Nottingham Forest Season Card Prices 2024-25 – Forza Garibaldi Statement

We are dismayed and frustrated to see the significant rise in season card prices. At a time of great financial strain for the people of Nottingham and beyond this is both inconsiderate and damaging to supporters. We feel it also deeply damages the relationship between club and fans.

Based on figures we have calculated, the increase from the 2023/2024 season card prices across each of the four bands works out as follows:

Adults – 17.83%

Seniors – 18.08%

Youth – 50%

Children – 40.40%

This is not a strictly direct comparison, predominantly due to the amendment to some age brackets and pricing in the family area has not yet been captured, but it demonstrates how significant the uplift is. The highest individual increase is in the centre of the Brian Clough Stand with adults expected to meet an uplift of up to 28%, and Seniors looking at over 38%. While some of the Child prices have remained the same, others rise by over 100%.

The further adjusting of age brackets, while creating some savings for young people around 11-13 years, is particularly hard hitting for our young supporters aged around 17-18. The reduction of the Youth category from 19 years to just 17 means that, in the most extreme example, someone at that age sat in the Brian Clough or Peter Taylor Stands could see their price rise from £190 to £850. Even in other areas the uplift is considerable and inexplicable. Fans of this age cannot afford this pricing and this risks an age group being lost to the club.

While every individual has to face these drastic increases, we are particularly concerned that parents / guardians who take children to games are being priced out. The total increase for an entire family is eye-watering and, in many instances, will not be able to be justified. Some may now face the difficult conversation of explaining to their children that they cannot afford to take them to Forest. Is that truly what the club wants?

We have talked to the club before about finding a ‘human factor’ in their decision making and we feel again that such a view has disappointingly been overlooked. This decision risks selling seats to those who can afford it – we only have to look around at some of our fellow Premier League clubs to see the consequences of gentrified football stadiums. We must avoid this becoming the future of the City Ground.

Those who are currently sat on the waiting list may understandably see this as an opportunity to take the place of existing season card holders who do not renew, but we would urge everyone to consider the impact this will have on future season card prices and also the associated costs of match tickets and memberships. This decision will, sooner or later, impact us all. As an aside, the cost of matchday tickets and home memberships must now also become a focus to ensure that more fans are not being priced out of the game. This was already planned to be a proposed talking point at the next meeting of the Fan Advisory Board.

The decision to rise season card prices in such a way is deeply troubling, especially when increases last season were of a similar level. A quick calculation suggests that the total income from the increases this season may be something between £2 and £3 million. We all know that this is a rather insignificant sum compared to the recently reported annual turnover of £155m. The Chairman, Tom Cartledge, in the official release notes how important it is that the club pursues all means of additional income to combat the financial rules, but we argue that the relatively minor income this rise brings in is minimal compared to the damage it is doing to the individual supporter. That we understand final say on pricing sits with the ownership also means we should consider who it is that is driving these decisions. While it is right that we address our concerns with the club as a whole it is perhaps our owners who need to be responsible for justifying their decision making.

We expect far better from a club that has spoken only very recently about how it prides itself on helping its community.

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Our key concern is clearly the considerable increase, but we also find the words surrounding the release to be most unfortunate. The club talks about atmosphere, but this has been created by the same fans they now risk pricing out of something they love. The inclusion of a line about an apparent 10,000 strong waiting list is also, in our opinion, a bad mistake and sounds something close to a threat. Late on Tuesday evening the club’s social media also gleefully began announcing record renewal rates and a further 1,000 people had signed up for their waiting list. The tone and the timing of these messages was not only antagonistic but was a further reminder that, under this regime, loyalty appears to have been all but disregarded.

We will remind the club that it is the current season card holders who constantly stuck by the club in darker times, including when the club requested financial help during the pandemic. Fans are now understandably feeling let down that great loyalty is being dismissed.

We are also mindful that the current method of pitting existing season card holders against the occupants of the waiting list can already been seen to creating division among supporters. Every single Forest fan would like to see a space for all but, despite various understandable issues, the club have not fulfilled their announcement to expand the City Ground which was announced over five years ago. Such a rhetoric regarding waiting lists should be stopped immediately, especially at a time when a united fanbase is vital to our quest to remain in the Premier League.

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The club have regularly reminded fans about how vital their support is, to ‘bring the noise’, but the decision to once again push loyalty way down their list of priorities is telling.

This pricing model flies in the face of everything supporters have contributed to the cause in recent years. While Forest focus on their season cards being among the cheapest in the Premier League this fails to reflect our current standing and that it is the mismanagement of finances that is currently the greatest risk to our top flight status. We are too extremely concerned that Forest make no reference at all to the very real possibility that we will not be in the Premier League next season. These prices would be particularly scandalous in the Championship and it is deeply unfair to expect supporters to make a choice, given the deadline is before the final two games of the season.

We ask the club, as a minimum expectation, to reconsider this particular item.

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As noted by the Supporters Trust in their own communications around this issue, we are further deeply concerned that the release of the season card pricing also failed to properly engage the Fan Advisory Board as we feel it should. In the most recent meeting, price increases were discussed with fan representatives and it was made clear that any significant uplifts would be opposed, but no actual price data was shared by the club. We believe this is a failing on the club’s part to adequately consult with supporters as we had understood they would.

We will not sit on a board that is used for token consultancy only on major issues. On Wednesday morning, the FAB Chair has written to the club voicing these collective concerns.

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To end, we will summarise what we feel would be welcome next steps:

  • The club call an emergency meeting of the Fan Advisory Board to urgently discuss the season card pricing and how fan engagement has not adequately been considered.
  • An immediate review of the proposed pricing model for the 2024/25 season which incorporates season cards, home memberships and matchday pricing.
  • An end to the adversarial communications from the club which are stoking already heightened tension.
  • A relaxation on the fixed price regardless of what league Forest compete in next season, and an extension of the deadline beyond the end of the season so fans can make an informed choice.
  • Engagement between the Fan Advisory Board members without the club to discuss a strategy that can adequately relay our concerns to the club and represent the feelings of our fellow supporters.
  • The consideration of an open forum or spoken interview with the club to explain their decision making on this and other areas of concern.

To our fellow fans, we are aware that statements and social media disaffection may not be enough to make our frustration clear to the club. The intention here is not just to complain but also take action if necessary.

As a starting point we are withdrawing plans for flags / banners / displays for the Manchester City game. While this is far from ideal timing, we feel we have no choice but to take a stand.

We understand that this may disappoint some of you and also the team who need our support, but it is important to us as a group that we are not allowing this decision by the club to go without action. While we realise such a step may ultimately be futile, we feel it is appropriate to demonstrate our frustration at this time and will highlight how vital supporters are to the club.

We remain eager to maintain these visual displays but only at a point when the club are willing to listen and acknowledge these real concerns from supporters.

We will, of course, update going forward with any new updates.

 

Forza Garibaldi, Wednesday 17th April 2024