I asked – ‘Newcastle United owners testing the water with these Newcastle v Wolves ticket prices?’ | OneFootball

On Tuesday (yesterday), I had an article published on The Mag, entitled ‘Newcastle United owners testing the water with these Newcastle v Wolves ticket prices?’

The reason I was asking…

The Newcastle United owners/club hierarchy had set the prices for members at a minimum £50 (adult price), instead of the cheaper £47 minimum adult price when ‘lesser’ opposition, less glamorous. To be honest, I don’t know why they even have this £3 difference, as all matches sell out to members regardless.

I asked this especially, because Newcastle v Wolves is in the middle of January, it is on a Wednesday night (15 January 2025), it is live on TNT Sports, it is against a team currently in the relegation zone, it comes at a time when everyone is skint after Christmas.

Plus, we have another ‘glamour’ home match only three days later on the Saturday, against Bournemouth (18 January).

NUFC also have Bromley in the FA Cup on the weekend (of Saturday 11 January 2025) before Newcastle v Wolves as well. So that is three home matches in a week. Plus, if Newcastle beat Brentford, they could have a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at St James’ Park on either Tuesday 7 January or Wednesday 8 January.

The Newcastle v Wolves ballot was active this Monday and Tuesday, with the results set to be relayed to members by 11am at the latest this (Wednesday) morning.

My ticket (if successful) would effectively cost me around £60, £50 plus around £10 of my membership, splitting it between my Premier League successes – I had four PL ballot successes last season, then one from nine so far this season.

Actually, now it is one success this season in ten PL home match ballots, as when I got my email this morning from the club, it was the usual ‘Unfortunately, your application for the Member Ticket Ballot has been unsuccessful for our game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.’

Yet more proof, if it was needed, of just how desperately we as Newcastle United fans AND as a club, are needing a far far bigger capacity stadium. If possible at St James’ Park then great, if a 70,000 absolute minimum capacity isn’t possible to do at SJP, then it has to be an 80,000 brand new stadium just yards up from SJP, taking in some of Leazes Park and/or Castle Leazes.

The demand for tickets is unbelievable, imagine if Newcastle United were ever successful again…

Coincidentally, yesterday on The Mag I saw that Newcastle United had made this information available, following the most recent FAB (Fan Advisory Board) meeting with NUFC senior club officials, that was held on Monday 4 November 2024.

The minutes made public on Tuesday 3 December 2024 and they included the following…

NUFC Head of Ticketing Chris Parkinson raised the ballot process, referencing the following:

At the time of the meeting there had been seven ballots so far this season.

Almost all supporters who have applied for all seven ballots have won at least one, with a greater chance of success than general sale and the official resale platform.

FAB member Adam Stoker requested that ballot success rate information is published to supporters and noted that Arsenal had published their comparable information that week.

NUFC Chief Commerical Officer Peter Silverstone said this would be taken away to be discussed internally.’

A couple of things stood out for me.

Firstly, the club admitting that some Newcastle United members hadn’t been successful in any of the first seven ticket ballots, which I assume were for league and cup, so this included the AFC Wimbledon Carabao Cup game.

Then the club saying they would go away and look at what Arsenal do and discuss it.

I think they are having a laugh.

The Newcastle United hierarchy know fine well what happens at other clubs, how they inform members of how many tickets are made available for ballots, how many fans enter ballots, even giving a proper review/report made public to fans/members at the end of each season.

The Newcastle United hierarchy will be especially aware of how Arsenal do things.

After all, the NUFC Chief Commercial Officer Peter Silverstone worked at Arsenal for seven years, only leaving in 2022. So for NUFC to claim that this is news to them, how transparent the likes of Arsenal and others are when dealing with members and ticket ballots/sales, it stretches credibility for even the most naive.

(***Almost none of the other NUFC members who I know, got a success in this Newcastle v Wolves ballot. The one who was successful, has just been in touch. When going in to choose his seat this lunchtime on the ticketing site, he has just informed me that actually the club had messed up and sent out misleading info, it appears that tickets for Newcastle v Wolves DID start at ‘only’ £47 for adults and NOT £50, they had just sent all members the wrong information ahead of the ballot!)

My article on The Mag on Tuesday (3 Decmeber 2024)

The Newcastle v Wolves ticket ballot opened on Monday (2 December).

As a member, I apply every single match.

For those of you who aren’t aware, it is £37 per season for a normal adult membership and you get an email each match inviting you to enter each ballot. You have 24 hours now to enter, before each ballot closes.

My record of ‘success’ last season for Premier League matches was four PL matches, the fourth of the four successes was the 3-1 defeat to Forest on Boxing Day.

This season, we have found out success or failure in ballots for nine Premier League matches, I have had one success in nine.

So Newcastle v Wolves will be the tenth of the nineteen Premier League ballots, going past the halfway point.

When you get your ballot application, unless you qualify for and want to apply for the family enclosure, you click ‘rest of stadium’ and it shows the minimum adult price for tickets for that match.

Last season it was minimum £44 for some PL games, £47 for others.

This season, it is minimum £47 for some PL games, £50 for others.

Remember, these are minimum prices you will pay. If you are successful in a ballot, you then have to log in later to the ticket site and depending what place you get in the queue, dictates what seats are left to buy. You might be successful in the ballot but then find all the ‘cheaper’ £47 or £50 tickets have already been sold, so you either buy a more expensive seat, or just leave it.

When I clicked in on Monday for Newcastle v Wolves, I was laughing.

Minimum £50 a ticket.

My first thought was, is this the Newcastle United owners and their senior staff testing us, just seeing how far they can push ticket prices, to help judge what they can charge moving forward.

To put this into context.

Newcastle v Wolves is in the middle of January, it is on a Wednesday night, it is live on TNT Sports, it is against a team currently in the relegation zone, it comes at a time when everyone is skint after Christmas. I can’t see any way either that Wolves fans sell out the 3,200 tickets, so extra to be sold to NUFC members.

Plus, we have another ‘glamour’ home match only three days later on the Saturday, against Bournemouth. Who certainly won’t sell all 3,200 away tickets.

Actually, we now have Bromley in the FA Cup on the weekend before Newcastle v Wolves as well. So that is three home matches in a week. Plus, if Newcastle beat Brentford, they could have a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at St James’ Park on either Tuesday 7 January or Wednesday 8 January.

If successful in the Newcastle v Wolves ballot, my ticket effectively costs around £60, £50 plus around £10 of my membership, splitting it between my Premier League successes.

I have no idea why the Newcastle United owners/club hierarchy have decided that Newcastle v Wolves is a ‘glamour’ game at the higher £50 minimum price.

There again, I have no idea why the club charge different prices for different Premier League matches, as they are all oversubscribed by members regardless of price/opposition.

With this Newcastle v Wolves pricing happening in the middle of a campaign across Premier League fanbases against ever rising prices, the £50 minimum charge for this midweek middle of January home game, does really stick out.

I think many season ticket holders are still totally oblivious to just how many Newcastle United members there are, chasing too few tickets each match. How difficult it remains to get SJP tickets, even though it has been a very up and down season so far. I know it was cheaper tickets for that AFC Wimbledon cup match but considering it was switched to SJP at such short notice, played in midweek against League Two opposition, even I was still shocked when it was massively oversubscribed and many members who applied didn’t get tickets.

Actually, last season was another stand out moment in terms of the demand for tickets, when in December and early January, Newcastle lost six of seven Premier League matches. During/following that run, the ballots for the next three home matches were carried out for games against Luton, Bournemouth and Wolves. Not only did they all sell out to members, I didn’t get a ticket for any of the three, nor did any other members that I know.

Never has a much bigger capacity stadium been needed more, whether that is St James’ Park or just hundreds of yards away at Leazes Park/Castle Leazes. Out of town is a non-starter!

Whilst all my mates who are season ticket holders know fine well just how expensive it is for members to get tickets, I still think many other ST holders are oblivious.

Even if they are aware, I think a lot of ST holders think the rising prices in football aren’t going to affect them.

I am talking about those who are on the Mike Ashley deals, in the family enclosure and other ST holders sitting elsewhere who are paying the same as more than a decade ago.

Some of my mates in the Leazes and Gallowgate currently paying far less than £500 for their adult season tickets, working out at under £25 a match.

The Newcastle United owners having massive frustration that they have been tied into these Mike Ashley arrangements, but that coming to an end this season.

When they announce the 2025/26 season ticket prices, it will work out at a minimum £40 per match for adult season ticket holders, the minimum cost of an adult season ticket heading towards near the £800 mark. Indeed, those current season ticket holders in the Gallowgate and Leazes who aren’t on the Ashley deals, are already paying £727 this season. All but guaranteed that that will become £760+ (which equals £40+ per match) next season for all adult price ST holders in the Leazes/Gallowgate ends.

Still nowhere near what members are paying BUT a shock to the system for the tens of thousands that have continued to benefit from the Ashley deals, despite the change of regime.

This is another reason why it is absolutely essential to have a far bigger capacity stadium, as that is the only chance we have of there being any kind of restraint on what the Newcastle United owners will charge.

Simple demand and supply, the less tickets there are, the higher the prices they can charge.

You see Manchester United announce that all remaining match by match PL tickets to be sold this season, will be a minimum of £66, no reductions even for kids or other usual concessions.

Man U have released a statement saying they have no choice as they have to try and compete with rival clubs, this is Man U who had a £662m turnover this past season!

This is the thing, all clubs, including Newcastle United, will claim the same, the need to charge fans more in order to be able to compete. If that is the case, why don’t all the Premier League clubs get together and agree not to put prices up, then surely none of them would need to rinse their fans out of more money. Or even, shock horror, they could all get together and agree to cut ticket prices for all fans…

It was recently revealed that when the new TV deals kick in for 2025-2028, the Premier League clubs are getting massively more cash than currently, especially thanks to the overseas TV deals which are going off the scale.

How is there any need whatsoever for any Premier League club to raise prices in this era?

The answer of course is that they don’t ‘need’ to raise prices, they ‘want’ to.

Newcastle United upcoming home matches:

Wednesday 4 December – Newcastle v Liverpool (7.30pm) Amazon

Saturday 14 December – Newcastle v Leicester (3pm)

Wednesday 18 December – Newcastle v Brentford (7.45pm) Sky Sports+ (Carabao Cup)

Thursday 26 December – Newcastle v Villa (3pm) Amazon

Weekend of Saturday 11 January – Newcastle v Bromley TBC

Wednesday 15 January – Newcastle v Wolves (7.30pm) TNT Sports