Season ticket news

[Pleximan]

Well I am off to Cardiff City vs Luton Town today and it's lovely sunshine
What is it costing me?

* My ST for today is approx = £15.00
* Parking = Free
* 1 pre-game Beer = £5.00
* Pie&Chips if I fancy it = £9.00

Much easier to get to and from the stadium, and home before it gets dark. Interestingly at various games while I chat with people before kickoff I have learned a few used to have a Devils ST.

Now I love my ice hockey as well as the football but for price and convenience of parking and getting to and from the venue there is just no comparison.

 

[Wannabe2]

Have a good day buddy.

 

[Pleximan]

Have a good day buddy.

Thank you Glynne, enjoy the Devils game, hopefully a big win. I'll be catching Olympics ice hockey later with a few beers.

 

[Ocko]

all this will bite them on the backside, they messed up the logo and now they are going to mess with prices.

I bet it doesn’t. They’ll sell out every game regardless, which will mean the pricing will be a big success. Interested to know how the logo has bitten them on the backside? After the initial expected meltdown merchandise and jersey sales have been at their highest level in the clubs history. The older generation might not like that, but it’s also not about them.

The issue is the rink capacity not the decision to raise prices. I’ve never been under the illusion that the club is run as a business and not a community project - when Todd came in and bought the Devils I don’t think anyone was under any illusion that his management would be to build the business as big as possible. Income has to be maximised to stay competing. I’m fine with this. If I couldn’t afford EIHL hockey I’d watch something else. I’d actually be willing to pay even more to actually get a ticket the next seasons prices if I’m honest and have offered well over face value to people over the past few years. The demand is way too high relative to the supply.

Whether the league is sustainable or not (as mentioned by a few people) is not a decision to make instead of raising prices to be competitive next season. We’ve had EIHL hockey for the past 23 seasons and having watched from the very early days in the Heinekan era I don’t think it’s ever been in a more sustainable or stronger position.

 

[kingmo19.1]

Didn’t somebody say after the Covid season …. The fans are the lifeblood of the club, without the fans the club is nothing and they would never be taken for granted?

Seems a few short years later they are being taken for a ride, rinsed financially with no regard for their loyalty!

How some people’s memories fade eh !!!

 

[Ocko]

Didn’t somebody say after the Covid season …. The fans are the lifeblood of the club, without the fans the club is nothing and they would never be taken for granted?

Seems a few short years later they are being taken for a ride, rinsed financially with no regard for their loyalty!

How some people’s memories fade eh !!!

Same lifeblood who drip about a 0.73 win % not being good enough (despite being a huge over achievement considering the budget), but don’t want to pay any extra for it to be better.

Club can’t win. Dont compete, moaned at. Raise prices to be compete, moaned at.

 

[Jamesmaher63]

Goodness - 5 or 6 pints!!! Not driving home I hope?
I have one pint

Absolutely not - the only time I’ll let my wife drive!!

 

[Wannabe2]

Ocko honest question do you really think having a bigger budget we can get closer to the big 3, and do you think if we raise our budget those guys won’t raise theirs. It’s like a catch 22 to me, it would probably be a different scenario if there was a wage cap, although Arena teams would find a way around that.

 

[Ocko]

Ocko honest question do you really think having a bigger budget we can get closer to the big 3, and do you think if we raise our budget those guys won’t raise theirs. It’s like a catch 22 to me, it would probably be a different scenario if there was a wage cap, although Arena teams would find a way around that.

I think yes. We aren’t a million miles away from Belfast, I think we’re two top end players off.

I do think the others teams will then raise theirs, like what happened when we upset the apple cart when the new owners came in. But that’s a problem for a few years time. A lot can happen between now and then and I think as a management team they can only do what they are in control of and that’s to give 26/27 the best kick they can.

I guess you have to put yourself in Todd’s shoes; you have a 3100 seat arena and probably around 3600 people wanting to go to any given game. You’re below the top teams by a signing or two. Do you push out a few hundred fans, still sell out every game and make a load of extra cash that gives us a boost to compete better at the top? or settle for mid table and keep everyone happy with the prices, but unhappy with the position in the table? It’s a no brainer for me and I’m surprised it hasn’t been done sooner.

 

[Meridian]

The one thing I would say is I don't agree with the big jump in prices but don't agree with the comparison to cardiff football. They're effectively third division and have had a bad few years and falling crowds, they have to make it attractive to fans. The Devils sell out every week, again not agreeing with but I can see why they've pushed it.

 

[kingmo19.1]

Same lifeblood who drip about a 0.73 win % not being good enough (despite being a huge over achievement considering the budget), but don’t want to pay any extra for it to be better.

Club can’t win. Dont compete, moaned at. Raise prices to be compete, moaned at.

Perhaps the “Commercial” department could do a better job in securing a couple of bigger name sponsors rather than rinsing the fans continually!

 

[Wannabe2]

Sorry I don’t understand why that’s a problem for a few years time, we raise our budget today then surely the Arena teams raise theirs today. I may well be stupid but I don’t get it and I do realise that ticket prices had to go up like everything else. But we try to close the gap and 3 others raise their game with better players.

 

[pjj365]

So many reasons to buy ST

To be with friends, to enjoy wins, to be entertained, to get out of the house, habit and probably most relevant it's in your DNA

There will always be drop offs and not just for cost reasons. At the moment though retention is not an issue - the waiting list will back fill.

The time will come though when there will be no waiting list - not for more than a couple of years I guess but it will come. ST holders and friends circumstance change, results will be perceived as just too inconsistent, entertainment is not there or tickets are too expensive and the new ST holders will not be around long enough for the Devils to be part of their DNA.

Coupled with a finite market the back fill will reduce.

I get why prices are being increased but going forward it will become a fine balancing act. This is Todd's high wire

 

[Dappy50]

The one thing I would say is I don't agree with the big jump in prices but don't agree with the comparison to cardiff football. They're effectively third division and have had a bad few years and falling crowds, they have to make it attractive to fans. The Devils sell out every week, again not agreeing with but I can see why they've pushed it.

I’ve watched them this year and I’ve got a couple mates who have been season ticket holders for a long time, this is the only place I’ve seen before where watching them has been described as entertainment haha each to their own I suppose

 

[Kevin roog]

This love in with Cardiff city on twitter baffles me, where was this last season, I watched them and it was the most boring afternoon of my life , I know they are now playing the best football anyone has every seen since the Brazil 1970 team , but come on

 

[Earnie]

Where would you rather be this weekend for excitement?
Devils v Sheffield or local football?

 

[Kevin roog]

Got to be honest , can’t wait for tonight, as long as we play like the OT loss against them before Xmas with a bit of oomph, I never get this excited about going to football or Cardiff fire

 

[BostonBart22]

To be honest city expected to romp that division there's nothing to worry them below in the league, great manager , but will he be there next season i doubt it as a bigger club will come in for him and city will struggle in the championship with a manager with no pedigree ..like always in higher division .

 

[E.D.S.]

I can just about take the increase in season ticket prices, but they’ve now got rid of the Guinness. They’ll be changing our logo next.

 

[Celticdruid]

EIHL would need to bring in Deloitte or a similar external auditor to ensure compliance.
However, that wouldn’t come cheap!

As for finding loop holes to covertly pay players, such as cars, accommodation, paid lunches other allowances and cash in hand to players wives for 'cleaning' duties etc etc these are all taxable benefits in kind and if the league or clubs aren't interested in adherence HMRC certainly would be!

It just needs the desire for the league to be transparent and squeaky clean.
Now there’s a few words you wouldn’t normally expect to see or hear in the same sentence!

Safer to have a Gentleman’s Agreement!

Completely agree and this is the point I was trying to make with regards the auditing etc. Would definitely have to be someone/organisation with a proven track record and completely independent. You are right in the sense that it wouldn't come cheap. I can only imagine the costs even split among the league and the clubs. And I agree with you regards the HMRC. It is definitely achievable I think. Maybe not imminently but certainly in the near future. However, I still think that there would have to be severe penalties for any breaches such as loss of points from the league, personal and/or club fines for anyone found to be in breach or even suspension from the league for a set duration. Pretty much like they do, with some level of success in other sports such as the Football Premier League.