2024/2025 season ticket
- Thread starter nicky27
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The idea behind concessions for older people is based on the assumption that they are less well off than younger, working age people. It is not a reward for loyalty or simply attaining an advanced age (concession prices apply to anyone of that age, not just people who can prove they have been attending for a long time).
This is an outdated trope. Now we have an older generation who have paid off their mortgages and may have the benefit of something like a final salary pension, situations which the younger generations can only dream of now.
The idea that being older automatically means you are less well off may no longer apply in all circumstances, though it certainly will for others. So in some people you will have them in a financially better position AND getting a discounted ticket. Across a number of industries this has been reflected in decreases in concession discounts. The idea is to redress the balance that younger people have less disposable income these days as compared to days gone by.
I obviously can't speak on behalf of the club, but I am aware that this has been the approach in other industries, and it is not seen as discriminatory to change the level of discount given.
Of course, this is not true of all people, and some older people have been hit particularly hard, and possibly the hardest, by the state of the country and the increase in costs. But the issue with a blanket concession price is that you have to account for everyone under one banner.
I suspect that the concessions for disabled people are simply in line with other concessions. This is not an approach I favour, because disabled persons are not by definition older, and so they do not necessarily fall within the scope of the new financial demographics caused by the cost of living and housing crisis in this country.
As such, while price increases are never popular, increased prices need to be met. And businesses need to meet them by sharing the load as best they can across their customers they believe can best bear it. No decision will be universally popular.
Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.
This is an outdated trope. Now we have an older generation who have paid off their mortgages and may have the benefit of something like a final salary pension, situations which the younger generations can only dream of now.
The idea that being older automatically means you are less well off may no longer apply in all circumstances, though it certainly will for others. So in some people you will have them in a financially better position AND getting a discounted ticket. Across a number of industries this has been reflected in decreases in concession discounts. The idea is to redress the balance that younger people have less disposable income these days as compared to days gone by.
I obviously can't speak on behalf of the club, but I am aware that this has been the approach in other industries, and it is not seen as discriminatory to change the level of discount given.
Of course, this is not true of all people, and some older people have been hit particularly hard, and possibly the hardest, by the state of the country and the increase in costs. But the issue with a blanket concession price is that you have to account for everyone under one banner.
I suspect that the concessions for disabled people are simply in line with other concessions. This is not an approach I favour, because disabled persons are not by definition older, and so they do not necessarily fall within the scope of the new financial demographics caused by the cost of living and housing crisis in this country.
As such, while price increases are never popular, increased prices need to be met. And businesses need to meet them by sharing the load as best they can across their customers they believe can best bear it. No decision will be universally popular.
Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.
If you continue to apply the same % increase across the board, year after year, the gap in respective ticket prices expands. So a periodic adjustment is needed from time to time to maintain a realistic price differential and thereby maintaining/achieving a fairer price structure overall.
Same principle as pay rises - lower paid need a bigger % boost from time to time to keep up.
S
Same principle as pay rises - lower paid need a bigger % boost from time to time to keep up.
S
I appreciate these are essentially commercial matters and there's no statutory requirement for discounts in the first place. That said......
I take your point about applying a fixed percentage and the impact that would have on differentials. On the flipside applying a fixed £GBP increase would reduce the differential (in % terms)
What we seem to have here is arguably the worst of both worlds....a seniors / disabled increase that is larger than the adult one in both relative % and absolute £GBP terms.
Again, I appreciate it's a commercial decision but it feels like a PR own goal and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I take your point about applying a fixed percentage and the impact that would have on differentials. On the flipside applying a fixed £GBP increase would reduce the differential (in % terms)
What we seem to have here is arguably the worst of both worlds....a seniors / disabled increase that is larger than the adult one in both relative % and absolute £GBP terms.
Again, I appreciate it's a commercial decision but it feels like a PR own goal and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
One gets the feeling that irrespective of age and loyalty over the decades supporting the club, these days you are just a faceless consumer, so either pay up or you will be replaced!
I love seeing and talking to the Seniors around the rink and would hate to see them struggling to buy a season ticket. The club should be looking after those guys.
I love seeing and talking to the Seniors around the rink and would hate to see them struggling to buy a season ticket. The club should be looking after those guys.
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You certainly raise an interesting point. I'm in my 30s, my parents are in their 70s. Financially they have more disposal income than I do. No mortgage, multiple holidays a year etc. & I'm not the odd one out, many of my friends the same age as me are in a similar situation vis-a-vis their parents who are in their 60s & 70s. & there are government statistics to back this up.
Having said that the situation for the disabled is different and they are often on less money than able-bodied people.
Having said that the situation for the disabled is different and they are often on less money than able-bodied people.
It is a bit of a reversal of fortunes based on a number of factors.
As you say, many people are in the same position as you and find it difficult to understand concessions at all. But it requires a shift in public perception of older people to really change that. And seeing as how, generally, management and government often skew to those above the age of 50 they find it hard to appreciate that the positions have changed somewhat. People do find it difficult to appreciate their privileges after all.
That being said, the concern I have is that hockey is becoming an expensive sport to follow, which might combat the appeal it otherwise has. I’ll leave that to others with more knowledge than me to decide.
As you say, many people are in the same position as you and find it difficult to understand concessions at all. But it requires a shift in public perception of older people to really change that. And seeing as how, generally, management and government often skew to those above the age of 50 they find it hard to appreciate that the positions have changed somewhat. People do find it difficult to appreciate their privileges after all.
That being said, the concern I have is that hockey is becoming an expensive sport to follow, which might combat the appeal it otherwise has. I’ll leave that to others with more knowledge than me to decide.
To a certain degree I agree with you but the club has to constantly look forward. Younger people will bring friends/children/ work colleagues etc....therefore introducing new people to the sport/team which keeps revenue coming in.
It's like the argument by some ST holders that they should be treated better than walkups ( I have been both so no preference from me). I get that ST ticket money helps to pay for lots of things pre-season BUT it's walkups that help maintain cash flow during the season.
It's like the argument by some ST holders that they should be treated better than walkups ( I have been both so no preference from me). I get that ST ticket money helps to pay for lots of things pre-season BUT it's walkups that help maintain cash flow during the season.
Yes - this could just be the year for the periodic adjustment, in which case a quick comment from the club would help set the matter straight.
I'm too old to have time to spare to track back over a decade of price rises to verify whether that is the case and my memory is not good enough these days to be able to do it without checking, and besides, its time for my afternoon nap ;-)
I'm too old to have time to spare to track back over a decade of price rises to verify whether that is the case and my memory is not good enough these days to be able to do it without checking, and besides, its time for my afternoon nap ;-)
The presumption is that more seniors have disposable income than not, paid off their mortgages, take multiple holidays. This is simply not the case. The senior concession ticket at our Club is for anyone over the age of 60. ...there are many people over the age of 60 who are still working, on lower incomes and have to keep working because they cannot afford to retire. Some don't have mortgages, but are tenants paying rent.
The 'luxury' of retirement won't appear on the horizon until 65, or 67 for some. Many private pensions don't become available until then either....and some people even find they have to work beyond that.
So, many people in that age group are having the same financial experiences as younger generations. And there will be a fair number of senior fans in this position. That's a real situation.
The 'luxury' of retirement won't appear on the horizon until 65, or 67 for some. Many private pensions don't become available until then either....and some people even find they have to work beyond that.
So, many people in that age group are having the same financial experiences as younger generations. And there will be a fair number of senior fans in this position. That's a real situation.
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This is true but on average the over 60s are better off than the under 40s.
I'm not disputing there are poor over 60 year olds who work. There are also poor under 60s who work but don't get a concession.
The point I was making is that the logic behind the senior citizen concession doesn't really reflect the real world anymore. The concession is based on the assumption that most 60 year olds are retired and therefore have a reduced income compared to people who are working & so desrve a reduced ticket price.
Most 60 year olds are working so don't have that reduced income & the stats show that a lot of those who are retired have higher pension incomes than many younger people who are working.
I'm not disputing there are poor over 60 year olds who work. There are also poor under 60s who work but don't get a concession.
The point I was making is that the logic behind the senior citizen concession doesn't really reflect the real world anymore. The concession is based on the assumption that most 60 year olds are retired and therefore have a reduced income compared to people who are working & so desrve a reduced ticket price.
Most 60 year olds are working so don't have that reduced income & the stats show that a lot of those who are retired have higher pension incomes than many younger people who are working.
An interesting read from the IFS
https://ifs.org.uk/news/latest-incr...-income-poverty-rates-among-65-year-olds-more
https://ifs.org.uk/news/latest-incr...-income-poverty-rates-among-65-year-olds-more
It's interesting but doesn't compare generations.
60-64 year olds are much wealthier than 30 year olds according to official statistics.
https://revisesociology.com/2023/08...r incomes,wealthier than younger people today.