Even though Gao Shen has only been a club owner for two months, his feelings are really deep.
It is even more profound than many people's two years, subverting many previous impressions.
Or maybe this is the benefit of empathy.
Compared to the chaos that is Leeds United, coaching Manchester City is so comfortable.
Because he has put a lot of effort and energy into Blue Moon in the past two seasons, he doesn't have to worry about anything else now. His assistants and team are taking care of everything.
For example, Brian Kidd is responsible for communicating with the management, Carlo is responsible for training, and Buenaventura and Pintus are responsible for summer training. Even if Fernando Lucas and Borrell are gone, there will be immediate support.
Lucas' right-hand man, Carlos Vargas, stepped in, so there wasn't much of a problem.
But Leeds United is obviously different. There are too many and complicated things.
For example, just two days after Gao Shen returned to Manchester from Leeds after a high-level meeting, Fernando Lucas came to his door.
Of course, he didn't mean it, it's just that he also lives in Cheshire.
But he did encounter a problem, which was a problem left over from history.
…
Speaking of this historical issue, we have to talk about the tragic scene when Leeds was on the verge of bankruptcy.
It's like a drowning person grabbing onto anything to save himself.
Therefore, Krasner, the chairman of Leeds United at the time, proposed a plan that now seems very outrageous, which was to launch a ticket package for the next twenty years.
Yes, you read that right, Leeds United in 2004 really sold tickets for the next twenty years, and the price was very cheap, between 3,000 and 5,500 pounds.
This price is equivalent to buying one, getting one free, paying the price of a ten-year season ticket to buy a twenty-year season ticket.
Tell me, how cheating is this?
When doing due diligence at that time, this area was also investigated, and Gao Shen and others were aware of it, but after all, it was not a big deal, so they didn't take it too seriously. However, no matter how small the matter is, it must be resolved.
These ticket packages will severely disrupt Leeds United's season ticket sales plans.
The main reason was that the sales plan at that time was too chaotic.
"According to our current statistics, about five to six hundred such twenty-year package tickets were sold at that time." Lucas said with a headache.
After taking over the team, he had a lot of things to do, and one thing after another caused the ticket issue to have to be postponed again and again. It was only now that he was about to launch a stimulus package for season ticket sales for the new season that he remembered
This problem needs to be solved.
A package of five to six hundred tickets may not seem like much, but it is also hundreds of thousands of pounds, which is another huge expense.
Gao Shen looked at Su Qing, "What do you think?"
Su Qing thought for a while, "I definitely have to buy it back. It can't be left outside all the time. Twenty years is too long."
At that time, Leeds United was really screwed to the point where it couldn't be screwed anymore. It is estimated that even if the ticket revenue was used to mortgage the bank, no bank was willing to accept it, so this was the reason for such a damaging move.
"Do we still have money now?" Gao Shen asked.
"Okay." Su Qing is in charge of finance.
"Then the original price will be recovered!" Gao Shen made a quick decision.
This is equivalent to losing seven seasons of season tickets, but it also avoids future troubles.
More importantly, the fans who were willing to spend 3,000 to 5,000 pounds to buy Leeds United season tickets for the next twenty years were basically the hardcore among the hardcore. After all, Leeds United was really out of stock at that time.
.
Once it goes bankrupt, whether the team can survive is a question, and season tickets will be useless.
Therefore, fans like this must be retained and provided well. They will be the core assets of the club.
"Understood, I will invite Eddie Gray to help." Lucas agreed.
"The current season ticket sales are not very satisfactory. How are your plans prepared?" Gao Shen asked again.
Leeds United's attendance rate is quite good, but its season ticket sales are not very satisfactory. This is also related to the fact that the team's ticket sales have been a mess for a long time in the past.
To put it simply, the fares are very confusing.
Why do fans want to buy season tickets?
Many people talk about feelings and support, which are all correct, but the most important reason is that it is cheap.
Season tickets and individual tickets are equivalent to wholesale prices and retail prices.
But if the ticketing operation is not good, it is easy for the price of individual tickets to be cheaper than the season ticket. This will seriously hurt the feelings of season ticket fans. Gradually, people will be unwilling to buy season tickets.
This is very important for the club.
why?
Originally, season ticket sales allowed fans to pay the club's ticket funds for the next season in advance, which meant that the club had already received a large amount of funds before the season started, which gave it more room for operation.
But now, season tickets cannot be sold, and everyone is waiting for price promotions for loose tickets, which is very problematic.
If we continue to operate like this, Leeds United will definitely be ruined in terms of match day income.
But there is no way. The original management of Leeds United did not pay attention to this aspect at all. They just waited for the fans to send money, and never thought about providing better services and ensuring the long-term sound operation of the club.
In the past ten years, the price of Leeds United tickets has not increased by a penny.
This cannot but be said to be a miracle.
Now, the management has changed, but fans still follow the old thinking and still want to wait to buy individual tickets and wait for promotions.
This has created a vicious cycle. Leeds United's season ticket sales are getting worse and worse, and they have to rely on retail tickets. Fans also like to chase those discounted retail tickets, all waiting for promotions. Fans are waiting for promotions, and the team
The worse the ticket sales are, the greater the promotion efforts...
As the saying goes? If you don’t buy it, I won’t buy it. If you turn around, you can get a discount of two hundred.
Of course, this is human nature, but it is not conducive to Leeds United's management and must be changed.
"As you said before, our plan this time is to vigorously manage local fans, so we plan to announce to the outside world that we will begin to limit the number of loose tickets, strictly control the price of loose tickets, and significantly rectify the ticket sales channels."
Lucas also knows the importance of ticket sales to a team and attaches great importance to it.
"But from the perspective of club management, this is definitely not possible. The fans' opinions will be very large, which is not conducive to our brand image and long-term development. Therefore, we plan to use the slogan of attacking the Premier League to provide return discounts on season ticket sales.
Bringing core fans back to season tickets."
Gao Shen looked at Su Qing, who smiled brightly and nodded.
Obviously, she agreed with this plan.
"We promise that for fans who hold season tickets this season, the price of season tickets will not increase in the next three years. At the same time, if the team is successfully promoted to the Premier League, up to 50% of the season tickets will be refunded according to the season ticket level.
Amount."
"Return cash?" Gao Shen was stunned for a moment.
"Of course not." Lucas smiled and shook his head, "The returned money can only be used to purchase season tickets or stadium expenses for next season."
Gao Shen burst into laughter when he heard it, it was just as he expected.
In fact, this method is not very clever, but it is very practical.
"The key is to make fans believe in our rectification of channels and our determination not to discount loose tickets easily," Gao Shen reminded.
Only fans believe this, and those fans who have a primary need to watch football will naturally tend to buy season tickets.
Lucas nodded, "We are confident that we can sell at least 20,000 copies."
Only over 6,000 tickets have been sold so far, which is already the best season ticket sales in the past few seasons.
According to Leeds United's average season ticket price of 350 pounds, if 20,000 tickets can be sold, it will be equivalent to Leeds United recovering 7 million pounds of funds at the beginning of the season, plus retail ticket sales.
, that would be a large sum of money.
What, fifty percent refund?
Let’s wait until the team reaches the Premier League.
If you really make it to the Premier League, you won't care about the money anymore.
Next, as long as the chest advertising sponsorship is successful, plus jersey sponsorship, match day operating income, and the share of the British Championship broadcast rights, it is expected that Leeds United's funding problem will be solved this season.
Of course, if you want to make a profit, don't even think about the English Championship. If you can stay even, you'll be better off.
Because Gao Shen has invested heavily in all aspects, the salary of employees has increased a lot.
On the one hand, the high salary of players has been slowed down and is much lower than before. For example, the highest salary now is for Pogba and others, which is lower than that of Schmeichel and others before.
But in the past, Leeds United had many players on loan, and the salaries of these players were paid by the parent club. But now, all of Leeds United's players are their own, and they are not even on loan. This is unique and very strange in the English Championship.
You know, for this alone, the salary expenditure requirements are much larger.
On the other hand, Gao Shen has recruited many professional employees, which has resulted in the team spending a lot on employee salaries.
In a word, Leeds United can't even hope to make a profit in the English Championship.
If we don't do our best to generate income, we will probably have to spend more money on it.
It is precisely because of this that Gao Shen attaches great importance to this Chinese investment firm. If he had not had time, he would even want to personally support Leeds United.
After all, his influence alone is enough to overwhelm the entire audience.
For this investment bank in China, Su Qing is mainly responsible for the operation. She also has extensive connections in the country and has made preparations early through domestic connections.
At present, many domestic brands aiming at overseas markets still lack some promotion channels. This time Leeds United wants to give them such an opportunity. After all, the British market is still very important in European and American countries.
At the same time, Gao Shen also reminded Fernando Lucas that when they went to China to attract investment, Leeds United's logistical support work must be done well and it must not affect the team's training preparations for the new season.
I have met all the senior members of Sarri’s coaching team and they are all very good.
"Don't worry, Rudolph and I have communicated with Sarri and the others, and we are fully prepared for many things. There will be no delays."
Gao Shen nodded.
Paris Saint-Germain's actions are bigger than what he remembers in his previous life, the waves set off are more violent, and the impact will be more ferocious.
In other words, the surge in the value and annual salary of European players may accelerate.
There is less and less time left for Leeds United.
If Leeds United cannot adjust as soon as possible during this window period and lay a solid foundation, then Leeds United may not be able to withstand this wave. By then, it will be impossible to play with its deep financial resources.
Su Qing and Lucas also clearly understood the profound sense of crisis.
Thinking of this, Gao Shen looked at Su Qing with a hint of apology in his eyes.
I originally planned to get married this summer, but I postponed it due to busy schedule.
Su Qing, on the other hand, was free and easy and responded with a gentle smile.
