Football, working men's entertainment at opera prices.
Discussion
I posted on the Football forum about taking my boy for a 9th birthday surprise to see his heroes West Ham beat Hull 3-0 yesterday. Just wanted to see what you lot, especially the ardent fans think of the ticket prices.
The last time I went as a punter was to see Palace as I lived in the area back in the 70s/80s. I wasn't a big fan but most of my mates were and if they happened upon me in a pub around Saturday lunchtime they would normally drag me along.
There was no malarkey about getting in, you just paid at the turnstiles, and I never thought 'Fook me, that's a bit pricey'. They would even open the gates after half time and let people in for free.
So a long time has passed and I earn ok these days, back then I did spend time on the dole but the football tickets were easily affordable, yet I was shocked that a cheap seat was £53.
This is after registering with the West Ham FC website and then spending quite a while to find a spare two seats.
As a one off, it was quite enjoyable and evoked memories of my youth as the experience felt exactly the same. Big crowds, crappy burgers, bad tea and long queues for the rudimentary bogs. The only difference was being seated, which suited me as I have a terrible back these days
There is no way I could justify being a regular goer, especially with two boys and a girl who is also interested, except she supports Arsenal. Heavens knows why, as we live near Chelsea and Fulham
I was talking to a 30 year old mate of mine who thinks £1800 for a season ticket is worth it for the entertainment but I think it's ludicrous. Happy to pay £20, maybe £30 a head but £50 and a lot more for an hour and a half of watching a football match, no way! but then the grounds are full so I must be wrong.
Looking at the crowds at West Ham yesterday, many didn't look to be the typical PH massive, ie Goatee beards and managing their own companies
So how do they afford/justify it?
Really want to see West Ham vs C.Palace now
The last time I went as a punter was to see Palace as I lived in the area back in the 70s/80s. I wasn't a big fan but most of my mates were and if they happened upon me in a pub around Saturday lunchtime they would normally drag me along.
There was no malarkey about getting in, you just paid at the turnstiles, and I never thought 'Fook me, that's a bit pricey'. They would even open the gates after half time and let people in for free.
So a long time has passed and I earn ok these days, back then I did spend time on the dole but the football tickets were easily affordable, yet I was shocked that a cheap seat was £53.
This is after registering with the West Ham FC website and then spending quite a while to find a spare two seats.
As a one off, it was quite enjoyable and evoked memories of my youth as the experience felt exactly the same. Big crowds, crappy burgers, bad tea and long queues for the rudimentary bogs. The only difference was being seated, which suited me as I have a terrible back these days
There is no way I could justify being a regular goer, especially with two boys and a girl who is also interested, except she supports Arsenal. Heavens knows why, as we live near Chelsea and Fulham
I was talking to a 30 year old mate of mine who thinks £1800 for a season ticket is worth it for the entertainment but I think it's ludicrous. Happy to pay £20, maybe £30 a head but £50 and a lot more for an hour and a half of watching a football match, no way! but then the grounds are full so I must be wrong.
Looking at the crowds at West Ham yesterday, many didn't look to be the typical PH massive, ie Goatee beards and managing their own companies
So how do they afford/justify it?
Really want to see West Ham vs C.Palace now
Edited by croyde on Monday 19th January 14:19
Edited by croyde on Monday 19th January 15:35
Bluebarge said:
It is a good bit cheaper (around the £30-35 mark) outside London (e.g. Villa and Liverpool), but if you really want to moan about paying crazy prices to watch talentless hoofers for 90 minutes, try buying tickets to Elland Road 
EFAAnd before anybody takes offence I am from Leeds
eltax91 said:
It's premier league/ London tax.
I pay £300 for my season ticket in Sheffield (United). Have been going for 26 years (i'm 32!) and wouldn't ever give it up unless i was homeless. The prices went up to a massive £319 when we had a season in the premier league.
My own limited poll of that suggests you aren't correct and S.U. is somewhat an anomaly.I pay £300 for my season ticket in Sheffield (United). Have been going for 26 years (i'm 32!) and wouldn't ever give it up unless i was homeless. The prices went up to a massive £319 when we had a season in the premier league.
I'm a Southampton fan and so in the last 10 years have purchased tickets up and down the divisions like a yo-yo and there has been very little in it in terms of the costs involved. A few weeks ago I paid £42.50 at St Marys, last week I paid £50 at Old Trafford. I was shocked to hear that Leeds charge £40 a ticket for games at Elland..
Unless a club is offering a significant promotion - ticket prices of £35 - £45 seem pretty much standard irrespective of location or division in which they are playing - which makes no sense at all in my eyes!
I find it hard justifying £75 for a ticket for the 6 Nations games but at least there are only 2 or 3 home games a year.
£1,800 puts it in the same price bracket as something like golf which has always seen to be a middle class, fairly expensive hobby unlike football.
People pay it though as you say.
£1,800 puts it in the same price bracket as something like golf which has always seen to be a middle class, fairly expensive hobby unlike football.
People pay it though as you say.
aww999 said:
Quite! I paid £200 each for La Boheme at ROH last year, and they were the cheapest tickets I could get!
I never realised it could be that much but saying that I did think about treating my teenage daughter who is into old school Grunge, to seeing the Foo Fighters in the summer.I was going to buy 3 tickets, 2 for us and an extra so she could bring a friend. Cheapest tickets are currently £100 each. Forget that.
Again the last time I went as a punter was Blur, Brighton 1992. I've been spoilt 'cos I'm paid to film bands thus get to be on stage with them and get the decent loos backstage.
Out of interest, I follow Rugby League and am a season ticket holder at Leeds Rhinos - a team in Leeds that actually wins things
£220 for a season ticket and the kids cost £45 for under 12s and £65 once they turn 12. That includes access to away grounds as well for the kids. A much nicer environment for a family and far less tribal (unless the cod heads or the 6 fingered lot from Castleford are in - I have never seen a visible police presence apart from when Hull teams come to town). On the gate prices are £20
And yet, average attendances are around 15k whilst the shambles down the road still attracts over 20k for a vastly inferior product at a considerably higher rate. I'd much rather watch tough guys at the top of their game earning a living - top internationals "only" earn around £100k due to salary caps. It's not perfect and the game is struggling in a lot of respects but as a spectacle I would take it every time over football
(I may be slightly biased in that my Granddad, Uncle and cousin were all professionals)
£220 for a season ticket and the kids cost £45 for under 12s and £65 once they turn 12. That includes access to away grounds as well for the kids. A much nicer environment for a family and far less tribal (unless the cod heads or the 6 fingered lot from Castleford are in - I have never seen a visible police presence apart from when Hull teams come to town). On the gate prices are £20
And yet, average attendances are around 15k whilst the shambles down the road still attracts over 20k for a vastly inferior product at a considerably higher rate. I'd much rather watch tough guys at the top of their game earning a living - top internationals "only" earn around £100k due to salary caps. It's not perfect and the game is struggling in a lot of respects but as a spectacle I would take it every time over football
(I may be slightly biased in that my Granddad, Uncle and cousin were all professionals)
Just had a look at the Crystal Palace ticket website and I'm a bit stumped (and I'm supposed to be clever). I've registered but I cannot even look at individual ticket availability unless I become a member at a cost of £25/£35 depending on the level of benefits.
The general costs appear to be a lot lower than West Ham and I see you can buy a half season for £320 which gets you 10 games. I have mates that go to every match including all the aways. I presume the season ticket only allows you to buy away tickets as it doesn't look like they are included.
Anyhow if you click on the half season a graphic of the stadium comes up but then the prices are lower, it would seem, than the £320 mentioned depending on where you want to be.
Derrr my brain hurts
The general costs appear to be a lot lower than West Ham and I see you can buy a half season for £320 which gets you 10 games. I have mates that go to every match including all the aways. I presume the season ticket only allows you to buy away tickets as it doesn't look like they are included.
Anyhow if you click on the half season a graphic of the stadium comes up but then the prices are lower, it would seem, than the £320 mentioned depending on where you want to be.
Derrr my brain hurts
Try being a Wrexham fan like me.
£359 to watch a season of non-league conference football...
http://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/documents/st-price-mat...
£359 to watch a season of non-league conference football...
http://www.wrexhamafc.co.uk/documents/st-price-mat...
Pieman68 said:
Out of interest, I follow Rugby League and am a season ticket holder at Leeds Rhinos - a team in Leeds that actually wins things
£220 for a season ticket and the kids cost £45 for under 12s and £65 once they turn 12. That includes access to away grounds as well for the kids. A much nicer environment for a family and far less tribal (unless the cod heads or the 6 fingered lot from Castleford are in - I have never seen a visible police presence apart from when Hull teams come to town). On the gate prices are £20
And yet, average attendances are around 15k whilst the shambles down the road still attracts over 20k for a vastly inferior product at a considerably higher rate. I'd much rather watch tough guys at the top of their game earning a living - top internationals "only" earn around £100k due to salary caps. It's not perfect and the game is struggling in a lot of respects but as a spectacle I would take it every time over football
(I may be slightly biased in that my Granddad, Uncle and cousin were all professionals)
Fellow Rhinos fan and season ticket holder here too, I've never understood why anyone would pay such a vast amount to go watch football when rugby is cheaper, better atmosphere and a much much more entertaining game, especially for Leeds United!!£220 for a season ticket and the kids cost £45 for under 12s and £65 once they turn 12. That includes access to away grounds as well for the kids. A much nicer environment for a family and far less tribal (unless the cod heads or the 6 fingered lot from Castleford are in - I have never seen a visible police presence apart from when Hull teams come to town). On the gate prices are £20
And yet, average attendances are around 15k whilst the shambles down the road still attracts over 20k for a vastly inferior product at a considerably higher rate. I'd much rather watch tough guys at the top of their game earning a living - top internationals "only" earn around £100k due to salary caps. It's not perfect and the game is struggling in a lot of respects but as a spectacle I would take it every time over football
(I may be slightly biased in that my Granddad, Uncle and cousin were all professionals)
Also for those of you with kids the rugby players provide far better role models than footballers but that is another story all together
croyde said:
The general costs appear to be a lot lower than West Ham and I see you can buy a half season for £320 which gets you 10 games. I have mates that go to every match including all the aways. I presume the season ticket only allows you to buy away tickets as it doesn't look like they are included.
No, away games aren't included. At St Mary's (Southampton), season ticket holders do get priority when match tickets go on sale, but not before those who have already been to X number of away games.In terms of costs, tickets to the Emirates a few weeks back set us back £26 a head - bargain.
The most expensive ones I've shelled out for in recent times were for Old Trafford at £46 each.
FWIW, my season ticket at St Mary's (centre block, so a bit more expensive than goals or wings) cost £682 this year. That works out at about £36 a game.
To be fair, I think that's pretty good value.
Midweek standing tickets at Royal Opera House start at 5 quid. Bench seats for 9. Up in the gods though.
I'm taking the other half in a couple of weeks time - late Christmas present , she's always wanted to go and has never been - but I went for stalls seats at 70 odd quid each. Hopefully they will be comfy so I can have a snooze !
I'm taking the other half in a couple of weeks time - late Christmas present , she's always wanted to go and has never been - but I went for stalls seats at 70 odd quid each. Hopefully they will be comfy so I can have a snooze !
SS2. said:
FWIW, my season ticket at St Mary's (centre block, so a bit more expensive than goals or wings) cost £682 this year. That works out at about £36 a game.
In better price news, just had an email from Saints to say tickets are £12 per adult this weekend for the cup game against Palace!Gassing Station | Football | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff