An open letter from an Arsenal fan re. ticket price increases for next season

[clippedgull]

I wonder if one of our fans will write a letter like this to Ken Brown/Tony Bloom when we get Premiership status?

The TV companies have a lot to answer for, especially SKY.

Dear Ivan

I have read with horror recent reports, including in today’s Daily Mail, that Gold season ticket prices at the Emirates Stadium may well increase next season and that they’ve already gone up for Platinum Club members. As a regular matching going Arsenal fan home and away for more than 43 years, a season ticket holder for thirty years and a shareholder, both personally and via the AST’s Arsenal Fanshare, I’m appalled by the prospect.

I understand that Platinum prices are to be increased by four percent. This is on top of the recent rise in VAT of 2.5%, making a 6.21% increase in total. To me that would represent an increase of £113.38 on top of the £1,825 I already pay, plus the cost of admission for home Carling Cup ties. I simply haven’t got that money. Like many other Arsenal supporters my pay has dropped as I’ve lost a lot of freelance work in the recession.

My bills are going up much faster than the general rate of price increases, particularly my rent and public transport fares, which increased by over eight percent in January following a twenty percent rise the year before. The cost of other essentials like fuel, gas, electricity and food are also going through the roof. My essential costs are going upwards, my income downwards. Next month I’ll take another hit when my employees’ National Insurance Contributions go up, taking more money out of my take home pay.

In terms of value my current seat in block 112 of the East Stand upper tier is substantially inferior for the same cash price I paid at Highbury eight rows from the front of the old East Stand upper tier adjacent to the directors’ box. I’m paying the same for substantially less. I already choose not to run a car, partly as a small and relatively painless contribution to the fight against global climate change, partly because watching Arsenal has become so incredibly expensive.

A close friend of mine who started watching Arsenal as a boy in the late 1960s as I did has three children, the youngest of whom has just started university. He is supporting his middle son in studying for his Master’s degree in international law. He’s an ordinary working bloke like me who loves Arsenal. He works as an administrative officer in a County Court. His wife works part-time in a school as a teaching assistant. He’s facing possible redundancy, increases in his pension contributions and the need to save more for his retirement due to cuts in pension benefits. The club is asking him to choose between his family and Arsenal. Those may appear emotive words but they’re the truth.

The irony is that ticket prices have climbed to their current absurd, rip-off levels at a time when the game is receiving unprecedented injections of cash from broadcasters and sponsors. I’m sure you’ll argue that there are plenty of others on the waiting list who’ll snap up our tickets if we don’t renew. That may be true. I don’t know. I do know that it isn’t my view of the “Arsenal Way” to kick hard-pressed long-standing supporters in the teeth at a time of recession, pay freezes and cuts, redundancies an and rising prices for essentials.

Do we really have to look to Stoke City for an example? They’ve frozen season ticket renewal prices, not even passing on the VAT increase for next season. The board there appears to recognise that supporters are really struggling at the moment. I understand that players and their agents don’t appear to recognise how supporters are under water financially. I really don’t begrudge the players their huge salaries, some of whom earn almost as much in a day as I do in a year. Good luck to them provided they give everything they’ve got to give.

Never mind whether I choose to afford it or not, I simply haven’t got the money. The club won’t offer struggling season ticket holders like me the option to downgrade to Silver membership. Effectively I’m being held to ransom. I’ve been at Arsenal for League matches in crowds as low as 12,000. Now I’m going to be pushed out? I feel bitter at the prospect. Too right I do.

Arsenal has been a central part of my life since I was eleven years old and a mate first took me along in January 1968. I still treasure the memory of that day and so many Arsenal highs and lows since. It cost me two shillings (10p) to get in that day. Football then was truly the people’s game, accessible to those of all means, high and low. No longer I fear.

I hope that even at this late stage you and your Arsenal board colleagues will think long and hard before imposing increases on Gold members. I’m hoping that you will heed the wise counsel of the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust and Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association on this issue. Ticket prices need to go down, not up. The club should be looking for more and better commercial income and attacking costs, not trying to extract more money from already hard-pressed and loyal fans.

Yours sincerely

Vic Crescit

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Quite why someone would 'willingly' pay £1,800 (at Highbury or the Emirates) to watch a season of football is beyond me. I wouldn't pay that if I could afford it. If Brighton started charging £60+ for a game of football, I would slip away unannounced (apart from an open letter and must chastising of the state of football).

Didn't Arsenal announce a pre-tax profit of £50m last year?

 

[Billy the Fish]

I already choose not to run a car, partly as a small and relatively painless contribution to the fight against global climate change

What a hero, he's done a bit of a Jimbo there. Next week he'll be talking about his charitable donations

 

[horam267]

In a word disgraceful. 1800 quid for a ST. for that i'd want to be in the changing rooms at half time to hear the talk and for tony bloom to personally pour my pints.

 

[Gazwag]

Makes the Amex look a massive bargain and they have 4 less home league games than we do.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Presumably that's now approx £95 per match (19 Prem Lg fixtures) unless it includes Cup and Champs Lg (unlikely). Incredible.

Football is just hugely overpriced across the board, and the thing I find amazing is otherwise sensible people defending even the prices at the Albion. Many have been screwed for so long, they have lost some perspective on what is or isn't good value.

The guy makes a good point about revenue streams. If Arsenal paid players £1m a year instead of £3m a year from the TV cash, they could charge fans £25-£30 to get in. It's their choice.

However, there is also something a bit suspect about this letter. It's a bit like a bloke has seen a successful business fall on hard times and is whining at the club about it. That's life, you have to make sacrifices. Choose between club and family? Choose your family. If he was paying £1,800 a year eight years ago at Highbury, that must have been one of the most expensive seats in the house. 'Ordinary working bloke?' Not sure that rings true.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

However, there is also something a bit suspect about this letter. It's a bit like a bloke has seen a successful business fall on hard times and is whining at the club about it. That's life, you have to make sacrifices. Choose between club and family? Choose your family. If he was paying £1,800 a year eight years ago at Highbury, that must have been one of the most expensive seats in the house. 'Ordinary working bloke?' Not sure that rings true.

Quite. He was, supposedly, paying £1,800 five years ago at Highbury. Perhaps it didn't make such a dent in his wallet then or Arsenal were winning the odd trophy, so it seemed worthwhile.

 

[ali jenkins]

If he currently pays the business end of £2k why is he moaning about another £100?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Whether or not his seat would be taken if he chooses not to renew, he is a small part of the problem. Would they charge £1,800 if they didn't sell?

He is right about prices, but the wrong person to be writing an open letter.

 

[Smithy]

I may be in the minority but I dont think you can blame Arsenal for charging those sort of prices. There is a massive waiting list for season tickets at Arsenal, people who are more than willing to pay those prices. Its simple supply and demand.

 

[drew]

What's with all these comparisons to Amex? The guy pays £1800 for gold membership. The platinum 1901s are paying £1440 for championship football (hopefully).

 

[Lady Whistledown]

If he currently pays the business end of £2k why is he moaning about another £100?

I was thinking that.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

The Emirates do charge the highest average in English football, so it's a poor comparison with other clubs. I also don't see why the OP is having a go at TV, has nothing to do with them how much a club charge for a season ticket. In fact if anything it should drive prices down. But it doesn't seem to matter whether it is Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City, etc., they are milking the working class people out of watching their favourite football team, purely because they can get the price elsewhere. Working class people really are being priced out of football.

 

[TS90]

Arsenal fans get 25 games in their season tickets (19 League + first 6 cup games) plus first refusal on anything at the Emirates.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

MATCH DAY TICKET PRICES FROM 4TH JANUARY 2011 Emirates Upper/Lower Tier Category A Category B
Centre Upper £96 £67.50
Centre Upper Back £72.50 £51
Next to Centre Upper £72.50 £51
Next to Centre Upper Back £63.50 £45
Wing Upper £63.50 £45
Wing Upper Back £57 £40
Corner Upper £63.50 £45
Goal Upper £68.50 £48
Goal Upper Back £57 £40

Centre Lower £54 £37
Wing Lower £49 £34
Corner Lower £49 £34
Goal Lower £49 £34

Family Enclosure
Adults - Lower Tier £49 £34
Adults - Upper Tier £63.50 £45
Senior Citizen/Cannon Club - Lower Tier £21 £15
Senior Citizen/Cannon Club - Upper Tier £27 £20
Junior Gunners - Lower Tier £19 £14
Junior Gunners - Upper Tier £25 £18

£98 for a couple and their two children U16 - at the very cheapest in the family enclosure. £126 for the Upper Tier. That seems a tad excessive.

 

[Jimbo.GRFC]

What a hero, he's done a bit of a Jimbo there. Next week he'll be talking about his charitable donations

What a dick you are Billy......some very interesting points in that letter which hopefully will not come home to roost !!

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Blackpool seem to be selling their home tickets in 3-match packages @ £34 a game for non-member adults, down to £11.33 a game for U-16 members.

Blackpool | Tickets | Matchday Ticket Packages | Matchday Ticket Packages | MATCHDAY TICKET PACKAGES

Prices:-

MATCHDAY TICKET PACKAGES

Match tickets are now on sale for the Seasiders' remaining home games of the Barclays Premier League season.

Individual tickets can be purchased for the fixture against West Ham (not any more!), while specific packages are in place for the other matches at Bloomfield Road.

Those match packages are:

The Arsenal Package - Arsenal, Bolton & Wigan
The Chelsea Package - Chelsea, Newcastle & Stoke (it's too late for the 3-match package, obviously!)

Prices for non-member packages will be: £102 for adults, £72 for seniors, £59 for U-19s and £49 for U-16s.

Package prices for members will be: £87 for adults, £57 for seniors, £44 for U-19s and £34 for U-16s.

If a refund is required after a package has been purchased then the whole package will be refunded, not individual match tickets.



Season ticket prices for next season:-

http://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/staticFiles/87/6c/0,,10432~158855,00.pdf

Cheaper than the Albion, btw ... although there are fewer Premier League games than Championship games.

 

[Robot Chicken]

Just thought I'd do a quick Google search on this Vic Crescit chap to see if there was anything about him.

Then I realised why this is utterly pointless.

 

[hunter121]

Arsenal?
OMG

 

[Finch]

If Arsenal paid players £1m a year instead of £3m a year from the TV cash, they could charge fans £25-£30 to get in. It's their choice.

Yes I'm sure players would be quite happy to receive 3 times less money then they would get elsewhere. That won't effect them at all.

Its been proven over and over that increasing revenue streams generally go to players wages, as everyone is striving to compete. I wonder what you would do if you got offered a third of your wages, so your company could lower the cost of their product.