Possible that the increased attendance and lower receipts is explained by the undisclosed number of free tickets given away to ensure the ground looks full? Would need to understand the timings around year end and season ticket purchasing windows to unpick the deferred income.
They are likely giving away or discounting the higher priced tickets. In my experience, they are always available (the higher priced RS tickets). I think what is happening is that the club bet that they could replace revenue from long time fans/season ticket holders with single game sales to tourists willing to pay more. This was flawed reasoning - why would a tourist pick Fulham over Chelsea, West Ham, etc. if they just want to go to a PL game? The Cottage is harder to get to from central London and it is likely that their friends back home have never heard of Fulham. It also means that Fulham is now competing with all tourist activities for tourist dollars (and it is a lot easier to walk to the West End to see a show then to get to Fulham). And, while the new luxury features are cool why would a fan who cares about that stuff come to Fulham over going to a big name club (if they have the money to buy those tickets instead). These kind of fans can afford to get luxury wherever and whenever they want. Yes, the Riverside is cool and can help supplement income but there are not enough of these new visitors to replace real fans. The club needs to figure out how to keep and grow the existing fan base while also attracting new ones willing to pay more.
A very good read and I look forward to the upcoming articles on the finances of the club. From a personal point of view I can only say that I am one of the long time fans(50 years) that does not attend many games anymore due to the high ticket prices. When I go my son comes with me so as a future supporter he is also seeing less of the team he loves.
The season I was really able to get invested in Fulham was 2021/22. I attended around 15 games that season, for about £110 on tickets (as an under 18). That is absurdly good value, even in the championship. I would not go on to go to so many games, without that ability to (1) just go to games (especially as the commute/food is more expensive than those tickets, (2) bring friends and family along to generate those shared experiences, (3) connect with the community in a time when everyone who went in the hammy end loved coming to the games. That is simply not possible any more. I can only afford to go to a few games per season, and if I am to bring someone, I am either in the Putney end, or the rare time the hammy end has a few free. The riverside and even a lot of the JH is prohibitively expensive on individual matchdays. Now they have upped the season ticket prices even further? The club simply dont understand the importance of retaining a passionate, healthy support, as otherwise fans like me, who have only been able to be matchgoing fans due to their cheaper ticket prices, will never come about in the first place. As fans -> surely we would prefer a good atmosphere & 15th than high ticket prices and what 12th? As if the difference is really going to be made through these ticket prices? You can ONLY justify raising when you are raising the quality on the pitch. We are not doing that -> and they are not getting sales.
Very interesting read and I can tell you they have lost eight season ticket holders for next season me and my mates have had enough of the Fulham board taking the piss we would all rather spend our hard earned money on our local clubs we are an assortment of ages and been season ticket holders for over30years we will always support Fulham there our team but enough is enough COYW
Same here. I've reduced my attendance to one token game per season, which is sad and somewhat cutting off my nose to spite my face, but I can't go there in good faith with the current approach the club is taking. It's horrible to feel so at odds and genuinely alienated from your club, the greatest thing about football is COMMUNITY, something which Ally Mac clearly has zero appreciation for.
Selling more tickets in lower priced stands despite increases and fewer in The Riverside. Doing deals with corporates and counting the attendance figures. Freebies counted in attendance figures. Great article!
If the reality is as you present it I'm sure AM will have some cock and bull explanation for it, he is not the sort of man to admit if he was wrong. His answer will be just to try and push more hospitality sales to the rich.
The good news is - if the Khans keep the club - AM and they will most likely have to adjust eventually. AM and the Khans can’t - in the long run - spin away bad sales numbers. While I think a big part of the problem is AM because, while I would guess he is an excellent accountant, he seems to be very bad at being a CEO (there are a litany of management failures on his watch - e.g., Riverside, many PR problems, slow recruitment and now this), I am guessing that the source of the problem with the club’s ill-considered pivot to luxury is the Khans. I used to be a CMO (head of marketing) and I’ve seen this story before. The Khans are assuming what they like - luxury at the Riverside - is what everyone else wants and AM is trying to make them happy. It’s the most common marketing mistake, selling to yourself instead of the customers who actually like/want to buy your product, and gets worse with rich people (who no longer get told they are wrong and often amazingly think they are just average folks). The Khans will realize they can have their luxury AND also serve the people who come and watch because of community, heritage etc and will do because they are business people who like to/need to succeed. It’s ridiculous that this has to happen but it sure seems to be the case. Of course, it is possible that they figured something out this year but, based on the anecdotes here and elsewhere about this, it seems just as likely that the numbers will get worse (as the luxury customers who tried to buy the boxes, don’t come back or try it again and long time supporters like yourself don’t renew season tickets). We will see. Don’t give up - these numbers show that a reckoning could well be in the works.
Possible that the increased attendance and lower receipts is explained by the undisclosed number of free tickets given away to ensure the ground looks full? Would need to understand the timings around year end and season ticket purchasing windows to unpick the deferred income.
They are likely giving away or discounting the higher priced tickets. In my experience, they are always available (the higher priced RS tickets). I think what is happening is that the club bet that they could replace revenue from long time fans/season ticket holders with single game sales to tourists willing to pay more. This was flawed reasoning - why would a tourist pick Fulham over Chelsea, West Ham, etc. if they just want to go to a PL game? The Cottage is harder to get to from central London and it is likely that their friends back home have never heard of Fulham. It also means that Fulham is now competing with all tourist activities for tourist dollars (and it is a lot easier to walk to the West End to see a show then to get to Fulham). And, while the new luxury features are cool why would a fan who cares about that stuff come to Fulham over going to a big name club (if they have the money to buy those tickets instead). These kind of fans can afford to get luxury wherever and whenever they want. Yes, the Riverside is cool and can help supplement income but there are not enough of these new visitors to replace real fans. The club needs to figure out how to keep and grow the existing fan base while also attracting new ones willing to pay more.
Exactly. It would be surprising if Riverside is full with full price tickets and deferred income likely, particularly with new rules next season.
The Riverside is NEVER full.
A very good read and I look forward to the upcoming articles on the finances of the club. From a personal point of view I can only say that I am one of the long time fans(50 years) that does not attend many games anymore due to the high ticket prices. When I go my son comes with me so as a future supporter he is also seeing less of the team he loves.
The season I was really able to get invested in Fulham was 2021/22. I attended around 15 games that season, for about £110 on tickets (as an under 18). That is absurdly good value, even in the championship. I would not go on to go to so many games, without that ability to (1) just go to games (especially as the commute/food is more expensive than those tickets, (2) bring friends and family along to generate those shared experiences, (3) connect with the community in a time when everyone who went in the hammy end loved coming to the games. That is simply not possible any more. I can only afford to go to a few games per season, and if I am to bring someone, I am either in the Putney end, or the rare time the hammy end has a few free. The riverside and even a lot of the JH is prohibitively expensive on individual matchdays. Now they have upped the season ticket prices even further? The club simply dont understand the importance of retaining a passionate, healthy support, as otherwise fans like me, who have only been able to be matchgoing fans due to their cheaper ticket prices, will never come about in the first place. As fans -> surely we would prefer a good atmosphere & 15th than high ticket prices and what 12th? As if the difference is really going to be made through these ticket prices? You can ONLY justify raising when you are raising the quality on the pitch. We are not doing that -> and they are not getting sales.
Very interesting read and I can tell you they have lost eight season ticket holders for next season me and my mates have had enough of the Fulham board taking the piss we would all rather spend our hard earned money on our local clubs we are an assortment of ages and been season ticket holders for over30years we will always support Fulham there our team but enough is enough COYW
Same here. I've reduced my attendance to one token game per season, which is sad and somewhat cutting off my nose to spite my face, but I can't go there in good faith with the current approach the club is taking. It's horrible to feel so at odds and genuinely alienated from your club, the greatest thing about football is COMMUNITY, something which Ally Mac clearly has zero appreciation for.
Selling more tickets in lower priced stands despite increases and fewer in The Riverside. Doing deals with corporates and counting the attendance figures. Freebies counted in attendance figures. Great article!
If the reality is as you present it I'm sure AM will have some cock and bull explanation for it, he is not the sort of man to admit if he was wrong. His answer will be just to try and push more hospitality sales to the rich.
The good news is - if the Khans keep the club - AM and they will most likely have to adjust eventually. AM and the Khans can’t - in the long run - spin away bad sales numbers. While I think a big part of the problem is AM because, while I would guess he is an excellent accountant, he seems to be very bad at being a CEO (there are a litany of management failures on his watch - e.g., Riverside, many PR problems, slow recruitment and now this), I am guessing that the source of the problem with the club’s ill-considered pivot to luxury is the Khans. I used to be a CMO (head of marketing) and I’ve seen this story before. The Khans are assuming what they like - luxury at the Riverside - is what everyone else wants and AM is trying to make them happy. It’s the most common marketing mistake, selling to yourself instead of the customers who actually like/want to buy your product, and gets worse with rich people (who no longer get told they are wrong and often amazingly think they are just average folks). The Khans will realize they can have their luxury AND also serve the people who come and watch because of community, heritage etc and will do because they are business people who like to/need to succeed. It’s ridiculous that this has to happen but it sure seems to be the case. Of course, it is possible that they figured something out this year but, based on the anecdotes here and elsewhere about this, it seems just as likely that the numbers will get worse (as the luxury customers who tried to buy the boxes, don’t come back or try it again and long time supporters like yourself don’t renew season tickets). We will see. Don’t give up - these numbers show that a reckoning could well be in the works.