Membership Prices

[SwansFan1972]

Call me cynical, but do you think they looked at the comparison between:

Members * Seat price (gold) vs Members * Seat price (silver) and realised their total revenue was likely to be higher using the silver pricing?

I don't think they would have made this change if there was a significant downside to it for them. It seems to me they've realised they can generate more revenue from the lower pricing than they could with higher pricing, hence the decision.

Absolutely - that would be the case entirely.

Obviously they had a big heads up that the gold concourse seats would be as popular as a fart in an elevator - and when you add a lot of zeros into the equation, it is pretty ugly! 0 (cancelled member) x $380 (gold seat) = $0 x ??(bighole in bottom line), so the re-classification is a no brainer. Does it go far enough? Probably not. Is it better than what we had? Yes.

Still, there will probably be a raft of season ticket holders for whom this is not enough of an improvement and they won't renew, even into a silver seat (and not forgetting that circumstances for the unhappy season ticket holders who were in the silver zone already have been offered no relief).

Personally, I think any angry season ticket holders from any part of the concourse should take the "apply late for bronze only" option previously suggested and see what happens. But for us, plus $180 beats the hell out of plus $370, and we do like our seats a lot, so we'll probably now renew. That's four seats switching camps as a result of the change - obviously what the club was hoping to achieve. And if enough people are swayed (which is still a big question mark), then the club can heave a huge sigh of relief and wonder how on earth they ever let themselves sail so close to disaster.

[AnnieH]

My young niece (and her friend) have decided to go from Bronze (and try their luck) to Silver. They are joining for the first time.

"Let the little children come to me." - Jesus (not verbatim), from somewhere in the bible!!

[SwansFan1972]

My young niece (and her friend) have decided to go from Bronze (and try their luck) to Silver. They are joining for the first time.

"Let the little children come to me." - Jesus (not verbatim), from somewhere in the bible!!

The club will need your niece and friend to be joined by quite a few more I reckon.

Pretty much all those "little children" currently in the flock (keeping to your biblical reference) pay more, whether singly or as part of family memberships. The only exception is the much maligned (but only because it's way too small) bronze zone.

[AussieAnge]

The only exception is the much maligned (but only because it's way too small) bronze zone.

Don't forget the Red Zone has dropped in price, it'll be chockers there next season

[AussieAnge]

Call me cynical.......

You're cynical

[Bas]

My young niece (and her friend) have decided to go from Bronze (and try their luck) to Silver. They are joining for the first time.

"Let the little children come to me." - Jesus (not verbatim), from somewhere in the bible!!

Now you're starting to speak in tongues!

It's in Matthew 19:13-15.

See, I save money by taking my Bible to the game and not buying the Footy Record. Saves me $80 a year which is two cartons of beer!

[AnnieH]

Thanks Bas ... I never took any notice of the numbers, I just coloured in the pictures.

My niece has been "too young" to join for ages (the way she tells it).
Her parents said she could join herself when she turned 18. Well, it's D-day for the swans ... she and her friend attended every home game last year and for them, it is much cheaper to join (on a student concession) than to fork out for each game. At the moment, they both work part time and say that when they start to earn real money from real jobs, they're going to pay for "real" seats (i.e. platinum).

[SwansFan1972]

Don't forget the Red Zone has dropped in price, it'll be chockers there next season

The Red Zone is cheaper for single adults (-$20), but is dearer for concessions (+$26, +14%), Juniors (+$30, +33%) and marginally for 2A+2J families (+$10, the adult reduction pretty much compensates the junior rises)

I agree with you 100% it will be chockers next season though - people who let go of their seated family packages but still want to sit with friends etc might all move in there to sit together!

The upside is all those people crammed in together will help keep them all warm on those freezing winter nights, and also those shady winter days when it is bitterly cold in the members stands!

[Mike_B]

The The upside is all those people crammed in together will help keep them all warm on those freezing winter nights, and also those shady winter days when it is bitterly cold in the members stands!

And hopefully create a huge concentration of noisy support!

[Wardy]

I'm in the half hearted frame of mind - sort of "half not a real fan"- whilst I will renew I wont be busting a gut to get to all the games next year. Seeing as my other two partners in crime have gone into full membership retirement, I am also pretty much over having to get there at sparrows to get the seats. Thankfully OldRoyBOy did a sterling job this year when I was otherwise engaged in the QBE box or running a little bit late, but to be honest I really didnt enjoy this year much at all. So in '09 they will still get all my membership money - I will just pick and choose as to which games I go to, and I might actually go on a few weekends away with friends who I normally "neglect" during the winter footy season!

[mcs]

I'm in the half hearted frame of mind - sort of "half not a real fan"- whilst I will renew I wont be busting a gut to get to all the games next year. Seeing as my other two partners in crime have gone into full membership retirement, I am also pretty much over having to get there at sparrows to get the seats. Thankfully OldRoyBOy did a sterling job this year when I was otherwise engaged in the QBE box or running a little bit late, but to be honest I really didnt enjoy this year much at all. So in '09 they will still get all my membership money - I will just pick and choose as to which games I go to, and I might actually go on a few weekends away with friends who I normally "neglect" during the winter footy season!

Soft Wardy Soft! I can exactly understand where you are coming from,and you wont be the only one doing that. I will be renewing my membership (Only a country one) but will probably only get to 2 or 3 games as I will be overseas from January to mid-July anyway. I think there will be some drop in membership next year, but perhaps not so much a drop in overall crowd sizes as people will pick and choose the games they want to go to.

[Cheer Squad]

I think there will be some drop in membership next year, but perhaps not so much a drop in overall crowd sizes as people will pick and choose the games they want to go to.

People have been picking and choosing the games they want to go to for years, and 2009 will be no different.

We've got a contingent of full club members who've been choosing not to go to matches at Homebush for some time now. Next year they're being catered for with SCG-only memberships (at the expense of the best seats at the SCG). And we've got an increasing number of people - about 10,000 this year - who support us through the Homebush-only pass, and presumably don't go to matches at the SCG.

In Sydney, we seem to have developed a geographically divided supporter base.

[Primmy]

Sheesh, I feel totally out of place here. I haven't missed a home ressies game in years! Let along a major (slipped disk, major flu and a broken leg excepting) - I might miss something! Such as, let me see, the game over North Melbourne at Homebush for instance! I wuz there. Can't imagine missing a home game! Or a Ressies, except of course they have eliminated the buses that get you to the beginning of the game, you can only arrive after half time now out at Homebush, or a two bus, two train journey. Sux.

[Wardy]

Sheesh, I feel totally out of place here. I haven't missed a home ressies game in years! Let along a major (slipped disk, major flu and a broken leg excepting) - I might miss something! Such as, let me see, the game over North Melbourne at Homebush for instance! I wuz there. Can't imagine missing a home game! Or a Ressies, except of course they have eliminated the buses that get you to the beginning of the game, you can only arrive after half time now out at Homebush, or a two bus, two train journey. Sux.

What do you want a medal or a chest to pin it on? good on you - there are many on here who have achieved the same game attendance as you have so dont feel out of place or over exceptionally special. However times, peoples lives & circumstances change. As for perhaps missing something - well not alot changed in 2008 games - and unless there are some major changes to game plans, 2009 will be pretty much the same. I just hope we dont have another year of controversy - that just did it for me - I really was surprised that we weren't blamed for global warming or the current economic crisis.

This years membership changes will be a real test for the club - but also if the team doesn't achieve good results on the field, there will be more people who will walk away and put their membership dollars to something else. yes its fickle - but thats the way it is.

[howler]

does anyone know the latest membership figures???