Changes to the Ricoh next season - Waggott (10 Viewers)

[SlowerThanPlatt]

The City chief executive has revealed season tickets will be reduced in price and the North Stand will be closed next season...
Coventry City chief executive Steve Waggott has written to Season Ticket holders who sat in the North Stand, Block 25 or the Family Zone this season to let them know of changes for the 2015/16 campaign.


In the letter, the Sky Blues chief executive admits that the timing is not ideal ahead of the game at Crawley but, with Season Tickets going on sale shortly and after consultation with supporters groups, he wanted to communicate those changes directly to fans affected.


The letter, which was posted on Thursday, said: “I am writing to you today regarding next season. It’s not an ideal time, given the circumstances, but I felt it important to contact you personally in advance about changes that will be implemented for the 2015/16 campaign as Season Tickets will be going on sale very shortly.


“Firstly, Season Tickets will be reduced in price. I’ve listened to supporters since our return to the Ricoh Arena regarding concerns around the affordability of football and have acted to bring down the cost of supporting your team week-in, week-out.


“We are also having a flat rate for adult and concession Season Ticket prices – so there won’t be a premium zone next season. More information on that as well as prices and sales dates will be on our website – www.ccfc.co.uk – soon.


“As I mentioned above, we are making a few other changes – largely to improve the atmosphere inside the Ricoh Arena by bringing supporters closer together but also to reduce the cost of opening the stadium completely when it is less than 50 per cent full.


“We have spoken to and consulted a range of supporters on these changes and the reasons for them and, coupled with the drop in prices, the feedback has been positive and there has been real understanding of what we are trying to do. We’ve looked at several alternatives but none were suitable at this stage.


“So the changes for the 2015/16 season are:


- Only the East and West Stands will be available for Season Ticket holders. The North Stand will only open for games when there is demand on a match-by-match basis.


- Our Family Zone will be moving from its current position to blocks 23 and 24 in the East Stand.


- Block 25 will no longer be available to purchase a Season Ticket in as it will be the area we use for group and schools packages in the 2015/16 season. It is also where cameras are placed during televised matches.


“We looked at alternatives to these changes but none were viable at this stage, which is not to say we have ruled them out for the future.


“We are, however, working with the Supporters Consultative Group on options regarding a partial opening of the South Stand to present our proposals to the independent Safety Advisory Group. If this option becomes available, we will move fans who have already purchased a Season Ticket elsewhere to that area for free – should they wish to do so.


“Please, if you have any questions or queries on any of the above, get in touch with the ticketing team and they will do everything they can to help.


“Thank you for your continued support and, we all agree, it’s vital that we get the right result on Sunday. Then it’s all systems go in terms of making sure we can be challenging at the top end of the table next season.”

 

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[pusbccfc]

Looks like they read our thread on here..

Well done, SISU.

 

[Nick]

23 and 24 is the corner between Tesco and telegraph isn't it?

Many people were calling for it for the atmosphere, I am personally not too fussed about moving round a bit.

Good news about cheaper prices too.

 

[skybluesam66]

2015 season ticket was £15 per game

think needs to come down to £299 - £13 per game as a maximum

At sixfields they were £207 - why could they not do that?

so somewhere in between the 2, and then signing mowbray up would send a good message

 

[pusbccfc]

Interesting he mentions opening the south stand.

I wonder if they are doing this to help fans or to save money?

 

[Thenose]

The cynic in me thinks they are trying to get this all done before a potential relegation so it doesnt look like a knee jerk reaction to relegation.

 

[Rusty Trombone]

Presumably this means a flat rate for adults and another lower flat rate for concessions, rather than one flat rate to cover adults and concessions??

 

[oldskyblue58]

All good stuff and any way of making it more affordable is welcome, but really its about the product on the pitch isn't it (- yes I know its a chicken & egg situation)

I wonder what the breakeven figure in terms of crowds is?
I wonder how many season ticket sales they have targeted ? - surely they cant be targeting more than the 4500(? ) they had this season even with the price drop.
Will this lower price change the minds of a significant number who have said they wont renew?
What are the average walk up ticket sales expected?
What is really going to make people go?
Is there a monthly payment scheme - if not why not?
How does it affect the SCMP budget - lower income means lower budget?

 

[chiefdave]

Good news that season tickets will be reduced, hopefully more people will sign up now. Of course as ticketing is a huge % of our revenue I'm sure it will have to follow that lower prices means a smaller budget but you can't have it all ways.

Makes sense to close parts of the ground off. No one wants to play in an empty stadium but it sounds like ACL are charging us on a piecemeal basis so there's no point paying out more than we need to.

 

[oldskyblue58]

One thing it will save on is the stewarding costs. They are employed by the club I understand.

 

[torchomatic]

Fair enough. Seems like they've listened so I'm sure no one will complain....

We've been in the same seat for ten years but haven't got a problem with moving if it helps improve the atmos.

 

[SkyBlueSid]

I don't think a reduction in prices will make that much difference to the take-up on season tickets. I doubt they will be massively cheaper than this season. They will primarily be trying to retain the current ones, but many people around us are not planning to renew. It's more about the lack of matchday experience than price is the impression I get.

To have any chance of increasing crowds the club must not only sign up Mowbray on a proper contract, they need to commit to investing in a serious attempt to make us competitive. The two are related, of course, but people will take some convincing. We have had many false dawns over the years and many fans have reached the end of their tether.

 

[Ashdown]

Sounds mainly sensible at first glance but the underlying reality is a complete lack of ambition on the horizon again I fear. More cost cutting however minor will allow SISU to reduce the playing budget once again and blame it on the 'lower' prices ! Paramount is a competitive team on the pitch at League 1/2 level. It looks to me like they are only going to assess their player spend after they have figures on ST sales. After all the previous lies and let downs it takes a brave or stupid man to sign up to watching the kind of squad we will have at the end of June !?

 

[Jackoskyblue]

Excellent news great closing north stand. I'm in block 25 but haven't received anything was this done by email? Regardless more than happy to move and even better there is no premium zone as that is where I'd like to be

 

[Nick]

So now people will moan because the budget "could" be lower because of the lower prices of season tickets? What about if they put the season ticket prices up?

 

[Nick]

So if I sit in the family stand, it could well be a price increase?

 

[Astute]

So if I sit in the family stand, it could well be a price increase?

Or bought tickets in the family stand but sat elsewhere? Maybe they wondered why it nearly always sold out but was never nearly full

 

[Ashdown]

So now people will moan because the budget "could" be lower because of the lower prices of season tickets? What about if they put the season ticket prices up?

£20 -£40 reduction or increase is neither here or there. I know they are damned if they do and damned if they don't but this is what really matters : ST holders were treated to this extravaganza this season:

Won 6, Drew 9, Lost 8, Goals For: 25 Against 33. Barely 1 home team goal per match with some games producing hardly any chances ! A decent team will negate all other incidentals like cost, inconvenience, owners, parking etc
Oh and do we know which day these home matches shall be played since Wasps have changed tact ?

 

[torchomatic]

You've said you're not either, haven't you?

I guess as we don't own the stadium there's only so many things we can do to change the "match day experience", isn't there? Basically other than winning then I don't know what we can do. I guess if we won every week then no one would moan about atmosphere, price of salt and vinegar crisps, etc etc

but many people around us are not planning to renew. It's more about the lack of matchday experience than price is the impression I get.

.

 

[hill83]

Good work reducing the prices. They didn't have much of a choice really. Let's see if we stay up and what happens over the summer.

 

[westofrayne]

Going to be interesting to see how they manage the changing of the PSL and ST holders in the North Stand, who get first choice on seats (Assume existing ST in East and West) then who. Looks like I (PSL) and 3 x ST have to move, but where (Assuming we get another ST).

We sit directly behind the disabled section in Nth Stand for 1). There is more leg room in that row 2). My kids can see the game, rather than peer over the person in front. I would want if possible to be behind a disabled section again for these reasons, but i'm unsure of the seat spacing in the West (Main Stand) anybody sat in there??

Let's just hope 1). We stay up 2). There is no catch with this announcement (from past experience, I want to see the prices in writing before I commit)

 

[Nick]

What exactly does "match day experience" mean? What do we do differently to other clubs (results aside)? Do they all have lap dancers for every person or something?

 

[hill83]

What exactly does "match day experience" mean? What do we do differently to other clubs?

It's means nothing really. Maybe a handjob off skyblue Sam in the dugout at half time?

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

What exactly does "match day experience" mean? What do we do differently to other clubs (results aside)? Do they all have lap dancers for every person or something?

The only thing that matters on the match day is the match (and that side has been dreadful) I don't care if I can buy a burger or if there are dancing girls and all that, I go to the match, watch the match and go home and shout at the wife and kids as the game was bad.

 

[chinamans view]

It did not make much difference to the attendance for the last home game at £10 so £10 or £20 off a season ticket will not make an increase in S/ticket sales.
Get the product right first then it might just sell, would you buy anything if is was wrong ? No of course not.

 

[pusbccfc]

What exactly does "match day experience" mean? What do we do differently to other clubs (results aside)? Do they all have lap dancers for every person or something?

The best matchday experiences are at places like Arsenal, West Ham, United etc.

Outside the ground, you know you're at a football match. The merchandise sales, people drinking, and the excitement is what makes a good matchday experience.

The Ricoh matchday experience is poor because of the lack of social areas surrounding or within the ground. The Wasps have their public spaces inside the exhibition hall where people can drink etc.

It's hard to get a good matchday experience. There isn't really a decent one in this league.

 

[ajsccfc]

The Ricoh kind of being stuck out on its own away from civilisation definitely doesn't help.

 

[Monners]

It's means nothing really. Maybe a handjob off skyblue Sam in the dugout at half time?

prefer tall and slim with a button nose and small ears myself (and preferably not blue) - each to their own though Hill

 

[ajsccfc]

prefer tall and slim with a button nose and small ears myself (and preferably not blue) - each to their own though Hill

 

[LB87ccfc]

Sounds like they are trying to make an effort, and its not cost cutting like some say, its living within their means, we are in a 32,000 seater and yet we get 8s 9,10s, so in past matches were they have closed it and moved the fans closer, ie Preston, it has generated a much improved atmosphere, as lets be honest, people scattered around the Ricoh makes it feel like someone has died.

Cheaper rates and moving fans closer is only a good thing and something many have asked for.

Now to move the away fans closer and it really would improve, its pathetic the distance needed between away fans and the home fans at the Ricoh and totally uncalled for.

I had to giggle at Maggotts last comment though all systems go in the summer to ensure we are fighting at the top end of the table , haha we been waiting for that to develop for the past how many years

 

[Monners]

Meeeowww!!!!

 

[Astute]

prefer tall and slim with a button nose and small ears myself (and preferably not blue) - each to their own though Hill

And a mouth that only works when you want it to.

 

[Monners]

And a mouth that only works when you want it to.

Its ok as long you don't marry them! (bit sexist there, but hey ho, it's Friday)

 

[Ashdown]

This is Wasps idea of 'Matchday Experience !!

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/wasps-rfc-fans-encouraged-wear-9161675

It's going to involve everyone looking ridiculous ! I bet the Far Eastern manufacturers are rubbing their hands together at what piece of tat Wasps will hand out next in their thousands !

 

[Astute]

Its ok as long you don't marry them! (bit sexist there, but hey ho, it's Friday)

Tried it once. Never again. Or should I say not at least until I decide to get rid of my 1st one.