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.