Empty Seats

If a ST holder spends £550 for a seat, it’s their prerogative to not use it every game if they don’t want to/can’t use it… The club can’t and shouldn’t get involved in how much it’s used from a contractual perspective… However, I do agree that the club could very easily incentivise people to try and free up their seat… and make it easier to do so… especially now we’ve barcoded tickets…

We’ve been here before with this discussion, but many clubs offer a small amount of money off of next season’s ST for every game you free up on your ST. Very easy to do and no actual cash is needed to be exchanged/refunded…

We’ve never been know for creative thinking before when it comes to STs so I wouldn’t hold your breath for anything to happen on this anytime soon…

But the empty areas are blocks 1, 8 & 9, where it costs nowhere near that for a kids ticket. I don't think it costs anything for under 8s.
 
So what was the excuse last Saturday afternoon.

The main reason is People are apprehensive about covid plus
It was on sky
It was a weeknight
Too late for young kids
People were working late
Still coming out of holiday season for people without kids

loads of reasons. I’m sure it’s being replicated up and down the country
 
I have said this before but I know someone who had season tickets for their son and daughter in the family section from a young age,I don't think the daughter has ever been, doesn't even like football,the seat goes empty most games or his sons friend uses it .
As said above,they are too cheap.
 
But the empty areas are blocks 1, 8 & 9, where it costs nowhere near that for a kids ticket. I don't think it costs anything for under 8s.
I was more referring to the suggestions around telling ST holders they had to use or lose their seats…

Re the family blocks, I’ve no idea how expensive they are so can’t comment… maybe we need to think about creating just one block for family tickets again… No one else can seemingly get in so two whole bocks for families, when they’re not being fully used seems excessive…
 
The main reason is People are apprehensive about covid plus
It was on sky
It was a weeknight
Too late for young kids
People were working late
Still coming out of holiday season for people without kids

loads of reasons. I’m sure it’s being replicated up and down the country
Same seats every matchday,
 
I was more referring to the suggestions around telling ST holders they had to use or lose their seats…

Re the family blocks, I’ve no idea how expensive they are so can’t comment… maybe we need to think about creating just one block for family tickets again… No one else can seemingly get in so two whole bocks for families, when they’re not being fully used seems excessive…

They should make it a condition of the cheap tickets that you go to games. If you don't hit the required percentage you get put into the same points system as everyone else. You could allow them not to go to nigt games with young kids and just sell the tickets to someone else.
 
Maybe people are sheilding due to Covid, but for me this is the best supported we've been since the John Bond times in the 1970's.

We're selling out every home game in The Championship, FFS.
 
It should be communicated clearly to season ticket holders that due limited capacity it would greatly appreciated if they could advise the club if they can't attend. The club needs to implement a simple solution for people to inform the club. Perhaps an email 2 weeks, then 1 week, then 2 days before with a simple link that people can just click on and confirm if all or some in the group won't be there.

Need to remove any friction, uncertainty or its not going to be effective.

People on here seem unsure of the process, never mind fans who don't use tge forum. I expect most aren't going to go out of their way to find out what to do or if there even is any kind of solution around this.
 
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It must be difficult for the club who have set aside an area for young fans but then they don't actually turn up. Last night that part of the ground was all but empty and is never anything like full. Either make the STs more expensive, or, sell them on a match by match basis to families whose children are desperate to go but struggle to get tickets.
 
I wonder if any pf the groups that work with the club have ever asked why are so rigid with our ticketing each year... You hear so many stories of other clubs offering some really innovative solutions to keeping ST holders.

I know we dont really have an issue with selling out, but we certainly do have an issue with keeping those that bought the tickets in the ground...

  1. With the introduction of scan entry systems, there is no reason why ST holders cannot easily cancel their tickets for any game they choose, and that doesn't mean engaging in an email or phone conversation with the ticket office. It should be able to be done online with one click. Offer £10 off next year's ST for every time you give up your seat, to a maximum of £100 off next year's ST
  2. Offer 1 year breaks for ST holders. We all know it can be hard to stump up the cash for a ST, so offer people the option to pause their ST for a year. Also with it so hard to jump back in, many folk might be just keeping hold of their tickets, regardless of their intent on using it... It might be really tough one year to get to the ground by it's worth paying the £500 as they've had the ST for years... The club can then resell 1 year STs that are returned
  3. On top of the previous point, if anyone needs a second year, they can but at a £100 holding fee, for example... A lot cheaper than buying at full price and not using it, and offers said ST holder the peace of mind that they can have it back the following year again...
Just 3 simple ideas... which could go a long way to getting more people in...
 
Anyone who thinks that other stadiums don't have empty seats is deluded.
Most other stadiums don’t have a capacity issue though. And those that do have solutions to ensure there aren’t empty seats wasted. If we had a 20k seater stadium then clearly it wouldn’t be a problem, but as it is we’re working with less than 10k home seats, with 10% consistently not showing up.
 

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