*Official* English Domestic Season Thread 2010

[Prince EWS]

There must be a way this can be done. Since alot of people (die hard fans i know) complain about it, especially since home matches came off channel 4 (free-to-air) after Ashes 05.

How can you get bigger crowds if the games are selling out though?

 

[aussie]

How can you get bigger crowds if the games are selling out though?

They would maintain their bigger crowds, but more of the real cricket fans could afford to go over 5 days. Which i dont think will hurt their profits that much, it could stay the same i guess.

 

[Prince EWS]

They would maintain their bigger crowds, but more of the real cricket fans could afford to go over 5 days. Which i dont think will hurt their profits that much, it could stay the same i guess.

No, the only way they can justify dropping the prices is if they can get bigger crowds than what they're already getting. There's no way you can criticise their pricing if they're selling out the venue anyway.

 

[Neil Pickup]

So, to summarise, you want to:

(a) reduce income to Counties and the ECB
(b) reduce the number of different spectators over the course of a summer

so that

(c) a handful of individuals can attend all five days of a Test

This will be my last post on this matter.

 

[aussie]

No, the only way they can justify dropping the prices is if they can get bigger crowds than what they're already getting. There's no way you can criticise their pricing if they're selling out the venue anyway.

They dont always sell out venue's, especially in non Ashes summers. I can remember alot of years going to tests @ OT while in the pavillion seeing alot of empty stands & having friends wanting to go to game rejecting cause they didn't have £50 to spare on just a few hours in a test. Which in these recession times is killer.

BTW since we are on the topic, do you know how the ACB makes most of its money?

So, to summarise, you want to:

(a) reduce income to Counties and the ECB
(b) reduce the number of different spectators over the course of a summer

so that

(c) a handful of individuals can attend all five days of a Test

This will be my last post on this matter.

Ease the sarcasm pickup. I'm just addressing a problem which is obviously there with cricket fans who aren't that well off & dont have skysports. This wasn't really an issue back pre Ashes 05, when @ least home matches where on Channel 4 & before the recession. But it is now.

I dont think after all these years of doing that, if the ECB lost a bit of money they would be affected much. They are one of the richest cricket boards in the world. Maybe regardless of demand they can reduce the amount of money counties have to use to bid to host test - thus the counties wouldn't have to charge so much to recoup funds in ticket prices. Which would be good for "real fans" & other casual fans, especially in these hard times.

Plus you are certainly underrating the amount of real cricket fans in this country would like to go to all 5 days of a test when a test match in town. For everyone of those people who get into cricket free every year via pavillion passes & can see all 5 days - there are hundreds more (not just a handful) who dont have that privilege, that wish to do the same, but cant afford it.

 

[morgieb]

Missing the point Aussie. Fact is that if the games are still selling out, then the prices should remain the same.

Do think the cricket should be on FTA, however.

 

[aussie]

Missing the point Aussie. Fact is that if the games are still selling out, then the prices should remain the same.

Do think the cricket should be on FTA, however.

But it isn't selling out. As the article showd, the last test @ the Oval for the first time since 1986, 1st day tickets didn't sell out. Which as i mentioned before outside Ashes summers, i've heard these criticisms before that BBC SJ, made that observation.

Cricket shouldn't be on FTA really. But as i said just ENG home test matches up until the 05 Ashes always was on FTA - just for tours you had to have Skysports.

 

[fredfertang]

It would be interesting to see what would happen if there were a stadium as big as the MCG (100,000?) in England - If the Olympic stadium were used we could have a national stadium for the game, which would dwarf the existing Test grounds, in time for the Ashes in 2013

 

[marc71178]

They would maintain their bigger crowds, but more of the real cricket fans could afford to go over 5 days.

So what you're suggesting is that they make it so fewer people actually go to the games then - how's that going to help? (since you're also having a moan about the loss of FTA TV restricting the audience)

 

[Goughy]

The idea for people top go to all 5 days and pay little isnt viable. I dont know many people of any economic background that can afford the timeor are inclined to go to 5 days of a domestic Test. Certainly those that would are a small minority. A day or two is generally the norm. Therefore it is pointless to rip up the financial model for a few individuals.

If you are saying that the cost is prohibative for a lot of people then I dont really sympathise but I can see your point.

If each Test ground made 1000 tickets available for each day at 10GBP that people could apply for in a lottery months in advance then I wouldn't argue. It doesnt solve your 5 day problem but it does make a cheap day at the Test possible for a lucky, chosen few.

 

[Stoggler]

In the 15 years or so that I've been trying to go to test matches, our names go into a ballot and if you're lucky you'll get tickets for one day, and one day only. Most years I've managed to get tickets with a group of mates, but there have been some years when that's not the case and we've not been lucky enough.

(this is my experience of the Oval and Lord's mostly, and for the bigger or better touring side of a summer if more than one has been here).

The idea of someone even getting the chance to see more than one day, let alone all five days, just doesn't happen most of the time. By the Test grounds limiting you to see one day's play they can maximise the number of people seeing a test match - they are not going to allow individuals to see more than one day's play when there is so much demand for the tickets.

That said, for the early-summer tests against the likes of Bangladesh they rarely sell out in advance, in which case they sell tickets on the gate on the day of play itself, so there is nothing stopping people from turning up on the day and watching as many day's play as their wallet can cope with.

I do agree however that if a ground is struggling to sell tickets, even with people turning up on the day, they should make them cheaper, or offer cheaper prices for those getting in after tea for example.

 

[stumpski]

Plenty of rain about in the south and west, Sky's game at Hove called off already, but they're playing at Scarborough, where Hampshire have just gone into the lead, and James Vince is into the 90s for the first time in his career.

 

[stumpski]

... and goes to his 100 with successive boundaries. No nerves there then.

 

[Pothas]

Delighted that Vince has got his first hundred, he needed to get that big score at some point.

Hope he can push on now for the rest of the season.

 

[stumpski]

Yeah, and 180 was a pretty big maiden ton. Not sure wheher this is the third or fourth day, Cricinfo are billing it as 'day four' but they only give two close of play scores. No mention on the card of a day washed out.

 

[stumpski]

They would maintain their bigger crowds, but more of the real cricket fans could afford to go over 5 days. Which i dont think will hurt their profits that much, it could stay the same i guess.

Hmmm, I go to about a dozen county games a season, but only one Test every four or five years. Obviously I'm not a real cricket fan. You have to go to every day of a Test it seems.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah, and 180 was a pretty big maiden ton. Not sure wheher this is the third or fourth day, Cricinfo are billing it as 'day four' but they only give two close of play scores. No mention on the card of a day washed out.

First day was a total washout so will have to settle for a draw.

Looking good to stay up now though.

 

[Autobahn]

Looks like summer is officially over this year

Not sure I'm happy about Sidebottom leaving Nottinghamshire really, we do have a little bit of depth but i don't like losing really good players over something as picky as a third year being conditional or not.

I'm not sure i'm getting you aussie, why are you reducing prices when demand is already pretty high?

 

[Neil Pickup]

Looks like summer is officially over this year

It will come back on Monday, September 6, when the autumn term starts again.

This will allow the ground to be baked sufficiently enough in time for the middle of the rugby season to give us every chance of breaking last year's record of seven children being off games with fractured wrists and fingers.

 

[fredfertang]

This will allow the ground to be baked sufficiently enough in time for the middle of the rugby season to give us every chance of breaking last year's record of seven children being off games with fractured wrists and fingers.