[Albion] Cost of living football consumption intentions

[surrey jim]

I gave up my ST after many years at the end of last season. This was partly a financial decision, related to the cost of living crisis...how little we knew then...

I can't justify paying Category A ticket prices, so won't be going to the Spurs game, but I'll be there for Forest.

I have seen more Lewes games than Albion this season, and this will remain the case.

Very much the same with me, I gave up STH around 2015 and don't attend Albion very much now [2-3 times per season]. Taking my son and I to Albion works to £50+, going to Worthing / Lewes is £15.

 

[Justice]

They could pursue the debt through the courts if they wanted to as it’s a legally enforceable debt - whether they would or not is another question.

It wouldn’t put the club in the best light would it? PL riches and chasing some poor chap or lady for a few hundred quid.

 

[Gwylan]

No change for me.

I walk or cycle to games so travel costs don't come into it. I very rarely buy food or drink at matches (will buy some scran if it's a Sunday afternoon kick-off as I'm at rugby in the morning and won't have had time to eat) and I have an old git discount so the cost is not too bad.

I'm actually aiming to go to a few more away games this season. I'm going to the Arse in the cup and have a couple more pencilled in

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Last game I saw live was the Everton defeat a year ago - with travel and £46 to sit and watch it - decided this was not something my pension could endure.

So, I'll continue with my IPTV £60 per YEAR subscription and watch every game from my sofa

#Badfan

 

[BNthree]

Less away trips for us as while the tickets are cheap enough the whole day/weekend can cost upwards of a couple of hundred quid easily once food, drinks, and transport/hotel taken into consideration. For home matches no programme and taking a bag of haribo for the kids rather than buying on the concourse.

 

[Oh_aye]

I won't be changin' as Bob Dylan didn't say. Just get my season ticket. As someone else has said that's really the one thing that I have, that's just for me. Equally I don't have any other necessary expenses around football. I don't have any sports packages on my telly, I don't drink when I go to the match, u don't buy any concessions or anything at the ground, no kit or anything from the shop. I'm fortunate in that I live close enough to the stadium to walk it. So once I've paid for my ST, effectively I don't have to spend another penny on it, which just aabout makes it affordable / reasonable.

I throw in the odd away if it seems like a good one, funds depending but take the cheapest option there too. Cheap coach to and from the ground and cheese and ham sangers ina lunch box!

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

Missus will probably be giving up the ST this season as she is now working in A&E every Saturday.

I dont go anymore (gave my ST up the year CH left), my dad & eldest son gave up their tickets at the same time as me, and the youngest son is getting to less and less games due to cricket...

Think they watched about half a dozen games last season, and have been to two (I think) this season so far. Not worth the money these days if they cant get along to the full quota.

 

[The Clamp]

Too rich for my blood these days. I go when I can afford it (rarely) and plan to stick with that.

Plus right now, I work every Friday and Saturday night.

It’s a good job that I love listening to sports on the radio.

 

[hart's shirt]

No change here.

My ideal match experience is watching live games in a sports bar with the excellent company of [MENTION=1272]bhafc99[/MENTION] and fans of other clubs.

Table service, happy hour drink prices, no queue for the toilets, and no segregation of fans. Lovely.

As for UK fans, free streams of dubious legality in the comfort of your own home will become an increasingly tempting alternative.

Armchair season tickets that you don't have to pay for.

Granted, it's not the same as being there, but with the modern day match experience and Southern Rail, that's not altogether bad.

Watching football has always been an inelastic decision. We'd suffer the rain at Withdean and travel to Gillingham regardless.

But there's a tipping point for everything. And sadly, the current economic climate might be it for many.

 

[Oh_aye]

Missus will probably be giving up the ST this season as she is now working in A&E every Saturday.

I dont go anymore (gave my ST up the year CH left), my dad & eldest son gave up their tickets at the same time as me, and the youngest son is getting to less and less games due to cricket...

Think they watched about half a dozen games last season, and have been to two (I think) this season so far. Not worth the money these days if they cant get along to the full quota.

The full quota thing is definitely an issue. As is the ability to share season tickets without silly one off charges. I know its been done to death but I'm sure the club is actually using money through the sharing charge. It's OK if you know a load of people who are Albion + members. But if you don't then people won't pay the charge plus a ticket. Twice this season my ST seat will go empty. I know people who'd take it as an upgrade to a standard ticket but won't pay the extra knowing they probably won't go to another match.

It's made worse listening to people's experiences on this thread. With people who can't afford to go but would jump at the chance of a cheap ticket, some season ticket holders able to make that happen, but never the twain shall meet.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

As for UK fans, free streams of dubious legality in the comfort of your own home will become an increasingly tempting alternative.

Armchair season tickets that you don't have to pay for.

A friend at work already does this for all his sporting needs, & swears by it.

My mate in San Diego also streams every Albion game, home & away, so watches more of them than we do...us with ST's, and living not 5 miles from the Amex.

It is tempting...

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Won’t be changing as have finally found something my son enjoys going to.

I gave up smoking a month ago and have been banking the saving ready for the potential shit storm next year when i revert off my fixed rate mortgage so hopefully cost neutral as you need to have some enjoyment in life!

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

My annual footy spend is probably only about £250, so appreciate I’m virtually a non entity. 3-4 away games in the NW for me and my son, so about £50 per match, plus travel costs and a packet of wine gums etc. I would only go Uber that if we did something special again like FA Cup semi final. UTA.

 

[Weststander]

It is amazing at how much money there is still about . . . for some.

Walk down East Street in Horsham on any given week night, and restaurants and pubs are overflowing with diners and drinkers, many of them with young families, yet just around the corner you will find folk getting ready to doss down for the night in shop doorways.

This quite literally has become, a country, maybe world, of haves and have nots, with very little in between.

So sad.

We went to Manhattan NYC in August, the wealth gap was shocking. There was eye-watering wealth everywhere e.g. apartments costing $40m, yet we were stepping over beggars on the pavement in 5th Avenue. They were bare-footed, some shaking, with sadness in their eyes and there was something worse (I won't mention it here). People from the wrong side of the tracks and/or part of Oxycodone scandal, trying to eke out their survival.

 

[Winker]

I won't change anything as football is my only real expense other than the usual household stuff.

I only manage about 6 aways each season so they will carry on as well.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

How much do season tickets cost per stand/section?

I ask because when I was in England in August I went to the games against Leeds and Newcastle, sitting in the West upper and East upper. The two games cost me about 80 quid just for the tickets so if people do give up their season tickets because of the expense while planning to pick and choose games to go to they might find that they'll be going quite rarely. It's something to think about if finance is the only reason rather than the tipping point.

Also, if large numbers of people do give up their season tickets would it perversely improve the atmosphere as people who want to make noise might be able to move closer together? Will it affect the attendences dramatically if people start picking and choosing or will more people start going if they know that there'll always be seats available? Will those tickets go up or down in price?

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

How much do season tickets cost per stand/section?

I ask because when I was in England in August I went to the games against Leeds and Newcastle, sitting in the West upper and East upper. The two games cost me about 80 quid just for the tickets so if people do give up their season tickets because of the expense while planning to pick and choose games to go to they might find that they'll be going quite rarely. It's something to think about if finance is the only reason rather than the tipping point.

Also, if large numbers of people do give up their season tickets would it perversely improve the atmosphere as people who want to make noise might be able to move closer together? Will it affect the attendences dramatically if people start picking and choosing or will more people start going if they know that there'll always be seats available? Will those tickets go up or down in price?

Price freeze so same as last year

 

[Mellotron]

I'm considering giving up my ST, but it's about availability as much as money.

As a Dad of 2 young uns, it's really bloody hard for me to make almost any games bar Saturday 3pm ones.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

It wouldn’t put the club in the best light would it? PL riches and chasing some poor chap or lady for a few hundred quid.

Which was entirely my point in my previous post, especially if times become as difficult as many predict, taking die hard fans to court, however legitimate the reason, isn't going to be seen as the greatest ever PR exercise.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Price freeze so same as last year

Hang on there one wee moment, the stadium map that you are showing isn't 100% correct. block W1F where l have my season tikcket, is in fact in Zone E, not Zone D, at £860 per season.

I only wish it was correct, as if it really was in Zone D l'd be saving myself a lot of money!