CET: Season tickets down 25% (8 Viewers)

[skyblu3sk]

SKY BLUES HOPE FOR SALES LIFT
COVENTRY City are hoping for a late spike in season ticket sales before they launch their League One campaign in two weeks time.

The Sky Blues have sold 5,800 to date and are keen to hit the 6,000 mark by the time they face Sheffield United in their first home match on August 21.
That would still be 25-per-cent down on last year's 8,000 total but commercial manager Justin Tose thinks that it would represent an encouraging effort in the circumstances.
“Of course we would like more season tickets but we knew relegation would take its toll,“ he admitted.
“Having said that, we are relatively pleased with where we are at this stage and it would be great if, once the Olympic football has finished here, we saw a rise in season ticket sales.
“It's obviously great for the city and the nation but for a few weeks everybody has been talking about the Games. Hopefully, once they are over, everyone will start looking ahead to the new domestic football season.
“I still speak to a lot of fans who say they are going to renew their season ticket but they haven't got round to it yet.
Once the focus returns to the new season, it would be great to see those fans purchasing again.
“We are doing a great deal this season to encourage a greater walk-up on matchdays by making it the same price to buy a ticket on the day as it is in advance.
“We've also got a new Tuesday night football price, six and 12-match packages to allow fans who don't come every week to take advantage of cheaper prices.
“But, ultimately, if you buy a season ticket you will benefit from the cheapest possible match-by-match price ­ starting at £15 a game for adults in the majority of the stadium and just £12 per match for adults in the family zone. We've looked at pricing across League One and we compare very favourably to most clubs and we hope that with the summer of transfer activity that we might see more supporters signing up between now and the opening day of the season.“
The statistics bear out Tose's claim that City's prices ­ £345 for most seats and £391 in the premier zone ­ are very competitive by League One standards: Bournemouth £361-£494; Brentford £300-£372; Bury £310-£335; Carlisle £418; Colchester £357-£501; Crawley £305£399; Crewe £315; Doncaster £399-£459; Hartlepool £354-£399; Leyton Orient £300-£325; Oldham £379£399; MK Dons £324; Notts County £340-£420; Portsmouth £360-£399; Preston £300-£400; Scunthorpe £306-£396; Sheffield United £369-£479; Shrewsbury £310-£360; Stevenage £299-£425; Tranmere £333-£390; Walsall £290-£370; Yeovil £323-£380.
and the Sky Blues are eager to attract fans to the ricoh arena's family zones where an adult season ticket is £276 with over-seven JSB members paying £69 (£3 per game) while under-sevens are free.
Dan Walker, the club's ticketing manager, said: “We understand that we have to work as hard as possible to attract supporters here and that is why we are making it as flexible as possible to suit supporters' budgets and circumstances. Season tickets are still the best way to support the club but fans do have other options to get cheaper tickets if they can't come every week. Season tickets can be bought by ringing 0844 873 1883, logging on to http://www.
ccfcshop.co.uk or by visiting the club shop at the ricoh arena

 

---

[CJparker]

Hardly surprising it's down - if we get to 6,000, average a few hundred away and allow for walk-ups, we may be looking at an average attendance of 11k this year, unless the team pulls its finger our and we start storming the league!

 

[ccfcway]

5,800, 500 away fans, 2,000 walk ups

this season we will see less than 10k at some matches

 

[ccfcway]

oh, arent they keen to hit the 6,500 mark beacuse they announced a month ago or so that we had sold 6,500 ?

 

[wingy]

oh, arent they keen to hit the 6,500 mark beacuse they announced a month ago or so that we had sold 6,500 ?

Could have sworn they were touting last years figure as 9-9500 as a result of last years cost reduction saying it was up from the regular 7-7500.While it may be cheap and remains cheap in comparison to others is it not commercially poor business IE; we could have/could fund the rent or a couple more players charging a more realistic price for the league we were /are in.
Does it really affect final attendence figures whether its made up by a higher number of walk up, the downside being that borrowing against ST sales being way too cheap and incurrring interest charges ,potentially the club could garner an extra £1M. turnover while incurring a relatively small admin cost on match by match sales.

 

[BurbageSkyBlues]

Bottom line is that it will take more than a couple of good results to have an impact on attendances.

It will only be at the end of the season, if we are pushing at the top, that fans will start to smell success. The club, management, and players, all need to have the mental strength to persist through the autumn, winter and early spring, before we will see any rewards.

I hope we can do it; this pre-season, we have seen players coming in, not just leaving, so at least there has been some realisation (that we need a squad) at the club. Far from being happy with sisu, but someone has had a positive affect on proceedings this time

 

[ccfcway]

ricoh will be like a ghost town, its proper depressing...

the club realy need to look at it, either by closing off sections of the ground, saving in policing, or giving free tickets etc..

imagine 8k in there !

 

[Lord_Nampil]

Think we will get just over the 6,000 mark even though it's slightly disappointing maybe expected but the club now need to Make the effort to get the unis, collages, schools and local footy teams down to games this yr! If we do well this season and are near the top of the league for the majority of it then it maybe quite easy to get the fans up!

 

[BurbageSkyBlues]

Some interesting prices amongst the other clubs in league one. Makes you wonder if we are too cheap? (tongue in cheek).

Some of my work colleagues(west midlands based) went to Olympic matches-they came over by train, and we're pleasantly surprised to find a complimentary bus service from the station. Just a thought, but maybe the club could help with things like this for our match days, to make it easier for 'first timers' to jump on the bandwagon.

It's not always about cost-it's the overall experience, being easy to participate and an enjoyable event. We need to pull in fans from further afield, the ones we have lost. When you go to away matches, like Ipswich, Norwich, forest, fester or direby- just look at their coaches in the car parks- they come from all around, not just the cities.

Time for some lateral thought, maybe?

 

[pusbccfc]

We will really go below 10k!

 

[torchomatic]

Bryan Richardson: I have a dream. A dream that one day we will be in our own state-of-the-art stadium, full to the rafters with fans decked in Sky Blue, cheering on their team to victory. But look, it's starting to rain...have no fear Sky Blue Faithful, discard those umbrellas. I just have to flick this switch on my Jimmy Saville "fix it" chair and the roof will close to magically thwart Mother Nature. Now, relax and watch us win the Premiership. That is my dream. And it SHALL come true. That is my pledge.

ricoh will be like a ghost town, its proper depressing...

the club realy need to look at it, either by closing off sections of the ground, saving in policing, or giving free tickets etc..

imagine 8k in there !

 

[@richh87]

oh, arent they keen to hit the 6,500 mark beacuse they announced a month ago or so that we had sold 6,500 ?

Exactly - MORE SISU LIES.

People keep believing them too - somebody on here told me yesterday that we'd sold more STs than last season.

SISU can't be trusted.

 

[Astute]

Exactly - MORE SISU LIES.

People keep believing them too - somebody on here told me yesterday that we'd sold more STs than last season.

SISU can't be trusted.

Was it SISU that told you that news yesterday?

I am not saying believe what they say, but who and when said about the sales of season tickets? The last I saw of it was when it was about 5,200 IIRC.

 

[guicey15]

I've said this right from the day we got relegated, have a bad or mediocre season then were looking at 10-11k maximum on Saturday's (I dread to think what midweek games will be like) But if we are on a hunt for play-offs or even automatic promotion, then I think we could potentially see 20k+ People just want to see us win games no matter what league we're in. I haven't lived long enough to properly remember a successful Coventry City season.

 

[Houchens Head]

There are loads of ways that CCFC could get more supporters inside the stadium. Cut-price tickets for pensioners, those on certain benefits, schools, etc.
Empty seats make a great silence. Just by filling them with cheaper or free options could make all the difference.
Someone at the club needs to start negotiations and bloody quick or the silence inside the Ricoh will be deafening!

 

[@richh87]

Was it SISU that told you that news yesterday?

I am not saying believe what they say, but who and when said about the sales of season tickets? The last I saw of it was when it was about 5,200 IIRC.

SISU / their henchmen announced earlier in pre-season that season ticket sales were well up. They're just full of shit - as usual.

 

[Astute]

SISU / their henchmen announced earlier in pre-season that season ticket sales were well up. They're just full of shit - as usual.

I think they were at the time. Then we were waiting for some signings that took their time. Was it the early bird prices that got tickets sold more quickly when they were first for sale? Many more have been waiting to see who we sign before getting one. Being a division lower we will sell less. Have they said lately we are ahead of last season?

 

[Nathccfc]

If we are going to have lower attendances which is almost certain, then why don't the club think about only releasing seating in the lower half of stands? To make it look fuller, especially if we have televised games

 

[Lord_Nampil]

I think they were at the time. Then we were waiting for some signings that took their time. Was it the early bird prices that got tickets sold more quickly when they were first for sale? Many more have been waiting to see who we sign before getting one. Being a division lower we will sell less. Have they said lately we are ahead of last season?

they haven't there target was 6,500 this season the fact we are just under 6,000 they want to make sure they get there first! The problem they have had though is the Olympic football, id say a couple of hundred fans haven't renewed because they haven't been able to park. At the end of the day we are the life blood of the club, without us we will just fade away untill there is nothing left!

 

[stupot07]

If we are going to have lower attendances which is almost certain, then why don't the club think about only releasing seating in the lower half of stands? To make it look fuller, especially if we have televised games

I've been saying this for quite a while, and away fans should be filled from the end nearest block 15 not at the far end to help create an atmosphere

 

[stupot07]

If we're only getting 10-11k gates then expect a few player sales in Jan

 

[Stevec189]

"Some of my work colleagues(west midlands based) went to Olympic matches-they came over by train, and we're pleasantly surprised to find a complimentary bus service from the station. Just a thought, but maybe the club could help with things like this for our match days, to make it easier for 'first timers' to jump on the bandwagon."

Unfortunately I was told that ACL set the price of the bus fare to the Ricoh. THis was said by WMT when he fares went up. Now it could have been staff wanting an easy time of it but it could well be true. In which case blame the council and start a campaign for helper bus fares. I think it should be free for season ticket holders at the very least! PUSB

 

[dongonzalos]

There was loads of posts in here saying we have sold more than last year. I remember sayingbit is bizarre at the time

 

[ggrady]

I don't understand why people get season tickets last year when there was no optimism at all and not this year. Seems odd that the fans stop going when we are predicted promotion. Or is it still the terrible excuse 'I won't go till sisu piss off'? What a load of bollocks gunna be a shite atmosphere

 

[skybluelee]

"We are predicted promotion" - really, by who?

 

[Sick Boy]

I don't understand why people get season tickets last year when there was no optimism at all and not this year.

Some people believed that Thorn was the man to lead the club to the Premiership just over two years ago.

 

[stupot07]

Some people believed that Thorn was the man to lead the club to the Premiership just over two years ago.

Just over two years ago.....So June/July 2010? When Boothroyd had not long been named manager? Now that is strange....

 

[skybluejelly]

What do they bloody expect.. 25 years since we won anything. 40 years since top 6 finish and we are back in the third division .. Surely they don't think selling anyone of value and getting other teams cast offs is going to boost season ticket sales... We will definitely be lucky to get 10,000 average this year and doubt we will have any atmosphere like against west ham or Leeds

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

There was loads of posts in here saying we have sold more than last year. I remember sayingbit is bizarre at the time

That was just the club twisting stuff as usual saying we had sold more than at this stage till the end of the early bird offer than last season. Difference is I think this years early bird lasted about 3 or 4 weeks longer than last season

 

[Sick Boy]

Just over two years ago.....So June/July 2010? When Boothroyd had not long been named manager? Now that is strange....

errr...errr...

 

[SkyBlue_Bear83]

If we're only getting 10-11k gates then expect a few player sales in Jan

So what predicted gates do you think the board have used to set the budget to sign players this summer?
The board know how many ST holders there are and should have a good idea on how many walk ups we will get so no excuse for not giving an accurate estimate

 

[skybluebelgium]

If we playing for most of the time in the top 6 the fans will be coming at the Ricoh , more and more !!

 

[Liam Ccfc Varney]

If we playing for most of the time in the top 6 the fans will be coming at the Ricoh , more and more !!

And the cheaper the tickets are!

 

[Grendel]

If we're only getting 10-11k gates then expect a few player sales in Jan

I would have thought the club would be budgeting for that sort of gate.

 

[wingy]

I would have thought the club would be budgeting for that sort of gate.

Circa 10-11000?