Ticket Prices

We were talking about this on another thread, thought it was worth revisiting.

Liverpool chief Ian Ayre defends ticket prices as fans plan walk-out over £77 tickets

http://www.itv.com/news/2016-02-05/...prices-as-fans-plan-walk-out-over-77-tickets/

Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre has defended the club's owners Fenway Sports Group ahead of a proposed ticket price protest by suggesting fans should "be careful what they wish for".
Supporters' groups are planning the first walk-out in Anfield's 132-year history in the 77th minute of Saturday's match against Sunderland after a £77 match ticket (up from £59) and a £1,000 season ticket were announced this week.
The club have argued the new structure - which includes 45 per cent of match tickets decreasing in price, 64 per cent of season tickets reduced or staying the same in cost, better availability for local fans and around 1,500 £9 tickets for category C games - offers greater accessibility and affordability.
Earlier this week fans' group Spirit of Shankly criticised FSG, the club's American owners, claiming they refused to respond directly to some of their concerns during the consultation period and SoS and Spion Kop 1906 are now urging supporters to leave their seats in the 77th minute to demonstrate discontent at the price hike.

"People should be careful what they wish for," said Ayre, who spoke to try to allay the fears of fans and presented a case for greater accessibility to an increased-capacity Anfield as a £100million redevelopment of the Main Stand nears completion.
"For those of us who were around when we didn't have these types of owners (referring to the previous dysfunctional regime of Tom Hicks and George Gillett) making these type of decisions the club was in a real mess.
"We have great owners - that £100million came interest-free and they don't take a penny out of this football club.
"People should make their own decisions but I feel absolutely we have made the right decision and have everyone's best interests at heart."

The protest plans are gathering momentum but it remains to be seen how many will actually take direct action on Saturday.
Ayre urged those considering walking out to go back and look at the whole ticket package the club was offering.
"I respect everyone's right to do what they think is right but for every fan thinking about that I would say 'Have a look at the facts'," he added.
"You might be walking out for something you are not quite understanding.
"If people want to leave after 77 minutes that is disappointing but it shouldn't be because they feel the prices are wrong as there is something for everyone in there.
"If someone who sits in a certain position where there is a £77 ticket next season but can't afford it we have another option for them.
"No-one is being priced out of the stadium. There is a seat for everyone at the right price."

"That is the thing to look at before you take that type of action and walk out. "It can only be damaging to Liverpool if we have got it wrong and someone can define right and wrong in different ways."
The complaint that fans' groups were merely paid lip service during the consultation period and their views were not listened to was also addressed by Liverpool's chief executive.
"I'd say that is the thing that surprised us the most," he said.
"A lot of clubs don't engage in the dialogue we have engaged in for nine months, or have a supporters' committee.
"We have listened, but of course we can't give everyone everything they want.
"I have a responsibility as chief executive to run the business and we have to do the right things for our fans and the club and the mix is a really tough one to get right.
"Even with the most vociferous of our fans we have said 'We'll have to agree to disagree on some things' but the core of my job is to deliver the most sustainable solution for the club on and off the pitch and I feel we are doing that."

 

What I think Ayre is missing is that the prices are already too high and are already stopping fans from going.

The club have argued the new structure - which includes 45 per cent of match tickets decreasing in price, 64 per cent of season tickets reduced or staying the same in cost, better availability for local fans and around 1,500 £9 tickets for category C games - offers greater accessibility and affordability.

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/tickets/lfc-ticket-prices

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/tickets/match-day-premier-league-prices-2016-17

There is a £9 adult ticket but I imagine they are very difficult to get hold of and are a limited amount. The next available adult ticket is then £28 which is ok but it is then starting to get expensive and who goes by themselves? So straight away the most likely cost for myself and my oldest lad is £43 for us to watch a Cat C game.

Is that a reasonable price?

Most expensive taickets for me and my lad at a Cat A game would cost us £109 So there's no chance of us ever getting to a Cat A game as it's simply not affordable.

 

Not a picnic basket then?

 

half the problem with most of these types making these sort of decisions is money is no object for them.

the sad reality is football now days is no longer a working mans sport and for some its go to the match instead of a holiday type scenario. that's ****ing ridiculous for a start!!

alcohol and food is nearly as bad, i used to be able to get pissed on a tenner lol

profit margin is the name of the game now days, greedy batards.

shame football clubs were not run the same way as social clubs ie non profit making, run for the benefit of its members so any profit put straight back in and put to good use, be interesting to see how many foreign owners we have then wouldn't it!!

 

It's both unreasonable and unnecessary. Ayre's waffle about the old owners doesn't hold water with me, the new lot have been in long enough to have sorted the finances to an extent they shouldn't need to do this (everyone keeps banging on about how successful they have been sorting the business side of things!!).

Here's a few ideas Ian....stop spunking money on **** players, stop spunking money on flights to Florida just to embarrass yourself at the negotiating table, stop paying 6 people to identify absolutely no transfer targets....and start finishing a bit higher up the ****ing table

 

Sounds so simple? hold on! That's because it is.

 

Look everything said on here is quite reasonable and strong arguement.

But.... the whole prem is getting the same. I think we are quite high though

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/...premier-league-overview-of-ticket-prices.html

I think we are approaching London prices for tickets and that's the crux of the matter.

There are a few tickets but how many in real terms.

The entire lower half of the new main stand seems to be the big prices and that's a big big block of seats.

 

Which means the Main Stand fans who have been going for years will either have to pay the extra or go sit in the "cheap" seats (the ****ter seats that are the same price as they pay now for a good seat).

As for the argument about "the rest of the league do it so we have to as well" it just doesn't stack up because actually they don't. Stoke (as one example) haven't raised season ticket prices in NINE YEARS.

It doesn't have to be done to pay wages, it doesn't have to be done to cover the cost of the new stands (over time they will pay for themselves and much more), it shouldn't have to be done to buy players especially given the new tv deal.

So why is it being done? Greed, because they can, because many will keep stumping up, basically because we love our club and we're soft in the head and they ****ing know it

FSG...turning fans into customers? I've got a few more slogans for FSG:

"Turning fans into ****wits"

"We pride ourselves on producing the quietest stadium...in the world"

"You'll Never Walk Alone...unless you can't afford to walk with us"

"We know you'll keep coming even when we provide you with absolute dross to watch"

"USA, USA, USA"

#catchy

 

From another perspective if this gets fans to start going to watch another local team in a lower league rather than their big gun No. 1, it could end up having positives for the lower league teams and coming to bite the likes of us back on the arse in a big way, be good for the game overall, more revenue for less well off / supported clubs

 

And y'know what. Premier league is still cheap to watch in comparison to a lot of other sports your boxings, F1s. But ok the difference is fans go to fball games week in week out whereas those others are more likely one offs or no more than a couple/few times a year, with the exception of the madmen who follow the F1 around the globe.

 

Call me crazy if you will, but I sense you're not a happy bunny

 

It's simple enough.

Stone have little ambition. They don't have another 20k fans waiting to come and 100 tourists

We have a view I think that cos others have 20k more seats we have to make the gap up by having higher prices.

We will see...

I just think it does look well out of line with the other big teams in the north.

You could understand chelsea charging it but not us

 

Should have made the ticket prices 95 quid, walkout on the final whistle is less effective.

Cheap bastards.

 

Was a good protest.

The players should have known it was nothing personal.

Good singing then protest and out they went.

It'll be interesting to see what is said in response.

Ayre was very clear prior to game. Will it change?

 

It's the idea that ticket prices are going up across the PL at a time when there has never been so much money in the game.

Gate receipts are becoming increasingly minor in the scheme of things.

The owners like others do not care if the make up of the fans in the seats is authentic.

They'd happily fill the stadium with Japanese tourists as long as it looks full on tv....they will probably react to increasingly quiet crowds with Cheerleaders and marching bands....

Although a Scouse Crystal Girls might not be bad to look at

 

what happened to the fecking game we all love, greedy greedy batards, will ruin the sport

 

There needs to be a ticket cap introduced. However, it will never happen because the PL won't ever agree to it.

 

Would love to analyse the business models of the Bundesliga vs Premier League.

The PL is the richest league in the world where lower league teams can afford to spend £10m plus on players, but clubs charge a bomb on ticket prices.

The BuLi have quite a few teams that are debt free, cash rich but still charge very little in comparison.

Such a shame people are being priced out of a universal game, a game which brings people of all social classes, origins together. Now it's becoming elitist.

 

LFC is a global name but Anfield on matchday's is much more of a personal thing mainly for supporters from the UK and Ireland(and Norway.), but we live in a society that still hasn't fully recovered from the economic slump and the main percentage of matchday fans are struggling with their everyday essentials yet the greedy "I'm alright jack") ****s from over the pond are stealthily putting the cost of the new stand onto the paying supporters.
More sponsors, more TV money etc doesn't sate their appetite for more £-$s, whenever they're arsed to actually come over they must see the abject poverty in the streets on their way to the ground.

The organisers of today's walkout have promised to keep up the pressure on FSG to lower prices.


http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-fans-ticket-price-protest-10852058

 

You may not have forgot but I'll say it anyway...

You forgot Wales