Did anyone see this today? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14367610.stm Interesting stuff, but ultimately a pointless exercise unless you're new to an area, don't have a team and are looking for a game to go and see. I'd pay pretty much whatever it took to see Charlton Athletic and when we get promoted, that entrance fee and petrol and new shirt and all the other bits and pieces is going to look like a very good investment indeed.
With the greatest respect, I cannot believe the prices that Hartlepool charge for tickets. There is not even a budget seat! It is surprising that they have not reviewed their pricing structure, considering their attendances are so poor. I believe that our current matchday experience is well priced.
So do I, PEA - and as it costs me twice as much in petrol to get here as it does to get in, I can't really complain. If you want to really scare yourself, have a look at Arsenal's prices on the equivalent Premiership table, makes your eyes water.
Oops - hit the wrong button. To continue... In Hartlepool's defence, when you've got a dedicated but very small fanbase, your scope for any ticket reduction is going to be very small indeed, so when you've factored in the U-16s and the Over-60s there's only one way to go with the balance of the seats and that's a flat pricing structure. That's only my interpretation - it might be good to get a couple of Pools supporters on here to give their views.
My maths skills couldn't brain up a justifiable way of dealing with this, but my feeling was the cheaper days were at smaller grounds, certainly at this level. It felt a little like matchday value per seat(or something, if that makes sense) is better at the Valley than at maybe Yeovil etc for example
I can see the reasoning, but Hartlepool do have a fair catchment area to draw from. Perhaps I am being a little unfair and they do try to gain more fans. It would appear that Port Vale apply a similar pricing structure - and they are a league lower!
Aren't Hartlepool doing a season ticket promotion (like Bradford did a few seasons ago) where a season ticket costs about £100? I think they have now sold over 6,000 season tickets this year.
If that is true, AllHell, and I do not doubt your wisdom, then that is great for Hartlepool. That literally doubles their average attendance at a stroke!
Yeah, Hartlepool have a promotion, along with an ad. [video=youtube;aBULKjinmcg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBULKjinmcg[/video] I had a look at that sort of thing (the ticket prices) last season. If I remember right, for most of the clubs at the top of that table, the cheapest tickets are usually in extremely low quantity, for only one or two matches, in the worst part of the ground and not that easy to get. As someone who travels a similar distance as Tweakes, I think the ticket price is fine at the Valley. Again, it costs me about double to get there as it does to get in. Brentford and Orient are very pricey. Brentford's cheapest ticket (at £20) is for a terrace...
Anyway, Charlton should be higher in that list for the 'cheapest day out' column. Everyone knows proper Charlton fans bring flasks...
I think this promotion runs along the lines that the more people buy season tickets the cheaper they are... which sounds like an excellent system for a club trying to build their fanbase but with a large catchment.
Agree it is a pointless exercise, as though you shop around for the cheapest team to support. My closest teams are Peterborough, Cambridge United, and Stevenage. If they were cheaper than than a trip to the Valley would I switch allegiance! A fans allegiance is not a commodity that can be bought and sold. If the ticket prices went up to the level of a chelski or an arsenal, I would still go to the Valley but less often. The fact that Rotheram or the faux dons may have cheap seats would not attract me to support them. Good quality football on the pitch win or lose is one of the only things that persuades supporters of one team to go and watch (not support) another team. I agree good value brings back the supporters who wavered when we fell out of the top two tiers and there should be structured pricing for loyal fans as we go up the league again. Maybe renewing season tickets holders being offered a lower rate of price increase and red card holders with 10 matches to their name in the previous season able to buy tickets at a discount. Also agree it false to price in the cost of a programme a tea and a pie. The cost of travel to the valley or any ground is a much more significant cost to a supporter unless they can walk to the ground. Good try BBC but noting would make the Nigels value for money for me
