The People's Forum: I think realistically the novelty is not going to wear off

Every premier league club is 90% capacity or more and so once you get past 25 to 30 thousand season tickets you are essentially forgoing money as they will be purchased by people paying basically £20 to £30 more. It’s probably about £5 million in gate receipts and that’s not going to reduce because we are crap (hopefully not for too much longer) and there is still over demand.

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A few years ago I went to a Norwich home game by boat. In the way back, there was a few dozen Everton, but at least 100-150 Man Utd who had been beaten at home by someone like Brentford or Brighton.

They all had these see-through Msn Utd bags from the official store, all filled to the brim with tat probably costing a few hundred quid. Then there was myself sitting there maybe had bought a few air fresheners etc.

I get what Man Utd do what they do. I don’t think we’re stable enough yet. If we went through a period of sustained success then less season ticket holders like me would be great. But it’s guaranteed money this season etc if things go to shit and the novelty of a new stadium wears off.

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…someone who doesn’t regularly go to the stadium is less likely to know a regular pub/cafe nearby so is probably more likely to use the stadium facilities.

I know I probably would/will, at least the first time I visit.

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I missed out on the ballot for Brighton and looked at seat unique before eventually going through another secondary seller which was a bit cheaper at £175 for someone’s south upper seat.
I was successful for Aston Villa in north upper and bought for Mansfield in west.
Now from my point of view the seat unique stuff is a rip off but it at least is one final option. Not one I can afford every time but it’s at least possible.

The issues for me are the ground is going to be too small if we have any sort of success it should have been 60k at least

And the second issue is the season tickets in my view should have stayed the same number as at Goodison. It was stupid to essentially provide more discounted tickets at what £45-50 per game when the club could have made their receipts by having a bigger amount for membership who pay £60-70 a seat. I gave up my season ticket back when I did my nurse training and have paid the price ever since I’m not a tourist I am over the Mersey in Cheshire now so I suppose I am an out of towner. But I object to it being used as a bit of an insult.

My guess is the majority of any seat unique type tickets getting taken are just people like me who are aiming to get to as many games as possible and have failed in the ballot for a game and just trying to find a way to see a game. If I’m lucky I will get to as many games as possible if I can get 12-15 league games (I got a membership for my mum and aunty who lives in Walton village naively thinking they might get to a game but i now realise that linking us three together can only be one entry in the ballot each time whereas I can put all three in separately and hopefully get one ticket from it).
This along with maybe 2-3 from seat unique or secondary sellers then I will be made up.

I won’t get the same seat each time. Bby the villa game I will have done all four sides.

so like I said not a tourist just limited by a tiny number of ballot tickets and not enough imagination in terms of the size of the ground.

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…which by all accounts involves a huge number of blues trying to secure a ticket from a pool of we-don’t-know-how-many.

It’s the business class upgrade, it’s the airport lounge access.

I’m also guessing that the people that is aimed for - out of towners, football tourists if you like - are more likely to spend money on overpriced beer and burgers etc inside the ground. So they’re an important revenue stream for the club.

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£204 for Club view v Villa

£10 drink voucher! No food.

All endorsed by the club.

Scandalous (or have missed something).