Minutes MSF Meeting Mon 22nd July 2024 6pm Riverside Stadium
Present: Caroline Walker, Rob Nichols, Jill Atkinson, Tom Green, Owen Swift, John Donovan, John Brunger, Leila Habidi, Lee Fryett, Yvonne Ferguson.
Joining online: Kul Peacock, Jeff Collins, Michelle Coleman
- Ticketing:
a) Ticket costs include a booking fee.
MSF raised the issue of booking fees when purchasing match tickets and asked why fees are per person rather than per transaction. MFC explained that the fees are “Service Fees” and cover the costs incurred including printing, postage (if required) credit card handling and ticket agency fees. MFC do not make a profit from these fees and a charge per transaction would not cover the costs involved in issuing a ticket.
MFC have relaunched their Membership Scheme today, “My Boro Membership”, and there is no booking fee when members purchase a match ticket.
b) Date of release of match by match, walk up prices.
Prices for home match tickets have been released this week, giving details of the ticket price in all areas of the Stadium and all category of games. Ticket prices for the first game of the season are also released. MSF would like to see ticket announcements for away games made much earlier to allow fans time to book travel and accommodation. MSF pointed out that Norwich City announced when their match tickets went on sale for the whole of last season (2023-24). However, no one seems to have published a deadline list for this season yet, as teams are probably waiting until all the games are confirmed up to January, in a couple of weeks’ time.
The FSA say that the minimum recommendations are “it was a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the game that tickets should be sent to the visiting club. The visiting club should request tickets no later than 5 weeks prior to the game.”
MFC said that further ticket announcements will follow shortly, as they too are awaiting the release of the dates of the Championship fixtures on TV. Confirmation of the TV schedule up to January 2025 is expected just before the new season starts. MFC will then look at giving release dates for match ticket sales. Everyone hoped that the imminent release of match dates and times up to January would help get out tickets earlier. MSF suggested MFC follow the Norwich example from last year and put out dates allowing a minimum notice period for the remaining fixtures next season.
MSF queried why the first game v Swansea was a Category A game. MFC explained that games against local opposition (even if mid-week), games on Bank Holidays (e.g. Boxing Day) and the first game of the season are considered high demand games, therefore fall into Category A. MSF also expressed their disappointment about the number of games kicking off at 12:30pm. MFC pointed out this was beyond their control and was part of the TV deal. MSF suggested that there are enough games against opposition within a 2-hour traveling distance of Middlesbrough to have 12:30 kick offs for more local games only. MSF felt that Sky TV should show more consideration to the fans in their decision making. MSF will send an email about game selection to Sky and the EFL.
c) Priority points, gold cards, points for overseas pass holders.
MSF enquired if more long-time season card holders could become Gold Card holders. MFC have recently begun to work on the Club’s 150th Anniversary and part of that discussion may include the Gold Card Status and Chairman’s Drink. Discussions are at an early stage and will be inclusive and include opportunities for fans to take part. One example of this is the involvement of fans in redesigning the Boro badge.
MFC would like to work closer with all overseas fans, not just those who subscribe to the overseas match screening digital service. The aim would be that supporters feel closer to the Club. This could be done by working with overseas supporter groups. Ideas of how to work with groups of supporters overseas were discussed, for example providing Boro guests for their online meetings. Boro North America and MFC will investigate this further.
This raised a discussion point on the benefits for local season card holders. Currently Season Card holders receive a range of benefits including free entry to U21 games at the Riverside and reduced ticket prices for home cup games. They get priority to book cup and away tickets and a discount with the Club partner Host and Stay. There is also a discount for hospitality and events, such as the James Arthur concert tickets.
MFC will continue to explore further benefits for season card holders and a member of MSF will suggest benefits they would like to see introduced.
Priority Points will continue. MFC will continue to inform fans buying away match tickets about how many fans fall into each priority points category.
d) Season card options: smart watches.
MSF asked if it was possible to put a season card on a Smart Watch. MFC said it is possible and MSF have asked for a guide to help supporters load their cards onto their smart watches.
e) Digital season card (home & away) for fans in rest of UK.
Some Boro fans living in other areas of the UK are finding it difficult to get to Boro away games as they do not have sufficient points to purchase a ticket. MFC said they understand the problem for these fans due to their lack of priority points but feel that the points system has worked well for the majority of fans. It is illegal to broadcast these Boro games in the UK on any screening platform and there are rules banning the showing of games at 3pm. However, there will be more Championship games than ever before on Sky Plus this season.
- Retail:
a) Shirt prices & availability.
MSF raised concerns about the issue of fans not receiving emails confirming the purchase of this season’s shirt for which MFC apologised and informed us that there was a technical glitch with their supplier, out of the Club’s control, which has now been rectified
The new away shirt has sold in greater quantities than in any other previous season and demand has outstripped the initial supply which was already increased on last season’s order.
More shirts have been ordered and the back log of customers will be cleared over the next few days.
b) Postal charges.
MFC has changed the company that delivers the shirts from Royal Mail to DHL. There has been an increase in the postal costs by £1, but the parcel can now be tracked. Boro’s postal charges are the same, or in some instances, less than those of other clubs. MSF raised the cost of sending shirts abroad. It was pointed out that if home and away shirts could be made available together, they could be sent out as one parcel with one postal charge.
c) Gambling adverts on shirts.
MSF raised the issue of some older children having to buy adult shirts and therefore having to wear shirts with the betting logo on. MFC informed us that it is possible to buy an adult shirt without the betting logo. These are available in store and not online, however, it is possible to email the Club Shop to order one. Shirts with the Women’s team sponsor on are also available at the Club Shop.
- Stadium/Facilities:
a) Stadium Wi-Fi.
MFC have taken action to improve the stadium Wi-Fi and currently no further action is planned. Some networks work better in the Stadium than others and it is hoped with the further rollout of 5G, access will further improve.
b) Road safety on Dockside Road & Safety Advisory Group meetings.
The Safety Advisory Group met this week and MSF raised with them the issue of pedestrian safety on Dockside Road. MFC and the Council are to monitor the speed of the traffic on Dockside Road on the first few match days and the Council will put in place measures to reduce speeding if it is deemed necessary.
- Programmes:
a)Women’s matchday programmes & U18, U21 team sheets. Available by subscription, in shop or on Ignition Sports.
MSF raised an issue of availability of various programmes for those not attending games. U18 and U21 team sheets are no longer printed out. MFC offered to post out the women’s match programmes to the fan who requested them.
- Photos:
a)Lack of squad photos & player cards.
Team photos are no longer taken at the start of the season as the team is not in place then, and there have been a couple of seasons when the team photo was not taken at all. MFC have decided to wait until the transfer window is closed before taking the photo of this season’s squad. Individual player cards will then be ordered and sold in the Club Shop.
- Venues/meet ups:
a) Communicate pre match meet ups – London.
MSF requested that meet ups of groups such as MSS could be promoted by MFC. MFC agreed to do this and will advertise any match day meeting places.
- MSF business:
- An update on MSF’s finances was given and will be discussed at further meetings going forward.
- Zoom. Sometimes MSF meetings will be in person and at other times online. Zoom will be used to facilitate more distant supporters group reps to attend meetings.
- MSF requested dates for Foodbank collections. MFC will look into the best dates and get back to us.
- Boro Bricks. MSF await the information on the memorial bricks catalogued so far and will then continue to collect information on the position and inscription on the remaining bricks.
- AOB
MSF enquired if there could be an Open Training Session this season as it was felt this would be very popular with fans.
Meeting closed at 8pm.
Next meeting Monday 2nd September.
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