iFollow UK Season Ticket for 21/22 season

exiledhammer · Mar 30, 2021

I listened with interest to the recent club forum where Andrew Parkinson explained the club are keen for a continuation of UK supporters being able to purchase match passes for next season. Here’s my situation and I’m interested to see if I’m in the minority out there!

Pre Covid - attend 3-4 home games a season ~ £90 to ~ £100 in ticket revenue no away games

This year I will buy ~ 40 passes home and away which is £400 in revenue (some of which is away revenue which will mostly go to that club).

Next year I’d buy a home TV pass for a price point of up to £300 to £350 for 23 home games next season if it was available - somewhere around the Mayflower LG rate for adults. If it’s not available I’d probably get to 3-4 games again.

Are there plenty of other occasional HP attenders (and I’m not judging anyone on why they can’t make many games as we all have different commitments but still love our club) who would be tempted too and would you think £300 is too steep for a match pass home season ticket? Or is it just me and a few others?

Semper Viridis · Mar 30, 2021

I asked a similar question a while back. I am in exactly the same situation and, likewise, have spent considerably more on Argyle this season with the availability of match passes. I would be keen to commit to something similar next season BUT iFollow remains a relatively poor platform. Argyle’s investment in the streaming service has been good but I am not convinced that the iFollow experience is worth more than the current £230 for all home matches. Replace iFollow with a more user-friendly and reliable app? Maybe.

I am really interested to see where the EFL go with this

OnicknowlePete · Mar 30, 2021

As a ST holder i would still buy a ST but would certainly be interested in the away game option on Ifollow or some other platform if available. As someone who is about to bin Sky sport i would prefer the option to put money into my club rather than the PL riches,
Pete

German Shepherd · Mar 31, 2021

The last home match I went to was that infamous Scunnie loss on the last day of the season. I usually do between 10-15 away matches so zilch from my moth eaten wallet to Argyle. But this season I have watched every match on ifollow, so that's £230 to Argyle plus a share from some of the away matches from ifollow. So Argyle would profit from me , but would the numbers like me offset the numbers that would have ordinarily attended the home matches but went for ifollow instead ? :?

cheshiregreen · Mar 31, 2021

Guess a number of us in exile will have "seen" more games than in typical season.

Last physical attendance at Home Park for me was Swindon, New Year's Day 2020. Away was Bradford when we ended with nine men. Like others have paid to watch via i follow this season, even, paid a couple of times for games I did not get to watch.

The loss of home match day revenue won't be compensated for by my £10 a game, but, hopefully helps a little.

Has anyone seen the club publish numbers of passes bought lately? Remember first few games a figure was issued, but, can't recall these being a regular feature.

Passes may have proved more popular during lockdown, but, will that remain the case when retail and cinema reopen?

Live streaming of games could reduce actual attendance too especially in the worst winter weather.

JohnDymott · Mar 31, 2021

I live in Winchester and before lockdowns attended 2/3 home games and 1/2 away games. I purchased a 6 games at home “season ticket”.

I have watched almost all the games this season on i follow and feel that the picture quality has improved over the season.

I would certainly like to watch games next season on i follow but for it to work l assume it would only be for away games? Even then l must admit that l would prefer to watch Pompey away on i follow than go to the ground and have to stand for 90 minutes in order to see anything. The atmosphere would be lacking of course.

On the other hand l would still travel to Charlton away on a Saturday but not travel to evening matches. The net effect might be to marginally cut down the number of Argyle away supporters if away matches were televised.

warney · Mar 31, 2021

Yep, I'm in a similar position. Most seasons I usually get to a couple of home games and a hand full of away games (although the 19/20 season I only managed 2 away). This season I've watched every home game and all but two away games. So my contribution to club coffers has been vastly greater this season than probably any season before. I'd definitely get a video season ticket if one were made available but I'd still try to get to the occasional game in person, as before. So it would be a win win for both Argyle and me.

xmastree · Mar 31, 2021

As someone who goes to quite a lot of away games, I'm interested in the whole concept of supporting your club away from home going forward.

With Covid still around, I'm not sure that the authorities will be keen to have armies of football fans roaming the length of the country in support of their clubs. The argument will be that the availability of ifollow to away fans negates any reason to travel. Football fans, and particularly those who travel away, know that whilst ifollow is better than nothing, it does not compete with the real away experience.

I think I'm right in saying that there are very few countries where fans from lower league clubs travel in significant numbers to all opposition grounds. It would be very sad if this part of our social heritage was permanently curtailed.

Lundan Cabbie · Mar 31, 2021

xmastree":1vtownlj said:
As someone who goes to quite a lot of away games, I'm interested in the whole concept of supporting your club away from home going forward.

With Covid still around, I'm not sure that the authorities will be keen to have armies of football fans roaming the length of the country in support of their clubs. The argument will be that the availability of ifollow to away fans negates any reason to travel. Football fans, and particularly those who travel away, know that whilst ifollow is better than nothing, it does not compete with the real away experience.

I think I'm right in saying that there are very few countries where fans from lower league clubs travel in significant numbers to all opposition grounds. It would be very sad if this part of our social heritage was permanently curtailed.

As someone who travels long distances for home AND away games, I am concerned about what travel restrictions might be imposed upon football fans during the pandemic recovery. If only home fans are allowed to games then would someone like me still be allowed to clock up 9-10 thousand miles to see those games?