49ers must be careful with ‘very frightening’ Leeds move – Keith Wyness
Leeds United are taking a huge risk if they follow through on their recent suggestions of using AI-driven dynamic ticket pricing in future seasons.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the scheme could have “very frightening” consequences if it comes to fruition.
Chairman Paraag Marathe recently outlined that the club will seriously consider using the scheme to boost their revenue, and it could see the Whites’ most loyal supporters rewarded with cheaper home tickets.
However, Wyness is adamant that the West Yorkshire outfit are playing with fire if they go down that route in the coming years.
The scheme could potentially see some of Leeds’ more casual fans paying loftier prices for games at Elland Road than some of their counterparts.
Wyness believes that while the aspect of the plan that rewards loyalty is a positive, the club would have to be “very careful” with the exact way that they implement it.
Leeds risking ‘PR disaster’
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Leeds are risking a potential “PR disaster” if they ever opt to bring in the dynamic pricing.
The scheme is already being viewed as a major negative by the fanbase, and that is sure to only get worse if it comes to fruition.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained why the 49ers must tread very carefully if they genuinely want to introduce the change.
“It’s very frightening; that’s how I feel about this whole dynamic pricing. I looked at some American sports teams that have tried it, and they've rolled it back so far,” he said.
“You've seen the backlash with Oasis tickets when that happened, and generally with AI there's a bit of a fear about the whole situation.
“Fans will just see the negative of this. It started off as a negative, and it's being seen as a negative in the public eye right now, so they've got to be very careful. Now, if it's used properly, it could be really good, where there could be a reward for loyalty.
“If you're a loyal fan who's got the season ticket for a number of years and you are put in a separate category and given a lower price, then that could work, and it can be a reward for loyalty. But of course, we don't believe that clubs are going to do that, do we?
“And so dynamic pricing becomes a fear and a concern. It's something that's got to be handled very carefully. Otherwise, the first clubs are going to have a PR disaster on their hands.”
Tarik Muharemovic ‘tempted’ to join Premier League rivals
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider earlier this week that Leeds’ star centre-back Tarik Muharemovic could be “tempted” to leave in the coming years if the “right offers” come in.
The Bosnian has starred since his £34million move from Serie A in the summer, and is already attracting the attention of elite clubs.
The 23-year-old has played every single minute of Premier League action so far this term, and is set to remain a key figure for Daniel Farke’s side moving forward.