Alarm bells ringing - Admission prices.

dickdarlington · Post by **dickdarlington** » Sun May 13, 2012 7:39 pm

I'm seriously concerned about the ticket prices quoted in the echo. I am hoping that it is poor journalism, but £12 for adults, to Stand, in the open, with a poor view, at least two leagues below the BSP. That's out of order 1883 if it's true.

Just as a example. This seasons prices to stand were:
BSN: Harrogate = £10.00
Evo Prem: Whitby = £8.00
Evo 1: Durham = £7.00
NL: Bish = £6.00

The best we can hope for is Evo Prem. Are we really going to charge four quid more than the norm. In reality it's going to be Evo 1. I am a fan. People who know me, will back me up when I say I want the best for the club. But in the current economic climate. This is too much.

I am awaiting a barage of abuse about not being on board. Right up until this point I was. But £12.00 for adults, £8.00 for kids. That's the same as the Arena without the comforts, plus petrol on top. This is supposed to be about rebuilding the community sprit. I can't get on board with it if it's true. We need to be charging the same (maybe £1.00 more) as the league norm. We'll be getting x3 the number of fans as everyone else. The money can be made through other avenues. We can't fleece the one guaranteed source of income. Because this will lead to dwindling crowds, and dare I say it being stranded in the lower echelons of the pyramid.

Darlofan97 · Post by **Darlofan97** » Sun May 13, 2012 7:42 pm

These prices are unconfirmed and nobody knows what league they will be for, yet. Instead of quoting 4 teams' ticket prices look at them all.

GreathamDarlo · Post by **GreathamDarlo** » Sun May 13, 2012 7:44 pm

At the meeting on Friday Denis said that the prices quoted were not set for definite yet, and could well be changed (another board member is responsible for that strand and she wasn't there due to family illness)
Also I suppose they can't set prices until after Wednesday when we know what league we will be in.

footie fan · Post by **footie fan** » Sun May 13, 2012 7:55 pm

Plus Bishop's was only a fiver

The only two in the Northern league to charge £6 were spenny and whitley bay but darlo could charge £8 if in that league easily as the supporters are used to paying more ....

anus · Post by **anus** » Sun May 13, 2012 7:55 pm

We've got to remain amitious as a club and that naturally means bringing in as much profit, signing the best lower league players and climbing the leagues sharpish!
Just because we've dropped a few leagues shouldn't mean that we have to start pricing ourselves in line with the likes of Harrogate Town etc, or our model won't work.
For me, no matter what league we are in £12 seems more than reasonable.
To get the club back on track I'd happily pay £12 even if we were playing the likes of uncovered FC on a weekend.

The_Ponderer · Post by **The_Ponderer** » Sun May 13, 2012 7:56 pm

Maybe this should be moved to the 1883 Forum???

Best that reps from the fans groups get together with the board to thrash this out.

One important point to make is that we need to raise funds quickly and make a profit this year - remember, we all want to be back in town for the start of 2013/14.
We all know that the move back is a tough ask as it is given the difficulties in nailing a location, but a good bank balance can only help us.

Perhaps if we do start with higher than average prices for whatever league we are in, we could freeze the admission price for at least the following season.

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Sun May 13, 2012 7:58 pm

Already been moved

m62exile · Post by **m62exile** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:00 pm

Surely it won't be £8 for kids, that's got to be a mistake. End of last season it would be £25 for a dad and two kids, (£15 + 2x £5) the prices quoted above would mean it was £28.

Most Evo Stik premier clubs (that I can find) charge £2 max for kids, with many allowing them in free with a paying adult.

darlotoon · Post by **darlotoon** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:02 pm

I fear that this price could quite well deter a good chunk of fans who are now faced with travelling costs . I fully appreciate the need to get as much revenue as possible , but I worry that,that figure will erode some of the 800 gate expected . I have spoken to a fair few fans from all walks of life and there seemed to be general feeling that £10 was a fair figure

The_Ponderer · Post by **The_Ponderer** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:02 pm

charlie wrote:Already been moved

Eeeek! I am struggling with this new interweb malarky

Fatty eats roadkill · Post by **Fatty eats roadkill** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:08 pm

Are kids classed as concessions?

Got no problems with £12 for adults but £8 for kids is a bit steep. I'd say a £5er is fair and make the concessions a straight tenner. (valid with a bus pass or ub40 card to stop trier ons and no discounts for students)

Oh and travel costs are a red herring!

m62exile · Post by **m62exile** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:11 pm

Fatty eats roadkill wrote:Are kids classed as concessions?

Got no problems with £12 for adults but £8 for kids is a bit steep. I'd say a £5er is fair and make the concessions a straight tenner. (valid with a bus pass or ub40 card to stop trier ons and no discounts for students)

Oh and travel costs are a red herring!

You may be right, hope so. Maybe there's three categories..adults, concessions and kids. In the absence of any other info, I assumed kids were being classed as concessions. I'd be happy to be wrong!

super_les_mcjannet · Post by **super_les_mcjannet** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:12 pm

I would be happy to pay £12 if this means as a budget we outbeat everyone else and in theory should have the best team/squad (I know not always the case).

£8 for kids would make me struggle, my eldest comes along but to be honest he does not have the major interest in the game yet. At a fiver I didn't mind bringing him, but £8 for him to whinge that he doesn't want to stand (maybe tricky getting seats) I will have to think twice about bringing him.

I will be getting a season ticket but with the travel and price and new surroundings I will be more inclined not to bring the boy each game.

Fatty eats roadkill · Post by **Fatty eats roadkill** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:14 pm

Travel costs are a red herring!

darlotoon · Post by **darlotoon** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:17 pm

Fatty eats roadkill wrote:Travel costs are a red herring!

Not for us , these prices make it a dearer option than the Arena for us as a family

Christophano · Post by **Christophano** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:21 pm

£8 was the price for concessions, I'd be very surprised if that was the price for kids, given that it was just £5 last season

darlotoon · Post by **darlotoon** » Sun May 13, 2012 8:30 pm

£14 was quoted back at the Arts Centre meeting in regards to the Arena and BSP

MB86DFC · Post by **MB86DFC** » Sun May 13, 2012 9:25 pm

I think 10 is the top I would be prepared to pay for Eco prem, for the leagues below.

Tori_Gill · Post by **Tori_Gill** » Sun May 13, 2012 9:58 pm

Like Denis said on Friday, nothing is set in stone and it's vital we know what league we will be playing in first before we can finalise the pricing structure. We do take on board everybody's comments though and the prices will be kept as low as possible but we also need to take into account that we need as much money as we can in order to facilitate the move back to Darlington. We are also looking into the transport side of things so please just be patient.

quakersam · Post by **quakersam** » Sun May 13, 2012 10:19 pm

Might be wrong but I'd assume £12 would be sitting, be cheaper standing? We have to distiguish between standing and sitting surely? Also £8 won't be for kids, hence why they said concessions, it can't be given it was £5 for u-16s at the arena. Under 5's will be free

Quakerz · Post by **Quakerz** » Sun May 13, 2012 10:50 pm

dickdarlington wrote:I'm seriously concerned about the ticket prices quoted in the echo. I am hoping that it is poor journalism, but £12 for adults, to Stand, in the open, with a poor view, at least two leagues below the BSP. That's out of order 1883 if it's true.

Just as a example. This seasons prices to stand were:
BSN: Harrogate = £10.00
Evo Prem: Whitby = £8.00
Evo 1: Durham = £7.00
NL: Bish = £6.00

The best we can hope for is Evo Prem. Are we really going to charge four quid more than the norm. In reality it's going to be Evo 1. I am a fan. People who know me, will back me up when I say I want the best for the club. But in the current economic climate. This is too much.

I am awaiting a barage of abuse about not being on board. Right up until this point I was. But £12.00 for adults, £8.00 for kids. That's the same as the Arena without the comforts, plus petrol on top. This is supposed to be about rebuilding the community sprit. I can't get on board with it if it's true. We need to be charging the same (maybe £1.00 more) as the league norm. We'll be getting x3 the number of fans as everyone else. The money can be made through other avenues. We can't fleece the one guaranteed source of income. Because this will lead to dwindling crowds, and dare I say it being stranded in the lower echelons of the pyramid.

Over reaction as usual - £12 adults and £8 concessions would be based on seating I imagine, and in the Evostik Premier. And concessions = OAPs and students, NOT kids.

Chester charged £12 to sit last year in the Evostik Premier.

AndyPark · Post by **AndyPark** » Sun May 13, 2012 11:12 pm

Why has this been moved from Virtual Feethams? It's about discussing admission for our upcoming season, regardless of what league we'll be in.

Christophano · Post by **Christophano** » Mon May 14, 2012 5:48 am

AndyPark wrote:Why has this been moved from Virtual Feethams? It's about discussing admission for our upcoming season, regardless of what league we'll be in.

It's been moved to Ask 1883 so I would guess it was moved so a representative from 1883 could comment?

TS3 · Post by **TS3** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:42 am

Fatty eats roadkill wrote:Travel costs are a red herring!

Really? Do you know of some magic system to get from Darlington to Shildon that doesn't cost anything?

Robbie Painter · Post by **Robbie Painter** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:50 am

£12 to sit seems entirely reasonable to me. £12 to stand would be too much. The magical £10 should be the figure for standing.

Remember no car parking charges next season, a significant saving on the Arena.

Fatty eats roadkill · Post by **Fatty eats roadkill** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:53 am

Piggy back off of Andy!

Look I've explained it before and I'll explain it again.

Entrance on a match day at the arena £18.
Entrance to shildon £12.

A saving of £6.

If it costs more than £6 to get from shildon from darlo then I seriously suggest you swap the space shuttle that you drive for a normal car!

Ergo travel costs for the majority are a red herring and an excuse not to go!

SteveSC · Post by **SteveSC** » Mon May 14, 2012 7:17 am

I suppose in the end it all boils down to basic economics. One thing we cannot do next season is lose money - there is no door marked 'owner' we can knock on to write a cheque to cover any shortage. If £12 is the price needed to ensure we break even or hopefully make a profit based on projected crowds, then £12 it is.

When comparing our prices to other clubs at various levels we must make sure we are comparing like with like. If a club has a generous benefactor in the background prepared to foot the bill they can charge less than an economically viable price - we don't have that option.

Having said that psychologically £10 seems a lot less than £12 - over a 21 game season its only £42 difference - but seems to cross a threshold that might make some people think twice.

The answer of course is to get a season ticket which will work out cheaper.

dickdarlington · Post by **dickdarlington** » Mon May 14, 2012 8:09 am

I've said in other threads that £12 to sit, and £8 to stand would be acceptable to me.

In the direction of Quakerz, I personally resent the over reaction comment. And I was endeavouring the avoid this. I even stressed that I hoped this was journalistic sensationalism. Having been unable to attend on Friday, I have been reliant on other sources to find out what was said. I think if you were to track back through my posts (the serious ones, and i don't think anyone is that dull) you'll find that I for the most part always try to put across a rational discussion. I feel very passionately about this topic though as I think we need to price ourselves to a) ensure a profit, but b) engage with the floating fans.

I take on board that concessions doesn't neccessarily mean children, but in most walks of life it does.

Another post above said I should have gone with the average. Well, the charges quoted are for the nearest clubs to us (for each division), and happen to be in the ball park too. I also got the figures off the internet, so if they are out, I can only alter them.

As for it costing £18.00 at the Arena. I have never paid that. In the seasons I didn't have a season ticket, I always got my tickets for £16.00 and in the end, it was £15.00.

As darlotoon mentions, when you start looking at this from a family position, then at the prices quoted in the echo, it really starts to look concerning.

I've priced my car. It will cost me about £3.50 for a return trip. Over the cost of a season that's £73.50 (excluding cup games). Not a red herring at all in this current climate.

As Steve has mentioned, we need to get break the psychological element of the fans. Depending the level we're at, I would sooner have the entrance price below £10 and then have buckets and raffles and meat draws and all sorts to try and raise the extra cash. If people think they're getting a bargain, they're more likely to part with their cash of other things. A return to Darlo fund as you enter the ground for example.

Finally, FAO Tori. Thank you for your response. I appreciate your position, and please keep up the fantastic work. We are all supporting you.

sacko_uk · Post by **sacko_uk** » Mon May 14, 2012 8:34 am

dickdarlington wrote:I've said in other threads that £12 to sit, and £8 to stand would be acceptable to me.

In the direction of Quakerz, I personally resent the over reaction comment. And I was endeavouring the avoid this. I even stressed that I hoped this was journalistic sensationalism. Having been unable to attend on Friday, I have been reliant on other sources to find out what was said. I think if you were to track back through my posts (the serious ones, and i don't think anyone is that dull) you'll find that I for the most part always try to put across a rational discussion. I feel very passionately about this topic though as I think we need to price ourselves to a) ensure a profit, but b) engage with the floating fans.

I take on board that concessions doesn't neccessarily mean children, but in most walks of life it does.

Another post above said I should have gone with the average. Well, the charges quoted are for the nearest clubs to us (for each division), and happen to be in the ball park too. I also got the figures off the internet, so if they are out, I can only alter them.

As for it costing £18.00 at the Arena. I have never paid that. In the seasons I didn't have a season ticket, I always got my tickets for £16.00 and in the end, it was £15.00.

As darlotoon mentions, when you start looking at this from a family position, then at the prices quoted in the echo, it really starts to look concerning.

I've priced my car. It will cost me about £3.50 for a return trip. Over the cost of a season that's £73.50 (excluding cup games). Not a red herring at all in this current climate.

As Steve has mentioned, we need to get break the psychological element of the fans. Depending the level we're at, I would sooner have the entrance price below £10 and then have buckets and raffles and meat draws and all sorts to try and raise the extra cash. If people think they're getting a bargain, they're more likely to part with their cash of other things. A return to Darlo fund as you enter the ground for example.

Finally, FAO Tori. Thank you for your response. I appreciate your position, and please keep up the fantastic work. We are all supporting you.

Best thing here is car share...I will have some spaces if ever an issue!

Fatty eats roadkill · Post by **Fatty eats roadkill** » Mon May 14, 2012 8:46 am

ok dickdarlington where shall I start?

Assuming you don't live next door to the arena, how much did it cost you to get there to get your early bird ticket?

£16 is still £4 more than the anticipated £12 entrance at Shildon.

If you drove there on match days and parked at the arena that costs £5.

A total of £21 for yourself just on match days.

I don't know how much the bus costs but say it's a quid each way then if you didn't drive then the matchday at the arena would cost you £18.

NOW, driving to Shildon will cost you a quoted £3.50(your quote not mine), added to the entrance fee of £12 this comes to £15.50.

Even an illiterate can work out that that is still a saving even travelling further away.

Now for families.
If travelling by car the price of £3.50 is still cheaper than paying £5 to park, then add on the price of getting to the arena.

Tickets are cheaper too, so even at the qoted prices of £12 & £8 a family of two adults and one child works out at £32. Arena price = £35(entrance fee of £15) or £37 (£16)

If travelling by rail, then yes a family will pay more £6.90. However if they parked their car then the day price at the arena would be £40. However at Shildon it will be £38.90!

Tell me now how this costs more!

Oh and on the train, child fares end on the childs 16th birthday, so if you are 15 and 364 days you are a half fare. Students can get a young persons railcard, Senior citizens can get a railcard, families can get a railcard. All give discounts!

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