decent argument against it that persuades me our club hasn't got it all to cock.
The Conference board would only issue a directive like "you cannot charge more for away fans than home", not "your club will have to put your prices up to match the away fan price". Let's say for instance the directive came out and our club said, "well it's a huge jump from £14 to £17 for our long suffering fans on the terrace, let's find a nice balance and reduce the seated price to match the standing", can you say the Conference would object? I'll happily email the Conference when I've seen the statement and it says just that, until then my opinion is that the club have made a bad call. I stand ready to be corrected with the facts, I hope and trust you're the same? In the meantime let's hope and pray that we don't lose too many fans in the run-up, god knows we've lost enough already during this thread alone.

Ahh, I see where you're at now Andy, but it's still a saving if the club made it £15? I'd be surprised if there's many brought season tickets at that price. My point stands though, those season ticket holders didn't know what gate prices were going to be so brought for the prices advertised.

I don't think anyone who has thought it through has suggested that the Conference have dictated "your club will have to put your prices up to match the away fan price" as you suggest they have been. I think we all realise the edict relates to parity - and hence a price reduction wouldn't be an issue for the Conference - but would be an issue for the club in relation to revenue - and thus that is why the Conference decision has caused these increases, as we have to maintain / increase revenue next season.
I'll have those figures you asked for shortly.

ignore - for now.