Monday 16 March 2009

That's loyalty for you...

Impressive season ticket renewal sales from a Championship club. This season they had 19,700 season ticket holders and, having launched their new deal for 09-10, have already signed up 18,000 so remain on target to match or better that.

Let's think now - Wolves as their fans clamour to bag a Premier League seat next year? Sheffield United as their fans lick their lips at the prospect of promotion via the play-offs and the luxury, come-what-may of a £15m windfall courtesy of West Ham? Perhaps it's a resurgent Derby County since interest rocketted with the arrival of another man called Clough? No, the answer is Norwich City. Yes, Norwich City, them that were in the drop zone when they launched their scheme and who, even now after two consecutive wins are only two points clear of third bottom Barnsley.

How have they done it? Well they offer kids tickets at £25 for the season and they have a much wider range of pricing and options than most other clubs, Charlton included. £350 seems to be the going rate in the Family Stand or £377 on the sides (wings) and £427 for a half-way line seat. All tickets have been sold with the guarantee of a 20% reduction in the event that they go down. Hats off to them for having the bottle to go early and risk the admin. and hassle of potentially refunding 18,000 ticket holders. 

Are we that much poorer than Norwich this year to justify the widely expected slump in Valley renewals? I am sure we can match or better their pricing, albeit for League One, but the view is that our 17,000 existing season tickets will decline towards 10,000 or even lower.  

7 comments:

  1. The difference here is that Norwich isn't a club that has totally lost its status, identity, purpose and relationship with the fans over the past few years. They are not a club that has declined through incompetent management.

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  2. Dave, I think you'll find that Charlton have 14,800 season ticket holders this season; it was 17k last year...

    Pedro45

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  3. What we have to bear in mind is that Norwich in a 'stand alone' club in a quite populous area where there are no alternatives. Charlton have to compete in the London market where there are also leisure alternatives. Also there is quite a lot of hard evidence that fans switch clubs (and not just David Mellor) more than you would think.

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  4. Norwich's support has been terrific since they got relegated. And their away support is decent too.

    I guess they have had a little longer to build support (I'm thinking their Euro successes in the early 90's) and they have a massive reach geographically.

    Credit also to Delia and the board for some creative marketing.

    This is their 3rd season after relegation and they have struggled every season and had 6 managers yet the fans keep coming back.

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  5. David G - I understand the point you are making with regards to Charlton's current plight but it;s not been plain sailing at Carrow Road. The current Board are desperate for investment, just like us, and they have also had a false dawn on the takeover front. Numerous managers have come and gone and the locals haven't seen much in the way of exciting football for, arguably, longer than us - Dave.

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  6. Pedro - you are correct - thanks. The drop in season ticket numbers won't be so dramatic after all! Dave.

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  7. Dave G - tbh, I think they (I know it's hard to believe) have had more incompentent managers than we have.

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Go on, you know you want to....