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An interesting article:
IN Germany last week, 1,000 Borussia Dortmund fans walked out of the away end at Hamburger SV just ten minutes after kick-off, in a crude but effective bid to voice their frustration.
In a few short moments, the entire away section of the stadium quickly emptied.
The source of their vitriol was not their side's performance – they had been unbeaten in 31 games prior to this encounter – but the fact that, for the privilege of watching their side in the Bundesliga, they had been asked to shell out 19 euros. In today's exchange rates, that is roughly £15.40.
That is the cut off point at which German football fans begin to feel they are being asked to give too much; that is the point at which they say 'enough is enough' and opt to take action.
It is also less than half of what Nottingham Forest fans had to pay to watch their side in action at Elland Road last weekend, when the Yorkshire club charged visiting fans £34.
In the interest of balance, it must also be observed that it will also cost £32 for both sets of fans to watch the Reds face Derby County this weekend.
The intention is not to single out Forest, because their pricing policies are far from extreme. They are entirely normal in the Championship, in fact.
And, just three days after the biggest game of the season, against the Rams, it will cost £12 less to watch Sean O'Driscoll's side take on Blackburn at home.
Plus those fans who do buy a ticket for the top category Derby match, can also go to the Blackburn game for a further discounted £15.
One Forest fan decided, on a whim, to watch Alfreton Town face Luton recently.
Alfreton are a great little club, who have taken great, admirable strides in recent years.
But a ticket for the game was £18. If it now costs more to watch English non-league football than it does to watch one of the most highly-regarded leagues in Europe, then something clearly isn't right.
What certainly isn't right is that a parent taking a child on the coach to Elland Road last weekend would have spent close to £70 on tickets and travel before they had even considered food and drink.
A couple with two kids would be facing a £150-plus afternoon out.
The point is not to pick out any one club in particular for criticism.
That does not mean English football, as a whole, does not need to change, however.
Because, while it might not have reached the point where English fans are planning mass protests, they are starting to vote with their feet.
I'm very grateful to be in the fortunate position of watching football every weekend for a living. But, if I wasn't, I'd be picking and choosing my matches very carefully.
And others already are.
Last season, Saturday afternoon crowds at the City Ground only dipped under 20,000 twice.
Once was a New Year's Eve fixture against Cardiff, the other was a visit from Millwall, in March, when Forest were in the midsts of their relegation battle.
This season, despite the fierce sense of optimism generated by the arrival of ambitious new owners; despite the signing off 11 quality players and the appointment of a manager who plays 'the Forest way', the crowds have not been flocking to the City Ground.
The average is only 600 down on last season, which is hard to read too much into. But they have already had their first Saturday afternoon sub-20,000 crowd, when Charlton visited.
You wonder what the attendance levels might have been like if not for the sense of hope and positivity that is sweeping through the club.
The difficulty for clubs is that financial fair play rules will only become more stringent, with each passing season. Increasingly, more importance will be placed on the money clubs can generate commercially and, more significantly, through the turnstiles.
In 2011/12, Forest were expected to incur losses of £12m.
By 2015/17 Championship clubs will only be allowed to have losses of £5m, if they are to avoid financial penalties or transfer embargoes.
Every penny of income generated will be more important than ever.
Never has finding the right balance been more important.
But, at the same time, football clubs must recognise they are dealing with a customer base that has the same frugal mentality.
Times are tough. And, for many, football is in danger of becoming an occasional treat, rather than a regular weekend event.
If German football can sustain a healthy financial balance – and teams capable of competing in the Champions League – by charging barely £15 on the gate, then surely it must be possible over here.
FFP will have an impact on dressing rooms across the country in the next few years, as clubs ask themselves the question of whether they will pay £10k a week to an aging pro, whose best years are behind him, or give a chance to a promising youngster for a fifth of the cost.
But there must also be fair play at the turnstiles.
If every Championship club charged £20 to see every game, it is surely not too naive to presume it would attract bigger gates. Those extra people will buy beers, burgers and programmes.
Done correctly, managed carefully, clubs need not lose money.
If things carry on as they are, English football fans may not stage a walk out like their German counterparts. But they might just stop turning up at all.
IN Germany last week, 1,000 Borussia Dortmund fans walked out of the away end at Hamburger SV just ten minutes after kick-off, in a crude but effective bid to voice their frustration.
In a few short moments, the entire away section of the stadium quickly emptied.
The source of their vitriol was not their side's performance – they had been unbeaten in 31 games prior to this encounter – but the fact that, for the privilege of watching their side in the Bundesliga, they had been asked to shell out 19 euros. In today's exchange rates, that is roughly £15.40.
That is the cut off point at which German football fans begin to feel they are being asked to give too much; that is the point at which they say 'enough is enough' and opt to take action.
It is also less than half of what Nottingham Forest fans had to pay to watch their side in action at Elland Road last weekend, when the Yorkshire club charged visiting fans £34.
In the interest of balance, it must also be observed that it will also cost £32 for both sets of fans to watch the Reds face Derby County this weekend.
The intention is not to single out Forest, because their pricing policies are far from extreme. They are entirely normal in the Championship, in fact.
And, just three days after the biggest game of the season, against the Rams, it will cost £12 less to watch Sean O'Driscoll's side take on Blackburn at home.
Plus those fans who do buy a ticket for the top category Derby match, can also go to the Blackburn game for a further discounted £15.
One Forest fan decided, on a whim, to watch Alfreton Town face Luton recently.
Alfreton are a great little club, who have taken great, admirable strides in recent years.
But a ticket for the game was £18. If it now costs more to watch English non-league football than it does to watch one of the most highly-regarded leagues in Europe, then something clearly isn't right.
What certainly isn't right is that a parent taking a child on the coach to Elland Road last weekend would have spent close to £70 on tickets and travel before they had even considered food and drink.
A couple with two kids would be facing a £150-plus afternoon out.
The point is not to pick out any one club in particular for criticism.
That does not mean English football, as a whole, does not need to change, however.
Because, while it might not have reached the point where English fans are planning mass protests, they are starting to vote with their feet.
I'm very grateful to be in the fortunate position of watching football every weekend for a living. But, if I wasn't, I'd be picking and choosing my matches very carefully.
And others already are.
Last season, Saturday afternoon crowds at the City Ground only dipped under 20,000 twice.
Once was a New Year's Eve fixture against Cardiff, the other was a visit from Millwall, in March, when Forest were in the midsts of their relegation battle.
This season, despite the fierce sense of optimism generated by the arrival of ambitious new owners; despite the signing off 11 quality players and the appointment of a manager who plays 'the Forest way', the crowds have not been flocking to the City Ground.
The average is only 600 down on last season, which is hard to read too much into. But they have already had their first Saturday afternoon sub-20,000 crowd, when Charlton visited.
You wonder what the attendance levels might have been like if not for the sense of hope and positivity that is sweeping through the club.
The difficulty for clubs is that financial fair play rules will only become more stringent, with each passing season. Increasingly, more importance will be placed on the money clubs can generate commercially and, more significantly, through the turnstiles.
In 2011/12, Forest were expected to incur losses of £12m.
By 2015/17 Championship clubs will only be allowed to have losses of £5m, if they are to avoid financial penalties or transfer embargoes.
Every penny of income generated will be more important than ever.
Never has finding the right balance been more important.
But, at the same time, football clubs must recognise they are dealing with a customer base that has the same frugal mentality.
Times are tough. And, for many, football is in danger of becoming an occasional treat, rather than a regular weekend event.
If German football can sustain a healthy financial balance – and teams capable of competing in the Champions League – by charging barely £15 on the gate, then surely it must be possible over here.
FFP will have an impact on dressing rooms across the country in the next few years, as clubs ask themselves the question of whether they will pay £10k a week to an aging pro, whose best years are behind him, or give a chance to a promising youngster for a fifth of the cost.
But there must also be fair play at the turnstiles.
If every Championship club charged £20 to see every game, it is surely not too naive to presume it would attract bigger gates. Those extra people will buy beers, burgers and programmes.
Done correctly, managed carefully, clubs need not lose money.
If things carry on as they are, English football fans may not stage a walk out like their German counterparts. But they might just stop turning up at all.
