Rationale for Season ticket increase

[Donny Exile in York]

I realise that there is alot of people not happy with the proposed increase in season ticket prices, but i must admit that after two or three years of relaitively static prices, i was expecting this, and can understand the club for doing this. Sorry if this upsets people on here, but if we want to progress, we want to see Sharp and Shackell at the club, rather than Guy and Heffernan, then we have to pay for it some how. Now if the Board is being prudent and quite rightly running the club on a sound business footing, an increase in income from matchday prices is inevitable.

The question is, how much are we willing to pay to watch a squad with the callibre of Sharp, and / or a Shackell, or players of that ilk in the future? For the sake of a £20 hike  per annum (though i appreciate for differing categories starting from a lower current value the increase is higher) on my Season ticket, i am.  

Sorry if this offends, but i do think we cannot on one hand say, we need to sign sharp, and on the other expect no increase in season ticket prices.

[pkt_drfc]

I don't mind paying £40 more i expected a rise on my CAT C but to be only given a month to pay the £320 is out of order and then to be £400 for CAT C i am sorry i will not be paying £400 and money is tight as i am not working

[Donny Exile in York]

No i agree, the way that it has been rushed to be introduced, and allowing only 1 month at current prices is not on. The club, if it wanted to go down this route should have done this months ag, though i bet they didn't think, as now that it is likely we will be in the championship still (touch wood).

They should offer the discount til the end of the season at least. But i think we should expect some additional cost if we want to watch better quality players, namely Billy Sharp full time, which i certainly do!

Don't get me wrong, i realise that money is tight but i think that for me paying an extra £20 per year to see better players hopefully coming through the door is what i would accept.

[MrFrost]

Donny Exile in York wrote:

I realise that there is alot of people not happy with the proposed increase in season ticket prices, but i must admit that after two or three years of relaitively static prices, i was expecting this, and can understand the club for doing this. Sorry if this upsets people on here, but if we want to progress, we want to see Sharp and Shackell at the club, rather than Guy and Heffernan, then we have to pay for it some how. Now if the Board is being prudent and quite rightly running the club on a sound business footing, an increase in income from matchday prices is inevitable.

The question is, how much are we willing to pay to watch a squad with the callibre of Sharp, and / or a Shackell, or players of that ilk in the future? For the sake of a £20 hike  per annum (though i appreciate for differing categories starting from a lower current value the increase is higher) on my Season ticket, i am.  

Sorry if this offends, but i do think we cannot on one hand say, we need to sign sharp, and on the other expect no increase in season ticket prices.

If the club thinks this is the right way to bring players like Sharp and Shackell to DRFC they are very much mistaken.

When only 4000 people bother buying at these prices (which they will) we can kiss goodbye to the likes of Sharp and get ready for selling Stock, Woods etc.

On the other hand, by putting prices down by the same ammount, you would probably see an increase on sales, bringing more money into the club.

[SkellowRover]

Do you think a price increase of 58% on junior st's is acceptable then when inflation is at 3%? because i don't. The club have shot themself in the foot regarding parents buying st's for their kids with this.
I don't mind paying a little extra especially on my own st but a hike that much for kids is terrible.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

My main problem is I'm still a student, yet come next season I won't be.  I'm expected to fund adult price of £380 by the end of next month.  Impossible, that's more than I get paid in a month before I even pay bills.

[Donny Exile in York]

Who's to say Mr Frost, on the elasticity of demand here. OK say people don't renew, then we won't have the quality players, and we will go down.

I realise that this is a sensitive and emotive subject right now, with the prices just being put on here, and as i say, i am not looking for loads of abuse, as i accept that in the current climate, increased prices is difficult for most to manage. I just wish the club would allow more than a month to take advantage of current or slightly increased prices. I accept it doesn't give much time for people to pay / raise the money, not to mention the adminstrative nightmare of the club ticket sales team managing to process renewals!!

[Donny Exile in York]

No i think a 58% increase in children's season ticket prices is not the way to go. I think we would benefit from understanding from Gartom why JR / Morris etc have decided upon the strategy of increases they have and the timeframe involved.

Don't get me wrong, i am not looking to get hung drawn and quartered here, i just anticipated some increase in prices was inevitable, given we have had relatively static season ticket prices for a number of years, and currently have Sharp, Shackell, Ward, Mutch and Emmanuel Thomas on loan.. the budget this year must have been blown sky high, not to mention the recent signing of Martis.

[sha66y]

but!................... when do you stop?

are you saying that if we sign a couple more exellent players, we are to have another increase next season to facilitate the signing, because this is the way to bankruptcy, and low crowds ?????

we are in a recession Mr Ryan!!!! it did not just go away!

i have no magical solution to our dilemma , suffice to say, i will be getting my ticket next week (£40 hike) but will have to go cap in hand for my sons ticket,

shitbuggerarseholespisscockfart,whostolemyhorseandcart,idontgiveabuggerillsoongetanother,shitbuggerarseholespisscockfart!

[bedale rover]

the fact is that the prices for season tickets hasnt gone up since we went into the keepmoat so it was inevitable that the prices would rise at some point

as regards to reducing prices unfortunately that is the last resort for football clubs in the mire

i suppose the rationale for putting the prices out now is so that they have the money in early

i sympathise with people who are struggling to pay the new prices but as a business DRFC  has to compete with other teams who will also be putting up their prices so the choice is no choice at all

[MrFrost]

Ermm. From what I have seen, most clubs have frozen or reduced prices.

[wilts rover]

I would guess that the timescale for season tickests is such that the board are able to make a judgement as to what their budget will be towards the end of the season so that they can
a) offer new deals to the players out of contract
b) bring in new players
they will of course need to know as soon as possible because if we dont sign them up - somebody else will

Got to agree that football is far too expensive for everybody, except the players, but unfortunately it is an open and unregulated market

[CusworthRovers]

What in Kirk Douglas's dimple chin is going on with ST prices. I'm playing catch up on the forum, but starting to see a big surge in debate to the pricing structure. I have looked on the OS and there is nothing.

There is a thread further up soley on ST's. Think I might need to read this.

[Rovin Reporter]

why not have quarterly season ticket at  a  larger starting price  Cat B £120 per quarter or £380 for those who can afford pay up front .

[jb stainforth]

Donny Exile in York wrote:

I realise that there is alot of people not happy with the proposed increase in season ticket prices, but i must admit that after two or three years of relaitively static prices, i was expecting this, and can understand the club for doing this. Sorry if this upsets people on here, but if we want to progress, we want to see Sharp and Shackell at the club, rather than Guy and Heffernan, then we have to pay for it some how. Now if the Board is being prudent and quite rightly running the club on a sound business footing, an increase in income from matchday prices is inevitable.

The question is, how much are we willing to pay to watch a squad with the callibre of Sharp, and / or a Shackell, or players of that ilk in the future? For the sake of a £20 hike  per annum (though i appreciate for differing categories starting from a lower current value the increase is higher) on my Season ticket, i am.  

Sorry if this offends, but i do think we cannot on one hand say, we need to sign sharp, and on the other expect no increase in season ticket prices.

if you believe john ryan will spend extra money on star players you are living in cloud cuckoo
land he will pocket the lot to run club and still expect sod to work his magic and find cheap
replacements

[hatfield red]

I half expected this, trouble is how many people got season tickets for there kids, and they dont go. That seat has been sold for the season, and it could be empty for a lot of the games. So potentally the club will make more money if sold for the £23 it could fetch, for one of the bigger fixtures. Like i say i am not happy but it was expected. I took my grand daughter to a game, kids for a quid, she loved it, so i got her a season ticket.£30 money well spent, next year she moves into the next age bracket, £95 money her mother has not got, puts me in an awkward position.

[Donny Exile in York]

JB Stinforth, who's living in cloud cookoo land... have we not progressed every season under JR.. i really can't understand how you can say that!! How about this season, have we not brought in better quality, albeit many being on loan, but would you rather have Sharp or last year's loanee Lua Lua.. Face it, players like Shiels and Martis have improved the squad and i believe we are still progressing, if you don't then i am afraid there is no pleasing you!

This whole debate about season tickets, whilst i accept the timing, and timeframe for renewal is not good, or the increase in children's tickets, what about value for money?

Do you believe watching Rovers is value for money, under SoD we have ben watching the best football in our history, surely that is worth an extra £20 or £70 to watch next year.. at between £1 and £3 per match, depending on how cheap it has being previously to watch champtionship football... in the cast of Cat C at £280, that was less or not far off how much i paid for a Main stand terrace season ticket at Belle Vue..

[steve@dcfd]

Donny Exile in York Quote
JB Stinforth, who's living in cloud cookoo land... have we not progressed every season under JR.. i really can't understand how you can say that!! How about this season, have we not brought in better quality, albeit many being on loan, but would you rather have Sharp or last year's loanee Lua Lua.. Face it, players like Shiels and Martis have improved the squad and i believe we are still progressing, if you don't then i am afraid there is no pleasing you!

Now this a different debate

Billy Sharp, Jason Shackell, Elliott Ward have improved a squad that had not until they arrived. Dean Shiels yes is better than Lewis Guy. Shelton Martis should improve the squad if his hamstrings are in order had a problem on and off since his last loan spell. Emmanuel Thomas again should improve the midfield he is better than Spicer, Shiels, Coppinger and Wilson. Will we progress this year? Billy Sharp has made the goals for better, Jason Shackell has made the goals against better, but on our current wins ratio we will not win has many games, but we will draw more and lose less. On our form so far this year we will finish on the same points or one or two less.
Lets hope Sullivan,Chambers,O'Connor/Martis,Ward/Shackell,Roberts,Coppinger/Shiels Stock, Woods,Oster/Hayter, Thomas,Sharp play all thirteen games and we may show progression.

[DearneValleyRover]

The price increase I expected it's the short notice that isn't ok. I budget for my ST and I budget for May as I always have but now I find without any notice that I have to find the money in less time or find an extra £80. The problem I have is that I now find I cannot afford either deadline so will have to find an extra £120 and could possibly lose my seat. I see the reason for increase but no way can the time limit be justified. I miss games due to work committments and usually more than justify a purchase of an ST, next season I will not be buying.