Why Brighton should consider a season ticket payment pause or refund

Brighton and Hove Albion’s response to the coronavirus crisis so far has been exemplary. Matchday staff are being paid their wages for the final five games of the Premier League season and unused food was donated to the homeless following the late cancellation of the Arsenal fixture.

It’s becoming increasingly unlikely though that football is going to resume anytime soon. The Premier League announced last week that fixtures would be suspended until April 30th at the very earliest, but it seems wildly optimistic that the Albion will be back at the Amex and kicking a ball around for the visit of Southampton five days later.

Most scientific experts believe that the crisis is going to worsen over the coming weeks. More infections and a death rate approaching the devastating levels seen in Italy. If that is the case, how on earth can the authorities allow 30,000 people to pack into the Amex?

Go and watch Brighton, catch coronavirus, take it home to an elderly relative, watch them die. Should ambulances and paramedics be diverted to football grounds to ensure the safety of players and supporters at a time when there are much more pressing issues to attend to?

It is often forgotten that each and every Premier League home game is a major event. The 22 players may be the actors on the stage, but they are only a small part of the whole shebang.

There is the safety of coaches and support staff to consider. Match officials. Those who prepare and serve food to players and guests in the stadium. Ground staff and stewards. The away side travelling long distances and taking in overnight stays in hotels which could or should be in lockdown.

Not to mention the thousands of fans who flock from around the country to cram into stadiums and shout, swear and sing their way through a game. Who knows, Brighton might even manage to score a goal which would necessitate hugging and high fives.

Realistically, football in front of fans cannot resume until coronavirus has been defeated to such an extent that it is no longer a threat.

The way things are progressing currently, that won’t be by the end of April. It probably won’t be by the end of May. Henry Winter of The Times said on Sunday Supplement that he believes it will be October before competitive action resumes. Even that might be optimistic.

Which leaves Brighton in a bit of a quandary about what to do with regards season ticket payments. When it appeared as though the pause of the Premier League season may only be temporary, talking about refunds for the five remaining home games of 2019-20 was a little premature – the games would get played after all, we might just have to wait a few weeks to see them.

Now, things are very different. Not only have we got an indefinite wait to play those five games, but supporters have already begun or about to begin paying out significant sums of money for their 2020-21 season tickets – a season which nobody knows if or even when it’s going to take place.

Forking out between £550 and £800 is a considerable expense at the best of times. Paying out £50 – £80 a month likewise. And these aren’t the best of times. Lots of people are losing their jobs and others aren’t sure where their next pay cheque is coming from.

People need to scrimp and save every penny that they can to look after themselves and their families. Paying for a Brighton season ticket when nobody knows when we’re going to set foot in the Amex again is an outgoing that many supporters could do without – which is why the Albion need to find a coronavirus response to the issue.

Everyone knows that a very small proportion of a Premier League club’s income comes from ticket sales. Brighton’s 2018-19 season accounts showed that matchday revenue was worth £18.5 million of the Albion’s £143 million turnover – a drop in the ocean compared to the £113 million in broadcast revenue which made up over 80% of the club’s income.

That matchday revenue figure consists of season tickets, matchday tickets and spending on beer, food and £3.20 bags of Starburst.

Working on the basis that there are 23,000 season ticket holders paying an average of £700 each, season tickets are worth around £16,100,000 to the Albion. Or to put it in simple terms, a little less than signing one Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

Whether you paid up front or via direct debit, every supporter has finished paying for the 2019-20 campaign. Organising 23,000 refunds for the remaining five games would be a logistical nightmare that the club could probably do without. Should the season be cancelled, then it is a bridge that the Albion would need to cross – but it isn’t a priority right now.

There is one way that Brighton could look to help supporters with their response to the coronavirus crisis, however – by temporarily suspending season ticket payments for 2020-21 until both the Albion and the Premier League have a clearer idea of when any new season is likely to commence.

This is an easy course of action to take for those on direct debits. The new payment cycle for 2020-21 starts on April 1st, giving the club a little over a week to take the decision to stop charging fans for matches that they aren’t going to be able to watch for the foreseeable future.

What to do for those who’ve already paid in one lump sum is less clear. Could Brighton refund part of the payment already made, say three months worth, to help season ticket holders out during these difficult times?

Supporters would obviously have to repay the money again, but only when it became clear that they’ll actually be receiving something in return for their hard-earned cash.

Sky Sports’ response to the coronavirus outbreak has been to freeze payments for customers all the while they have no sport to offer – if a company who rely on subscriptions can do that, why not Brighton?

As the coronavirus crisis deepens, people may be faced with difficult choices when it comes to their finances. In the grand scheme of things, football isn’t really that important.

For the cost of one Jahanbakhsh, Brighton could pause 2020-21 season ticket payments for the moment and refund part of the money of those who’ve already paid.

It’s a gesture that would cost the club a very little in terms of their own finances, but it could go a long way towards helping ease the burden on loyal supporters in this unprecedented crisis.

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