Lancashire, not Chelsea. Season Ticket Furore at Burnley FC

[DingleBelle]

All

The promotion honeymoon at Burnley appears to be over! Following our promotion to the Premier League, the club has announced season ticket prices for the remaining 4,500 seats left at Turf Moor.  To say they are steep is an understatement.  The top price is now £685, which for a Lancashire mill town that isn't particularly affluent, is expensive.

The issue is that the new price includes a £100 "retainer". This is paid now but is taken off the price of a season ticket for the 2015-2016 season. It has been billed by the Club as a two-year buy in and I assume that it has been generated on the assumption that we will only spend one year in the PL. Given the club lost 5,000 season tickets holders the last time we were relegated, it does not surprise me to see the club try and mitigate the losses.

The club offered an "Early Bird" discount. If you renewed or purchased before March 2014, you got a price freeze on last season (regardless of promotion) and do not pay the retainer.  Many bought, but those who chose to wait to see if we got promoted are now reeling at the new prices.

I personally thought it was a brilliant commercial move.  Given that this is a maverick move (I am not aware of any other club to have done this), I thought this may interest the football fans amongst you.

Here is a link to my piece that I wrote defending the move.

I find it fascinating.

http://nonaynever.net/19748/the-case-for-the-retainer/

[BigAdz]

I heard about this earlier.

I am amazed at the stupidity of people not taking this off up. In March they were almost up anyway, and even if they missed promotion tickets prices were never, in this day and age, ever going to be lower. If they gained promotion, they had to be higher. Anyone moaning now should give their head a wobble, and wp Burnley for the innovation.

Nice blog piece btw.

[DingleBelle]

Thanks. I guess it's easier to write about something you are passionate about!

I just don't understand the mentality. When the Early Bird period ended, we were 11 points clear with 6 games left. The whole world and his dog knew we were going up?!

On fan said to me that he didn't renew as he prioritised the last 6 away games of the season. As much as you cannot underestimate the value of away support, I'm sure the Club would rather he spend is money with us, rather than other clubs!

[TightEnd]

Click to see full-size image.

£385 (at the low end) at Leicester for 2014-2015, a rise of 3%. season ticket availability was limited to 7,000 new people only, and these went in 48 hours and assuming existing renew, we'll be at 25,000 season ticket holders for next year but then again with a philanthropic owner it gives the club the flexibility to not hike prices 

For Burnley, without the revenue streams to really compete and presumably needing a much bigger squad for next year, its different i don't really see what the surprise is. I assume the hike in season ticket prices will go to team building and the £100 retainer pulls forward some of 2015-2016 revenue to aid that too

After all, for any promoted team, stay up that first season and you have chances to make it sustainable and the retainer has to increase the pot to get a squad capable of doing that.

Getting up with that small squad was a fantastic achievement and we saw what a sturggle it was when ings, vokes, trippier and marney were all out at once in april. the team without those 4 wouldn't compete in the top league so Burnley need depth and quick

Just looks decent business, and the sort of thing you can only do if you go up, and had to be done

[tikay]

Hi Natterley, welcome to the blonde Betting Boards, think you'll enjoy it here.


Fort those who have not met DingleBelle, aka Natterley "Fashion Disaster" Bromley, (who I believe works as a typist in a Solicitors office), here is an outfit she wore to a recent SPT.

Click to see full-size image.