Trust counter club claim: 'The prices announced by Southend United are higher than we expected'

31 March 2011 13:09
The Shrimpers Trust have accepted that the club had no choice but to put up matchday ticket prices up for next season; even so, they are still shocked by the size of the increase! Southend United have put season cards up for next season from £300 to £350, while matchday tickets will cost £19 instead of £16, if you buy before the day of the game when they will increase further to £21! And though the Shrimpers Trust have backed the claim by club CEO Tara Brady that supporters club were consulted before the price hike went public. A Trust spokesman told www.echo-news.co.uk: "The Shrimpers Trust believe that a price increase, both for season tickets and in terms of matchday prices, at Southend United for the 2011/12 season was inevitable given the financial situation at the club stated by chief executive Tara Brady. The trust were consulted by the football club, and we advised that we believed a matchday price of £20 would be acceptable given the necessity to recoup some of the losses sustained by the club on a monthly basis." Fair enough, so what did our msjor supporters club organisation believe should have happened? They continued: "It was also our opinion that season ticket prices, offering in essence approximately six free matches, should be built around this level. But the prices announced by the club are higher than expected. The trust were not aware of the final proposals and any suggestion that we were consulted should be tempered with that knowledge. Had any later consultation occurred, we would have argued against the final figures." So the club took the piss, what a surprise.In a tough position having to play devils advocate the Trust concluded: "The club have a difficult balancing act with regards to ticket pricing, and the amounts released leave supporters with a difficult personal decision as to whether they renew their season ticket cards for next season." Difficult indeed, many have already had enough and expect gates from Aldershot onwards and into next season to drop significantly unless some investment in the team is seen to be given to Blues boss Paul Sturrock.

Source: FOOTYMAD