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Post by stews2u on Jun 30, 2011 12:59:06 GMT
Does anyone know if there will be a Flex Card discount for Tigers games?
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Post by brav607 on Jul 1, 2011 15:50:07 GMT
There will be no flex card discounts this season. The pricing and ultimately the administration has been simplified to adullts / children / oap and concession. The family ticket (two adults and three children) is also slightly cheaper for this season.
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Post by stews2u on Jul 1, 2011 19:41:47 GMT
So that means, as a flex card holder, a pair of tickets is now £4 more expensive than last season, a 25% increase. I think this is a backward step for the Tigers and will put a lot of local people off attending. I attended almost every game last year but will unfortunately have to pick and choose the games I attend.
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Post by darkhorse on Jul 2, 2011 13:49:58 GMT
Even with the price increases Telford will still have some of the lower ticket prices in the league:
(Price of 1 Adult ticket)
Basingstoke: £10.50
Bracknell: £11
Guildford: £8.95/£9.50
Manchester: £13
Milton Keynes: £11
Peterborough: £11
Sheffield: £8
Slough: Not stated on website
Swindon: £12
Telford: £10
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Post by topbeats on Jul 3, 2011 17:12:49 GMT
So that means, as a flex card holder, a pair of tickets is now £4 more expensive than last season, a 25% increase. I think this is a backward step for the Tigers and will put a lot of local people off attending. I attended almost every game last year but will unfortunately have to pick and choose the games I attend. If one of the private operators that are tendering to run the rink get the go ahead I wouldn't worry about it, they wouldn't honour any flex scheme anyway regardless of whether the Tigers had a discount or not as the rink would no longer be council controlled... |
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Post by tom on Jul 4, 2011 15:05:01 GMT
I too think this could be a backwards step for the Tigers. I question this decision for two reasons:
1) Is it wise for the club to be increasing the cost of tickets when money is tight for most people? Especially when the rink is barely half full as it is.
2) I feel that we, as paying members of the club, could have been consulted on this before a decision was made. After all, this could mean that some members (like my own family) will struggle to attend as often as they did, if it all. This could also have an effect on secondary spend such as programme, 50/50 and shirt raffle sales.
Another thing that worries me is the position this may put us in with the council. We need them onside when it comes to negotiating things like ice rental (assuming they still control the rink by the time the agreement is up), and the council can be a valuable friend when it comes to promoting the team though school visits, etc. Withdrawing Tigers from a list of discounted activities available through Telford and Wrekin Council may make them think twice before they help us out.
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Post by charlestownchief on Jul 4, 2011 20:39:14 GMT
Reality check: Tom can only build a team with the funds raised through tickets, sponsorship and fundraising. If we don't support the team we won't have a team. If we are not prepared to pay for our weekend's entertainment we can't expect it to get any better (or survive).
We all voted for the Board, which gives them the mandate to make decisions on our behalf. If we don't like their decisions we should be standing for election at the AGM.
The club has a contract with the council for use of teh rink. Flex card discounts will, or will not be in that contract. If the clubis not doing the discount, like the Titans, then it must not be required by the contract.
If you buy a season ticket now while the early bird offer is on you will be paying less than the flex card price from last season anyway!
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Post by tom on Jul 4, 2011 21:28:27 GMT
Reality check: Tom can only build a team with the funds raised through tickets, sponsorship and fundraising. If we don't support the team we won't have a team. If we are not prepared to pay for our weekend's entertainment we can't expect it to get any better (or survive). Here's another reality check...a lot of people have a limited amount of money in this economic climate and if they're having to cut back on the amount they're spending, what are they gonna choose to do without? Food, petrol, car insurance, gas, electric, water, TV license and having a mobile phone will come before going to watch Tigers for most folks and that's before you consider the other forms of entertainment/luxuries that they might value above the hockey (broadband internet, Sky TV, going to the cinema, having a holiday, having a pet etc.) Which is why I can't understand the rationale behind raising ticket prices, albeit only for a section of the Tigers fanbase, when we're up against the above. We all voted for the Board, which gives them the mandate to make decisions on our behalf. If we don't like their decisions we should be standing for election at the AGM. Well I intend on raising this point at the AGM. I think a bit of consultation would have been nice considering this decision could in effect mean paying members of the Trust decide that they are unable to attend games anymore. The club has a contract with the council for use of teh rink. Flex card discounts will, or will not be in that contract. If the clubis not doing the discount, like the Titans, then it must not be required by the contract. I didn't say it was in the contract with the rink, just that cutting ourselves out of this council-ran scheme may have negative consequences for us in future negotiations with them. If you buy a season ticket now while the early bird offer is on you will be paying less than the flex card price from last season anyway! Yes, but how many average families can afford to pay £490 all in one go for a family season ticket? If my family were to do that it would cost us £600 for a season ticket (Two Adults and One 17 year old, I'm not counting myself in this because of being at uni)...over the course of a season using a flex discount that's payable, but up front? No way! |
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rita
New Member
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Post by rita on Jul 4, 2011 21:47:09 GMT
I would ask if Tom has become or renewed his trust membership? Only allowed to vote, should it become necessary, if you're a member. Be interesting to see how many members attend the AGM
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Post by SirAlex on Jul 5, 2011 7:40:13 GMT
Okay, now as i understand it being a member of commitees for many many years, as well as chairman and also President .. the AGM is done at the END of the season, not at the beginning of the next, so all members from the season just finished are allowed a vote  .. I for one have not renewed because of this .. as for the non continuance of the flex card scheme .. you will lose support .. it will cost us £30 a game as there are no discounts for people in full time education (even more when Tom is home from Uni) and i cannot afford at least £120 per month, as we do like to support with the raffles and 50/50's amongst other things as well, but this to expensive for me as it represents a minimum 25% increase. Sorry, but i wont be attending at all next year if this is case and i believe i wont be alone, so i will upgrade my sky package instead as that wont cost a fraction of that .. oh, and i WILL be attending the AGM |
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Post by topbeats on Jul 5, 2011 9:27:06 GMT
The flex card scheme ties in with the councils own system, in as much as the flex card gets scanned at the till to check it is still valid.
If the rink is moving from council control to private operator control (which is what has been very widely discussed by us all for a long time now and supposed to be on the cards) then the private operator systems wouldn't tie in to the council system, they could not check Flex card validity so wouldn't be offering / honouring any Flex discounts at all (be it Tigers, public skating etc...).
This is just a guess, but if PI (for example) do take over day to day operation of the rink i'd be willing to bet a pound to a penny that a Flex card discount scheme doesn't form any part of their contract.
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Post by tom on Jul 5, 2011 11:09:18 GMT
I would ask if Tom has become or renewed his trust membership? Only allowed to vote, should it become necessary, if you're a member. Be interesting to see how many members attend the AGM I was a member this year but I haven't got round to renewing yet as I've just been stung for £600 for an advance payment on rent and had to ensure I had that money in my account...kind of demonstrates my point about money being tight and people having other priorities. I will be renewing it in the next couple of days though. |
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Post by tom on Jul 5, 2011 11:14:05 GMT
The flex card scheme ties in with the councils own system, in as much as the flex card gets scanned at the till to check it is still valid. If the rink is moving from council control to private operator control (which is what has been very widely discussed by us all for a long time now and supposed to be on the cards) then the private operator systems wouldn't tie in to the council system, they could not check Flex card validity so wouldn't be offering / honouring any Flex discounts at all (be it Tigers, public skating etc...). This is just a guess, but if PI (for example) do take over day to day operation of the rink i'd be willing to bet a pound to a penny that a Flex card discount scheme doesn't form any part of their contract. Could tickets not be made available at Telford & Wrekin Leisure Centre's to get round this, if it happens? Give each leisure centre a bulk load of blank tickets at the start of the season and get them to stamp them with the date of the game on when they sell one. It could also raise awareness of the Tigers further, with leisure centre users seeing a "Tigers Tickets Sold Here" poster every time they use the facility. |
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Post by topbeats on Jul 5, 2011 13:01:01 GMT
Could tickets not be made available at Telford & Wrekin Leisure Centre's to get round this, if it happens? Give each leisure centre a bulk load of blank tickets at the start of the season and get them to stamp them with the date of the game on when they sell one. It could also raise awareness of the Tigers further, with leisure centre users seeing a "Tigers Tickets Sold Here" poster every time they use the facility. Problem with that would be that if the rink does become run by a private operator not operating Flex, selling tickets through council facilities and away from the rink could be seen as taking money out of the rink operators pockets. This is just a total guess, but during my time in MK PI used to take % of the gate rather than a flat rental - the same applies (I believe) in Peterborough & IOW (in fact most PI rinks that are not EIHL). Assuming that the above is the case and that indeed a private operator does take over, if we had such a scheme Tigers could be accused of breaching any contract by selling tickets through the council. All of the above is total guess work, but based on my early work setting up the trust I can see how we could potentially get ourselves in to very deep water by offering flex purchases external to the rink, thus circumventing an agreement with any private operator. As I say, above is all total guess work, just trying to show an alternate perspective so don't hold me to it :-) |
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Post by topbeats on Jul 5, 2011 13:06:02 GMT
...I've just been stung for £600 for an advance payment on rent and had to ensure I had that money in my account... Off topic :-) Boy, it can be pretty hard being a student and getting large sums dropped on you with little notice. Hope the governments new strategy on fees doesn't hit you too hard - it's almost like they want to penalise those people that work hard and want to get themselves the best education they can  |
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.. I for one have not renewed because of this .. 