Watford fans upset at ticket prices

[Mr.Carrow 376]

Jim and gary, i agree that the club can`t push it too far.  I just want people to look at the bigger picture and hold in mind that we now have a regime at the club who are ambitious for our football team and ask themselves, after years of lower than average prices, isn`t that worth paying a few quid extra for?

If Lambert hadn`t been backed this summer, he could well have walked citing lack of ambition and there would rightly have been uproar.  If season tickets had gone up 15-20% rather than the modest 6% there would have been uproar.  But as it stands Lambert was backed to the hilt, we have a strong, exciting squad and season-tickets remain very reasonable.  To me, it makes whining about a few quid extra here and there seem very petty and myopic.

[Mr.Carrow 376]

[quote user="morty"]Theres a club not very far from us that can provide an example of what happens when you hike prices too high.


[/quote]

I would contend that we have a bigger support than them, but a smaller stadium which changes the context a bit.

[gary 0]

[quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

Jim and gary, i agree that the club can`t push it too far.  I just want people to look at the bigger picture and hold in mind that we now have a regime at the club who are ambitious for our football team and ask themselves, after years of lower than average prices, isn`t that worth paying a few quid extra for?

If Lambert hadn`t been backed this summer, he could well have walked citing lack of ambition and there would rightly have been uproar.  If season tickets had gone up 15-20% rather than the modest 6% there would have been uproar.  But as it stands Lambert was backed to the hilt, we have a strong, exciting squad and season-tickets remain very reasonable.  To me, it makes whining about a few quid extra here and there seem very petty and myopic.

[/quote]

Okay , accept that point of view and there is a fine line between ambition and recklessness , I suspect that a good proportion of fans can afford to and would pay more for tickets , the problem I can see is that families , students , lower income fans can;t and as such will be lost to the club although still followers they won;t attend games and will drift away , I want the best for my club , but I do not want us to be some corporate machine rather than teh community club we all know and love

[gary 0]

[quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

Jim and gary, i agree that the club can`t push it too far.  I just want people to look at the bigger picture and hold in mind that we now have a regime at the club who are ambitious for our football team and ask themselves, after years of lower than average prices, isn`t that worth paying a few quid extra for?

If Lambert hadn`t been backed this summer, he could well have walked citing lack of ambition and there would rightly have been uproar.  If season tickets had gone up 15-20% rather than the modest 6% there would have been uproar.  But as it stands Lambert was backed to the hilt, we have a strong, exciting squad and season-tickets remain very reasonable.  To me, it makes whining about a few quid extra here and there seem very petty and myopic.

[/quote]

Okay , accept that point of view and there is a fine line between ambition and recklessness , I suspect that a good proportion of fans can afford to and would pay more for tickets , the problem I can see is that families , students , lower income fans can;t and as such will be lost to the club although still followers they won;t attend games and will drift away , I want the best for my club , but I do not want us to be some corporate machine rather than teh community club we all know and love

[Blofield Canary 11]

£31 for away fans is pretty average for this league. We will have the pleasure of paying £38 at Ipswich, £35 at QPR and Crystal Palace. 3 grounds with very poor facilities where you do feel robbed.  At the end of the day the majority of city fans have season tickets which are very good value for money. £31 is for the most expensive ticket, city fans can elect to sit in cheaper parts of the ground.

Very few away fans will be put off by our prices. Most people you find complaing about prices on message boards probably wouldn''t travel anyway. If you are going to stay at home for the sake of £5 on a ticket you are hardly a serious away fan. At the end of the day its less than a gallon of petrol so not a significant part of your away day budget.

[GMF 737]

Just to put this in perspective, I''ve just checked online for the Watford game and there''s one adult ticket in the Jarrold Stand, Block O, the equivalent to the the away supporters section, still available at, you''ve guessed it, £31.00!

[Mr.Carrow 376]

Again gary, we are pretty much in agreement.  Imo though, the number of people who genuinely can`t afford to pay a bit more for a better product on the pitch is very low.  Of the people i know who go on about being skint all the time it always amazes me how many pints they put away/taxi`s they take `cos they can`t be ars*d to walk/pointless driving trips they take when they could walk or cycle!

[0 0]

Its a ridiculous price lets be honest. A couple of years back we''d all say how disgusting Palace were for charging similar.And people who say "well i dont care if they rip us all off if it means we can sign andrew surman" are you for real.

[CharlieFarlie 0]

Can I chip in if I may!

 

I think that this is a very cleaver piece of marketing by the club; £31 has clearly “stirred up a hornets nest” excuse the pun.

 

If they only sell 500 tickets then the remainder will be open to casual Norwich fans who will snap up any “returned” tickets they day they go on sale, so in my opinion high away prices will not reduce the average attendance this season. What it will do is increase the percentage of home support and this has to be a good thing yes?

 

As many of you have posted, we will be expected to part with between £30 and £38 worth of our hard earned English pounds for the pleasure of support our boys away this season. That is our choice and we don’t have to do this, the same can be said for the Watford fan base, their choice, take it or leave it!

 

I for one would rather see higher away prices and therefore more City fans in FCR.

 

Bet the casual Norwich fans backing Watford fans on this board won’t be thinking of this when they ring the ticket office to get hold of the ones sent back( an unexpected opportunity to see the boys without having to queue at the buy back window )

 

McNally said that they were looking at options to increase capacity does this not also transcribe to “more home fans to be able to attend matches”?

 

Increase seating and season ticket allocation (done and sold out), Raise away prices to guarantee either 1) more revenue to the club from the away fan base if they sell out the allocation or 2) still guarantee a sell out and increase the percentage of City fans in the ground? (Better atmosphere with more noise, = greater backing for the team on the pitch).

 

Win win for the club either way, genius marketing in my opinion!

 

OTBC

[tom cavendish 0]

I wouldn''t count on all the ussold Watford tickets being bought by Norwich fans when NCFC are asking £31+booking fee for a game that is live on TV.

[morty 0]

[quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

[quote user="morty"]Theres a club not very far from us that can provide an example of what happens when you hike prices too high.

[/quote]

I would contend that we have a bigger support than them, but a smaller stadium which changes the context a bit.

[/quote]I agree, but they used to get bigger crowds than they do now. We are in a very good position right now where demand outstrips supply. But its a very fine balance, and the most likely thing that would tip it is that if people can''t afford to go any more.

[kdncfc 0]

Looking at the online ticketing there looks to be only around a thousand tickets left for the game and with a week to go I''d be very surprised if the game didn''t sell out. Personally I think tickets at cr have been far to cheap and given a choice I''d rather pay a bit more if it meant that we had more money to spend on players. Of course the trick is to get it right as if you increase the prices to much you could risk losing support but if the team is doing well I think people will find the money.

[CharlieFarlie 0]

[quote user="tom cavendish"]I wouldn''t count on all the ussold Watford tickets being bought by Norwich fans when NCFC are asking £31+booking fee for a game that is live on TV.
[/quote]

It will be a sell out for sure, dawn or a new era and all that and being the fans of the season to sing we are top of the league [:)]

Surley there is only a booking fee for online or telehone sales, unless i have missed soemthing and you also get a £1.50 charge for buying from the ticket office ?

 

[When Saturday Comes 0]

I paid £24 for a Scunthorpe ticket which seems like a lot (considering thev journey, their ground etc) but I want to go so I paid it.

[CharlieFarlie 0]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

[quote user="morty"]Theres a club not very far from us that can provide an example of what happens when you hike prices too high.


[/quote]

I would contend that we have a bigger support than them, but a smaller stadium which changes the context a bit.

[/quote]

I agree, but they used to get bigger crowds than they do now. We are in a very good position right now where demand outstrips supply. But its a very fine balance, and the most likely thing that would tip it is that if people can''t afford to go any more.
[/quote]

Agree Morty, but demand has outstripped supply for a number of years , McNally would have been very shrewd when looking at the prices for this season, I am sure he would have done some homework with the ticket office and buyback teams to calculate how many supporters could not get tickets last year etc. This is a grade A match as it’s the 1st game of the season not because of opposition, I would not think too many casuals would grumble at £31 to see scum, Leeds etc here this season if they could get their hands on tickets!

We have moaned about lack of funds and ambition, now we have it still moaners!

Let’s not forget the hike in prices this year based on predicted demand may also have played a very big part towards the quality signing we have made recently!

Did not hear too may grumbles about them !

 

[Mr. Bump 0]

[quote user="Jim Smith"][quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

It`s a balancing act and i think you`re right that the club know that there is enough demand for those 6k or so casual seats to push it a bit, even if some people go to fewer games as a result.

I think a few warning shots across the bows of the club not to push it too far are fine, but what annoys me is that those people moaning about the childrens friendly prices don`t mention that a competetive game coming up is all of £1 and that they have presumably been taking advantage of the ridiculously low kids season-ticket prices for years.

I`ve always assumed that all supporters want the most successful team we can have on the pitch, but the attitude coming across from some is a bit like "We`ll watch any old cr*p as long as it`s cheap".  If we want our club to continue investing in the team we`re going to have to accept paying a bit more imo.

[/quote]

I agree with you in the main. I have thought that too many people get in too cheaply at Carrow Road for a long time with the various kids and under 16''s deal. But I would question whether the way to resolve that is to push the adult tickets up to £31. £30 is a big psycological barrier for a lot of people. For example we could charge £28 for adults and push the U16 price up a bit and probably get the same effect.

I guess my general point is that the club needs to be careful to strike the right balance and not become too obsessed with screwing every last pound out of every opportunity. So long as they do that it won''t become an issue. If they don''t get the balance right they may find the Norfolk public loses patience quite quickly.

[/quote]Not just the adults, the U16''s has gone up to £20.00 in the Jarrold Stand too.

[Bethnal Yellow and Green 1,557]

Basically it is simple supply and demand theory. Norwich City current have a lot of fans who want to go to games (20,500 season ticket holders reflect this). Carrow Road has a limited capacity, thus supply is limited and is smaller than demand, this leads to increased prices. It''s all very well Norwich having low prices, and being a nice friendly club that is kind to its fans, but the club is currently in a fair amount of debt and has just spent a fair amount of money in adding some extra seats and players such as Surman and Jackson.

The new pricing does seem to be a reflection of the McNally/Bowkett more business minded approach to football and maximising income. What is the point of the club doing all the hard work in creating a large fan based through cheap kids prices etc if it isn''t going to squeeze them for some cash? Seems a bit hard nosed, but then football is a business and nice businesses tend to go bust. If attendances do drop then I''m sure you will see a reduction of ticket prices slightly, but are we really likely to see anything other than sell outs when we have so many season ticket holders?

The new higher pricing will lose us some respect we have built up from other team''s fans in the past, but is this really important?

[morty 0]

[quote user="CharlieFarlie"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

[quote user="morty"]Theres a club not very far from us that can provide an example of what happens when you hike prices too high.

[/quote]

I would contend that we have a bigger support than them, but a smaller stadium which changes the context a bit.

[/quote]I agree, but they used to get bigger crowds than they do now. We are in a very good position right now where demand outstrips supply. But its a very fine balance, and the most likely thing that would tip it is that if people can''t afford to go any more.[/quote]

Agree Morty, but demand has outstripped supply for a number of years , McNally would have been very shrewd when looking at the prices for this season, I am sure he would have done some homework with the ticket office and buyback teams to calculate how many supporters could not get tickets last year etc. This is a grade A match as it’s the 1st game of the season not because of opposition, I would not think too many casuals would grumble at £31 to see scum, Leeds etc here this season if they could get their hands on tickets!

We have moaned about lack of funds and ambition, now we have it still moaners!

Let’s not forget the hike in prices this year based on predicted demand may also have played a very big part towards the quality signing we have made recently!

Did not hear too may grumbles about them !

 

[/quote]The proof of the pudding is in the eating, if the increased prices also bring better quality football and success then I don''t think anyone will have cause for complaint. But as soon it stops being value for money, then people will have every right to grumble.

[dylanisabaddog 4,918]

[quote user="gary "]Fully support the Watford fans view - £ 31 is ridiculous for a second division football match - somewhere around £ 20 is probably reasonable , We now have no grounds for complaint at any other clubs prices at all and in fact can;t be surprised if we find that other clubs reciproate the pricing levels , local clubs have for a long time moaned about lack of crowds , well if NCFC charge as they are - increase in ground food and drink prices as well , you may find clubs such as Wroxham , Norwich United , Dereham etc gain fans who prefer to pay £ 8 - 10 and see a decent level of football Ludicrous costs now to watch preofessional football , out of my league completely[/quote]

 

Dereham charged £5.00 for Ridgeons football last season.

As regards the £31 charge - you need to make your minds up.  There has been constant moaning about a lack of investment in our club, but when supporters are asked to pay the amount needed to provide a competitive team, the moaning starts.

You should remember that season tickets were available interest free over 12 months.  Mine works out at around £16 per game. 

Several people have suggested that teams will now charge more when we visit them - surely that would just be punishing their own fans?  I seem to remember that it is against league regulations to charge visiting supporters more than home supporters.

Pay up, or shut up.

[Waveney Canary 0]

Unfortunately the club is deeply in debt as we all know. For the long term good of the club it needs to generate more income per seat whether that is through ticket price/ food/drink etc. I would be prepared to pay significantly more for my season ticket if it meant a stronger team on the pitch and a healther club off it. We should max out what we can get from the away fans. I appreciate that this will exclude the less well off but needs must if we want to be successful

 

Me TING TONG we love you long time

[CharlieFarlie 0]

[quote user="morty"][quote user="CharlieFarlie"][quote user="morty"][quote user="Mr.Carrow"]

[quote user="morty"]Theres a club not very far from us that can provide an example of what happens when you hike prices too high.


[/quote]

I would contend that we have a bigger support than them, but a smaller stadium which changes the context a bit.

[/quote]

I agree, but they used to get bigger crowds than they do now. We are in a very good position right now where demand outstrips supply. But its a very fine balance, and the most likely thing that would tip it is that if people can''t afford to go any more.
[/quote]

Agree Morty, but demand has outstripped supply for a number of years , McNally would have been very shrewd when looking at the prices for this season, I am sure he would have done some homework with the ticket office and buyback teams to calculate how many supporters could not get tickets last year etc. This is a grade A match as it’s the 1st game of the season not because of opposition, I would not think too many casuals would grumble at £31 to see scum, Leeds etc here this season if they could get their hands on tickets!

We have moaned about lack of funds and ambition, now we have it still moaners!

Let’s not forget the hike in prices this year based on predicted demand may also have played a very big part towards the quality signing we have made recently!

Did not hear too may grumbles about them !

 

[/quote]

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, if the increased prices also bring better quality football and success then I don''t think anyone will have cause for complaint. But as soon it stops being value for money, then people will have every right to grumble.
[/quote]

 

Again agree Morty, but i am sure if the football standard drops and attendances fall as a result the club would lower prices !

[Buzz Killington 0]

Show me where I said this, "And people who say "well i dont care if they rip us all off if it means we can sign andrew surman" are you for real."! At the end of the day, the club are trying to put together a better team. It needs paying for somehow. I seem to remember paying something like �30 to go to Leeds away next year. Why shouldn''t they put the prices up? They could keep them low, we''ll sign the usual dross, struggle at the bottom again. Probably end up going out of business. Perhaps you''d rather that than fork out an extra �4 for a ticket. They printed the ticket prices at the end of last season. Why has nobody complained sooner? If you don''t like it, you don''t have to go to the games. I''m sure someone less tight would gladly take your ticket.

[nutty nigel 7,532]

It''s strange how it seems many are up in arms about away supporters being charged £31 when casual home supporters are going to be charged exactly the same. Is it only the away supporters we care about???

I agree that £31 is a mad price to watch a football match. But I think football has gone mad anyway. The wages paid are just as mad and it''s those that fuel these crazy admission prices.

So I agree with the posters who think £31 is obscene. But that''s £31 to watch a football match. Given that we are trying to compete in this oscene football world do we want Norwich to fight for it''s place? Or to consolidate at a lower level until sanity returns to the game as a whole. If we want our club to compete with others who pay obscene wages then we shall have to be prepared to pay obscene prices.

 

[Blofield Canary 11]

Good point Nutty Nigel. Plenty of city fans happy to pay £31. Well over half the tickets Watford have sent back have already ben snapped up in addition to the home areas that have already sold out in the Jarrold Stand (All £31)  There is another thred on here about wanting to be in the Premiership. You wont get many away days for £31 then. Double that for the London Clubs.

[pete_norw 0]

[quote user="Ooh Ahh Lee Power"]if they don''t like it they can watch it on tv[/quote]

That is ,feel the reason for the Price of £31 it will make up for the empty seats, because Sky have Hijacked us for the night.

[First Wizard 0]

[quote user="pete_norw"]

[quote user="Ooh Ahh Lee Power"]if they don''t like it they can watch it on tv[/quote]

That is ,feel the reason for the Price of £31 it will make up for the empty seats, because Sky have Hijacked us for the night.

[/quote]So sky aren''t paying us for the game then?[^o)]

[pete_norw 0]

[quote user="First Wizard"][quote user="pete_norw"]

[quote user="Ooh Ahh Lee Power"]if they don''t like it they can watch it on tv[/quote]

That is ,feel the reason for the Price of £31 it will make up for the empty seats, because Sky have Hijacked us for the night.

[/quote]So sky aren''t paying us for the game then?[^o)][/quote]

I didn''t say that Wiz, but Sky usually bring loads of empty seats, Or are we so unique that this won''t happen, If we had an away match at Doncaster and tickets we £31 and it was on tele, what would you do. Point taken or what . I firmly believe that Sky is the killer and the worst thing that ever happened to football in general, yes put cup matches on but league No

[Canary_on_the Trent 0]

All it is, is simple Supply & Demand! It''s the first day of the season, demand is very high so why not catergorize it as a Grade A match?It''s not like it''s £31 every match, it''s unfortunate on the Watford fans as it was for Carlisle fans in May but that''s the way it is, for far too long the club has not maximised revenue.

[CharlieFarlie 0]

[quote user="pete_norw"][quote user="First Wizard"][quote user="pete_norw"]

[quote user="Ooh Ahh Lee Power"]if they don''t like it they can watch it on tv[/quote]

That is ,feel the reason for the Price of £31 it will make up for the empty seats, because Sky have Hijacked us for the night.

[/quote]So sky aren''t paying us for the game then?[^o)][/quote]

I didn''t say that Wiz, but Sky usually bring loads of empty seats, Or are we so unique that this won''t happen, If we had an away match at Doncaster and tickets we £31 and it was on tele, what would you do. Point taken or what . I firmly believe that Sky is the killer and the worst thing that ever happened to football in general, yes put cup matches on but league No

[/quote]

 

We are that unique Pete, there wont be many empty seat come Friday evening ! Again demand outstripts supply at this club ! For info , i know season tickets went up by 6% this year, but what % is the increase on last years A grade games. If its 6% then nothing to complain about really !If its more than 6% then I see it as a greater reward to those that purchase season tickets.

To put it into context, if you went to see a show in London and a seat was £35 , then you went to see another show at the same venue and it was £40 woudl you boycott? I doubt it !

This is a business as well as our club and as I stated before , we have been blessed with forward thinking in the way of great signings , it has to be paid for somehow !

[......and Smith must score. 1,342]

I think NCFC have got this one wrong......No disrespect to Watford but, as one of the relegation favourites, there is no way this should have been a Category '' A '' game in the first place. Then to add insult to injury it turns out that it''s a live TV game too.I''ve every sympathy for any supporter of either club having to fork out £31 next Friday and I can''t say I''d disagree with Watford fans who will no doubt be quick enough to remind us of this should they get anything out of the game.