afcb_rednblack
UTC Legend
To an extent it is if you’re running a commercial entity and need to achieve sustainability for the future.
Jim Frevola Interview
- Thread starter AFCBmattjamr
- Start date
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
So they should have put season tickets up to full market value years ago then?
billythekid
UTC Legend
Just read the whole article with what Jim Frevola says and found it very interesting and informative on how he and our owner want and see our club going/growing.
Then read the article about Modular.
Then read the article about Modular.
AFCBade
UTC Legend
We do need to grow the fan base and give people better opportunity to get tickets.
However, if they still don’t know whether we could support 20k attendances then they shouldn’t have bought the club. Wouldn’t take much effort to grow attendances including more away fans.
If they are contemplating 20k to say30k capacity then I would understand the need to be more confident on data points.
Ultimately, though, until it is easier to buy tickets for groups together rather than random seats here and there plus just to understand when they go on sale, I expect it will be the already-committed fans that get the tickets as it does require a lot of effort.
However, if they still don’t know whether we could support 20k attendances then they shouldn’t have bought the club. Wouldn’t take much effort to grow attendances including more away fans.
If they are contemplating 20k to say30k capacity then I would understand the need to be more confident on data points.
Ultimately, though, until it is easier to buy tickets for groups together rather than random seats here and there plus just to understand when they go on sale, I expect it will be the already-committed fans that get the tickets as it does require a lot of effort.
afcb_rednblack
UTC Legend
They should have had a commercial development strategy in place for the next x years (hence my reference to wealth creation) which would normally comprise a broad cross section of revenue elements and opportunities.
The previous model was unsustainable so revenues needed to be maximised at some point. Season tickets could have been increased or otherwise kept lower and offset by other new income. But it’s not for me to say, it’s the strategy that should dictates.
DJ
Moderator
Totally agree, again I’m confused as to why they are seemingly trying to come across as potentially a bit incompetent in this regard. I’m certainly giving them more credit than the impression they’re trying to give out.
There’s no way you spend £100m in buying a club, spend £30m on a training ground, even if it is loans, without knowing for sure what you’re buying and it’s minimal potential expansion.
Which makes this whole deep dive into the current database all the more pointless (pun intended). It’s flawed data.
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
Presumably Demin dictated the strategy, which appeared to be to spend money on players rather than the stadium in an attempt to keep them in the PL. It was a success for five seasons then on relegation the strategy seems to have been to slash costs whilst going for promotion and touting the club to potential buyers. Also a success.
They weren't likely to achieve all of this new increased revenue in the Championship afterall.
Kudos
UTC Legend
Probably semantics here but I interpreted "ambiguous" as Jim knowing the approach they would take and not communicating it clearly as opposed to saying "undetermined" meaning that he didn't know what option they would take.
Hence the screenshot saying quite clearly both options are on the table.
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
Well I suppose I just mean not clear either way. On the one hand he talks confidently about capacity, flexibility to expand, timescales and not wanting a standard bowl then he leaves expansion on the table which would seemingly be a lot less flexible on these fronts.
RobTrent
UTC Legend
lol. ;-)
Kudos
UTC Legend
Trying to play devil's advocate here. Pulling out an old argument I used to have with SDD - Brentford's stadium paid for itself in land and Brighton's was a gift from the owner. We would need it to make commercial sense up front and the way to do that is expensive seats as presumably they give a better ROI.
Jim said 15-18% of tickets is the Premier League average but ours are at 3% so fag packet maths would mean we'd need to go from 250 posh seats to 3,000 possibly more.
I think a big point is being missed here - yes BF and Co know the potential of the Club - that’s why they bought it. The thing is - we have no idea how the new Stadium is to be funded. I’m guessing substantially by loans and new investors. It’s these people who will be asking for proof. Some Yank Investment fund or Oil Tycoon won’t know ‘diddly squat’ about our Club. They will want figures and proof of progressively growing income streams.
I realise our 12000 hard core fans are going to be inconvenienced for maybe three years but ‘we’ have become a ‘closed shop’ and that’s not fair to those totally on the outside.
I advocated for a ST scheme for an enlarged Ted Shed several years back but was largely shouted down for it as I suggested a deposit was taken to weed out time wasters. There is no reason the Ted Shed couldn’t still be enlarged in the medium term. 2,000 extra seats - half as season tickets would pay for itself from day 1 from the ST’s alone. The new ST holders then being given the right to get a ST in the new Stadium.
£50 fee to join the waiting list and offered progressively from top to bottom points holders as with match day tickets. The other 1,000 seats could be kept outside the points scheme for the ‘newbies’.
I realise our 12000 hard core fans are going to be inconvenienced for maybe three years but ‘we’ have become a ‘closed shop’ and that’s not fair to those totally on the outside.
I advocated for a ST scheme for an enlarged Ted Shed several years back but was largely shouted down for it as I suggested a deposit was taken to weed out time wasters. There is no reason the Ted Shed couldn’t still be enlarged in the medium term. 2,000 extra seats - half as season tickets would pay for itself from day 1 from the ST’s alone. The new ST holders then being given the right to get a ST in the new Stadium.
£50 fee to join the waiting list and offered progressively from top to bottom points holders as with match day tickets. The other 1,000 seats could be kept outside the points scheme for the ‘newbies’.
billythekid
UTC Legend
Not sure if this article in May 2020 was on here at the time but it is based on average attendances going back over a 100 + years ago.
It’s interesting how our gates went up in the John Bond era with three over 20,000 and not many years later plummet again.
Bournemouth are the only current Premier League club that would be in the third division if based on all time average attendance. Swansea, Reading, Luton, Brentford and Barnsley are the only teams currently in the Championship that feature in the table below.
16th Bournemouth – 7,278.
fanbanter.co.uk
It’s interesting how our gates went up in the John Bond era with three over 20,000 and not many years later plummet again.
Bournemouth are the only current Premier League club that would be in the third division if based on all time average attendance. Swansea, Reading, Luton, Brentford and Barnsley are the only teams currently in the Championship that feature in the table below.
16th Bournemouth – 7,278.
How England’s top four divisions look based on all-time average attendance - Fan Banter
How England’s top four divisions look based on all-time average attendance has been revealed and it’s got plenty of talking online. Stoke Sentinel have settled arguments about what makes a big club or otherwise for as long as there has been football, going as far back at 1889, yes, we’re going...
fanbanter.co.uk
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DJ
Moderator
There’s all sort of things they can do. Expanding the south stand could be one, although for emergency vehicles it might be an issue.
Temporary corner stands, whilst not massive could be another option. You could even offer these with a ted tent bolt on and increase those hospitality percentages.
The Rose Bowl whacks up temporary stands for one single game and takes them back down again so there has to be viable ways of doing it.
Longer term, season tickets, there’s always multi year season tickets for current and potential new season ticket holders. Again not a new idea as I believe they did it with the ice hockey.
Naming rights of the stadium is another big revenue stream.
I don’t think anyone is bemoaning the idea of increasing revenue or trying to get “new supporters” across the threshold. I just don’t think it has to be done in a way that it alienates the current match day goers.
Da Bomb
First Team
Being one of the people who cannot easily get a ticket and due to personal circumstances really cant wait for the points drop to 'wait and see' the day before, I think gauging demand is a good thing.
Its all well and good having the 'build it and they will come' attitude but we are not the ones stumping up significant cash, and for Bill he sees this as an investment and a white elephant stadium a la Darlington, is one he would want to avoid.
I actually think that interview puts Jim and Bill in a good light, they want to do things properly. No rushed decisions but calm, measured and importantly informed decisions will hopefully make the next phase of our existence heading into the 2030s a success.
Its all well and good having the 'build it and they will come' attitude but we are not the ones stumping up significant cash, and for Bill he sees this as an investment and a white elephant stadium a la Darlington, is one he would want to avoid.
I actually think that interview puts Jim and Bill in a good light, they want to do things properly. No rushed decisions but calm, measured and importantly informed decisions will hopefully make the next phase of our existence heading into the 2030s a success.
DJ
Moderator
So how do the club gauge demand in regards to a supporter such as yourself?
Will you purchase a £139 ticket? Or attempt Cherries Tuesday 6 weeks before the game? Maybe use the season ticket resale site?
How does the club gauge that demand in the current ground and use that as any kind of valid data for a new ground? When you would be able to get a ticket easier, perhaps at your convenience in the area of the ground with those who you wish to attend with?
SlowDownDerek
UTC Legend
Plus a hundreds of significantly more expensive ones. Jim F has said it often enough. Corporate seats are the most important to the money men because they are the difference between it happening or not.
