Value For Money? [POLL]

[JBs Caravan]

This years survey,re: cost of attending Premiership Footy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19922635" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Logarithm]

No mention of us. Probably a good thing.

[Alf Garnett's (Ex) Missus]

We are among the top 6 for price based on a day out, but the shock for me was seeing Div 4 games costing over 20 quid a go.......the HK league is about that level and is a fiver lol

[AlfieG]

More detail for all clubs apart from Millwank(?)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19842397

Interesting to see such small differentials at Liverpool and WBA...

[the pink palermo]

However much we complain about ticket prices the reality is at many grounds they are either sold out, or nearly sold out virtually every week .

Being middle aged I don't know if Saturdays game against Southampton is KFAQ or not , but it's completely sold out - including Corporate .

So don't expect to see ticket prices fall anytime soon .Not if you are over 21 and under 65 anyway .

[fmgod]

Just simple supply and demand though isn't it, Wigan, Fulham etc have to do deals as they don't have that manys fans whereas someone like us no matter how much crap we've been through in the last five years still have a very loyal fan base. Arsenal know they can sell whatever the price etc, also the location of the team makes a big difference as it will be affected by the local populations average income.

[Hockley Hammer]

The supply and demand argument is correct.

The Avram Grant season following Zola's last season tested my patience, but the financial aspect was not a deciding factor. I just want to see my team compete in whatever league they are in.

How much I am prepared to pay is having an effect this season, having just paid for my daughter's wedding and my Mrs having a big birthday in December means that away games have gone out of the window until the new year.

At just under £40 a game for home games, much as I would prefer to pay less, I can see that that is the price for supporting a London team in the PL.

I logged on to look at prices for the Stones at the O2 last night. Cheapest prices £106 up to £475. Both shows sold out on pre-sale :shock:

I enjoyed last sesaon and I am enjoying this season so far. I 'd rather pay less but if the season continues as it has started i'd be happy with what I have paid for - to see my team compete with the best in one of the best leagues in the world.

After the last two PL sesaons that is a huge improvement, so the cost is relative.

[Pop Robson]

As usual with these reports the figures are either incorrect or fiddled to suit.

Since I only know our prices

Our cheapest ST £480 ? Yes with the 5 yr 20% discount
Our dearest ST £850 ? Yes
Our cheapest matchday ticket £36 ? Yes with a membership
Our dearest matchday ticket £67 ? Yes

[JBs Caravan]

Marketing & Advertising are always misleading,example a full page spread in the Metro,
reflects kids tkts for £15 v Stoke,but when you attempt to find these tickets,i guess they are in
certain areas of the ground,all others are £20 !!!!!
I truthfully believe the kids for a quid scheme,and perks for members are superb and lead other
Premiership sides,so the club are doing alot of great work

[Pop Robson]

Marketing & Advertising are always misleading,example a full page spread in the Metro,
reflects kids tkts for £15 v Stoke,but when you attempt to find these tickets,i guess they are in
certain areas of the ground,all others are £20 !!!!!
I truthfully believe the kids for a quid scheme,and perks for members are superb and lead other
Premiership sides,so the club are doing alot of great work

Band 3 & 4 are £15 for Kids, £20 for adults

[451]

Has anyone had a pie at Kiddermister? At £4 a pop must be good for a non league team.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19981001" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rio]

More detail for all clubs apart from Millwank(?)

It's a football survey, not one on social degradation

[Pop Robson]

Has anyone had a pie at Kiddermister? At £4 a pop must be good for a non league team.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19981001" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[451]

hope it tastes better than it looks

[The Old Man of Storr]

It certainly was affordable in 1978 when I was a student at Hatfield Poly , so was a pint of lager and rail fares .

[RichieRiv]

including Corporate ..

There are some 58 boxes at the BG. All apart from 7 of those have season long tenants. If you want to book any of those 7 you'll have to wait until the New Year and they'll cost you a cool 2.5k +VAT for 10.

So you're right the cost won't be coming down any time soon.

[Tross]

I read the article earlier this morning and found it a real thought provoker.

I hear pinky's point, but that's simple economics right?

Just because stadia are packed out, doesn't mean that the product delivered by the football clubs represents value - I certainly don't believe I've received enough bang for my buck as a long-standing West Ham fan. In fact I feel that my loyalty to the club / brand, has been stretched to the limit to fund ever increasing wages and agents fee's over the past two decades.

We are still in the grip of the worst economic downturn this country has seen since the second world war, and yet are seemingly happy to make the sacrifices required to watch the beautiful game.

I think that clubs, driven into this position by players and agents, are debt ridden and pretty much profiteering from thier passionate, dedicated and loyal supporters.

They have a massive disconnect with a generation, and the average age of the attending football fan has increased - we are getting older as a fanbase. The pricing structure directly correlates with the lack of perceived value that the 16-25 yrs old band attributes to attending football - it's simply not as cool as it once was.

Football has changed, (see link slightly romantcised in that no 70's/80's hooliganism in sight)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/14240765

I'm no futurist, but I believe that the next decade will see further changes, making the already sanitised matchday experience of today, unrecogniseable. It won't take the clubs long to embrace mobile technology strategies and make the matchday experiences entirely more personalised, and generating new revenue opportunities.

The value of the club is in the fan-base, and having a platform that enables you as a club to monetise that is the Nirvanah like state that is rapidly approaching.

Your matchday programme becomes interactive - your bets are on the screen in front of you - you can communicate with your Dad at home, your mate in the BMU and your brother who is up at silly o'clock watching from New York.

If you were able to impliment a personalised shared screen subscription service directly, would you need the TV money with a 600k fanbase - WHUTV today may be a bit of a joke to us today - by 2022 I think it will be every West Ham fans must have.

Clubs will have to make the matchday experience exactly that, and go that step further to cater to all budgets. The power to define your fan bases requirements by leveraging the technology that is available at their fingertips in the form of smartphones and tablets at ever decreasing prices, you would be able to tap into the drivers which create the mindset from which people percieve value, empowering the club to not just deliver, but for the first time create value.

It's come a long way since my first trip to West Ham in 1978 as a seven year old, and for us Hammers, we've had plenty emotional rollercoaster rides, and as such it's been entertaining........but even with my most rosey of claret and blue tinted specs, having held a season ticket (now given up) and followed us to many an away game, I'd really struggle to say its been value for money.

But times are changing......value is a real possibility......but the price will be the virtual extinction of the matchday experience that if your in my generation or older, you grew up with.

Tross

[Up the Junction]

Poll added, be interested to hear your views.

[orbital]

I had a season Ticket right on the half line behind dugouts for the West Stand Lower, got hassled off her indoors to take my little boy, so had to change seats as there was not an avaliable seat next to me. I went to the ticket office and could only get some at a lower band, they refunded me the difference, worked out his season ticket pro-rata, so in affect did not have to pay any extra.

It was first class customer service I recieved and whilst some of the Full Price tickets can be a bit steep, the child prices make it imo great value for money.

[clawhammer]

I voted yes. I have got the 20% discount this year so I am paying less than I did for last year...which I thoroughly enjoyed btw...except for away at Ipswich!