FAO: Mariners Trust Re: Season Ticket prices

Quoted from barralad

Well to be honest I don't feel like defending the Trust's position on an anonymous website.

My entirely PERSONAL opinion is that if we are to be a competitive force next year then we have to provide Paul Hurst with a competitive budget to work with. I wish desperately to see a reduction in our dependence on the benefices of one person and if this gives us the opportunity to do both those things then it is a price worth paying. Maths isn't my strongest suit but a cost of £70 for a junior season ticket means a junior is paying £3-ish per game.

If you want the Trust's response may I respectfully suggest that you direct this query in its entirety to enquiries@marinerstrust.com

Again personally speaking I do not think that I'll be accepting your kind invitation to "resign in shame". I would say however that there is always room on the Mariners Trust board for people who can offer something in the way of Positive Action to help GTFC. Ir's not really for me to comment on the abilities of someone I'm pretty sure I don't know. Only you will know whether you fit the bill or whether sadly you are one of those who hide behind anonymity on a messageboard.
If you wish to discuss my personal view further please feel free to private message me on here. I won't be responding any more on this thread because to be honest I've nothing more to say.
Ta in advance for reading...

EDIT:- I should add my name is Ian Townsend and I hold the position of Treasurer for The Mariners Trust.

Well said Barra............  BTW are you Brian's brother?

Some wider things associated to this are

It should also be noted that buying a season ticket "possibly" gives you priority for a ticket in the cup competitions where it could be argued we now have a better chance of drawing a big side at home and for limited away allocations, nothing comes for free and that is a benefit I am happy to pay a few extra quid for. With the League Cup and straight into round 1 of the FA cup this could happen. Who knows we may draw the Scunts in round 1 again.

We have had no price rise for a number of season's now so it was inevitable that there would be some rises and with this "you cannot please all of the people all of the time" but I would have liked to see something really positive to get younger fans going to games as these are the adult ticket buyers of the next decade or so.

As we are in a bigger pond there is also less chance of us getting to Wembley now and considering we have been 4 times in the last 4 seasons income that this generates needs to be replaced.

We have gone up and 2 weeks ago everybody was positive about everything associated with GTFC but success brings challenges that first  one is staying up and for that we will need a bigger squad with better quality, again this comes at a cost. If on the 14th of May I would have asked you to put an extra £30 or so towards us going up many (who could afford it) would have done it if it meant winning the next day. Before the red crosses fly in I fully appreciate that we have all spent a lot of "hard earned" following Town in non league and before.  

The main issue is that the club is in an Area where realistically that even in this league they can only hit capacity for a small number of games a season (dependant on cup draws) so any incentives around ticketing need to be carefully examined.

Overall I think it is a shame that we have put the prices up but overall did we not expect some movement as we move into a bigger league?

And........... I am not sure why the Trust should be criticized as regardless of their input JF and the boys will still do exactly what they want to regardless of the impact on the fans who are not fortunate enough to have big bank accounts.

Welcome back to The Football League ladies & gentleman even in "Division 4" money appears to be the first consideration on every clubs mind,          



  

Should have added an extra  £5 or £10  to Adult season tickets and made Childrens the same price as last year, BUT only let CHILDRENS SEASON TICKETS purchase CHILDRENS TICKETS for big games. Dad's are more likely to pay extra for their tickets than extra for their childs!

THE CHILDREN OF TODAY ARE THE FUTURE OF GTFC  !

So for a teenager or Young person the cost per match is £5.50-£7.50 ?

Sounds like a bloody good deal to me

Quoted from forza ivano

So for a teenager or Young person the cost per match is £5.50-£7.50 ?

Sounds like a bloody good deal to me

And to me, it's the accompanied under 14's I am on about. Yes I know it is only £3 a game in the Pontoon etc but last year it was only just over £2 (A near 50% more per game). We need the kids as they will be the paying supporters of tomorrow. They were FREE in the Main stand the other year. A £20  increase is a very small (7%)percentage on an adult ticket but is a far bigger (20%) increase on a child!

Don't forget how many Kid's for a quid offers we have in a season as well!

Wow...some town fans really do just want to moan.

The price increase is more than acceptable, I assume those moaning would rather the club plunges further in to debt in order to compete or have a limited budget and possibly fight relegation again?

Remember the year Luton had £450 season tickets in the conference?

This is a fine example of using statistics to support and argument, reality is if one just take the early bird price of an adult season ticket ours are not close to being the most expensive.

What would people prefer? No increase but no increase in playing budget? We've done well to keep them the same price for as long as we have, especially given the obsession so many had with promotion. Cheap season tickets were a fad a few years a go that never really had the desired effect, hence why clubs reintroduced more sensibly priced, slightly more expensive ones to recoup some cash lost. Little evidence exists to support the idea that more people on the ground means more programmes, pies and beer sold. In reality football at every level is over priced but then who is to blame? The clubs for bowing down to player pressures for higher wages? The fans for wanting success? Sponsors for wanting some return for their investments etc?

Who actually knows?

Our season tickets are reasonably priced, simple as that. People would've moaned regardless, will those moaning stand by their decisions though and refuse to buy one? Did the same people attend the playoff final after spending almost £5 on booking/postage which is really unacceptable?

It is fair and reasonable to argue about the whys and wherefores of increased season ticket prices - it is quite another to talk about two committed and decent representatives resigning in shame.  It spoiled what could have been a reasonable case......

Quoted from Grantham_Mariner

And to me, it's the accompanied under 14's I am on about. Yes I know it is only £3 a game in the Pontoon etc but last year it was only just over £2 (A near 50% more per game). We need the kids as they will be the paying supporters of tomorrow. They were FREE in the Main stand the other year. A £20  increase is a very small (7%)percentage on an adult ticket but is a far bigger (20%) increase on a child!

Don't forget how many Kid's for a quid offers we have in a season as well!

If it was only £2 a game for under 14 then I think the club woefully undersold itself! £3 a game sounds an absolute bargain. I have to pay £9 to watch footie 3 divisions below the conference and even at Winslow United which is little better than village football its £4. I bet many of those moaning happily gave more than £20 to operation promotion but begrudge paying the club £20 more for what is going to be a much better 'product'

How much is it for an under 15 or 14 to visit the cinema.

Very surprised that we should be so far up that league table of prices.

Quoted from barralad

Well to be honest I don't feel like defending the Trust's position on an anonymous website.

My entirely PERSONAL opinion is that if we are to be a competitive force next year then we have to provide Paul Hurst with a competitive budget to work with. I wish desperately to see a reduction in our dependence on the benefices of one person and if this gives us the opportunity to do both those things then it is a price worth paying. Maths isn't my strongest suit but a cost of £70 for a junior season ticket means a junior is paying £3-ish per game.

If you want the Trust's response may I respectfully suggest that you direct this query in its entirety to enquiries@marinerstrust.com

Again personally speaking I do not think that I'll be accepting your kind invitation to "resign in shame". I would say however that there is always room on the Mariners Trust board for people who can offer something in the way of Positive Action to help GTFC. Ir's not really for me to comment on the abilities of someone I'm pretty sure I don't know. Only you will know whether you fit the bill or whether sadly you are one of those who hide behind anonymity on a messageboard.
If you wish to discuss my personal view further please feel free to private message me on here. I won't be responding any more on this thread because to be honest I've nothing more to say.
Ta in advance for reading...

EDIT:- I should add my name is Ian Townsend and I hold the position of Treasurer for The Mariners Trust.

Aha, so that is your alter ego on here! Whey hey!