Are our ticket prices competitive?
By Brummagem Bertie
July 31 2012
There was much gnashing of teeth in some quarters when our season ticket prices were announced, mainly about what some perceived to be a steep increase over last season. Leaving aside the valid reasons for this (that prices for existing season ticket holders last season were pegged at Championship levels) I wondered whether the club were correct to claim that our ticket prices were competitive with the rest of the Premiership.
I hope that the attached table will prove of interest. Direct comparisons are fraught with difficulty because,
in some cases, it is a bit like comparing chalk with cheese, depending on ground configuration.
What I have tried to do is to identify a comparable seat price to the Slick (East) Stand, the South Stand, standing, and family.
I have also looked to see whether the club does a special deal for children, other than the standard concession for under 16.
I have also included Newcastle, just to see how we compare with Championship prices. 
What is also apparent when looking around the other clubs are subtle differences in the packages on offer but, for the most part, they include all home games during the season, including pre-season friendlies, and free access to A games. Where there is a significant difference there is a footnote to explain it. All prices quoted are for renewal of existing season ticket holders, including any equivalent "Loyal Warrior" discount.
| Club | Slick Gold | South Bronze | Standing | Family | Child offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath4 | 505 | 395/505 | 260 | 450 | N |
| Chiefs | 540 | 415 | 280 | 520 | N |
| Gloucester | 475 | 330 | 175 | N | N |
| Harlequins | 595 | 395 | N/A | 330 | N |
| Leicester | 492 | 369/328 | 246 | 7841 | Free U10 |
| London Irish | 300 | 275 | N/A | N | N |
| London Wasps4 | 555 | 270 | 215 | 335-490 | N |
| London Welsh | 345 | 2252 | N/A | N | 70 U12 |
| Newcastle | 494 | 2962 | 142 | N | N |
| Northampton | 551 | 347 | 281 | 444 | N |
| Sale | 549 | 2992 | 199 | 6991 | N |
| Saracens5 | 529/619 | 149 | 199 | N | N |
| Warriors | 415 | 300 | 215 | 320 | Free U10 |
1. Price is for 2 adults and 2 children, rather than 1 adult and 1 child;
2. Prices are for cheapest seats in a stand along the touchline, as these clubs do not have a seated stand at either end of the ground;
3. Bath charge season ticket holders for admission to pre-season friendlies;
4. Wasps do not have any pre-season friendlies lined up;
5. Saracens prices do not include 2 home HC games, one of which is at the King Baudouin Stadium and the other at a venue yet to be announced. Prices also include a 15% discount, which appears to be compensation for their rather nomadic existence next season. Sarries also appear to be charging everyone for their friendly against Stade Francais.
There are some interesting figures and comparisons in there.
Some complain about our performance last season and that we were never able to get away from the bottom. How much more upset would you have been if you had parted with the sort of money that Wasps and Bath fans did?
When we were relegated from the Premiership, would you have been happy to pay what Falcons fans are being asked, to be part of the Richards Revolution?
I also remember a thread some time ago about how Exeter were managing to turn a profit. Perhaps if we had developed Sixways on the cheap, yet charged the prices the Tribe have to pay, we would be well established in the Prem, in profit, and already have played HC rugby?
Someone once said that there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. There aren't any lies in the above table but there is plenty of food for thought, and discussion.
BB
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:09:13:14:01:51 by Powick Eastander.
So am i right to think this shows it is "better value" to buy an East stand gold ticket as that is comparably the cheapest ticket? ;-)
*Although I refer you to the penultimate sentence of the article.
Whatever you do, do it safely!
Very dilligently done Clive-o
Cheltenham is often called the Gateway to the Cotswolds...
In the same way Gloucester is the Asda of the Malverns. - Jack Dee
There were a number of rather heated comments when season ticket prices were announced and a number of people who said that they would not renew. Then there are the usual moans about how we are ripped off at Worcester, which crop up with regularity. Given all that I am surprised that the thread has garnered nearly 500 views but only 2 responses!
I had hoped for more discussion and debate, especially as regards comparison with other clubs: there was some admiration expressed recently for what Exeter are doing and still managing to turn a profit. Would their admirers be quite so admiring if they were asked to stump up those prices, for the facilities offered? Looks like we'll never know!
Whatever you do, do it safely!
Or have I read it wrong ?
I agree however that on balance the standard ST seems to compare pretty well with most of the AP.
How long the club can sustain the debenture is I think very much dependant upon how the team performs on the pitch.
I decided to go for a ticket behind the posts, and one on the halfway line, because that seemed to be the easiest way of getting the most comparable figures.
Whichever club you support, you could probably find a comparison that would put your club in a much better light than the rest (with the probable exceptions of Bath, Chiefs, and Wasps).
Whatever you do, do it safely!
What I'd find really interesting isn't really the prices of the cheapest and dearest views/seats, but how many of them are there and how do they sell? For instance there aren't many of the most expensive seats at Tigers and they sell very very well. And whilst some clubs will have cheap tickets they won't have many of them, an example from France is Perpignan have the "pessage" which is a shallow sloping bit of tarmac at ground level, its well cheap but the view is pretty terrible and any fan would surely by a seat for more. Yet they get the PR of having a cheap ticket.
Also something that would be completely impossible to work out but fascinating would be to look at each clubs profit per seat, so taking out rental/mortgage/floodlights/any other cost.
You make some interesting observations, however, and I look forward to reading the fruits of your research - don't forget to post a link when it goes up on the Tigers MB!
Whatever you do, do it safely!
LI certainly represents decent vfm but then has to due to size of ground and Reading may increase the East stand if they stay in the Barclays Prem for a couple of seasons.