Now... I know it's the Germans... but the way they have their footie going on the pitch and off it is something we should really take note of. 1. Their up and coming players look something special. I can see them taking over Spain as the best team in the world. The Spanish are getting found out. Their tikka takka was nice to watch but I'm bored of it and other teams are learning how to play it. Both Bayern and Dortmund have loads of Germans in their sides and they could easily change their style of play. Saturday was a joy to watch. 2. Away fans are treated how they should be. Free travel on the trains with a match ticket. Do that here and away attendances will rocket up as national rail continue to increase their prices which makes it tougher for the footie fan. 3. Safe standing. Nearly all the stadiums in Germany operate a safe standing procedure to increase the atmosphere. Look at that Kop that Dortmund have... 'The Yellow Wall'. It's ferocious and sensational! Do that in England and atmospheres will be so much better. All of them stood on Saturday. When I went to Wembley in the lower tier for the City game I was being told to sit down all the time! Ridiculous! 4. Pyro. I like the use of pyro and they use it a lot as do many European clubs. No harm is done and it looks good. But the laws here are ridiculous. Having 3 of our lads sent to prison and 10 year match ban for possession at Swansea this year! Do me a favour... The way they have done it is something to look up at and do over here. We should copy Bayern in getting core CFC fans as part of the board to help run the club. The fans interests are kept close at heart and we need that over here as well.
Not forgetting the control on ticket prices in Germany, it's possible to watch Bayern for £8. Good post Bucks Blue
Yeah forgot about that... A season ticket at Bayern was cheaper than some tickets for the Arsenal v Bayern match! Ludicrous! The safe standing is something that nearly all footie fans want but then there are groups like the Hillsborough campaigning group who pipe up and are against it due to the 96 that died... But they need to remember it was the fencing that was the problem there. Not the case of standing.
A really interesting post as always Bucks. I didn't know most of this and think No 2 sounds like a good idea, many of us have been out priced as far as football goes anyway. But for those of you that try to attend all matches it would be a brilliant way forward. I don't agree with the sitting down all the time, I would hate that, and my son said the game he attended last week he was so squashed in (with a rather large person next to him ) that he kept feeling the fella's phone vibrating, and thinking it was his own as they were that close, and no way of moving, in the end he had to take his phone out of his pocket, but he said it was very uncomfortable as his dad also had someone huge next to him so they were like piggies in the middle. I do wonder if as a female that might be rather difficult for some women as well. I assume once you are given a ticket you have to sit in that seat ? Does that apply to standing in Germany or is it just allocated places. I don't know about 'The Yellow Wall' so I will go and look it up.
In England if you are given a ticket you are meant to sit in that seat. Swansea fans going to Norwich were warned that persistent standing would lead to eviction from the ground! Really is a joke that... Not sure about allocated spots in Germanny. Certainly for terracing in England you can stand wherever. For Brentford last season we stood where we wanted in the terraces...
Thanks Bucks, I am hoping to get to a game next season and as it will be a one off due to cost I want to make sure I get it right, I thought most of England was all seating now. So I will choose carefully.
Maybe if we didn't pay the likes of Bale and his ilk £200k a week maybe we could watch football for a similar price.
German society as a whole has learnt a lot since WW2 and the demolition of the wall. It's quite remarkable actually. People that retain basic human values and principles whilst enduring. Good quality of life. Sadly, that isn't the case in the UK and money will always be put above principle.
I think there needs to be a wage cap in place throughout the whole of Europe, it's only going to get worse. Player wages are the biggest symptom for inflated ticket prices over here. It's not a 'fans' game in this country anymore, it's tailored for tourists/day trippers.
Which is what they want as those are the kind that will spend more in the megastores and club shops hence bring in extra matchday revenue. Until real football people are in charge of clubs as opposed to businessmen the average fan will continue to be ripped off to the point where they are priced out. UK = Money > Morals and Principles Germany = Money < Morals and Principles
Why not? If you want to play in x competition you cannot have any player on over x amount p/w. it wouldn't be that simple I know but something must be done.
No. Nothing needs to be done if clubs are managing their books properly, nothing should be done while we're happy to keep ignorantly absorbing price increases, and nothing can be done effectively in a capitalist system with high labour mobility.
And that's the nub of the problem. It sounds a simple thing to implement and many have tried, but it doesn't achieve what they want. American Football has a salary cap, so does Baseball, Australian Rules, OZ Rugby and OZ Rugby League. The only real effect is that one Club can't get ALL the best players, BUT the top 4 Clubs CAN and do. Result is, the same old same old win everything, the also rans, also run. There's also the little ploys like players parents' Cleaning Companies getting half a mill a year, or their brothers becoming "Consultants" and so on. Unless the Cap is so severe, a single Club can only afford one or two top players, it's doomed to fail. But with this scenario, the teams are so weakened ,the fans won't have it. It is a Classic case of the market decides and bypasses all attempts at financial regulation.
Why not have maximum amount a team can spend on wages for the squad at £xxxxxxxxxx anymore and they have to lower ticket prices by x amount per million over
But how many clubs are managing their books properly? Player wages and agent fees are two of the biggest problems at the moment. 6/7 years ago it was unheard of that a player would be on 175k, now there are plenty who are on that and many more on much larger! Imagine what it'll be like it 10 or so years. I agree with what you say about ignorantly absorbing it though, trouble is if a fan base boycotted games their attendances would be slated AND it does no good for the team.
Another plausible option On a match day I end up spending at least £100 including ticket/travel/beer money. In Germany that'd get me a season ticket
OK let me restate my earlier post: nothing WILL be done while we're happy to shell out. The problem is we're completely addicted to our clubs, the sport, and the gladiatorial spectacle of it all. Roman-esque metaphor deliberately intended, and the media are deliberately fuelling this addiction to lock in future revenues. Aye - they are not in the business of MEETING demand, but for GENERATING demand. And as the addiction increases, demand gets more inelastic allowing clubs to push prices ever higher without fear of losing revenue... which in turn provides the next morcel of story to generate yet more demand. It a ****ing insatiable gravy train with Sky, BBC, Virgin, ESPN, ITV, the press, and anyone who is anyone, all wanting a piece of the action. Wage cap? In your dreams - not while there are $$$$ to be made.
Everyone wants football to be cheaper but no one demands it. Everyone wants the success but they don't want to pay for it. If you want cheap tickets, go to a lower league side. If you want to go see one of the best sides in the country, go see them play but it won't be cheap. It might look all rosy for German teams at the moment but really only Bayern have done well out of that system and that's because they've still got a huge income. Dortmund might be doing well at the moment too but they could lose 2 first 11 players to Bayern this summer which is a bit of a reality check for where they're really at as a club.
