Ticket Prices

Admiral Huddy · 8 Feb 2016 at 10:22

Do you agree that ticket prices are too high?

Is Shearer right?

What did you think of Liverpool's protest.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/3..._the_day&ns_source=facebook&ns_linkname=sport

PL CAT A have out priced me. I treat myself to one a season and stick the to the B and C games the rest. Despite what supporters think, gate receipts aren't the main stream of revenue they think it it or would like to believe but regardless, it's an outrage.

I'd always choose "being there" over TV but it's just too much, particularly on top of Sky Sports. I was up for an away ticket at west ham but £80 was just too much for a Monday night when it's on the TV..

I don't think Liverpool's protest was a bit half hearted tbh. The club already has it's gate receipts and the game was almost over. If you're going to protest, then boycott altogether.

My argument isn't just with the ticket prices but the availability of PL football to everyone. The combination of high ticket prices and high Sky/BT subs, the PL isn't easily accessible.

MissChief · 8 Feb 2016 at 11:20

While I agree the rises are too much, especially with the new TV deal the same people that complain will never give up their season tickets as there are thousands waiting who are willing to pay the prices. And Liverpool know this.

In the big scheme of things ticket revenue isn't a huge amount if you get CL qualification and make it through the league stages. But not every team can and does.

Bayern's President Uli Hoeness said it best.

https://twitter.com/x/status/329647245995687936

MooMoo444 · 8 Feb 2016 at 11:56

The fact you can buy a season ticket overseas for just over the price of 1-2 games in England says it all. It's just laughable how badly the premiership fans are milked.

dannyjo22 · 8 Feb 2016 at 12:01

If you don't like it and don't think it's value for money, stop going. Simple, you don't have a divine right to go. Like any form of entertainment of luxury, if it becomes more than I'm willing to spend for the entertainment given I move on.

Why should football be exempt demand and supply like everything else. Make sacrifices elsewhere or move along. It's like complaining tesco charges too much for food, buying it anyway, eating 3/4's and throwing the rest away. No one cares.

Semple · 8 Feb 2016 at 12:13

dannyjo22 said:
If you don't like it and don't think it's value for money, stop going. Simple, you don't have a divine right to go. Like any form of entertainment of luxury, if it becomes more than I'm willing to spend for the entertainment given I move on.

Why should football be exempt demand and supply like everything else. Make sacrifices elsewhere or move along. It's like complaining tesco charges too much for food, buying it anyway, eating 3/4's and throwing the rest away. No one cares.

Exactly this.

If all football fans combined refused to purchase any season tickets, the clubs would have to look at lowering the tickets in order to at least bring some revenue in. Also as misschief points out, the clubs aren't in short supply of fans willing to pay the current prices. So it's just a case of pay up, or don't go.

stokecity_m · 8 Feb 2016 at 12:16

dannyjo22 said:
If you don't like it and don't think it's value for money, stop going. Simple, .

Not really, many fans see football clubs as a part of their life and going to matches each week as part of that.

I'm a stoke fan and am currently paying around £19 a match though my season ticket. This season so far i've only been one away match. The cost of tickets is the only reason i haven't been more. Could i afford to go? Yes but i find it hard to justify the cost.

Stoke city offer free travel to away premiership matches - however i don't take up this offer as it dilutes the match day experience.

BaZ87 · 8 Feb 2016 at 12:17

Admiral Huddy said:
I don't think Liverpool's protest was a bit half hearted tbh. The club already has it's gate receipts and the game was almost over. If you're going to protest, then boycott altogether.

A complete boycott would never happen for the exact reason why Liverpool increased prices - if you don't buy that ticket there's 10 people that will. For that reason the walkout is probably about as big a statement as the supporters could have made and you shouldn't underestimate how big that statement was. For a club like Liverpool who don't miss a chance to sell the Anfield/kop/supporters brand to sponsors, the last thing the club want is supporters protesting against the club. Early reports are it's worked too and the club have carrying out an urgent review.

The ridiculous thing about all this is, as you touch on, the price increases are so insignificant to Liverpool that it makes it even harder to swallow. When you factor in the new PL TV deal and increased revenue from the stadium expansion, Liverpool will be turning over more than £350m next season. At the current prices Liverpool receive approx. £36m (£37m next season with increased capacity) from ordinary match day and season ticket sales with the proposed price increases taking that to £38m (£39m with the increased capacity).

These price increases will increase Liverpool's revenue by just over 0.5% :/

Answering the opening question, yes of course prices are too high and football is no longer accessible to everybody. It's becoming a rich mans sport but with demand being so high clubs will never voluntarily cut prices. They might make the odd token gesture - Liverpool will probably make slight cuts to their proposed prices after the protests - but they won't make meaningful changes. The only way this will change is if more supporters groups work together and continue to press for legislation to be brought in that forces clubs to cap prices.

Tunney · 8 Feb 2016 at 12:39

The problem is that the big clubs will never struggle to fill those seats. They don't really care who buys the ticket as long as they get their money.

I've been a season ticket holder at White Hart Lane for over ten years and things have definitely changed over that time. As ticket prices have increased, the atmosphere has deteriorated. The fans who continue to pay £60 for a ticket demand their moneys-worth and have become more fickle - but that's only half the problem. More often than not these days, the person sitting next to me is a tourist. They come in 10 minutes late and doesn't really care about the result.

I prefer watching non-league football these days. The atmosphere is better and don't have to buy a ticket weeks in advance.

dannyjo22 · 8 Feb 2016 at 12:45

stokecity_m said:
Not really, many fans see football clubs as a part of their life and going to matches each week as part of that.

F1 has been a part of my life since ever since I can remember. They priced me out of the game when the cost didn't add up to what I felt I got out of it. So I move on. Just because something has been part of my life forever doesn't mean the costs should be kept down to keep me happy. When that damages spectators or revenue then they will do something about it, until then I will do something else.

You prioritise your luxuries. Perhaps by not having a £550 device that makes phone calls for example or you stop going.

Football fans want everything, owners that pour money into a club, buy the latest and greatest, hold onto stars, pay the wages required and then they seem to think that should be cheaper?

The Liverpool board should say they have made a mistake and the price is going up to £90. This has been done to aid those fans that left after 77 minutes. They can now stay until the end.

Clipsey · 8 Feb 2016 at 17:03

The NFL Superbowl ticket pricing was $500 - $1500 face value for regular seats

Those sold on Stubhub brought the AVERAGE ticket price to $4,500 EACH!!!

But yes I agree, football tickets are getting too expensive. Yes it is supply and demand, but you don't want just wealthy folks who can afford it going. That's certainly not what football is about.

Tummy · 8 Feb 2016 at 17:13

£3360.00 for two season tickets for the next three seasons at Sheffield Wednesday.

~£29~ a home game, for the next three years. I think that is reasonable, considering where we sit too.

The three season price freeze was the result of the backlash over match day ticket increases, Bristol City (first home game of the season) was £42.

The Running Man · 8 Feb 2016 at 18:59

It's a gip - it really is.

What does it take to say no and for everyone to sit on their hands instead of going to the game? Let the epl play to empty stadiums for a week or two and see what the reaction is.

Eddie · 8 Feb 2016 at 20:11

I've lost a lot of faith in football and over the last 10 years or so have been watching it less and less. It's got to the point now that I haven't watched a single game this season, not even highlights.

Too much money in the game. When football starts being about football, instead of £, I'll start watching it again.

Walking out near the end of the game is pointless. If you want to make a meaningful protest let them play in front of an empty stadium.

It'll never happen.

Robbo · 8 Feb 2016 at 20:38

While it's the 'working man's game', it's really just like anything else these days - if they can make more money out of it, they will.

People can protest all they like, but if they can still fill the stadium, it won't do much. If people stopped going then I think it would make a difference, but there's huge demand, especially at the likes of Liverpool.

I do think it's bad though, they're getting more and more money from the TV deals, yet continue to try and shaft the fans.

Tummy · 9 Feb 2016 at 06:30

I agree that ticket prices are too high, and do not have any reason to increase in price.

Football clubs revenue does not come from match day tickets (at least not Premier League), and the need to increase football ticket prices is fundamentally driven by the ability to exploit a fan base that clubs know will pay whatever it takes for a multitude of reasons.

It is disgusting, it is 'short-term-ist' and self defeating.

Also; the price Vs. environment of away fans is disgusting.

Freakbro · 9 Feb 2016 at 09:05

dannyjo22 said:
If you don't like it and don't think it's value for money, stop going. Simple, you don't have a divine right to go. Like any form of entertainment of luxury, if it becomes more than I'm willing to spend for the entertainment given I move on.

Why should football be exempt demand and supply like everything else. Make sacrifices elsewhere or move along. It's like complaining tesco charges too much for food, buying it anyway, eating 3/4's and throwing the rest away. No one cares.

That's all very good in the modern 'I don't give a **** about my customers/fans and I'll charge as much as I can get away with' attitude, so why aren't the German clubs seemingly doing this and care more about the affordability for the fans than the small amount of extra revenue the price hike will give the club?

Tummy · 9 Feb 2016 at 09:08

Bayern Club President said:
We could charge more than £104. Let's say we charged £300. We'd get £2m more in income, but what's £2m to us?

In a transfer discussion you argue about that sum for five minutes. But the difference between £104 and £300 is huge for the gan. We do not think the fans are like cows, who you milk. Football has got to be for everybody. That's the biggest difference between us and England.

Football in this country is not about the fans.

omnomnom · 9 Feb 2016 at 12:23

Dr.Eddie said:
I've lost a lot of faith in football and over the last 10 years or so have been watching it less and less. It's got to the point now that I haven't watched a single game this season, not even highlights.

Too much money in the game. When football starts being about football, instead of £, I'll start watching it again.

Walking out near the end of the game is pointless. If you want to make a meaningful protest let them play in front of an empty stadium.

It'll never happen.

So pointless was the walkout that literally every media outlet in the country and a lot in the US were reporting about it. It's also made FSG have an emergency meeting to rethink the ticket prices.

Tunney · 9 Feb 2016 at 13:01

The other thing that annoys me is that despite all of the TV money, it took considerable external pressure for Premier League clubs to pay their non-football staff more than minimum wage. It's a ridiculous situation - especially when clubs like Spurs leverage their perceived value to the local community to push through the building of a new stadium.

Eddie · 9 Feb 2016 at 14:57

omnomnom said:
So pointless was the walkout that literally every media outlet in the country and a lot in the US were reporting about it. It's also made FSG have an emergency meeting to rethink the ticket prices.

I was more referring to football in general but we'll see what, if anything, comes of it.