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Post by tom on Jul 5, 2011 16:41:09 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 :-) Couldn't we get round that by splitting the money from the tickets sold at the leisure centres with them as per the terms of the contract? If people are taking tickets to the rink that have been purchased elsewhere then they should be tracable when the stubs are ripped off at the door, so we'd get found out by the private operator pretty quickly if we were up to no good and not declaring ticket sales. |
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Post by tom on Jul 5, 2011 16:44:06 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  Cheers topbeats, it's nice to know that not everyone sees us students as lazy so-and-so's...lol ;D Thankfully the new strategy on fees won't affect me because I started this year just gone. |
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Post by brav607 on Jul 5, 2011 18:38:07 GMT
The decision to not have flex card rates this season was not taken lightly. Sadly, like most organisations, we face increased runnung costs this year and the flex card discount takes money from the playing budget. We still enjoy a good relationship with the council. Their employees along with full time students will only pay the concession rate of £5.
Last season, there were a lot of benefits available in using the flex card system but we saw a zero return from what was offerd to us. So, a tough decision but a decision that had to be made all cosidered. A decision that would by it's nature, be a negative to some.
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Post by tallpaul on Jul 5, 2011 20:02:16 GMT
Will the Council still have an interest in the rink / Tigers (perhaps some form of sponsorship) if a private firm is brought in to run the rink?
If not, why are Council employees entitled to the concession rate? Surely that is also taking funds from the playing budget?
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Post by brav607 on Jul 5, 2011 23:12:39 GMT
The council has no budget for sponsorship other than keeping ice rental prices to a minimum (they have already increased this year) and waiving fees for things like PA hire and bar use for meetings etc. The discount for council staff is an on going agreement which I believe is available to them at other council owned amenities too. Once ownership has changed hands, this too will be reviewed however, any running contracts that are in place at the time of ownership change, will run their course. You are correct though .. all discounts take funds from the club. We would also extend this reciprocal offer to other big organisations that may be in a position to help the club in some way.
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Post by SirAlex on Jul 6, 2011 9:17:44 GMT
The decision to not have flex card rates this season was not taken lightly. Sadly, like most organisations, we face increased runnung costs this year and the flex card discount takes money from the playing budget. We still enjoy a good relationship with the council. Their employees along with full time students will only pay the concession rate of £5.
Last season, there were a lot of benefits available in using the flex card system but we saw a zero return from what was offerd to us. So, a tough decision but a decision that had to be made all cosidered. A decision that would by it's nature, be a negative to some.
Thats all well and good, but like i said the knock on effect is we wont be attending as it will be too expensive for the 3/4 of and we always did the 50/50's, shirt raffle, merchandise etc so the club got money that way as well as valued support .. The other side of it is if LESS people attend which is likely, then the rink will lose out on bar and food sales as well as Tigers suffering from the above mentioned fund raising .. but still, hey just carry on .. just remember, once people stop coming you will find it very hard to get them back .. and my family are regulars who attended EVERY home game as well as some away ones ...
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Post by brav607 on Jul 6, 2011 10:38:07 GMT
Hello Sir Alex. We are extremely dissappointed to be loosing the support of you and your family. As mentioned earlier, the flex card scheme would almost certainly dissappear once the new owners of the rink are in place. Sadly, we all have to make sacrifices in the current economic climate. The removal of the scheme probably relates to the same value as say half a pint or the cost of a raffle ticket.. We firmly believe that the entry cost still offers good value for money. If you have any ideas that would enable us to revisit the ticket prices in general then please let us know.
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sox
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Post by sox on Jul 6, 2011 11:32:38 GMT
i too have sympathy with people that find the extra charge will make it unaffordable, it is such a shame and totally agree that everyone is having to tighten their belts at the moment. i have had a season ticket for umpteen years and have already paid for ours for 2011-12, i have always found that to save for the ticket over 12months, a bit a month, is easier than finding the money every week. we already have to find best part of 20 quid a match anyway, admittedly its all optional buying raffle, 50\50, tombola, programme, food....doesnt even include a trip to the bar  ... however, all those things add up to an enjoyable family night out for us, so its worth the financial pain. in my younger days i even asked for money for birthdays etc, so that it could go towards my season ticket. i dont want to sound like im preaching - far from it - i do understand that it is a big hit. would one consideration be to create a 'half season' ticket? so there is still a financial benefit for fans, but not such a payout all in one go? obviously the club want to sell as many full season tickets as possible, but selling a half-season in advance still give the club some money to play with and surely has to be better than losing supporters completely. or, once the fixtures are announced, what about a monthly ticket - pay at the beginning of the month (usually around payday for most folk) and get a small discount for the 3 or 4 matches that month? i know administratively this may be difficult, but it was available in the days when we made the playoffs - we used to be able to get a playoff season ticket at a slightly cheaper price. anyway - whatever solution (if any!) that the club can find to help maintain the supporters base......please dont make the discount more than what i got by paying one massive lump sum so early!!!!  |
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benji
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Post by benji on Jul 6, 2011 13:55:58 GMT
To me saying you won't go to ANY games what so ever is a little OTT.
I too used a flex card last season and it's a shame to see it being stopped. I totally understand times are hard right now. But with the possibility of a new operator taking it over then I couldn't see them incorporating this for public skate sessions let alone the Hockey games.
But so I can get my hockey fix then I'm sure I can go without an extra pint each week. People live the their means and can always find a way around things if they really want to.
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Post by stews2u on Jul 6, 2011 14:00:12 GMT
The ticket prices for flex card holders has gone up from £8 to £10 (I know I'm repeating myself) a 25% increase. I just think this is too steep an increase for people attending most weeks. I understand what is being said about the flex card system probably being removed due to new management and accept that it is outside of the control of the Tigers board. But what I don't understand is the level of the increase. A more modest price rise would have been easier to swallow.
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Post by tom on Jul 6, 2011 14:49:31 GMT
The £5 concession rate is a very good one, cheaper that Steeldogs last season, and that's a team with 2 universities in their market area, as opposed to Telford which just has the Uni of Wolverhampton Campus.
Monthly tickets would be a good thing for people who don't have the money to buy a season ticket up front and who used to use the Flex Card to compensate for that.
However, to those who say it's only the cost of a pint extra a week or whatever...over the course of a 27 home-game season that's £54...now imagine if you go as a couple, that's an extra £108 a season. That to me is quite a substantial rise. I do understand that the cost of running a team has gone up with fuel prices and other costs increasing. I'd imagine the rise in the rate of VAT has hit the club pretty hard too.
I just think it's sad that this could mean some people decide they can't afford to watch their team anymore, and I hope the board look at the "part-season" tickets as a way of countering the huge upfront sum that people who used to use the Flex Card will now have to pay to get a season ticket.
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Post by tom on Jul 6, 2011 15:03:02 GMT
Thats all well and good, but like i said the knock on effect is we wont be attending...and my family are regulars who attended EVERY home game as well as some away ones ... Is that the royal we? Because I'll still be attending when I'm back from uni! |
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Post by topbeats on Jul 6, 2011 15:04:01 GMT
The 'true' cost increase of an adult ticket is actually just 50p , seniors & children is 25p and a family season ticket has actually come down £1.00. (based on last years prices of £9.50, £4.75 & £26.00)
Unless the decision was taken to actually reduce our full ticket prices this season in order to narrow the gap for Flex card users (which I'm sure would have impacted negatively on Tom's available budget) regrettably I can't see a way to to lessen any impact.
As has been said all along, the fans of this team have the power to make or break our organisation. In as much as fans were given a choice as to whether or not to form a trust, you also have a choice as to what budget is made available to sign the team and how long you would like to see the team continue to ice.
We are all 'owners' of this team (assuming those reading are a paid up/renewed trust member) so ultimateley it's up to us as to the end product we want to see on the ice each week and the level of support we are individually and collectively willing to put in.
Their is no sugar daddy backing us up nor any member with particularly big pockets. What is generated is all that can be spent and what is spent is only what can be generated.
Whilst it's not ideal I'd say as an organisation we're in a much better place than some other EPL teams are (just imagine a Slough Jets without Kozic, a Guildford Flames without Hepburn or a Manchester Phoenix without Morris), and we are certainly better placed than many EIHL teams, according to the horror stories surfacing so far this summer...
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benji
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Post by benji on Jul 6, 2011 15:05:41 GMT
It's also 27 pints less over the course of the season  |
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Post by topbeats on Jul 6, 2011 15:13:40 GMT
It's also 27 pints less over the course of the season ...suerly that just one night out for you though  |
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... however, all those things add up to an enjoyable family night out for us, so its worth the financial pain. in my younger days i even asked for money for birthdays etc, so that it could go towards my season ticket.
