CONSULTATION BY MTFC WITH FANS,SEASON TICKET/MATCH DAY PRICE

[Stags Fans United]

CONSULTATION BY MANSFIELD TOWN WITH FANS ON SEASON TICKET AND MATCH DAY PRICES FOR 2015-2016

Stags Fans United have been asked by the club to assist with the consultation with fans on season ticket and match day prices for 2015-2016.

The club are open to fan suggestions are keen for feedback from all fans. Stags Fans United are happy to collect the different views and ideas of the fans on ticket prices and present them to the club's board. Please can you email your proposals and ideas to info@stagsfansunitedsociety.co.uk, or post on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stagsfansunitedsociety, or tweet us @StagsFansUnited, or post on Stagsnet on this thread, or send us a private message (PM) via Stagsnet to Stags Fans United.

Please also note that Stags Fans United are always looking for volunteers so if there are any members or fans who want to get involved with this project and help put together proposals to the club then they should get in touch.

Stags Fans United needs to report back to the club by Fri 6th Feb so any suggestions or proposals should be received by us by Thurs 5th Feb.

Stags Fans United
http://www.stagsfansunitedsociety.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/stagsfansunitedsociety
https://twitter.com/StagsFansUnited

[Spiritater]

No matter what the price there should be a £2-3 dispensation for those wanting to use the QLE. I know it'll affect the away fans take as we have to charge them the same price for t'same view but it'd give folk throwing a wobbler at WS prices an option. To charge folk the same price no matter what the view is not right. It'd also aid the atmosphere in t'ground imo.

[The One]

The introduction of half season tickets needs serious consideration, as does price structure for young people.

[Spiritater]

Prices on a whole cannot be increased next term, it'll not wash with the fans as shown by the dismal gates this year. If we go down then I'd expect the prices to folow suit also.
The time to increase prices is when we've actually something lasting and successful, folk'll come along for the ride then.... maybe.

[DoomMerchant]

Where do we begin?

Family tickets.
Kids for under a fiver.
Teenager/student price reductions.
Abolishing the crippling ticketing system.
Dispensation for 'behind goal' views.
Etc etc.

I'll certainly respond with an email. I'd suggest that everyone else does too, or forever hold their moans.

[Captain Cunno]

Although I knew you would be the first to reply tater , I do agree with you this time.
Big emphasis needs to be on kids prices I think.

[Foresttownstag]

Needs to be a breakdown of prices,

16+ but less than 18 should not be asked to pay £20+

My proposal for example

Adults £18/20
Young persons (17-22) - £12
Students & OAP's - £12
Under 16 - £6/7
Under 6 - free

Obviously prices subject to change but that sort of breakdown is what a lot of other clubs do. Also agree QLE price reduction would be a good idea. It's good of the club to involve the fans in this.

[thon]

Full Automation of the Online Ticketing System - Go Mobile
Scrap existing ticketing system, which appears to be, in web terms, a 'legacy' system from the beginning, and go with a new one which comes with a branded mobile application so that:

- tickets can be purchased in a few taps via a mobile phone app
- entry to the ground can be secured with the mobile phone app, by scanning the electronic ticket (e.g. represented as a QR code) over a sensor

- Offer a feature whereby away tickets can be ordered for delivery using the system
- Ensure tickets can be purchased at the same price on match days as in the days running up to match day - without requiring any special announcement for this.

This should help make the life of the casual fan much easier, who can then purchase a ticket right up to the last minute for home matches, from wherever they are and not have to muck about with printing or collecting or queing for tickets.

It would also offer a simple way to purchase away tickets, both for those locally but too busy with work, and for exiled fans to purchase tickets for away matches.

All of these measures would also reduce the burden on the ticket office for both in-person purchases and collections, and also telephone orders.

The online system coupled with matchday price differences, has been off-putting for the casual fan. This needs correcting and the price and the process making more amenable to these last-minute decision-makers. The club could then be marketing this mobile ticketing app + the specific URL to tickets for each match fixture.

[Wh_Stag]

Family ticket, Adult & child (father & son ticket would be popular?)
Cheaper student tickets!
QLE needs to be cheaper
Scrap this cheaper in the week/ advanced ticket deal.

[yerrows]

Cant we sign what doomy put on and send it..the no cash turnstiles is crazy my mates wont go online and do it... its costing us big time for sat morning lets go to the stags fans. Why oh why nit have 3 cash turnstiles....

[thon]

Multi-match cards / Gift cards
Another idea might be to get some electronic 'multi-match' cards made up which would be compatible with the existing electronic ticket system, which come with, say, 3 matches on them for £50 (with no expiry date so they can be bought any time and roll-over to the following season).

So essentially they'd come loaded with £60 on them (or 3 'scans' if possible) and cost £50 to purchase, and be valid for anywhere in the home areas of the ground, unless the match has been made all-ticket.

Kids cards loaded with £30 sold for £20.
OAPs loaded with £51 sold for £40 (the cards not the old folks themselves ).

They would be ideal for the semi-regular supporter operating on a budget, or as a birthday / xmas gift. It would also mean less use of the ticket office, and could be an alternative to the half-season ticket idea.

Also, you might find casual fans just grabbing themselves one of these so as to avoid the hassle of printing / queueing for tickets, which would again aid in last-minute decision-making as to going to a game... ("Bugger it, I've got my card in my pocket, why not!").

Again another product which can be promoted separately and perhaps easily sold in other stores around the town.
Chuck some interesting Stags-related designs on them like old legends & proper club crests, and you might turn the disliked electronic ticket system into a very appealing product.

[dave E stag]

please make it cheaper in the QLE so we can see a well packed `end` again. biggest mistake the Club have made, ticket wise, is to make all the ground the same price we need an end to attack .....my opinion only of course.

[Tippy Tappy Football]

Donny Rovers are going to have unreserved seating for the home end next season so all the fans who like to sing and make a noise can congregate together. Is this worth doing in the QLE or does this happen anyway because there is plenty of space?

They are also offering season ticket holders the chance to win £50 back by taking a penalty against a first team goalkeeper

Darren

[Dan]

QLE has got to be no more than £15 for adults to make it worthwhile to get it filled up.

[old stag]

Congratulations on the very good idea to consult the fans, this has to be a move in the right direction well done MTFC.

[Andy Perrin]

what needs to be taken into consideration is deflation, we are in a definite period where prices are coming down, im not saying that MTFC should put prices down but they should not increase. I don't think the price of our season tickets affects attendances, we have a core support of approx 2500 so taking into account all income from all sources the club should budget the playing budget around that figure, this is done by recruiting like some of the other less supported clubs and having a good youth policy hoping that we survive in the football league in that process. Also when making offers someone with some football nous thinks ! as making Northampton at home £7 is throwing money down the drain, these offers are good but only against the unattractive clubs.

[die hirsche]

Monthly direct debit option for season tickets please.

Even with a 20% premium it would make it far easier for me personally and i imagine many others.

[whipster221073]

Have emailed with my thought's.
Great idea from the club to get the fans on board. Maybe the tide is turning off the pitch a little too.

Well done.
Email below - for those that want to cut, copy or paste, or delete

Hi Guys,

Please see below a few thoughts ref match-day ticketing next season as requested on the Stagsnet forum.

General Admission;
There needs to be at least 1 turn up and pay gate in each stand at each home game – as the general statement from the club has been one of theft issues, then surely we have 4 people the club would trust to take money and allow the casual floating home and away fan access to the ground without having to queue at the ticket office first.

Admission Prices;
The club needs to have a tiered approach such as the one below. Prices can be altered but the magical £20 threshold should not be breached.
Adult (West Stand Upper) - £20
Adult (West Stand Lower) - £18
Adult (QLE) - £15
OAP (Access all areas) - £12
Under 16’s (all areas) - £7
Under 7’s - FREE

Season Ticket Prices;
2 suggestions here.
Firstly – season tickets to be calculated on current basis i.e 23 games x £x minus x% discount. But also every season ticket purchase to receive a free shirt. This would help in getting publicity of the club out into the surrounding area. Obviously, to pay for this the discount may not be quite as great as it is now. (Forest do something similar whereby all 7 year olds receive a card and football shirt as well as complimentary tickets for a game of their choice).
Secondly – season tickets to be calculated on current basis but to include access to undisclosed number of Cup games, therefore giving season ticket holders a guaranteed seat in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd round games.

Half Season Tickets;
These need to be introduced for games played from 1st January to end of season. They would make perfect Christmas presents and deliver club additional revenue when games may be called off due to adverse weather.

Mini Season Tickets;
Offer a select number of games at any time of the season for a reduced fee. For example, a supporter could purchase a mini season ticket in October for 5 games at the general admission price minus a discount of say 20% - 30%.

Combination tickets;
The club needs to offer a Dad & Lad combination ticket for a small discount. For example based on above prices a Dad and Lad ticket in the QLE may be £18 instead of £22. The other £4 will easily be spent on food / beer / drinks / programme etc whilst the pair are at the game.
Family Ticket – offer a Family of 4 ticket for £35 for the QLE.

There also needs to be a specific Family Enclosure in the ground but this is difficult with the current configuration of the ground as the obvious areas are the tunnel end of the QLE or West Stand but these are usually congregations at the end of the game which would be off putting.

Purchasing;
The club need to have a mobile app which allows for quick purchase and scan of a ticket using mobile phone. The ticket needs to be able to be purchased up until 2.30pm to allow casual fan to purchase ahead of reaching ground.
The club needs to stop offering the discount for tickets purchased ahead of match-day.
The club needs to offer an instalment plan for a 6 month period – granted it means the club only get dribs and drabs of money but it is still better to receive some than none at all. However, charge a premium of say 10-20%.

Attracting youngsters;
Create a Stags Junior Club such as is run at other clubs. Send kids birthday cards and Christmas cards – cheap but effective way of getting their attention a couple of times a year. If this is in operation then please promote more as I haven’t seen this.

Promotion’s
All of the above are good suggestions but are pointless if the club is to continue its current method of promotion.
I work 9 to 5 and don’t work in the area so do not listen to Mansfield 103.2 nor go into Mansfield often. I also don’t read the Chad too often as I would presume many others don’t.

Promotion needs to be multi-faceted.

Online is the way forward and many website’s use cookies that track online behaviour. The club needs to look at how other businesses use cookies to promote their product / brand when the user is not necessarily shopping for information on Mansfield Town. Could the Stags do this?
The club also need to ensure that they are visible in the most high profile places in the area. Sports Direct is the biggest warehouse in England and the biggest sports business in Europe but Mansfield Town shirts aren’t sold here. Why ?
Could the Stags not support local play-centres like Playmania or Jango’s and assist in decorating their facility in return for some publicity – MTFC display / photo’s etc – the kids are the future of the club.
Where’s the imagery on the back of the buses gone ?

The club also needs to be proactive in getting into the outer villages such as Warsop / Sutton / Forest Town / Edwinstowe etc and promoting the club to the casual fan. There is not a single poster / promotion that has hit Warsop in the last 10 years as far as I can remember.

Just a few thought’s but a fantastic thought from the club and SFU to get the fans involved.
Well done!!

[thon]

Multi-match cards / Gift cards
Another idea might be to get some electronic 'multi-match' cards made up which would be compatible with the existing electronic ticket system, which come with, say, 3 matches on them for £50...

Also, getting one of these in the Sandy Pate Bar might be a trick:

Gift card vending machine (@ £1400)

Can vend pre-paid cards & e-tickets.

[eggy]

Well done to the club for consulting the fans on this.

Cheaper prices for QLE - £20 is the upper limit of reasonable IMHO for the West Stand, but not behind the goal as well.
Thon's suggestion of scanning a barcode/QR code on your phone screen should be looked at. Much easier than faffing printing off tickets.
Half season tickets/multi-match tickets (i.e. book of 5 tickets to be used for any cup game, £80-90ish depending on individual match prices).
More flexible payment options.
And much cheaper tickets for U21s. I think limiting it to students is unfair (and I say that as a student myself). The reason I didn't get a season ticket this year was the price rise from £150 to £250 for a student season ticket.

[luke]

Some brilliant ideas on here, seriously, some excellent ones.

Sadly.....

Unless the team is consistently winning and playing good stuff gates will not improve. These discounted deals have shown that people will turn up if the price is lowered, but would they return every week at the moment. Not so sure. But who knows?

[cassellswasmagic]

WSU £20 (£330 SEASON)
WSL £19 (£300 SEASON)
QLE £18 (£270 SEASON)
Can be paid in quarterly installments.
OAP £12 (£180 SEASON Any Stand)
Student £10 (£150 SEASON Any Stand)
U16s £5 (£75 SEASON Any Stand)

or something like

[Foresttownstag]

Still believe we have to include a clearer breakdown of prices.

Adults
Young adults (17-22)
Students & OAP's
Under 16
Under 6

People who are 17/18 will struggle to pay £20 per game at adult price! A lot of clubs do this!

[part time pete]

Still believe we have to include a clearer breakdown of prices.

Adults
Young adults (17-22)
Students & OAP's
Under 16
Under 6

People who are 17/18 will struggle to pay £20 per game at adult price! A lot of clubs do this!

The big issue any club has is the numbers who try to pay for the wrong category ticket.

Season tickets aren't so big a problem as the staff can check Date of Birth etc. at time of purchase.
So I suggest just the four categories for season tickets

Over 60's and 17-22 years as concessions
7 to 16 as kids
under 7 as free
then rest as Adults.

Whereas on single issue tickets I would have one price for everyone over 16, but different prices for different stands.
So QLE say £15 but Upper West at £20 and Lower West say £17.

By having just one price you could have one cash gate on each of the three stands and hence less chance of fiddling. However in order for this to work you have to have an unreserved seating block in each stand.

Any U16's tickets will still have to be purchased from office or on line. No cash for U16's on the day.

Tandem and Tricycle tickets for families should also be available to be bought.

[m1cksut]

Tandem and Tricycle tickets for families should also be available to be bought.

as long as they dont charge us to park them, its a good idea, go to the match and keep fit at the same time!