HERE is that response.

I don't see his problem.  If he wants revenue share, get an 09 number to the same value!

Oh, no, can't do that.  Fans would realise they're being ripped off if they see an 09 number.

I just read their response, and they claim that the "inconvenience" of moving to an 0871 number, which would cost the fans more would be so bad.  They also say about running competition lines.  Surely competition lines can be on 090.

Also, the inconvenience they speak of involves the huge cost of re-advertising, and having to tell everyone their new numbers.  If it is such a huge inconvenience, how did they manage when they decided to start 0870 numbers in the first place.  Surely using the same sense of logic, it would have been easier to keep their old geo numbers, because the cost of having to change the stationary to accommodate the 0870 numbers would have made changing numbers not worthwhile.

Or perhaps the real reason, is because they can extract money from their fans, without their fans realising that they're paying a premium rate call.  Many people are unaware that 0870 costs more, and even fewer know that some of that extra cost is given to the person they're calling.

Then I began to think that football fans might think the use of 0870s as more acceptable simply out of a loyalty to their club in which case it would prove difficult to discuss the matter objectively on a messageboard.  You certainly wouldn't persuade fans to boycott the ticket hotline, that's for sure.

Well it costs only a few quid to make a t-shirt for instance, and some of the premier league clubs decide to charge about £50 just to have their name printed on there.  Some football clubs in the lower leagues charge less than £5 for their fans to watch their games, but premier league teams might charge around £50, and then double the price if it's a big game, because fans will happily pay the price.

Therefore using that same sense of logic, it makes no difference whether they use 0870, or geographic numbers, fans will still call.  And the spin that Southampton FC put on their 0870 case, it won't take much to convince fans that it's worth paying extra for the privilege of speaking to them, and they're "doing them a favour by not charging 090 rates"