Season ticket packs

Quoted from pen penfras

I completely understand not being happy with a price increase in the current climate, but season tickets are limited and we need to maximise income. The chairman said yesterday that the projection is £1 million lower income this season. Yet we still need to somehow be competitive, the only option is to charge more and hope the limited supply means they will all sell.

Surely all other clubs in League Two will be having to contend with very similar shortfalls in income, so even if we are going to have such a large reduction in income, if others do too, then isn't our budget likely to be equally as competitive as it would have been if circumstances had been normal?

Quoted from Grimbiggs

I'm a season ticket holder, but with so many imponderables this season, I can't agree to these t&c's, so I'll probably give it a miss this season, or see how things pan out and maybe consider a half season ticket later on. I know the club are trying their best, but with these arrangements in place, many other season ticket holders I know, feel the same, as we all sit together, and it's the social aspect we're going to miss as well.....Sorry to say, but given these circumstances i'd be surprised if more than 2000 renew.

Like many others, I'm in a quandry

It's not so much about the costs of the tickets ( you always expect price rises with Town ) but more about the experience and whether or not it will be enjoyable

I make a 100+ mile return journey as things stand but it can be closer to 200 if I pick up my son from his uni residence in Lincoln en route so that's not cheap

He could form part of my bubble but then my mate who I've known for 40+ years with us having been all over the place following Town can't be in my bubble

There is another lad who sits next to us all the time and he too would miss out on us sharing the same bubble

So four of us who don't live together but who could meet for a pre-match drink and sit together can't do that inside BP

I understand the EFL ( following advice from the "government" ) would argue that this is to limit the spread of the virus but sitting inside the stadium together, safely spaced, rather than outside is not going to be allowed

The other thing is where will the club decide to seat you if you are successful in the ballot? I don't have much faith in their ticketing policy so even if you get the stand you want, you could end up absolutely anywhere

My gut feeling is that even though I want to be at the ground, it makes more sense to me to just watch on iFollow and then when things settle down more, see what chances there are say around the turn of the year, to see if half-season tickets might be a thing?

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

Like many others, I'm in a quandry

It's not so much about the costs of the tickets ( you always expect price rises with Town ) but more about the experience and whether or not it will be enjoyable

I make a 100+ mile return journey as things stand but it can be closer to 200 if I pick up my son from his uni residence in Lincoln en route so that's not cheap

He could form part of my bubble but then my mate who I've known for 40+ years with us having been all over the place following Town can't be in my bubble

There is another lad who sits next to us all the time and he too would miss out on us sharing the same bubble

So four of us who don't live together but who could meet for a pre-match drink and sit together can't do that inside BP

I understand the EFL ( following advice from the "government" ) would argue that this is to limit the spread of the virus but sitting inside the stadium together, safely spaced, rather than outside is not going to be allowed

The other thing is where will the club decide to seat you if you are successful in the ballot? I don't have much faith in their ticketing policy so even if you get the stand you want, you could end up absolutely anywhere

My gut feeling is that even though I want to be at the ground, it makes more sense to me to just watch on iFollow and then when things settle down more, see what chances there are say around the turn of the year, to see if half-season tickets might be a thing?

I'm sure STs will be made available if we are allowed back with no restrictions. I would renew then. I have had a ST for many years and most of the time it has been about the day out with friends. If we can't sit together or even in the same stand, it dilutes the experience. I can't see well enough to enjoy the game from the Pontoon or Osmond stands if placed there.

I'm not convinced we'll be back in October either given the increased rate of infections and I can't be sure of getting back after midweek games if and when fans are allowed back.

Finally, I think the increase in ST prices is out of order but I wouldn't expect anything else from Town.

Hope to see you at Town games sooner rather than later, Tim.

I don’t think the price increase would’ve been such an issue had they actually explicitly made fans away but to essentially let you know as your pack dropped on the door mat, and then expect you to find the money in a short space of time was cheeky to say the least.

The unpredictability is what is putting a fair few or so it seems, then there’s the issue with the diluted experience and it’s likely to actually impact sales negatively. The so called Holloway factor as all but disappeared too so that won’t even be a catalyst for folk to purchase one.

I’ve met folk and spoken to people who have been STH for well over 25 years and they feel a little apprehensive that they may not get one yet they’ve committed for years. It’s not the sense of entitlement but more the lack of acknowledgement that they’ve had one for so long.

It’s a bit of mess to be honest and clearly the paperwork confused a fair few and need a good couple of reads to fathom it out. Only Saturday did I meet someone that thinks they’ve got a ticket...

I agree about the budgets being hit at almost every club so in theory overall budgets will still be equal so to speak but I do believe some clubs haven’t decreased their budget, taking the season as serious as normal perhaps whereas GTFC have been open about literally cutting everything...again, it seems we’re the only club that have imposed the 25%.

In reality intercourse knows. It’s all a bit of a mess and you can fully understand why folk won’t be purchasing one but for some, not having one is alien...

I haven't had a season ticket for many years, but as soon as Ollie joined I thought it very possible I'd get one this season.  Then the pandemic hit, but I thought we'd be back 100% by now, which obviously I got horribly wrong, so I'll not be getting one this season either.

In truth, I have very little interest in socially distanced football, so until things are back to normal, I'll not be going.  I'm simply going to watch on iFollow.

I hate to say it, but it's sounding more and more likely it won't be like the olds days for this whole season.  I hope I'm wrong with that one too.

I'm not one of these idiotic non-believers who thinks that Covid-19 is a hoax, but I do think the way it is hitting football at our level is completely OTT.  In places like Bradford where they have appalling Covid figures and a local lockdown, it makes complete sense to bring in restrictions, but I do think it's harsh on GTFC, as the rate is so low here.  I get that even a single person getting in the ground and having it could cause problems, but BP is socially distanced anyway; it holds 8,500 and we never trouble getting anywhere near that many in!

Quoted from 800

I'm sure STs will be made available if we are allowed back with no restrictions. I would renew then. I have had a ST for many years and most of the time it has been about the day out with friends. If we can't sit together or even in the same stand, it dilutes the experience. I can't see well enough to enjoy the game from the Pontoon or Osmond stands if placed there.

I'm not convinced we'll be back in October either given the increased rate of infections and I can't be sure of getting back after midweek games if and when fans are allowed back.

Finally, I think the increase in ST prices is out of order but I wouldn't expect anything else from Town.

Hope to see you at Town games sooner rather than later, Tim.

Good points in general Chris and also with regards to your own specific requirements, moving you from the upper to one of the stands behind the goal obviously won't work with your sight issues

The crazy thing for you is if you were to come in by train you could be in a carriage with any number of people who don't adhere to any social distancing and/or who won't wear masks so you are totally compromised there and have to abide by their behaviour, yet once off the train, the club / EFL will impose what are quite draconian measures on you

I'm not sure what each stand at BP holds but if the figures in the letter are going to be adhered to ( 1800- 2200 ) would that mean there's an intention to split the crowd four ways, so 450-550 per stand?

I guess we have this week to think about it all and to get off the fence, either take the risk of buying a ticket and then being left to a random selection or staying away this season altogether

It's a tough decision to make - head and heart but as it stands my head is telling me it doesn't bode well going with a ST for this coming season  

Mine were paid for yesterday, and I managed to convince our friends to buy theirs putting our bubble up to 4.

Ticket office were decent to be fair, it’s very obvious they didn’t have a clue what the content of the letter was going to say and are now, as usual dealing with the shitty end of the stick caused by people out of touch and clueless to everything.

My mum made the trip and said they were honest about the letter and understood the frustrations and in some cases, anger from fans. Many of us have a dig at the club and it’s pretty much entirely justified but these poor fornicators aren’t the ones who need the excrement, it’s the people above them. They seemed to reiterate several times that they had nothing to do with any of the planning.

I reiterate my point about the price increase being dropped on folk and I think, reading between the lines that is having an affect on sales and that’s entirely understandable, plus the unpredictability; perhaps the powers that be could’ve removed themselves from their ivory tower and spoke to the very staff they furloughed who acruslly deal with the fans day in day out and asked what they Thought the reaction may be to a price increase.

Folk are disgruntled about the fact they may be placed elsewhere, the short notice and again, the letter is confusing and overly complicated.

When do we find out if we are “lucky” in obtaining a ticket, does anyone know?

Friday is final day isn't it? so I'm guessing sometime early next week!

Cheers for that Si.