How can we, as fans/customers, best voice our concerns over increasing costs to the club?

[Tricky Dicky]

[/B]

I go into that category as well never been to the Amex due to illness and even if I could would not be able to afford it
and of coarse you are right the place would be full but how many of those seats would have actual Albion fans in them

But really, do United care ? They're full every week. Arsenal have, what, a 40,000 waiting list for season tickets - I dread to think what they pay for a day out, and no travel concessions.

 

[glasfryn]

Pie in the sky ideology! So it's getting to a stage when you can't afford it. What did you do when people who couldn't afford the ticket prices at Withdean were priced out. People on minimum wages or those on shift patterns who couldn't take advantage of season tickets. Fact is this is a business whether as an old romantic you like it or not. Tony Bloom has a lot of money invested in the club and is unlikely to see any return on that unless the club get to the premier league. He is not going to relinquish that just to keep a minority of fans on NSC happy. As someone mentioned above, as long as the stadium is filling up then they they won't be too concerned financially if a few fans from the old days don't renew their season tickets. If there is a new generation to replace them so be it.

If you don't renew your ticket are you just going to rely on watching the odd live match on sky!!!

you and others are assuming that we will get to the PL
what if
god forgive if we don't?
where will those new fans be then
as I said before its one hell of a punt

 

[symyjym]

Some people may be happy as things are. This thread probably isn't for them.

But for the rest of us, how can we best vocalise our concerns to the club? If there is one set of supporters who should be able to do is well, it is surely us.

Probably the best way to get your voice heard is by streaking during the game, being arrested and getting a story in the Argus to highlight your concerns.

Let me know how you get on

 

[Deadly Danson]

It's not - but by being selective, clever with travel, drinking cans & eating on the way up - it's not a lot more expensive really. And to be honest, it's a much more enjoyable day out for the money (even if we play shit)

OK, so you haven't been priced out of the Amex then. You just find going to away games a more enjoyable (and, by your own admission) more expensive day out - fair enough.

 

[Stat Brother]

Pie & Pint, a few more beers after that, programme, Albion hat-trick etc - Usually works out about £30

So here you are, bemoaning the fact you have been priced out of the AMEX, even though you spend 2 games worth of money per match.

But you'll happily economise for away games.

You haven't been priced of of the AMEX, your lifestyle and refusal to budget has priced you out of the AMEX.
You can afford to go, if you want to, you choose not too.

 

[Deadly Danson]

Pie & Pint, a few more beers after that, programme, Albion hat-trick etc - Usually works out about £30

Well no wonder you feel it's too expensive - why don't you be as selective for home games as you profess to be for away games. I probably spend around £5-7 (on top of the ticket) for a home game. I'm not having a go - it just seems that you say you can't afford to go to home games but you freely admit you can afford to spend more to go to away games.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

the given market rate is stupid though. That is problem. Something has to snap, player wages or the fans. I would prefer it to be the player wages, they can afford it.

Something will give at some point. It's all fuelled by Sky. You only need something to happen to them and that's it; game over for very very average players being multi-millionaires.

 

[martyn20]

It's not - but by being selective, clever with travel, drinking cans & eating on the way up - it's not a lot more expensive really. And to be honest, it's a much more enjoyable day out for the money (even if we play shit)

You would rather go to other grounds than The Amex?

 

[Ernest]

Don't buy any of the over priced tat such as the new shirts seeing as they are only for one season, don't buy any food or drink at the ground, don't buy any lottery tickets or the stupid text votes and other such crap and once takings are plummeting they may start to ask questions.

 

[Igzilla]

I blame Jimmy Hill. He's got a lot to answer for

 

[Deadly Danson]

@Deadly Danson @Stat Brother

You should consider that I am a non-season ticket holder, as are many of the people I go with.

The match day prices were expensive before, but now they are obscene - couple that with the the ridiculous membership scheme, new travel costs and possible increase in food & drink prices - The Amex has become a very expensive hobby for non-STH's.

Football is a day out - I'm hardly going to abstain from food, drink and everything else I find enjoyable when I'm paying £40 for it.

I would love to go to every game at the Amex next season, but I can't afford to - I have been priced out - so instead I am spending my money selectively both at the Amex and elsewhere.

But it's YOUR choice to spend that extra on food, drink, programmes etc. If money is so tight for you I would consider a season ticket - it would save you around £15 per match on a ticket and you should be able to sell your ticket on for games you can't get to and direct debit spreads the cost a bit too. It just sounds to me like you are making excuses for not going rather than finding ways to go.

 

[Stat Brother]

@Deadly Danson @Stat Brother

You should consider that I am a non-season ticket holder, as are many of the people I go with.

The match day prices were expensive before, but now they are obscene - couple that with the the ridiculous membership scheme, new travel costs and possible increase in food & drink prices - The Amex has become a very expensive hobby for non-STH's.

Football is a day out - I'm hardly going to abstain from food, drink and everything else I find enjoyable when I'm paying £40 for it.

I would love to go to every game at the Amex next season, but I can't afford to - I have been priced out - so instead I am spending my money selectively both at the Amex and elsewhere.

You have free train travel from Hove.
What's the price of membership scheme?
Food and drink is your choice.
As is a programme.
Seagull Lottery, come on!!

Do you not accept the fact with £30 disposable cash, if you wanted to go you could?

 

[Baldseagull]

The FFP will start to bite in the next couple of seasons and the players will not get the wage offers they used to in the Championship, the gulf between Prem and Championship will widen though.
The next step for football has to be to set maximum ticket pricing for a number of tickets in certain areas, and standing areas to be re introduced.
Some clubs are going to get caught out massively on FFP.

 

[mikes smalls]

Stop spending money at the stadium.
I for one can't understand why anyone needs to eat between the hours of 3pm and 5pm for a start. Is there anything insightful in the program? I'm too old to wear a football kit. Just turn up and support the Albion.
They will only start to listen when people stop choosing to spend their money.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Some people may be happy as things are. This thread probably isn't for them.

But for the rest of us, how can we best vocalise our concerns to the club? If there is one set of supporters who should be able to do is well, it is surely us.

I would suggest each and every fan concerned about spiralling costs email the club sharing those concerns in depth.

I also think that, perhaps for the first league game, people do not buy anything at The Amex stadium. No pies or pints may be a tall order for some but, in reality, it would a one off. A gesture showing that, as customers, we could easily withdraw said custom.

I would also suggest that, if the was such a day of merchandise, food boycott etc that every single person taking part email the commercial manager during the week before to let them know of your intentions.

Regardless of the bus costs etc the club has now retrospectively changed the club's charter twice to fall in line with decisions over additional charges, lack of transport etc.

It has also sold upwards of 22,000 season tickets without advertising significant changes to the terms and conditions. This is a worrying precedent and there is no reason to believe it will not happen again the next time the club decides to increase a cost which contradicts it.

I am not a knee-jerk anti-Barber moaner. I understand the requirements of FFP and fully appreciate he financial input of Tony Bloom - that is something I will always be grateful for.

I also don't mind paying slightly over the odds if it means keeping this club of ours financially stable. I, like 4,500 others, did so willingly throughout the years at Withdean where season ticket prices were often higher than some Premier League clubs despite being for seats in the league's worst stadium and to watch a team often playing outside try country's top two divisions.

I don't believe a protest against Paul Barber is even fair or, perhaps more importantly, likely to achieve anything. He isn't the problem. The disgusting, bloated, goldfish bowled football industry is to blame.

FFP is designed to encourage clubs to live within their finances. It is not meant to see clubs simply charge fans more in order to meet the criteria.

The Albion ARE trying to reduce costs. They are by no means the worst offenders in football. Far from it. They are also trying in some ways to make things still affordable while increasing prices. The direct debit interest free season ticket option for example is superb.

But they are the only club which WE are customers of. They are the only club we can apply pressure to.

I would equally suggest boycotting the most expensive away match next season en masse and, again, telling the people in charge exactly why.

Football will eat itself if things carry on the way they are. All fans of all clubs need to stand together and say, enough is enough. To tell clubs they are no longer prepared to pay inflated prices to fund sky high player wages in the midst of a terrible economic climate in the real world.

Perhaps it is time Brighton fans once again lead the way.

Judging by comments elsewhere on here over the last few days there are fans now being priced out of watching the Albion. Loyal fans. Fans who wrote letters, went on marches, kept going when few others bothered. Nobody will ever convince me that that is not wrong.

Promotion to the Premier League would almost certainly price out even more.

What about a naked lego licking protest in stamner park before the Newport game That will show them

 

[murphy's law]

I pay about £25 a game for a great seat in the west stand upper in a fantastic stadium with free matchday travel. No complaints here.

We are losing £8 million a year, so something has got to give.

This is ain't an Archer & Bellotti fans united situation.

The premier league is a different matter where overspending by clubs is rampant & tickets prices are ludicrous despite the huge TV income.

At this level however, the TV money isn't stupid so clubs have got to meet FFP somehow.

 

[The Sock of Poskett]

How can we, as fans/customers, best voice our concerns over increasing costs to

What about a naked lego licking protest in stamner park before the Newport game That will show them

Your Lego wears no clothes?! That's WEIRD.

 

[pastafarian]

Something will give at some point. It's all fuelled by Sky. You only need something to happen to them and that's it; game over for very very average players being multi-millionaires.

This is the correct standpoint.

Sky are the real villains,hurt them and things might eventually change.

Any protest that hurts your own club financially is counter productive.

 

[jgmcdee]

I'm curious but suppose that those who are saying take a stand manage to convince the entire stadium to not spend any money on food/drink/merchandise for a few games. What do you expect to have happen as a result, and how do you think that this would help the club?

 

[Return of the Rev]

Your Lego wears no clothes?! That's WEIRD.

Typical make it dirty