I suppose the only reason that AFC Sudbury objected to us not charging for under 21s is they get half of the gate receipt money for FA Trophy ties! Is That right?
-- Edited by Bandit on Friday 25th of October 2013 09:15:25 PM
-- Edited by Bandit on Friday 25th of October 2013 09:16:30 PM
What I will say is that from behind the goal is that a lot of the kids are really into it ( which is why they are behind the goal and joining in with the singing ) the kids in the stand are probably a different case. Compared to almost every non league club I've been to we do have a lot is lot of younger fans ( which I assume was the main aim of he policy ) whilst personally I differ from the current pricing structure I 100% agree with their long term plan of encouraging younger fans in a more distracting environment than we as older fans can understand!
when I first started coming in around 1997 ( albeit I got distracted by going to Spurs for many years in between ) I don't remember many younger fans so it's good that hopefully they will add to the number who like me will gravitate towards Hastings in later years.
So all the under 21 ones have to pay 5 pound.
Isn't a idea to give all those boys and girls a voucher of say 3 pounds which they can use in the Clubhouse.........
The enforced change is as you say Bandit is most probably due to them receiving half the gate and is purely in my opinion,greed on their part. Funny how no other club not even Harrogate have complained about our policy and they would of benefited a lot more from such a change of policy.
It's about time they started paying something... I'm getting quite fed up babysitting people's kids and paying for the privilege. And I'm sure it's not everyone's kids I have to babysit, just the ones who insist on standing near me, and insist on playing 'let's see how close we can spit to the goalkeepers hat' and spitting across me. I also cringe with some of the stuff that comes out from some of the 10 year old kids standing around me. It's genuinely embarrassing some of it.
Just saying. It's not a creche, it's a football match. I have to pay, I don't see why other people don't... And as my tickets across the season probably come to about £150, along with the other four full paying friends I come along with, I think the club should perhaps listen and bring some sort of 'one/two/three kids for free with a season ticket' policy... And then a sensibly reduced student/youth rate for 16-21 year olds.
Of course, I'm sure some research has been done which shows they buy merchandise and food... But so do I, and so did I when I paid to get in as a 15-18 year old.
I used to pay £12 to watch Yeovil when I was 15-18 years old too, in the conference, 10 years ago. I got a job to pay simply to go to the football.
Regardless of the right or wrongs I predict the lowest crowd if the season by some way ( and it will hurt Sudbury financially as much as us, silly sods, as I know of at least 4 adults myself who won't be coming with undef age 10 kids who can't afford it )
As a season ticket holder who sits in the main stand with my elderly dad, on occasions the hoards of children that gather in the back of the main stand can really affect our enjoyment.
OK, it's not every week but just sometimes the PF stand becomes their Saturday afternoon meeting place. Clearly a high proportion have zero interest in what is going on on the pitch as they have their back to the play as they chat with their mates. Then, on mass, they stampede down across the wooden benches with little regard for genuine paying supporters, only to gather, I presume, somewhere else in the ground. Twenty minutes they return....and so this pattern continues through the game.
While 'encouraging the youngsters' is all very laudable, I think allowing them free entry is a mistake. I am sure that they spend money on chips and coke but, if they're not interested in the game a) they are liable to annoy genuine fans and b) they are hardly going to return once they reach an age when they DO have to pay....which I guess is the idea of encouraging them in in the first place.
I feel they should pay a nominal fee of, say, £1.50. Youngsters who are genuinely interested will still come along but those with no interest in the football will chose to gather elsewhere in the town.
Sorry if I sound like a grumpy grandad.....this problem doesn't happen every home game (which proves how little interest they have in the team )but I do just feel that club officials need to be aware that the pricing policy and the effect it has may not actually be very popular with the people who bring in all the income through the turnstiles, namely the adults and senior citizens.
Moan over.
I will have a word and get the stewards to keep an eye out for this sort of thing, by all means if for some reason they don't spot it I'd encourage people to bring it to a stewards attention.
I remember when I used to pay £3 for entry for a long time to see the football. I've been going to the football for six, nearly seven years and I'm 18 next week. I agree with all of what's been said at the top. It annoys me when the Under 21s come to gather at the football for something to do and for the social. I must be a really weird under 21 because I hate to see them mucking around, spitting and hearing some of the crap that comes from their mouths. I also know for a fact that my grandad, who always sits in the main stand at the front, gets fed up of hand little kids running around making noise. I am disappointed to have to pay to get in, yes, but Sudbury are greedy.
I fall in into the U21's and if Hastings themselves made me pay to get in than I would, no questions asked, but having to pay for a greedy amateur club is a p*ss take to say the least, yes it's only £5 but thats £5 less the bar will be receiving for a better fund- more alcohol. might have to boycott this one and be "can't afford £10" bastard watching on from the social club balcony
Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Will certainly be singing at you Rimmer!
Though this is another reason why it'll be the lowest gate of the season and hope AFC Sudbury have some U21 fans who are also pissed off with not getting in free!
Thought the rule was intended to stop clubs hiking there prices for big matches or lowering them too much for small teams? Not keeping the the same for run of the mill teams?!
Don't want to hark on about if it's right or wrong about the prices but out of interest, if there is a replay are we able as a club to request that Sudbury can change their pricing policy too ? It all seems a bit crazy especially the drinking policy ,,,how come that wasn't put into force for last week's game or the Guernsey game ? A few years ago a steward ran the whole length of the main stand to catch up with me and my pint during an FA Trophy match ,only to find out I was holding a pint of coke !!! The poor bloke pulled a hamstring all because of the FA' s stupid red tape. Bless him RIP !
Dan,
I take your point re the kids behind the goal and it would be a shame if any of these were prevented from attending by my 'nominal fee' suggestion. I guess many of these made journeys to places like Bishops Stortford and Middlesbrough last season and really got behind the team. I have no problem with them at all.
Maybe then this is all about the stewards being more aware of the behaviour of children who are there for the wrong reason and are detracting from the enjoyment of many of the clubs most loyal supporters in the main stand.
Cheers.
Mick and Glen10...spot on, and as for Sudbury being greedy ,we have the highest admission prices by a mile.I also see nothing has been done about all the people who just walk in at half time completely free,Stewards just stand and watch
Blimey that's been going for years Phil ...who was the guy who use to do that every week on the 'grassy knoll' ? Can't remember his name but he did every game and then moaned when he had missed the first half goals ...weird bloke
That's where you're wrong phil, people are charged and after half time are charged half price. The steward at the gate takes their money.
As I've said I will raise the concern regards unruly kids and make the stewards aware so they can keep an eye out for them.
The parents get 2 hours of free child care on Saturday afternoons.
Like Mick pretty much every game you a good number of children messing about in the main stand they never even watch the game. it's like being up Clambers it's joke.
This enforced change needs to be made permanent. When you read other clubs forum is is always commented on.
If it's such a great idea why aren't all the clubs doing it.
I know a couple of under 21's who work in London on good salaries and get in for nothing, this cannot be right surely.
If it was made permanent then watch the attendance half rapidly, not just the kids who run around wouldn't be turning up but lots of full paying adults with kids that do behave and who wouldn't be able to justify spending £15 - £20 a match to attend.
Like I say I have my own opinions on what could be done to the current pricing policy but charging £5 for kids Under 10 for example is not a sensible one, the free entry threshold needs to be higher than that.
One other thing to think about is what right do Sudbury have to dictate to us what our pricing policy is? It would be like any self employed person on here being told by his or her competitors what prices to charge. I think you'd agree that that issue in itself is wrong.
Think that Sudbury may well have shot themselves in the foot here. In regards to the under 21 policy - I have always strongly supported it. How many of our older fans remember coming with their dad to the footy and that's why they come now? They then being their kids and the cycle continues. A lot can bring their kids as it's more affordable that way. The downside is a small element who just disrupt other peoples enjoyment. I'm sure that the stewards will be proactive with this in the future. To go back to charging would be a step backwards in my opinion.
Agree pat, I expect our lowest 'paying' crowd of the season for that game as well as the lack of 'freebies' ( I hope they enjoy their share of a much reduced gate ) and the atmosphere of a library.
Exactly, the change doesn't just force out the troublesome kids it forces out full paying adults and concessions who either need or want to bring kids along.
One club in our league ( think its Worthing ) have a policy of £2 off admission price before 2pm on a Saturday and before 7pm on midweek games, it's quite possible that they make their extra money on beers and food etc
cant believe this and sorry but i can not afford to pay for myself and my kids next week as well as myself. think it is great policy the club has, yes there are annoying kids but there are down in the town centre, in cinemas and stewards should do more. my mate often comes with his kids to and doubt he will afford to watch next week too if he has to pay for his. i reckon a few more will stay away and agree lowest crowd of season 250 maybe?
Curiously my dad and I won't be there either simply because a family event was arranged to coincide with the original away game. (All weddings,christenings and funerals are arranged around sport in our family.) To be honest as a season ticket holder I'm pleased to be missing an 'All Pay' match ...having missed THREE home league games on a recent holiday. Very poor planning that !!
Just think it's a big shame and shows Sudbury for what they are. I feel very sorry for parents as it does push the cost up. Chris - you did say Mars Bars as well as Cheesburgers- where on earth do you do your shopping?? !
-- Edited by Pat on Saturday 26th of October 2013 06:38:10 PM
-- Edited by Pat on Saturday 26th of October 2013 06:39:36 PM
Shame on Sudbury, can't believe how short sighted they are, the future of football is with the young and to get them away from electronic entertainment for a couple of hours is to be applauded. Too much moaning on the forum these days. I have to miss today's match but will be at the PF next Saturday to see us stuff the tight fisted bastards.
Phil mentioned about Wimbledon to me earlier today and I agree that would be been an error to have done that, I assume it didn't happen though?
We are probably the biggest team in the league so always likely to be the highest gate price having just come down from the Prem which happens in every league but as I have mentioned previously I have my own thoughts on that as well that are probably similar to yours but can understand the reasons why they have retained the £10 charge for this year.
Foodwise, not sure why it is more expensive but at least it is normally very good ( the new 1/2 pound steak burgers today were exceptional! ) unlike some of the stuff sold at clubs like Burgess Hill which literally gave me food poisoning due to not being cooked....
I can see it from another view, what if they feel the youngsters are our most vocal and loud supporters, so they want to nullify home support which they appear to have done..Dan the library atmosphere is what they are used too.
It's not rocket science although some on here seem to think it is, when they come through they are added to a tally and added up when we work out the attendance, now I'm not sure what you were taught at school but it's pretty basic maths really of was I lucky in receiving such highly skilled tuition when I was younger?
contirary to what you may think we get comments every week from away supporters saying what a good idea it is, maybe other clubs are to scared to take the plunge have you thought of that?
-- Edited by Lenny The Lion on Saturday 26th of October 2013 08:51:59 PM
As a season ticket holder who sits in the main stand with my elderly dad, on occasions the hoards of children that gather in the back of the main stand can really affect our enjoyment. OK, it's not every week but just sometimes the PF stand becomes their Saturday afternoon meeting place. Clearly a high proportion have zero interest in what is going on on the pitch as they have their back to the play as they chat with their mates. Then, on mass, they stampede down across the wooden benches with little regard for genuine paying supporters, only to gather, I presume, somewhere else in the ground. Twenty minutes they return....and so this pattern continues through the game. While 'encouraging the youngsters' is all very laudable, I think allowing them free entry is a mistake. I am sure that they spend money on chips and coke but, if they're not interested in the game a) they are liable to annoy genuine fans and b) they are hardly going to return once they reach an age when they DO have to pay....which I guess is the idea of encouraging them in in the first place. I feel they should pay a nominal fee of, say, £1.50. Youngsters who are genuinely interested will still come along but those with no interest in the football will chose to gather elsewhere in the town. Sorry if I sound like a grumpy grandad.....this problem doesn't happen every home game (which proves how little interest they have in the team )but I do just feel that club officials need to be aware that the pricing policy and the effect it has may not actually be very popular with the people who bring in all the income through the turnstiles, namely the adults and senior citizens. Moan over.
Agree with you 100% Mick. I actually think it was a fantastic experiment that the club have put on, but it's clearly not worked out quite how they intended. So it's time to try something else. I personally think the best plan would be something along the lines of one U18s free entry with one full fee paying adult, £2 for U16s and then £5 for students/U21s.
There are obviously some exceptions - I feel sorry for those full fee paying fans who bring along five or six of their own kids (although my pricing plan would still make five kids + adult £18 opposed to £10) - and there are obviously U21s who are majorly paying their way in other ways (not wanting to name names) - but the policy is CLEARLY annoying a large number of paying fans...
Really if they cant afford £5 for 1 match what benefit do they bring to the club, its less than 1 pack of fags, and 2 pints, 8 mars bars, 5 cheese burgers in MacDonalds. So lets not over react on this one.
Chris it's the parents of the younger fans who also pay £10 to come already will be hit the hardest with this, that cannot be argued and will lead to quite a few not attending.
Don't think its a case of individuals over reacting, the general comment today after explaining the situation today to parents etc was "OK". I think the issue is more those who bring a number of kids with them, it will just be too expensive. If say just 10 full paying adults decide to miss the game through charging U21's £5 then that will be £50 Sudbury will miss out on and believe me there's a lot more than 10 parents who bring their kids along on match days.
Just think it's a big shame and shows Sudbury for what they are. I feel very sorry for parents as it does push the cost up. Chris - you did say Mars Bars as well as Cheesburgers- where on earth do you do your shopping?? !
Obviously not Lidl or Aldi he must be a Fortnam & Masons man
Its not the children its the 16-21 yo have you not seen them smoking. If 10 adults with kids don't attend, you only need 20 of the current u21 to turn up and the finances are the same. My bet is paying customers will be higher next week.
I am suggesting if they cant afford to pay £5 once, then really should they be paying our inflated food prices. Did you realise you can get a carvery meal cheaper than burger and chips at the pilot field. So if they can afford our food, they can afford £5 to get in.
If revenue is higher next week I bet we won't be told about it on here!
Also it should be remembered the game against Wimbledon a few seasons ago when the the club wanted to increase admission charges and that outraged their supporters. Suppose that wasn't us being greedy!!
We have the highest gate price and food in the league.
But quite possibly not both so a certain percentage will decide to not attend that particular match against a obscure team ( not a big name cup tie ) and that money will not be heading the clubs ( or Sudbury's ) way in any case.
So as Sudbury can dictate our U21 policy, why didn't we respond by saying for this game our concession price would be £5, surely that would have got passed the FA.
I have had another thought on this, perhaps Sudbury are concerned about being ripped off, as when you let so many in for free, its difficult to know what the gate receipts in relation to the attendance are, at least this way you have an idea.
If revenue is higher next week I bet we won't be told about it on here!
Also it should be remembered the game against Wimbledon a few seasons ago when the the club wanted to increase admission charges and that outraged their supporters. Suppose that wasn't us being greedy!!
We have the highest gate price and food in the league.
We have to have the highest, so that we can let so many in free! or so the rest of us mugs have to pay for it.
Theres far too much sitting on the fence on here, some people seem frightened to so the wrong thing
I'm not frightened to say the wrong thing at all. I think the under 21 policy is a good one and benefits many families who come to the game. All spectators are counted whether through the gate or turnstile and as Barrie says - it's not rocket science.
Thought i'd have a look through your forum ahead of our visit on Saturday.
I can appreciate your gripe with the admission prices and I think it's great it you can offer free entry to U21's to your matches.
At AFC Sudbury we offer free entry to accompanied under 14's on matchdays but this is offer is withdrawn on FA Cup or Trophy matches as it's too hard to manage with the away teams. Arguments always followed about the qty of free entry's issued and how much the away club "could" be losing.
I agree that in the grand scheme of things by insisting on this charge for your under 21's we may actually be losing money, but it will stop any doubts about attendance levels ect after the match.
Anyway, that aside, we really looking forward to the trip down on Saturday. We've got 2 coach loads travelling and hop to see some of you in the bar before the match for a beer?
Hi Big D, well its something thats happening now so best just to get on with it!
Good to see your bringing a load down on coaches and should be a good cup game! ( By the way why is your forum so dead?! )
Believe the bar in the clubhouse will probably be open from 12.45PM for the televised BT Sport game i assume Lenny? ( reduced beer prices etc during it )
Blanket freebies for U21s was never a good idea. Something more structured would've been better. Even in these difficult times there are youngsters earning enough to be able to pay their way into a semi pro game - say £5 for 18-20s (who will doubtless be spending considerable amounts in local hostelries that same evening), £3.50 for U18s (many of whom will be, er, spending considerable sums in local hostelries that same evening) and accompanied kids under 10 a pound - something along those lines. And we mustn't forget the pensioner supporters who no longer attend games because of this over generous free for all. These are people - who despite what Mr Walters might have said about their apparent well off status - aren't that well off and have supported football at the Pilot Field for many years.
There might be a place for freebies - but making a reasonable and appreciated contribution to your local semi pro football club is hardly asking a lot.
All I would say about the club's pricing policy (apart from broadly agreeing with Dan's comments) is that, as far as I can tell) attendances are actually UP from last season, so that can't be a bad thing. The kids of today are the ticket-buying adults of tomorrow, and some of them will undoubtedly return to games as adults paying the full ticket price. I don't think that conflating this issue with that of the PF being some sort of "footy" Clambers is helpful. Personally, I think I would be happier if the age limit for free admission was lowered to, say, 16 or 18. Of course we want to encourage children and young people to come to games - and hopefully remain loyal supporters - but unless we can expect them to get used to the idea that they ought to make SOME contribution for the privilege of watching their local team, then there may be a danger that by the time they reach 21 (or even 18) their loyalties (and money) may well be spent elsewhere.
All I would say about the club's pricing policy (apart from broadly agreeing with Dan's comments) is that, as far as I can tell) attendances are actually UP from last season, so that can't be a bad thing. The kids of today are the ticket-buying adults of tomorrow, and some of them will undoubtedly return to games as adults paying the full ticket price. I don't think that conflating this issue with that of the PF being some sort of "footy" Clambers is helpful. Personally, I think I would be happier if the age limit for free admission was lowered to, say, 16 or 18. Of course we want to encourage children and young people to come to games - and hopefully remain loyal supporters - but unless we can expect them to get used to the idea that they ought to make SOME contribution for the privilege of watching their local team, then there may be a danger that by the time they reach 21 (or even 18) their loyalties (and money) may well be spent elsewhere.
He doesn't post that often but when he does ???? Post of the season for me so far !!! OH WHEN THE KEV !!!!!!!
