End of the 50:50

[OtmoorYellow]

I see the club have effectively announced the end of the 50:50 half time draw, where 50% of receipts go to the club and 50% to the winner.

The top prize is now restricted to £750 with a couple of dubious value 2nd and 3rd prizes to try to give the changes more credibility.

I wouldn't mind a restricted top prize, if the 50:50 principle remained by giving cash prizes to 2nd and 3rd.

I think this is a somewhat parsimonious way to treat fans and extract even more money from us.

The club need to be very careful with their pricing. We've seen big increases since Eales took over in season ticket prices, replica kit prices, restaurant prices, and now this.

Given that Eales has stated that the club is now profitable, there is no justification in ripping fans off.

[Matt D]

think that's a bit harsh describing it as 'ripping fans off'. half time draws are about as discretionary a spend as you get for supporters.

I agree it's a bit of a shame though. if I recall correctly the 50/50 draw was introduced in our conference days, and while no one wants to be back there, the closeness of supporters to the club at that point was something I valued. the 50/50 could make a difference to the club budget at that point, and had a simplicity to it.

now I suppose this makes little impact on a league one budget, so I assume there's a sponsorship deal or something tied in here.

it also means that despite having come a few numbers out a couple of times from winning the draw I will never win the 50/50...

[Kernow Yellow]

I assume there's a sponsorship deal or something tied in here.

JT's cocktail bar, presumably. Can't see many of the regular 50/50 draw entrants wanting to win a 'VIP experience' there!

Nothing wrong with a £100 club shop voucher, in fact that's a decent prize; but it is slightly misleading to say that 'prizes have been expanded' when in fact first prize has been capped well below it's previous usual level.

Oh well, I don't suppose it will make me any more or less likely to buy a ticket - i've probably done so about 5 times in total!

[slappy]

I think this used to be run for the Youth and Community Trust, with half in prizes and half for them. (possibly a maximum £2K prize under small lottery rules).

I wonder who this new draw goes to? Is it still the trust or the club? Does it make any difference?

Also i always felt one big prize was a bit of a disappointment, but for away fans I guess that works. Often at an away game where the 2nd prize is a meal at a local restaurant or signed home shirt, I'm glad I don't win.

[OtmoorYellow]

think that's a bit harsh describing it as 'ripping fans off'. half time draws are about as discretionary a spend as you get for supporters.

I agree it's a bit of a shame though. if I recall correctly the 50/50 draw was introduced in our conference days, and while no one wants to be back there, the closeness of supporters to the club at that point was something I valued. the 50/50 could make a difference to the club budget at that point, and had a simplicity to it.

now I suppose this makes little impact on a league one budget, so I assume there's a sponsorship deal or something tied in here.

it also means that despite having come a few numbers out a couple of times from winning the draw I will never win the 50/50...

Actually the 50:50 draw is from The Manor days. It was stopped when we first moved to the KasStad, and then re-started a few years later.

If the club is taking in an extra £1200 per match from the draw, that covers a significant element of a player's wages.

The point about ripping the fans off, is that this is the latest in a long line of price increases over several seasons, which is unnecessary when the club is making a profit.

[ty cobb]

"If the club is taking in an extra £1200 per match from the draw, that covers a significant element of a player's wages."

Well if we can get a good player in as a result wouldn't be too bad would it? We're millions of pounds in debt to Eales, looking to maximize the income we can get from the fans (the main income source) is what the club needs to do to compete against clubs which much larger pockets and no stadium rent to pay. There of course is a limit and they don't want to get to the position where the income generated is less as a result. However, as we saw with the season tickets prices, people seem willing to chip in a bit more to give it a real go this season.

[Hog]

It's a long time (30+ years) since I had any input on the Gaming and Lotteries Act (or whatever it was/is called) and I can't be bothered to look it up but I'm pretty sure the way the first draw was done yesterday breached the rules in that they drew the prizes in reverse order meaning that not all the tickets had an equal chance of winning the top prize. I thought the top prize had to be drawn first?

[OtmoorYellow]

"If the club is taking in an extra £1200 per match from the draw, that covers a significant element of a player's wages."

Well if we can get a good player in as a result wouldn't be too bad would it? We're millions of pounds in debt to Eales, looking to maximize the income we can get from the fans (the main income source) is what the club needs to do to compete against clubs which much larger pockets and no stadium rent to pay. There of course is a limit and they don't want to get to the position where the income generated is less as a result. However, as we saw with the season tickets prices, people seem willing to chip in a bit more to give it a real go this season.

No, the club were taking in £1200 per match on the 50:50 basis. Now it is even more. Pure greed when the club is profitable.

[Werthers Original]

It's not really profitable , it's millions in debt and has few assets

[ty cobb]

"If the club is taking in an extra £1200 per match from the draw, that covers a significant element of a player's wages."

Well if we can get a good player in as a result wouldn't be too bad would it? We're millions of pounds in debt to Eales, looking to maximize the income we can get from the fans (the main income source) is what the club needs to do to compete against clubs which much larger pockets and no stadium rent to pay. There of course is a limit and they don't want to get to the position where the income generated is less as a result. However, as we saw with the season tickets prices, people seem willing to chip in a bit more to give it a real go this season.

No, the club were taking in £1200 per match on the 50:50 basis. Now it is even more. Pure greed when the club is profitable.

Yes pure greed is the first thing I think of when I consider the £1,200 extra being made here compared to the millions Eales has put in. Would you like to see the debt continue to grow or for OUFC to look to maximise the opportunities to reduce it?

[slappy]

I didn't get the chance to buy a new draw ticket as they'd sold out last week.
Anyway, previously the proceeds were split with (I think) Oxford United Youth and Community Trust.

Is this the part of the club that goes out to schools and kids' teams around the county?
Or is it this that runs the club's EPPP Category 3 academy? i.e. the club's teams and training up until first team level?

[OtmoorYellow]

It's not really profitable , it's millions in debt and has few assets

Er, yes it is profitable, and Eales has confirmed it to be. Nothing to do with debt and assets.

[OtmoorYellow]

"If the club is taking in an extra £1200 per match from the draw, that covers a significant element of a player's wages."

Well if we can get a good player in as a result wouldn't be too bad would it? We're millions of pounds in debt to Eales, looking to maximize the income we can get from the fans (the main income source) is what the club needs to do to compete against clubs which much larger pockets and no stadium rent to pay. There of course is a limit and they don't want to get to the position where the income generated is less as a result. However, as we saw with the season tickets prices, people seem willing to chip in a bit more to give it a real go this season.

No, the club were taking in £1200 per match on the 50:50 basis. Now it is even more. Pure greed when the club is profitable.

Yes pure greed is the first thing I think of when I consider the £1,200 extra being made here compared to the millions Eales has put in. Would you like to see the debt continue to grow or for OUFC to look to maximise the opportunities to reduce it?

What about the millions the fans have put in? Fans have contributed far more than Eales.

With the club profitable for 2016/17 and likely to be so for 2017/18, and with massive hikes in ticket prices for 2017/18, making the club one of the most expensive in the division, it is fleecing the fans to demand more from the half time draw.

The profitability of the club should result in a reduction of the debt, not an increase.

[ty cobb]

I don't think fans have put in more than Eales so I'm afraid I disagree with you. But then that's probably because I'm not silly enough to think fans paying to attend a match is the same as the money Eales has stuck in.

We are millions in debt and trying to save up to buy a stadium. Once the debt has been paid off and we own our stadium I'll start to take your view that's fans are being ripped off more seriously but the fact we may be making a small profit after years of large losses do not strike me as a good reason to stop increasing revenues where we can.

[Dr Bob]

I don't think fans have put in more than Eales so I'm afraid I disagree with you. But then that's probably because I'm not silly enough to think fans paying to attend a match is the same as the money Eales has stuck in.

We are millions in debt and trying to save up to buy a stadium. Once the debt has been paid off and we own our stadium I'll start to take your view that's fans are being ripped off more seriously but the fact we may be making a small profit after years of large losses do not strike me as a good reason to stop increasing revenues where we can.

Absolutely - and having a serious go at promotion without breaking the bank makes these arguments even stronger.