West Ham Fan's letter to the board.

[surrey jim]

Sums up whats wrong with modern football and the premiership quite well.

http://theballisround.co.uk/2010/07/14/an-open-letter-to-our-beloved-leaders/

Dear Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan,
I refer to your letter to me on the 19th May when you laid out your ten point plan for the future of the club I have supported since I was 5 years old, and one where for the past 11 seasons I have had a season ticket. At the time, with the season just about to end I decided not to believe your “story” and decline to renew my season tickets.
I put up with almost weekly emails encouraging me to renew my seat despite asking to be removed from your mailing list. Did you comply with my request in accordance with the Data Protection Act? No – you simply sent me twice as many. You emailed me at 3.30pm on Wednesday 23rd June telling me that Scottie Parker was “committed” and why hadn’t I. I remember it exactly at that time as it was slap bang in the middle of me watching England’s game versus Slovenia.
So now with the season ticket deadline passed there are hints that Parker may indeed be sold to finance more overseas “stars” such as Mokoena, Piquionne or Barrera – hang on did you not say in point 4 that you would “clear the debt?” How exactly are you going to do that by bringing in such journeymen? But I know your answer…
Today I decided to buy my tickets for the first games of the season. As a member I get to buy my tickets at a “members” discount before the general public. So I went online, added 1 x Adult seat and 1 x child seat for 10 year old Lolly. To say that I spilt my tea when it came to the “check out” was an understatement. £81 for two tickets…and that is the cheapest tickets in the house. £51 for me, £28 for a 10 year old and then you have the cheek to add £2 for an Admin fee – what exactly is that for? Are you not ripping me off enough? Should I wish to sit in one of the more “expensive” seats I would be paying £69 and £37 respectively. £37 for a child. What planet do you live on? How exactly is it “making it enjoyable to come and watch?” or even point 5 - “member benefits will be improved”
I travel each week to and from Copenhagen – a wonderful city and recently named as one of the top 5 expensive cities in the world to live in. Do you know what I can buy for £37 for my daughter there? Well how about a ticket to the cinema, entrance to Tivoli Gardens theme park, lunch or even a flight to get there in the first place. How can you justify charging £37 for a child’s ticket? And nearly £70 for an adults ticket – you do know that is more than a ticket for the Champions League Final, the Europa League Final and even two categories of seats at the World Cup in South Africa. So I could have got a seat for Portugal v Brazil in the World Cup finals for 20% less than a ticket for West Ham v Chelsea.
Can I ask a simple question? Do you feel that these prices give value for money, or are you simply doing this to reduce the debt? I wouldn’t mind if you came out and said “we need to clear the debt so we have to charge you and arm and a leg” but instead you try and justify it with marketing blurb. I realised last season that despite being a West Ham fan, I actually have a choice. I do not have to pay these ridiculous sums anymore. I have taken the £189 I would have paid for tickets for the three games and bought a season ticket to Lewes FC in the Blue Square South, which includes a FREE child’s ticket and then given the remaining £50 to my wife to spend on a new handbag.
The next generation of football fans are the likes of my 10 year old and you are driving them away from the club with your pricing policy. There will be no one to fill that void in years to come and that is because of the decisions you are making today. But then again, I expect fans like me to be around long after you have moved on to your next project.
I am sure you don’t actually care that you have lost two more fans. I do not spend money in the stadium on the average overpriced fayre you serve up. I do not buy the propoganda match day programme and I do not buy toasters that print WHU on my bread so in that respect I am not your ideal fan. But I am a true fan and you simply cannot see that, mores the pity.
One day you will see the light.
The Ball is Round

 

[Mackenzie]

Yep, I dare anyone to argue with any of that.

 

[pasty]

Love to see the reply

 

[Seasider78]

It amazes me anyone finds the money to follow premiership football these days but then some would argue is £25 to watch League 1 action good value for money. So many of the people who created the atmospheres at grounds up and down the country have been priced out of going.

Trouble is they seem to keep finding people who will pay these prices and until that stops and attendances dry up the price will remain the same.

 

[clippedgull]

Decent letter, I wonder if the supporter is subscribing to SKY Sports?

If so he is partly responsible for the shameful rip off that is modern football.

 

[Blackadder]

Switching to Lewes. Is that Jevs?

 

[jevs]

not a chance mate

 

[cjd]

Switching to Lewes. Is that Jevs?

I think jevs actually lives in lewes.......not Copenhagen.






















Actually.........................thinking about it, I believe he lives in cloud cukooland....!

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Yep, but its the same all the way down.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

I do wonder how I'm going to afford to watch Brighton in a few years time when they have surged towards the Premiership

 

[beorhthelm]

Yep, I dare anyone to argue with any of that.

well, since you dare... its what the market will bare. until more people vote with their feet, it wont change. lets see if that game is sold out, i rather think it will be.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

This could be a letter from one of us in a few years time before we bugger off to watch Whitehawk who are only charging £350 for a ST.

 

[Marc1901]

He could of brought an Albion season ticket ?

 

[Steve Foster]

Fair play to the fella.
BHA however could never charge London prices in the future.
Salaries/earnings here are not that of the city

 

[Skint Gull]

Fair play to the fella.
BHA however could never charge London prices in the future.
Salaries/earnings here are not that of the city

Bullshit. Di you really think the average west ham fan earns more than the average Brighton fan?

 

[Martinf]

Good letter and as pasty said - be interesting to see the reply. Unfortunately unless West Ham's attendances drop dramatically then the owners wont give a flying one what he thinks.

 

[Billy Mays]

That bloke runs the "The Ball is Round" website. He's a good friend of EFW's Half Man Half Biscuit - hence the Lewes connection. Lives in Essex I believe.
I wonder whether if with a couple more years of the economy being in the toilet subscriptions to Sky will drop through the floor meaning the Prem will have to charge less for TV rights and player wages will drop accordingly.
Would like to think so. Can't believe the cash cow that is the Premiership can run forever.

 

[bhaexpress]

Fair play to the fella.
BHA however could never charge London prices in the future.
Salaries/earnings here are not that of the city

Do you know anything about house prices ? Like most things clearly not. You also know nothing about employment, par for the course.

 

[jevs]

Whilst we're talking about wages, Our last regime (the icelandics) did some survey and worked out that the annual wage of the average WHU supporter was £60k pa . Maybe they were getting a bit muddled with the average IQ of a WH supporter...60 !!!!

 

[Steve Foster]

Do you know anything about house prices ? Like most things clearly not. You also know nothing about employment, par for the course.

Er read Jevs reply.
Whilst the average West Ham fan will not earn more than the average BHA fan, WH can tap into the Dockland & City folk who earn considerably more.
Corporate hospitality is at a different level. The Albion (bless) are canvassing Directors of companies that by and large are local businesses. WH can/canvass international banks/stockbrokers etc - different league