Season Ticket / pay as you go

[tilehurstender]

I recently wrote to the club to complain about the amount of savings for non season ticket holders compared to the discount offers for us loyals who forked out good cash before a ball was kicked. They reckon that even with the two for one, cheap tickets and even the free ticket offer it is still a better deal to get a season ticket???

Anyone have the facts on this?

[RoyalBlue]

At this point in the season they are probably right. But keep an eye on things as the season wears on, particularly if our dismal form continues and they get really desperate to get bums on seats (and not in the bring along a tramp day way!).

Of course, as has been discussed before, they work their calculations on the basis that season ticket holders are able to attend every single game. I wonder just what percentage of season ticket holders are?

[AthleticoSpizz]

I recently wrote to the club to complain about the amount of savings for non season ticket holders compared to the discount offers for us loyals who forked out good cash before a ball was kicked. They reckon that even with the two for one, cheap tickets and even the free ticket offer it is still a better deal to get a season ticket???

Anyone have the facts on this?

They are numerically right.

However, when you also factor in the planned and "yet to come" fixture changes thanks to TV coverage (announced after my ST's were purchased)....and subsequently the games that you may well miss, then ST "savings" can actually become losses over the course of the season.

[Sun Tzu]

Of course, as has been discussed before, they work their calculations on the basis that season ticket holders are able to attend every single game. I wonder just what percentage of season ticket holders are?

How else could they do it ?

It's a SEASON ticket, bought on the basis that it gives you entry to all the games that season.

Surely it's down to the person buying the ticket to work out if it represents value for them.

If people stop buying them then perhaps an alternative will emerge, but I can't really see what that might be.

Wasn't this once an annual discussion, which seems to have become a weekly one !

[weybridgewanderer]

£22.50 a home game if bought online, in advance (the regularly promoted £4 discounted price)

23 games @ 22.50 = £517

Our season ticket renewal was what, £425

(517 - 425) /22.50 = just over 4 free games

If I have the prices right, then if you go to every game they would have offer 5 free games for you to be better off not buying a season ticket and using the buy early price instead for it to be better value.

[Sun Tzu]

You could also include your 'bring a friend for free' as a freebie for sth meaning you actually get 24 games for the price of a season ticket !!

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Can't believe that no one has mentioned the £5 off ticket offer for Swansea. However with games up to Boxing Day now all on sale I doubt that there will be any more offers on those games.
So with 12 games gone at home what could the savings have been?? A free ticket to Leicester, Midweek and on TV, with Ipswich ticket, and £5 off the Swansea midweek game.

Can't see any other offers mentioned,

whereas AFTER renewal the club announce one free bring a friends for all ST holders, so half a season gone by Boxing day and the difference is one offer.

Can't wait to see all the ST holders moaning when they get priority in the cup run, with the homes games to Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal with them guaranteed a seat, semi final here we come.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I recently wrote to the club to complain about the amount of savings for non season ticket holders compared to the discount offers for us loyals who forked out good cash before a ball was kicked. They reckon that even with the two for one, cheap tickets and even the free ticket offer it is still a better deal to get a season ticket???

Anyone have the facts on this?

They are numerically right.

However, when you also factor in the planned and "yet to come" fixture changes thanks to TV coverage (announced after my ST's were purchased)....and subsequently the games that you may well miss, then ST "savings" can actually become losses over the course of the season.

Which of course was not so much of a problem in the past when the games were in demand and ticket could be passed on, now you cannot give them away.

[weybridgewanderer]

Can't believe that no one has mentioned the £5 off ticket offer for Swansea. However with games up to Boxing Day now all on sale I doubt that there will be any more offers on those games.
So with 12 games gone at home what could the savings have been?? A free ticket to Leicester, Midweek and on TV, with Ipswich ticket, and £5 off the Swansea midweek game.

Can't see any other offers mentioned,

whereas AFTER renewal the club announce one free bring a friends for all ST holders, so half a season gone by Boxing day and the difference is one offer.

Can't wait to see all the ST holders moaning when they get priority in the cup run, with the homes games to Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal with them guaranteed a seat, semi final here we come.

We have not played Swansea at the mad stad. We played swansea away on a tuesday, how was that a saving for non season ticket holders?

I think the "£5 off" you refer to is the much promoted buy in advance offer which is available for every game and I have factored into the calculation

So with pricing announced for half the season I believe it is 1 free game to non season ticket holders compared with slightly over 4 free games to season ticket holders

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Sorry my error, it is for the Palace game, as shown here http://www.readingfc.co.uk/page/HomeGam ... 67,00.html and is no mention of the pay on day, so is another offer separate.

[weybridgewanderer]

ok I'll assume that £5 comes off the £22.50 buy iin advance price so you get that game for £17.50

so its slightly over 1 free game for non season ticket holders

slight over 4 free games for season ticket holders

[Stranded]

The offers may end up being close to the saving on an ST but this is only dependant on a non ST holder going to every single home game on a game by game basis - and if you are going to that they you might as well get an ST anyway so whats the problem.

If you are unable to afford that up front but can afford the cost over the 9 months then fair enough I have no truck with those fans getting a similar deal overall that one who gets an ST - it's the same amount of money but paid for by the fan in the way they can afford (or choose to get in debt for). The ST holder gets the advantage of having guaranteed entry to every game.

I understand concerns about Sky moving games so they can't attend and them losing out as a result, but this is hardly a hidden term of the contract.

[Dirk Gently]

The club say that they keep tabs on all the offers and that no-one will be worse off by buying a season ticket.

That assumes, of course, that they go to every game - but as they are paying for a reserved seat at every game not quite sure how the calculation could be done on any other basis.

[Wimb]

The offers may end up being close to the saving on an ST but this is only dependant on a non ST holder going to every single home game on a game by game basis - and if you are going to that they you might as well get an ST anyway so whats the problem.

If you are unable to afford that up front but can afford the cost over the 9 months then fair enough I have no truck with those fans getting a similar deal overall that one who gets an ST - it's the same amount of money but paid for by the fan in the way they can afford (or choose to get in debt for). The ST holder gets the advantage of having guaranteed entry to every game.

I understand concerns about Sky moving games so they can't attend and them losing out as a result, but this is hardly a hidden term of the contract.

+1 good sir

I really don't understand the gripes of ST holders complaining that fans who can't afford/can't commit to a ST are given a break every now and then. I'd love to be in the fortunate position to be able to afford to get a season ticket or even have all the time off work to ensure I can go to every game. In such circumstances it's nice to see the club reward fans who still turn up to as many games as possible with an offer now and then.

As Stranded and others mentioned, you buy your season ticket and you get your seat ensured for every game, a ton of royalty points,a garenteed seat should we go up. You also don't have the hastle of having to book your tickets per game and you get other incentives like discounts on replica kits etc.

So a big LOL to all of those who are having a go at the club. If it does turn out that pay as you go over the full course of the season works out cheaper then maybe you have a case but until then leave it outtttt

[RoyalBlue]

Of course, as has been discussed before, they work their calculations on the basis that season ticket holders are able to attend every single game. I wonder just what percentage of season ticket holders are?

How else could they do it ?

It's a SEASON ticket, bought on the basis that it gives you entry to all the games that season.

Surely it's down to the person buying the ticket to work out if it represents value for them.

If people stop buying them then perhaps an alternative will emerge, but I can't really see what that might be.

Wasn't this once an annual discussion, which seems to have become a weekly one !

And that is exactly the point I was making. However, given that you have such wonderful contacts with everyone at the club and therefore no absolutely everything there is to know, perhaps you would care to answer the question i.e. what percentage of season ticket holders attend every game in a season. Rest assured that data is available on the system.

The point is that now is not a good time for the club to alienate season ticket holders any more than they might have already. If they do, the poll elsewhere might just turn out to be very representative.

As for the discussion becoming weekly, you really don't have to participate if you don't want to. Alternatively why not just prepare a response 'JM is god and all he does is wonderful, the club never get anything wrong', which you can just paste in at will.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

I believe that TZ has already said the number who miss games, is about 5/10% from memory.

Posted it on a thread last year I think.

And it is a discussion site, you dont have to like what is said, but lets try to discuss, far too much beefing about views, rather than discussing.

[Sun Tzu]

Rest assured that data is available on the system..

In that case you tell us the answer - you are the one who wants to know !! Not sure it changes what a SEASON ticket is for...

The point is that now is not a good time for the club to alienate season ticket holders any more than they might have already. If they do, the poll elsewhere might just turn out to be very representative..

When is a good time to alienate people ?
Have you missed the posts where people point out that the various offers don;t come close to making it cheaper to buy for each game than as a season ticket.

Alternatively why not just prepare a response 'JM is god and all he does is wonderful, the club never get anything wrong', which you can just paste in at will.

That would be pointless, and as you well know would have nothng to do with my views. Not sure where you get this obsessive delusion from !!

[weybridgewanderer]

I do wonder if people see the club trying to get fans into a stadium as an excuse for their own lack of financial awareness.

If they bought a season ticket, knowing they would likely be missing 5 or 6 games in the season it doesn't matter how many promotions the club run, they would have been netter off not buying one

If they bought one knowing they would likely miss 3 or 4 games then they could probably have worked out that there would be some promotions to fill the ground, be it a 4 for three or2 for 1 or whatever offers. The club has always done tfor less attractive games his when the stadium has not sold out. So it was a gamble if they would be better off or not.

Then again it could just be a chance to have a winge at the club.

This "season ticket" seems to be a badge of honour to too many on here. We have many fans that, for whatever reason, cannot come every week, but can come most weeks. They do not have a season ticket and the club does what it can to encourage them to attend as often as possible.

Why do some have a problem with this?

[Forbury Lion]

Of course, as has been discussed before, they work their calculations on the basis that season ticket holders are able to attend every single game. I wonder just what percentage of season ticket holders are?

How else could they do it ?

How about this as an idea:

You buy a ST for all games with a gaurantee that the club will buy back up to 5 games which you are unable to attend providing you notify them 2 weeks in advance. This will give them the chance to resell the ticket and they will have had the benefit of having your cash all season.

Might appeal to those who are put off buying a ST due to chances of missing games.

Alternatively, Why don't they just sell individual match tickets at the start of the season so you can buy in advance for a discount or have like the railways a monthly or quarterly ST.

[Sun Tzu]

You buy a ST for all games with a gaurantee that the club will buy back up to 5 games which you are unable to attend providing you notify them 2 weeks in advance. This will give them the chance to resell the ticket and they will have had the benefit of having your cash all season..[/quote

That sounds like an admin nightmare and a real no win for the club. They can;t have you rcash all season either - best case they would have it up until 5 games from the end of the season.

Alternatively, Why don't they just sell individual match tickets at the start of the season so you can buy in advance for a discount or have like the railways a monthly or quarterly ST.

How would a monthly season ticket be priced ? Wouldnl;t that just make it even worse for people who found games got shifted for TV as they would lose a bigger proportion of their games. Worse still if in a month like OCtober with very few home games has one moved forward into September and one back into November so suddenly you go from having games against (say) Newcastle and WBA to having no games for the price of your ST

I'm sure there are ways of adding extra options but they'll all have downsides !