So fans are marching to the FA HQ to demand lower ticket prices! How ridiculous! It's the club's that are to blame for allowing transfer fees to become so inflated. These fans also moan when their clubs don't spend big money in better players. Hypocrites.
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Hundreds of fans will march on Premier League and Football League headquarters this Thursday (14th August) demanding cheaper ticket prices throughout football.
The march will be led by the Football Supporters` Federation (FSF) with fans from scores of clubs joining them. Supporters say clubs should use multi-billion pound media deals to lower ticket prices for both home and away fans.
The Premier League`s current media deal is worth £5.5bn, an increase of £2.1bn on the previous three years, but fans say there is little sign of anything being done to make life easier for match-going supporters.
From the increase in Premier League media rights alone all 20 top-flight clubs could have let every fan into every game for free, without being any worse off than they had been the season before.
Instead, many clubs chose to increase prices and £50+ tickets are now common in the top-flight. Hull City`s Category A tickets jumped from £30 last season to £50 in 2014/15.
Kevin Miles, chief executive of the FSF, said: "Nine out of 10 fans think football's simply too expensive. There's always the odd deal that clubs can quote to play it down, but the truth is supporters tell us they think tickets cost too much. It's not just top-flight football either, fans throughout the leagues tell us prices are too high.
"Football is swimming in money, with clubs pocketing record amounts from broadcasting deals while squeezing supporters with high prices. Something has to give.
"Ultimately we, as football supporters, have to speak up about this. Join the FSF and hundreds of fans on Thursday when we deliver that message to the Premier League and Football League."
Fans will gather at Marble Arch for 1pm and leave for the Premier League and Football League offices at 30 Gloucester Place (W1U 8PL) at 2pm. A delegation of fans will meet with the football authorities, while those on the demonstration head back to The Globe (NW1 5JY).
Read more: http://www.liverpool.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=366361#ixzz3ABqIAQot
Fans protest over ticket prices
posted on 13/8/14
posted on 13/8/14
As far as I'm aware I haven't implied anywhere that I 'like' anything about it.
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OK, maybe I’ve mis-read (I think Taggs said he would like it, in order to maximise the club's transfer kitty, which in turn inflates transfer prices), but are you not implying that you don’t like people protesting for lower prices? That prices should be determined by the market alone?
(That would imply higher prices than now, because supply is not matching demand).
Or are you saying that you don’t like it, but the only way to stop is is to withdraw your custom?
But because demand still out-strips supply, that wouldn’t work, because other people would buy them.
Ironically, this is only the case because the clubs are not operating pure market economics. If they were, prices would already be at the point where supply matches demand. (It's not the market - tough sh.it).
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I think most of us realise the only way to actually get prices lower is to stop buying them rather than just asking nicely.
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It’s not how the Germans and the Spanish did it, but I suppose you’ve already made the point that you don’t think the British are capable of behaving like that (and you don't want them to try?).
It’s a bit passive, don’t you think?
posted on 13/8/14
Dont talk to much sense! These two are away with the fairies and cant handle it!
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Taggs, is that really necessary?
I assume you created the article for debate, and there's been some good debate, so why tell people they "can't handle it" if they disagree with you?
posted on 13/8/14
"are you not implying that you don’t like people protesting for lower prices? That prices should be determined by the market alone? "
No, I'm not implying that at all either - you make a lot of assumptions. I think protest is great, and more people should make a stand for things on principle. My point is that, on this occasion I 'm not convinced it'll make a blind bit of difference because too many people can't be bothered and just fork out.
Actually, the best point I read in this thread was that losing 'real fans' devalues the product - which is, sadly, the best grounds there is for change. People appear to be relying on sentiment alone, which doesn't really wash these days.
"It’s not how the Germans and the Spanish did it, but I suppose you’ve already made the point that you don’t think the British are capable of behaving like that (and you don't want them to try?)."
I don't have too much faith in people making a serious stand on this until pretty much everyone can't afford to go - which would never happen. I guess it is 'a bit passive', but I can't get too excited about this issue to be fair - I've long accepted that if I can't afford something, I don't buy it.
posted on 13/8/14
I'll refer back to this...
You think the PL will subsidise tickets?
You think smaller clubs will willingly risk financial ruin?
You think owners will throw away millions?
You think people will boycott the big clubs?
You think a price cap would even be legal?
Quit sniffing glue!
posted on 13/8/14
comment by Taggs (U1183)
posted 23 minutes ago
I'll refer back to this...
You think the PL will subsidise tickets?
You think smaller clubs will willingly risk financial ruin?
You think owners will throw away millions?
You think people will boycott the big clubs?
You think a price cap would even be legal?
Quit sniffing glue!
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If as stated by someone on this thread, that clubs make a small percentage of their profit on ticket sales they won't be risking financial ruin. No idea if it will be legal but if the club's decided to cap prices would it matter. It might be a waste of time campaigning but better for fans try than to not be bothered imo
posted on 13/8/14
No, I'm not implying that at all either - you make a lot of assumptions.
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Maybe, but I’ve tried not to.....it was a question. (hence the question mark )
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more people should make a stand for things on principle. My point is that, on this occasion I 'm not convinced it'll make a blind bit of difference
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Well, my understanding of your original point was that the marchers were being selfish, and that now they “expect people to back” them ......not so much that it was futile.
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Actually, the best point I read in this thread was that losing 'real fans' devalues the product - which is, sadly, the best grounds there is for change.
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That’s been my point all the way through. But it’s precisely the lack of ‘sentiment’ that would devalue it.
If people feel like customers, they will behave like customers, and once that happens the TV demand may well move elsewhere. Serie A never used to be like it is now, but it fed on itself.
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I don't have too much faith in people making a serious stand on this until pretty much everyone can't afford to go - which would never happen
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Well no, because if it got to that point the prices would drop again. But before we got to that point, the stadiums would be full of corporates, and by then I wonder how many people would care, so the moving feast that is global TV audiences could well have moved on by then to another market.
But sports tickets don’t operate on pure market forces anyway. Wimbledon could sell out the entire centre-court with corporates, but they don’t. The Olympics could have charged much higher prices than they did, as could the big Premiership clubs.
So the only question for me is at what level do you set it, because the price levels are artificial anyway?
So I think there’s nothing wrong with fans making a stand, because they know they form part of the product in a way that customers don’t (and the administrators and owners obviously agree, otherwise they'd already have bumped the prices as high as they can go).
In that sense, it’s not just a question of “can’t afford it, don’t buy it”....that only applies to pure commerce.
For myself, I’m thinking of maybe moving abroad again anyway, so I’m not sure marching is high on my list of priorities , but football in this country has been a good product, and I think it would be a shame if it devoured itself, so I’m in favour of fans making a stand on it if they feel that way.
I think this is a very passive country, by and large, and they have a stake in the product. If they don't try, they won't get, and fans in Germany and Spain will continue to get a better deal.
posted on 13/8/14
If as stated by someone on this thread, that clubs make a small percentage of their profit on ticket sales they won't be risking financial ruin.
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So FSG spend a fortune building Liverpool a nice new stand taking the capacity up to 60000.
At £60 a ticket over say, 26 games a season, that could make them over £90m. You think they will just write off £60m a year so some scallies can go the game every week?
Dream on!
posted on 13/8/14
Taggs
In reference to your replies to my posts earlier, you have clearly demonstrated that you have undertaken no research into the matter whatsoever, and have little understanding of the topic you wish to debate.
Whether all of the Football Supporters’ Federation's (FSF) objectives are realised remains to be seen but without the assistance from fans (assuming that includes you) nothing is ever going to change.
If it makes you feel better to ignore the problem then so be it.
posted on 14/8/14
"Well, my understanding of your original point was that the marchers were being selfish, and that now they “expect people to back” them"
That was more about the poster on this thread in particular who was making it personal, calling people who don't back him and his march as not 'real fans' - it's a term guaranteed to get people's backs up, so I'm surprised he was, erm, surprised.
" ......not so much that it was futile."
Both. I do feel it's futile, but that's speaking as someone who's been on marches in the past to no real effect - I'm old and cynical.
"Well no, because if it got to that point the prices would drop again."
Exactly why I said "it would never happen". Basic market forces mean the prices would never rise to a point where the stadium is empty, obviously. But they have been rising way ahead of inflation for a couple of decade now, and it irks me that the particularly vocal , and aggressive, poster on this thread is so enthusiastic now it effect him/his family, but maybe not so much when it effected others before him. TBH, This isn't just about him/this campaign, its a general gripe about people not giving a shít about other people that may have got out of hand.
"I’m not sure marching is high on my list of priorities , but football in this country has been a good product, and I think it would be a shame if it devoured itself, so I’m in favour of fans making a stand on it if they feel that way."
Sounds to me that we largely agree on the whole thing.
"I think this is a very passive country, by and large, and they have a stake in the product. If they don't try, they won't get, and fans in Germany and Spain will continue to get a better deal."
Couldn't agree more.
"For myself, I’m thinking of maybe moving abroad again anyway"
Ditto.