How to engender loyalty!

[ExAviator]

Is there another Premiership Club that treats its loyal season ticket holders as badly as Saracens?

My wife and I are season ticket holders for seats in East Stand at Allianz Park midway between the 22 and the try line. These have designated Silver since the move but from next season we have just been informed that 25% of seats, including ours, are being upgraded from Silver to Gold and Gold to Platinum.

I’m 82 and my wife just a few years younger so we get a concession in Silver. There is no concession in Gold or Platinum.

The effects:
• cost in 2017 of two concession Silver tickets was about £350 each;
• in 2018 two ticket for the very same seats will cost £400 each (a special reduction for one year only)
• in 2019 two tickets for the very same seats will cost £700 plus inflation (100% increase in two years)

We’re living on pensions. Next year we would be paying £1400 pounds for two far from optimum view tickets plus travelling costs of just under £400. Not surprisingly we have just indicated to the Saracens management we will not be renewing our season tickets and, sadly, will cease to be loyal supporters of Saracens. The players are excellent – the Saracens management is certainly NOT!

Incidentally the Management almost certainly all have Platinum seats that are not being upgraded.

[Stom]

I was lucky to be a season ticket holder at Quins during Mark Evans' time, his quotes in this article are illuminating:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/ ... r-cornwall

[Digby]

I'd suggest taking your time and money and joining a NL1 or NL2 South team. The rugby is a drop, but they'll love to have you (and your money) and it's much more a community thing. Although I say it's a community thing when I very rarely go to games at either of the clubs I'm a member at (Moseley and Sutton Coldfield) but at least I know they're getting my money. Instead on a Saturday I'm much more likely to be attending some crap the kid is participating in, which I'm told is important but god damn it's boring for the most part.

[Mellsblue]

What Diggers said, but go to Bedford! From previous comments I think you live fairly nearby and have been to a few matches already.

I suppose Sarries do need to increase revenue as Rupert has walked away and they do lose a lot of money. However, this seems a pretty insensitive and ill-thought out way of doing it.

[Bloggs]

I was lucky to be a season ticket holder at Quins during Mark Evans' time, his quotes in this article are illuminating:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/ ... r-cornwall

Mark Evans would make a terrific PRL CEO

[ExAviator]

Thanks Digby and Mellsblue.

Yes I still go to watch Bedford on occasion and have done since 1976. Next season I could well become a 'regular'.

I agree that Sarries do need to increase their revenue but to target just 25% of season ticket holders with an additional double impact on those over 65 does seem unfair. I , and many of the regulars around me at the Bath match on Sunday, felt the Club was trying to cut down on the number of 'concessionaries' and that the old are no longer welcome!
To increase the pre-notified cost by say eight per cent per year for the next three years on all season ticket holders would, under the Clubs current financial state, be much more acceptable.

[Mellsblue]

ExAviator, season ticket info at Bedford:

http://bedfordrugby.co.uk/sites/default ... 018-19.pdf

[Mellsblue]

Having now read through Mr Irvine’s blurb, there will be a replacement to the B&I Cup. No obvious format springs to mind.

[ExAviator]

Thanks Mellsblue. I am on Bedford's circulation list.

[Mellsblue]

At least I now know who the other one is!