Town MD Ian Milne says the Blues have no plans to drop their away prices while in the Championship, despite visitors to Portman Road having to pay more than the Premier League’s recent self-imposed cap of £30.

Rotherham fans paid £32.50 for their seats in advance of Saturday’s game and £35 on the day with the Blues freezing their matchday prices for next season and having scrapped the grading of matches.

Milne says that in the Championship clubs rely on their ticket income far more than Premier League sides do these days.

“Premier League ticket revenue is a drop in bucket to what they get [overall] because of the TV money that they get,” he told Saturday’s Life’s a Pitch on BBC Radio Suffolk.

“Forty per cent of our revenue comes from ticket sales, so it’s an important part. Next season we’re going to continue the one grade system and we’re not raising prices.

“Whilst it would be lovely to reduce prices, it is an important part of our revenue. But by holding the prices we think that’s good and having one grade makes life easier for fans.”

Town announced their season ticket prices for 2016/17 earlier in the month and Milne says sales are in line with last season at the same stage: “Our early season ticket sales are as they were last year.”

The early bird deadline for buying season tickets at the lowest price is midday on April 11th.

Photo: ITFC.

Photo: Action Images

JimmyJazz added 13:45 - Mar 21 No surprise here
7

Benters added 13:45 - Mar 21 The club is a joke now .
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MaySixth added 13:49 - Mar 21 "Makes life easier for fans" Not financially easier you tool.
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rambohambo added 13:53 - Mar 21 This club is heading for dark times
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Smithy added 14:00 - Mar 21 Will have to start charging a lot more if the fall out from home season tickets is as feared
4

MickMillsTash added 14:01 - Mar 21 I cannot comment on the finances but having more away fans makes a better atmosphere and improves my enjoyment of the game - this makes me more likely to go to more Ipswich games at Portman Road.
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BigAlsMate added 14:02 - Mar 21 Nice to see fans getting encouraged to visit Portman Road. Get bums on seats you idiot, up the atmosphere and take more money from the refreshment kiosks etc! Going to be dead at PR next season
14

Elto added 14:06 - Mar 21 I've been to all our away games this season and I can only recall one game that cost me £30 or more (Leeds). Quite often I've got tickets for me and my 16 yr old son for a total of £30 or less. Average price for an away ticket I would think is £25. Ipswich is generally a long way to come for most clubs so why are we charging so much? Does anyone actually think about this pretty basic business stuff? Perhaps they think the product is worth it and they are clinically insane.

16

Dire_Straits added 14:15 - Mar 21 Nice to see we are encouraging away fans to come to PR. Nice to see we are also encouraging home fans to cup games i.e. have to purchase tickets for cup games instead of the pre-payment scheme. Surely we should be encouraging people to come and support team not discourage them.
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essexboy added 14:23 - Mar 21 I have also been to most away games this season,and I believe nearly all are lower priced than us.I just don't understand the mentality of this club.Surely having a lower price would encourage away supporters more.Ok,it costs a large amount to keep this club solvent,most of us agree to this,but this I just cannot understand.I could maybe accept it if a small amount of money was used to sign players,but it isn't.The way this club is now being run from grass roots up leaves a lot to be desired,I'm sad to say.Gone is the family atmosphere and happy supporter.!!

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MeenoITFC added 14:26 - Mar 21 Absolute liability, soon football will be for the upper class. The real supporters will not pay that amount. Against Modern Football!
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ColchesterBlue1985 added 14:44 - Mar 21 “Whilst it would be lovely to reduce prices, it is an important part of our revenue. But by holding the prices we think that's good and having one grade makes life easier for fans. If it would be so lovely do it then. Easier for fans, easier not to go i agree. Which is why we will continue to see a sea of blue seating instead of people sat on the bloody things.

5

Currie10 added 14:46 - Mar 21 I didnt' like you when I met you at the SW supporters meeting you Chelsea fan. Absolute mong. We cannot surely expect away fans to turn up if we charge more than Premier League prices. Yes we understand revenue makes up a %%% but fans / people are starting to wake up and not go to games. The away end is often massively depleted at Portman Road, wonder why, we take the p*** with away fans. Sheff Weds reduced their prices to £20 on Sat - they actually passed that on to the Charlton fans too. We're so far in the past off the pitch. Would I as an away fan pay £32.50 plus travel / food / everything else and go to Portman Road? MAYBE for an end of season ding dong otherwise forget it.

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woohoo added 14:50 - Mar 21 And away fans may have no plans to buy tickets for Portman Road either, Mr Milne. I'd be interested to see the cost/benefit analysis on that one.
4

essex57 added 14:55 - Mar 21 Big Als mate nice idea trouble is you can't get served.
1

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 14:58 - Mar 21 Poor indeed!
2

jas0999 added 15:22 - Mar 21 Away clubs should boycott attending. Season ticket holders unhappy with the price rise - albeit small - but for an inferior product should also not renew. That's the only way money grabbing Evans will learn. In the past 18 months, Evans has proved that he simply doesn't care about the fans. If anything he has been ripping them off - whether it's increased prices, charging to be a mascot or even moving folks seats around. The club are now a joke.

8

FromIpswichToPhoenix added 15:30 - Mar 21 It seems Mr. Milne needs to understand the concept of value for money and economics. If you keep charging more for a substandard product, there will reach a tipping point where customers decide that they are not getting their value for money. Yes, everyone who buys a ticket is a fan, but ultimately, they are customers as it's our money that does the talking. With home season tickets being some of the most expensive in the country and away tickets up there as well, are you really making more money? For the extra pound or two you make on those who do buy, you're losing out on those who don't. Fill a stadium with cheaper seats and these people spend money on food and drink. There are ways to fill the coffers without ripping people off at the turnstiles. People impulse shop at events be it sports, conventions, movie theaters or concerts. Get them in the door at a good price and they do spend more money. If they feel the sting before they step foot in the place, they are already watching their budget. If you feel the ticket is good value, you enter in a better mood and a looser wallet. This feels like gouging for the sake of gouging.

16

tractorshark added 16:13 - Mar 21 Sheff Wed are charging us £33 in a few weeks. I don't agree with this decision but I said when the Prem clubs made this announcement, the pressure will now build on Football League clubs. The problem is they don't have a multi-billion pound TV deal. We all look at this with a simplistic view - drop prices, more people attend. But if that works why don't we do it. Either the people in charge are economically stupid or it doesn't work quite as we think. I suspect it's the latter, even though we all probably hope it's the former.

2

Currie10 added 16:15 - Mar 21 The only thing I can say back to people who want to make a stand about tickets is to pack Portman Road out when we have cheaper tickets and to avoid a season long commitment. If season ticket sales were to drop 20 - 25% the club would have to act. Rotherham and Preston the club gave us as people the chance to make a stand - yes the footy is bland but for non season ticket holders at £10 a pop it was the perfect chance for us to get 25-28.000 - turn around to the club and say " lower the price and we'll go " Both gained us a slightly higher gate of 21,000 roughly for Preston and 20,000 for Rotherham. Not a strong enough message when a Saturday we've been getting 17,500 - 18,000. It's up to us as consumers. We can moan and use a forum, be keyboard warriors or we can actually be pro-active.

3

blueherts added 16:16 - Mar 21 Clueless . If Gate receipts make up so much of the revenue how about making it a bit more entertaining to watch and 'shock horror ' maybe you will attract afew more 'home fans' 'Hoof the Magic Dragon , came from Barnsley'
4

Michael11 added 16:21 - Mar 21 Absolutely disgusting. Ashamed of the way our club are fleecing fans and contributing to ruining the game we love. How can we justify £35 for any Championship game but Ipswich v Rotherham? Just shocking!
5

Scuzzer added 16:36 - Mar 21 Can we get IDS to resign over the matter?
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SW17Blue added 16:51 - Mar 21 I cannot believe people actually parted with £32.50/£35 for that on Saturday or really for any match at Portman Road. Our pricing is disgraceful.
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greenkingtone added 16:53 - Mar 21 Although it pains me to write this, I am not renewing my season ticket. I am sick of leaving PR in despair at the team selection and results. I have been a MM supporter but my patience is at an end. I shall buy a Silver Member ticket and select the 12 matches I want to see.
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