Dee4Life

[scottg]

The Supporters Society (hopefully soon to be known again as Dee4Life) are on a recruitment drive.

With a substantial shareholding in the Football Club it’s better in many ways that the membership is more representative of the support than it currently is.

The only way we can make that possible is by getting more people to join.

Cannot see what the case is for continuously kicking it up and down the street and saying it is not representative of the support not least when it is a fiver to be a part of it and have your say.

I will send Graeme the correspondence I received as a member and he can put it up on the site if he wants to .

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yip il do that later when a i get a minute mate

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Dundee FC Supporters’ Society Limited
Moving Forward Together
The Dundee FC Supporters’ Society Limited is registered with the FCA under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.
Registration Number 2639 RS – registered address DFCSS, Dens Park Stadium, Sandeman Street,, Dundee DD3 7JY.
DFCSS ‘Phone a Friend or Five’ Appeal
Dear Member,
The Society Board has prepared this short note to ask if you could assist us with our efforts to boost the number of members which currently stands at 164.
Background:
As you know the Society’s registered name is Dundee FC Supporters’ Society Limited. The Board is however currently reviewing the implications of reverting to the former Dee4Life Trust name in which the supporters all took such great pride. Hopefully such a rebranding can be carried out without much difficulty and Members will be updated in the near future.
Currently, Dundee FC has two active supporters groups, DFCSS and the DSA (Dundee FC Supporters’ Association). We fully acknowledge the ***** role played by DSA and see DFCSS to be a different yet highly complementary supporter based organisation.
As holders of a substantial shareholding in Dundee FC, which has been secured through the magnificent efforts and sacrifices of a wide spectrum of fans around the time of Admin 2 we regard the Society as guardians of the shares as well as providing a democratic organisational structure for supporters alongside the DSA affiliated supporters’ clubs. And last but not least, we like the DSA have and will continue to make financial contributions to Dundee Football Club
The Society and DSA have a great deal in common in their support of Dundee FC and unfortunately a recently scheduled meeting between the two groups had to be cancelled at short notice for unavoidable personal reasons however it will hopefully go ahead in the very near future.
One of the various topics to be discussed at the anticipated meeting between the Society and DSA will be attendances at Dens Park and reasons for their decline over the past few years. To this end, a Match Pricing Study was prepared almost a year ago and twice presented to the club – but with no response. This was intended to be a discussion paper – we believe it is good to talk – and has been attached for your perusal.
Appeal to the Members:
To return to the initial point, the Board would be delighted if every Member could try to persuade five friends (or more) to join or re-join the Society. The reasons for this are twofold - firstly to increase the profile and diversity of the Society and secondly to boost its financial base (membership remains at £5 per annum) which will in turn financially benefit the football club.
And finally, for the avoidance of doubt, the Society Board wishes to confirm that it has no interest whatsoever in regaining ownership of or running Dundee FC, but instead wish to remain supportive of the club, providing constructive suggestions and where necessary asking the difficult questions.
The Society provides supporters with a ‘Voice and a Choice’
No Society and No Shares = No Voice and No Choice

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Dundee FC Season Ticket & PATG Price Study and the Broader Picture
Prepared by Arthur McGuinness and Norrie Price in April 2018:
Firstly, the club deserve credit for maintaining season ticket prices at last season’s levels. A year or so on, those are now mostly good value for money, especially if supporters take advantage of the various Early Bird discount incentives.
Adult ST prices compare reasonably well (c £20/game) with most of Dundee’s Premier League peers as well as Premier prices projected by neighbours Dundee United. Both the U18 and U12 categories – at £130 and £10, respectively – represent superb value and this is heartening to see. My only reservation lies with the O65s and student category, which at £265 is perhaps £40 more than several other clubs* and would arguably be more attractive pitched closer to the £200 mark after discounts. (* ‘17/18 prices)
Clearly, the club are endeavouring to encourage the uptake of season tickets but, equally, gate prices need to be reasonably priced to lure those who, either cannot commit to the price of a season book or would fail to benefit from a ST due to being unable to attend a number of games. Turning to Pay-at-the-Gate pricing, the issue is unfortunately dominated by the new headline-grabbing ‘Premium’ match category - £30 for an adult - introduced alongside the existing A & B Categories. There’s been no indication what this covers, but it’s assumed it could be for matches against the Old Firm and possibly, Dundee United.
Whatever way you look at it, this new category is unjustified. It seems sure to attract widespread negative publicity, and rather than earn additional revenue may well do the opposite. It is liable to cause unrest amongst Dundee supporters and they as well as prospective visiting fans may also just stay away. At the very least, it would be helpful for a club spokesman to explain what they are attempting to do.
I would prefer Dundee FC to be seen as a club with a fair pricing policy, ideally with standard pricing for all games, with a higher charge perhaps for visits by the Old Firm and Dundee United. Dundee’s Category A & B prices remain at £26 and £24 yet Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock, who like Dundee have enjoyed scant success in recent years, each offer modestly priced* adult gate prices of £22 and £20. (* ‘17/18 prices). As with their season ticket approach, the board should be looking to encourage more people along on a casual basis so an adjustment there allied to a reduced gate price of £15 for O65s and Students - rather than £22/19/16 currently mooted - might help develop the fan base.
Ideally, I feel that Dundee supporters ought to be able to watch their team for no more than £20 and a season ticket commitment would certainly enable that. Personally, I would rarely be prepared to pay more than £20 for PATG entry, perhaps £22-24 for the occasional away game, but not on a regular basis. This latter viewpoint may be significant when discussing why attendances for home games against Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen have

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markedly declined – perhaps due to Cat A pricing for adults at £26 - and it would be worth discussing with their fans groups and our own. I would say, then, that at £20 and above - loyalty apart - there needs to be a real attraction in prospect – a competitive game, with good entertainment and a good atmosphere. If you’ve no loyalty to DFC, and in the absence of these criteria an individual would seriously question the worth of that outlay when there is arguably better value from a visit to Ice Hockey, the cinema, the theatre or having a good meal and drinks.
Why not take soundings from representatives of fans groups DSA and DFCSS over pricing or other issues? This would be seen as good PR, while at the announcement of prices for a new season it would seem prudent to send existing/lapsed season ticket holders their own renewal/re-application form. Should they not wish to renew, their feedback would at the very least be informative. One would also expect the club to be actively targeting local schools, universities and colleges but, again, new custom will only be attracted by decent PATG prices.
Supporters understand that the club should not live beyond its means, that it requires income and that it will have to sell players along the way to help balance the books. However, just prior to the 2016/16 season, the Dundee FC board lost a lot of credibility by releasing their most creative player, Gary Harkins then selling Kane Hemmings and Greg Stewart, who had scored 36 goals between them the previous year. The purchase of a season ticket, then, can clearly be an act of faith as none were satisfactorily replaced, and in the recent January window a similar situation occurred with the loss of Jack Hendry.
In considering the issue of pricing we ought to ask just what is Dundee FC’s overall strategy and how do they hope to achieve it? One would assume that they would wish to improve attendances and with that the income for the club. “How,” would be the question? The provision of better facilities through the proposed new stadium is certainly a positive, yet in the here and now, engagement with supporters & shareholders, and increased flexibility of thought would be welcomed.
This is particularly important as Dundee continue to compete for local support with Dundee United, who until their relegation two years ago enjoyed considerably more recent success and developed a larger fan-base. Dundee FC and their board, therefore, need to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to rebuild the team and support, while continuing to re-establish them at the top level.
What is Dundee FC’s Elasticity of Demand? The point being whether lowering admission prices – perhaps selectively – would help boost attendances and build long-term support. A stated plan to trial this would certainly be appreciated by fans and would also achieve positive publicity for the club - a 10% increase for a particular fixture might be deemed a success. The effect of high pricing with that £30 PATG may soon be discovered, but how many would come along with free admission, perhaps with a blanket or bucket collection to record their appreciation?

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Nearly 8,000 turned out for the cut-price final-day match v Partick Thistle in the “Defiant Season” while a similar number attended a, televised Scottish Cup quarter-final v Hamilton in 2005. Last November, Armed Forces personnel gained free entry against Kilmarnock, adding perhaps 500 of a 5,800 gate - fairly impressive considering Dundee had lost their five previous games. In January, a price reduction to £10 & £5 for the Scottish Cup tie v ICT brought a declared gate of only 3,507 (STs invalid) but the weather was particularly cold and a better measure might be to offer a “Spring-Time Special” double deal with reduced prices for the final two home games against Hamilton and Partick Thistle – matches that could be ***** to Dundee’s Scottish Premier future.
Televised matches have meant perhaps 20% of home games being played on Friday nights, or Saturday/Sunday at 1230 rather than the traditional 3pm kick-off. That can make it inconvenient or just impossible for a season-ticket holder to attend. And with these games shown live on TV, the temptation to watch elsewhere arises, leaving less value to be had from a season ticket and maybe a decision not to renew.
Thus, for those for whom a Season Ticket is impractical and PATG punitive, can a “Super-Six” Flexi ticket or similar be introduced, perhaps covering two Cat A and four Cat B games? Local derbies apart, attendances at televised games have been disappointing, many fans just will not pay Cat A prices (£26) for a game they can watch free in a pub with a few and it would seem well worth trialling a televised Sat 1230 game against Hearts, Hibs or Aberdeen with reduced prices while liaising with those clubs along with an appeal to home fans to respond, to see if there is an improvement.
We believe the club needs to consider whether it provides value for money and how others perceive them. A good way of doing this would be to conduct an Annual Supporter Satisfaction Survey, covering 10 key points. These can be completed by say 5% of our regular support - around 200 persons – with distribution to club sponsors, shareholders, season ticket holders, fans groups, pay at the gate fans, and of courses lapsed supporters.
To summarise
IMO, Season ticket prices are attractive though O65s & Students could be dropped slightly.
Re PATG, need to forget any ideas about Premier Category at £30 and reconsider Adult Cat A, Over 65 & Student prices – particularly when televised live.
We want to be The Club that cares – better PR required.

[hmac]

The Supporters Society (hopefully soon to be known again as Dee4Life) are on a recruitment drive.

With a substantial shareholding in the Football Club it’s better in many ways that the membership is more representative of the support than it currently is.

The only way we can make that possible is by getting more people to join.

Cannot see what the case is for continuously kicking it up and down the street and saying it is not representative of the support not least when it is a fiver to be a part of it and have your say.

I will send Graeme the correspondence I received as a member and he can put it up on the site if he wants to .

Good Luck Scott, I'm not sure i agree that giving comment is "continuously kicking it up and down the street" after all nobody needs to join the Conservative Party to have comment on Teresa May right? I actually read your post and clicked on Apply then saw this -

SECTION 4 - PAYMENT & AGREEMENT
Payment Options

Cash: (Delivered to: Forbes Newsagents, 94 Clepington Road, Dundee); Cheque: (to “Dundee FC Supporters’ Society Ltd” Posted to: DFCSS, Dens Park Stadium, Sandeman Street, Dundee, DD3 7JY); or Direct Debit: via GoCardless (only available through the Society website application form). NB: Please include a completed and signed form with your payment.

- I nearly fell off may chair!!

[Returnofrros]

Dundee FC Season Ticket & PATG Price Study and the Broader Picture
Prepared by Arthur McGuinness and Norrie Price in April 2018:
Firstly, the club deserve credit for maintaining season ticket prices at last season’s levels. A year or so on, those are now mostly good value for money, especially if supporters take advantage of the various Early Bird discount incentives.
Adult ST prices compare reasonably well (c £20/game) with most of Dundee’s Premier League peers as well as Premier prices projected by neighbours Dundee United. Both the U18 and U12 categories – at £130 and £10, respectively – represent superb value and this is heartening to see. My only reservation lies with the O65s and student category, which at £265 is perhaps £40 more than several other clubs* and would arguably be more attractive pitched closer to the £200 mark after discounts. (* ‘17/18 prices)
Clearly, the club are endeavouring to encourage the uptake of season tickets but, equally, gate prices need to be reasonably priced to lure those who, either cannot commit to the price of a season book or would fail to benefit from a ST due to being unable to attend a number of games. Turning to Pay-at-the-Gate pricing, the issue is unfortunately dominated by the new headline-grabbing ‘Premium’ match category - £30 for an adult - introduced alongside the existing A & B Categories. There’s been no indication what this covers, but it’s assumed it could be for matches against the Old Firm and possibly, Dundee United.
Whatever way you look at it, this new category is unjustified. It seems sure to attract widespread negative publicity, and rather than earn additional revenue may well do the opposite. It is liable to cause unrest amongst Dundee supporters and they as well as prospective visiting fans may also just stay away. At the very least, it would be helpful for a club spokesman to explain what they are attempting to do.
I would prefer Dundee FC to be seen as a club with a fair pricing policy, ideally with standard pricing for all games, with a higher charge perhaps for visits by the Old Firm and Dundee United. Dundee’s Category A & B prices remain at £26 and £24 yet Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock, who like Dundee have enjoyed scant success in recent years, each offer modestly priced* adult gate prices of £22 and £20. (* ‘17/18 prices). As with their season ticket approach, the board should be looking to encourage more people along on a casual basis so an adjustment there allied to a reduced gate price of £15 for O65s and Students - rather than £22/19/16 currently mooted - might help develop the fan base.
Ideally, I feel that Dundee supporters ought to be able to watch their team for no more than £20 and a season ticket commitment would certainly enable that. Personally, I would rarely be prepared to pay more than £20 for PATG entry, perhaps £22-24 for the occasional away game, but not on a regular basis. This latter viewpoint may be significant when discussing why attendances for home games against Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen have

They want to make wrinklies even cheaper....just ****ing unbelievable.

[jdfc]

People out of touch with the real world, OAP’s keep there cheap tickets if they have one now, anyone else pays normal adult price 65 doesn’t mean you don’t work,

get the discounts on to under 21’s they are the future, the people with least cash, time to waken up and see the real world

[Returnofrros]

People out of touch with the real world, OAP’s keep there cheap tickets if they have one now, anyone else pays normal adult price 65 doesn’t mean you don’t work,

get the discounts on to under 21’s they are the future, the people with least cash, time to waken up and see the real world

****ING idiots, Dens is like the Gods waiting room as it is.