Hmmmm...

£325 pontoon/main/lower

£360 upper


Appreciate they couldn’t be frozen for ever but given the mixed bag this year and limited funds being made available, I’m not sure how I feel about this. Expected some sort of a discount/promotion. At least for kids.

Jolley asked Fenty for more money in his budget so the prices had  to rise. If the new players are better than the ones we have then its a good move. We will still sell about 3,000 season tickets imo

I’ll still renew. Just a bit surprised.

I'll renew but I want better served up than I've had this year or next year I'll spend the money in Nicole's.  

Prices up, no early bird, no fanfare, no shift-worker package, renewal packs not out until the end of this month, no exile offer, no new ideas and a payment plan they won’t even give you details for unless you ring up or visit the ticket office - oh, and then you’ll be charged an additional fee to do it.

Even with my expectations at rock bottom, they’ve still managed to disappoint. It’s like even the club are ashamed to announce it.

Anyhow, that’s me done til August unless Fenty leaves in the meantime. tata x

Wont be renewing. They’ve scrapped the monthly payments

Never been so disinterested in even buying a season ticket so I'm gonna move along..

JF has admitted our playing budget is below par..
The floodlights are coming down...
We are no nearer a new ground than we were in 1988....
JF wants out....

Why is anyone surprised ????

Quoted from Hagrid

Wont be renewing. They’ve scrapped the monthly payments

To be fair, I think Zebra Finance (the firm who used to do it) went bust a few months back.

Quoted from ska face

To be fair, I think Zebra Finance (the firm who used to do it) went bust a few months back.

But other clubs have managed to find another firm...

Quoted from ska face

Prices up, no early bird, no fanfare, no shift-worker package, renewal packs not out until the end of this month, no exile offer, no new ideas and a payment plan they won’t even give you details for unless you ring up or visit the ticket office - oh, and then you’ll be charged an additional fee to do it.

Even with my expectations at rock bottom, they’ve still managed to disappoint. It’s like even the club are ashamed to announce it.

Give over.. it's a marketing masterpiece refined over nearly two decades..

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again. Fresh ideas are needed  at this  I’m club if it is to compete.

The old boys club that is GTFC must realise their ‘comfortability’ is killing this football club.

Next season will be even worse. Our nearest rivals budget will be almost double ours..

I love this club dearly but the pride of Lincolnshire we’re not. I’ve found myself going through the motions with this football club.

Quoted from ska face

To be fair, I think Zebra Finance (the firm who used to do it) went bust a few months back.

Nice to see the club were across this and lined up a replacement [in case it's not obvious, this is sarcasm].

If that’s true about no monthly payments it needs sorting ASAP. There was a time in the recent past when the Trust would challenge this sort of thing

As a reward for sticking with the club after another dismal season we are going to up the prices.

male masturbators

Quoted from ska face

Prices up, no early bird, no fanfare, no shift-worker package, renewal packs not out until the end of this month, no exile offer, no new ideas and a payment plan they won’t even give you details for unless you ring up or visit the ticket office - oh, and then you’ll be charged an additional fee to do it.

Even with my expectations at rock bottom, they’ve still managed to disappoint. It’s like even the club are ashamed to announce it.

Anyhow, that’s me done til August unless Fenty leaves in the meantime. tata x

Hate to say it but I agree with Grant

Quoted from Vance Warner

If that’s true about no monthly payments it needs sorting ASAP. There was a time in the recent past when the Trust would challenge this sort of thing

I don't know why the club had to outsource the monthly payments thing anyway

Maybe there is something that says if you're not going to pay in one lump sum it has to be run as some kind of financial agreement separate to the club

I don't know why we don't have some kind of subscription that allows you to pay over an extended period...surely it can't be that difficult?

Gotta pay that loan...

Quoted from marinerdazza

Hmmmm...

£325 pontoon/main/lower

£360 upper


Appreciate they couldn’t be frozen for ever but given the mixed bag this year and limited funds being made available, I’m not sure how I feel about this. Expected some sort of a discount/promotion. At least for kids.

Well now we know where Fenty's budget increase is coming from.  ;D

Quoted from ska face

To be fair, I think Zebra Finance (the firm who used to do it) went bust a few months back.

Can we have that in black and white

Quoted from chrissy

Jolley asked Fenty for more money in his budget so the prices had  to rise. If the new players are better than the ones we have then its a good move. We will still sell about 3,000 season tickets imo

The die hards will buy a season ticket regardless. Probably won't make a big difference in sales.

Unbelievable show of contempt from the club towards the fans.

Don't doubt it people, this is the club absolutely taking the urine out of us as fans. They fully expect and know that the usual idiots (I 100% include myself in that bracket) will part with their hard earned money regardless.

Well, Mr Fenty and Mr Wraith. I'm afraid you may have called the fans bluff once too often.

I appreciate the need to increase the budget, there's no two ways about it. It wasn't competitive this season. There's a reason our marquee signing last summer was available despite a stellar pedigree. There's a reason our talisman striker was available after the season had started. We weren't even shopping in Netto, we were getting to the car boot sale early doors hoping to find a bargain amongst everyone else's junk.

Do I have a problem with giving the manager extra funds? Absolutely not.
Do I have a problem with being treat like a piece of excrement every year? Most definitely I do!

This season has been turd. You can try and polish it any way you want, but it's been bloody awful. Take away a few entertaining games (and I mean a few) and the entertainment factor has been zero. Even yesterday was dull as ditchwater.  The sheer number of season ticket holders not going to games towards the end of the season should set alarm bells ringing.

The club should be panicking and producing something to drum up something that will wet the appetite. I've said before the mass development of the youth players is the perfect marketing opportunity. Even more so with the youth lads winning their league. They are the future, this is now. Be part of it.   Bloody easy and simple!

We've got a ticketing manager and a commercial manager who either can't be arsed or aren't allowed to come up with something to generate interest. Instead we've got a flipping lazy statement telling us the tickets are now on sale. No fanfare, no incentive. Nothing. Just an expectation people will pay.

The ultimate reason the budget was so low is because of your mismanagement of the club, John. We don't generate enough income because the club, under your watch, is run in an unprofessional manner.

Please leave my club now. The debt/benign loans or whatever Tory-speak you want to phrase them as are a result of your continued inability to manage the club as a business. You created the problems, don't expect the 140 year old club to refund you for your errors. Have the decency to walk away and write off your loans. If you walk away today, you will still leave the club in a far worse position than when you took over but the club will still be able to recover. The longer you remain at the club, the more you kill it.

Quoted from gaz57

Can we have that in black and white

Sorry, the printers went bust a few months ago and the club have been unable to find another company able to print A5 colour leaflets in the mean time.

Quoted from Vance Warner

There was a time in the recent past when the Trust would challenge this sort of thing

Absolutely,  would be good to hear the Trust's position on this.

Quoted from pizzzza

Absolutely,  would be good to hear the Trust's position on this.

They probably agree with it.

Quoted from Kris2

The die hards will buy a season ticket regardless. Probably won't make a big difference in sales.

There's already longstanding season ticket holders who haven't renewed over the last year, and more are dropping out. If the club has the same attitude as us GTFC will end up part-time in the not too distant future.

Setting aside feelings about the majority shareholder (I'm not keen), a club like ours is in a bit of a bind when it comes to pricing, because over many years it's backed into a corner of having probably 2,500-3,000 die-hards, plus another 3,500-5,000 waverers meaning that they've pretty much created a ceiling of 3,000 season ticket sales which is not massively price-sensitive.

They've probably worked out that this sort of rise will on balance deliver a bit more budget.  Any drop off is more likely to be attributed to the indifferent form and people's optimism for the next season.  So in that sense I do have some sympathy for the bean counters.

Where the club could be doing more, is in cultivating the long-term fan base (getting children in and reaching out to lapsed supporters and occasional fans), so that if we eventually pull off a miracle and get a new ground, we will actually have a pool of 25-30,000 people who nominally say they support us, so we can have 6-8,000 every week, and 12,000 four or five times a season.

Quoted from HackneyHaddock

Setting aside feelings about the majority shareholder (I'm not keen), a club like ours is in a bit of a bind when it comes to pricing, because over many years it's backed into a corner of having probably 2,500-3,000 die-hards, plus another 3,500-5,000 waverers meaning that they've pretty much created a ceiling of 3,000 season ticket sales which is not massively price-sensitive.

They've probably worked out that this sort of rise will on balance deliver a bit more budget.  Any drop off is more likely to be attributed to the indifferent form and people's optimism for the next season.  So in that sense I do have some sympathy for the bean counters.

Where the club could be doing more, is in cultivating the long-term fan base (getting children in and reaching out to lapsed supporters and occasional fans), so that if we eventually pull off a miracle and get a new ground, we will actually have a pool of 25-30,000 people who nominally say they support us, so we can have 6-8,000 every week, and 12,000 four or five times a season.

You might be right about the price insensitivity in general terms but when a business treats its customers as badly as GTFC treats its customers, then you erode that hardcore base. 3000 becomes 2500. A 17% fall in guaranteed income. This isn't just connected with performance on the pitch.

Quoted from Alfie

No problem with price increase but a complete lack of imagination in the initial ‘launch’. Club should be transparent and explain increase to make budget more competitive - not ignore it. Simple and easy to understand

This feels like they have been more bothered in the office about that daft TV show than generating some excitement with this. Shame to not see the exile season ticket announced yet either - hopefully coming soon.

Absolutely.  People aren't daft and with all the goings on at Bolton and other clubs, fans nowadays are very aware of the tight margins in football finance.  An explanation of how the budgets are arrived at right down to TV and sponsorship income and how any extra income translates into playing budget.  

I know I'll get slated for this but the " perennial " question of STs comes up especially the question of cost or price rise. Admittedly, because I'm a pensioner, mine is reduced but I will still renew mine. Being on a fixed income pension even a rise affects me but if I want to watch my home town football club then I get a season ticket. Most things go up in price on a yearly basis and football clubs are no exception. Wages are a major factor and in our case an ageing ground with possibly high maintenance costs and insurance. Of course a lot will point out that the season has been disappointing and could argue "why pay out more for what could be another season of the same "? It has also been mentioned about withdrawing buying a ST until JF goes and a new regime comes in? These are all points for each fan to consider on a personal basis and come to their own decision. For me it is simple - as a Grimbarian I want to watch my home town team play football for as long as I can and my ST is the most cost effective way for me to do this. The current regime controlling GTFC are deeply unpopular and not who I and many others want in place. But regimes change and I am the eternal optimist where GTFC are concerned. I cannot make those changes or even influence them to any great degree. Yes, I could be very vocal about my dissatisfaction on how the club is run but judging by the response from the incumbent regime it would make no difference. They are convinced that they are right in their approach and nothing that we fans say will make them change their minds. So ,in conclusion , I remain hopeful that the existing regime will be replaced, MJ will be able to assemble a promotion pushing squad , news of a new ground materialises and look forward to next season. Up The Mariners.

Everything goes up. I suspect those moaning are not real fans or not  season ticket holders.

I didn't expect the price to stay the same. As some have already mentioned GTFC have bills to pay like everyone else and they don't stay the same or come down. The same fans that moan about Fenty dipping his hands in his pocket to improve the team are then moaning that they have to dig a little deeper. If all the money raised goes to fund the team then it is the right decision and I will renew my season ticket just like I have every season for more years than I can remember in the hope of a season of glory.

I have to agree about not being able to pay for it monthly though. I apreaciate that not everyone can pay for one in one payment like I can. The club need to look at this since we live in a low pay area with little in the way of well paid jobs.

I am fortunate, as an exile, that I have other family reasons to visit N. Lincs. so I tend to discount transport costs. My senior discount in the Upper is worthwhile and I only missed 1 game. I will renew early to get my seat again. Even though many of the incentives have no relevance to me I want to see my team as much as I can while personal circumstances allow. Sadly, over this season, some who are close to me have had their lives changed through illness, bereavement and other unforeseen reasons. Their choices have changed for ever.
That said, the deal for families and low waged needs further examination. The marketing seems to ignore modern lifestyles and work patterns. While the fossils like me can still make it to BP we mask the demographics which threaten the viability of many L2 clubs. Surely we can use the success of the Youth Team to promote ST's to local families?
Looking forward to giving the £10 voucher away again.

Quoted from mimma

I apreaciate that not everyone can pay for one in one payment like I can.

Ooooooo look at Rockafeller over there.

Quoted from 140067

Everything goes up. I suspect those moaning are not real fans or not  season ticket holders.

Don’t you dare suspect any one of us for not being real fans.

I’m not a real fan because I’m asked to pay more for under par football and think it’s a bit cheeky?

I’m not a real fan because I think GTFC is an old boys club and what comes out of it off field is under par?

Which one or both?  

I thought they said when 18/19 prices were kept the same, there would be an increase for 19/20? It hasn't come as a surprise to me anyway.

Quoted from mariner83

I thought they said when 18/19 prices were kept the same, there would be an increase for 19/20? It hasn't come as a surprise to me anyway.

It wasn’t guaranteed it was identified as a possibility.

We’ll sell between 2500 to 3,000 as we always do but sadly those who have been so loyal haven’t been rewarded on or off the pitch.

No real incentive to new purchases says all you need to know about the unimaginative pillocks that run and commercially manage this club.

Until we become more creative on and off the out h it will always be the same old same old.

I’ve been a STH for years and like many do a big round trip...... that won’t change let’s just hope our “football fortune” does.

Quoted from Croxton

I am fortunate, as an exile, that I have other family reasons to visit N. Lincs. so I tend to discount transport costs. My senior discount in the Upper is worthwhile and I only missed 1 game. I will renew early to get my seat again. Even though many of the incentives have no relevance to me I want to see my team as much as I can while personal circumstances allow. Sadly, over this season, some who are close to me have had their lives changed through illness, bereavement and other unforeseen reasons. Their choices have changed for ever.
That said, the deal for families and low waged needs further examination. The marketing seems to ignore modern lifestyles and work patterns. While the fossils like me can still make it to BP we mask the demographics which threaten the viability of many L2 clubs. Surely we can use the success of the Youth Team to promote ST's to local families?
Looking forward to giving the £10 voucher away again.

This is the risk. (Not that I see you as a fossil Cockers old boy). Overall we look to have an aging supporter profile. Not helped by waves of emmigration from the area - the first generation might make it back regularly, their offspring might do a bit, but as their social links are increasingly elsewhere they'll slowly stop coming. Driving around town today, much of it is run down and getting shabbier by the year. There are a lot of people who would have been hrdcore in past times who don't have the money. The town centre is dead (you can count the footfall in Freshney Place by hand). Emmigration from GY will not decrease any time soon. If people grow up with no connection with the club, when they go they won't be back. The club needs to work harder at attracting and retaining  and retaining the fanbase instead of the same tired old approaches, and belittling of supporters efforts.

After being a season ticket holder for the last few seasons it will be pay as you go next season for me.

I fully expect Jolley to be given a poor budget for league 2 this summer.

No way I'm funding Mr Fenty's £200K a season claw back over bad decisions this time.  

I THINK the problem isn't so much the rise in cost but the way they go about it. We've said for years our marketing is shocking. Seriously it isn't difficult, we have so many youngsters coming through we should be pushing for more season ticket holders using the youths as bate (so to speak). I'm quite embarrassed the way the club have just put up on the site saying season tickets are on sale and just left it at that. So frustrating and I genuinely believe it'll be (as much as I hope im wrong) a shock to the club when we struggle to sell 2,000 season tickets this year.
It's a massive shame because I think if given a decent budget aand if the youngsters come good Jolley can do good things with this club.

Quoted from promotion plaice

After being a season ticket holder for the last few seasons it will be pay as you go next season for me.

I fully expect Jolley to be given a poor budget for league 2 this summer.

No way I'm funding Mr Fenty's £200K a season claw back over bad decisions this time.  

£200,000 is about £67 per season ticket holder based on the usual 3,000 sold. A lot less than the increases.

I'm one of the idiots who will get a ST again but the shame is it's more because I like to go on the ale with the lads rather than the football.
I don't mind paying £20 more for a ST because us fans keeping the club going because the bloke at the top won't (and has not put anything in for a long time)

I'm in the lucky position that I can pay for my ticket up front.
There are lots of others who can't do this so have to pay monthly so for the club not now to allow fans to do this is a scandal.
Then again what do we expect from Team Fenty.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

This is the risk. (Not that I see you as a fossil Cockers old boy). Overall we look to have an aging supporter profile. Not helped by waves of emmigration from the area - the first generation might make it back regularly, their offspring might do a bit, but as their social links are increasingly elsewhere they'll slowly stop coming. Driving around town today, much of it is run down and getting shabbier by the year. There are a lot of people who would have been hrdcore in past times who don't have the money. The town centre is dead (you can count the footfall in Freshney Place by hand). Emmigration from GY will not decrease any time soon. If people grow up with no connection with the club, when they go they won't be back. The club needs to work harder at attracting and retaining  and retaining the fanbase instead of the same tired old approaches, and belittling of supporters efforts.

I think you have just described this town/area like hundreds of towns across the country.

It is funny that 120,000 or whatever it is still live here isn't it?

A lot of them look out for their home town or local team, and many worse places than ours sit well above us in the football pyramid. Look at the scenes at Wembley in a non league final against unknown FGR - that tells you all you need to know about the passion there is for GTFC.

What lets us down is the club itself; the people that run it have not got the money, drive or ambition to make a go of it and people will not buy into stagnation. They love success though; they want to share the good times and they want to be part of a vision. OK, success might not last too long, but the main thing holding us back is the people in charge.

Well I like a lot of other season ticket holders will be renewing because it's what I can do to help. I don't want the club to be reliant on the benefices of one man and have absolutely no intention of cutting off the very source that means that he won't get a chance to put more of a stumbling block in the way of someone wanting to take over.  I just cannot reconcile the views that his loans are what are holding the club back with a desire to punish the club for lack of ambition by holding back money which ultimately prevents that from happening. If as claimed our budget is well below that expected to even perform to a mid table level why would you want to further shrink that income? Our prices are comparable with other teams in our league. Social media has been full of people saying they can get a season ticket far higher up the leagues for an equivalent price or less...well perhaps they can but it would be interrsting (to me at least) to know what percentage of that clubs income comes through gate/season ticket sales especially when one of the comparisons I've seen is with newly promoted to the Premiership Sheffield United! I'm sure I read once that Premier League teams could play to virtually empty stadia without too much detrimental effect..

Quoted from TAGG

I'm one of the idiots who will get a ST again but the shame is it's more because I like to go on the ale with the lads rather than the football.
I don't mind paying £20 more for a ST because us fans keeping the club going because the bloke at the top won't (and has not put anything in for a long time)

I'm in the lucky position that I can pay for my ticket up front.
There are lots of others who can't do this so have to pay monthly so for the club not now to allow fans to do this is a scandal.
Then again what do we expect from Team Fenty.

I'm getting mine again, DO NOT CLASS ME as an IDIOT. I just love my football club.
I AM NOT AN IDIOT. OK

Quoted from moosey_club

JF has admitted our playing budget is below par..
The floodlights are coming down...
We are no nearer a new ground than we were in 1988....
JF wants out....

Why is anyone surprised ????
Toothill 1963 FA Would!!!

Quoted from Hagrid

Wont be renewing. They’ve scrapped the monthly payments

Wasn't that due to Zebra finance?

Quoted from Fishy_fishtails

Wasn't that due to Zebra finance?

I’m pretty sure that if I wanted to buy a car on finance and the dealers usual broker went bust or whatever, they would soon find another broker !!!  But maybe car sales rooms value their customers  :-/

Quoted from Civvy at last

I’m pretty sure that if I wanted to buy a car on finance and the dealers usual broker went bust or whatever, they would soon find another broker !!!  But maybe car sales rooms value their customers  :-/

My golf club used Zebra for the financing if annual subscription and we were informed end of February that they would no longer be using Zebra as the company were no longer in a position to offer finance but we're upholding all loans agreed before February 1st...
So, it goes to show, that once again GFTC have been behind the 8 ball and acted reactively rather than proactively as they would have known about Zebras situation months ago and have done, as far as I can gather, nothing to find another finance company yet our golf club sorted this out straight away ..and we've 500 members not 3000...

Quoted from barralad

Well I like a lot of other season ticket holders will be renewing because it's what I can do to help. I don't want the club to be reliant on the benefices of one man and have absolutely no intention of cutting off the very source that means that he won't get a chance to put more of a stumbling block in the way of someone wanting to take over.  I just cannot reconcile the views that his loans are what are holding the club back with a desire to punish the club for lack of ambition by holding back money which ultimately prevents that from happening. If as claimed our budget is well below that expected to even perform to a mid table level why would you want to further shrink that income? Our prices are comparable with other teams in our league. Social media has been full of people saying they can get a season ticket far higher up the leagues for an equivalent price or less...well perhaps they can but it would be interrsting (to me at least) to know what percentage of that clubs income comes through gate/season ticket sales especially when one of the comparisons I've seen is with newly promoted to the Premiership Sheffield United! I'm sure I read once that Premier League teams could play to virtually empty stadia without too much detrimental effect..

Looked at in isolation that makes sense Barra, but you know that's only part of the picture. People are pished off being taken for granted and also astonished by the incompetence at the way the club is marketed (or not as seems the case).

The club missed a trick on Saturday... if only the stewards had allowed a pitch invasion ;D

https://twitter.com/0fficialgtfc/status/1124625645382848512

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

I'll renew but I want better served up than I've had this year or next year I'll spend the money in Nicole's.  

I'll be waiting for you luvee

Quoted from golfer

I'll be waiting for you luvee

As long as it comes with a happy ending😉😉

10% discount for Young's employees
5% discount for current Mariners Trust members
5% discount for those renewing Gold Bond memberships
4 month payment scheme

Full information including early bird and seat reservation deadlines below 👇🏽

http://bit.ly/GTFCSeasonTickets

#GTFC

So a lot of fuss over nothing its not like the fishy to over react, ;)

Quoted from Fishy_fishtails

10% discount for Young's employees
5% discount for current Mariners Trust members
5% discount for those renewing Gold Bond memberships
4 month payment scheme

Full information including early bird and seat reservation deadlines below 👇🏽

http://bit.ly/GTFCSeasonTickets

#GTFC

So nothing regarding disability but you’re ok if you work for Young’s?

We can bang onn about what the club should or shouldn't do but a massive thing for me is the 'future' We have a lot of young fresh blood coming through the academy so why not use that and advertise it. I'm terrible at thinking of anything imaginative but the club should plaster everywhere about the youths coming through and alongside it should offer YOUTHS/Kids (14 and below) free season ticket with every adult one sold ((or up to 2 children free with every adult)) I'm not local anymore but I assume they don't do it in the main stand anymore? Why not offer it for the Pontoon and Main stand? We would easily make up for the '£70' lose in not charging them in several ways...
1. Food drink sales.
2. Club shop sales
3. They may become addicted and continue into their teens and adulthood (where they would then buy season tickets at a price - this is how I ended up being a St holder for 10+ years)

There’s nothing to entice anyone to renew, me brother has down-syndrome, never misses a match and has an ST, i know if he goes sit in the main stand my dad as his carer gets in free etc etc, but he wants to sit in the upper where he likes it, 360 for someone with a severe disability with absolutely no discount i just think is a disgrace

I think it will always be a struggle to shift more season tickets in an area like ours. Lincoln has the benefit of a large university population (plus they are performing really well on the pitch) which we don't. We need to think of ideas that will work for us and won't cost a lot as any money spent needs to be recouped.

Something like this from Sunderland would be possible:

We’re used to seeing statues of famous players outside football stadiums, or walking down roads named after the old club captain.

So to drum up season ticket sales for the 2014/15 season Sunderland created a campaign that portrayed fans as club legends.

At a match against Crystal Palace towards the end of last season the stadium’s East Stand was renamed The Brian Graham Stand in honour of one fan that had renewed their season ticket.

A delighted Julia Ward has her very own road sign outside the SoL today after renewing her season card! #SAFCLegends pic.twitter.com/f6lheco5bF

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) March 15, 2014

Another fan had a road named after them and some season ticket holders received phone calls from players to tell them they are legends.

Other activity included print adverts of fans pictured as statues and social media posts featuring the names of fans that had renewed their season tickets.

This is a really clever campaign and one that generates excitement among fans about the upcoming season, when perhaps there isn’t much to get excited about on the field.

https://econsultancy.com/six-premier-league-football-clubs-with-innovative-digital-strategies/

I would also strongly recommend the club talking to an established ticket company. Yes, it will cost but something needs to be done.

TicketCo (part of I-Zettle) do a free trial for two matches:

https://start.ticketco.events/uk/ticketing-for-sports-clubs/

Quoted from psgmariner

I would also strongly recommend the club talking to an established ticket company. Yes, it will cost but something needs to be done.

TicketCo (part of I-Zettle) do a free trial for two matches:

https://start.ticketco.events/uk/ticketing-for-sports-clubs/

I don't like the idea of a third party being involved in a basic facility that the club offers. Surely it would be better to involve some kind of consultant to analyse the ticketing operation with the view of installing a new in-house system. It would cost initially but that would be a one-off plus the expenses of a new system. Involving an outsourced company will be a permanent cost plus yearly increases.
On a similar note I would rather see the matchday catering facilities returned to in-house and include a local butcher such as Turners to provide the pies, burgers, sausage rolls etc. This would help, albeit in a small way, to involve a local company and such profits returned back to the club and the local community.

Quoted from rancido

I don't like the idea of a third party being involved in a basic facility that the club offers. Surely it would be better to involve some kind of consultant to analyse the ticketing operation with the view of installing a new in-house system. It would cost initially but that would be a one-off plus the expenses of a new system. Involving an outsourced company will be a permanent cost plus yearly increases.
On a similar note I would rather see the matchday catering facilities returned to in-house and include a local butcher such as Turners to provide the pies, burgers, sausage rolls etc. This would help, albeit in a small way, to involve a local company and such profits returned back to the club and the local community.

We already have a ticketing guru connected to the club.....only problem is if we let him get involved all matchday tickets will be snapped up by his company and then resold at inflated prices elsewhere  ;D

Steve Wraith quoted as saying he thinks Spurs and Liverpool getting to the European Cup final will help our season ticket sales. Sums it up really.

Quoted from rancido

I don't like the idea of a third party being involved in a basic facility that the club offers. Surely it would be better to involve some kind of consultant to analyse the ticketing operation with the view of installing a new in-house system. It would cost initially but that would be a one-off plus the expenses of a new system. Involving an outsourced company will be a permanent cost plus yearly increases.
On a similar note I would rather see the matchday catering facilities returned to in-house and include a local butcher such as Turners to provide the pies, burgers, sausage rolls etc. This would help, albeit in a small way, to involve a local company and such profits returned back to the club and the local community.

Stop talking sense!

The attitude of the club was summed up by outsourcing the catering venues because it was an easy buck.

If the club was looked at as an actual business model someone would have cottoned onto the fact that you can make your catering one of the reasons to come to the game.  One of the reasons to come back.  I know a question was asked of the club previously about selling fish and chips in the ground and some rubbish response was given about the fryers.  It's an excuse.  The fish and chips the club serve in McMenemy's are really good, why are they restricted just to people on a corporate day out?  It's a massive mixed opportunity.  If the fryers can't handle the extra demand, put some more in!

The comments of Wraith just show what dinosaurs we have involved in key decisions at the club.  The man who is charged with leading on our ticket sales, the same man who accused his own dwindling customer base of bullying each other less than 2 years ago, actually believes that the success of two sides who are as far removed from Grimsby Town as you could possibly get, will somehow have a positive impact on our ticket sales!  On the contrary, someone on the fence is more likely to think 'well I could pay £360 for 23 games a season, 20 of which will probably be dire and I'll sit in the cold, damp ground with poor facilities, or I could spend the exact same amount on a BT Sport package for the year, get hundreds of games including the genuine edge of the seat stuff I've just watched, all from the comfort of my own armchair!'

It's not only just lazy it's bloody dangerous to have that approach.  The club need to be countering this argument. You can guarantee that Sky will promote their Sports package over the summer on how close and nail-biting the title race was (even though the Premier League has been quite dull when you think about - two sides at the top winning every game, everything else settled with weeks to go).  BT will promote from high heaven the excitement of the Champions League.  These are genuine threats to our ticket sales so rather than coming up with a counter argument, the club are lazily trying to seem relevant by referencing them.  

I'm sick to my back teeth of this club doing everything as a reaction or either half-arsed or not at all.   I and many others have said for the last few months that the emergence of the youth is the biggest pitch the club need to be putting out there this summer.  Yesterday they put a half-arsed Tweet out basically saying a fair few young lads have made their debuts...

[tweet]1126473193097760768[/tweet]

And......

Where's the bit about watching them take the next steps of their journey?  Where's the bit about we're trying to build a future and you can be a part of it, buy a season ticket.

Look at the list of incentives the club offer if you buy a ticket, something that should be used to draw you in and maybe change the mind of those teetering.

• Designated seat for the 2019/20 season in the stand and area of your choice - What?  How the hell is that an incentive?  You're paying for the bloody seat in the first place.  I don't buy a train ticket and feel I've gained an incentive because I've got a seat as part of the deal.  Am I spoilt because I sit in a seat every game rather than loiter behind the stand, feeling I shouldn't probably sit in the seat I bought?
  
• 10% club shop discount on production of season ticket in-store - 10% on overpriced goods.  I don't buy the shirts but if I did, I've saved £5.
  
• Exclusive access to double discount weekend in-store - As above
  
• Priority access to away fixture tickets - Realistically, going to benefit me once a season.
  
• Seat reserved for home cup fixtures - When did we last sell out a cup game?
  
• Free access to Reserve team fixtures at Blundell Park - Games are at 2pm in the week, most people can't go to them.  Some games are at Cheapside which is pretty much an open field where you can't charge anything.  How many were at Blundell Park last season, a handful and entrance is cheap enough anyway.
  
• £50 off McMenemy's Function Suite hire (Subject to Terms & Conditions) - Can't see the T&C.  Unlikely I'd use this so not really a benefit.
  

Then you've got the extra incentives.  

Quoted Text

receive a voucher sheet entitling them to a range of discounts, ranging from a free pre-season fixture ticket to a 10% discount at Steels Cornerhouse Restuarant and deals with other local businesses.

So basically the club haven't decided what's going onto the voucher sheet because despite people moaning about the lack of one last year, they've taken until May to decide they want to do one.  Steels is great and I love going.  It's not expensive in the first place and 10% is going to save me 90p on a meal.  

The club shop discount, the free pre-season games, the priority access to cup/away games is bog standard stuff.  For some people it's going to be useful.  But it's not going to draw anyone in.  If anyone is actually going to be swayed on a season ticket by a free reserve game and 90p off fish & chips I'll be amazed.

Quoted Text

Win The Cost Of Your Season Ticket Back!

Using a voucher found on your season ticket purchase sheet, you have the chance to win back the cost of your season ticket before the start of the campaign. The draw for the winner will be made on 31st July 2019.

Each entry costs £2.50, with all funds raised being donated to the Youth Development Association.

Just noticed the above.  So you buy your season ticket, before the end of July, and you can win the cost of it back.....if you make a mandatory donation of £2.50 to the YDA.  I've no issue with donating to the YDA but, much like the £20 'charge' for using the 4-month payment plan, this is insulting.  If the club are promoting a win your ticket back competition they shouldn't stipulate a cost on it.  I've just spent £360 on a ticket, that should be enough!

I'm not sure which part of WE'RE NOT VERY APPEALING the club don't understand.  People don't want to come to Blundell Park.  People don't want to come back to Blundell Park after last season, it was bloody agonising at times.  People are fed up of the same-old-same-old both on and off the field.  Because we're not very appealing we need to do two things

1) pull the wool over peoples eyes with good marketing.  Draw them in, it doesn't matter that we're drawing them into a dud product as long as you jazz it up the right way.  A cynic will say the young lads all getting contracts is doing things on the cheap.  A well marketed campaign uses it as something to connect with the fan base.  
2) Make the product appealing.  Work with what you've got.  Blundell Park is dour place, the atmosphere is non-existent and there's nothing at all to make you want to come back.  Loads of open space in the corners.  Do something with them.  Put fanzones in there, do anything.  Getting some loud speakers isn't enough.

It's quite clear that the club isn't run in anything that resembles anything other than a shambles.  I'm absolutely begging you John Fenty, invest some of the clubs money in getting someone to run this place properly.  You and your mates can't run it.  It's nothing personal, but you're not capable.  You don't have a clue what you're doing.  You do the same old crap every year and it's killing the club.  Killing it painfully and slowly.   I am extremely confident that as long as you appoint someone remotely competent, the club will get a substantial return on the investment.  

Quoted from Vance Warner

Steve Wraith quoted as saying he thinks Spurs and Liverpool getting to the European Cup final will help our season ticket sales. Sums it up really.

What it will do is make all the kids who currently buy Barcelona and Real Madrid kits, want Liverpool and Spurs shirts.