West Ham had a record breaking day in the Ticket Office yesterday with over 9,360 supporters renewing their season tickets at the London Stadium for next season.
The number is a new record for the club and accounts for eighteen per cent of the current fifty-two thousand season ticket holders. A club insider explained that previous renewals at the Boleyn Ground amounted to just a few hundred on day one of the renewal window.
Many of the early renewals are being driven by the promise of priority of relocation within the London Stadium on a first come, first served approach. Interest-free credit for four months subject to a £30 admin fee and a low-interest loan at 6% over ten months (down from 19.9%) are also helping to spread the financial pain to supporters.
Around 3,000 band 5 season ticket holders each of which pay £289 per season were required to pay two years upfront but they will not have an automatic option to relocate.
Reports that current away season tickets will not receive priority have been dismissed by the club as simply not true. We have been told that current away season ticket holders will receive priority if they sign up before the May deadline with the remaining allocation being sold on a first come, first served basis. However the club say the allocation of 500 in the away scheme has never sold out in reality.
Season tickets holders will be able to both upgrade and downgrade bands in the relocation window subject to availability of seats elsewhere. You will first need to renew your season ticket at the current price and if you are successful with your band downgrade you will be credited back the money to your bank account.
Upgrades from junior to adult will be permitted but upgrades from junior to adult will not be allowed. There are 10,000 Under 16 season tickets and these will under go an identity verification process before the beginning of September.
In a snap poll yesterday on social media 61% said they would renew their season ticket with 39% claiming they would not.
Well waddaya know? My little merry band of 5 happy clappers were amongst those.
I am delighted some of the persistent moaners aren’t renewing, although I’ve not dismissed the thought that they still will, having spent 8 months saying they won’t, but if it’s true 30% or so don’t renew then I’d wager they are some if the newbies that bought their first ever ticket because we moved to the OS. The 9,000 that have renewed are predominantly the hardcore fans and there’ll be another 9,000 over the next few days I expect. Most of those will be the same hammers that made up the 22,000/23,000 that inhabited Upton Park.
Of course the haters will say the 9,000 is made up as indeed they say the 54,000 on the waiting list is made up, but why would the club make up these numbers? It doesn’t mean all 54,000 will take up the option it just means they want to be able to if they chose to.
My hope is that they get consent for 66,000 and that they actually limit the ST to the same or less to allow for casual fans to turn up like the old days. That might go against the grain for the board who like to boast of regular sell outs but that would get my vote.
I also hope those that bought a season ticket and attended 5 times this season and left the seat empty for the remainder of the games do not get an option to renew.
Nice article Sean.
The majority of west ham fans will renew.Even the ones who spend every day moaning will in all likelihood renew.
Yes there will be some that wont but you not what thats not my problem.most i know will be renewing no matter how much the moaners would like everyone to believe we will be playing in a half empty stadium.
The main reason so many people renewed is because they want to be first in line to change seats.
If you are unhappy with your seat the only option to do anything about it is to renew on the first day and hope that something better comes available.
I suppose it makes a change from the usual tactic of us being linked with a big name player that never materialises as season tickets are up for renewal.
I have since been told only 3,000 of 8,000 band 5 season ticket holders paid for two years upfront. Although they automatically renewed they will not be given priority to relocate, in fact they will keep their allocated seats for the two seats.
I am sure the club included those 3,000 in their figure of 9,360 yesterday but even so 6,360 is still impressive compared with a first day of around 300 at the Boleyn Ground last season
So an increase of 500% on last season.
Now now John you are sounding far too optimistic for a West Ham site lol
Is that you David? 😉 Why are you calling yourself John?
FO the pair of you!!! I’ll see the good in my club if I want to. I tell you what, I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night a damn sight more cheerful than the Miserable One albeit perhaps a little more deluded admittedly 😂😂
Are you positive The Original John to counter act the opposite version lol
Young John you are always cheerful matey i commend you for that and after going to read the other blog comments i often need something to put a smile on my boat.
WERE DOOMED DOOMED I TELL YA lol
lol ain’t that the truth Stanley!! 😂😂😂