For the attention of
Ken Bates
Chairman
LUFC
Elland Road
LEEDS
LS11 OES

Dear Mr Bates

Ticket Prices

We are continuing to explore any ideas our members and fellow fans have that could be of assistance to both them and the club they support.

The single most contentious item that fans have reported continues to be the ticket pricing structure that was introduced by the club this season. This has been seen as a primary cause of a substantial drop in attendances at games coupled with a consequent reduction in atmosphere and one assumes revenue. We are aware that the financial position that the club has found itself was the cause of the increases and that in the long term it will be the fans that will have to pay for the continued on the field recovery to be maintained.

Under normal circumstances LUFC Trust would be reluctant to become involved in addressing this subject however with the half-season tickets likely to be marketed in the near future for sale at the turn of the year we are of the opinion that there is an opportunity for some creative thinking by the club that may encourage the return of the missing fans.

If the club were to consider offering some reduction in the price/match for the half season ticket packages along with a complementary review of match day ticket prices allied to some creative provision to attract families once again, we are of the opinion that this will have a significant positive impact to the revenue stream that would be generated from ticket sales.

The higher crowds generated by such an innovative ticketing strategy will have a marked impact on the atmosphere inside the ground in match days as well as increasing sales from ancillary revenue streams associated with the club shops, programme sales, catering outlets and the like. In addition there would be the benefit that the team will derive from playing in front of the bigger crowds.

We of course recognise an immediate downside to this proposal in that existing season ticket holders would understandably become disgruntled as they would have paid the higher price tickets at the beginning of the season. However this could, we feel, be overcome were the club to offer these fans some encouragement of their own. Such encouragement could be in the form of an equivalent % discount from their 2006-2007 season ticket price and/or the issue of a complimentary child’s ticket on say 2 matches immediately before Christmas for an area of the ground normally lightly populated where the season ticket holder and his child could temporarily relocate for the matches in question.

Acceptance in some part of such a proposal would demonstrate that the club is prepared to listen to its customers and act accordingly and would go a long way in cementing a lasting and strong relationship. LUFC Trust would be willing to assist the club in testing any pricing models that it has developed prior to their roll out by hosting meeting(s) or organising via the Forums etc the views of the supporters.

We look forward to receiving your comments.

With best wishes

Michael McGowan
Chairman

cc: John Hemmingham
Leeds United Supporters' Club
Peter Lorimer