I am. I was just about to start a topic on when prices would be announced, because for years I've usually renewed by now.
I wonder if we're planning something radical like a big reduction? It worked brilliantly for Bradford City in terms of attendances when they cut prices by 50% a few years ago. Even next season an adult can watch 23 games there for £249 (less than £11 per game) which is great value compared to the rest. Unlike Forest and Stags we have more seats than fans, it would be the ideal time to take a gamble.
Well it is whichever way you see it, (one man’s wine is one man’s poison) no one should overspend or risk the sustainability, I just wish we had a bit more realism from the recruiting. Regardless recruitment (defensively) for the past season and half has been piss poor to say the least, something is wrong, again to watch last nights defensive display not for tbe first time (more often than not) shows that we / the model have got it wrong, and there’s something wrong with the model / system. Oh for a Mark Ellis central type defender.
You can argue last season it wasn’t as we had the 2nd best defence in the league with Wrexham behind us who spent a fortune on theirs. It’s easy to say in hindsight but we’ve literally let in already double the amount of goals this season which is a massive surprise to me. I expected us to let more in if we changed nothing but not double and I think the club probably thought the same.
No one gets recruitment right every season and the biggest crime is not this season but it will be next season if they don’t get it right now they know exactly the level/tactics they will be facing.
I was kind of expecting the opposite - that we’ll have to increase prices a little next season. This is initial prices from last season:
Exclusive renewal prices for 2022/23 season ticket holders
Adult - £374 (Derek Pavis) and £299 (Kop and Family Stand)
65 & over - £224 (Derek Pavis) and £199 (Kop and Family Stand)
18-21 - £108 across all stands
Under 18 - £48.50 across all stands
Under 12 - £21.50 across all stands
Early bird 2023/24 season ticket prices
Adult - £399 (Derek Pavis) and £324 (Kop and Family Stand)
I’m just not sure there are enough potential season ticket holders out there for us to sell the amount of discounted tickets we’d need to make it worth our while. Eagerly awaiting the announcement, anyway.
I'm not sure either, which is why I described any reduced offer as a gamble. I just think that if ever we were to take the gamble, there won't be a better time than now. For the first time ever, our two close rivals will be saying "Sorry, sold out" to a lot of potential fans.
Not so. Bearing in mind we had over 70% possession in most games last season, we actually had the 2nd worst defence in the National League for time spent out of possession and defending. The warning signs were already there, and we only had to look at Stockport the previous year who ripped out their whole defence within the first few weeks of the season.
What I actually said is that it worked brilliantly for Bradford in terms of attendances.
When they first started the half price offer in 2007, they sold 12,000 season tickets alone when their average attendance before was only 8,000. This season they are averaging 15,500, pretty good for a team who have spent most of the season in the bottom half.