Ipswich Town 1st, the independent Supporters Trust, has hit out at the Blues’ recently released 2017/18 season ticket prices.

While praising the introduction of the new under-23s season ticket, the Trust says that positive development is “lost in the detail of the overall price rise for all other season ticket holders”.

In particular Ipswich Town 1st is unhappy that the under-11s season ticket which has cost £10 for the previous nine seasons has been replaced with an under-12s ticket costing an initial £50 but with a rebate of £2 which can be spent at Planet Blue for every game a child attends, the club citing abuse - seats being purchased and not used except when upgraded to adult tickets for big games or just for additional space - as the reason behind the change.

“We believe that the increase of price for U11s from £10 to £50 is a very poor move for a season ticket campaign which claims to focus on the next generation — especially when as part of the 2016/17 season ticket launch these £10 tickets were billed as the key highlight,” the statement continues.

“What has changed in a year to justify this 400% increase? Some of the language used with regards to fans ‘abusing’ these tickets is insulting to season ticket holders and the club does not appear to understand that a season ticket for an under-11 is the gateway to supporting ITFC and, at a time when there are 15,000 empty seats on a regular basis, these fans are the future and need to be enticed to the club, not have unnecessary barriers put in their way.

“Punishing all under-11s for the alleged behaviour of a few seems at odds with the message of ‘One Of Our Own’ and the headline when the season tickets were announced on the official website of ‘Town Target Young Blues’.”

Ipswich Town 1st, which was set up during the club’s period in administration in 2003, is also unhappy with the manner in which the club is switching the age at which fans are entitled to a senior citizens concession from 60 to 65.

Fans who were previously entitled to concessions but will be 64 or younger on Thursday 10th August will have to switch to an adult ticket but with increased price of their seat subsidised by 50 per cent for the season ahead.

“We understand the club’s reasoning for this, but feel that the transition could have been managed far better — and that nobody over 60 should be paying significantly more for their season ticket next season. Anything that has the effect of turning long-term fans away from the club cannot be right.”

The Trust says mature students have been overlooked with the under-23s ticket replacing the previous student prices.

“In a town with a new university which has a large percentage of mature students their concession rate has been lost.

“As attendances dwindle the club needs to ensure that we are in a position to attract new fans, which includes mature students at the university.

"This change in policy again adversely affects current season ticket holders who in many cases will not be able to afford to renew.”

Reflecting on adult prices for the season ahead, the statement adds: “The overall price increase of 1.5 per cent seems to be an unwise decision when a number of season ticket holders are currently not attending due to the poor season on the pitch, and many more are in two minds about renewing.

“The club must be well aware of this as it has been from the reaction voiced on all forms of social media since the new prices were announced.

“Other clubs in the Championship are keeping season ticket prices at lower levels than ours, and there is even the example of Huddersfield who are offering adult season tickets for £199 next season across the whole ground when they currently sit third in the table.

“We urge the club to reconsider the changes to the under-11 season ticket, the transition for those aged between 60 and 65 and the case for mature students to ensure that no season ticket holders will be paying significantly more than they are this season if they renew.

“This is an opportunity for ITFC to show that they really believe all fans are valued as ‘One Of Their Own’, and not just those aged between 12 and 23.”

The full statement can be found on Ipswich 1st’s website here.

Photo: Action Images

runningout added 18:03 - Mar 29 Clueless
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martin587 added 18:13 - Mar 29 The club is a laughing stock.!!😄😄.They need to get into the real world or this club will disappear within the next few years.
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therein61 added 18:24 - Mar 29 After the rubbish we have endured on the field this season I would expect frozen renewals any increase is bordering on the criminal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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jas0999 added 18:25 - Mar 29 The club is in a very sad state. Depressing to see it crumble under Evans ownership and also being well known as a hoof ball team by other clubs fans.
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TractorCam added 18:34 - Mar 29 Very good statement from the trust, but what has happened with this? Does this go directly to Evans/Milne?
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DurhamTownFan added 18:53 - Mar 29 The kids ticket issue could be sorted easily just by asking that anyone going in the family area needs to go in WITH a child. Could easily be checked at turnstile. Wouldn't then need the price rise!
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DurhamTownFan added 18:54 - Mar 29 The kids ticket issue could be sorted easily just by asking that anyone going in the family area needs to go in WITH a child. Could easily be checked at turnstile. Wouldn't then need the price rise!
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hoppy added 19:03 - Mar 29 I expect the reply will no doubt clarify as to whether the club were amongst the first or last to move to changing both kits every season...
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blueboy1981 added 19:11 - Mar 29 ....... pretty obvious that the Club criteria is to sell 12750 Season Tickets - beyond which anything more is a bonus to them. Not saying much for the ambition of the Club is it ?- but most of us would have predicted such anyway. The good times have all gone.
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muccletonjoe added 19:19 - Mar 29 Evans completely out of touch with the followers of this club. Alienating both future supporters and the ones who have struggled through this season. Alot to answer for.
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Mark added 19:22 - Mar 29 I agree the season ticket sales attempts is a PR disaster from start to finish. The club should have recognised this is a sensitive time and done everything possible to gets fans onside, understanding we have had to ensure rubbish football all season and fans have had enough. Now was not the time to mess about with concessionary age and the 1.5% increase will turn off many more than 1.5% of fans so it is bad economics. As for the Supporters' Trust, their last statement before this was two years ago. I think we really need an organisation like this so it would be great to hear more from them, about the state of the club generally as well as ticket prices. Key player sale + low investment + poor football + bad results + season ticket price rises = Massive drop in sales, surely. And that is presuming we stay up!

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nineteenseventyeight added 19:46 - Mar 29 whys is there an assumption that an under 23 year old is in a worse financial situation to need help with a lower price season ticket? A 22 year old IT whizz kid who lives at home and pays £100 keep a month deserves a discount against a 40 year old man who has 3 children, a mortgage and an £8 an hour job!???
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rubbleblue added 19:51 - Mar 29 Has anybody thought this is the strategy to take this club down the league's? Turn away the die hards. Alienate the youth. Make it costlier for just about everyone. And see attendances dwindle to the point where the club fold. I am sure Marcus will be ok when he builds a load of housing on the grounds his company own! Our club is diseased it appears rotten to all that care about it. If Marcus you care even just one ounce about its future come out and publicly say so and tell us honestly why all of a sudden no money is being invested. Honesty from the board and honesty on the pitch is what we deserve!

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Dissboyitfc added 20:00 - Mar 29 Only needs one word, SHAMBOLIC!
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cat added 20:10 - Mar 29 With the club struggling, and part of the championship furniture! we need to attract new fans, and look after our long term ones too, but these proposals do not fit or encourage that. The club is becoming a laughing stock!! I do however think that if things improve on the pitch from a entertainment point of view (and the hideous DINO is promptly removed) then tickets sales will look after themselves, prices increases or not, but it would be good if he was gone ASAP, as we could take advantage of the early bird promotion!!!

2

marty5037 added 20:55 - Mar 29 Most under 23 are playing sport and the club should be targeting 5-14 and over 40s
3

VulpineBlue added 21:31 - Mar 29 The main difficulty is that all the changes this year come on top of an existing ticket price which is very high. With all the different ticket types and potential 12750 discount it's the only other ticket system in the country that makes travelling by train look simple.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 21:35 - Mar 29 The ticketing policy has become a farce. An institution which has the potential to bind a community together has become nothing more than crass corporate planning. Sad times.
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Cloddyseedbed added 21:40 - Mar 29 What happens to ticket prices if we slip into Div 1, which is still quite a possibility?
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parkinshair added 00:21 - Mar 30 Good point nineteenseventyeight. The two season tickets I buy are practically a months wages for me. The club seems blind to the average Joe. We don't all have high paid office jobs and a second car on the driveway.
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truckertractorboy added 06:38 - Mar 30 Think the club is in for a massive shop with this joke . I cant see them selling more then 5000 season tickets where on earth did that target of over 12,000 come from
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muhrensleftfoot added 06:54 - Mar 30 I'm 61 years old, and have been a season ticket holder for many years. Having had 1 season on concession price, my ticket has gone up nearly 33% for next season. Thanks for rewarding me for my years of unwavering support! The owner and management are clueless.
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Tufty added 07:24 - Mar 30 If by changing the concession age the club want to fall in line with the other championship clubs perhaps they would like to fall in line by investing in the team, fall in line by playing football, fall in line by having decent facilities, fall in line by giving fans some hope. Ipswich are falling in line at the back of the line
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TractorRoyNo1 added 08:34 - Mar 30 Disappointed that the official supporters club has not publicly represented the views of the majority (?) of it's members
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oldref added 09:25 - Mar 30 Renewal pack arrived yesterday. Returned in Freepost envelope at the expense of Marcus, to cancel my long-held season ticket. Sad day for this 60+ ex-concession that will no longer subsidise a clueless, cold business, with a big chunk of my pension.
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