Are we trying to entice fans or drive them away?

 
Tony Tannous Columnist

By , 21 Apr 2010 Tony Tannous is a Roar Expert

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Nine or so months ago, during the most recent pre-season, I wrote an article on The Roar about how Gold Coast United had missed a golden opportunity to build goodwill among the local community ahead of their A-League debut by essentially ripping off potential fans for a pre-season friendly against Fulham.

More than 10,000 turned out for that game, and the reports, including those from the knowledgeable Roar readers at the game, is that is was a decent night out, but at a hefty price.

My argument was that Gold Coast could have attracted some instant buy-in from fans by offering a fairer price.

Instead, the perception created by the Clive Palmer and his hierarchy by the pricing of their first match was “we’re exclusive, expensive and after your money”.

The message really should have been, “here’s our team, here’s a reasonable price, come along, check us out and get on board for the A-League. We want you, we need you.”

We all know what transpired throughout their first season, largely, I feel, due to a lack of respect for their fans and lack of willingness to engage the Gold Coast community.

So it was with much disappointment I read on Monday that the lowest price for Kevin Muscat’s testimonial game, at Melbourne’s new rectangular bubble-dome stadium on May 14 will be $31.40.

The next category is priced at $47.40, while top price is $60.40. At that price, you’d think the first choice Socceroos were coming to town.

While the stadium looks an absolute peach, and I, for one, can’t wait to venture south next season to check it out, administrators and these “pricing analysts”, as Clayton described them in the comments on my Gold Coast piece, mustn’t forget what they’re selling here.

It’s ultimately just a friendly kick-about between Melbourne Victory and the Young Socceroos, partly to pay respect to the Victory’s skipper, partly to show off the new stadium.

Muscat will be hoping the fans show him more respect than he showed the Asian Champions League last week.

I certainly hope the Victory pull a gate, but feel their chances would have been better if the cheapest tickets were around the $15 to $20 mark.

Especially when you consider adults can get into any number of AFL games in Melbourne, that weekend, for around the $20 mark.

For another comparison, $30 can get you into Anzac rugby league test on May 7, the first match at the new stadium.

Melbourne Heart, when they eventually get their chance to entice an audience, would do well to learn from the mistakes of others, like the Gold Coast, by offering affordable football.

This whole issue of ticket prices has been a bug-bear of mine since the A-League’s inception.

I still remember the conversation I had with then Sydney FC chairman Walter Bugno at the club’s first training session.

Surveying the impressive SFS arena, I suggested the only way to the fill it, apart from dishing up a decent product on the pitch, was to keep ticket prices reasonable, with an entry point of $20 or less.

He nodded, no doubt appreciating the fine balancing act between keeping the turnstiles ticking and keeping the balance sheet flowing.

We all know that Sydney FC, in season one, fell into a big financial hole that put an end to Bugno and his management team, but the reality is that Sydney offered some wonderful value that season.

Ticket prices started in the $15 to $20 range, with a saving for those who pre-purchased, while often you would find two-for-one offers in the club’s then partner newspaper, The Sydney Morning Herald.

With expensive stadium deals all over the place, it’s a difficult balancing act for administrators to keep everyone happy, but they must always remember the first priority remains the fans.

Follow Tony on Twitter @TonyTannousTRBA
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