One of the things hinted at when ALK took over was an improved match day experience.
Talking to season ticket holders, I am struggling to find any positive changes?
Except for pies, apparently.
ST holders, who regularly attended away matches (albeit in the EPL) describe away facilities as better than ours.
Is this just another aspect of the board being in it for the money and not the club?

The pies are one of the reasons for the Turf Moor catering boycott - plus you’d struggle to buy anything if you wanted to

Everything is more expensive, and the ticketing department actually seems to have got worse. But some fans are fooled by fancy new LED lights around the stadium.

Only more wins will make the match day experience better for me.

I don't bother with the catering now. It's a rip off.

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 11:28 am

Everything is more expensive, and the ticketing department actually seems to have got worse. But some fans are fooled by fancy new LED lights around the stadium.

Name 1 thing that hasn’t got more expensive for the past 3 or 4 years.

The match is the only thing that matters, the rest is just noise, and damned expensive noise too

brexit wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 11:23 am

One of the things hinted at when ALK took over was an improved match day experience.
Talking to season ticket holders, I am struggling to find any positive changes?
Except for pies, apparently.
ST holders, who regularly attended away matches (albeit in the EPL) describe away facilities as better than ours.
Is this just another aspect of the board being in it for the money and not the club?

Hospitality facilities definitely improved. However the increases in prices have upset a lot of people. Already met a number who have this year downgraded or just not renewed because of big increases.
I’ve also been told by someone who works at the club (and would be in a very good position to know this) that prices will be going up by another 20% next season.
There’s a few staff who have left the commercial team in the last few weeks.

When you add this to the narrative on what’s happening on the pitch something appears to be going on.

As for the match day experience for the majority of fans can’t really see any improvements. The food (inc pies) is still sub standard, no money spent on improving the concourse facilities etc.

I do think the fanzone and surrounding areas of the ground have improved - not all down to the new owners though but does look better

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 11:34 am

Hospitality facilities definitely improved. However the increases in prices have upset a lot of people. Already met a number who have this year downgraded or just not renewed because of big increases.
I’ve also been told by someone who works at the club (and would be in a very good position to know this) that prices will be going up by another 20% next season.
There’s a few staff who have left the commercial team in the last few weeks.

When you add this to the narrative on what’s happening on the pitch something appears to be going on.

As for the match day experience for the majority of fans can’t really see any improvements. The food (inc pies) is still sub standard, no money spent on improving the concourse facilities etc.

I do think the fanzone and surrounding areas of the ground have improved - not all down to the new owners though but does look better

That's interesting - the Park View has been seen as a positive by quite a few supporters.
It is quite telling that no-one has mentioned the "improvements on Yorkshire Street" as a positive.

brexit wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 11:59 am

That's interesting - the Park View has been seen as a positive by quite a few supporters.
It is quite telling that no-one has mentioned the "improvements on Yorkshire Street" as a positive.

I only go to the park view because of its location, other than that it's a dreadful pub that rips off match goers

The best bit about our Match Day Experience is the coffee we get from Simon and his colleague in their mobile coffee vans.

brexit wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 11:59 am

That's interesting - the Park View has been seen as a positive by quite a few supporters.
It is quite telling that no-one has mentioned the "improvements on Yorkshire Street" as a positive.

Nothing to do with ALK though.

beddie wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 12:04 pm

The best bit about our Match Day Experience is the coffee we get from Simon and his colleague in their mobile coffee vans.

Good brew from there tbf

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 11:34 am

Hospitality facilities definitely improved. However the increases in prices have upset a lot of people. Already met a number who have this year downgraded or just not renewed because of big increases.
I’ve also been told by someone who works at the club (and would be in a very good position to know this) that prices will be going up by another 20% next season.
There’s a few staff who have left the commercial team in the last few weeks.

When you add this to the narrative on what’s happening on the pitch something appears to be going on.

As for the match day experience for the majority of fans can’t really see any improvements. The food (inc pies) is still sub standard, no money spent on improving the concourse facilities etc.

I do think the fanzone and surrounding areas of the ground have improved - not all down to the new owners though but does look better

It cannot be many who have not renewed, or there was a big waiting list based on the number of season tickets sold.
The area around the ground has improved, and the hospitality areas seem a lot better, but in all honesty, I walk in 5 minutes before kick off, watch the game then leave, so they could spend millions on the concourse etc it would make little difference to me.

jrgbfc wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 12:04 pm

Nothing to do with ALK though.

And wouldn’t effect a lot of supporters anyway (those that come via Belvedere, Brunshaw & Todmorden Rds)

I can't afford to go any more. I rely on listening to us on the radio, or reading match updates on here or the BBC. That's my match day experience.

Great when we win, terrible when we lose. Simple as that

Stproc wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 11:33 am

The match is the only thing that matters, the rest is just noise, and damned expensive noise too

Yep, "matchday experience" is just modern day meaningless ********. I go to the game to watch a game of footy. If anyone goes for any other reasons, they probably need a responsible adult to look after their finances.

I do wonder just what our Director of Fan Experience actually does???

We've stopped going in the fanzone because drinks cost so much.

Outside of that there's not much else to the match day experience that needs doing, I'm only there to watch the team. I suppose they could send the half time guy on a course to learn how to ask the half-time guest questions that aren't stupid.

Cost me a fortune last season as I was back in the pub early almost every home game.

Row x wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 12:07 pm

It cannot be many who have not renewed, or there was a big waiting list based on the number of season tickets sold.
The area around the ground has improved, and the hospitality areas seem a lot better, but in all honesty, I walk in 5 minutes before kick off, watch the game then leave, so they could spend millions on the concourse etc it would make little difference to me.

I mean the hospitality tickets not renewing or downgrading

No meal deals any more. It was a rip off before, even worse now. Still, you can have ACDC piped into your ears rather than speaking to your neighbours.

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 2:49 pm

I mean the hospitality tickets not renewing or downgrading

Sorry, misunderstood

We like/have to get down a little sooner these days to find a space closer so dad doesn’t have as far to walk and can take his time getting there so sometimes have 60-90 mins to kill before the game. The Fanzone is decent enough but could do with reducing the prices a little

We thought about trying the hospitality in the JMc but the price was ridiculous, especially for a group of 4 of us.

Maybe we should start a thread to see what’s actually improved since we were saddled with debt, oops sorry, taken over.

The fan zone is better. Not too long since you were outside with a few burger vans and a double decker, regardless of the weather.

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 2:49 pm

I mean the hospitality tickets not renewing or downgrading

Hospitality is pretty much sold out.

GetIntoEm wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 1:35 pm

Hospitality is pretty much sold out.

Where did you get that from ?
I was told something completely different by someone who works in that team only a week ago and also witnessed for myself with how many spare places there was at the Cardiff game (which I know was in the middle of the holidays but it isn’t sold out for this season by a long way)

Big Vinny K wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 1:52 pm

Where did you get that from ?
I was told something completely different by someone who works in that team only a week ago and also witnessed for myself with how many spare places there was at the Cardiff game (which I know was in the middle of the holidays but it isn’t sold out for this season by a long way)

I go in there quite regularly for work and for the match. The long side ones are sold barring an odd spare single. The bee hole ones are no less full than last year but still some capacity, but they use them for comps. There's certainly no decline since last season.

They still had hospitality tickets in the Bee Hole for the Blackburn match, as of Friday.

As for matchday experience, I'm in the grumpy old man category now. As others have said, I only go to watch the match, although even as a youngster it was always the pub and food from outside the ground / chippy. It's never been part of our routine to go to the Turf for anything other than the game.

Always feels a bit cringe and tinpot in the build up but if we time it just right, we only see about 30 seconds of that.

GetIntoEm wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 1:54 pm

I go in there quite regularly for work and for the match. The long side ones are sold barring an odd spare single. The bee hole ones are no less full than last year but still some capacity, but they use them for comps. There's certainly no decline since last season.

I’m not sure how you would know this going off one game.
I’m going off what I was told by more than one person - including one who works in the hospitality sales team only a week ago.
I was also talking to someone in the LJM hospitality at Cardiff who said they had moved from the North stand hospitality where he had been for a few years but had enough of the price increases in the last couple of years. He said he knew of a a number of people who had not renewed this season.

The LJM hospitality was nowhere near up to capacity - it was not even half full against Cardiff. I was there against Brighton last year and it was far busier.

I've no interest in the experience, I simply want to have a halftime debrief and listen to the scores being read out.

The tannoy volume needs reducing by about 50%.

Other than game itself, a pint or 2 with friends before/after is all part of the 'matchday experience' for me but our only BFC catering expenditure is in the Fanzone as it's not too busy after the game so it's a
convenient place for a pint while we're awaiting the traffic clearing and our lift home.

Having said that, after the last home match when my now £5.30 pint of Wainwright bitter was that ice cold (colder than my mates lager) you couldn't even taste it we might have to go elsewhere if that's going to be the norm.

GetIntoEm wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 1:54 pm

I go in there quite regularly for work and for the match. The long side ones are sold barring an odd spare single. The bee hole ones are no less full than last year but still some capacity, but they use them for comps. There's certainly no decline since last season.

One of the staff told me last week that there were 15 empty tables in the Longside hospitality, which seemed like an underestimate if anything. Definitely fewer people than last year.

The price is 35% higher than two seasons ago, and the food is less good than it was (heavily reduced starters, and no cream on the puddings, otherwise unchanged).

Did I see it was over a fiver for a pint of Worthington Smooth or did I dream that?

More like a nightmare.

All I want is to be able to see the scores in other games at HT …I can’t get any mobile phone signal in and around the ground. But instead of doing the decent thing and showing Sky Soccer Saturday on the concourse TVs they just show multiple angle replays of what we have already seen on the pitch.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 5:12 pm

Did I see it was over a fiver for a pint of Worthington Smooth or did I dream that?

More like a nightmare.

Worthingtons Smooth was £1.86p a pint at Wetherspoons in Sunderland on Saturday!

Leisure wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 25, 2024 2:11 pm

I do wonder just what our Director of Fan Experience actually does???

Patronises the fanbase

I just don't bother with the catering or drinks,I refuse to queue twice to be ripped off. The meal deal was really good value , a decent bene but now they can't even get that right. Coupled with the garbage football last season the match day experience is dire.

Vintage Claret wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 4:34 pm

Other than game itself, a pint or 2 with friends before/after is all part of the 'matchday experience' for me but our only BFC catering expenditure is in the Fanzone as it's not too busy after the game so it's a
convenient place for a pint while we're awaiting the traffic clearing and our lift home.

Having said that, after the last home match when my now £5.30 pint of Wainwright bitter was that ice cold (colder than my mates lager) you couldn't even taste it we might have to go elsewhere if that's going to be the norm.

£5.30 a pint!?? Are you joking. Is that what it is? That’s city centre prices in leeds/manc.


Descent ale still under 3 quid in the miners

Inchy wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 8:14 pm

£5.30 a pint!?? Are you joking. Is that what it is? That’s city centre prices in leeds/manc.


Descent ale still under 3 quid in the miners

Descent ale has gone downhill recently

Beer in miners is dreadful. £5.30 is top town centre prices these days.

GetIntoEm wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 8:28 pm

Beer in miners is dreadful. £5.30 is top town centre prices these days.

The Guinness is fine … although they serve it in everything but a Guinness glass

For £3 …. I’m not complaining ….

I’ve downed tools buying anything at turf moor now -

Too expensive for what it is

UTC

After the st price increase,especially for pensioners, the above inflation rise in beer on the turf and the useless serving staff, our small group have given up drinking on the turf, and we reckon that will cost the club about £800 ,rather spend it in the local boozers now.

We ordered a pie and 2 hotdogs before kickoff for halftime vs Cardiff (in the Longside lower, block 3) one of us left at 42 minutes while 2 off us stayed in our seats till the halftime whistle.

The one who left took the ticket/receipt only to be told they'd sold out of pies. Considering she got there before 45 with no ques and with the time added on most fans were still out in there seats.

Needles to say she was furious, we ended up with 3 hotdogs as they couldn't refund her.

I wouldn't say that's classed as match day experience, but maybe it is..

Wembley09 wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 11:00 pm

We ordered a pie and 2 hotdogs before kickoff for halftime vs Cardiff (in the Longside lower, block 3) one of us left at 42 minutes while 2 off us stayed in our seats till the halftime whistle.

The one who left took the ticket/receipt only to be told they'd sold out of pies. Considering she got there before 45 with no ques and with the time added on most fans were still out in there seats.

Needles to say she was furious, we ended up with 3 hotdogs as they couldn't refund her.

I wouldn't say that's classed as match day experience, but maybe it is..

How they can “sold out” before half time is beyond incompetence.

We sit in the JMU, so don’t run the risk of being charged for something they don’t have in stock.

Half the time there’s pies available at the other kiosk anyway, it’s just they don’t communicate with each other.

Inchy wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 8:14 pm

£5.30 a pint!?? Are you joking. Is that what it is? That’s city centre prices in leeds/manc.

Unfortunately not joking Inchy, it was £5 a pint last season but at least it was drinkable

Vintage Claret wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 27, 2024 11:21 am

Unfortunately not joking Inchy, it was £5 a pint last season but at least it was drinkable

£6.20 a pint in the LJM suite for Cardiff game.
The owners are making 20% increases year on year across the board in terms of food, drink, tickets, hospitality - in a nutshell that is the match day experience for the last 3 years since they landed.

its a entertainment venue, its not going to be Spoons prices is it. Paid more for a bottle at some stadiums last year

Wonder what kind of responses you would have got asking the same question if this messageboard had been around in the 80’s…

‘A well earned win against Rochdale and a free pie walking off the Bee hole. Downside to the day my trainers are still soaked with urine from the Longside bogs.’