FA Cup

[Guest Kev]

I really don't expect the FA to lower the prices for next season's competition. The only way to make them sit up and actually do something rather than listen I think is for the fans to vote with their feet, but is that going too far and would it be successful ?

 

What lengths would you personally go to get admission prices to our football grounds lowered ?

 

For instance if a mass protest was organised for the 3rd round next season were fans were asked not to go to the game - what would you do ?

 

What action (if any) would you personally support ?

[jon_hall]

What does the FA have to do with the prices, down to the clubs surely?

 

Last round they had to rely on 70 odd thousand from the mancs and 40 odd thousand from us to boost the attendance figures.

 

Last year Luton sold out, this year 5000 turned up and it was a round further on.

 

To me shows the fan base the likes of us and the mancs have, as if we didn't turn up there would be enough to fill the stadia anyway, but when it the likes of smaller clubs who struggle to sell out or get anywhere near then they're f***ed.

[Guest Kev]

What does the FA have to do with the prices, down to the clubs surely?

 

Last round they had to rely on 70 odd thousand from the mancs and 40 odd thousand from us to boost the attendance figures.

 

Last year Luton sold out, this year 5000 turned up and it was a round further on.

 

To me shows the fan base the likes of us and the mancs have, as if we didn't turn up there would be enough to fill the stadia anyway, but when it the likes of smaller clubs who struggle to sell out or get anywhere near then they're f***ed.

 

The FA set the minimum and maximum price for admission for all their competitions, it is not down to the clubs. For eg. non-league - fans who usually pay say £5 to watch their team play have to pay £10 to watch them play in the FA Cup.

 

Should a seat at the Cup Final really cost £60+ ?

[Gunga Din]

the ticket prices are all getting stupid, particularly getting ripped off at away games, when usually away fans pay more than home fans, and with the added expense of going the game, its a costly day out. an away game, by the time you factor in tickets, travel, some scran and a few pints, usually costs well in excess of £60, sometimes as much as a £100.

 

because away fans can be charges anything up to the highest prices a home fan pays in an non corporate seat, clubs can then vary the prices on which team comes to town, and away fans are usually stuck in an area in the ground with the worst view. i would be very interested to see the total amount all our tickets for away league games cost, compared to say Wigan or Fulham. i reckon you might see a huge difference over the cost of a season. clubs with traditionally large awy followings are getting ripped off and its just not fair.

 

i reckon supporters clubs of every premiership club should get together, and all boycott one away game a season over two weekends, so if you are at home on week one of the boycott, your boycott is on week two. if every clubs fans do this then the FA might just see what type of atmosphere will be in the grounds if the keep driving prices up. the Premier league "brand" would suffer and it wont look to good with thousands of empty seats at games. the clubs would also get hit in the pocket, and might give them something to think about

[Guest Ant]

Well...

 

A: Those who can afford the game, why shouldn't they go?

B: It's not right to put pressure under those who can afford to go the game, not to go, because they have earned the right to be their because they can afford to do such things

 

Yes the ticket prices are high, yes they are ridiculous but is a apart of how the game is changing granted it's not nice, but its happening, and I'm sorry but a protest wouldn't do ANYTHING to make ticket prices decrease in Price.

[Stevie H]

there's a debate to be had about how wealthy the clubs now are in light of the new tv deal and ticket prices. fans are now being ripped off, can't see any debate about that.

[Guest Ant]

Besides, If we do do a protest, the club will increase the ticket prices because they are losing money, if they do decrease them they will capaitalise on the inflow of spectators, up the price and we will be back to where we started...

 

Plus...you have the likes of Wrexham who are in administration they can't afford the ticket prices, yet if they did a protest it would cripple them, as if they aren't already!

[jon_hall]

The FA set the minimum and maximum price for admission for all their competitions, it is not down to the clubs. For eg. non-league - fans who usually pay say £5 to watch their team play have to pay £10 to watch them play in the FA Cup.

 

Should a seat at the Cup Final really cost £60+ ?

 

Didn't know that. Mind a seat 15 miles from the pitch will be costing us 50 quid in barcelona, even more of a rip off.

[Gunga Din]

Well...

 

A: Those who can afford the game, why shouldn't they go?

B: It's not right to put pressure under those who can afford to go the game, not to go, because they have earned the right to be their because they can afford to do such things

 

Yes the ticket prices are high, yes they are ridiculous but is a apart of how the game is changing granted it's not nice, but its happening, and I'm sorry but a protest wouldn't do ANYTHING to make ticket prices decrease in Price.

 

you dont think so? when Birmingham where charging us £44 a ticket, and we all moaned but went anyway, they charged us the same the next year. had we all said, en mass, f*** it, we aint payng that, and they had 3000 empty seats, i can guarantee you now we wouldnt be paying £44 next time we played them.

 

and here is something else to chew over Ant,

 

you are 16, how many games a seaon do you get too?

 

now, ask your dad how many games a season he was going to at 16.

 

and then ask yourself why the bif difference.

 

one thing you no longer see at games anymore is many dads and lads going the game together. as a result, a whole generation is missing out.

 

when i worked in Bury, FC United were playing a match at gigg lane. i was working on the saturday morning, and i i was leaving work i saw the FC United fans going the match, and you know what? it was like watching football fans going the game from 20 years ago, loads od fathers and sons, grandads and grandsons. they were all going together because it was about £3 in.

 

look how much ticket prices have risen since the premier league started.

 

what was the price of a season ticket at Anfield in 1991? what is it now?

 

what would it be now if ticket prices increases were in line with inflation? the average fan is being priced out, and its the fans of the clubs, the working man, who's cash went through the turnstiles for decades before sky, who are being priced out, and its a f***ing disgrace

Edited January 28, 2007 by big wayne

[Guest Ant]

you dont think so? when Birmingham where charging us £44 a ticket, and we all moaned but went anyway, they charged us the same the next year. had we all said, en mass, f*** it, we aint payng that, and they had 3000 empty seats, i can guarantee you now we wouldnt be paying £44 next time we played them.

 

and here is something else to chew over Ant,

 

you are 16, how many games a seaon do you get too?

 

now, ask your dad how many games a season he was going to at 16.

 

and then ask yourself why the big difference.

 

I don't go to as many games as I used to but it's also the availablity of tickets, i used to go to london twice a season and about half if not 3/4 of the away games and a few home ones as well...

 

I guess I never grew up in that time were ticket prices were next to nothing, but I just don't see how a protest would achieve anything, all clubs are money hungry grabbing b******s and ours is no exception and they will get the money reguardless, like this whole reclaim the kop thing, if "The Real Fans" never turned up, their will always be some toruists to fill them empty seats...

[George Costanza]

Same applies to the premiership though. Very few clubs sell out week in week out.

Edited January 28, 2007 by coltmanaman

[Guest Kev]

Same applies to the premiership though. Very few clubs sell out week in week out.

 

Very true and a few clubs are now addressing that issue.

 

As for Wayne's points, he hits the nail on the head fair and square [must be the scouseness in him now].

 

I could afford to take Ant years ago to the games, but not now. It's just to expensive to take a family to a game these days unless you are mega rich. A whole generation of fans are missing out not just on seeing football live, but the whole experience that goes with it.

[George Costanza]

 

 

I could afford to take Ant years ago to the games, but not now. It's just to expensive to take a family to a game these days unless you are mega rich. A whole generation of fans are missing out not just on seeing football live, but the whole experience that goes with it.

 

very true. trouble is they end up watching that w***** gray on sky.

 

remeber reading an article on german football in particularly Dortmund. They have a system where a child can get a ticket and free transport to & from the game for practically next to nothing

[Guest Kev]

very true. trouble is they end up watching that w***** gray on sky.

 

remeber reading an article on german football in particularly Dortmund. They have a system where a child can get a ticket and free transport to & from the game for practically next to nothing

 

I believe German football is one of the cheapest in the main European countries, although someone will now prove me wrong.

 

It seems very simple to me, surely it's best all round if a stadium is full of people paying less than a stadium half full paying more, the overall cash taken via the gate would be the same, but surely more programs and hotdogs would be sold meaning more money for the club ?

[Gunga Din]

I really don't expect the FA to lower the prices for next season's competition. The only way to make them sit up and actually do something rather than listen I think is for the fans to vote with their feet, but is that going too far and would it be successful ?

 

What lengths would you personally go to get admission prices to our football grounds lowered ?

 

For instance if a mass protest was organised for the 3rd round next season were fans were asked not to go to the game - what would you do ?

 

What action (if any) would you personally support ?

 

just to take you back to the FA cup, i went to watch Prescot Cables play Marine at Valerie Park in the 2nd qualfying round this season. it was £7 in. it wasnt that long ago i wa paying £7 into Anfield!!

[Herbie von Smalls]

I believe German football is one of the cheapest in the main European countries, although someone will now prove me wrong.

i think that's because stadiums are owned by the municipal authorities over there.

[Gunga Din]

i think that's because stadiums are owned by the municipal authorities over there.

 

there are lots of grounds over here owned by local councils. it still oesnt stop teh clubs charging stupid prices into the games

[Herbie von Smalls]

there are lots of grounds over here owned by local councils. it still oesnt stop teh clubs charging stupid prices into the games

aye, but the playing field is more level over there ('scuse the pun)

[crisps]

 

It seems very simple to me, surely it's best all round if a stadium is full of people paying less than a stadium half full paying more, the overall cash taken via the gate would be the same, but surely more programs and hotdogs would be sold meaning more money for the club ?

 

Ive also been wondering lately why some clubs with less that half full grounds dont split their ticket prices in half and chances are it would majorly boost the support and atmosphere... is their a reason why they dont do this? one guy i know goes on blackburn games and occasionally they do £15 tickets and the ground is generally full then, but then they go back to 25/30 and empty seats appear!

[Guz]

Wigan have been lowering their prices this season but still didn't sell out regularly unless one of the big teams were in town. I know Villa and Fulham have done kids for a quid before but only occasionaly and I'm not sure how well it's worked.

 

I'm 20, moved from Liverpool about 8 years ago and goto uni in London. Obviously the latter is my choice and I don't expect any sympathy but I find it really hard to get to many games. I scrounge around for away and cup games and get to a couple of homes before october but find it pretty tough financially. Been like this for a few years now and I reckon there are lots of 12-18ish year olds who are in the same situation despite it being the age range that the club surely be keeping a keen eye on. People of my age probably just scraped through but clubs are in danger of alienating a big sector of their fans if they're not careful.

Edited January 29, 2007 by Guz

[Guest Kev]

My dad took me every home game and I got hooked, I took Ant - he got hooked. I haven't took Liam to many games and he's not hooked although he watches on tv. A whole generation of future fans are looking elsewhere rather than a football ground.

[fyds]

This is a multifaceted arguement. yes, in general, tickets are overpriced. 30 years ago, they were underpiced, players were paid not much more than your average bod and many grounds were death traps. Given our history I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned already. £30 years ago less than 30% of UK residents had a foriegn holiday - less than 65% of families owned a car. Now, most people have foriegn holidays to places their parents could not even imagine. many families have more than two cars, never mind one and of course, the majority of us now own our own homes. We're gadget rich and time poor.

 

A night out with a few mates at a pub could cost you well over £100 before it was done - anyone want to start a thread about the cost of getting pissed these days? How many here have an X-box? Wii? Playstation 360 etc and all the games at £30+ that go with it?

 

With all these costs and distractions, many 'fans' are quite content to watch the almost wall to wall coverage provided by Sky, probably for around the £40 a month mark. Costs are relative. I take my daughter to many games (mostly home) and it costs about the same as the forementioned night on the piss. The choice is mine, and I think the cost of taking her to see Liverpool play and all that entails far more worthwhile than paying a similar amount to get fat and insensible.

 

It's choices. Most of us don't consider paying £30+ for a meal to extortionate if we like the result, or £50+ for a pair of crappy trainers, £40+ for a pair of jeans. Going to a football game is intagible though, so people feel cheated sometimes because they have nothing but the memory of the day - no actual hard product.

 

Comparing what the likes of me, Kev, Andy or anyone else much over 30-40 years old did in our day to today is daft - chalk and cheese - different worlds. Money has changed, lifestyles have changed distractions have increased.

 

As for tickets going up with the price of inflation...when has any ticket ever done that for a sport or entertainment industry? Of course United FC cost about £3 to watch - who are they after all? Do they have anyone on £100k per week and have they won the CL lately? Do they have to fork out £12m or so for reasonable quality new players?

 

None of this makes it wholly right or wrong but it is what it is. Most of us could afford the tickets and do - even if it means dropping something else to do it. It's choices....so make your choice.

[growler]

FRankly, if the guys who run the premier league had any common sense, they would say that the new TV money is to be used to reduce ticket prices and provide transport and reduced price.

 

the reality is, ataverage 30 per ticket X 40000=1.2mi per game at home, which is 23mil approx for the season from league games. Is that really going to change the world to reduce the tickets to 25? Even if it is for one season.

[Guest Kev]

This is a multifaceted arguement. yes, in general, tickets are overpriced. 30 years ago, they were underpiced, players were paid not much more than your average bod and many grounds were death traps. Given our history I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned already. £30 years ago less than 30% of UK residents had a foriegn holiday - less than 65% of families owned a car. Now, most people have foriegn holidays to places their parents could not even imagine. many families have more than two cars, never mind one and of course, the majority of us now own our own homes. We're gadget rich and time poor.

 

A night out with a few mates at a pub could cost you well over £100 before it was done - anyone want to start a thread about the cost of getting pissed these days? How many here have an X-box? Wii? Playstation 360 etc and all the games at £30+ that go with it?

 

With all these costs and distractions, many 'fans' are quite content to watch the almost wall to wall coverage provided by Sky, probably for around the £40 a month mark. Costs are relative. I take my daughter to many games (mostly home) and it costs about the same as the forementioned night on the piss. The choice is mine, and I think the cost of taking her to see Liverpool play and all that entails far more worthwhile than paying a similar amount to get fat and insensible.

 

It's choices. Most of us don't consider paying £30+ for a meal to extortionate if we like the result, or £50+ for a pair of crappy trainers, £40+ for a pair of jeans. Going to a football game is intagible though, so people feel cheated sometimes because they have nothing but the memory of the day - no actual hard product.

 

Comparing what the likes of me, Kev, Andy or anyone else much over 30-40 years old did in our day to today is daft - chalk and cheese - different worlds. Money has changed, lifestyles have changed distractions have increased.

 

As for tickets going up with the price of inflation...when has any ticket ever done that for a sport or entertainment industry? Of course United FC cost about £3 to watch - who are they after all? Do they have anyone on £100k per week and have they won the CL lately? Do they have to fork out £12m or so for reasonable quality new players?

 

None of this makes it wholly right or wrong but it is what it is. Most of us could afford the tickets and do - even if it means dropping something else to do it. It's choices....so make your choice.

 

You lost me at This

[Guest Scot]

market decides. If they start losing money something will change.