[Albion] £14.95 to watch Albion

[timbha]

I'm sorry, but if you suggested to me back in the dark days that the club I was saving would go on to charge people twice for a game kicking off at 17.30 on a fecking Monday evening I'd have probably put down the "Archer Out" banner and taken up snooker.

I think this has gone the full circle now. Who is being charged twice?
The people you are referring to are presumably STH. PPV is giving them (And others) the opportunity to watch a game they wouldn’t have (legally) been allowed to watch. The club is holding their ST money that will be refunded in one way or another. I’m astonished at how little trust there is in TB.

Surely at the time our efforts to save the club were unconditional with the hope that one day .......

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

B*llshit. It's totally acceptable to be a loyal Brighton & Hove Albion fan and be concerned about the way the game is going.

Premier League football is ridiculously expensive to follow in the UK - in any form. Why is it so different to Bundesliga?!

The moneymen will keep rinsing fans for more and more, until there's some kind of push-back.

They're taking the pee while people are skint, or scared of the future, or both. And, by the way, it's while - in their terms - the quality of the 'product' is diminished.

I'm lucky in that I can afford £15. I absolutely won't be paying it on principle. And I urge fellow Albion fans to do the same.

There HAS to be push-back.

Great post

 

[Wozza]

https://twitter.com/HLTCO/status/1315553137583943681?s=20

[tweet]1315553137583943681[/tweet]

 

[vagabond]

As I see it, most of this angst would have subsided if the actual pay per view fee was more reasonable.

£15 quid, per game. When you can get package deals cheaper. And overseas pay roughly twice that for a YEAR does rub one up the wrong way. We do seem to be being taken advantage of in this country as they know we’re die hard fans. Not to mention they’re already recording the bleeding games anyway so production costs haven’t increased.

If they had been less greedy and said a fiver a game. I wonder if this story would have been as big a deal.

Also they’re encouraging groups of people to watch the game to save money, which is not probably healthy at the current time.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

https://twitter.com/HLTCO/status/1315553137583943681?s=20

[tweet]1315553137583943681[/tweet]

Good analogy.

And the answer is if you don't fancy paying for it, don't

 

[dazzer6666]

this is a very emotive issue.
I emailed Paul Barber on Friday night - it was a lengthy email but I felt reasonable and respectful. I was a little surprised at the tone of the reply I received, very passive aggressive & insinuating that I (and all Brighton fans) are expecting the "product" for free. For what it's worth that was never my query at all. I was trying to seek clarification on what will happen with the money that we have already paid, as my fear is that whilst its all very well saying it can be used against next seasons ticket, if they hike the price by 20% then any savings would be absorbed and uses as a justification for any increase.
I have emailed PB on numerous occasions before and have always found him to be courteous and engaging. On this occasion, however, I found his replies to be verging on the rude and almost indignant that anyone should be anything other than ecstatic about paying £14.95 per PPV game - and it is clear that he has been even ruder to others. And to suggest that everyone who has offered an opinion on social media to be "hysterical & ill-informed" is quite frankly very dismissive. I will await with interest the results of the board meeting and the proposed Q&A this week, as if our CEO feels that it is appropriate to talk to his "customers" in this way, then I will find other ways of supporting my club.

So you email a clearly snowed-under CEO - and according to twitter and facebook along with dozens of others (I saw one tweet quoting his email address and willing people to email him) - and you’re surprised you get a slightly snippy reply ?

He must have the patience of a saint to be able to scroll through ‘lengthy’ emails and then even more so to even reply at all.

 

[Icy Gull]

B*llshit. It's totally acceptable to be a loyal Brighton & Hove Albion fan and be concerned about the way the game is going.

Premier League football is ridiculously expensive to follow in the UK - in any form. Why is it so different to Bundesliga?!

The moneymen will keep rinsing fans for more and more, until there's some kind of push-back.

They're taking the pee while people are skint, or scared of the future, or both. And, by the way, it's while - in their terms - the quality of the 'product' is diminished.

I'm lucky in that I can afford £15. I absolutely won't be paying it on principle. And I urge fellow Albion fans to do the same.

There HAS to be push-back.

Being concerned about the way the game is going is fine, but some of the reactions about the club and Barber (who is only TB's monkey) allegedly rinsing the fans is OTT. As long as we are PL this is the shit we are going to have to put up with imo. We as fans of L'il Ole Brighton will not be changing anything, you need fans of the big clubs on board to be able to do that.

I don't like the way the club is being run down on NSC over the last few days by so many on here, it seems the dream is turning sour and Barber is being made the scapegoat.

Good luck with your push-back, nothing wrong with the sentiment but it ain't gonna happen

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Great post

Except . . . I think that calling (by default) Tony Bloom a 'moneyman' is rather inappropriate (I'm tempering my language here....with some difficulty).

 

[Hotchilidog]

B*llshit. It's totally acceptable to be a loyal Brighton & Hove Albion fan and be concerned about the way the game is going.

Premier League football is ridiculously expensive to follow in the UK - in any form. Why is it so different to Bundesliga?!

The moneymen will keep rinsing fans for more and more, until there's some kind of push-back.

They're taking the pee while people are skint, or scared of the future, or both. And, by the way, it's while - in their terms - the quality of the 'product' is diminished.

I'm lucky in that I can afford £15. I absolutely won't be paying it on principle. And I urge fellow Albion fans to do the same.

There HAS to be push-back.

Bang on. I find it outrageous that football clubs which are places of employment think they operate differently from another workplace. Other companies in other industries have had to cut their cloth to cope with this extraordinary situation. I've taken a pay cut, but luckily still have my job, many millions have not been so fortunate. To quote our 'beloved' chancellor some salaries are simply not viable at their current level. The clubs are begging for cash because they have outrageously inflated wage bills that even a £100m windfall from broadcasters cannot cover.

I'm a big fan of Barber, I think he has conducted himself brilliantly throughout this crisis, but he has struck the wrong tone on this issue and by some distance. I'll not being paying the £14.95 it will be BBC Sussex for me.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Being concerned about the way the game is going is fine, but some of the reactions about the club and Barber (who is only TB's monkey) allegedly rinsing the fans is OTT. As long as we are PL this is the shit we are going to have to put up with imo. We as fans of L'il Ole Brighton will not be changing anything, you need fans of the big clubs on board to be able to do that.

I don't like the way the club is being run down on NSC over the last few days by so many on here, it seems the dream is turning sour and Barber is being made the scapegoat.

Good luck with your push-back, nothing wrong with the sentiment but it ain't gonna happen

This.

 

[mrjon1976]

So you email a clearly snowed-under CEO - and according to twitter and facebook along with dozens of others (I saw one tweet quoting his email address and willing people to email him) - and you’re surprised you get a slightly snippy reply ?

He must have the patience of a saint to be able to scroll through ‘lengthy’ emails and then even more so to even reply at all.

I have always appreciated te fact that he is one of the few CEOs that allows customers the opportunity to comment and contact him.

The bottom line is that he is a CEO of an internationally known company - does that mean he has the right to be rude to people? we are his customers after all

 

[BadFish]

As I see it, most of this angst would have subsided if the actual pay per view fee was more reasonable.

£15 quid, per game. When you can get package deals cheaper. And overseas pay roughly twice that for a YEAR does rub one up the wrong way. We do seem to be being taken advantage of in this country as they know we’re die hard fans. Not to mention they’re already recording the bleeding games anyway so production costs haven’t increased.

If they had been less greedy and said a fiver a game. I wonder if this story would have been as big a deal.

Also they’re encouraging groups of people to watch the game to save money, which is not probably healthy at the current time.

You are spot on here. We pay $99 in Australia for all Premier League, Champion's League, Europa and Internationals via Optus Sport. Yet the PL decide to try and squeeze their core client base for extra cash.

What really gets my goat is that if the premier league need to make some quick cash why on earth are they looking at fleecing the striggling working man instead of asking horrendously overpaid footballers to shave 10% off their overblown salaries.

The amount of money sloshing about in the Premier League and they, once again ask fans to put their hands in their pockets to subsidise another Baby Bentley.

For comparison, here in Australia AFL and A-league clubs offered a subsidy to Kayo sport (Sky sports light app) for a couple of months to make up for the fact that we couldn't get to the game. This small piece of concession and compromise meant that I happily left my unused membership(s) with the club in order to keep them going. I think both Geelong and Western United are taking them off next seasons membership....... Happy days. We are all looking out for each other.

 

[Bozza]

I think this has gone the full circle now. Who is being charged twice?
The people you are referring to are presumably STH. PPV is giving them (And others) the opportunity to watch a game they wouldn’t have (legally) been allowed to watch. The club is holding their ST money that will be refunded in one way or another. I’m astonished at how little trust there is in TB.

Surely at the time our efforts to save the club were unconditional with the hope that one day .......

I get people saying £15 is too much (although I could make a case it isn't).

I get people saying 5:30 on a Monday is a ludicrous time for football, as it obviously is.

I don't get people saying we are being charged twice because:

1. You can only be charged once if you opt to pay the PPV fee.
2. The club are making no charge at all in respect of being able to attend the game, primarily because we can't attend the game. STH cash balances held by the club will either be used to pay for games when we are able to attend, or will be refunded.

 

[Wozza]

Except . . . I think that calling (by default) Tony Bloom a 'moneyman' is rather inappropriate (I'm tempering my language here....with some difficulty).

We all know Tony is a Brighton fan through and through - a good guy.

But if your representative voted to charge £14.95 for PPV matches in the Covid era, and without fan consultation, you're on the side of the moneymen.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I have always appreciated te fact that he is one of the few CEOs that allows customers the opportunity to comment and contact him.

The bottom line is that he is a CEO of an internationally known company - does that mean he has the right to be rude to people? we are his customers after all

Just because you CAN contact PB, doesn't necessarily mean you SHOULD. You admit to having contacted him on numerous occasions. Really? Don't know your circumstances, but there is one school of thought that might suggest that's a bit of an abuse of PB's willingness to engage directly on a one-to-one basis with whoever decides to write him an email, however lengthy and/or spurious. Personally I've only ever felt the urge to contact PB precisely ONCE, to congratulate him and his team members for the success of the trial event held in the summer. Just thought he might appreciate the feedback on a job well done

 

[Thunder Bolt]

B*llshit. It's totally acceptable to be a loyal Brighton & Hove Albion fan and be concerned about the way the game is going.

Premier League football is ridiculously expensive to follow in the UK - in any form. Why is it so different to Bundesliga?!

The moneymen will keep rinsing fans for more and more, until there's some kind of push-back.

They're taking the pee while people are skint, or scared of the future, or both. And, by the way, it's while - in their terms - the quality of the 'product' is diminished.

I'm lucky in that I can afford £15. I absolutely won't be paying it on principle. And I urge fellow Albion fans to do the same.

There HAS to be push-back.

You have expressed my feelings far better than I could.

 

[Icy Gull]

You have expressed my feelings far better than I could.

What do you suggest the Albion should be doing differently? Opt out of the PPV, thereby denying those that are willing to pay watching the game? Or maybe you think that they should provide it as a free service to season ticket holders and pay the costs themselves?

How would YOU deal with it?

 

[Chinman3000]

I get people saying £15 is too much (although I could make a case it isn't).

I get people saying 5:30 on a Monday is a ludicrous time for football, as it obviously is.

I don't get people saying we are being charged twice because:

1. You can only be charged once if you opt to pay the PPV fee.
2. The club are making no charge at all in respect of being able to attend the game, primarily because we can't attend the game. STH cash balances held by the club will either be used to pay for games when we are able to attend, or will be refunded.

As things stand most on DD have paid 50% of their season ticket and with the DD scheme over 12 months for a 10 month season it equates to 40% of the season or just under 8 games.

Albion v West Brom is game 3 of those so yes we have already paid for it as things stand

This is being promised to change in the future when the payments are reallocated / adjusted / rebated etc but unless they allow us to pay the £15 at this later date the fact still stands we have paid for this game and to watch it will need to pay again.

 

[Bozza]

As things stand most on DD have paid 50% of their season ticket and with the DD scheme over 12 months for a 10 month season it equates to 40% of the season or just under 8 games.

Albion v West Brom is game 3 of those so yes we have already paid for it as things stand

It's really not - it's been made very clear that cash balance held will be used to pay for games we actually attend.

Unless you're attending the West Brom game, and I suspect you are not, you are not being charged by the club for it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

What do you suggest the Albion should be doing differently? Opt out of the PPV, thereby denying those that are willing to pay watching the game? Or maybe you think that they should provide it as a free service to season ticket holders and pay the costs themselves?

How would YOU deal with it?

I'm not qualified in football economics nor accountancy, but I have read the opinion of a dullard who is.