A look at the season ticket prices released sometime in the middle of last night.

I have to be very careful what I say in this review, as most will know, last season someone at the Club took such exception to comments i made regarding the installment plan that they refunded my season ticket money without explanation, given this situation I will therefore limit this article to being a comparison between last season and this and where the prices stand in comparison with the rest of the division.

To save time and space as im sure you can compare the prices of your own seats on the official club site I will compare the price for a ticket in the Kingsland Centre blocks.

The price for a season ticket renewal in the Kingsland Centre last season was £380, for this term it will cost you £515 an increase of around 35% working out at £22.40 per game, an individual match ticket will now cost £30 as opposed to £24 last season, plus of course a £2 fee if you buy a ticket on the day and any telephone or online fees that may apply depending on how you buy your ticket.  

Whilst these prices are a sharp increase and at the top end of the prices in the Championship, they are not out there alone in the top end.

A quick look back shows that in our first season in the Championship in 2005/06 we operated a tiered policy where Gold games were £28 per seat and Silver £25, in 2007/08 and 08/09 we had abandoned the tiered system and that seat in the Kingsland centre would cost you £26 and perhaps its this price that Saints fans would best compare these prices to, our last seasons in this division.

Perhaps the biggest change however lies in the Under 11's category, last season kids o this age could get a fre season ticket when purchased with an adult one, now if a parent wished to avail themselves of a free ticket for their child they have to purchase their tickets in the Chapel End which is now the designated family stand, if they do not wish to do this but want to sit in other stands, then the kids ticket is no longer free but will cost £85, this means that a father and son who paid £380 for their two tickets last year would have to fork out £600 to renew in the Kingsland this year.

As mentioned the Chapel Stand is now the designated family stand and it appears that around 6,000 seats are given over to this purpose, its unclear whether those adults who previously sat in the Chapel without kids will now have to move to another part of the ground and whether for the big games individual adult tickets will be sold in the area, on one hand its good that the club are encouraging parents to take kids in this area especially when you take into account that a parent can buy his season ticket for only £380 and with a free kids ticket that means he is paying the same, but it relies heavily on parents taking up this offer and those dads & lads in other stands moving to the Chapel, if they dont it could create an area with vast swathes of empty seats that cant be filled for games where it approaches capacity.

Strangely season ticket renewals dont begin till July 1st and then season ticket holders have a 14 day period in which to renew followed by those wishing to purchase a new ticket having from 15th July till Friday August 5th to buy a ticket, like last year their will be no sales after August 5th and no half season tickets.

However the repayment plan is being re introduced, those wanting to avail themselves of it need to make a downpayment of 50% ie £257.50 for the Kingsland Centre plus an admin fee of 5% £12.88 followed by three monthly installments of approx £86 in September, October & November,  on receipt of your downpayment you will be issued with the first 8 tickets of the season followed by the remainder after you have paid your final installment in November.

That in essence is the details of the ticket prices for next season, your views on them will ddepend on whether you feel that if we are going to compete in this division then we need to increase prices to be able to do so or whether you are in the camp that says that there is a recession on and that being the case and that people have lessoney for leisure persuits then such a big increase can only be detrimenta.l    

Photo: Action Images

mox888 added 13:56 - Jun 3 Something that seems to have escaped you is the fact that concessions for pensioners started at the age of 60 since I became eligible a couple of seasons ago, this season the senior concession is for 65+. For those of you likely to be complaining about a measly 35% increase be thankful your increase in the season ticket price isn't like mine...100% !
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mox888 added 14:09 - Jun 3 Sorry correction my increase is 240%
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AlwaysASaint added 17:29 - Jun 3 For a peculiar reason NC would like to abolish season tickets, or greatly reduce them and will do this by pricing a lot of people out.
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DJI added 19:03 - Jun 3 Can't quite see how some think NC is trying to reduce the number of season ticket holders myself?! Assuming I renew it will cost me £515 for 23 Home Games. If I chose to buy tickets for each game instead, it will cost me £759. So in essence I get to see 32% of the Home games for free compared to buying on a match-by-match basis. However, such a hike is this economy is going to be uncomfortable for some. I am lucky enough to be able to save each month for mine so always have the money but, based on this increase, prices in the Prem could be as much as £697! Considering I go to see Saints regardless of who we play, that's a lot of money just because CFC, MUFC and LUFC might play us once a year! I like the idea of a family stand as that way, young kids are less exposed to us adults venting our frustrations sometimes using colourful words. If their parents don't want to sit in Chapel, then they have to accept what they might hear in the other stands.

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mewnor added 04:10 - Jun 4 @mox888 could you breaqk the 240% down for us please? Ive heard rises of 80-85% from pensioners I know but 240% seems absolutely outrageous.
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mox888 added 09:19 - Jun 4 @mewnor Last years season ticket Chapel End £190 this season £465.
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SaintNick added 09:58 - Jun 4 I think its because they have raised the OAP age from 60 to 65
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mox888 added 10:40 - Jun 4 @ SaintNick, yes it is...makes the eyes water when you're on a fixed income. I see Burnley's take on "harmonising" with European retirement regulations they have also upped the "Seniors" age to 65 but are allowing those who already in the scheme to retain their senior concession. I wonder if Saints will be doing the same?
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mewnor added 13:06 - Jun 4 I called for that on the Echo forum, but theres more chance of Nicola doing a Tarentella in the centre circle at half time. Yours is actually a 145% increase in price which none the less is quite shocking.
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mox888 added 14:03 - Jun 4 @mewnor hmmm my maths is a bit lacking...long time since GCEs but isn't it 100/190 x 465 = 244 ?? ;+)
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mox888 added 14:08 - Jun 4 Haa yeah OK don't bother, double is a 100% increase so it will be around 145%.
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mewnor added 15:06 - Jun 4 I just hope that Cortese sees sense and does a Burnley and allows you to retain the concession. I doubt any other group of fans in the country are facing anywhere close to a 145% increase in price then the 60-64 range of Saints followers. People need to complain without the overhanging threat of having your ticket refunded like the author above!!
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AlwaysASaint added 16:11 - Jun 4 Don't hold your breath! NC has Saints FC's interest at heart of course, but I'm not sure if he worries too much about the supporters!
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undertoomers added 12:10 - Jun 5 Your caculations are lax Nick. To renew a season ticket in the Kingsland Stand (as I did) last season was £393.00. An increase of 31% . If you paid £ 380.00 no wonder they sent your money back (joke).
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