Source: FOOTYMAD
New prices are unfair to pensioners claim
Pensioner hits out at price hike and hidden agenda All football clubs have fans of all ages and most give a discount on ticket prices for OAP's, children and the disabled and Coventry City is no different, but their recent change in season ticket pricing policy has led one, older life long Coventry City fan to accuse the club of “doing an injustice to pensioners” with their new season ticket pricing policy. Ray Stephens has been a season ticket holder for 46 years and has asked the club to have another look a their figures in order to prevent what he sees as a price hike to OAP concessions in some areas of The Ricoh. Mr Stephens has supported Coventry City for 55 years, been a season ticket holder for 46 years and is a member of the Diamond Club, serving on the committee and serves on the Supporters’ Consultative Group. He said, “I support the fact that the club have brought a lot of the prices down to attract people but pensioners are subsidising the drop in adult ticket prices." "This doesn’t hurt me too much because I am fortunate enough to have a final salary pension but I am talking on behalf of all pensioners who have a state pension or who have suffered because their pension schemes have been hit. “It is really unfair, particularly for those who sit in blocks 19, 20 and 21 whose tickets have gone up by £47, while those in the old zone three have to pay £38 more. It’s a massive increase.” The 74 year old engineer is of the opinion that the club has a hidden agenda and claims the club are attempting to move concessions out of the premium seating area that is situation on or either side of the half way line in The Tesco Stand . Mr Stephens explained, "When the club first moved to the Ricoh Arena the chairman at the time, Mike McGinnity, offered people any seat in the stadium for the same price so a lot of pensioners opted to take advantage of that generosity and sit in blocks 19, 20 and 21.” “I know for a fact that there are about 650 who sit there and I believe there is a hidden agenda to move concessions out of that area.” He also thinks there has been insufficient consultation with the fans and claims the new prices which were announced at the SCG at a meeting last Thursday were presented with a “fait accompli”. “I was at the meeting and by speaking out I am probably at risk of being kicked off the SCG,” he said. “The Supporters Consultative Group is supposed to consult but there was very little consultation. I argued my case but, unfortunately, everyone else thought it was wonderful." “I then emailed the club to ask them to look at the figures again but it is clear that what we were given was a fait accompli, but if the club make a U-turn and keep last season’s price of £239 for the premium blocks it would be the best PR exercise they could possibly ever do.” In response to Mr Stephens claims, Coventry City Football Club's head of marketing and event sales, Stephen Ebanks said, “We have done our best to make our season tickets as good value as possible and firmly believe we have done that." “In fact many concessions have gone down in cost and we believe to be able to watch a game from £8.22 represents outstanding value. Some clubs have put their OAP concessions up to over 65s, which is something we debated, but we have decided to peg it at over 60s." “We talked to our Supporters’ Consultative Group when we formulated these prices and the feedback was overwhelmingly supportive despite many of them being concession payers themselves."
