Hospitality at Football - What have been your experiences?

[Bozza]

The other great thing was you could smuggle booze out into your seat and get smashed.

I was going to post something similar when [MENTION=25]Gwylan[/MENTION] mentioned being able to drink in your seats at rugby, but not at football. My experience of hospitality is that a blind eye is turned to drinking - just pour your drink into a coffee cup or similar and kick on.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I've been part of the Nsc sponsors at Withdean, eating a three course meal in a portakabin.

In 2002, the only way I could see the last game of the season at Port Vale, was to go in hospitality. Two thirds of the room were Brighton fans, and the tables were crammed in. Everyone in the away stand were having a great party, but we had to watch and clap politely, when Watto scored.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I was going to post something similar when [MENTION=25]Gwylan[/MENTION] mentioned being able to drink in your seats at rugby, but not at football. My experience of hospitality is that a blind eye is turned to drinking - just pour your drink into a coffee cup or similar and kick on.

We were encouraged to drink Bucks Fizz in a coffee cup as it could easily be passed off visually as non alcoholic. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

At the cricket I used to smuggle red wine in a Ribena bottle. Sadly, this ruse was rumbled last time I went albeit they still missed the vodka in the water bottle.

 

[MattBackHome]

Never for Albion but had the pleasure of Selhurst hospitality a few times and I've ended up completely pissed on each occasion.

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[Tooting Gull]

But what about the people who do enjoy the event and can't get tickets? I remember a friend of mine telling me about the time he bought eight tickets for Covent Garden (stalls seats at £200 a pop) to entertain clients and half of them not turning up. There are thousands of opera fans who'd have loved those tickets, it seems a criminal waste not to use them.

That's why I've turned down hospitality for things I have no interest in (motor racing, golf etc): I don't want to take someone else's place

That's a very fair point. All I would say is, by you not going to Monaco/opera, are these deserving cases going to get the ticket (and especially a face value ticket, rather than a ticket plus food at £200, £500, whatever)? In all probability, they aren't, even if the principle is correct. Fair play, I'd have gone to Monaco, not getting invited that often!

Snooker is the one I see the fury most working there, the Crucible is very limited capacity and real fans hate seeing empty seats for the final etc. But often they are hospitality clients who don't even bother travelling if Ronnie O'Sullivan isn't playing. It's the equivalent of your Club Wembley/middle tier not taking up seats for the Championship play-off final, and fans of the clubs involved not being able to get tickets.

 

[rocker959]

Never done it and never would!

Corporate hospitality is the death of football!

Indeed .

 

[Beach Hut]

Burnley and Citeeh already have been offered hospitality just depends when the games are.

 

[BBassic]

Are you Hove Born and Bred in disguise?!?!

How very dare you! Slander!

 

[Gwylan]

Fair play, I'd have gone to Monaco, not getting invited that often!

Oh, I was in Monaco, it was the tail-end of a conference, I just left MC on the morning of the Grand Prix and came back when it was all over/

It's a fair point that those tickets won't go to fans anyway but it's the principle of thing that I object to. There are fans who'd kill for tickets and it doesn't seem right taking them away from people who'd appreciate them more,

 

[timco]

Don't think I'd ever chose to go hospitality for an Albion game.. Much rather be in the stands.

Not always possible is it though...like Villa this year not enough tickets for the demand.

Done Cardiff directors box twice....excellent absolutely fantastic! (Should be doing Swansea and West Ham directors boxes this season)

Villa away this season...yes that was us lot on the balcony behind all the riff raff from the 82 lounge! - Service average - food terrible and not enough of it. Over cooked rubbery bacon , under cooked rubbery sausages and we ran out of scrambled egg and had to ask for more.
Good job it was free.

Not my favourite way of watching football but sometimes needs must.

 

[BrianWade4]

Once
Chilli con Carni in the Withdean portacabin
Never again

 

[Lower West Stander]

I absolutely hate it.

I've done a few with my job and dislike them more and more to the point where I avoid unless I have absolutely no choice.

The worst ones are where you are at a game where you genuinely couldn't care less who won and you have to talk to some idiot who knows nothing about football andcragrds it all as a bit of a jolly.

To me, the whole point of going to a game is the experience of being with like minded people who want your team to win as much as you do - the atmosphere is totally lost in corporate hospitality.

And font even get me started on bloody Wimbledon!


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[Goberpiles]

Took my son to watch Real Madrid in January, arrived and had been upgraded to corporate VIP it was simply amazing, stunning, we were shocked tickets were around 300 euros each I paid around 45 each, crazy crazy few days he loved it.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I have been in 1901 with [MENTION=5001]The Merry Prankster[/MENTION]

Was invited into the director's box at Brentford this season after giving someone there a helping hand. It was more of a shed than a box, food was rudimentary but pleasant enough. The view was restricted, but I managed to behave myself and not too much noise until Tomer equalised in the 97th minute and I went postal. Had an altercation with one of their training staff and my wife disowned me and refused to talk to me all the way home to Manchester, which is a long time to be in the **** book.

Been in the Directors box at Brentford to, something I tend to forget! The Directors lounge is also pretty awful.

 

[bhachris]

Went to the HB lounge twice last season, Norwich and Bristol City, both times excellent meals, you have to be careful with the fully inclusive aspect because they just keep bringing the wine and beer, everybody very jolly indeed and staggering onto the trains afterwards! Also Norwich away we had a box, again fab food but we had to pay for drinks this time. Was watching the 2nd half with a beer behind the patio doors, they don't care whether the curtains were pulled or not. I always think they are a bit too law abiding at the Amex with respect to making sure the blinds are pulled in time.

 

[BigBod]

I've probably done the hospitality thing a dozen or so times over the years at various grounds, always been invited by different suppliers from work.. The latest one was West Brom v Chelsea the other week. As it was a Friday night, on the menu was fish n chips, mushy peas and picked egg...and very nice it was too.

 

[Bozza]

Don't think I'd ever chose to go hospitality for an Albion game.. Much rather be in the stands.

Oh, I absolutely agree, yes.

Palace play-off - the only way I could get my daughter to the game.
Villa - similar. I could get an away ticket for me, but not for my kids, so it was the only way I could get them to the game.
Barnsley - a bit different, it was a chaps' day out.

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

Not always possible is it though...like Villa this year not enough tickets for the demand.

Done Cardiff directors box twice....excellent absolutely fantastic! (Should be doing Swansea and West Ham directors boxes this season)

Villa away this season...yes that was us lot on the balcony behind all the riff raff from the 82 lounge! - Service average - food terrible and not enough of it. Over cooked rubbery bacon , under cooked rubbery sausages and we ran out of scrambled egg and had to ask for more.
Good job it was free.

Not my favourite way of watching football but sometimes needs must.

Oh, I absolutely agree, yes.

Palace play-off - the only way I could get my daughter to the game.
Villa - similar. I could get an away ticket for me, but not for my kids, so it was the only way I could get them to the game.
Barnsley - a bit different, it was a chaps' day out.

Of course, I nearly ended up going hospitality for Palace away at the start of 2012, fortunately got a ticket in the away end. Would certainly do it over going in the home end..

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Once in 1901 a few seasons back. There will not be a second. Sterile passionless experience. Not for me.

 

[OzMike]

None, had a few at cricket matches though.