The Chicago Addick has criticised this as 'staid and unimaginative'. VOTV editor Rick Everitt has tweeted: 'Overall this isn’t bad; simplification is needed and it was never realistic that the cheaper prices would fall. Charlton are in a difficult position because the existing structure is nuts and the football on offer has been poor.
The Rickster added: 'Also the price increases will make it more difficult to
market season tickets after May and some fans will be looking for evidence of
improvement next season before they commit.'
Leaving aside the question of poorly targeted freebies which have led many to question the value of a season ticket, the cost of living crisis is going to hit many fans. Inflation could be close to double figures before long (not such a big deal for those of us who remember the 1970s) and pay rises are unlikely to keep pace.
My view is that lower league clubs will be hit hardest. Demand at the top clubs is price inelastic, i.e., it doesn't respond a great deal to price changes because they are generally appealing to relatively wealthy fans who like to boast about 'their' adopted club. They also have long waiting lists for season tickets.
I think that the decision of many fans will be influenced by signings in the summer which is an additional argument for acting as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, credit where credit is due. Because of some mobility issues I have had, the ticket office have reassigned me to a seat in the lower west and I hope to make the last two games of the season (particularly on Good Friday when a friend celebrates his 70th). I will thus experience for the first time the sound of silence and the company of the living dead - or I will learn that these caricatures are unfair.
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