The club have finally announced season ticket prices for 2016-17. Fans will be making big judgement calls about whether or not they are willing to commit to an entire season again in League One (almost certainly) and support The Regime in the process.
The headline deal is a £175 season ticket in the North Lower only. This represents a £25 increase over this season for the cheapest seats but for a poorer view of the match behind the goal and League One football. The positive news is that there are over 3000 seats available there at this price, so they will be able to accommodate all those interested in a cheap ticket.
Elsewhere, the story is generally not a good one. Prices are similar or higher than this season for what will be lower league football. I suppose the proof of the pudding will be in the eating based upon how we shape up to tackle next season and what the new strategy for the club is, given the current one can no longer be applied. "Competitive in the Championship with Premier League ambitions" will need to be tweaked. A simple change of division might be an obvious answer but that would might take even more selling than this year. Perhaps they will look to redefine the club around our Academy and the prospect of watching future Championship and maybe Premier League players. Maybe something like "it's not the result that matters, rather the hope and opportunity of youth." "Building a better future together" looks increasingly hilarious and will undoubtedly be a strapline fans in the future use with huge irony to remember the ruinous ownership of the Duchatelet and the squandered mismanagement of the club by the arrogant, ignorant and haughty Katrien Meire.
They are offering a £25 early bird incentive for those willing to commit before 16th April. I really hope that waverers bite the bullet and hold out until later in the Summer to help make the point that we have to see a change of ownership. Too much water has gone under the bridge and we shouldn't forget what these people have done to us and this club. We have been relegated and there is no prospect so far of any significant change to a broken administration and flawed management model. I would suggest that the prices being offered are likely to look like very poor value for money by October. Katrien Meire must be made to report disastrous season ticket sales and plummeting revenues.
Regular readers will know I will not be renewing until there is a change of ownership, irrespective of the price. My run of 39 years ends here. I will pay match-by-match in future and have decided I will only attend if the product on offer provides value-for-money. I will continue to protest against Duchatelet and the repugnant Katrien Meire until they are finally forced out.
It really is make your mind-up time and anyone who renews is prolonging the downward spiral and the agony as far as I am concerned.
The headline deal is a £175 season ticket in the North Lower only. This represents a £25 increase over this season for the cheapest seats but for a poorer view of the match behind the goal and League One football. The positive news is that there are over 3000 seats available there at this price, so they will be able to accommodate all those interested in a cheap ticket.
Elsewhere, the story is generally not a good one. Prices are similar or higher than this season for what will be lower league football. I suppose the proof of the pudding will be in the eating based upon how we shape up to tackle next season and what the new strategy for the club is, given the current one can no longer be applied. "Competitive in the Championship with Premier League ambitions" will need to be tweaked. A simple change of division might be an obvious answer but that would might take even more selling than this year. Perhaps they will look to redefine the club around our Academy and the prospect of watching future Championship and maybe Premier League players. Maybe something like "it's not the result that matters, rather the hope and opportunity of youth." "Building a better future together" looks increasingly hilarious and will undoubtedly be a strapline fans in the future use with huge irony to remember the ruinous ownership of the Duchatelet and the squandered mismanagement of the club by the arrogant, ignorant and haughty Katrien Meire.
They are offering a £25 early bird incentive for those willing to commit before 16th April. I really hope that waverers bite the bullet and hold out until later in the Summer to help make the point that we have to see a change of ownership. Too much water has gone under the bridge and we shouldn't forget what these people have done to us and this club. We have been relegated and there is no prospect so far of any significant change to a broken administration and flawed management model. I would suggest that the prices being offered are likely to look like very poor value for money by October. Katrien Meire must be made to report disastrous season ticket sales and plummeting revenues.
Regular readers will know I will not be renewing until there is a change of ownership, irrespective of the price. My run of 39 years ends here. I will pay match-by-match in future and have decided I will only attend if the product on offer provides value-for-money. I will continue to protest against Duchatelet and the repugnant Katrien Meire until they are finally forced out.
It really is make your mind-up time and anyone who renews is prolonging the downward spiral and the agony as far as I am concerned.
Completely with you on this...40 years a customer, 30 years a season tickets holder...I stopped going (albeit for the Blackburn protest) in January.
ReplyDeleteDave, totally agree with your comments.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who buys a season ticket for potentially first division football based upon the same regime and chaos next season must be bonkers.
Everyone needs to contribute to starve Duchatelet out of the Valley - if you must get a season ticket next season don't buy it until the beginning of August... keep the regime guessing. Who knows, the first scalp may fall in the summer if she can't deliver the punters.
Personally my Valley exile will continue beyond this season as I refuse to put any money into the regimes coffers - and when I do attend I brought several mates with me so the regime is losing a substantial amount of revenue through losing my support.
Support the team, detest the regime.
Good post Dave.
ReplyDeletePaying game by game would seem to be a worthwhile tactic. Obviously there is an increased cost per game over a season ticket, but if this season is replicated in division 1 how many games would you want to see after Christmas? Probably not many, therefore paying game by game would save a lot of money.
IF by some miracle Charlton don't go down (and it WILL be a miracle...) then the prices don't seem too bad for the Championship - but that all depends on whether the regime change their policies with regards to managers, player purchase etc etc.
I suspect whichever division Charlton end up in nothing will change and the same problems will recur with an eventual relegation or yet another relegation as Duchatelet's way of "running" a club is simply untenable.
Also by holding off on purchasing a season ticket it will make for a very uncomfortable summer for the regime and M/s M in particular - that could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Hopefully she'll be put under enormous pressure and as the lady probably won't be able to stand the heat, she may just return to the kitchen...!
Whatever happens my personal boycott of the Valley will continue. When I have attended in recent years it has been with family and friends, so for every game I went to we bought between 6/10 tickets... that's a lot of revenue the club will now be losing. I will continue to attend the odd away game but I will not put any more money into the regimes' coffers.
I cannot pay to watch an idiot deliberately ruin the club I love.
Completely agree with the blog.
ReplyDeleteI've not bought anything at The Valley since October and won't be renewing my season ticket until Roland has gone.
My grand-daughter has been asking to go to The Valley again with me and I'm not encouraging her to attend until we have new owners.