Before I begin I want it on record that I have the utmost respect of any football fan regardless of his/her team that parts with their hard earned cash to follow their team home, away or both. This thread is with all those fans in mind. I've tried to calculate the cost of supporting the Swans over a season. I have done this with last season in mind, so that's 19 league games home and away, the home and away FA cup games with Arsenal and the League Cup run resulting with that trip to Wembley. On the way we played Barnsley (H), Crawley (A), Liverpool (A), Middlesboro (H) and Chelsea over two legs Season ticket I'm going for an average of £450. 19 away games at an average cost of £35 = £665 Petrol/Coach travel at an average of £25 = £475 So all that adds up to £1590 (approx) if you went to every league game, £1050 if you went to 10 away games and £750 if you went to 5 away games and if you own a season ticket. For the cup games I've used the same template, except Wembley where the prices ranged from £40-£90 so I've called that £60, so if you went to every cup game that adds on approx £270 for your tickets and £125 for travel. Total cost of £395 but if you went only to the home games £80. I know I've only used approximate figures but that doesn't really matter my point is that it's a lot of money. Someone going to every game would have spent in the region of £2000. A season ticket holder going to the cup final a couple of cup games and half the away games would have spent in the region of £1000. This Season will be even more of a drain on the finances of the average fan due to the extra costs for European travel. Bearing all this in mind the point of this thread is to ask do you think the club should be doing more to help out fans with the rising costs and if so what would you like to see the club doing ? So far fans travelling to Spurs were given a voucher giving them £15 off coach travel to a future away game. Fans who went to West Brom were given a free scarf. Fans who went to Crystal Palace could have a half price adult ticket (£32) if buying a child ticket (£16). Fans going to Southampton have had a voucher for a free meal and fans travelling to Cardiff will have free coach travel. That's all the offers so far this season and it was only this week that Fulham announced all their away fans travelling on the official coaches would get free travel all season. Not forgetting things like fans booking days off work, getting up at the crack of dawn, paying for parking, petrol (home games) and not forgetting a pie and a pint, or a rissole if you prefer but being a football fan is a very costly business these days no matter what team you follow. Apologies if I've bored anyone but I am interested in what everyone thinks the club should do to help (if anything). Over to you.............
I think free coach travel would go a long way to helping. I think we would see a larger away support and if fans are travelling on the official coaches instead of independently then there is also far less chance of anyone playing up and that can only serve to enhance the good name of the club and our fans
The big cost is ticket prices. The fact that free tickets had to be given out for last nights match shows that the original match price was too high - people have only got so much money. Supporters have a budget and splash out a lot of cash up front. Additional cup matches should be a max of say £15. As for away fans, anything that helps is a bonus as far as I am concerned, but I think the Club should subsidise official transport a bit more eg free buses to Norwich, Newcastle, Hull and Sunderland. As for the Europa matches, it is only the rich, retired who go
free coach travel would be a great incentive and the long haul trips a free meal. is it possible to fly to Newcastle and those aforementioned faraway places and if so what would the cost be?
We can't go by plane for two reasons: (a) Dill would spill his beer (b) It would substantially reduce Dills drinking time. And that is a FACT.
Somehow I can't see the club sorting out a free plane for our fans to Newcastle, can't see why they can't sort buses out though
Dill flying the plane to Newcastle - see if you can guess which one he is......... [video=youtube;rQbj9uvYL8I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQbj9uvYL8I&list=PLWwYUiI7i6PWuqMLLd32mVdY9PrV6Wfik[/video]
This was supposed to be a sensible football related thread. I should have known better. I've put my name down to go to St Gallen, on my own too and on the bus. I must be mad
Great post Dilli. Im sure it was mooted that the Swans would be making things easier for supporters if they got to the premier league, with somebody at the club apparently saying that prem football would mean massive discounts to the fans . Its a difficult one this really, I undertand the club trying to get as much money in as possible but at the same time they are so fooking useless at the commercial side of things that as a fan it can frustrate you when costs are involved. I think the club have done ok , I do however think they could do more, especially with the loyal jacks that travel away , whats wrong with free bus travel all season for example? that would cost them nothing considering there was no problem with them hiring a private boeing 757 complete with armchairs and double beds when they went to Dubai recently. I don't begrudge them the new found riches though I must say that as they now take money out and pay themselves money to run the club things should and can be done a lot better than they sometimes are, the excuse of us moving too fast as a club doesn't wash anymore and considering we are apparently owned by the fans I don't see anything sliding the way of the jack faithful! Its a bloody difficult one oto answer this is !
He's having a quiet night in with the missus........ http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...=X&ei=pjRPUpeQGLGZ0QX7v4GICA&ved=0CL4BEP4dMA0
Thanks Norway, at last a sensible answer. Yes, difficult to answer and to be honest I put this up in the hope that someone would come up with a viable idea and I have every intention of bringng it to the clubs attention. I know people who love to travel away but due to financial constraints have to pick and choose games. A bit of help eg free travel would go a long way. I've always held the attitude that the more fans we have at games lifts the team and increases our chances of getting positive results.
