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Paper Boy Economics

When I was a boy in the sixties in Halesowen I had a paper round
I was paid 12/6 ( 62.5p ) a week. The coach to Wolves was a shilling (5p) and to get in the North Bank was also a shilling. So as a 14yr. old to see Wolves cost me 10p of my 62.5p weekly wage.

Fast forward 50 years and my paper boy tells me he earns £30 a week.
It will cost him £20 to get in and I would guess £5 on the coach. So most of his weekly wage gone.

Plus I was watching top division football, and at home for free I could watch top international Rugby, Boxing and F1.

Such is progress !

posted on 28/8/13

12/6d, you're lucky I only got 7/6d back in the good old days. I remember my mum buying my first bike, a Rayleigh (sp) Blue Streak so I could earn some money. We got it on the 'never, never" and I paid 5 bob a week back until it was paid for. Went out in all weathers and then went to school. Probably talking about early 60's.

posted on 28/8/13

7/6 !!
Where were you from, Jarrow ?

posted on 28/8/13

My first season ticket in 1979 cost 16.50 GBP...which let you both the North & South Bank. I think it was a quid for non season ticket holders. For that we got to see the likes of 1.5M Andy Gray.

posted on 28/8/13

For you wolfie

http://classiccycleus.com/home/1959-blue-streak/

posted on 28/8/13

The cost of watching football has certainly gone up by well more than inflation. I remember hoping years ago that one of the benefactors of new financial input to the games from TV and sponsorship would be the supporter as they might charge us less with other money coming in. Quite the opposite seems to have happened and its not a cheap day out any more.

One of the 'benefits' I hear quoted about pricing is that the hooligan element have largely been priced out of going and its much more a middle class thing now. Shame that the hooligan element now choose to drink lager in town while the match is on then appear for a ruck with the away fans afterwards.

And with most Premier League clubs attracting sell out crowds I cant see the pricing going down any time soon, even if the paperboy cant afford to go

posted on 28/8/13

comment by Cyp (U16330)
posted 4 hours, 5 minutes ago
Very good Butey.

Ask Tara, how much of his wages go on watching the Wolves!
----------------------------------
Unashamedly I haven't been a supporter for years Cyp.

posted on 29/8/13

comment by Wolfgang (U8869)

And don't come back with Edward Heath, you'll just sound ridiculous.
______________________

Gulp. Ted Heath was an old boy from my school, (Chatham House Grammar, Ramsgate), but I wasn't, and never have been, a Tory.

posted on 29/8/13

Bute on campaign

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EucJIl0uonE

posted on 29/8/13

The problem is that the price of staples and commodities have all gone up relative to inflation but the average weekly wage has changed very little for decades,again adjusted for inflation.
Meaning that unless you a CEO,who's wages have gone up exponentially,you are actually far worse off than you were in the 60s,70s or 80s!

posted on 29/8/13

Thanks Wolfgang. Brings back fond memories. That's exactly the one, with mudguards and the mud flap.

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