Membership renewal/options

[MartinAUFC]

So the membership renewal e-mails are out for next season, and as expected it’s going to cost more to sit in the newly enhanced Eastern Stand than the rest of the GA areas at each end of the stadium.

In fact, the upper tier is no longer classified as GA and is now labelled “Silver” and will cost an extra $80 a season above the North/South GA price. The lower tier in the east will now be “Premium Red” and will go for an extra $40.

I can understand the price hike, but making the upper tier allocated seating sucks as it stops you sitting with friends and family who can’t make it to every game and therefore don’t feel it’s worthwhile shelling out for a full season ticket.

I think the lower tier will be the popular choice for most Eastern Stand regulars, so it’s a good bet that will fill up fairly quickly on most match days, making it difficult to get seats together for people like me who like to cajole and harass mates and rellies into coming to the game.

Looks like I might have to remain a Northern end yobbo after all.

[bpowell454]

So the membership renewal e-mails are out for next season, and as expected it’s going to cost more to sit in the newly enhanced Eastern Stand than the rest of the GA areas at each end of the stadium.

In fact, the upper tier is no longer classified as GA and is now labelled “Silver” and will cost an extra $80 a season above the North/South GA price. The lower tier in the east will now be “Premium Red” and will go for an extra $40.

I can understand the price hike, but making the upper tier allocated seating sucks as it stops you sitting with friends and family who can’t make it to every game and therefore don’t feel it’s worthwhile shelling out for a full season ticket.

I think the lower tier will be the popular choice for most Eastern Stand regulars, so it’s a good bet that will fill up fairly quickly on most match days, making it difficult to get seats together for people like me who like to cajole and harass mates and rellies into coming to the game.

Looks like I might have to remain a Northern end yobbo after all.

That was my problem with the new seat map. I like to bring the kid(s) on rare occasions (when I have to) and this makes it a bit hard to do because I like sitting 5-8 rows back from the 2nd tier hand rail on the halfway line.

This is the second time this has happened to us. I had the perfect gold reserved seat for years (before kids) and then it became "platinum" with a big price increase so I just started coming 10 minutes earlier and getting the same seat in the opposite stand for less than half the price.

I'll probably end up paying for silver and then just slum it in the GA sections when I bring the family.

[mcjules]

Yeah in the same boat. Have some family that get part game memberships. If we want to sit together we have to forgo our reserved seats which we're now paying extra money for.
I can understand their thinking but the culture of the eastern siders is for unallocated seating, make the undercover seats GA but a higher category if they really want to extract the extra coin. It's not like they're selling out any side or will be any time soon.

[bpowell454]

Yeah in the same boat. Have some family that get part game memberships. If we want to sit together we have to forgo our reserved seats which we're now paying extra money for.
I can understand their thinking but the culture of the eastern siders is for unallocated seating, make the undercover seats GA but a higher category if they really want to extract the extra coin. It's not like they're selling out any side or will be any time soon.

Agree, an unallocated silver and unallocated premium red would have been better. If you want reserved go western. If you want organic fan growth, no reserved seats anywhere else.

One thing I'm glad about, no more roped off active support. Might be too late but the growth of our active support areas had been completely stopped.

[MartinAUFC]

Yeah in the same boat. Have some family that get part game memberships. If we want to sit together we have to forgo our reserved seats which we're now paying extra money for.
I can understand their thinking but the culture of the eastern siders is for unallocated seating, make the undercover seats GA but a higher category if they really want to extract the extra coin. It's not like they're selling out any side or will be any time soon.

Agree, an unallocated silver and unallocated premium red would have been better. If you want reserved go western. If you want organic fan growth, no reserved seats anywhere else.

Yep, the more I think about it the more I think the club has potentially scored a massive own goal here.

There is plenty of positivity around the place at the moment with new owners, a relatively successful team and a coach who is starting to show he has what it takes to lead the team forward.

The atmosphere at Coopers is the envy of the rest of the league and it will only improve with the new roof on the Eastern side, but not as much if the stand is only half full because of the club has got greedy. I mean have they even contributed financially to any of the development ? I'm thinking not.

I can feel a strongly worded e-mail coming on

[mcjules]

Season still a month away, I'm sure they'll sell more before then and they'll get match day walkups however I just bit the bullet and bought my silver tickets and there are entire bays that have no seats sold in them. The only one that is decently full is the smallest bay in the middle, 1 other bay has maybe a dozen seats sold and another only 2.
Just highlights how completely unnecessary making it reserved seating was

[EdDog]

Agree ^

Think they've missed a trick here.

GA seating in the Eastern Stand was a unique Hindmarsh tradition.

[bpowell454]

Reserved seating in the eastern stand is anti growth. Especially if the seating maps and choosing seats is still as bad as they have always been. Too hard to take your friends and family to the odd casual game. Such a shame.

[otto62]

I used to sit Eastern stand half way between the Red Army and the halfway line. Perfect.
Last season sat at the southern end right up the western end. Not anywhere near as good viewing, but I got used to it. The extra cost for the Eastern stand made me stay there.





I’ll probably regret it.

[Jessesdad]

Yep, I'm with you, Otto. Always a 'top tier on the halfway line' fan. Makes me feel like I understand the game!!
This reserved seating bullshit is making me decide to stay at the Northern end. I prefer to annoy different neighbours each week.

[MartinAUFC]

Yep, I'm with you, Otto. Always a 'top tier on the halfway line' fan. Makes me feel like I understand the game!!
This reserved seating bullshit is making me decide to stay at the Northern end. I prefer to annoy different neighbours each week.

I've gone northern stand as well with my membership. I would definitely have gone eastern upper tier for say an extra $40-50 but not for $80 and the inflexibility of allocated seating. My grandson gets much more engaged with the game from a side on view, but as stated by bpowell454, it completely rules out sitting with family and friends that don't go to every game.

The upper tier will be a third full at most. For one thing who in their right mind pays that much extra if they're sitting in the bays nearest one end ? Your view isn't that much better than being in the North or South.

Hopefully they see sense next season.

[offshorejack]

Hopefully they see sense next season

hopefully similar to when Gerard, Griffin and co. took over… from memory they charged extra for the eastern stand in their first season, but did away with it the following year

fingers crossed we’re all wrong and people jump on board and pack the place out regardless

can’t wait to hear a packed Hindmarsh again… been too long for me personally, haven’t been to any games the last two seasons

[EdDog]

I think once complete the eastern stand will resemble the western and overall will be a much more refined match day experience with shorter lines to bathrooms, food outlets, will have protection from the elements etc.

It does suck that it has essentially killed the GA vibes on that side but I can understand why they've done it and it may be worth it for some.

Am I correct that the bottom tier is still considered GA? Always fills up super quick but that would be my preference.

[offshorejack]

Am I correct that the bottom tier is still considered GA? Always fills up super quick but that would be my preference.

yeah, bottom tier is GA, but at an extra cost to north and south

top row of the bottom tier, halfway line, is where it’s at

[mcjules]

As already said, it's annoying that its more expensive but I can understand why. Especially if they've really fixed up the ammenities around there (remains to be seen but I believe its possible). It's the reserved seating that's the main issue. Half my family and friends can't make all the games and get shorter memberships (5 or 8 game). They're completely locked out of the grandstand and as such for at least 5 games of the season, if I want to sit with them I'm paying extra for nothing.

If they had any chance at all of selling out the eastern grandstand it might have made sense. If they really wanted to trial it they could have comfortably made reserved seating the best 2 bays like they have platinum and gold on the western side.