FAO Bob Young

[ValeMadrid87]

You moan and groan about the attendances @ Vale park...

 

We are a 4th tier football club... 3 divisions lower than for instance Man u, Man city, Chelsea, Arsenal....

 

And still you expect over 5000 people to turn up, most to pay on the gate at £20 a game... Well unlike me, I do not receive a wage like you, I struggle, I work and I try my best to be at all Vale games...

 

If you really want to get Vale park rocking and smashing attendance's to make our club look more attractive to outsiders then try lowering your match day prices...

 

Look at Proper Football teams in the premier league... Excellent footy to watch (unles you are watching hoof ball from up the road) the atmosphere is absolutely incredible also...

 

That mr young is because they are getting the crowds because they are paying reasonable prices to go and watch there teams... Getting a season ticket allows you to watch these Premiership games below... Shocking thing is you can go and watch these teams cheaper than Paying to watch Vale on the Gate....

 

Wigan £13.40

 

Man city £14.50

 

Aston Villa £15.50

 

West brom £18.40

 

Newcastle £19.60

 

Reading £19.70

 

Stoke, Everton, Fulham £21

 

Everybody is suffering financial hard times at the moment with ever increasing petrol, food prices and the cost of living...

 

And you have the cheek to slag off Vale fans.... One word to describe your self loving charachter Young...

 

 

*******

[fairportnick]

A little harsh but the prices do need to drop if attendances are to increase.

Quite a few fans must be paying on the gate but a return to the early bird ST prices might bring some cash in, as the cash was kept ringfenced the club have had little benefot from getting it early and one match has gone anyway.

To help out I would consider one at the right price even though it is likely to be cheaper for me to pay on the gate.

[Portly Vale]

Well obviously a ST is going to cost less than paying on the gate every week. Just like if you had one from Vale it would have been cheaper than Wigan I believe...

[Tosh]

Fans will pay if the team is winning and doing well, we only just got over 5k when it was just £5 to get in against Torquay last season, it's been the product that's been the main problem in recent years, I've left some games thinking that wouldn't have been worth a free ticket!!

[Sch0tt]

Fans will pay if the team is winning and doing well, we only just got over 5k when it was just £5 to get in against Torquay last season, it's been the product that's been the main problem in recent years, I've left some games thinking that wouldn't have been worth a free ticket!!

 

Completely agree.

[Barcroft]

I agree largely with Tosh, reducing the pay on the gate price is something that need to happen but they have to be careful.

 

Without success on the pitch reducing the pay on the gate price will simply result in lost revenue which the club can't afford.

 

I've been saying for years that the best solution is to reduce the price difference between season tickets and pay on the gate. It has been far too wide for too long due to V2001's philosophy that if you are student, or cannot shift your working patterns to make every single home game (and justify a season ticket) you deserve to be punished with ludicrous prices.

 

I think if pay on the gate prices were to drop at this stage, it needs to be brought down to around £17.50 in the hope people will spend the change on refreshments, and programmes etc.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

A. You can't get his name right, very poor if you are ranting.

 

B. You are comparing open price tickets to season tickets, its like comparing gold to water. Its more than a little daft.

 

Yes prices need to come down but Vale fans are a fickle bunch aside from a hardcore of 3 to 4k and lets be honest if the prices were dropped and he then expected 6k to make up for the deficit of income it would never happen anyway.

[Va-LEE-ant]

Posted this on another thread earlier but it perhaps belongs on here. Apologies in advance if this upsets people, but these are my thoughts;

 

This isn't a dig at anyone but I don't buy the '£20 to watch fourth division football' as a reasonable reason not to attend VP. If people cant afford to pay £20, they just can't afford to pay £20 and that's fair enough. They wouldn't all of a sudden be able to find the cash if we were in the Championship. Ive heard figures of around £18 and £19 banded around before as a reasonable fee to pay to get in. Thats only a couple of quid different to whats being asked now (might buy you a coffee). I suggest paying to come, but bring a flask! Lets face it, the difference between what's 'deemed' a reasonable price and what's being charged is negligible when you split it over every other week when Vale are at home. The other option is a season ticket which takes the price down to around £11 a match. For kids under 9 entrance is FREE. I have a season ticket and take two kids. Divide the £11 by three and that represents real value for a family afternoon out. Tell me anything else that's a paid for event that will keep the family entertained for an afternoon for less in this day and age?!?! My Mrs also comes with us sometimes and she pays on the gate.

 

Please don't use the £20 for fourth division football as an excuse not to come. For those who can't afford, fair play. For the others, come down to VP and support your team. You never know, with the increased revenue we might even find ourselves playing at a higher level and then you be paying around £20 for third division football......

[aspin for england]

good shout there LEE

[Lady_Vale]

Posted this on another thread earlier but it perhaps belongs on here. Apologies in advance if this upsets people, but these are my thoughts;

 

This isn't a dig at anyone but I don't buy the '£20 to watch fourth division football' as a reasonable reason not to attend VP. If people cant afford to pay £20, they just can't afford to pay £20 and that's fair enough. They wouldn't all of a sudden be able to find the cash if we were in the Championship. Ive heard figures of around £18 and £19 banded around before as a reasonable fee to pay to get in. Thats only a couple of quid different to whats being asked now (might buy you a coffee). I suggest paying to come, but bring a flask! Lets face it, the difference between what's 'deemed' a reasonable price and what's being charged is negligible when you split it over every other week when Vale are at home. The other option is a season ticket which takes the price down to around £11 a match. For kids under 9 entrance is FREE. I have a season ticket and take two kids. Divide the £11 by three and that represents real value for a family afternoon out. Tell me anything else that's a paid for event that will keep the family entertained for an afternoon for less in this day and age?!?! My Mrs also comes with us sometimes and she pays on the gate.

 

Please don't use the £20 for fourth division football as an excuse not to come. For those who can't afford, fair play. For the others, come down to VP and support your team. You never know, with the increased revenue we might even find ourselves playing at a higher level and then you be paying around £20 for third division football......

 

Absolutely spot on.

[dave8509]

A. You can't get his name right, very poor if you are ranting.

 

B. You are comparing open price tickets to season tickets, its like comparing gold to water. Its more than a little daft.

 

Yes prices need to come down but Vale fans are a fickle bunch aside from a hardcore of 3 to 4k and lets be honest if the prices were dropped and he then expected 6k to make up for the deficit of income it would never happen anyway.

 

Abosolutely correct.

 

I have just asked myself a question! If I was not a season ticket holder would I pay £21 to sit in Lorne Street.

The Answer is yes i would but honestly I would not be happy with that price.

 

How about a compromise :-

 

Look at an area of Vale Park that is not popular and can be segregated, for example the corner where the family stand is, or any area suitable and charge £15.00 for adults and accompanied kids free.

 

If we can get a extra 1000 or so on that basis then that would be good wouldnt it!

 

If we still get 4000/4500 then we have to conceed that this is our level and settle fot that.

 

Prices would then have to remain.

[ancient mariner]

As Tosh said.

It is more about the product.

If i walk away from Vale having seen an entertaining match,and have enjoyed it,

i don't think about the cost.

I have to admit these have been rare occasions over the last few years,but untill

we can get ourselves on firm footings i don't think a couple of quid will make a vast difference.

[fairportnick]

Well obviously a ST is going to cost less than paying on the gate every week. Just like if you had one from Vale it would have been cheaper than Wigan I believe...

 

Not if you know in advance that you can only make half of the games it isnt, but fans still do it.

 

For example I will miss 3 games for training courses, a couple through pressure of work, plus music festivals and gigs,weddings , holidays etc etc.

[fairportnick]

Posted this on another thread earlier but it perhaps belongs on here. Apologies in advance if this upsets people, but these are my thoughts;

 

This isn't a dig at anyone but I don't buy the '£20 to watch fourth division football' as a reasonable reason not to attend VP. If people cant afford to pay £20, they just can't afford to pay £20 and that's fair enough. They wouldn't all of a sudden be able to find the cash if we were in the Championship. Ive heard figures of around £18 and £19 banded around before as a reasonable fee to pay to get in. Thats only a couple of quid different to whats being asked now (might buy you a coffee). I suggest paying to come, but bring a flask! Lets face it, the difference between what's 'deemed' a reasonable price and what's being charged is negligible when you split it over every other week when Vale are at home. The other option is a season ticket which takes the price down to around £11 a match. For kids under 9 entrance is FREE. I have a season ticket and take two kids. Divide the £11 by three and that represents real value for a family afternoon out. Tell me anything else that's a paid for event that will keep the family entertained for an afternoon for less in this day and age?!?! My Mrs also comes with us sometimes and she pays on the gate.

 

Please don't use the £20 for fourth division football as an excuse not to come. For those who can't afford, fair play. For the others, come down to VP and support your team. You never know, with the increased revenue we might even find ourselves playing at a higher level and then you be paying around £20 for third division football......

 

Although a lot are saying this is spot on, it isnt. Virtually all those who go anyway will have bought a ST or committed in their own minds to go whatever the price within reason. To them the comments are irrelevant.

To get the attendances up you need the "floating voters" , those who will only come if the team is successful, or if the price is right. They certainly wont come just because someone tells them they ought to or that their complaints are unfounded. The club has to be "sold" to them in a positive manner by decent performances, positive comments from manager and board, decent press and decent behaviour from fans.

You cant just toddle along hoping they will come back or try to get them back by criticism , they wont bother. you will just alienate them.

If the administrators continue to run the club attendances will drop , they need to sell it pronto.

[Lady_Vale]

Although a lot are saying this is spot on, it isnt. Virtually all those who go anyway will have bought a ST or committed in their own minds to go whatever the price within reason. To them the comments are irrelevant.

To get the attendances up you need the "floating voters" , those who will only come if the team is successful, or if the price is right. They certainly wont come just because someone tells them they ought to or that their complaints are unfounded. The club has to be "sold" to them in a positive manner by decent performances, positive comments from manager and board, decent press and decent behaviour from fans.

You cant just toddle along hoping they will come back or try to get them back by criticism , they wont bother. you will just alienate them.

If the administrators continue to run the club attendances will drop , they need to sell it pronto.

 

You're missing the point - this is about getting 5,000 whilst the administrators are in charge - discussions about attendances post-takeover (if we make it) can wait for another day.

 

Supporters and supporters only are keeping the club afloat now, 'supporters' that chuff about poor results at this stage are not Port Vale fans. Whilst people choose to go elsewhere because they won't pay £21 to watch fourth division football can cross even the option of watching their local league team of their list of things to do in the next few months because it won't be here.