Home gate average down

[Alex MacLeod]

After eight home games in the league, so far, the average crowd is 4806. thats 167 down on the same period last season which was 4973. Unfortunately, the Hearts game was down some 1200 on last season.

We've improved our home record so what else do we need to do to get bums on seats at every home game.

[caley100]

The Hearts game plus the televised Aberdeen game would probably account for the shortfall in numbers, but the club need to think about changing the prices for youngsters, doing a promotion for group from schools/groups etc. etc, 20 kids for £100 or something like that

[Guest PaulieBee]

I take your point that it would be good to see some more bums on seats, but as Caley 100 has said, the reason for the sight dip is due to the fact that there was less interest in the Hearts game from both sets of fans than there was this time last year and also the Monday night televised game against Aberdeen prevented what would have been a near sell-out.

I'd be more worried about the low crowds we have had against the likes of Dundee Utd and how we could maybe improve on these.

[Scotty]

I think pricing has a lot to do with it ... I am not intending to be over critical of the club here, as prices do have to rise in proportion to the division we are in, the costs we incur, and the recommended ticket pricing structure that the relevant league imposes, but maybe there needs to be a radical look at the way the charges are computed, especially for kids as we need to get them young and turn them into lifelong ICT fans and we cant do that if they wont go to games because the prices are too high ....

Is it better to have a stadium half-full at 'expensive prices' or totally full by offering cheaper deals ? I would say the latter as it generates additional business for things like programs, 50-50 draw, merchandise, catering etc which in turn trickles back into the club's coffers either directly or indirectly (higher rent for catering hatches for example).

However, as well as looking at prices, we also need to do more to make fans feel "valued" so they actually want to come back. We have heard grumblings about stewarding, lack of facilities, and other things over the years and this along with other measures (such as the potentially easily abused FBOs) has helped dilute the enjoyment factor to an all time low (not just at the TCS). The diehards will always go, but will potential 'new' fans return if they feel they are being treated like something nasty on the bottom of your shoe if they have the audacity to enjoy themselves ?

I have just purchased a season ticket for Toronto FC (no worries, not jumping ship just need to see some live footy) - The ticket cost me $200 Canadian dollars (about 90 quid) but I had a range of price points to choose from depending on where I wanted to sit in the stadium (see picture at end of posting) and they have lots of things they have added in an attempt to make the supporters feel "valued". Toronto is of course a brand new team and are pulling out the stops to try and create a hardcore fanbase in a city more renowned for Ice Hockey, Basketball, Baseball and even Lacrosse so these incentives may erode over time, but maybe ICT could steal one or two of their ideas to enhance the "ICT experience" ?

Here is what I get for my $200 (bullet points taken from TFC's marketing literature and have added some of my own comments in red)

[li]Personal account executive to deal with all queries/problems. I feel valued already, any problems or queries about my season ticket and I have a direct line number to someone who can help me. OK, i realise he also deals with hundreds of others but I have spoken to him twice already to choose my exact seat and he remembered my name and has a great telephone manner[/li]
[li]Special member prices for Toronto FC tickets, including purchases of additional tickets. mmm, buy additional tickets at a slight discount for friends who might only come to one or two matches, there's a good idea[/li]
[li]Members entrance into BMO Field 15 minutes prior to the public. Jump the queue - always good for making you feel special  :015:[/li]
[li]Access to exclusive Toronto FC members-only team related events, parties and promotions. They already invited members on a pub crawl with Mo Johnston :015: and have sent out info about merchandise that will be available prior to official launch[/li]
[li]15 home games and up to 5 additional matches. Basically all league and cup games[/li]
[li]Advance window / discounts to other International games, friendly matches, Canadian national team games. Youth world cup here next year and I have first choice on my own seat for it.[/li]
[li]Toronto FC membership card. gimmick but kinda cool[/li]
[li]Advance access and 15% discount on team merchandise. they make money and I save money, everybody wins[/li]
[li]Access to our ticket exchange program. I like this idea, and think it would work well at ICT with 'away' ICT fans who travel to games but dont buy a season book as they dont know how many games they will get to. This program means that if I cant make it to a game I can sell my ticket to someone else and the club will help me find that person. Not sure how it will work but presume it will run in conjunction with the second point about members being able to get additional tickets. I believe that I can also use the 'exchange' to upgrade to other parts of the stadium for matches where i might want to sit elsewhere (with visiting friends for example).[/li]
[li]FREE access to all home games of the Toronto FC Reserve team. no big deal, but decent enough offer[/li]
[li]Four issues of our team magazine "Free Kick". They havent got a full squad yet, but already their communication with members is excellent[/li]
[li]Commemorative inaugural season Club Member pin. another gimmick but a kinda cool one[/li]
[li]Special offers from our corporate partners. The only feature i didnt like, it means they are sharing their membership lists with sponsors and unlike UK, I dont think I can opt out.[/li]

As I mentioned above, there was a wide range of price points from $200 up to $1600 for normal seats and from $25,000 to $40,000 for one of the 30 corporate boxes that line the main stand giving the club a chance to let normal fans in for a normal price while also allowing others to pay a premium for premium seats .... could that work at ICT ???

Seating chart. (with my seat in 113 marked - its where a section of supporters i used to meet at Toronto Lynx games decided to buy seats)

[attach=1]

Corporate boxes

[attach=2]

[Johnboy]

Very interesting...CC to Mr Savage please.....

Like the look of the stadium, too... What's the capacity?

[Scotty]

Johnboy: Its 20,000 all seated.

[attach=1]

[attach=2]

[Glebeict]

  That looks nice . I will have to get down to a game next Summer.

[CaleyD]

In that last pic, some people have shodows and others don't.....does Toronto have a high vampire population???

Seriously though, many of these initiatives would be worth considering over here but they have to be taken on properly and a commitment made to the running and sustaining of them.  We have seen many of the SPL clubs (past and present) try out cheap ticketing ideas etc and then bin them after only a short time.  These things have to be viewed long term and if anyone is looking to invest cash in ICT in the near future then I personally think it is worth risking a healthy amount of it in bank-rolling these ideas to give them a chance to get off the ground.

[The Mantis]

What happened to the Lynx- is this a franchise-type thingy?

[Scotty]

Toronto previously had a team called the "Blizzard" many years ago but they are now defunct. They played in the NASL.

I don't know all the history, but the LYNX played in the 'A' League of professional 'soccer' over here which to my mind is of a similar quality to Highland League. However, with the formation of Toronto FC they decided to drop down to a lower league and are now classed as amateurs. Personally I think their demise started when they had to move from the 'varsity' stadium in the heart of the university campus in downtown Toronto to a site in the middle of nowhere west of the city near the airport.

Toronto FC is an expansion franchise of MLS

[Alex MacLeod]

Wot, no covered seating.

[Scotty]

Wot, no covered seating.

Season runs from May - September/October .... no need  :015: although we are screwed for entry to the SPL

[Guest Sandy Cromarty]

Good post Scotty, but to be fair that is the type of marketing that is standard fare throughout North America in all aspects of life, after all it is the continent that invented 'Multiple Choice' exams etc and if you offered the average american/canadian our ticketing structure and 'hands off marketing'  with a firm guarantee of abuse by police/stewards and traffic wardens before during and after the match where you froze yer erse off watchin sheit for treble the money he pays then I think the club would fold in a heartbeat..

No, if you want to be treated as if you mattered by your club in Scotland then buy a squillion shares in it or turn up on matchday at reception with a Press Badge on your lapel.