It’s something that is totally off the top of my head and is possibly unworkable but I know in terms of my circumstances (and clearly yours) I’d get one on a deal like that without a doubt and if I could then renew at what this seasons renewal is (£212 when I’ve just checked) for the South Stand, or for an increased premium than what longer term ST holders are being asked to pay, then even missing games would be fine and I’d keep it going forward. I’ve looked at the fixtures this season and I can get to about 10 or 11 home games at the minute but there’s just not much of a saving (and maybe none if one more game falls for me), so I’ll continue going game by game. If there was a way in to a season ticket at a cheaper price but with a commitment to then renew going forward for the next year or two, I’d commit to that for sure. How they could work that is for people with more sense then me but I do think they need to try and grow that ST holder base.
Maybe something like a 3 year 'starter pack' for new ST's. x3 yearly payments that start off less than a single year ticket leading down to the renewal price. No idea how that would work though
That would certainly appeal to us. My wife and me where ST holders for a while but stopped buying them when the little un arrived. To be fair that is now 13 years ago but our daughter has really got into it now and we have started going to the odd game again. She asked for ST's for xmas but as now 'first time buyers', for x3 ST's its just far too expensive
There must be a decent number of supporters in your situation (coming back for season tickets after a number of years without one - I did similar when I had kids early 00's), it really is something the club should try and look at. Not only are you coming back you're bringing a brand new supporter with you.
I do believe there should be a number of packages the club should offer, such as:
A 'welcome back' package - previously a season ticket holder who's been absent for more than one year.
A 'Family Welcome back' package - previously a season ticket holder bringing along new supporters (partner, kids) with further a discounted rate.
What is value worth to the club of a single supporter back for the first time since, say 2015, now coming back to the game with a missus and two kids in tow, willing to buy season tickets and merchandise for the next ten years?
Its a strange one the ST/ no ST argument. I have got one for the new season for the first time in a few years as my eldest lad (12) is really into it now and my youngest lad (9) wants to come with us too. He has been to a couple so far and is not massively into it yet but now wants to come with me and my eldest.
Last season I barely missed a home game however it is much easier now to have a ST without having to buy tickets the week of the game and collect pre-match or a few days before if I fancy a ride out. It does seem that for the 2024 season Saints will finally enter the 21st century and go digital. Financially it works out well as for the price that I was paying for me and my eldest for the best seats last season, I now pay the same price per match for my youngest lad to come too so effectively he is attending for free. Even if he doesn't attend every home game, every game he does go too is a bonus.
There's always the argument with Season Tickets in a summer sport of missing games through holidays and other social events so I fully understand why people don't bother. Also some clubs put promotions on mid-season of half Season Tickets or offering tickets for say 3 or 4 games combined at a reduced price which works out cheaper than those with ST.
I've not even checked the fixtures for my 2 week summer holiday when we are away so I don't know how many we will miss yet. However my lads now love the idea of having their "own" seat for the season as last season we couldn't always get seats on the half way line of the North Stand which is our favourite spot.
In answer to the cost of the tickets, do Wigan not do Direct Debit to spread the cost monthly? That would at least make it more affordable. Saints offer this however I have paid in full to avoid any interest fees (can't remember what the interest fees were although I do recall they weren't exorbitant)
Its a strange one the ST/ no ST argument. I have got one for the new season for the first time in a few years as my eldest lad (12) is really into it now and my youngest lad (9) wants to come with us too. He has been to a couple so far and is not massively into it yet but now wants to come with me and my eldest.
Last season I barely missed a home game however it is much easier now to have a ST without having to buy tickets the week of the game and collect pre-match or a few days before if I fancy a ride out. It does seem that for the 2024 season Saints will finally enter the 21st century and go digital. Financially it works out well as for the price that I was paying for me and my eldest for the best seats last season, I now pay the same price per match for my youngest lad to come too so effectively he is attending for free. Even if he doesn't attend every home game, every game he does go too is a bonus.
There's always the argument with Season Tickets in a summer sport of missing games through holidays and other social events so I fully understand why people don't bother. Also some clubs put promotions on mid-season of half Season Tickets or offering tickets for say 3 or 4 games combined at a reduced price which works out cheaper than those with ST.
I've not even checked the fixtures for my 2 week summer holiday when we are away so I don't know how many we will miss yet. However my lads now love the idea of having their "own" seat for the season as last season we couldn't always get seats on the half way line of the North Stand which is our favourite spot.
In answer to the cost of the tickets, do Wigan not do Direct Debit to spread the cost monthly? That would at least make it more affordable. Saints offer this however I have paid in full to avoid any interest fees (can't remember what the interest fees were although I do recall they weren't exorbitant)
Yes wigan do offer a pay monthly option. I am paying arpund £26 a month for 9 months which started in december for a sideline view renewal.
The interest only worked out at an extra £15 for the full price so was abit of nothing really.
Those prices are reasonable imo. particularly the renewal ones. Adults Behind the posts works out at just over £16 per game £18 in the East or West Stands. The junior 8 - 17 year olds work out at less than £3 per game.
The savings on renewal v match day is between £80 and £100 per season i.e £6.15 to £7.70 per game.
I agree they could do something with the lapsed renewals for one season maybe a £3 to £4 per game reduction and then let the fans who had lapsed rejoin the renewal scheme after that one season.
Those prices are reasonable imo. particularly the renewal ones. Adults Behind the posts works out at just over £16 per game £18 in the East or West Stands. The junior 8 - 17 year olds work out at less than £3 per game.
The savings on renewal v match day is between £80 and £100 per season i.e £6.15 to £7.70 per game.
I agree they could do something with the lapsed renewals for one season maybe a £3 to £4 per game reduction and then let the fans who had lapsed rejoin the renewal scheme after that one season.
i am one of those fans in the "lapsed over recent years" category.
i was getting bored with the product on show (not just Wigan), and found that i wasnt bothered if i missed a home game. that then became missed several home games, to the point in the last 2 seasons i watched Wigan i only attended 3-4 games each season, thus not worth renewing at any cost.
There were several factors in my decline in watching including bored at some games (usually v Wakey, London, Hudds) where i would just sit and think why i am here, disillusioned with Wigan for various factors with the inability to manage simple things like season ticket renewals, new shirts, sponsors etc etc, general mallaise about RL and seemingly wanting to level down not up which still sort of applies (Saints are top dogs at the minute, so the RL way is to bring them back to the pack and not other way round), family, work, rearrangement of fixtures from Friday night, other interests taking over
so as you can see, that didnt happen overnight, but over a period of years. i attended home and the majority of away games so have gone from full on fan to nothing
how do the club attract me back as a season ticket holder (note that i attended with my dad (East Stand) and also had a South stand ticket for my daughter (+ 1 or 2 friends) (now at Uni)), so they effectively lost 3+ ST holders at around the same time. My dad misses most of the early season fixtures as he has a place in Spain, and chooses to spend Feb - April over there, so the front loading of fixtures for pitch repairs etc doesnt help
Would i buy a full price ticket now? No i probably wouldnt as i still have other commitments, and likely to miss at least 3-4 games, so doesnt make financial sense
would i buy a ticket somewhere inbetween early bird renewal full price, yes i probably would if i know i am going to get early bird option for the following season, and can accept i wont be going to all the games anyway
i dont go for pre /post match entertainment, so my only interest is what is served up on the pitch. Seeing a couple of games last year (post the Lam era) got me a little bit interested again (i did take my daughter to 3 games whilst she was home when Lam was in charge, but the less said about that the better ), but equally some of the games played during the world cup (not just the mens game) got me back interested in the game i love to watch, and remembering why i love watching it
Hopefully the club already realises it has lost quite a few season ticket holders over the last 3-4 seasons, so still have our records on file / database. i'd be happy for them to fire me an offer through and become a ST holder again, but admit i wouldnt pay full price at the minute as its not worth it cos i know what i'll be missing
I know what you mean in relation to a general malaise. Some home games are a hard watch and thats even with us as dominant as we have been. There's nothing worse than seeing a sparse away end or in some cases even closed and a handful of away fans put in the corner of the North Stand.
Its why I am happy that tickets for the away stand could perhaps be given free to schools. We did something similar at the Toulouse game at home where we were presented with the LLS. Home Bargain employees were given free tickets and the East Stand looked much better 3/4 full.
There's now only 2 games a season where that away end is full- Wigan and Warrington (and not always full with Warrington) so there can be a really poor atmosphere for the majority of home games.
Wire_91 wrote:its your first final in about 8 years and now you ravin and rantin about it F**k off, and ill be going old trafford tomoz cheering on the saints and ill be writing on this forum givin you loads of shi* when your drying you eyes and the wire fan will be here handing out the tissues in the thousands, thats if you do take that many fans cause now it looks like its your fans who have jumped on the band wagon now your in a final, this time last year there was only 1000 people in the jjb and now its fillin up cause youve won the league hahaha proper true supporters you are
I always get a season ticket out of loyalty to the club, but then Thursday night games in February in the soulless DW with no away support when it’s on Sky do test the loyalty.