I am hoping for a sensible debate on this so let’s see! As with everything at the moment the government taxes everything. At present 20% of every admittance fee goes in vat on the full fat £9 (1.80) and the concession rate of £6:50(1.30). In light of this what are people’s thoughts on scrapping the concession rate and having one fixed entrance fee? This doesn’t mean that it would go to £9 or beyond but could go down in price for a current full paying adult but would increase for people paying concession rates. I would retain the child policy as free entry. I just noticed the other day that as clubs move up the leagues little or no concession rate is offered, only a standard entrance fee which would make the season ticket a more attractive prospect. Thoughts?
If you put up concession to full you will lose fans for sure, just a sensible price structure will work, why not kids for quid for instance surely no one would mind paying that instead of free we are not a big club with a captive base so we need to be sensible which we are within reason but you will struggle to please everyone all the time.
Sorry but I couldn’t disagree more, 75% (thats not definite) are 65 plus on concession rate and are probably on pensions you would lose some of them for definite, the ‘kid for a quid’ is a good idea that may make people join the junior albs more.
What about a quid to park? Or putting the 9 quid up to 10 quid its not like you can do much with the quid change from 9 quid.
you can always stick it in Tracy’s bucket 
I also feel it would be a recipe for disaster.
The concessionary rate is there for those who generally are on lower incomes/pensions. Remove that option and I feel we would definitely lose support.
Personally I would slightly lower prices with the emphasis on getting people in and then spending money in the ground. Especially as we now get the profits from the bar.
So here are my proposed prices
Adult £8
Concessions (Over 65’s, Students and 17 and 18 year olds) £5
Kids (16 and under) £1
I would also consider putting Emergency services staff in concessions.
I wouldn’t charge for parking as people would just park on the road and walk down.
Lowering prices is extremely unlikely but we’re in hard times and people are watching every penny. Bold moves can get bold results! :goal
Great topic for discussion
UTA
Agreed. On Saturdays gate we’d probably loose around £300 from reduced admission but that would only take another 40 people coming through the gate to make that up. And that’s 40 more people to spend money in the tea hut, bar, shop, programmes etc
Sometimes you have to speculate to accumulate.
Saturday coming is families for a fiver. Be interesting to see how many more we get down
[quote=“rabbitsopinion” post=49343]
Saturday coming is families for a fiver. Be interesting to see how many more we get down[/quote]
Tell your friends and family!
Its not too late to put posters up in the local newsagents and im happy to email it round to anyone who wants one.
Lowering prices is a complete non-starter for me, are there really 50 people out there who aren’t coming now but would come and watch us week in/week out for a reduction of £1?
If so do we really think that they would then come and spend the extra pound that they can’t afford at the moment on a pie/programme etc?
I actually think that if you radically reduced the price of admission to a fiver (ie £4.17 plus vat) that any increase would be marginal, the bottom line is non-league football has to many other things to compete with.
Lets take the topic a little further and dream a little - IF and its a massive IF we got promoted what would you suggest? Our costs in particular travelling would rise dramatically, and surely we would have to increase not decrease at that point.
Have to applaud the efforts of Ste, Neil and others on continuing the crusade to get youth in (I know from experience how difficult it is).
Dreaming of Blue Squares…
I noticed on the local news the other day that Accy Stanley charge £17 for League Two games, so I’m assuming that most Blue Square North clubs charge £10 to 12ish? Obviously we would have to charge more, it’s a better ‘product’, plus it costs a lot of Diesel to get a coach to Bishops Stortford!!
Bearing in mind our very decent facilities, great pitch etc, we are entitled to charge at the higher level of whatever league we are in, be it Evo Stik or Blue Square. I’d certainly be happy to go up a quid or two for the higher standard if the dream becomes a reality.
Families for a fiver always brings more people in because they think they’re getting a bargain. Yet they don’t come back when prices go back to normal. Take 2 adults and 2 kids they get in for a fiver come back the week after and its costs them £24 almost 5 times as much. Like I said reducing prices is unlikely. I think we should look at the way we price £9 for a 16 year is ridiculously expensive they may be working but they don’t get minimum wage same for 17 and 18 year olds. Could be part of the reason we dont get many in this age bracket. If we are seriously trying to get the youth in I think this needs looking at.
Fair point Woody but if Mum Dad and two kids come, then dad and son may well come back the next week. Now you’ve mentioned it, ill bring some junior passes down on Sat and ask the lads on the gate to hand them out to any kids in case it helps.
Its all about price elasticity of demand
If unit elastic then
Double the price get half the people - make the same
Half the proce get double the people - make the same
But Football at this level is not unit elastic.
Double the price and you may lose less than a half and make a slight profit but not very communal and not going to build a good football club
Half the price and not going to get double the crowd for sure so definte loser.
So you could get away with small increases and not worth reducing unless we go down leagues.
If youup the price people get p**** off and so you could balance this with incentives
For example
Price goes up to a tenner BUT if you are a regular that does not want to fork out for a season ticket you could get a 6 match pass for £50.
You actually get a slight reduction but Witton Albion Football club get cashflow in advance of 5 games!
Everyone is a winner!
And we could sell one match passes as Witton Albion Gift Vouchers!
That way Witton fans can buy a one Match pass gift voucher as a Birday present, work reward gift etc…and the recipient who may not be a regular gets to watch a game and may come back again or puts in into the bin.
Either way Witton Albion have the money - back of the net!
[quote=“RonMoy” post=49356]Dreaming of Blue Squares…
…I’m assuming that most Blue Square North clubs charge £10 to 12ish? [/quote]
That’s broadly correct. £10 is the cheapest admission price (at Brackley, Bradford, Corby, Droylsden, Guiseley, Hinckley, Histon, Stalybridge and Vauxhall Motors) some clubs charge £11, or £12, and the most expensive is £13 at Altrincham and FC Halifax Town.
Five clubs (Altrincham, Boston, Chester, Hinckley and Worcester) also charge an extra £2 for seating!
I went to Stafford and saw first hand the fuss kicked up by witton fans having to pay £10, extra £2 to sit down. Maybe an early bird special discount if people get in before 1.30 to get them in the bar could also help to get away fans in earlier and spending more. Raising prices isn’t the only way to get extra income.