Saints have announced the details for next seasons season tickets and it's good news price wise as the club tried to make tickets more financially accessible for all.
The problem Southampton FC have as a football club is that in order to compete they have to generate income, although money from the Premier League is a large chunk of income, it has to be remembered that every club has a big income and that when you consider the difference in prize money between winning the league and finishing 10th is only around £20 million, you can see that it is as much about bringing in revenue from ticket sales and advertising, sponsorship etc as prize money.
That means the club is caught between a rock and a hard place, on one hand it needs to reward the loyal supporters with a significant reduction, but on the other hand if it does that then it will be taking revenue out of other areas including a transfer kitty.
But there is some big news, a £399 adult season ticket to make it more accessible for those on a lower income, the 18-21 age group extended to 25 to recognise that those in their early 20's might not have the cash at that stage in their careers.
But what it seems to have done with the season ticket prices is at least try to show it appreciates the support the fans have given and it has also tried to bring down prices for not just adults but kids as well.
To be blunt it is almost as complicated as Brexit, but when you read it through no one will pay more for a season ticket renewal than last year and most will pay less and that has to be good news.
So the overall verdict is that for those who want a quick reward for two poor seasons and were hoping for a significant discount in this years season ticket, it is not going to deliver, it is more of a complete revamp aimed at making the season ticket offering better value over a medium term period.
Having spoken to the club I can't argue with their logic behind the changes, this is not perfect, but it is a step forward in the right direction.
Anyway best to let you cut through the news yourself so we have printed the clubs announcement in full below.
Southampton Football Club has announced details of Season Tickets for the 2019/20 campaign, with seats on sale from today — and more value on offer than ever before.
Both new and existing Season Ticket holders can purchase their own piece of St Mary’s (from 9am), with the return of Loyalty Pricing meaning a lower cost for renewals.
Two-thirds of existing Season Ticket holders will see a reduction in price, while no fan renewing will pay more than they did in 2018/19 within the same age banding.
And, with new individual matchday pricing for 2019/20 — details of which will be confirmed soon — there will be even better value than in previous years for Season Ticket holders.
The club, which consulted thoroughly with supporter groups throughout, including the Saints Voice panel, is also pleased to be introducing a new £399 Season Ticket, as well as extending the upper limit of its young adult age category from 21 to 25-years-old, in order to offer more affordable options for supporters and make its games among the most accessible in the Premier League.
Key details for 2019/20 are as follows…
· Loyalty Pricing for existing Season Ticket holders, with thousands of reductions, and prices frozen in premium areas
· A new £399 Season Ticket available in a dedicated 2,000-seat section in the Itchen South corner
· Big savings for more young adults, with 18-21 age group now extended to 18-25
· Under-11s now pay just £1 per match, with a £19 Season Ticket in the Family Stand
· A new interest-free finance plan, with no arrangement fee to pay on four-month plans
Existing Season Ticket holders will have their seats held until Tuesday 4th June, with the opportunity to take advantage of the Loyalty Price window until Friday 17th May, after which time prices will rise to match those of new purchases.
Those wishing to move to the new £399 section can do so, with 50 per cent of those seats reserved for existing Season Ticket holders.
Please note that, due to the work involved in processing movement in this area, and to manage demand, seats in this section will be sold over the phone or in person only. All seats will be allocated by the club, with a maximum of two current Season Ticket Holders able to move together. No movement will be permitted in these seats once purchased.
Fans wishing to move their existing Season Ticket to any other section of the stadium can do so by selecting available seats at any time during the renewal process or by renewing in their current position and then filling out our Seat Transfer Request Form to be moved following the release of any seats that haven’t been renewed
Any supporters with any amendments to their seats will be emailed with full details of their options.
All sales will be paused between June 5th and 9th while seat transfer requests around the stadium are processed, with all unsold seats then being put on general sale from Monday 10th June.
Fans can spread the cost of their Season Ticket across four separate payments with our new four-month interest-free, no-fee payment plan.
Those wishing to utilise the ten-month finance plan, which has existed previously, can still do so, although this will carry a £36.50 facility fee, a slight reduction on last season’s offering.
Remember that all 2019/20 Season Ticket holders will also receive the following benefits:
· Priority access on away and cup matches
· 10% retail discount in store and online
· 30% off room hire at St Mary’s
· Season Ticket holder discounts on selected games for matchday hospitality
· Access to exclusive events
· Exclusive Season Ticket Newsletter including discounts and competitions
· £2 off official away travel
· 10% off week-long soccer schools for Juniors
· Brand new four-month interest free, no-fee payment plan
For full information on pricing, as well as more details and answers to a number of frequently asked questions, visit our dedicated Season Ticket page here.
How to buy…
· Online: tickets.saintsfc.co.uk
· Phone: 02381 780780
· In person: St Mary’s Ticket Office