oafc1955 Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 How about this as a user friendly alternative to buying a season ticket. Most people's complaints are that it is hard to find £300 in July all at once or in my case I work shifts and can only watch about 15 home games on average per season and the outlay simply is'nt viable. Starting in June apply for an OAFC club debit card and start to pay a set amount, say £30 per month, into your club account by direct debit and continue throughout the season, the club, to their advantage, would always have at least £60 in advance in their bank building up interest on the way. If you couldn't attend matches for any reason it wouldn't matter as your personal balance along with the clubs interest would just increase. The cost per match would be a more reasonable £15.65. Surely you're not going to miss £7 a week and it would get you into all home league games throughout the season. At the end of the season you would be at least £60 in credit and could use it to buy items from the souvenir shop, or it could even be used for away travel and membership and for the purchase of cup tickets or away matches. It would have to work like a mini bank with statements available on line. You could even download your matchday tickets on your PC, in much the same way as the budget airlines. It could also involve swipe machines at designated turnstiles but hey, this is 2008 and anything should be possible! With the stadium development imminent we could be the first club in the football league to adopt this system, and you never know in the future, we could all be paying for our football this way. What do you think, workable or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sheridans_world Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Very expensive to set-up and probably high-maintenance to run but email it to alan.hardy@oldhamathletic.co.uk and see what he says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beag_teeets Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Or people could just save up over the year so that they can give the club the money in the summer when they buy their ticket like they have done for so many years. The system isn't broken so why fix it? I thought the whole idea of the season ticket was to ensure that the club could compete in the transfer market in the summer, in return they give you a small saving on the price per match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoytonBlueLad Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 We do have some form of club bank account, might be a savings style thing not sure. As for the swipe card thing isn't that the eventual plan for the Team Card? And!!! You can pay via direct debit for season tickets with the finance company but as you say if you can only make 15 a season then you're still paying £300 for them and losing out on the 8 you don't attend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc1955 Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Or people could just save up over the year so that they can give the club the money in the summer when they buy their ticket like they have done for so many years. The system isn't broken so why fix it? I thought the whole idea of the season ticket was to ensure that the club could compete in the transfer market in the summer, in return they give you a small saving on the price per match. I didn't say it's broke and I'm not trying to fix anything...I said it would be an alternative...In the real world you expect people to be able to save for a ticket but come June it's been spent on something else. In my case working on shifts I would definitely pay the monthly and so I would expect others who can't go to every game may do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ackey Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Or people could just save up over the year so that they can give the club the money in the summer when they buy their ticket like they have done for so many years. The system isn't broken so why fix it? I thought the whole idea of the season ticket was to ensure that the club could compete in the transfer market in the summer, in return they give you a small saving on the price per match. The point is it's an idea and a positive one at that. It's a way the club might be able to attact more customers and to dismiss it out of hand is pointless. Put the idea to AH '55 mate and see what he has to say. At the very least it can do no harm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspiral_Carpet Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Put the idea to AH '55 mate and see what he has to say. At the very least it can do no harm. I can see the headlines on the Official Site later. "Latics miss out on Rooney Loan Deal as Hardy Too Busy with Emails" Only joking. No matter what we sceptics think, it is worth putting ideas to The Club as something in there may be a really good suggestion. We are also fortunate to support a Club which does listen to the fans and I'm sure that oafc1955 will get a considered reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beag_teeets Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Sorry if I came over a little harsh. Had a bad day and had it up to here (points to top of head) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc1955 Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Sorry if I came over a little harsh. Had a bad day and had it up to here (points to top of head) No probs bt....The season ticket is still by far the best earner for the club, but by paying monthly on a regular basis you are helping the club right through the season and people who don't normally come to many games just might be tempted!! The club could also offer extra incentives once your signed up on line to the scheme like free, or cheaper membership to Latics World for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
real Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 So what happens if you go to the first 10 games then think "sod it" - "If you couldn't attend matches for any reason it wouldn't matter as your personal balance along with the clubs interest would just increase." So you get the first 10 games at £10.65 then what happens to the money left over? Can you get it back? Or what if you then stop your payments? and would there be enough in your account to cover games early in the season? 30/06/08 £30, then end July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Total £150 We'd played 16 league games before the End of November, that could push you close to being "overdrawn" if we get a slightly different set of fixtures. And given that it gives a potential opt-out, and costs only £30 more than a ST, what if some ST holders just switched to this method and then gave up halfway through the season? You'd really have to start it at the end of May, and have it fully paid up by the end of March, and you'd have to pay a bit more on top than the STs do, so say £385 total paid over 11 months from 31/05 to end of March, £35 a time. But, you might as well just get the money out on a credit card at 15% interest and pay it off that way £295 drawn out, use £35 cash from end of May, pay for ST. Pay off £35 each month. Paid off by January !! Even at 20% interest it would only have about £5 outstanding in Feb. It's cheaper and easier to just get the cash by whatever method and pay it off month to month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc1955 Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 So what happens if you go to the first 10 games then think "sod it" - "If you couldn't attend matches for any reason it wouldn't matter as your personal balance along with the clubs interest would just increase." So you get the first 10 games at £10.65 then what happens to the money left over? Can you get it back? Or what if you then stop your payments? and would there be enough in your account to cover games early in the season? 30/06/08 £30, then end July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Total £150 We'd played 16 league games before the End of November, that could push you close to being "overdrawn" if we get a slightly different set of fixtures. And given that it gives a potential opt-out, and costs only £30 more than a ST, what if some ST holders just switched to this method and then gave up halfway through the season? You'd really have to start it at the end of May, and have it fully paid up by the end of March, and you'd have to pay a bit more on top than the STs do, so say £385 total paid over 11 months from 31/05 to end of March, £35 a time. But, you might as well just get the money out on a credit card at 15% interest and pay it off that way £295 drawn out, use £35 cash from end of May, pay for ST. Pay off £35 each month. Paid off by January !! Even at 20% interest it would only have about £5 outstanding in Feb. It's cheaper and easier to just get the cash by whatever method and pay it off month to month. OK maybe you'd start your account with £50 and any money in it will be yours to draw out if you wish, the figures were only meant as a guide and it was only an idea for god's sake!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspiral_Carpet Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 OK maybe you'd start your account with £50 and any money in it will be yours to draw out if you wish, the figures were only meant as a guide and it was only an idea for god's sake!! Don't let it get to you mate and definitely don't let it stop you coming up with ideas. It's a messageboard though and all about opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetramfixer Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 The season ticket is still by far the best earner for the club not sure if a 'pay monthly' system would work, or for that matter be wanted by the club! isn't the benefit of season tickets, a lump sum prior to planning for a new season?? so if they were to spread it about, then no lump sum to secure players contracts!!! our end of the bargain being that if you cough up all at once you get tickets at a cheaper rate!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorvik_latic Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 not sure if a 'pay monthly' system would work, or for that matter be wanted by the club! isn't the benefit of season tickets, a lump sum prior to planning for a new season?? so if they were to spread it about, then no lump sum to secure players contracts!!! our end of the bargain being that if you cough up all at once you get tickets at a cheaper rate!! We could do a pay monthly in advance though. So pay every month for next years STs. This way the club could be making interest on it too. It could be difficult to administer and the club may need to be registered with the FSA in some way though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetramfixer Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 We could do a pay monthly in advance though. So pay every month for next years STs. This way the club could be making interest on it too. It could be difficult to administer and the club may need to be registered with the FSA in some way though. yeah fair idea!! if i remember right though, in the past when i have asked for them to explain why we can't use credit cards it's something to do with the finance aspect of it all( Barclay's IIRC!) and they wont allow it as the club is seen as a high risk! in a nut shell....... you pay for season 09/10 and god forbid...(well I'm not going to say it!) they are then responsible for the people that want goods (said season ticket!) for the money they have already paid!! it may be something along the lines of the 'straw that breaks the camels back!' scenario and that pushes the club well over the edge into the abyss!! be cashing in some of my premium bonds for next seasons ticket....... and believe me i HATE doing that! but, back to your original point........ i think we would need 10's of 1,000's of fans to make any scheme like yours work OK! shame!, but i think that's the truth...... ps.... after a certain clubs fans moaning about how 'their' club fleeces them buy forcing them into this cup ticket scheme thingy....... how many on here would happily allow the 'grown-ups' at BP to implement it??? i think i would!! nowt worse than having to go to BP, Q up in the rain, simply to get 'YOUR' ticket...or having to arrive early from the pub so nobody else sits in 'YOUR' seat!!! would happily sign up to that one!!!! but alas i digress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diego_Sideburns Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 ...our end of the bargain being that if you cough up all at once you get tickets at a cheaper rate!! ..and in C_M_'s day you run the risk of the money disappearing over the hill and having to pay again, if it hadn't been for TTA riding in over the other hill and being prepared to pick up the tab for the missing ST money. I won't give them a happy clap as it offends some folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oafc1955 Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 not sure if a 'pay monthly' system would work, or for that matter be wanted by the club! isn't the benefit of season tickets, a lump sum prior to planning for a new season?? so if they were to spread it about, then no lump sum to secure players contracts!!! our end of the bargain being that if you cough up all at once you get tickets at a cheaper rate!! Agree, in the real world a season ticket bought at the beginning of the season is a big earner for the club. Problem is myself and others can't commit to a season ticket cos of the shifts that I work. I would gladly pay monthly debit wether I go to the match or not as long as I could use the extra money in my account for other purchases etc. And don't forget the money banked is making interest all the time for the club. There must be a lot of fans who work in retail/police/fire/hospital etc who have to work some weekends and a pay monthly scheme may just be an alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunty Blue Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 (edited) Apologies if this has been mentioned before but I'm ever impressed by Bradford City's efforts to attract bigger crowds through discounted offers and I guess hopefully widen their fan base for the future should such offers stop. Last season the adult price was £138 if 10,000 people signed up by a certain date(can't recall when), which they did and hence over 12,000 ticket holders this season. A subsequent offer was made this season for a renewal at the same price before Christmas 07. But now the new and pretty spectacular offer. If at least 9000 people purchase a season ticket before mid June (15th I think) then they will all get a free one to give to a mate! This includes those who have already bought at the discounted rate. If it comes off and I don't see why not, then they are looking at around 20,000 home fans. Just thought it was a good news story amidst much corporate greed in football at the moment. Even at full price the two for one offer is excellent value. Edited March 3, 2008 by Bunty Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lookers87 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 yeah fair idea!! if i remember right though, in the past when i have asked for them to explain why we can't use credit cards it's something to do with the finance aspect of it all( Barclay's IIRC!) and they wont allow it as the club is seen as a high risk! The reason for not accepting credit cards is that although we would buy the tickets on our credit cards in June - the club wouldn't receive any of the money from the credit card providers (minus fees) until sometime in march/april-ish. That would be 9 months+ with only 'on the day' payments coming in and therefore as you say, the straw that breaks the camels back. The time they need the income most is during the close-season hence cash is best. The key with any ticket promotions is pushing it through season tickets holders, so the buy one get another free (once a certain number of tickets is achieved) is a good one. That solves any earache the club would get from the minority, and ensures the 'free' tickets aren't lossed revenue from people who would've bought a season ticket anyway. I see the Braford scheme has won an award at the Football League awards thingy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jorvik_latic Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 The reason for not accepting credit cards is that although we would buy the tickets on our credit cards in June - the club wouldn't receive any of the money from the credit card providers (minus fees) until sometime in march/april-ish. T Why is that? I thought the reason was that credit card companies insure your purchases and with clubs going out of business easily, they would have to refund the cost themselves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inspiral_Carpet Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Why is that? I thought the reason was that credit card companies insure your purchases and with clubs going out of business easily, they would have to refund the cost themselves? It's not really insurance and the Card Acquirer (a specialist Company who processes a Merchant's card transactions) rather than the Card Issuer (NatWest; Mint; Barclaycard; MBNA etc) will be liable if a Club goes under. It's all to do with the Card Scheme Rules for Chargebacks particularly in the Travel and Entertainments Sector. A Chargeback can be generated by the Card Issuer (usually at the request of the Cardholder) typically up to 6 months (and occasionally up to 3 years) after the payment has been made. There have been several instances where Clubs have been unable to fulfil their fixtures and that is valid grounds for a Chargeback. If OAFC went under midway through the Season, all STs bought using creditcards could be chargedback under the "Services Not Rendered" reason code. Assuming OAFC were insolvent, then the Club's Merchant who collected and processed their payment such as Streamline; Barclays Merchant Services etc (usually backed by the Club's Bankers) would be liable for the cash. Clearly, the Banks don't like giving away money so will insist on personal guarantees or simply withhold the value of the transactions for a period of time (maybe until the end of the Season) and so it becomes discounted cashflow at a time when hard cash is required. Add on the 2.5-6% Merchant Service Charge (plus other sundry fees) and this soon becomes an impractical way of paying for Season Tickets from the Club's perspective. Debit cards are totally different and more or less guaranteed but of course, the Cardholder will effectively be paying in cash up front. It's a problem that all lower League Clubs have and even the big Premier League boys probably wouldn't entertain creditcard payments for Season Tickets as it is so much hassle and too costly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leezyverpunk Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I pay over 10 instalments - tis so easy to set up and makes it possible to get to BP all season - priceless!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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