MK Dons can confirm details of the options available to 2020/21 Season Ticket holders, following the Government’s decision to pause the return of supporters to stadiums.
BACKGROUND
The decision made on 22 September has added further financial uncertainty for football clubs up and down the country and MK Dons is no different. We also recognise that our own supporters and loyal season ticket holders will be confronting their own personal challenges during these uncertain times.
Therefore, the Club has been working hard over the last four weeks to finalise options for Season Ticket holders, aiming to protect the value of a Season Ticket while matches take place behind closed doors.
When considering these options, the Club acknowledged that we should not lose sight of the possibility that a limited number of spectators may be allowed back into Stadium MK to watch League One football before the end of the season, when the Government deem it safe to do so..
The Club also took into account the differential between the price of a Season Ticket and the cost of an iFollow stream. For example, an adult in the standard areas of Stadium MK will pay £14.60 per game, compared to £10 for an iFollow stream, while in East Centre, the price per game increases to £16.17 and in clubRed to £23.48 per game. Furthermore, the seasonal value of an iFollow stream is £230 so those who pay more than £230 for their Season Ticket may consider themselves to be worse off.
OPTIONS
Earlier in the month, we put forward a proposal to the EFL which would have enabled our Season Ticket holders to watch both home and away matches free of charge on iFollow. This would, of course, increase the per-game value of iFollow to £20, and £420 across the season, given that four away fixtures have already taken place. The EFL, however, required a majority of League One clubs to support this proposal as they did not want clubs offering separate packages to their supporter and, regrettably, such support was not forthcoming, even with the offer to safeguard the earnings of individual clubs by continuing to pay them for the average away support .
This meant a complete rethink of our offer to Season Ticket holders, which has culminated in the following three options, which are detailed below. These have been prepared for both Season Ticket holders who pay by direct debit and those who have paid in full. There are further options for under-18s, who are not permitted to have an iFollow stream without parental permission.
CLUBGOLD, CLUBPLATINUM, CLUBBLACK
Season Ticket holders in clubGold, clubPlatinum and clubBlack can view the options available to them by going to the main MK Dons website….link below.
DIRECT DEBIT SUSPENSION
In October, the Club took the decision to suspend direct-debit payments and will do so again for November and December, to allow Season Ticket holders ample time to select their options. Those who paid in full before the start of the season and who do not claim a refund will receive a 25% credit on the price of their 2021/22 season ticket. This will provide parity with those who pay by direct debit and who received the benefit of a suspension of monthly payments between October and December.
HOW TO SELECT OPTIONS
All Season Ticket holders will be sent a letter detailing the below options, as well as providing instructions on how to select their chosen option and a list of FAQs to assist with any queries supporters may have. These letters will be posted at the start of next week, with the deadline to select an option set for 5pm on 21st November 2020. The letter will also confirm how Season Ticket holders who pay for more than one Season Ticket can select different options.
THANK YOU
We would like to thank those supporters who contacted the club at the end of September offering to continue to pay their direct debits despite the suspension announced for October. Unfortunately, we are unable to vary direct debit mandates on this basis, but there will be an option to allow these supporters to make a payment to the club and instructions on how to do this will be detailed in the letter.
Once again, we would like to express our immense gratitude to our Season Ticket holders for their continued support and encouragement during this challenging time. The constant displays of commitment provide us with real optimism that we will get through this period together and stronger. Thank you.
To see a full list of options please go to the MK Dons website by hitting the link below.
https://www.mkdons.com/news/2020/october/season-ticket-holder-compensation-policy-202021/
