sotonjoe

Entirely true. I'll agree with that one!

When / if questioned they would inevitably argue that increases are needed to help us achieve what we want to achieve won't they? I'm prepare to accept another £100 on the price of my season ticket without really flinching, but I think I'll start wondering "Why" if it goes up by considerably more than that.

Such as?

What region? I think you need to look that word up in a dictionary.

What region? Reading is 45miles away. The only reason people can try and suggest that they are a 'local' club is because there are so few professional clubs of any significant stature in the South of England. I don't see any reason why people in Southampton should think that Reading's promotion is indirectly beneficial to us which is what you're implying.

Good comparison of those charts. FWIW though, I can't see the club not seeing promotion as an opportunity to raise ticket prices, even though you're quite right that we're already in the ballpark when it comes to average prices. There's clearly a difference between northern and southern / london prices and I can't see us pricing our tickets down at the very bottom end.Perhaps we could hope for adult prices in the different stands falling in the £30-35 category, but I'm not sure how realistic that is at all.

According to Soccernet, these are the average attendances by club for this season in the Premiership. I googled this purely to get a vague idea of what was the maximum crowd each club could accommodate in order to get some idea about how competitive we would be attendance wise. There's obviously quite a gap between Stoke on about 27k in 11th place and Everton on nearly 33k in 10th and I personally think that we'll be topping Stoke's average attendance. For me, being able to accommodate crowds which could see us averaging the 11th highest crowds in the Prem over a season is perfectly satisfactory in the short term. If our first goal is try and stabilise ourselves as a Prem club, then I don't think that in terms of attendances and the associated match day revenue we will be struggling. I'm sure that once we think we're secure in the Prem, then we will want to increase capacity. [TABLE=class: tablehead, width: 0] [TR=class: colhead, bgcolor: transparent] [TD] [/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFFFF]Team[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFFFF]Total[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #FFFFFF]Average[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-360, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]1[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Manchester United[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]1,281,340[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]75,372[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-359, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]2[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Arsenal[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]1,019,803[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]59,988[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-361, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]3[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Newcastle United[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]844,226[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]49,660[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-382, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]4[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Manchester City[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]798,592[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]46,976[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-364, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]5[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Liverpool[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]716,321[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]44,770[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-363, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]6[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Chelsea[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]664,113[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]41,507[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-366, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]7[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Sunderland[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]655,593[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]38,564[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-367, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]8[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Tottenham Hotspur[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]612,447[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]36,026[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-362, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]9[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Aston Villa[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]542,762[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]33,922[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-368, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]10[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Everton[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]559,931[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]32,937[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-336, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]11[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Stoke City[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]435,499[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]27,218[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-381, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]12[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Norwich City[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]451,887[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]26,581[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-380, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]13[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Wolverhampton Wanderers[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]437,925[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]25,760[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-370, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]14[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Fulham[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]429,204[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]25,247[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-383, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]15[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]West Bromwich Albion[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]418,823[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]24,636[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-358, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]16[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Bolton Wanderers[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]376,317[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]23,519[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-365, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]17[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Blackburn Rovers[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]379,112[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]22,300[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-318, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]18[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Swansea City[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]338,965[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]19,939[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: oddrow team-600-350, bgcolor: #FFFFFF] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]19[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: left]Wigan Athletic[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]309,865[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: transparent, align: right]18,227[/TD] [/TR] [TR=class: evenrow team-600-334, bgcolor: transparent] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]20[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: left]Queens Park Rangers[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]293,273[/TD] [TD=bgcolor: #F1F1F1, align: right]17,251[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Barclays Premier League - Unofficial Average Attendance: 34,525

At least you're honest.

I think the club can only discount tickets for certain games so much, before fans ( and season ticket holders in particular) begin to question what's going on. Typically, it seems fair for season ticket holders to think they've got the 'best deal' price0wise as a reward for paying up front. You can't reduce match day tickets by too much or too often, as every discount erodes the cost saving offered by the season ticket purchase. By changing with prices too much or too often, you also confuse your pay as you go punters with regards the true value of the product. The comparison here is with those places that sell kitchens or carpet and always seem to have a 50% off sale on. Before you know it, you will have some people who might have gone to games more often now staying away unless their are discount tickets offered. All you get in this situation is bumper crowds for premium games against Man Utd, big crowds for fill your boots ticket prices, and poor crowds for average games where ticket prices are high. Personally, I'd like relatively constant pricing that is in line with the average Prem prices and relatively few discounts throughout the season.

Good theory, except that the OP called it "Invasion ON Middlesbrough." unfortunately.

Sounds like Stu.

I agree. Of course, maximising revenue means maximising it without the fans moaning that they're being ripped off. If you get that far, then the club have gone too far in trying to extract cash from people! [There's room here for somebody to insert a sarcastic comment about car parking charges or booking fees if they feel it appropriate]

Oh well!

Only when the souper fans aren't around me old mucker.

You're right there is a ceiling to what people will spend. I think what I'm hoping is that the club would be happy that they had done what they could to extract the most cash from supporters on match days and decided that those revenue streams were insufficient before commiting themselves to a programme of stadium expansion. I think we'd all like to sees Saints in a bigger stadium with bigger crowds, but I just think that some people are getting caught up in the excitement of this idea and are demanding it way too early. One of the interesting things that has come up in my discussions with other football fans is that attendances really aren't the be all and end all when it comes to revenue like they once were. I'm not saying they are not important, but alongside the measures I've already referred to which could increase an individual's match day spend, there are other ways the club could increase revenue. Of course, the TV money in the Prem is key, but merchandising is also massive, especially in emerging international markets. Sorting out shirt distribution in the Far East and hoping that Tadanari starts banging them in in the Prem could prove significant. So yeh, I'm sure we'll do something with regards to capacity or a new ground in the future, but I think we need to concentrate on securing a Prem position and maximising other revenue streams before we commit to expansion plans. Regular capacity crowds of 32.5k plus healthy additional revenue streams should really be enough to see us cement a Premiership place as long as we've got the right personnel in place to know how to guide our club. I'd be surprised if we saw things happens with regards to stadium expansion before we'd been in the Prem for three years; and I don't mean some mickey mouse document like Reading made!

There are other ways to increase revenue other than increase capacity. Instead, you try and get the same amount of people to spend more on a match day visit. This can be achieved through ticket prices as well as refreshments and other merchandise. I expect we'll see the much rumoured account card / pre pay card for match day refreshments soon which is intended to make it easier for fans to buy refreshments at the stadium, and should therefore see individuals spending more on each visit. I honestly don't think we should be that preoccupied with investigating stadium expansion in the short term. The possibility of having an expanded stadium with significant costs, but then finding ourselves unable to fill it due to relegation or other factors, is a much worse set of circumstances than finding ourselves in the Prem and selling out all our home games.

Don't they proof read these somehow beforehand, even perhaps just scanning them electronically for offensive words (like "dildos" perhaps)?

I think the issue of whether or not any 'hacking' has taken place is key, but from the original article it doesn't seems as that is the case. Norwich's complaint seems to be that he stole and then shared their private property, but then it was them who effectively left it out in the open. Another important way of looking at it is to wonder how many people would have done the same as the kid if they'd found themselves in his situation, and I bet virtually all of us would have!

There's as much chance of me doing that as you ending up in bed with Turkish on Saturday night.

That's just on this one thread. You wait till tomorrow's new "How many tickets left for Middlesbrough?" thread.

Literally cheaper to buy a tv.

The Riverside's seats look comfy.

Are you Jesus?

The real fans are.