CAS Trust News - We’re in this together: Addicks to pay up to 33% more to help reduce Club deficit

castrust

The expected across the board increases on season tickets for 2013-14 season arrive on the back of the recent promotion from League 1, and Football Club losses of circa £7.5m. Meanwhile out in the stands Fans continue to suffer a squeeze on incomes in real terms as the UK’s financial downturn continues.

TV money in the championship has dropped from £2.2 to £1.7m but is still considerably higher than that received by CAFC in League 1 last season, plus there is an additional Premier League solidarity payment of £2m for clubs not in receipt of parachute monies.

TV & Solidarity payments: League 1 total £1m, Vs £3.7m in the Championship

So a typical Championship club receives total revenue of £11m, as shown in accounts for Bristol City and Watford. Whereas CAFC posted turnover in League 1 of £8.5m.

If Season Ticket holder numbers are sustained an additional £500k will be earned. This and the increase mentioned above of £2.7m in TV & Solidarity payments, as well as this years 1000 increase on our gate, (and possibly more next year?); should all bring a significant reduction in overall losses, even taking into account costs associated with loan players, contract extensions and of course Wilson and Fuller.

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Covered End

I don't think it will be reducing the deficit, unless they went up to about £1,000 per season :-)

razil

did you read the article?

golfaddick

false economy - the increase in excess of 20% in season ticket prices will put some people off buying thus reducing the no. of season ticket sales plus the performances on the pitch (esp at home) will not help put bums on seats.

bad marketing imo - I wonder who deciscion that was ???

Jodaius

A good article, but statistics can show anything you want. I think too much focus is being put on the increase from the current season, when we know that last year the club made a conscious decision to reduce prices significantly to try to attract back lapsed season ticket holders and boost crowds. I would be more interested personally in seeing how effective that strategy was - obviously we all want the lowest possible price, but there is an argument to suggest that actually the reduction shouldn't have happened if it didn't work.

I think a more useful comparison would have been between the prices proposed for next season and those from 2010/11 - this would shown a much more modest increase over the 3-4 years which I don't think anyone could disagree with.

For perspective, the cheapest season ticket at my local non-league club, Braintree Town, was more expensive that my NU season ticket this season. The truth is we've enjoyed very low season ticket prices for some time now, and I don't think a modest increase is unreasonable.

shine166

golfaddick said:

false economy - the increase in excess of 20% in season ticket prices will put some people off buying thus reducing the no. of season ticket sales plus the performances on the pitch (esp at home) will not help put bums on seats.

bad marketing imo - I wonder who deciscion that was ???

But if those people still attend 50% of the games on a ticket basis the club loses nothing, people presuming fans will go from season tickets to not attending at all is laughable. Anything for an uneducated moan though

Covered End

razil said:

did you read the article?

No, as bizarrely there was no narrative, only the prices. How strange.
Anyway i was referring to the overall deficit, not the annual losses/deficit.
Apologies, I was splitting straws.
It's like the government, when they keep banging on that they are reducing the deficit. Well they are not. The overall deficit is increasing.

PassItToLeaburn

I really don't think that we can moan. We've enjoyed exceptionally cheap season tickets for a long time now and to put the price change in context, % growth versus a suppressed price last year isn't really fair. If you're in the Upper North then as an adult you're paying £13 per game - it's still pretty decent value for Championship football (though given current home form it doesn't really fell like it).

That said, given what appears to be an ongoing decline in relations between the club and its owners (I'm not saying the situation is dire but communication is sparse, the fans director role obsolete and the fans forum happens seldom at best and so on and so forth), it's hard to feel as confident as you used to that this isn't the beginning of a series of price hikes.

razil

Covered End said:

razil said:

did you read the article?

No, as bizarrely there was no narrative, only the prices. How strange.
Anyway i was referring to the overall deficit, not the annual losses/deficit.
Apologies, I was splitting straws.
It's like the government, when they keep banging on that they are reducing the deficit. Well they are not. The overall deficit is increasing.

Look again shd work

Sillybilly

PassItToLeaburn said:

I really don't think that we can moan. We've enjoyed exceptionally cheap season tickets for a long time now and to put the price change in context, % growth versus a suppressed price last year isn't really fair. If you're in the Upper North then as an adult you're paying £13 per game - it's still pretty decent value for Championship football (though given current home form it doesn't really fell like it).

That said, given what appears to be an ongoing decline in relations between the club and its owners (I'm not saying the situation is dire but communication is sparse, the fans director role obsolete and the fans forum happens seldom at best and so on and so forth), it's hard to feel as confident as you used to that this isn't the beginning of a series of price hikes.

Agree with this. I think the last point is why I have my knickers in a twist (to the obvious boredom of some posters ).