Season tickets

[silent majority]

I see that Grimsby are thinking along the same lines too.

Are you sure?

When Grimsby Town were setting out their budget for next season, the Sky Bet League Two club began with a chastening assumption. “Our starting point is that we don’t know when football will start,” Philip Day, the chairman, says. “And if we don’t know when it is going to start, we must budget that it isn’t.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at that assertion but here are the facts. Grimsby, Day says, have prepared for a reduction of between 60 and 70 per cent of the club’s £3.5 million annual turnover. Their match-day income, in last season’s accounts, represented £1.1 million. Yet season tickets for next season, which ordinarily bring in about £500,000 over the summer, have yet to go on sale. To make them available amid such uncertainty, Day believes, would be “disingenuous”.

No, I am not sure.
I was reporting what it has said in the Grimsby Telegraph.
Mr Day has said that their club could socially distance crowds if needed.
That kind of indicates that Grimsby ARE thinking about it.

But if we use that as the evidence then you might as well say that all 91 clubs are thinking of having crowds limited by social distancing, because if that's an option all clubs will go for it.


What is obvious from reading the whole article, the one in the Times, is that Grimsby are concentrating on cutting costs dramatically to try and keep the club afloat. To the point where they are not banking on the next season starting anytime soon.

[silent majority]

Martin when is the meeting, is it tomorrow. Does everything have to have a path to conclusion set at this meeting - sorry so many questions

Yes the meeting is tomorrow.

But the answer to your question is no. The decision may be made tomorrow but the implications and the path, as you put it, will still have to be ratified. I'd give it another 24 hours before the EFL contact the clubs with more detail. You'll have the headline on Tuesday but no details.

And then  there has to be 5 clear days before the EGM which will have to take place to alter the league rules, allowing whatever decision is made, to become lawful. As an example, LG2 decided some weeks ago what they wanted, none of that has been confirmed yet and the details still have to be ratified.

[drfchound]

I see that Grimsby are thinking along the same lines too.

Are you sure?

When Grimsby Town were setting out their budget for next season, the Sky Bet League Two club began with a chastening assumption. “Our starting point is that we don’t know when football will start,” Philip Day, the chairman, says. “And if we don’t know when it is going to start, we must budget that it isn’t.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at that assertion but here are the facts. Grimsby, Day says, have prepared for a reduction of between 60 and 70 per cent of the club’s £3.5 million annual turnover. Their match-day income, in last season’s accounts, represented £1.1 million. Yet season tickets for next season, which ordinarily bring in about £500,000 over the summer, have yet to go on sale. To make them available amid such uncertainty, Day believes, would be “disingenuous”.

No, I am not sure.
I was reporting what it has said in the Grimsby Telegraph.
Mr Day has said that their club could socially distance crowds if needed.
That kind of indicates that Grimsby ARE thinking about it.

But if we use that as the evidence then you might as well say that all 91 clubs are thinking of having crowds limited by social distancing, because if that's an option all clubs will go for it.


What is obvious from reading the whole article, the one in the Times, is that Grimsby are concentrating on cutting costs dramatically to try and keep the club afloat. To the point where they are not banking on the next season starting anytime soon.

As I said Martin, it was an article I read.
I haven’t seen the Times article that you mentioned.
I would think that many clubs are exploring the possibility of having socially distanced crowds in their grounds.
Do you think it would be a good idea?
It would be interesting to know how many people we could get in the KM under those circumstances and I suppose the south stand would have to be a seated area too.
Maybe include the away end for home supporters only.

[IDM]

There’s no way it would be economically viable (IMHO) whilst social distancing is set at 2m.

I’m estimating the distances involved, but even if you can sit one per three seats on each row, you’ll still need to only use alternate rows, ie one in six seats.  That’s a maximum crowd of 2500 spread over all 4 stands, with al the concourses open etc.

2500 paying punters is better than none, but can you see that working.?

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

There’s no way it would be economically viable (IMHO) whilst social distancing is set at 2m.

I’m estimating the distances involved, but even if you can sit one per three seats on each row, you’ll still need to only use alternate rows, ie one in six seats.  That’s a maximum crowd of 2500 spread over all 4 stands, with al the concourses open etc.

2500 paying punters is better than none, but can you see that working.?

Perhaps they need to be more radical with it.  Recommend only those in the non at risk categories attend (ie no elderly or people with health conditions), perhaps recommend no children, or conduct ballots for attendees to games (all have to apply) and obviously no away fans.  Something could be done in the short term I guess.

[silent majority]

I see that Grimsby are thinking along the same lines too.

Are you sure?

When Grimsby Town were setting out their budget for next season, the Sky Bet League Two club began with a chastening assumption. “Our starting point is that we don’t know when football will start,” Philip Day, the chairman, says. “And if we don’t know when it is going to start, we must budget that it isn’t.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at that assertion but here are the facts. Grimsby, Day says, have prepared for a reduction of between 60 and 70 per cent of the club’s £3.5 million annual turnover. Their match-day income, in last season’s accounts, represented £1.1 million. Yet season tickets for next season, which ordinarily bring in about £500,000 over the summer, have yet to go on sale. To make them available amid such uncertainty, Day believes, would be “disingenuous”.

No, I am not sure.
I was reporting what it has said in the Grimsby Telegraph.
Mr Day has said that their club could socially distance crowds if needed.
That kind of indicates that Grimsby ARE thinking about it.

But if we use that as the evidence then you might as well say that all 91 clubs are thinking of having crowds limited by social distancing, because if that's an option all clubs will go for it.


What is obvious from reading the whole article, the one in the Times, is that Grimsby are concentrating on cutting costs dramatically to try and keep the club afloat. To the point where they are not banking on the next season starting anytime soon.

As I said Martin, it was an article I read.
I haven’t seen the Times article that you mentioned.
I would think that many clubs are exploring the possibility of having socially distanced crowds in their grounds.
Do you think it would be a good idea?
It would be interesting to know how many people we could get in the KM under those circumstances and I suppose the south stand would have to be a seated area too.
Maybe include the away end for home supporters only.

We've already discussed this, and if we can make it happen we will. But, and its a big one, it has to come from Government first and then each club will have to follow what guidelines are issued. Any income has to be better than none, but it won't be enough to finance the organisation as we know it.

That's why I keep saying things will be different and us, as supporters, will have to step up if we want our club to look something like it currently does.

[Filo]

I see that Grimsby are thinking along the same lines too.

Are you sure?

When Grimsby Town were setting out their budget for next season, the Sky Bet League Two club began with a chastening assumption. “Our starting point is that we don’t know when football will start,” Philip Day, the chairman, says. “And if we don’t know when it is going to start, we must budget that it isn’t.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at that assertion but here are the facts. Grimsby, Day says, have prepared for a reduction of between 60 and 70 per cent of the club’s £3.5 million annual turnover. Their match-day income, in last season’s accounts, represented £1.1 million. Yet season tickets for next season, which ordinarily bring in about £500,000 over the summer, have yet to go on sale. To make them available amid such uncertainty, Day believes, would be “disingenuous”.

No, I am not sure.
I was reporting what it has said in the Grimsby Telegraph.
Mr Day has said that their club could socially distance crowds if needed.
That kind of indicates that Grimsby ARE thinking about it.

But if we use that as the evidence then you might as well say that all 91 clubs are thinking of having crowds limited by social distancing, because if that's an option all clubs will go for it.


What is obvious from reading the whole article, the one in the Times, is that Grimsby are concentrating on cutting costs dramatically to try and keep the club afloat. To the point where they are not banking on the next season starting anytime soon.

As I said Martin, it was an article I read.
I haven’t seen the Times article that you mentioned.
I would think that many clubs are exploring the possibility of having socially distanced crowds in their grounds.
Do you think it would be a good idea?
It would be interesting to know how many people we could get in the KM under those circumstances and I suppose the south stand would have to be a seated area too.
Maybe include the away end for home supporters only.

We've already discussed this, and if we can make it happen we will. But, and its a big one, it has to come from Government first and then each club will have to follow what guidelines are issued. Any income has to be better than none, but it won't be enough to finance the organisation as we know it.

That's why I keep saying things will be different and us, as supporters, will have to step up if we want our club to look something like it currently does.

The obvious thing to do in that situation would be to have no away fans, which will lower the costs of Policing etc, and perhaps have caterers in vans outside rather than the concourses

[IDM]

I see that Grimsby are thinking along the same lines too.

Are you sure?

When Grimsby Town were setting out their budget for next season, the Sky Bet League Two club began with a chastening assumption. “Our starting point is that we don’t know when football will start,” Philip Day, the chairman, says. “And if we don’t know when it is going to start, we must budget that it isn’t.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at that assertion but here are the facts. Grimsby, Day says, have prepared for a reduction of between 60 and 70 per cent of the club’s £3.5 million annual turnover. Their match-day income, in last season’s accounts, represented £1.1 million. Yet season tickets for next season, which ordinarily bring in about £500,000 over the summer, have yet to go on sale. To make them available amid such uncertainty, Day believes, would be “disingenuous”.

No, I am not sure.
I was reporting what it has said in the Grimsby Telegraph.
Mr Day has said that their club could socially distance crowds if needed.
That kind of indicates that Grimsby ARE thinking about it.

But if we use that as the evidence then you might as well say that all 91 clubs are thinking of having crowds limited by social distancing, because if that's an option all clubs will go for it.


What is obvious from reading the whole article, the one in the Times, is that Grimsby are concentrating on cutting costs dramatically to try and keep the club afloat. To the point where they are not banking on the next season starting anytime soon.

As I said Martin, it was an article I read.
I haven’t seen the Times article that you mentioned.
I would think that many clubs are exploring the possibility of having socially distanced crowds in their grounds.
Do you think it would be a good idea?
It would be interesting to know how many people we could get in the KM under those circumstances and I suppose the south stand would have to be a seated area too.
Maybe include the away end for home supporters only.

We've already discussed this, and if we can make it happen we will. But, and its a big one, it has to come from Government first and then each club will have to follow what guidelines are issued. Any income has to be better than none, but it won't be enough to finance the organisation as we know it.

That's why I keep saying things will be different and us, as supporters, will have to step up if we want our club to look something like it currently does.

By step up, do you mean behaviourally or financially, or both.?

Say we put up ticket prices across these board by £1 (including across season tickets) and budget for an average gate of 7500 for 25 games (league plus two cup ties) then that equates to an extra £187500.

Of course any extra is better than nothing,

[silent majority]

We don't have a lot of Police costs anyway as most of the games at the Keepmoat are Police free.

During the discussions to get the EPL back up and running talk did take place about allowing fans into stadiums. It is a consideration because in a lot of stadiums you can keep your distance. But the common view was that travelling to and from stadiums would be the bigger risk than being in the stadium itself. All travel would have to be by car, and timed entry and exit would help alleviate the pinch points.

[silent majority]

IDM, both.

Raising prices hasn't been discussed. And at the moment there's all sorts of hypotheses with regard to how we can operate as a business, and when that business means allowing support to watch games. We may start with iFollow for instance, and then move gradually to a situation which I've mentioned in the post above.

I've been in regular contact with the club about how we can support at a time like this, hopefully we can spell out the details once we know the position of the league.

[drfchound]

I see that Grimsby are thinking along the same lines too.

Are you sure?

When Grimsby Town were setting out their budget for next season, the Sky Bet League Two club began with a chastening assumption. “Our starting point is that we don’t know when football will start,” Philip Day, the chairman, says. “And if we don’t know when it is going to start, we must budget that it isn’t.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at that assertion but here are the facts. Grimsby, Day says, have prepared for a reduction of between 60 and 70 per cent of the club’s £3.5 million annual turnover. Their match-day income, in last season’s accounts, represented £1.1 million. Yet season tickets for next season, which ordinarily bring in about £500,000 over the summer, have yet to go on sale. To make them available amid such uncertainty, Day believes, would be “disingenuous”.

No, I am not sure.
I was reporting what it has said in the Grimsby Telegraph.
Mr Day has said that their club could socially distance crowds if needed.
That kind of indicates that Grimsby ARE thinking about it.

But if we use that as the evidence then you might as well say that all 91 clubs are thinking of having crowds limited by social distancing, because if that's an option all clubs will go for it.


What is obvious from reading the whole article, the one in the Times, is that Grimsby are concentrating on cutting costs dramatically to try and keep the club afloat. To the point where they are not banking on the next season starting anytime soon.

As I said Martin, it was an article I read.
I haven’t seen the Times article that you mentioned.
I would think that many clubs are exploring the possibility of having socially distanced crowds in their grounds.
Do you think it would be a good idea?
It would be interesting to know how many people we could get in the KM under those circumstances and I suppose the south stand would have to be a seated area too.
Maybe include the away end for home supporters only.

We've already discussed this, and if we can make it happen we will. But, and its a big one, it has to come from Government first and then each club will have to follow what guidelines are issued. Any income has to be better than none, but it won't be enough to finance the organisation as we know it.

That's why I keep saying things will be different and us, as supporters, will have to step up if we want our club to look something like it currently does.

By step up, do you mean behaviourally or financially, or both.?

Say we put up ticket prices across these board by £1 (including across season tickets) and budget for an average gate of 7500 for 25 games (league plus two cup ties) then that equates to an extra £187500.

Of course any extra is better than nothing,

IDM, 7500 is what we usually quote our home attendances at isn’t it.
With that many in the ground I don’t see it being easy to keep everyone two metres apart.
There would be problems too after the match when everyone floods out together besides the other issues that SM has highlighted.

[Filo]

I see that Grimsby are thinking along the same lines too.

Are you sure?

When Grimsby Town were setting out their budget for next season, the Sky Bet League Two club began with a chastening assumption. “Our starting point is that we don’t know when football will start,” Philip Day, the chairman, says. “And if we don’t know when it is going to start, we must budget that it isn’t.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at that assertion but here are the facts. Grimsby, Day says, have prepared for a reduction of between 60 and 70 per cent of the club’s £3.5 million annual turnover. Their match-day income, in last season’s accounts, represented £1.1 million. Yet season tickets for next season, which ordinarily bring in about £500,000 over the summer, have yet to go on sale. To make them available amid such uncertainty, Day believes, would be “disingenuous”.

No, I am not sure.
I was reporting what it has said in the Grimsby Telegraph.
Mr Day has said that their club could socially distance crowds if needed.
That kind of indicates that Grimsby ARE thinking about it.

But if we use that as the evidence then you might as well say that all 91 clubs are thinking of having crowds limited by social distancing, because if that's an option all clubs will go for it.


What is obvious from reading the whole article, the one in the Times, is that Grimsby are concentrating on cutting costs dramatically to try and keep the club afloat. To the point where they are not banking on the next season starting anytime soon.

As I said Martin, it was an article I read.
I haven’t seen the Times article that you mentioned.
I would think that many clubs are exploring the possibility of having socially distanced crowds in their grounds.
Do you think it would be a good idea?
It would be interesting to know how many people we could get in the KM under those circumstances and I suppose the south stand would have to be a seated area too.
Maybe include the away end for home supporters only.

We've already discussed this, and if we can make it happen we will. But, and its a big one, it has to come from Government first and then each club will have to follow what guidelines are issued. Any income has to be better than none, but it won't be enough to finance the organisation as we know it.

That's why I keep saying things will be different and us, as supporters, will have to step up if we want our club to look something like it currently does.

By step up, do you mean behaviourally or financially, or both.?

Say we put up ticket prices across these board by £1 (including across season tickets) and budget for an average gate of 7500 for 25 games (league plus two cup ties) then that equates to an extra £187500.

Of course any extra is better than nothing,

IDM, 7500 is what we usually quote our home attendances at isn’t it.
With that many in the ground I don’t see it being easy to keep everyone two metres apart.
There would be problems too after the match when everyone floods out together besides the other issues that SM has highlighted.

A fair way in limited attendances , would be Lottery of Season ticket holders who register their interest And then any remaining tickets also go into a separate lottery

[IDM]

I’m not talking about socially distanced crowds, my post was about how fans can help by paying a little bit more - once we can return to “normal”.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I’m not talking about socially distanced crowds, my post was about how fans can help by paying a little bit more - once we can return to “normal”.

I think that's fair but with clubs like ours hardly flush for fans there has to be a compromise as football is already a fairly expensive sport for many who have less money at the moment.

We've spent over 700 quid on next year's tickets etc and no guarantee of seeing a game.  Much more than that is tough for many in the short term isn't it?

[roversdude]

I see that Grimsby are thinking along the same lines too.

Are you sure?

When Grimsby Town were setting out their budget for next season, the Sky Bet League Two club began with a chastening assumption. “Our starting point is that we don’t know when football will start,” Philip Day, the chairman, says. “And if we don’t know when it is going to start, we must budget that it isn’t.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at that assertion but here are the facts. Grimsby, Day says, have prepared for a reduction of between 60 and 70 per cent of the club’s £3.5 million annual turnover. Their match-day income, in last season’s accounts, represented £1.1 million. Yet season tickets for next season, which ordinarily bring in about £500,000 over the summer, have yet to go on sale. To make them available amid such uncertainty, Day believes, would be “disingenuous”.

No, I am not sure.
I was reporting what it has said in the Grimsby Telegraph.
Mr Day has said that their club could socially distance crowds if needed.
That kind of indicates that Grimsby ARE thinking about it.

But if we use that as the evidence then you might as well say that all 91 clubs are thinking of having crowds limited by social distancing, because if that's an option all clubs will go for it.


What is obvious from reading the whole article, the one in the Times, is that Grimsby are concentrating on cutting costs dramatically to try and keep the club afloat. To the point where they are not banking on the next season starting anytime soon.

As I said Martin, it was an article I read.
I haven’t seen the Times article that you mentioned.
I would think that many clubs are exploring the possibility of having socially distanced crowds in their grounds.
Do you think it would be a good idea?
It would be interesting to know how many people we could get in the KM under those circumstances and I suppose the south stand would have to be a seated area too.
Maybe include the away end for home supporters only.

We've already discussed this, and if we can make it happen we will. But, and its a big one, it has to come from Government first and then each club will have to follow what guidelines are issued. Any income has to be better than none, but it won't be enough to finance the organisation as we know it.

That's why I keep saying things will be different and us, as supporters, will have to step up if we want our club to look something like it currently does.

By step up, do you mean behaviourally or financially, or both.?

Say we put up ticket prices across these board by £1 (including across season tickets) and budget for an average gate of 7500 for 25 games (league plus two cup ties) then that equates to an extra £187500.

Of course any extra is better than nothing,

IDM, 7500 is what we usually quote our home attendances at isn’t it.
With that many in the ground I don’t see it being easy to keep everyone two metres apart.
There would be problems too after the match when everyone floods out together besides the other issues that SM has highlighted.

Wouldn’t be a problem for Barnsley as they would only come from a few different households, and still be related lol

[IDM]

I’m not talking about socially distanced crowds, my post was about how fans can help by paying a little bit more - once we can return to “normal”.

I think that's fair but with clubs like ours hardly flush for fans there has to be a compromise as football is already a fairly expensive sport for many who have less money at the moment.

We've spent over 700 quid on next year's tickets etc and no guarantee of seeing a game.  Much more than that is tough for many in the short term isn't it?

I understand what you’re saying, but the original point I raised was just an example as to how is fans could do something extra to help the club - a potential requirement alluded to by SM.

[Pancho Regan]

I know this is purely hypothetical at the moment, but just thinking about social distancing in the seating within the stadium:

If I think of the ST holders who sit around me in the West Stand, there is me and my 2 daughters so we could sit together. In front are a husband and wife; further along our row is a guy with his daughter. Then behind us is a guy with his two children.
So you would have small family groups who wouldn't have to be kept 2m apart.

[Draytonian III]

The section in the West Stand that I sit in is mainly all season ticket holders, there are a few family members sat together, but some of these don’t always live in the same household, also what about the disabled season ticket holders how would the club accommodate them

[silent majority]

By the way, Romania are opening up their stadiums and allowing 10% of capacity.

https://twitter.com/Emishor/status/1270394017818316801

[goalkick]

Wonder how many have bought their ticket for what ever transpires next season? Hope the figure is substantial.

[roversdude]

Be interesting to know how many have

[Draytonian III]

I’ve got mine, got in February and I believe the club will have already got a plan in place, but they will publish in the mean time, there’s no great rush

[drfchound]

Ditto.

[roversdude]

Plus 2

[Filo]

A big problem every club will have when things get back to near normal is that people will have got out of the habit of going to matches, that needs to be addressed as I’m sure attedances will be well down in the future

[IDM]

I’m not sure I agree with that - we have 3 months of not going to matches every close season.  There may well be some who would do that, but I suspect more won’t go due to worries of the virus still being around.

[Alan Southstand]

Isn’t a large proportion of our season ticket holders over the age of 60? In which case, a lot of them will be wary about attending. Just a thought.

[Not Now Kato]

Isn’t a large proportion of our season ticket holders over the age of 60? In which case, a lot of them will be wary about attending. Just a thought.

Yep, I fall into the high risk category.  Bought my season ticket as soon as they were announced, but reluctant to go anywhere crowded now until this thing is much closer to being resolved.  It isn't just the proximity of fellow supporters that's the only issue, it's things like going through turnstiles, had washing/sanitising in toilets, handling money in the bar or at kiosks, handrails on staircases etc - all things that CV can be put down on and picked up from!
 
Would be a lot happier when there's a vaccine or when CV-19 is known to be eradicated.
 
Strangely, I'm not missing football or indeed sport in general at all!

[idler]

This must be the catalyst to make card payments easier in football. I like cash but card payments should make transactions quicker and safer in the long run.

[RoversAlias]

This must be the catalyst to make card payments easier in football. I like cash but card payments should make transactions quicker and safer in the long run.

At Rovers, I fully agree. In football it is actually quite common now but for some reason Rovers have struggled to implement it.