Season Tickets 16/17

[Sparky]

This season was my 20th in a row as a season ticket holder and whilst the increase in price for my Kop ticket for 15/16 made me scratch my head, given 2 relegations in a row previously, I consoled myself that the increase would go towards GB having a top 3 budget as MP put it, so surely the play offs and an exciting season, especially at PP, would be a certainty...

Fast forward 9 months or so and whilst 6th place isn't a disaster, the home form has been pretty dire. 9 defeats out of 23 games at home with some of the victories, often being unspectacular and uninspiring. But we were a team trying to gel with a new manager so this was expected to a degree. However even against Grimsby reserves last Saturday, the same old problems in terms of cutting edge at home were missing.

No forms have been given out so I am assuming details will be posted online and to season ticket holders directly. I guess the delay must have been due to whether we went up or not, which is understandable. Would prices have gone up if we had been promoted? Perhaps...

I'll be getting one whatever happens....but will be a tad annoyed if there is another increase. Its a tough one though. The last thing I want to see is players like Davies leaving as they can get more money elsewhere because our budget is cut.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

I don't know exactly what the economics are, but presumably no more parachute payments and less transfer income (no more Max Powers to sell), so it will mean a lower playing budget or higher ticket prices or both - unless the Palioses dig even deeper into their pockets. I would hope that prices can be frozen, even if it means GB's budget is less. I don't think lack of money was what cost us promotion and if prices rise then gates could drop to compensate. It can't be easy owning/running TRFC at the moment.

Interesting that on the OS GB says "We do need to be stronger but I don't think the recruitment side of things will be as difficult as it was last summer." I hope he's right but I think he's wrong. It will be difficult to hang onto the out-of-contract players we really need to keep and why should we be any more attractive to prospective players now than we were a year ago?

 

[Ian]

After underachieving on their goals set for the season coupled with the awful home form, they really shouldn't be looking at putting prices up. If they want to keep bums on seats, they need to tread very carefully. Lot of people very twitchy about the current setup, me included. They had a budget that well exceeded other teams and still failed to reach their target.

Not sure the 'top 3 budget' speech will go down as well this time around.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Interesting that on the OS GB says "We do need to be stronger but I don't think the recruitment side of things will be as difficult as it was last summer." I hope he's right but I think he's wrong. It will be difficult to hang onto the out-of-contract players we really need to keep and why should we be any more attractive to prospective players now than we were a year ago?

In fairness to Brabin I think he is just saying we will only need to bring in three or four players this summer, as opposed to thirteen last year. The major rebuilding was done last season.

The ticket prices will be announced tomorrow and I would guess they will be frozen. Financially, I think the club will be in a similar position to last summer. We don't have a parachute payment but it was not that substantial last season anyway, and we have created a number of new revenue streams on the commercial side. Added to which, I think the club budgeted for a drop in attendances last season, whereas the home proportion of our gates actually increased.

However, whether season ticket sales will remain at the same level is another matter entirely. As Ian says, I think the club need to tread very carefully with their PR this time round. The #CBS / top three budget stuff is fine if the manager is actually capable of delivering on that kind of ambition.

 

[Boz]

I haven't made my mind up on renewing yet. Geographically, I break even at best with a season-ticket, due to difficulties making mid-week games and late re-schedulings like the Southport home game, but haven't minded. However with the last hike in the prices coupled with the failure to deliver the attractive football the manager promised, along with the indication that we'll be getting more of the same next season my inclination is not to bother. Watching Rovers under Brabin is becoming more of a chore and it might be better for both my wallet and well-being to pick and choose games for next season.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The announcement finally crept out this evening, heralded by much less fanfare than last year. As I predicted, prices have been frozen in most areas including my seat in the JK. There is a small rise in the Town Paddock which includes access to the Bunny Bell bar and the prices in the suites have increased, which reflects their popularity.

Interestingly, MP says we will have a 'top third' budget next season, which suggests it will be reduced. We will apparently lose £500,000 of income this season, on top of the half a million we lost after relegation. I have no problem with that - the finances are what they are - but it does seem to confirm that we missed a great opportunity to bounce back last season. I am sure most of us will agree that Brabin's very large budget was not well spent in a number of areas (Higdon, Fenwick, Tomlinson, numerous centre halves etc.).

 

[Boz]

The Town Paddock where I have sat since holding a season-ticket has had a price rise, presumably on the false assumption everyone who goes there uses the Bunny Bell. Won't be renewing there and at this moment even more unlikely to renew at all now.

On the budget point, Cheltenham got promoted on just over half our budget and Braintree made the play-offs on around a quarter of it. A smaller budget might be no bad thing if it forces Brabin into using some of the youngsters. I'm assuming it is Brabin, given a new manager would be an incentive to renew and therefore mentioned by Palios. Agree with RLCs point about missing our chance this season, those fans of clubs who've been at this level a bit longer felt this was a weaker NL than usual and it may prove much tougher escaping now.

 

[Mal]

Didn't Little get the shove because it was a chore watching the team play? Same with Moore first time round? Then again with Adams? Perhaps there is a DNA problem with fear of losing as the main link in the chain.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

In reality, only Little lost his job due to a negative playing style (although results also played a large part). Johnson sacked Moore because he wanted to take a gamble on Barnes and offload the club. Adams was sacked because he was relegating us from the Football League.

There is no miasma at Tranmere, no particular atmosphere that inhibits managers. Our supporters are the same mixture as any other club's. Like other clubs, we have had good managers and bad ones.

 

[Ian]

A fair share of bad ones in all honesty RLC. I'm not too concerned regarding the reduction in budget. GB has rebuilt most of the squad and whilst there is always need to strengthen where possible, he doesn't need 11 players. However, he does need to spend wisely, something I don't think he did this time round considering the budget he was given.

Going to be make or break for Mr Brabin next season although it would be refreshing to see some of the younger players given a chance as Boz suggests.

 

[Sparky]

Just received my 'season card' for 2016/17 to scan at home league games to gain entry.

I may have missed this but does this mean you no longer get the typical booklet with all the tickets in and offers e.g bring a mate for half price?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think there will still be offers but they will be publicised separately. End of an era with the season ticket books though; my collection comes to an end. Apparently sales are back up to 95% of last season's levels.

 

[Sparky]

Thanks RLC. Shame about the books. I was going to get mine framed one day!

 

[Ian]

Got mine today too. Think they look really poor quality. Anyway I thought they were printing the seat numbers on them?

 

[Sparky]

Good point Ian. Assume this change is another off field way of making money...

 

[Cowshed Kid]

Like the concept of the cards, much easier to carry around but why not seat numbers on them?
If you arrive 5 mins before kick off, for which I'm guilty, and people are in your seats (which they frequently are) it's going to be a bit more difficult to budge them I suspect.

 

[Ian]

I'm sure they said they were reprinting the cards with the seat numbers on. Got one for my 6-year old for the first time, no idea what his seat number is?! I'll give them a call on Monday.