Town have increased their season ticket prices by 6% for the 2011/12 season, their first rise for five years. The Blues have blamed an increase in overheads, including a remarkable 743% hike in the rent they pay to Ipswich Borough Council for the land on which their Portman Road stadium is sited.

The Blues’ price rise means that an adult seat in the lower tier of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand or South Stand purchased prior to the early bird deadline on April 15th will cost £390 compared with £368 this season.

Chief executive Simon Clegg says that despite another underachieving season, the club was left with little choice other than to raise prices: “To the best of my knowledge we’re the only club in the Championship that’s been able to hold their season ticket prices for the last five years and during that time we have had to absorb increasing costs.

“Over those five years our electricity costs have increased by 25%, our water by 26%, our rates by 44%, our police bill has doubled and the expected increase in the police rate for the new season is a further 100%.

“On top of that, last year we were hit with a 743% increase in our rent from the council, increasing it from £15,000-a-year to £111,000.

“Over and above that, we’re all acutely aware that the taxman has hit us with further 2.5% on VAT, increasing it from 17.5% to 20%.

“Therefore, reluctantly, we have decided that we’ll have to increase ticket prices next season. In the main they rise by around 6%, that includes the 2.5% increase for the VAT man and the remainder is effectively an inflationary increase.”

Clegg argues that the increase when looked at per game is not huge and some age groups will be exempt: “What that means in real terms is that we’re looking at about an additional pound or £1.50 for most adult season ticket holders per game and 50p for under-16s.

“The under-11 season ticket price will be frozen at £10 because we continue to believe that we need to encourage more young people to come through our gates.”

Town will again be offering their payment scheme and Premier League incentive: “We will continue to run the 0% interest-free scheme over eight months so that people can have the opportunity of spreading their payments and the early bird deadline effectively means people are getting a quarter of all the games free of charge when compared with buying on a matchday ticket basis.

“Our Premier League pledge continues, whereby 50% of the forthcoming season ticket price will be rebated and offset against a future season ticket price should we be promoted at the end of next season.”

Clegg says that despite another disappointing season, he hopes fans will have seen an improvement since Paul Jewell took over as boss: “We changed the manager at the beginning of the year and I think people generally have seen a significant step up in terms of the performance of the players and the team on the pitch.

“The owner, the manager and I spent five hours in Dublin last week talking about the plans for next season. We are very focused in terms of where we want to take this football club.

“There has been absolutely no waning of the enthusiasm of the owner or the determination of the owner, myself and now Paul to take this club back into the Premiership at the earliest possible opportunity. I think bringing in people like Kieron Dyer and Jimmy Bullard just reinforces that vision.”

The chief executive is aware that like the club fans have been hit by the financial strife of the last few years but, with £5-£6 million of Marcus Evans’s cash underwriting Town annually, says the increase was necessary: “I recognise that we are all operating in a difficult financial environment but I have a responsibility to ensure the financial robustness of this football club, particularly bearing in mind the history of what it went through only a decade ago.

“It is important for us that we do run this football club on sound financial grounds and we cannot continue absorbing those increases which are being placed on us by third parties, particularly an additional £100,000 by the council.”

Clegg says that huge hike came as a shock: “743% is a significant increase, although I’m sure the council would argue that we’ve benefited from having our rent pegged for a number of years.

“When we undertook a rent review, it won’t surprise you that the council’s expectation was much greater than ours was and we got to the situation where we were effectively arbitrated upon and that’s where the arbitrator came down.

“We were hit with this in the middle of last year and we have already absorbed those additional costs from the back end of last year.

“I recognise that the council has its own challenges, but obviously the quantum of the increase was a major concern to us, and a surprise.

“We took into account those increases which we would have to bear that are applied to us by external sources and as a result of that reluctantly we came to the view that we needed to increase ticket prices.”

Clegg says that season ticket holders remain the club’s main concern and says this year has seen them receive more additional benefits than ever before: “I continue to prioritise our support for our season ticket holders.

“This season for the first time ever we’ve introduced a third season ticket promotion, the Crystal Palace game coming up in a couple of weeks’ time, and for the first time ever we have offered discounted tickets for the Carling Cup for season ticket holders.

“My intention is to wherever possible try and provide added benefit for our season ticket holders.”

Nevertheless, Clegg is realistic that a reduction from the current figure of 14,300 season ticket holders is likely for the season ahead: “We need to recognise that fan numbers are dropping around the country.

“I know the one thing that we can do to bring fans back to this football club is winning football matches on a regular basis, and that’s certainly the plan for next season.

“We’ve still got some way to go this season, let’s not totally write off this season. There are a number of important games to be played here, particularly the derby against Norwich.”

Clegg also announced that from next season under-12s will not be allowed in the Sir Bobby Robson Stand lower tier, where there have in any case been no concessions for children for some years, for safety reasons. This year there were four under-12 season ticket holders in what was formerly the North Stand.

The chief executive says Town, who will continue to run the Gold and Silver Clubs, will be strict on the early bird date having been more relaxed in previous years: “The early bird deadline is at 12 o’clock on April 15th and I mean 12 o’clock dead.

“You won’t believe the number of excuses which arrive on the desk the following day from people who have not had the chance for whatever reason to make that deadline.”

Town’s often criticised matchday ticket prices are yet to be decided and are being assessed, but the chief executive played down the likelihood of a drop: “I’ll look to see what we can do. I don’t want to create any expectations that those will reduce. I’ve made it very clear since I’ve been here that the priority is to our loyal season ticket holders.”

Clegg says that like most Championship teams the Blues run at a loss and rely on Marcus Evans’s backing, whose determination to get Town back into the top flight remains undiminished: “This football club, like most clubs in the Championship, doesn’t run on a balanced book basis.

“We’re totally dependent on the ongoing support of the owner and the most important message that I want to give the fans is that there has been no waning of the enthusiasm of the owner or his determination to get us back to the promised land.”

Full pricing details are on the club site here.

Photo: Action Images

stiffshorts added 09:42 - Mar 22 Dissblue; nothing to do with the greed of the markets and their manipulators then? Ultimately down to Thatchers deregulation of the markets in the 80's? Always the lefties to blame eh? I suppose bombing Libya is Labours fault? Anyway; if this club is to be succesful again we have to fill the ground. Personally I'd have lowered ticket prices for existing holders. Lowered the cost on the day and run more "season ticket holders promotions" on certain games. The catering is nothing but a rip off, cheap tack sold on at massive profit. Look what the scum have done; free carrots on the gate and a nosebag if they win. They even employ a drunk to chant at the crowd during the interval! I'll be renewing but if we don't go up in 2012 & expenses rise (or even remain the same) then this will, after many, many years be my final season ticket renewal. Not because I don't love the club but I seriously won't be able to afford it. I think most of us knew this day would come but perhaps not this soon? Still, it's all Labours' fault eh Dissblue ??

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brogansnose added 09:46 - Mar 22 I will renew even though at times this season, after Barnsley and Forest, i did seriously question whether i was going to bother seeing the season out. I really hope that we see some better performances because it has been so long since i have properly enjoyed going to PR. The price rise is inevitable but the ground rent should be put into context alongside players wages which must dwarf the total paid to the council, especially as so few of them have been worthy of putting that shirt on. As for the cheap tickets promotion, i fail to see how that benefits me unless i charge freinds more than face value for the ticket. We are merely selling tickets for the club with the club hoping they will come again paying the full whack. On a cynical note the early bird finishes the week before we play Delia's babies. Wonder why ?

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ElvisMariner added 09:47 - Mar 22 *I will still be renewing - the club cant freeze the prices for ever. *I do think that the on the day of the match ticket prices should be the same as the regular ticket prices and have a cash turnstile so supporters can just pay the money and go in.
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truckertractorboy added 09:50 - Mar 22 Not really a surprise and 6% ain't that bad but really annoys me is the price of food and drink in pr surely they can't sell much at them stupid prices and I expect them to go up which rips us loyal supporters off
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backinbeige added 09:50 - Mar 22 743%: a. We don't know what the original cost is. If we were paying around the £10k per year mark the new cost would be £7.43m a year (or 3 Jimmy Bullards at £45k p/w). Anything around the £15k or more mark then we're looking at a serious bill. b. I'd imagine for a price rise that dramatic we would have been locked into a long-term agreement which has just come up for renewal. Clegg has hinted at this in his quotes above, when he stated that they had been preparing for the rent renewal. For a price rise that dramatic we must have agreed our previous rates in the 80's or very early 90's. Therefore we've benefitted from a very good rate for a long time and should probably have saved up, and a bit of foresight into how much other grounds are paying for their rent at the moment would have softened the shock. * Season ticket prices seem to average around £550 (according to this PDF http://www.itfc.co.uk/staticFiles/db/6e/0,,10272~159451,00.pdf, although the Daily Mail seems to have taken one figure and gone to town on it: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1300279/Ipswich-Town-expensive The 6% hike of £550 represents £33. I'm not sure how many season tickets we sell, however if it's 15,000 then we make an extra £500k from this price increase, and if it's 20,000 tickets we only make another £660k. Despite the apparent lack of foresight and planning from the club, the price increase is justified.

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SammyT added 09:52 - Mar 22 Village_Blue - Spot on. Im a season ticket holder and was unable to get extras yet a few friends who hadnt been to any games got 3 each and sold them on at a tidy profit. People winge about a £30.00 increase on one hand but are prepared to pay £100.00 plus for a glory day/day out (ticket/travel/food/drink). I do however feel sorry for the loyal fans who travel 100+ mile round-trips for home games, not because of the season ticket prices but the petrol/travel prices. Thats where they are getting hurt, the 6% is an unfortunate but necessery evil.

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imalwayswrong added 09:59 - Mar 22 Don't see why supporters should grumble. Most in north stand saw thought ticket would go up. £111k is cheap for the cost to council, I know many other offices in town who pay much more per annum. The real issue goes back ten years ago when our real highs n lows happened, the supporters have paid alot to support Ipswich against other clubs, but most willnot care. I expect around 12,000 season ticket sales next season with or without Bullard or dyer playing for Ipswich .

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StowTractorBoy added 10:05 - Mar 22 I don't think we can complain at this increase after all prices have been frozen for 5 years now. Where we sit the increase will reflect an admission price of £17 a game which in anyones eyes is very cheap. I do hope the matchday prices are reviewed as they are ridiculously expensive and surely it is better to charge less and get more people in. As for the food etc. - well you don't have to buy it. Take a stroll into Town and it will be far cheaper. Council have been very harsh with their increase a pity we did not buy the ground years ago. Nice to see not many people slagging off Mr. Clegg.

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Worcester added 10:10 - Mar 22 Jas> I agree it is a negative tactic, but perhaps a necessary evil. Now we are safe (yes we are, the blades are not going to get 14 more points least of all Scunny) we can experiment? This next period of games shouldbe about finding out who is a passenger and who is for real. If we do this we can expect a few more defeats while tinker but with promising performances
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RetroBlue added 10:10 - Mar 22 Dissblue: "Labour's incompetence", yer? ...undoubtably yet more Tory hype. You appear, like the Tories, to lack the ability to look further than the coastline of the British Isles, so SEE that it is in fact a WORLDWIDE fianancial mis-management byt he greedy GLOBALLY RUN banks. This coalition Govt - sorry, Tory govt, whenever it has been in power has done NOTHING for the average man in the street, and is currently privitisng the NHS by the back door, kicking many Police, Fireman, Nurses out of work or down grading their curent pay levels. But I expect you werent even aware of what YOUR party are actually doing are you ?

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KenDubZ added 10:15 - Mar 22 You guys want us to pay more for watching poor preformance each week ?? How about you tell the players to take a cut as they are letting there fans down .... Ethier that or sell matchday tickets for mor dont take it out on the season ticket holders who are loyal the the club !!!!
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campowasgod added 10:19 - Mar 22 Come on Clegg ! we are not all as stupid as you think we are. 743% rise in rent to £111,000 - that is what we should be paying ! £15,000 was only to help us for a few years £96,000 is a fraction of Clegg's wages and Keane's wages and money wasted in the last couple of years. " The season ticket prices are rising because I am paid far too much and I have wasted far too much , sorry " Simon Clegg. Now that would be refreshing......

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chripswich added 10:24 - Mar 22 not surprised or dissapointed by the hike..the freeze couldnt go on for ever. I am paying another £1. a game..hardly ridiculous.. whats interesting tho is Jewell and Clegg going to Dublin for talks..is keane still involved somehow?..lol!! seriously tho..my point is why are they going to Dublin?? s'pose Evans was there..dont spose he could possible have come to FPR could he???? have to be grateful I spose for his support of the club but to be honest i would like a more contributive chariman in terms of visibility and enthusiasm..its the Ipswich way ... gone are the days of the cobbolds getting p*ssed with the players or sheepy talking bollox in amongst his mayo production.. OH well.. times change.. Jewells still average by the way!! ;)

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bluelady added 10:25 - Mar 22 JAS Jewell is a 2 up front man, he has already set that is what he will play when he has the right team set up, currently we struggle to find one good enough to play up front! Whilst i agree season tickets will drop we are still getting 17K week in week outwith nothing to play for so i doubt they will go as low as you predict, i expect we will loose about 1,000 season ticket holders. Im not happy but understand you cannot keep them on hold for ever, here is hoping for a far better season with Jewell in charge for a full season next year in which case for me it will be money worth spent, another poor year and i will re -consider for the 2012/13 season.

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JayITFC added 10:25 - Mar 22 @BlooooCD The owner already made A LOT of money available to both Jim & Roy. Would you or I keep ploughing it in with no return? Ironically we had better finishing positions in the league in the seasons before the Evans cash injection. Serious under-achievement for the last 2 or 3 years by all at the club.
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brazil1982 added 10:26 - Mar 22 Player wages are the reason for our poor finances. £28 minimum for a game? No thanks. Ridiculous prices.
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Bergholtblue added 10:30 - Mar 22 After 5 years of season ticket price freeze a rise this year was almost guaranteed. No doubt I will renew, because if I don't I'll only go and watch anyway and pay a fortune for match day tickets. I fully agree with comments about cost of food and drink in the ground. Is it any wonder that so many supporters can still be found in the pubs around the ground 15 minutes before kick off. If Town reduced the price of a drink and produced better quality food priced to give value for money, surely people would get to the ground earlier (improved safety) and spend more money at the club (increased profits). This might also help build the atmosphere which has been sadly lacking over recent months. The game against Watford was like sitting in a morgue. True there wasn't a lot to cheer about.

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cwb91 added 10:33 - Mar 22 Dissblue - I'm not surprised your Tory, looking through the eyes of you glamorous rural retreat on the Norfolk border - life must be sweet, and all world's problems must be the result of the Labour Government potentially helping people less well off On the issue of season tickets. The 743% increase is a disgrace - I'll take that matter up with the Borough. Aside from that, a 6% increase is a very very brave thing to do. Particularly when the product is so poor, and has been for at least 7 years. The most alarming thing, is that Clegg appears to have given up with trying to retain and enhance the amount of supporters coming through the gates. Accepting that probably 14,000 won't sign up next year is worrying, and blaming it purely on declining attendances nationwide doesn't cut the mustard. Season tickets - in most areas of the ground are already over-priced. I can't see where success is going to come from in front of a crowd of possibly 12,000. Very alarming

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wellhungphil added 10:51 - Mar 22 "hack into the Premiership" says Monsieur Ham - well that would certainly be easier than bothering with the whole winning games to get promotion malarky! Other than that though, the prices for tickets generally in football are too high. Inevitable when players are paid a fortune to be timid and quiet in the dressing room and in front of goal. Bring back Paul Mariner, tog him out, and stick him up front! hurrah!! Le Phil

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MadDogCal88 added 11:01 - Mar 22 SImon Clegg is a ****
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BrightBlue added 11:02 - Mar 22 There is no reward to ST holders for the discounted matches. It is only a benefit to friends and family or those that sell them at an inflated rate! Maybe offer the ST holder a voucher to spend in the club shop (increasing in value per extra ticket sold). To encourage fans to get to the ground early there should be a subsidised bar and food scheme. People meet for a pint or two at the pub, why not tempt them with a cheaper option within the ground.

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Blue041273 added 11:12 - Mar 22 The old saying of 'Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics' comes to mind. To cite an increase of stadium rent from £15K to £111K as a justification for the increase in ticket prices is ludicrous. Even at that rate it's ridiculously cheap and obviously heavily subsidised by the ratepayers. Personally I expected a price rise and it probably won't affect my thinking on whether or not to renew. The inevitable outcome though is smaller attendances and I regret that some 'out of the box' thinking has not been applied. It doesn't take Einstein to realise that it is becoming evermore difficult to attract customers to PR. This price rise will mean that fewer and fewer non-committed customers will show any long term interest and this will mean that the loyal supporters will be expected to pay more and more in the years ahead. As has been said many times before, a full PR is better than one which is only a third full. As a supporter well into later years I believe there should be free access to kids and concessions to any one under 20. Get them young and they will pay for life. I should know!

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bluelady added 11:19 - Mar 22 blue0141273 agree totally and why now my son is 11 does he loose his £10 ticket and have to pay well over £100 he aint earning yet!!!!!
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SouperJim added 11:19 - Mar 22 “To the best of my knowledge we're the only club that's been stuck in the Championship for the last five years."
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mark1969 added 11:25 - Mar 22 This is bad news , but it has been coming , we should have purchased the ground years ago when it was offered , now we are paying the penalty . But the club must have known this increase was coming or is S.C. just not as business savy as we would be led to believe. We have been led on empty promises on season tickets for far too long and now we pay premiership prices for an average championship team .The incentives currentely offered are abused and in this computer age we should have better control of our fan base.I thought Marcus Evans ran a creative marketing business , this is certainly not evident at Portman Road.Whilst we are all extremely grateful for his funding he really ought to pay greater attention to how it is being spent ! The team always seem to do better when a larger crowd is present they all spend money in the shops and bars at a game . The feel good atmosphere then returns , bigger crowds attend and then we should put prices up . I will wait before renewing as this is getting an expensive hobby especially when you factor in travelling costs .

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