Whitey Grandad

We may be baby boomers but that doesn't mean that we have lived through boom times. All that we have achieved has been done through our own hard work, and those that did put money away towards their old age have had it stolen by the previous government.

So that ice floats. If it didn't, ponds would freeze from the bottom up and all the fish would die. HTH

Means testing of any sort is invidious. For the last few seasons at least the club has given a concession to this particular age group, presumably because they recognise that they form an important and valuable part of their support and did not reduce their income from other supporters. For some reason they have changed their minds and it remains to be seen what effect this will have on their overall income. They are, of course, perfectly entitled to do this but we should not be surprised if crowd figures are lower next season. There are some other strange marketing decisions such as discouraging people from turning up on the day by charging extra for these tickets.

There's a lot more to the 'matchday experience' than that.

I don't believe that anybody has suggested that you should?

Away games are a completely different experience.

Then why do you consider it 'odd' if someone prefers sitting there to the corners?

It's always easy to find specific examples that disprove the general. For every wealthy council chief executive who's taken early retirement there a 63 year old retired female cleaner. Whichever way you look at it these are whopping great price rises that make the club one of the most expensive in the division. You are correct in saying that every seat cost the club the same. Provided that every game is not a sell-out then it is in the interests of the club to get as much money in as possible and a large part of this is going to be from selling reduced-price tickets to the more elderly. Despite what you might think it is a lot more difficult for someone over 60 to get a job and many are physically less capable of doing so.

Well that's where we are different. In most arenas or theatres some seats are seen as more desirable than others, hence the price variations. The worst seat I have ever had at any football ground anywhere was for the home cup game against Shrewsbury when I was sitting at the southern end of the Itchen stand facing straight along the track behind the Chapel goal.

Where I sit is important to me, if not to you. If I had to move I would not get a season ticket. £16 is not cheap for the championship. There are many clubs which are cheaper, even in the Premiership.

I have just checked and I paid £522 each in 2005 and am being asked for £515 now. That was six years ago and we've had inflation, VAT and an enormous recession since then. In 2006 they were £493, in 2008 £420. I can't find 2007. These were all full prices without concessions.

You can get into Premiership grounds next season for less than that. Aldershot, for example, £9.35 a match seated, £7.40 concessions. If you don't mind standing it's £8.48, £6.42 concessions.

Nobody has been subsidising anybody. Everybody has paid something towards their seat. You could just as easily say that those in the expensive seats are subsidising those in the cheaper ones.

Just say that you thought it was somebody you knew.

Don't forget loudspeakers on the main bus, you could hear the machine thinking. Are you old enough to remember when they were called 'electronic brains'?

I like the way that he sent the keeper the wrong way.

Luxury! The oldest I've worked on was an Elliott 803. The program was run through three passes on five-hole punched tape.

At least I don't go on about Hoddle.

Agreed. Try saying that to a 62 year old retired woman whose seat has just gone up 72% and see what happens to you.

He is soooooo last season. The next one is a whole new ball game.

Which date is it likely to be?

Not only that, I believe that the proper procedure is to hand in your season ticket temporarily to the club who will then produce a printed copy.

What, at those prices?

At home we have a policy of 'shred & burn'. I've heard that the American army have shown an interest.

That doesn't reduce the cost. They would have to be sold to friends/family/work colleagues.