Out of touch and proud of it - How Leicester City got it wrong on season tickets
Sunday night’s season ticket price announcement has provoked anger from many Leicester fans. Becky Taylor is just one of thousands…
The recent season ticket information announcement has got me riled; the timing, the content, the justification given for the content, all a complete shambles.
As a member of the FCC (fan consultative committee) it's flabbergasting that the club chose to not consult the group, nor any other major supporter groups, including the Foxes Trust, before releasing this.
There's an arrogance about those making the big decisions that they know best, and they don't need input from match-going fans. Unfortunately, I've lost any glimmer of confidence in the club that they care, there's been too many examples in recent years which just point to one thing; they're out of touch.
It's the sheer audacity of the club to market things the way they do that really infuriates me, it just feels like they pick an innocuous reason for a braindead decision out of a hat, cite that as legitimate rationale and expect everyone to bend over to accept it.
Digital tickets are not to be more eco-friendly, for our security or a 'more efficient stadium experience'. The club creates thousands of single-use (match specific) clappers every game, contradictory to their eco-conscious claims, and don't make me re-live the queues before one of those 'digital only - far from efficient' cup matches.
I will add here there has been lots of feedback at FCC meetings about communication and the lack of transparency for reasons behind decisions, yet it doesn't improve.
The lip service to fan groups has gone on too long, simple suggestions have been made over the years to no avail. I am one of many who has chosen the Foxes Trust in a hopeful stance to make the club more accountable for such poorly judged decisions.
Rising prices
I've seen many people say they accept the 5% increase with no issues, but why? Working class fans taking a financial hit, which could be the final straw to them having to give up the main hobby of their lifetime. Yet, not one person responsible of the years of mismanagement of the club's finances has been made accountable for the mess they've lead us to.
People can cite inflation (which is currently 3.2% by the way, not 5%) or that everyone is doing it, but so what? I absolutely hate the mindset of everyone else is doing it so it's ok.
Football clubs are not normal businesses, they have to have fans at the heart of their decisions but Leicester City are no longer the community and family club I fell in love with. Boxes are ticked that have to be and then they wait to follow what other clubs do.
A quick comparison for fun... Using an average cost for general admission season tickets and on the assumption that we have 23500 STH, the average increase in revenue the club will receive is £607,500. For context, we will have paid Dennis Praet that amount this season in just 16 weeks, and that's giving him the benefit of the doubt that he took an (unlikely) 50% relegation pay cut.
To the club it is peanuts, but to me or you it could be the deal-breaker for having access to watch the team you love. Add on £25 charge for having a season ticket card and that makes it a 10% increase for most. Us fans are simply not responsible for resolving the PSR issues or any other financial mismanagement the club finds itself in.
Money for nothing
£25 for a season card, which they are trying to justify by stating a new card must be provided this season is inexcusable. Imagine this, they could re-validate the current cards to continue on their eco-friendly mission? Over £1 a game in an attempt to force the hand of fans.
For anyone that missed it, they've snuck in a £25 charge to replace a lost card instead of this year's £10 for the same thing. Anyone who fancies backing the club on this, I'd love to hear it.
For me, all the proposed changes are purely down to control, covered with a cloak of 'for your safety' (and don't forget the bid to be eco-friendly club of the year).
The club don't want you to pass your season ticket to a friend or family member when you can't go to a match, they want someone to buy it for an absurdly priced match-day ticket from the resale platform. (Match day prices are a conversation for another day, because they're revolting.)
If they're that bothered about who is in the seat like they're going to go on a rampage, let someone put their details in (FOR FREE) and advise they're using it when they can't go. Realistically people have one off situations, but fans who've given years of loyalty to the club are being treated like they are swindling the club out of millions. How about giving people some credit?
I'm a purist when it comes to tickets, I'm completely anti-digital tickets because I like the nostalgia of having the physical item so I'll hold onto non-digital for as long as I can but it was interesting to see the overall reaction that's infuriated the majority of the fanbase. A simple swap in marketing to a £25 discount for uptake of a digital ticket would have been better received.
One of the headlines of the announcement being 'season ticket prices were frozen for 8 of the last 10 seasons' is pointless and if anything, quite funny. It feels very 'we were in League 1 once, be grateful'.
The club were rightly praised over those years they chose to freeze the prices, but now, when the fans have felt most disassociated from the club there has been two 5% increases when everyone's finances are their most stretched.
For reference, I actually don't think my season ticket specifically is poorly priced, but my issue is the precedent set. If people are willing to back the club for 2 price increases and random unnecessary charges, in 3 years that include a shambolic relegation and some outrageous failures they'll realise they can take the piss.
And another thing…
This announcement in isolation may not have been so poorly received if there hadn't been so many dissociating decisions made in recent times that bring it all flooding back when something like this is released.
Focussing purely on charge related issues; you've got the club charging £10 for kids to meet 2 of their heroes in signing sessions where other items can't be signed and membership paywalls discouraging new or casual fans.
My personal favourite the £1.50 / £2.50 booking or processing fee on all transactions even when receiving a digital ticket, I dread to think how much the club have received from me just this year from this, maybe I'll ask them to take my £25 out of that?
I can almost accept it for away tickets, where they need the postage, but maybe now is the time to mention the printed out letter with every away ticket envelope? The poor environment. (Saying that, at least my safety is confirmed with the away day stewards the club employs.)
All of this frustration is terribly timed. Just as the fanbase has been doing what it can to back the team on the pitch they're now finding themselves using their energy on rightly calling out the club for their poor judgement. I hope everyone can put it aside for the final three 90 minutes but why on earth are we in this situation. Probably because the club thought it'd be well received?
Some people will back to them with every decision they ever make, it's actually scary. Supporting the club and calling them out when things are wrong are not mutually exclusive. I'll support the club forever, for my sins, but they need to listen and be made accountable for poor decisions clearly made my non-football people.
