Exiles season ticket row – fans can watch Man City for less!

6:40am Friday 8th June 2012 in Newport County & Blue Square Premier Table & Results Photograph of the Author Exclusive By Michael Pearlman

A SEASON ticket to watch Premier League champions Manchester City could cost less than it will to watch Newport County at Rodney Parade, the Argus can reveal.

Some supporters are already up in arms about the decision by County to increase season ticket prices for the 23 league games in the 2012/13 season by between 15 and 18 per cent compared to last year.

There has been no official announcement from the club on their website or Enews service. However, chairman Chris Blight confirmed that the decision on prices was one made by committee. Despite no official word, a graphic displaying the prices has been posted on the Newport County messageboard and leaflets were on display at Wednesday’s open evening at Rodney Parade. Fans have been quick to make their feelings about the price hike clear.

One member of the Newport County Supporters’ Trust has already resigned over the issue, citing a lack of communication from the club and a lack of consultation on the issue from within the Trust.

Though the season ticket prices haven’t been formally confirmed, the Argus understands some tickets have already been sold, committing County to the prices they’ve apparently settled on.

The Exiles price hike is as great as £40 for adults wishing to sit, with the price increased from £300 to £340.

The terracing increase is from £280 to £300 and there are also price hikes for concessions and children.

It will cost an adult season ticket holder an extra £100 a year if they wish to have access to the Bisley Suite and there doesn’t appear to be any distinction in cost depending on what stand you’re sitting in.

The move is described by one former director of the club as being “rushed and badly thought out”.

That makes the cheapest seat £340, which doesn’t compare favourably with a lot of other clubs.

In the Conference it would be cheaper to watch Luton Town or Wrexham and you would be £115 better off if you opted to watch League Two outfit Bristol Rovers.

It is also a saving of £65 to watch Sam Foley’s new club Yeovil in League One.

If you fancied higher level football in the Bristol area then a City Championship season ticket at Ashton Gate will save you £91 compared to a seat at Rodney Parade and, even more worryingly, there are Premier League options too.

At £275 you’ll save yourself £65 by watching the world’s richest club and PL champions Manchester City, and both Aston Villa and Wigan also offer cheaper options, the Latics to the tune of £255, a massive £85 less than Rodney Parade.

Andrew Power, a committee member of the Newport County Supporters’ Trust, has resigned in protest at the price hike and also the lack of consultation with fans.

“The prices have risen a great deal in a time of recession and with things difficult for ordinary people and it’s happened without really consulting anyone,” he said.

“I have resigned from the Trust committee over this matter because two committee members were party to the discussions but nothing came back to us to discuss.

“My argument is that with a bigger ground and exciting new start we want as many people as possible coming through the gates at Rodney Parade.

“If we price them out then we’ll be rattling around in a ground that is too big for us.

“But at the moment we, the ordinary fans, feel our words are falling on deaf ears.”

Former director Rob Santwris, one of the driving forces behind the player fund scheme back in January that added over £10,000 to County’s transfer kitty, believes the decision has been made too quickly.

“They have rushed the process, tickets are already being sold and we’ve not even had an official announcement yet, it’s been badly thought out,” he said.

“If prices had been frozen, or even reduced, we’d have an opportunity to appeal to the thousands of extra fans who were at Wembley.

“The excitement is great for the move and all credit to the board. But it’ll mean nothing if we price fans out of going regularly to games.”

County chairman Chris Blight spent the entire day yesterday at the annual meeting of Conference chairmen held at Celtic Manor, but he did explain that the season ticket process occurred in committee.

“There is a season ticket team in place, including two members of the Supporters’ Trust,” he said.

“I haven’t been part of that discussion but I have dozens of e-mails to read and catch up on.”

The Argus understands that supporters are hoping to arrange a meeting with the club hierarchy to discuss the prices.

A show of hands at Wednesday’s ‘meet and greet’ at Rodney Parade made it clear a massive majority feel the ticket prices are too high.

Comments(46)

netala says...
9:16am Fri 8 Jun 12

i think the b.o.d. are cashing in on the euphoria created with the move to R.P. we are in a recession, money is needed for essentials, and the sugested increases would be too much for a lot of people to come along and support this new venture. please try and be more realistic and try to tempt more people, not less, to watch the county.

Report this post »

Phil Tanner says...
10:04am Fri 8 Jun 12

Are you comparing like with like in making comparisons with bigger clubs? I suspect not, but you'd have much less of a story if you did.

The comparison with bigger clubs is only valid if you can get the best seat in the house at these clubs for the same price or less than a Rodney Parade ST, rather than being stuck in some corner or so far away you’d need binoculars.

For example, how many of these supposed bargains are for seats behind a goal? I suspect only a few people would prefer that.

If the Argus wants to make a valid comparison with Man. City, what's the ST price for a seat on the half-way line 10 rows from the front?

Report this post »

lowandhardandinthecorner says...
10:28am Fri 8 Jun 12

Another point to be considered is that we don't have a "sugar daddy" - if we want success, we the fans will have to pay. Whether that'll be sustainable in Newport is another matter.
I've bought one to support the club but appreciate why some can't or won't afford it.

Report this post »

Phil Tanner says...
10:59am Fri 8 Jun 12

A season ticket for the best seats at Man City costs 745-00 - and that's for a club with a financial model which can accommodate debt into the hundreds of millions. (The owners wrote off THREE HUNDRED MILLION by turning it into equity not that long ago.)
How much would a season ticket there cost if they needed to stay solvent? Probably in the thousands.

Report this post »

gmc says...
11:09am Fri 8 Jun 12

Phil Tanner is right. Once again The Argus is so quick to print a sensational story that it won't 'let the facts get in the way'. I think the Board of Directors at NCAFC have missed a golden opportunity to build on the Wembley euphoria and the move to Rodney Parade. They should not have hiked up the season ticket prices. In the long run the County will lose out as they lose support in cash-strapped times. But the Argus could have made that point without resorting to very dodgy comparisons.

Report this post »

Phil Tanner says...
11:34am Fri 8 Jun 12

I agree 100 per cent with GMC.

Report this post »

Old Gaer Boy says...
1:43pm Fri 8 Jun 12

Mostof the above points are well made.

I just checked the price of a season ticket Yeovil, a centre stand ticket from 1st June will be £380. No saving there.

However my gut instinct is that an increase of £20 would have been acceptable to most supporters.

As regards higher attendances, I think many of the 'Wembley Thousands' will be turning up but by paying on the day. As like me they are not all able to attend all home matches.

Anyway everything is looking optomistic at the moment and lets get behind 'Pipey' and the team and hope for a great season on a good pitch at a decent stadium.

For me it is going to feel like being back at Somerton

Report this post »

Mr Bump. says...
4:35pm Fri 8 Jun 12

Having recently endured the Wembley performance around £13 a game for a terrace season ticket, is rather extortionate, if that standard of play is the norm.

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
5:07pm Fri 8 Jun 12

For me a 20 quid rise is hardly a huge hike, especially when you consider that the stadium we'll now be playing in is a million miles better. Quit whingeing folks, turn up and let's make it a success

Report this post »

lowandhardandinthecorner says...
5:27pm Fri 8 Jun 12

Well said Adrian Williams and by the way Mr Bump we had the better of the first half and we were beaten on the day by a side well above us in the table who went on to get promotion to the league. Were you expecting us to field an entirely different team for the final? Didn't you know how we'd played all season? Incidentally, the team for the final was weakened by an inability to select some loan signings and anyway, not a bad day out was it?

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
5:49pm Fri 8 Jun 12

P.s we should not be comparing our prices to other teams anyway - each club is different, as are their finances and we don't have the luxury of a rich sugar daddy. Let's give Chris Blight some credit - he's a succesful businessman, so this would have been a carefully thought out decision, plus he knows the cashflow and the clubs finances better than anyone. I don't think people really appreciate the hard work that goes on in the background of running/ financing a club. Furthermore, the slight increase in ticket prices has been offset in not having to spend money getting back and for to Spytty (for a lot of people anyway)

Report this post »

adrian simmonds says...
6:06pm Fri 8 Jun 12

I missed the early meeting but did hear there were lots of complaints about the rise in season ticket prices. Buit that early meeting was a bit of a mess because of the double-booking of the room and a more sensible q and a session followed near the bar. Chris Blight rightly explained that we have to pay RP a sensible market price and as mentioned above it's a zillion times better than Spytty so people should expect to pay a bit more.
i did put to Chris an idea that long-term season ticket holders should get a discount and he agreed to look at it. I think those who've had a season ticket for 5 years or more should pay last season's price and then stagger the discount so that holders for just last year get a discount of only 4 % say.The vast majority there on Wednesdayh were long - term season ticket holders so a scheme like this would surely mollify nearly all.
Certainly by the time the long q and a finished the mood was much more positive and understanding of the Board's position.
Nought out of ten to the Argus on this one.

Report this post »

netala says...
7:25pm Fri 8 Jun 12

adrian you are lucky aren`t you a 20 quid hike would be the end of my enjoyment of football. we are not all millionaires.

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
7:57pm Fri 8 Jun 12

Lol - you think I'm a millionaire ? (I wish !) I earn an average wage and have two small children. To say you can't spread out an increase of 20 quid across 10 months (i.e find an extra 2 quid a month) is over dramatic poppycock.

Report this post »

CM1 says...
12:42am Sat 9 Jun 12

This is joke reporting and not worthy of the paper. Pity, after some positive changes and innovations recently. I guess that you cannot get it right all the time!

Report this post »

zorro says...
2:18pm Sat 9 Jun 12

Does anybody else believe that ticket prices ought to reflect the standard of what's on offer, and that perhaps a lower-demand seat to watch Manchester City is worth more than the best-in-the-house to watch County?
County should aim to get more people in through the gates at a lower admission price. As well as improving the atmosphere at matches, this would provide more customers for their refreshment stands etc.
Just my opinion; a 'successful businessman' like Mr. Blight might not agree.

Report this post »

Phil Tanner says...
2:28pm Sat 9 Jun 12

You can only really make valid comparisons by comparing like with like, both in terms of the view you get from your seat AND the financial model within which a board operates. It's hypothetical, but if Manchester City's had to operate with County's business model even their cheapest season ticket would cost many thousands of pounds.

Report this post »

Mr Bump. says...
5:41pm Sat 9 Jun 12

It's non league football for crying out loud. If you want people to come and watch this dire rubbish, you should charge accordingly. No more than a tenner a match.

Report this post »

adrian simmonds says...
11:42pm Sat 9 Jun 12

Well, Mr. Bump,if we only charged a tenner we couldn't afford to play at RP or even at Spytty. If only the fickle citizens of Newport cxould be persuaded to support the club they used to you, we'd get a good 3-4000 per game and then the price on the day could be reduced to a tenner. But as Chris Blight made clear, he has to live with a budget of 1400 per game so there is no way the club could charge just a tenner. Get real, Mr. Bump, take at least O level economics before writing such plain nonsense.

Report this post »

zorro says...
9:07am Sun 10 Jun 12

I think an O level in human nature would be more useful in the scenario you paint, Adrian.
Let's suppose County do fantastically well and 3-4,000 turn up to see them get promoted.
The club could reduce admission to a tenner, anything is possible, but would they? You know as well as I do they'd think they were on to a winner and see that as an opportunity to raise admission prices.
I think the answer here is to explore other ways of raising money than to go immediately to raising admission prices.

Report this post »

netala says...
9:36am Sun 10 Jun 12

zorro: i totally agree with you . you don`t kill the goose that lays the golden egg. you exploit it. there must be other ways of raising finances, and not asking the fans to continually put their hands in their pockets . no matter who you are , a pocket is only so deep.

Report this post »

Mr Bump. says...
3:56pm Sun 10 Jun 12

Adrian, you are more likely to attract more fans with cheaper admission than you are by upping the price for this poor product. 2000 people through the gate paying £10, would make more money in other revenue streams than 1000 through the gate paying £20.

Report this post »

LSB Bee says...
5:22pm Sun 10 Jun 12

Not a very helpful piece Mr Pearlman. I do realise you are generally supportive of the County and have to report the facts but there was no need do so in such a sensational manner.
Could do better would be the best that could be said about this offering.

Report this post »

LSB Bee says...
5:22pm Sun 10 Jun 12

Not a very helpful piece Mr Pearlman. I do realise you are generally supportive of the County and have to report the facts but there was no need do so in such a sensational manner.
Could do better would be the best that could be said about this offering.

Report this post »

Ty du Exile says...
8:47am Mon 11 Jun 12

After the euphoria of our Wembley visit, this would have been the ideal time to market the club by offering good value season tickets and 1/2 season tickets.

If the price hike to £17 per game materialises, I can see even less people want to go and see them week in, week out. You've got to remember, most people are on limited budgets and the County are in competition with so many other ways for us to spend our cash. £17 would just about get 2 adults to see a film etc. Next season, I really think they need to look at reduced price season tickets and 1/2 season tickets to encourage more people to watch them regularly. £5 for kids to watch is also a disincentive. There should be a cheap season ticket to encourage them to be the next generation of County supporters.

Report this post »

ncfcr says...
9:19am Mon 11 Jun 12

Such a shame this has been rushed through so quickly.

We can't even have an opening day of the season offer now, as it would put season ticket holders at a disadvantage.

I really thought that some kind of '£10 per adult, and kids for free' promotion would have accompanied the first home game, just to try and get the ball rolling.

Report this post »

oranges says...
9:50am Mon 11 Jun 12

I understand some comments for increasing season tickets and if the club decides to increase prices theres not much we can do. But if like me there are two adults and a child season ticket to pay for that amounts to 100 pounds increase which is a lot to find.

Report this post »

oranges says...
9:57am Mon 11 Jun 12

i seems to be that mr simmonds can afford the increase and thats fine . But the standard of football last season was quite poor .So an increase of 40 pounds an adult and increases for children on last seasons performance is not good . We just survived by a narrow margin so lets hope we do a lot better this season

Report this post »

adrian simmonds says...
11:35am Mon 11 Jun 12

Several people are forgetting that i did suggest to Chris Blight at the meeting at RP that discounts should be offered to those who have been buying season tickets for years so that, for example, a discount of about 5 % for each year - with a max. of 20 % - would see the vast majority of the "regulars" paying no increase at all.
We've also got to live with the fact that all the bar and catering profits will go to Rodney Parade Ltd., except the sales of burgers apparently! Again i did suggest to CB that if RPL get such a big profit from our hopefully 2000 plus crowds we might try to negotiate for a percentage of the bar take or, better still, let bar Amber have their own patch of that big ground to earn us some money.
When we move to the Newport area in a year or two I could certainly afford this kind of price for a season ticket but that doesn't make me insensitive to people with much tighter budgets as shown by my comments above.
Yes, several things were not and could not be thought through properly because the club had a 31/5 deadline - and the fax to the Conference was finally sent at about 6.15 apparently so 45 mins. late!
I'd like to think or dream? that comes February we will be up there in the play-off slot so our Board will have to re-negotiate for a 10 year rolling contract with RPL. I had no idea before the RP meeting that the FA insist on this for all League clubs who ground-share.

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
1:22pm Mon 11 Jun 12

"discounts should be offered to those who have been buying season tickets for years so that, for example, a discount of about 5 % for each year - with a max. of 20 % - would see the vast majority of the "regulars" paying no increase at all". I think this idea is both ridiculous and short-sighted

Report this post »

adrian simmonds says...
2:08pm Mon 11 Jun 12

Sorry, but if you think it's "ridiculous" then explain why. What you state is no argument at all against my idea which is obviously just a short-term measure to cushion the effect of an 18 % price increase.
Namesake, please don't shoot from the hip without having a logical argument to back you up.

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
4:16pm Mon 11 Jun 12

I've been a regular for a few years myself, but I don't expect preferential treatment to anyone else. I just don't see how "loyal fans" can expect the club to move forward and for the club to compete without there being any increase - it's a business, it's not a charity. It saddens me that all we seem to do at our club is bicker amongst each other, despite having just moved from a tip to a top class stadium. Like somebody said, if they were giving away free season tickets and free beer, someone would still find something to moan about. Stop whineging folks, turn up and support the County

Report this post »

zorro says...
4:28pm Mon 11 Jun 12

I must admit my alarm at learning that County will earn nothing in bar takings in future. I would have thought that had been a big money-earner in the past. Without it, I can see a major struggle to exist next season if admission prices deter a lot of fans as I suspect they might.
I understand the pitch concerns, but from a financial position, perhaps the decision to move from Spytty Park was too hasty and may come to haunt the club before very long.

Report this post »

oranges says...
4:29pm Mon 11 Jun 12

adrian williams you carry on paying the increases obviously you can afford it youre probably loaded good for you but im not loaded and will find it hard to pay the increases for 2 adults and one child so myou adrian williams keep carrying on being the standard bearer

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
5:05pm Mon 11 Jun 12

Please see my previous response to "being loaded/ a millionaire". The fact is, if the club stayed at Spytty it was going nowhere fast. Let's try and be positive and move forward

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
5:11pm Mon 11 Jun 12

P.s if anything is being detrimental to the club at the moment, it's all this doom mongering. Maybe some of you would be happier sat in Bar Amber over at Spytty in the Blue Square South ? Take stock for a minute - look back at where we were in 1988 when Somerton Park locked it's gates and look at where we are now. See .... not that bad is it ?

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
5:55pm Mon 11 Jun 12

P.p.s - take yourself to one side and have a word with yourself Mr Pearlman - sensational, ill founded journalism like this does nothing to help our club

Report this post »

simonmoseley@hotmail;.co.uk says...
8:30pm Mon 11 Jun 12

come on people you will be playing in a good stadium so off course you are going to pay a bit more so it will be 340 pound for a season ticket the price has gone up because off the new stadium

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
9:10pm Mon 11 Jun 12

Probably members of the Horlicks stand doing all the whingeing - well WAKEY, WAKEY, we can now attract a better quality of player - Justin Edinburgh has spelled that out, Chris Blight has spelled that out - wake up and smell the espresso

Report this post »

Phil Tanner says...
10:49pm Mon 11 Jun 12

Adrian: But that will only happen if enough people buy season tickets. If prices go up by one seventh, it only needs one in seven not to renew at that price for the club to be back at square one.

That's why some are unhappy with the price rises - not necessarily that they won't personally get value for money compared to what they'd get at Spytty or at other clubs or other sports, or that they've been priced out, but that other people being priced out will limit the funds for team-building.

Report this post »

oranges says...
5:30am Tue 12 Jun 12

what an insulting man you are williams you dont live in the real world of squeezed finance go back to your little corner and continue to dream

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
6:43am Tue 12 Jun 12

I do live in the world of squeezed finance - I've had a pay freeze for the past three years , I earn less than the national average and I've got a 5 year old and a two year old. However, I love my football club and I can't wait to watch us play at Rodney Parade. Whilst my terrace admission has gone up by 2 quid, I'll still save money on petrol by not having to drive out Spytty from the Gaer every game.

Report this post »

netala says...
8:08am Tue 12 Jun 12

i`ve read every comment submitted and some made me smile others made me angry. i myself am a pensioner and the proposed rise in season ticket prices would have a bearing on whether i bought one or not, but one thing is for sure, my love for newport county will not deminish. and good luck to all of them in the comming season

Report this post »

adrian simmonds says...
9:08am Tue 12 Jun 12

Thanks from all of us, Netala, for your support.
OK, another idea for the BOD to consider. Those who don't have the finance for a season ticket, will certainly pay on the day to start with. Why can't the lub bring in asystem where those people show some form of identity as they buy and their name is indelibly written on their ticket. If they later decide they want a season ticket, they get a credit for a bit more than just pro-rata for the cost of the matches they've watched to give them a reasonable reduction on the overall cost. Yes, ther will be negative criticism of this idea, not practicable etc. but with a bit of thought and a calculator, surely this can be put up in the form of a way to help people of lesser means - but who want to end up with a season - ticket, whether after 6 - 8 games or half way through - to continue to support County without feeling "ripped - off" as some extremists are putting it.
I am going to put both my ideas on helping the less rich to Chris Blight in writing and if anybody out there has ideas of a similar nature, why don't you also write to Chris Blight?

Report this post »

COUNTYVOICE says...
7:35pm Tue 12 Jun 12

THIS SEASON TICKET PRICING issue is clouding an exciting move to rodney parade

a solution maybe
give the choice to the supporter

how about doing a season ticket for a set number of games

ie full season , 10 games , 15 games, 20 games

and give the supporter the choice of which games they want to see.

most supporters pic and choose their favourite games to watch, i know i do

people can choose a season ticket to suit their pocket, and county get money up front.

the only problem would be recording the the number of games that have been bought and recording when the season ticket card has been used and the amount of prepaid games left.

their could be discounts depending on the type of prepaid season ticket bought

just a thought :-)

Report this post »

Adrian Williams says...
8:13pm Tue 12 Jun 12

Apparantely at the trust meeting last night, the importance of match day ticket revenue was underlined, so it's not all about season ticket sales (which have a only gone up by 20 quid for the terraces by the way from 300 to 320 - hardly a "rip off"). I was talking to someone at the club today and terrace prices on the day may only be going up by a pound - again, hardly a "rip off". People do have choices - no one is forcing anybody at gun point to stump up for a season ticket - people are free to pay on the day and can choose what games they wish to attend. Even though I go to every home game, I've never bought a season ticket - you can guarantee that I have to miss two or three games every season due to illness to myself or my family, so I'm no worse off paying on the day. Here's hoping for a good season in the league and maybe a cup run. CTID

Report this post »

click2find

Your Team »


Get Adobe Flash player
About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree