Ipswich Town
HAVE YOUR SAY: Town announce ticket prices for rearranged Middlesbrough game
By Dave Gooderham
Monday, February 13, 2012
5:05 PM
IPSWICH Town have announced that fans who attended Saturday’s abandoned match against Middlesbrough will be entitled to heavily-discounted tickets for the rearranged match on Tuesday, March 27 (7.45pm ko).
Chief executive Simon Clegg has today announced prices will be drastically cut for fans who visited Portman Road on Saturday – after initially coming in for criticism by claiming that there would only be a 50% discount in line with Football League regulations.
The first match against Boro was already a discounted match where non-season ticket holders took advantage of a 25% reduction, adult prices set at £20, £25 and £30,
As well as that same price discount in place for the March fixture, supporters who attended the weekend game though will also be able to buy tickets for £5, £7.50 or £10, subject to proof of purchase.
In a statement, Clegg said: “It was very frustrating for all concerned that Saturday’s game ended the way it did but as a club we could not have done any more to ensure the game went ahead.
“Extreme temperatures of -13 were recorded at the ground and while our groundstaff did an amazing job to get the pitch playable, the referee felt that the conditions had deteriorated enough in those 37 minutes of play to make his decision.
“We were obviously particularly disappointed for the supporters of both clubs and after the game I made it clear from the outset that we would heavily discount prices for the rearranged fixture and review the situation today – and I have done that.
“It’s the club’s policy – in line with the vast majority of Premier League and Championship clubs - that as the game was abandoned before half-time we would set a 50 per cent discount but on this occasion we have reduced prices significantly beyond that. No one who was at the game on Saturday will have to pay more than £10 to watch the rearranged match and for the vast majority it will be £7.50 or £5.
“I realise that we can’t please every supporter but it has to be recognised that there are significant costs to hosting a football match, regardless of how long it lasts.
“We employ 400 additional staff on matchday for example, who all have to be paid, plus there are costs for catering, medical, match officials and plenty more.
“Hopefully the vast majority of supporters who were here on Saturday will be back at Portman Road on March 27 – with the weather a bit warmer this time.”
A club spokesman said full details of sales dates and priorities will be published in the next few weeks,
Middlesbrough have already pledged to pay the extra for any Boro fans who wanted to return to Suffolk for the rearranged fixture as well as look into the possibility of offering free travel.
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52 comments
trueblue.....wingers? I think you mean whingers, and it is the so called whingers, that have given Clegg the feedback that has made even the reduction from 50% possible. When the club go on to allow the tickets to be used for another game if you can't make the M'boro game (if they do) it will be the 'whingers' who have again made this possible. I do ask you, in all seriousness, how badly does our club have to be run before you actually notice? And at what point do you think you would become angry? I have stated all along that the team should be supported 100% for the 90 minutes, and I would always do that. However, I have become so angry at the way my club, our club, is being run, that I have decided not to attend whilst Clegg remains. Not an easy decision, not taken lightly, and if you consider me to be a winger (striker in my day) then I can only tentatively suggest that you are being taken for being a mug by the club.
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Kevin Bailey
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
To be frank I am sick of hearing about this. The wingers blaming ITFC for letting the game go ahead, at the end of the day it was the referee's and the officials decision and not the CLUB. It would seem that these people just need something to complain about, think about it at least you had 37 minutes and didnt get to the ground to find the game postponed. At the end of the day the CLUB have given discount above and beyond what they are required to do for the re-arranged fixture. Come on town another good performance and 3 points tonight. COME ON YOU BLUES.
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trueblue
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Dear Fellow ITFC Supporter, look at the number of posts.... This is a PR shambles ... Portman Road, Public Relations disaster. It doesn't matter what excuses the management uses, one big gesture could have had such a positive impact. Not sure what it has cost the club financially to have to play again? Let's estimate it at £50,000? The fans will have to pay in their time, petrol, travel costs, ovrnight stay costs for some, programme costs, parking costs, pie costs....etc Let's estimate this.... Say 20,000 home fans ... Possibly 4 per car - average at 20 miles, total 50,000 miles = £10,000 700 away fans at £25 travel costs each on average = £17,500..... and then 5,000 tickets at £10 each = £50,000.... It is going to cost the fans more than the club! But the real losers will be both the club and the fans. Someone is bringing the club into a very public dispute or is it disrepute... Never before has there been such a mess... Ipswich get your act together, you cannot put a price on loyalty.... And you are in danger of alienating a large proportion of your real fan base. Do you value your fans? Really value us? Or is it just about money!
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Blue and true since 1962
Monday, February 13, 2012
Has anyone considered season ticket holders here? All the moaning seems to be coming from people who do not actually really support the team on a full-time basis? I too was gutted that the match was called off. I too struggle to get to games due to work, so will not be able to make the re-arranged game now. I too had to sacrafice a day going to 37 mins of football which should not have been canceled. I too had to pay for my fuel to get there etc etc. So actually no one wins here. Football is sometimes called off & we're not happy about it. So stop moaning & try to use your energies in some support whilst you're at the replay...... I won't hold my breath though!!!
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Concerned of Suffolk
Monday, February 13, 2012
NB...you just don;t get it, do you? The fact that Clegg made the 50% comments after the game really angered many, many supporters. The only reason he changed tat, was due to that anger getting fed back, and the actions of Middlesborough in trying to help their supporters. He is a walking disaster, and that is what I object to. I said all along, if you look at my posts, that it would be altered, and for the amount of money raised it is the wrong thing to do. Don;t forget, this was supposed to be a game to attract back the supporters that have been alienated by the actions of the club since Evans and Clegg turned up, and this fiasco, entirely made by Clegg will do nothing to build bridges, and from what I have read on various other forums, and heard from friends, this has been really, really damaging, and the club is already in for an unpleasant reaction when they come to renew season tickets. It is an utter shambles, and if you think this is in any way the right way to behave, then you clearly have different standards to me, and accept being treated like an 'idiot'. I do not, and with each passing week, the club just gets worse. I support the club, own shares in it (worthless now) and have seen hundreds of games over the last 40 years. What I have never sen is the club so detached from it's supporters, and in such denial. I repeat, this was a game designed to attract supporters back, and we were initially told that we would need to pay 50% to see the re-arranged match. Why can supporters who are not able to attend the midweek match use their M'boro tickets for another game? It is surely revenue neutral, and a further unnecessary rule based decision showing a lack of understanding of supporter's feelings. I have never attended an AGM, but I will be attending the next one, and I will have researched further in order to ensure that probing questions are asked. I still maintain that Clegg will be gone post Olympics, prior to the start of next season.
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Kevin Bailey
Monday, February 13, 2012
I have to admit, I find this ridiculous in a way. Just let the tickets from the match that got abandoned be sufficient for use in the re-arranged match. Hm, again Steroo lacks logical wording but that's no surprise. Clegg is the problem, not Jewell.
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Paul The Alien
Monday, February 13, 2012
My understanding is that the 13000 season ticket holders do not need to pay anything more for the re arranged fixture so I don't understand why 5000 who bought match tickets are being penalised for something that was clearly an error made by the football club in trying to get the game on against impossible odds. Did they not learn something from Watford last year when the match was called off with about an hour to go. Is Mr Glegg so surprised that supporters are losing faith with the club.
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Tim Bartlett
Monday, February 13, 2012
How many match day tickets will be sold for the visit of Cardiff on Saturday? My guess is less than there would have been had Saturdays debacle not taken place.
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Neil Gedny
Monday, February 13, 2012
So what about the four childrens tickets I bought for the game? What must I pay for them for the rematch?...if they are allowed to stay up late on a schoolday!
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Alan Scurrell
Monday, February 13, 2012
I think the club has done all it can under the circumstances .There is a lot of money spent on additional staff etc .£ 5 for most supporters seem very reasonable ,although I think if some fans can't get to the re-arranged game a refund could be offered .
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ruralrob
Monday, February 13, 2012
Drew - You are quite right. The club initially offered the bare minimum required (quoting the rule book in the process) only to up their offer following adverse criticism. But what would have been so wrong with being a bit more customer focused from the outset and making a more generous offer from the start ? Would it not have been better PR to have put the fans first before finances ? By the way if you are to criticise "moaners" for poor punctuation you really should lead by example and remember to finish your sentences with a full stop.
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bluearmy78
Monday, February 13, 2012
Lets be honest you have to be an absolute moron to pay good money to watch what Town serve up anyway . Maybe Drew is first in the queue when season ticket renewals come around .
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LizzSnot
Monday, February 13, 2012
R2D2 - It wasn't an FA match Some of you lot really ought to get a grip.
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Drew Peacock
Monday, February 13, 2012
What is the problem? True fans, ie season ticket holders, will not pay a penny for the rearranged match. Time to have a satisfied grin as we constantly have to watch uncommitted followers being bribed to attend
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55 years a blue
Monday, February 13, 2012
Tom...very few Town supporters come from Ipswich and yes indeed there is quite a different make up in evening games which provide an opportunity for supportrers who cannot get to sarturday games (ref. common sense and Sheepshanks' expensive market research) The ticket offer was aimed at attracting new 'customers' and or lapsed fans like my good self. Most of those who took up the offer like myself went in a group who cannot go to an evening game, nor necessarily even want to go to any subsequent game. So an apparently semi-generous offer is in fact cynical and calculated opportrunism - the club habe pocketed the money and have done a back of a fag packet calculation on how to appear generous whilst taking the money and ignoring the consequences of alienating most of the people who took up the ticket offer.
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Rob Steroo
Monday, February 13, 2012
R2D2 - It wasn't an FA match Some of you lot really ought to get a grip.
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Drew Peacock
Monday, February 13, 2012
Under the current FA Customer Charter (thefa.com) the ticket refund policy states ' if a match is abandoned after kickoff,ticket holders are entitled to free entry to a rescheduled fixture or a partial refund' I paid £32.50 for my ticket (!) it would appear that all i'm being offered is a discount toward a re arranged match which i cannot make. This is both unjust and unfair. I didnt get what i thought i'd paid for so wont be attending any other home matches this season unless they reconsider. I will also be lodging a complaint with the FA. Considering marcus evans is involved in PR this has been very poorly dealt with.
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R2D2
Monday, February 13, 2012
This discount is doing nothing for a lot of fans. The main thing being it's now a night game so a lot of children and mums can't go.So we have lost 2 adult children, 2 children tickets.My husband and his friends all have season tickets but we pay as we go. Also we would have gone this weekend but now we wont.
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twittle
Monday, February 13, 2012
well fans if you are unable to make it to the rearranged match itfc will keep your money and if can make it charge you more sounds like a business to rip you off and then mention that itfc lost money but you can afford it we can't now thats what i call pathitic and wrong
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Rebeljcf
Monday, February 13, 2012
"as few people who work for a living can get to an evening game" ???? Are the 16,000 - 19,000 who have been watching evening matches regularly for the last few years at PR all unemployed or retired, then, Rob? Am genuinely confused by the logic of that post. Anyone who finishes work at between 5pm to even 7pm in Ipswich can make the match, as they regularly do.
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Tom
Monday, February 13, 2012
Kevin Bailey - There you go kevin, bit better than 50% wasn't it?
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NB
Monday, February 13, 2012
@drew thought the point was to get us fair weather fans through the painted turnstiles? Kinda messed it up when offering 25% off it ends costing more for another ticket and more travel... I don't mind paying but do when ticket prices are rip off...
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TRPB
Monday, February 13, 2012
TRPB Don't bother. Don't need stay away fans with that attitude. First abandoned home game for 40 years, cheap ticket to start with and £5 for rearranged tie and you still moan. Pathetic
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Drew Peacock
Monday, February 13, 2012
Lets not forget theres another game being played away to Portsmouth. A story on this would be good too rather than all the NEGATIVE press our club is getting...move along please !!
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Nick Ward
Monday, February 13, 2012
Thank you Mr Clegg for the amazing discounts for the rearranged Middlesborough match. Great if you can attend the match,my son will be back home, and my girlfriend and I will be working.I put to the ticket office a logical compromise...my now useless Middlesborough tickets plus any price difference and Mr Clegg would have 3 extra bums on seats for the Cardiff match, but instead he has 3 disgruntled fans including my son who will not see his beloved Ipswich whilst he is here for half term. A wonderful gesture Mr Clegg, but absolutely no flexibility.
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leroy gibbs
Monday, February 13, 2012
Very poor outcome which smacks of cynical opportunism. They should have refunded the customers and simply offered the same discount for the revised fixture as few people who work for a living can get to an evening game.
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Rob Steroo
Monday, February 13, 2012
Well done CEO Clegg for you rather belated actions attempting to alleviate the bad feelings your initial announcement caused to SOME supporters. It is also refreshing to hear you say that you realize you cannot please everybody but you could please a high proportion of true supporters by acknowledging you are completely out of you depth in the position you hold, and resign accordingly.
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Brian Betts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Well David Peters the answer is simple. BUY A SEASON TICKET.
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Rex Ide
Monday, February 13, 2012
TRPB Don't bother. Don't need stay away fans with that attitude. First abandoned home game for 40 years, cheap ticket to start with and £5 for rearranged tie and you still moan. Pathetic
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Drew Peacock
Monday, February 13, 2012
TRPB Don't bother. Don't need stay away fans with that attitude. First abandoned home game for 40 years, cheap ticket to start with and £5 for rearranged tie and you still moan. Pathetic
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Drew Peacock
Monday, February 13, 2012
Do supporters really believe that the additional concessions would have been made by 'Calamity' Clegg without the adverse publicity his mean action had raised ? However, true to form he rejected a call to comment on Radio Suffolk this morning as he hadn't had opportunity to work out the finances on his abacus.
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Brian Betts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Welcome news? lol not sure i can be bothered going back - thought the idea was to attract fans like me (lost years ago); anyone want to buy my "used" ticket for cheap? lol
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TRPB
Monday, February 13, 2012
Very fair offer. You actually get to see more football (90 + 37 mins) than you paid for (1 match + about 25-35% of original price). Season ticket holders get the 37 mins free. Only the club lose out by having the cost of hosting 2 matches. I'm sure some the part-time match day fans will still complain though. Well done Mr Clegg.
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Ted Maul
Monday, February 13, 2012
This update is very welcome indeed - perhaps Mr Clegg would have been wise to have thought through a response before going to press quoting rules and regulations...For those who are not season ticket holders this will be welcome news
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bluearmy78
Monday, February 13, 2012
So all the knee jerk blubbers got it wrong. Well done Cleggy
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Drew Peacock
Monday, February 13, 2012
Our CEO's referral of paying customer's to 'the small print' just leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It's like a race meeting where it's in doubt all morning, but goes ahead, only to be abandoned after the 1st race & don't you know it, there's only a partial refund once a single race has occurred etc. You know you've essentially been conned! It doesn't matter what he does now, as it will be seen by many as a humiliating climbdown in the face of public pressure, rather than a genuine offer of trying to make things better. A missed opportunity indeed. It seems to me the club took a gamble on the conditions and lost... never mind, the supporters can help cover the losses. Yes, it's cost the club, but what about supporters who have paid for petrol to drive to the game, paid car parking charges around the ground, purchased food & drink inside the ground etc.
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miller-lite
Monday, February 13, 2012
I'm afraid that this just proves what we have come to learn from Mr Clegg - he is completely isolated from the fans and his world is very different to ours. We are involved with ITFC for football reasons and he is involved with ITFC for business reasons. He quotes rules and ignores the "decent thing to do"....we are concerned with team affairs & performances, he paints turnstiles and remodels corporate boxes. Sadly it will be him "emotionally blackmailing" us season ticket holders urging us to renew our tickets for next season and yet it takes instances like these to show what utter contempt Mr Clegg has for the man in the street.
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bluearmy78
Monday, February 13, 2012
The small print is on the ticket, terms and conditions. You have to be a plonker to travel the distance from Boro to Ipswich in the worst freeze up this winter and then throw your hands up in disgust when the match is abandoned. The only down side is that ipswich came out of the blocks dominating the game and possibly cost a 3 point win. Boro will be happy to replay.
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SirAlf
Monday, February 13, 2012
Could turn it to his advantageby doing a 'Winkleman'.Why not sell additional tickets also at the reduced rate to those who didn't go on Saturday which should increase attendance still further.
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Seasider
Monday, February 13, 2012
i would hazard a guess tom is a season ticket holder?.
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david peters
Monday, February 13, 2012
Whilst I don't think that the club has to do anything at all, according to the FA rules, it would be a terrific gesture. We paid out for travel to the ground, programmes and Golden Gamble tickets - none of which we will get back. If they want more fans they really need to start looking after those which they have rather than trying to screw every last penny out of us!!
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Maggie May
Monday, February 13, 2012
So, applying your logic Zico -" Applying logic: Seems reasonable to pay 37 ninetieths of the abandonded game doesn't it? Aftrer all they got 37 minutes of what they paid for. Anyone with a match ticket from the first game should pay only 53 ninetieths of the cost of a ticket for replayed game and rest should pay full amount" - then anyone with a ticket for the first match must leave after 53mins of the re-arranged match, as otherwise they'd be getting the last 37mins for free? Maybe you should apply to be CEO of ITFC.
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RH55
Monday, February 13, 2012
The ground staff could have done more, they could have got the game on by a little more forethought and heavily sanded where the linesmen perform. If that indeed was the problem. Have we had a full explanation yet? The ref should have continued the game until half time at which point the club and ground staff could have done their utmost to rectify the problem(s), rather than infuriate and alienate 20000 people.
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JOHN BURLS
Monday, February 13, 2012
This is from the Football Supporters Federation site.....................Well what do you know? The very next week Carlisle United fans make the 500 mile+ roundtrip to watch their side at MK Dons only for the match to be called off before kick-off. But rather than make excuses and pass the buck MK Dons held their hands up and sought to put things right. As compensation the home side have chosen not only to refund the match ticket itself but also offered an additional ticket so that supporters can bring a friend free of charge. This offer also applies to all home fans including season ticket holders. In addition MK Dons have offered to pay the costs of two coaches for Carlisle United’s supporters. MK Dons chairman Pete Winkelman said: “We apologise for the circumstances in which Saturday’s game was called off which were both regrettable and exceptional and we feel we want to do something special to recognise the inconvenience suffered by all those who made the journey on Saturday. Especially the Carlisle fans who in many cases were faced with an almost 600 mile roundtrip.” Carlisle United managing director John Nixon said: “This is an extremely generous offer from MK Dons. We’ve certainly never seen anything like it before. It goes above and beyond what we expected and I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that we really appreciate it. We are now in the process of sorting out a new fixture date and full details of how to get the refund and the new match tickets will be released in due course.”...............
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Kevin Bailey
Monday, February 13, 2012
When you buy a ticket, the term and condition on the TICKET says that the club will charge 50% for the replay if a match is abandoned part way through. You may not agree with the policy, but the fact is that it is stated right in front your eyes when you buy the ticket, so this villification of the club as behaving in some apparently underhand manner is utter, utter nonsense.
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Tom
Monday, February 13, 2012
Just because someone (Clegg)does not do what you want or agree with your view does not mean he is wrong.
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aljack1
Monday, February 13, 2012
Cleggs latest ticket related gimmick quite obviously did not work. I'm not sure what the total gate receipt was on Saturday, but from what I could see it couldn't have been any more than about 18,000. It is quite obvious the club is in serious decline - both on and off the pitch - therefore you cannot fault supporters for losing interest. Mind you, despite the sorry performance on the pitch Town fans were atleast treated to a brief spell of entertainment on Saturday in witnessing Sonkos amazing ability to injure himself without help or hindrance from anyone else.
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Fink Nottle
Monday, February 13, 2012
PJ, ME and the team have all had their faults this season and have been rightly and wrongly critised at times. However, Clegg is a PR disaster and eveytime he opens his mouth he either drags the club or himself further down. ME, you must see and be as embarrased as the rest of us seeing this?
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Blue Exile
Monday, February 13, 2012
Applying logic: Seems reasonable to pay 37 ninetieths of the abandonded game doesn't it? Aftrer all they got 37 minutes of what they paid for. Anyone with a match ticket from the first game should pay only 53 ninetieths of the cost of a ticket for replayed game and rest should pay full amount. Equally anyone wanting a refund, should get the 5390 of what they originally paid. I don't know where Suffolk folk get their long pockets short arms reputation from? Lol.
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Zico Rice
Monday, February 13, 2012
I hope the announcement he makes includes his resignation the man simply has no idea what soever the sooner he goes the sooner ITFC moves forward.
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max ward
Monday, February 13, 2012
"as we always planned to do" That is after he was alerted to the criticism his mean action raised with supporters ( apart from one). If he really always planned to do it then why didn't he say so before stoking up the supporters' anger ? Surely, Evans, who recently commended the work of CEO Clegg, can see what damage this person is doing to the club's reputation. Whenever this individual opens his mouth he alienates many supporters and will be remembered as 'Calamity' Clegg
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Brian Betts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Even if his stance changes his default position was to screw the fans over, blame 'rulz iz rulz', and then act surprised when his preying on fan loyalty to the club is questioned. I don't doubt the grounds staff worked heroically- they have always provided amazing pitches- but the club needs to show the same level of respect for fans that they did after the debacle at Peterborough, not hide behind an expectation that fans will turn up whatever is thrown at them.
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I am Spartacus
Monday, February 13, 2012