What is more important to you: fan affordability or reaching Premier League?

[DavidinSouthampton]

What's the point of Premier league Football if no-one can afford to go and watch it.

 

[beorhthelm]

i think alot of untoughtout or disingenuous responces to the poll. maybe because the poll is weighted? would you favour keeping it affordable if that meant playing in League 1? or L2, or lower? plenty of affordable clubs to watch in non-league divisions. and just what is "affordable" anyway, relative isnt it?

i vote funding assault on the Premier, because winning is the main objective at the end of the day. affordable for me is the club not going bust, not my personal budgetry preferance.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

For me it definitely has to be affordability for us fans and getting promoted to the Promise Land in a reasonably and affordable manner. Not just throw money here, there and everywhere and try get promoted that way.

 

[Buckley's Mad Eye]

Absolutely not bothered one iota by the PL. Keep the price down, keep it inclusive.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Personally, I have always watched the Albion first and foremost because I support the Albion. The likelihood of the team winning and being successful etc never really came into any decision making.

Obviously, it was more fun when we won, were successful etc but I don't think I would be more or less likely to go based on what division we were in or how well we were doing. Not all the time it is affordable.

The problem arises when high ticket prices mean you have to start justifying your attendance more in terms of value for money. £18 to watch us lose to Millwall? I can stomach that. £35-42 to see the same? I'd have to start thinking about whether it was worth it.

I'm with you on this one, Richie. If I want to go to Premier League football, I can go down the road from my flat to Fulham. Of course, I would love to see the Albion in the Premier League, but not if prices became unaffordable enough to prevent us going for the odd match a season.

 

[northernseagull]

Wouldn't it be interesting if every fan in the UK went on strike for a month - pressure on the FA to cap wages and consequently reduce the expenditure of a club > leading to reduction in ticket costs etc. Could this ever happen? It amazes me how many people find that a footballer earning £50k+ per WEEK is acceptable in our current climate... we all turn a blind eye and accept the Bloom's of this country pushing up the prices...

I for one love watching Brighton in the championship - its fantastic when an Arsenal visit the Amex in the cup but I would rather see our club perform admirably within the constraints of the fans income than go hell bent on reaching an overrated money dictated league such as the Premiership.

 

[RexCathedra]

Wouldn't it be interesting if every fan in the UK went on strike for a month?

Stretch it out to six months. The lower leagues would all fold.
The EPL would institute a 50% pay cut and keep right on playing, but only its televised games, using its existing stadia as sound stages and putting in the fans by CGI.

Most of the world wouldn't even notice. We would, but football, to everyone except its fans -- and perhaps not even a majority of them -- is primarily an exercise in creating content for television.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I would love to see us in the Premier League but I don't want us to forget what we have been through and how we got out of it. If it is a choice of selling our soul and getting to the Premier League but forgetting the fans that saved the club and kept us going or remembering what the club owes the fans and putting us first whilst staying in the championship and ticking over. I will certainly take the latter.

Couldn't agree more. Absolutely spot on.

 

[El Sid]

Seems to me that the only way TB is gonna get his money back is if we get into the PL with all it's riches.
Yes we all want affordable football but the course is set, it's gonna get expensive and if you don't like it, sorry, but the club have clearly assessed that they will fill the Amex in the PL with or without long term loyal supporters. This is just the start.
Sadly I'm not sure I'll be able to justify the cost of a PL season ticket when it happens.

 

[martyn20]

If we do not invest in getting to the Prem is there not a chance we will fall out of the Championship. I would imagine that the loss of STH's if we go up would be tiny compared to loss after 2 or 3 seasons in the lower leagues.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I'd happily play in League 1/2 if it meant better ticket prices, I go along to the football to have a laugh and spend time with mates and I can do that at Accrington just as easily as I can Old Trafford.

Very well put

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

i think alot of untoughtout or disingenuous responces to the poll. maybe because the poll is weighted? would you favour keeping it affordable if that meant playing in League 1? or L2, or lower? plenty of affordable clubs to watch in non-league divisions. and just what is "affordable" anyway, relative isnt it?

i vote funding assault on the Premier, because winning is the main objective at the end of the day. affordable for me is the club not going bust, not my personal budgetry preferance.

Would you be happy being in the prem if you couldn't afford to go and see us when we're there?

 

[martyn20]

Very well put

So you both hope we play badly and lose most of our games this season?

 

[fork me]

I must admit I'm surprised but the results so far, Brighton are my team and I want to see them go as high as possible. If and extra few quid a game, and tbh that's what we're talking about here, means the difference between going up and not going up, then we need to bite the bullet and pay it.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I'd happily play in League 1/2 if it meant better ticket prices, I go along to the football to have a laugh and spend time with mates and I can do that at Accrington just as easily as I can Old Trafford.

You'll see how much less enjoyable a half empty AMEX is when Newport County come to town.

 

[Return of the Rev]

It will be interesting when we have our first 'poor' season at the Amex. Or rather, the pre-season after. I wonder how many season tickets will be dropped in favour of picking matches or not even bothering to turn up at all.

A mid table this season would see 2k to 3k drop in s/t, if i was one of them i would not pay £42 for my seat more than twice a season

 

[Dandyman]

What should it profit a man if he gain the whole world but lose his soul ? I don't want to support Chelski, I want to support the Albion.

 

[Husty]

So you both hope we play badly and lose most of our games this season?

Speaking personally, I absolutely loved the romance of going batshit at Cheltenham because we'd just equalised to 2-2. I go along for a day of football, I drink, I have a laugh with my mates and that is number 1, the football is a distant second to this. I'd rather be able to go and have a laugh a with my mates and watch my us get shafted than us be top of the league all season but me not be able to afford to go to any matches. Just my view innit. Ultimately if prices continue on their current trajectory I'll have to find a new team to follow lower down the pyramid, I wouldn't want to do this but it might be my only option if I want to continue actually attending football matches. But if I was driven to this I certainly wouldn't be returning when the club is struggling at some point, the club should be trying to hang on to people like me happy to attend through thick and thin not drive me out in preference to some rich banker who will **** off back to Stamford Bridge after a single poor season, because when people like me are gone, and they are gone then the club really will be in trouble.

Also, teams in this league like Barnsley have a turnover well below ours but have survived in this league for years, you seem to think we need to break the bank every season or it's not worth it.

 

[Husty]

You'll see how much less enjoyable a half empty AMEX is when Newport County come to town.

I can't wait, no ****ing about with transport before/after as a train user.

 

[Husty]

I must admit I'm surprised but the results so far, Brighton are my team and I want to see them go as high as possible. If and extra few quid a game, and tbh that's what we're talking about here, means the difference between going up and not going up, then we need to bite the bullet and pay it.

Easy for you to say sitting on your sofa in Cyprus. What happens when we narrowly miss out this season? Another £5 next year. What about the year after that? Another £5?