Maybe he'll only run the 'friend' scheme for 1 game against one of the less attractive opposition. So if you want to watch Hull all season it would still save you money if you bought a pass. The muppet would be the guy who didn't inform his potential customers of the likely shortage of discounts as compared to previous years. You might think that's rubbish but it seems a fairly honest approach to me, as well as hopefully securing more passholder business. Passholders will be looked after this season - good on Pearson. Sorry if you don't like it.

Why do you need to inform customers in advance that they won't be getting any discounted matches other than to press upon people that buying a pass is the only way you'll get a discount. However in the same breath he states "At some matches, we may continue to offer our special offers for children and friends, such as our successful ‘Friends for a Fiver’ offer, but these will only be available exclusively to 2014 Season Pass holders"
Yet the people getting into the matches under this offer (if indeed one transpires)are non pass holders, thus they would be getting a discount...contradictary but still tries to force the issue about passes either way you look at it.

I am pretty sure that anyone accompanying a pass holder, and paying a fiver to do so, would be a none passholder. Therefore it is irrelevant isn't it? Could have called it bring a friend, enemy, stranger or even a six fingered Robin for a fiver which would make it clearer.

Aye. Only way he can get this wrong, is if we get 4 or more bring a friend for a fiver matches.

However, I don't really care to be honest. It used to annoy me but am not really that fussed about it anymore. The biggest issue for me is the new fans that come under this scheme, don't come back as we are largely useless at home and uninspiring!

Why do you need to analyse every word said and then tear it to pieces?

The cheapest option is not to go. Anything else and you need to know what's changing.
Then you can't complain at the end of the season that it would have been cheaper to buy a pass.

Obvious really.

You're over analising it.

The offer of bringing a "friend for a fiver" is only available to pass holders, so a non pass holder wouldn't be able to walk up, pay full price, and then bring a mate in for £5. Its not hard to understand.

It could also be said that the perk of having a pass is to be able to bring a mate along for £5.

What he's trying to do here is make pass holders feel appreciated and push those who are debating buying a pass into actually buying one by making it seem more financially viable.

However I think it will be detrimental to the overall attendance, epically the un-attractive games (London, Cats...etc), a casual fan is not going to buy a pass because there are no more cheap tickets, they are much more likely to not go at all.

The pass holder will have to buy the discounted ticket in advance and produce his pass.

Discounted tickets won't be available at the turnstile.

Think its a pretty bold statement and one that could come back to bite him if he doesn't get the response he wants in terms of pass sales.

If and it is if there is a dramatic downturn in pass sales and team form is poor then surely the only recourse, especially for the less attractive games is to offer a discount and try and entice stay aways back to the fold.

If you add the Allam/SMC "cut" (whatever that might be) into the equation,
you might find that pay at the turnstile doesn't actually make a significant difference to income.

Only guessing.

If you really want to get bored....

I'm not over analysing anything, 'Sir Stan' stated how will one tell the difference between a non pass holder & a friend, 'Sheldon' then came back with a childish response that made him/her look stupid because it was there in the wording, pretty obviously without having to 'analyse anything.
I realise that for some you may have to digest what people write more so than others but what Pearson wrote was plainly obvious.

For fans that turn up ad-hoc why should they care how much or if there's a discount, to wait to attend only games (one or two if you're lucky) if a discount is offered is just a nonsense.
You turn up when you can or when you feel like it, whatever the prevailing price is is what you pay. If you don't like the full price don't attend, that's your option.
For Pearson to make such a statement about discounting is just solely to push the pass sales, IMO he doesn't need to mention discounted games not happening, in fact it just makes the statement look negative. For sure mention about £5 friend or child with a season pass holder, the second bit just came across as agressive in its nature and was contadictory.

I think last season showed that price cuts and small promotions do little for our gate. More than anything it is the teams form & hype that affects our crowds, and whether the game is on TV or not.

We seem to get 10-11K home fans for every home game regardless of the opposition now. Whereas before it was more like 11-12K for the small games, with another few thousand turning up for the big ties. We've lost a good 1k of the 'hardcore' support over the last few years, while the floating fans aren't bothered anymore.

What doesn't help is that we have to be the worst side for flopping dramatically on TV, every time we win a couple of games and a flicker of hype starts to build...the team go and put in a horror show. Its no surprise fans choose to stay at home or watch on TV and keep their money.

What he wrote can't have been that obvious as both you and SirStan have misinterpreted it fairly fundamentally.


Cobblers. Fans who don't buy passes choose which games to attend for all sorts of reason - one of which will be whether or not cheap tickets are available. Now they know that no cheap tickets will be available unless you're a passholder or know one who will take you as a 'friend'. Far better to be pre-warned than find out mid-season that no cheap tickets are on offer - maybe a few of them will buy passes now instead.

many season ticket holders complained last season about the offers, myself wasn't too bothered, glad we still get to take advantage of the friend for a fiver offer though

even though we are not doing any offers, I still would have liked to see one game, apart from the derby game, ear marked as the big one like wigan do

Got mine today . West stand as per usual COYH

Got our three this week. Going around the block again.

If fans don't want to get or renew they passes that they choice some fans cannot afford to get a pass.My choice was to renew because it save me money.I cannot see the point in falling out with other posters over the matter.
I just need my fix of rugby league.Other posters to them money could be tight and cannot afford to get a pass so it's
they choice to pick they games.There is no shame in that;that the hardship in life this day and age.Only to glad my working days are over I feel sorry for the young ones trying to get jobs and other people out of work.

Got 3 more to buy at the end of the month, making our usual 5.

There'll be 4 shirts too, love the design and the way we're going about things.

Compare this to the he-man-woman thing's regime and we're streets ahead - just need to get it right on the pitch. One things for sure. we know Adam Pearson will not stand for second best.

giving discounts for games devalues the product so I'm glad they've gone, either buy a season pass or don't & don't expect any discounts.Bradford & hudds amongt others I'm sure massively discounted their season passes and/or individual games (Hudds game was free I think against Leeds a couple of years ago) & it didn't increase their average gates at all so they lost money.

The RFL found that to their cost by giving away the title sponsorship for pretty much nothing that discounting doesn't work for bringing in punters long term..

4484 sold by this point last year

You kept a spreadsheet?

Rovers sold 6900 passes in 2009. Given your ground expansion off the back of this, presumably 7500 is your minimum target.

Getting mine today, going unreserved and giving my reserved seat up as my little boy comes each week now.