QPR, Newcastle and Wigan all on General Sale. Now obviously games like Spurs and Arsenal (plus United and Liverpool) would never hit that point but it is worrying how football fans in general have finally been priced out the game they love. Spurs first home game of the season vs City only just sold out after days of general sale. Most of their home games have hit general sale and a few Arsenal ST's I know say the same. I remember a time where literally even if you were a member you still weren't guaranteed a ticket even a couple of years ago it was only the midweek games against unglamorous games that hit general sale. if football fans came in unison and protested like German fans we'd see change sadly English Football fans are so apathetic it's unreal. I have only been to the Bridge once this season, I am priced out, I'm sure the same could be said for others.
Definitely DL. I've been going to the FA cup games & CL group games cos of the discounts. Only been to 4 league games this season, all early season games. Fancied the Benfica return leg and went on the site to buy a couple for me & my son & low and behold, they've upped the prices. £63.00 for the cheapest ticket in the MH, £82.00 for the West Upper - disgusting. What a kick in the bollocks!
The clubs won't care unless attendances drop meaningfully. Even the German protest involved non-attendance. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8986321.stm This was for prices rising to the amazing price of €20. That's about £16.67 today. What would that get you over here? Schalke fans protested Athletic Bilbao's rip off prices in the week, too. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/socce...igh-ticket-prices-football-not-073822592.html Can't disagree with them.
The first season ticket I ever bought cost me £20.50 (in old money). That would just about cover a round of drinks now! For the first time in many years we have had empty spaces in some PL games from traveling fans and I reckon it will continue
It's the working class man's game yet there are hardly any working class people there. West an East stands both filled to the rafters with tourists. I agree with you Tel, I had to pay £82 for my United ticket, it's lucky I don't have a family to support! Disgrace to the loyal fans who have stuck with Chelsea through thick and thin. Be interesting to see what happens to the prices when 1, we get our new stadium and 2, if we get Europa next season.
It's ridiculous. How the hell are a family meant to afford these prices? Football these days is aimed at the money people and the working class can go to hell.
As long as richer "fans" step up and buy tickets it will continue to rise. If you sell a few thousand less seats at £5 more it's still worth doing for the club so as PNP says it'd require serious boycotts. Prices are much higher than I'd like but I generally still go to the games I want to but then again tickets have only just gone over £30 for south lower(cat C) which is affordable for me. I've given up buying shirts though and never buy programmes anymore so I guess it's started taking it's toll on me.
The main problem with the cash in the Premier League is that like FIFA once you have such a powerful brand the organisers have ultimate power. Clubs no longer rely on gate money to survive in the Premiership and therefore they cater for them less, plus wealthy individuals from this country and abroad will pay these prices. Just to show you how important the fans are regarded the FA (who are the governors of English football) have stopped allowing them to contribute to their discussions, says it all really.
Agree with YV, so long as the rich are interested clubs won't care as it makes more financial sense. We need a revolution and all fans to boycott
Maybe they should give you a loyalty card like Nandos, every game you go to you get a stamp then when you get 15 in a season you get a free game... or a quarter chicken. That way the people that go regularly through thick and thin get a bit of money off and the plastics who don't care what they're paying still get fleeced so we can get new players
how much !!! they were about 20 -25 quid when i used to go !! didn't realise they had gone up to that extent !!
Whilst some of your posts are ironic, I actually agree, the whole loyalty system is flawed and there are massive loopholes which I have exploited myself. My mate goes far more often than me but often takes his dad or cousin. So I still get the loyalty points. I can't see for the life of me how I am more "loyal" than someone who has actually been to the games. That said I have been to Sunderland away (6am start), Birmingham and Man City away on a midweek night, not to mention travelled 120 miles (twice) to see us play QPR away. So do I care if I am taking the Wembley SF ticket of somebody that has racked up 8 points for going to Fulham at home in the cup? Not one jot
A lot of this has to do with financial fair play rules. Clubs will increase ticket prices to make revenue on their own. So unfortunately some of the loyal fans they will find it hard to pay for tickets because of the expense. It is ridiculous how expensive tickets are these days for example if you support one of the top 4 premier league clubs a season ticket costs £1000.
When I heard that the Newcastle and QPR games were on general sale I immediately checked the Watford fixture list to see if there were any clashes. I then went on to the site to book two tickets, and I was astonished at the price. £52 for a mid week game, and no price differences between junior, adult and senior. That is quite simply unacceptable. My Watford season ticket was £65 this season, and there are many deals for students, over 65s, etc. According to BBC's price of football campaign, Watford are the 4th least expensive side in the football league to go and watch play on a Saturday. Hopefully more clubs will take a leaf out of our book. I went to see Dortmund in October, and that ticket was only 15 euros. Something needs to be done about this, it's going to kill the atmosphere of games.
IMO it already has. Certainly at the Bridge anyway. Rarely do you see the Bridge anything like it was 5, 10 or even 15 years ago Corporates are taking over football and it's killing the game. In the North East they don't have this problem hence why atmosphere is so much better up there, it seems to be a regional thing.
