Season Ticket Waitlist

[Tom Hughes]

Back when we were getting those sort of crowds the cost of going to the game was a lot less than it is now. It`ll be full next season whether we improve on the field or not, but if our form were to go backwards again, which it has done after an initial boost in form from a new manager, will we continue to see a packed stadium or will we see a lot of empty seats as people stay home rather than watching more decline?

Back then there could also be a large variance in attendances. At the start of a season there would often be very large attendances in anticipation of the new season..... tailing off over the season if the performances didn't quite match that anticipation, or remaining high or building-up again if they did. If you look at those attendances, there could often be 70k+ one week, and only 30k the following one, depending on opposition and team performances. Cup games often got monster attendances regardless. Hence the reason why there were also far fewer season ticket holders in those days. There was no real need to secure your place with such a large capacity. It was also a simpler choice in many ways.... if you were skint, you stood downstairs and gambled on getting a good speck amongst 55k+ standing spaces. If you had a few bob, you sat upstairs in relative comfort and with a far superior view (mostly) in the (roughly) 15k seats, which became 19k seats when the lower Bullens was seated in 1964 and 25k+ seats when the Mainstand side was rebuilt in 1970. The stands were largely well occupied at most grounds, and the large terraces could take-up the slack for the variation in attendances that most clubs experienced then. Importantly, the terraces were cheap to build and thus also offered the cheap-entry option, so, it's a shame that there isn't a safestanding paddock on at least one side to offer similar at BMD. (And a further chance to increase the capacity if increased ratio safe-standing ever comes in).

 

[Tom Hughes]

Pretty sure someone mentioned over 30k

Yes, the club has stated several times that it is over 30k. I just wondered if anyone who has been told that their actual number on the list is in a 30k+ band.

 

[kev]

Without having to read the whole thread, what is the current size of the waiting list? Is there anyone on here with a waiting list number of over 20k or even 15k.

Grandson is in band 18,000 - 21,000
One full year membership, so I would imagine thats the number currently on tier 1 of the waiting list.

 

[MikeyMike]

Interesting Guardian article about why clubs, as businesses, don't want so many season ticket holders once they are successful:

Parasites and premium prices: the grim growth of ticket resellers

Clubs are moving on from the ‘circus’ business model but long-term fans are in danger of being squeezed out

www.theguardian.com

Yes, that sums it up really. I'd be interested to know what Newcastle are doing, now they're aiming to be a Sky club. I'd guess that, like us, they have a larger proportion of season ticket holders than the classic Tourist clubs like the RS, ManUre and Arsenal. In fact, we've probably missed our chance to dump season ticket holders as it can only really be done when you move to a new stadium, or by watering down the season ticket allocation with a stand extension like at Analfield. Thankfully, we will continue to be around 80% season ticket holders, unlike the RS at - I think - around 45%.

 

[Blue peter]

In retrospect, is it not short sighted to have not increased the footprint of the stadium e,g. Buying Nelson Dock to have future proofed expansion potential of the stadium as opposed to seeing if safe standing is allowed and therefore ratios increase?

If we had done that then building a 53,000 stadium would have made sense given the club would have needed to observe supporter behaviour after the gloss of a new stadium has worn off. I’m happy to stand corrected about these matters, but if the stadium cannot be expanded in its current footprint outside of safe standing then it would appear that maybe building a 53000 stadium may not have been the wisest move even though I appreciate it is about the £ cost/benefit per seat.

 

[Tom Hughes]

Grandson is in band 18,000 - 21,000
One full year membership, so I would imagine thats the number currently on tier 1 of the waiting list.

Thanks, I didn't think that I had seen anyone claiming to be over 30k in the list.

Of course a few thousand came off the list with the new season tkts issued at BMD, and some leapfrogged the list going for the hospitality areas, so that could equate to high 20k's for the waiting list, prior to BMD sales.

 

[TraffordBlue]

At a Shareholders Meeting last year it was revealed that the current list was over 34,000. Not sure what it is now.

 

[kev]

Thanks, I didn't think that I had seen anyone claiming to be over 30k in the list.

Of course a few thousand came off the list with the new season tkts issued at BMD, and some leapfrogged the list going for the hospitality areas, so that could equate to high 20k's for the waiting list, prior to BMD sales.

Yes, I can't imagine that there would be more than a few thousand on tier 2 so currently I guess about 23,000 total.

 

[Timbucktoo]

Back then there could also be a large variance in attendances. At the start of a season there would often be very large attendances in anticipation of the new season..... tailing off over the season if the performances didn't quite match that anticipation, or remaining high or building-up again if they did. If you look at those attendances, there could often be 70k+ one week, and only 30k the following one, depending on opposition and team performances. Cup games often got monster attendances regardless. Hence the reason why there were also far fewer season ticket holders in those days. There was no real need to secure your place with such a large capacity. It was also a simpler choice in many ways.... if you were skint, you stood downstairs and gambled on getting a good speck amongst 55k+ standing spaces. If you had a few bob, you sat upstairs in relative comfort and with a far superior view (mostly) in the (roughly) 15k seats, which became 19k seats when the lower Bullens was seated in 1964 and 25k+ seats when the Mainstand side was rebuilt in 1970. The stands were largely well occupied at most grounds, and the large terraces could take-up the slack for the variation in attendances that most clubs experienced then. Importantly, the terraces were cheap to build and thus also offered the cheap-entry option, so, it's a shame that there isn't a safestanding paddock on at least one side to offer similar at BMD. (And a further chance to increase the capacity if increased ratio safe-standing ever comes in).

I`d say that it was hard work attending games during the winter months in those older stadiums, without some of the comforts that modern stadiums give us.

 

[paultheblue]

I do think that 53 thousand is too small in the current climate but nobody really knows how things will pan out over the next few years.
When the BMD novelty wears off unless we see a big change on the pitch many older fans will call it a day and season tickets will not become as sought after as they are now.
Crowds do fluctuate over the years i personally attended a midweek cup game in 64 against Burnley with 63,000 in attendance but was also at a league cup against Coventry in 83 with under 9000 atthe match.
It may be a good thing to have the 53 thousand limit as nobody wants to see empty seats.
The important thing now is getting a team together that can compete and are a joy to watch

 

[Timbucktoo]

I do think that 53 thousand is too small in the current climate but nobody really knows how things will pan out over the next few years.
When the BMD novelty wears off unless we see a big change on the pitch many older fans will call it a day and season tickets will not become as sought after as they are now.
Crowds do fluctuate over the years i personally attended a midweek cup game in 64 against Burnley with 63,000 in attendance but was also at a league cup against Coventry in 83 with under 9000 atthe match.
It may be a good thing to have the 53 thousand limit as nobody wants to see empty seats.
The important thing now is getting a team together that can compete and are a joy to watch

When they were planning the capacity maybe there was some thought on how difficult it would be to get folks away from the stadium after an event and thats why they ended up with a capacity that seems a little small to people. So far the biggest complaint from the test events has been the congestion after the event when the crowd are leaving. Had we gone for a 60k+ capacity with the current transport links can you imagine how messy it could be down there.

 

[bazblue]

Yes, I can't imagine that there would be more than a few thousand on tier 2 so currently I guess about 23,000 total.

Were currently 21,000-25,000 in the waiting list. Kids will be grown up before we get anywhere close.

 

[Tom Hughes]

I`d say that it was hard work attending games during the winter months in those older stadiums, without some of the comforts that modern stadiums give us.

.

Yes, plus hardly anyone owned a car in those days, so it was walking and public transport only, for the vast majority. Lots of terraces were wide open to the elements too. That said, Liverpool's inner city had a much bigger population then too. Everything is relative of course, expectations were much lower in terms of amenities and facilities, and about 80% of people happily stood at most grounds. By comparison, the safestanding ST's in the South Stand were almost the last to go..... albeit they were always going to attract the younger market, who were generally later to get their chance to buy.

 

[Cjplennon]

Thanks, I didn't think that I had seen anyone claiming to be over 30k in the list.

Of course a few thousand came off the list with the new season tkts issued at BMD, and some leapfrogged the list going for the hospitality areas, so that could equate to high 20k's for the waiting list, prior to BMD sales.

My guess was around 25k on tier 1 waitlist judging what i have read on here and my own info from being on the tier 1 waitlist. The tier 2 could be deep, easily another 10K! Remember the tier 2 folk are likely not bothered about getting a season ticket anymore and have let their Everton membership lapse hence dropped onto Tier 2. They will forever bulk up the headline Q unless the club decide to do a tier 2 'scrub' eg ask of you want to remain on the waitlist and if you dont respond then they delete you..... I cant see that benefits the club so they will leave as is and say they have a huge waitlist forever more when they have a load of tier 2 folk who arent actually invested in getting a ST.

 

[Tom Hughes]

At a Shareholders Meeting last year it was revealed that the current list was over 34,000. Not sure what it is now.

I attended that meeting. I got the impression that there was a sort of two tiered list of people who paid to be on it and others who hadn't. Never got to the bottom of it tbh.