Match Ticket Prices In General

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Originally Posted by B.H.F.C

So I disagree with your previous point that we’d be in the championship if there was a cap on tickets. We’d still have one of the biggest budgets in the league.

I agree that the overall standard might drop, if there was less revenue. That is based on the same number of folk turning up, consistently cheaper prices might lead to more folk turning up though with more bodies meaning there isn’t a loss?

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Thats the point about price elasticity though mate. If you halved the price of tickets you would need to get twice as many people through the gate to make no loss, but that just simply won't happen.

People come to the football through loyalty, habit and the lack of alternative competition(ie you only support one team).

People are saying prices are too high but the evidence suggests otherwise - last 2 seasons have seen Hibs largest average crowds for 50 odd years, proving that the price is clearly not too high.

Outwith Hearts and the Ugly Sisters, we probably sell 16000 tickets in total for a league match. Using the adult price for the Livingston game as a guide, 16k x £23 = £368k so cutting the price to £20 means we would need to get 18,400 fans to turn up if the gate receipts are to be the same. Not all tickets are at adult prices, but as the other prices would be reduced pro rata the logic is unchanged.

Are 2400 people really refusing to attend because of £3?

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Originally Posted by Eyrie

Outwith Hearts and the Ugly Sisters, we probably sell 16000 tickets in total for a league match. Using the adult price for the Livingston game as a guide, 16k x £23 = £368k so cutting the price to £20 means we would need to get 18,400 fans to turn up if the gate receipts are to be the same. Not all tickets are at adult prices, but as the other prices would be reduced pro rata the logic is unchanged.

Are 2400 people really refusing to attend because of £3?

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It’s £23 now to watch a run of the mill game against Livingston, and £32 for a derby. How much will those fixtures cost in 2/3/5 etc years? I am lucky enough that I can afford to attend all games, I mainly just attend home games because I’ve a young family, but over the last few years there’s been a number of cup games I’ve thought we’re far too expensive and not value for money so decided not to go. I think that will be a recurring theme for me, if I don’t feel the price reflects what’s on offer I’ll do something else instead.

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Originally Posted by King Arthur

Google 'inflation calculator UK'

East Stand season ticket 1999/00 - £240

£419.05 in today's money. 2019/20 slightly cheaper.

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how do the normal walk up prices fair, especially for Cat A?

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Originally Posted by The Modfather

I agree it is a hypothetical question, but thought it was still a fair one as it was you that had said £20 tickets would see us in the championship or below. The likes of Motherwell or Livingston this season, and St Johnstone’s and Hamilton’s sustained punching above their weight shows it’s as important, if not more so, to make sure you spend what you have well rather than simply how much you take in. Clubs are going to have to start thinking of other ways to grow revenue than just expecting fans to dig ever deeper.

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I think we have already hit the point at which fans will now pick and choose due to ticket prices, means the clubs are now starting to lose some regulars, something really needs to be done about pricing.

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Originally Posted by The Modfather

It’s £23 now to watch a run of the mill game against Livingston, and £32 for a derby. How much will those fixtures cost in 2/3/5 etc years? I am lucky enough that I can afford to attend all games, I mainly just attend home games because I’ve a young family, but over the last few years there’s been a number of cup games I’ve thought we’re far too expensive and not value for money so decided not to go. I think that will be a recurring theme for me, if I don’t feel the price reflects what’s on offer I’ll do something else instead.

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You've just highlighted why prices won't be coming down. A derby is far more expensive than a run of the mill game, yet it sells out. People are willing to pay those prices even if others can't/won't.

On the numbers I used, missing two or three games a season will cover the difference between £20 and £23. Then again, I paid £385 for my season ticket this year, which works out at just over £20 per game, so it's the walk ups who are affected and they probably pick which games to attend anyway.

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Originally Posted by LaMotta

Thats the point about price elasticity though mate. If you halved the price of tickets you would need to get twice as many people through the gate to make no loss, but that just simply won't happen.

People come to the football through loyalty, habit and the lack of alternative competition(ie you only support one team).

People are saying prices are too high but the evidence suggests otherwise - last 2 seasons have seen Hibs largest average crowds for 50 odd years, proving that the price is clearly not too high.

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Those crowds are largely down to season tickets though. And a lot of those season ticket holders are failing to turn up regularly now as well.

I think my season ticket was £380 so averages to £20 a game. The problem with prices comes for walk ups and/or away games when, on occasion, it’s costing significantly more.

Season ticket value is fine IMO but I think we need to do more to attract people through the door on a one off basis, particularly folk with kids. We all know that there has been a big difference between attendance and tickets sold at ER this season.

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Originally Posted by B.H.F.C

Those crowds are largely down to season tickets though. And a lot of those season ticket holders are failing to turn up regularly now as well.

I think my season ticket was £380 so averages to £20 a game. The problem with prices comes for walk ups and/or away games when, on occasion, it’s costing significantly more.

Season ticket value is fine IMO but I think we need to do more to attract people through the door on a one off basis, particularly folk with kids. We all know that there has been a big difference between attendance and tickets sold at ER this season.

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Take your point but then less incentive to get a season ticket if you cut prices for walk ups....

For most events there are a variety of prices aimed at different market sectors. i would like to see pricing at easter road at 15 pounds up to 40 pounds depending on the area of the ground . filling in one corner could create a new price point seating. using part of the south stand. Having a proper standing section another price point, behind the goals another, one edge of the east stand could be cheaper . Some could be more comfy seats or include food brought to your seat at half time . another area could unnumbered seating for groups of friends.
That way the total income will remain the same, but wont exclude poorer people from attending. I know this would require more sectioning or stewarding, but its done at other sporting events.

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Originally Posted by Phil MaGlass

I think we have already hit the point at which fans will now pick and choose due to ticket prices, means the clubs are now starting to lose some regulars, something really needs to be done about pricing.

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We are in an era now where the vast majority now buy season tickets. We no longer rely on the walk ups.

Hibs have 13k+ season ticket holders whereas in the good old days of average crowds of about 8k you would be lucky if we were selling 1k seasons, and most of them were people who could afford the posh seats in the old centre and north wing stands. Very few were for the shed or terracing. Back in the day we also had variable walk up pricing and it didn't increase the crowds.

People now in the main choose to subscribe and attend when they want. Different times different model.

Are people buying the tickets?

If so, the price is fine.

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Originally Posted by Hibbyradge

Are people buying the tickets?

If so, the price is fine.

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Appears to be more empty seats at ER weekly this season with ‘attendances’ skewed by season ticket numbers.

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Originally Posted by Hibbyradge

Are people buying the tickets?

If so, the price is fine.

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They are 'fine' at the moment because of the afterglow of a couple of good seasons. If we use the same argument they weren't 'fine' before those seasons. As an example in season 11/12 we had home attendance v Celtic of 12523, Aberdeen - 8972, Rangers - 11380 and Hearts - 15013. The same fixtures in 17/18 attracted 20193, 19038, 20057 and 20165.

Should this season fizzle out it will be interesting to see how next seasons attendances compare to the above. The competitiveness of pricing has little to do with football attendance; if we are playing well fans will pay whatever to watch the team. If we aren't you could charge a fiver and people won't turn up.

I think people are, intentionally or otherwise, missing the wider argument about the sustainability of the current cost of football when coupled with the increasing cost of living. Would lowering prices increase crowds substantially? Probably not. Is football an expensive hobby? It's hard to argue otherwise.

The club would need to find alternative sources of income to subsidise any reduction in ticket price.

We seem to be struggling to even find a shirt sponsor willing to pay a decent amount of money, so I'm not hopeful about finding other sources.


Maybe the Fans could come up with suggestions for these other income sources. I realise a lot of stupid/humorous suggestions would be made... but somebody might just come up with something workable.

For example, how could we make use of various parts of the stadium on non match days? There's loads of unused space inside the stands, e.g. the former Executive Boxes, and 'Behind The Goals' in the Famous Five Stand.

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Originally Posted by Hibbyradge

Are people buying the tickets?

If so, the price is fine.

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Originally Posted by B.H.F.C

Appears to be more empty seats at ER weekly this season with ‘attendances’ skewed by season ticket numbers.

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If people are buying season tickets then the price is fine, whether or not they then use those season tickets every game.

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Originally Posted by Phil MaGlass

how do the normal walk up prices fair, especially for Cat A?

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My first full season at ER (1979-80), the cheapest adult price was £1.10. Using the inflation calculator, that works out at £6.50 today

The cheapest walk-up price at ER is now £23........ a 254% increase

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Originally Posted by Eyrie

If people are buying season tickets then the price is fine, whether or not they then use those season tickets every game.

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In my earlier posts, I acknowledged that I think season tickets offer decent value, it averages to £20ish a game.

Walk up and away tickets don’t offer particularly good value IMO. And if people aren’t bothering to use their season tickets, there has to be a big threat to the renewal numbers?

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Originally Posted by B.H.F.C

In my earlier posts, I acknowledged that I think season tickets offer decent value, it averages to £20ish a game.

Walk up and away tickets don’t offer particularly good value IMO. And if people aren’t bothering to use their season tickets, there has to be a big threat to the renewal numbers?

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But then lowering the walk up prices for the sake of 2/3k empty seats then totally diminishes the value of the season ticket. Until such time the club start to lose season ticket holders drastically, then the pricing is fine. In an ideal world all pricing drops, however it’s the results that bring people along and keep them there, drop the revenue by dropping prices and you drop the ability to buy quality players which impacts results and reduces crowds anyway.