[Football] Why fewer bums on seats at PL games?

[A1X]

Covid, especially transport. Packed trains with hardly a mask in sight

First game I went to this season on the train (got a lift for the very first) I caught a stinking cold. Nothing more serious than ruining a week off at the time (and tested negative) but was a little unnerving TBH.

 

[Weststander]

I haven’t been in the club shop for a few years.

Avoiding a sea of over-priced polyester and tat.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Liverpool’s new scheme this season - every sth’er notifies the club by 31/8 of up to 20 people who can share their ticket. The 20 do not need to be hitherto registered with the club in any way, nor members.

Completely free of charge.

The person allocated the ticket by their STH’er mate simply shows their own phone with the digital ticket for the game.

Imagine the goodwill had our club done that. It would not only help stop some grumbling but I honestly think that we would not lose as many season ticket holders as I fear we may next year.

 

[Giraffe]

As a slight add on. I'm not sure that the sideways tippy tappy football that most teams play is actually that entertaining. Man City bore me rigid. I get the technical skill, but it is not very exciting watching a team just pass it around all the time.

 

[dazzer6666]

Liverpool’s new scheme this season - every sth’er notifies the club by 31/8 of up to 20 people who can share their ticket. The 20 do not need to be hitherto registered with the club in any way, nor members.

Completely free of charge.

The person allocated the ticket by their STH’er mate simply shows their own phone with the digital ticket for the game.

Wow....a simple, 'customer'-friendly scheme....................TBH wouldn't even need to be 20 - even being able to have say 5 would solve most of the problem (and the club already have the technology for this to be seamless - simply sign up the recipients to (free) membership and add then as F&F). There is also a bit of a 'workaround' for us now if you've paid the £20 and know one Albion+ member - still an additional £45 outlay but over the course of a season just about palatable and preferable to an empty seat.

I might be wrong but I expect the club to do something different next season - far too much negative noise around the current scheme.

I personally feel like I'm making more of an effort to go to away games than home games at the moment - more enjoyable, much better atmosphere, no tourists in the away end, far fewer people disappearing on 40/85 mins, a lot less moaning and grumbling................(and Maupay continually scoring late goals )

 

[Steve in Japan]

I echo what some have said above about a sense of it being more of a faff than it used to be. It certainly is.

But for me, it's the disappearance of parking an an easy option. That forces my group onto public transport at a time when I don't really want to use it.

 

[amexer]

Wow....a simple, 'customer'-friendly scheme....................TBH wouldn't even need to be 20 - even being able to have say 5 would solve most of the problem (and the club already have the technology for this to be seamless - simply sign up the recipients to (free) membership and add then as F&F). There is also a bit of a 'workaround' for us now if you've paid the £20 and know one Albion+ member - still an additional £45 outlay but over the course of a season just about palatable and preferable to an empty seat.

I might be wrong but I expect the club to do something different next season - far too much negative noise around the current scheme.

I personally feel like I'm making more of an effort to go to away games than home games at the moment - more enjoyable, much better atmosphere, no tourists in the away end, far fewer people disappearing on 40/85 mins, a lot less moaning and grumbling................(and Maupay continually scoring late goals )

Yes so easy to put something in place. We pay £6/700 for our STs and dont think we should have to pay any extra

 

[portlock seagull]

I echo what some have said above about a sense of it being more of a faff than it used to be. It certainly is.

But for me, it's the disappearance of parking an an easy option. That forces my group onto public transport at a time when I don't really want to use it.

In fairness I’m on the train at the mo and absolutely no one is coughing and sneezing or even Fleming their guts up whatsoever…MUCH!

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

As a slight add on. I'm not sure that the sideways tippy tappy football that most teams play is actually that entertaining. Man City bore me rigid. I get the technical skill, but it is not very exciting watching a team just pass it around all the time.

Absolutely

How many times have I tuned into a match to find within 30 seconds someone is rolling around on the floor,like he's been shot and with all the unnecessary back passes,I just turn over

An example, even PSG at Man City

They had a throw in, deep inside the City half,where did the ball end up,you guessed it,with the PSG keeper

I shall probably watch the Pompey-Massive game tonight instead of a Champions League game

Sorry,but the modern game is shite

Sure the pitches are great,the haircuts are wonderful and the seats are fantastic but I can't hack it

Slag the 70's off all you like,but the football on the pitch was far more exciting than today

 

[portlock seagull]

Wow....a simple, 'customer'-friendly scheme....................TBH wouldn't even need to be 20 - even being able to have say 5 would solve most of the problem (and the club already have the technology for this to be seamless - simply sign up the recipients to (free) membership and add then as F&F). There is also a bit of a 'workaround' for us now if you've paid the £20 and know one Albion+ member - still an additional £45 outlay but over the course of a season just about palatable and preferable to an empty seat.

I might be wrong but I expect the club to do something different next season - far too much negative noise around the current scheme.

I personally feel like I'm making more of an effort to go to away games than home games at the moment - more enjoyable, much better atmosphere, no tourists in the away end, far fewer people disappearing on 40/85 mins, a lot less moaning and grumbling................(and Maupay continually scoring late goals )

Me also, away is way to go. The Albion ‘share’ scheme was and is a predictable disaster and I’ll be amazed if thousands of further STHs don’t renew in Feb. Testing times, but football is expensive and a real faff to go at times never mind try to sell your ticket on when they move eg Brentford to 8pm on Boxing Day with little public transport. All for what, inflated footballers wages at the expense of normal hard working everyday folk? Cake and eat it is a phrase I’ve heard time and time again about PL football and people will soon be voting with their feet in this economic climate. Wait until food inflation kicks in early next year. And people think petrol is pricey now!

 

[portlock seagull]

Absolutely

How many times have I tuned into a match to find within 30 seconds someone is rolling around on the floor,like he's been shot and with all the unnecessary back passes,I just turn over

An example, even PSG at Man City

They had a throw in, deep inside the City half,where did the ball end up,you guessed it,with the PSG keeper

I shall probably watch the Pompey-Massive game tonight instead of a Champions League game

Sorry,but the modern game is shite

Sure the pitches are great,the haircuts are wonderful and the seats are fantastic but I can't hack it

Slag the 70's off all you like,but the football on the pitch was far more exciting than today

Agree. We are all being short changed especially by the time wasting for feigned injury and tackles. Every time someone goes down (always these days) and rolls around a few more seconds are wasted. That all adds up. Never mind the slightly harder tackles where players go down and the search for a Sniper begins. Then there’s the actual time wasting, feigning injury that has always gone in but is more prevalent these days (and refs have to double check the poor lamb hasn’t been slaughtered - usually from the 80th min onwards!)

 

[dazzer6666]

Agree. We are all being short changed especially by the time wasting for feigned injury and tackles. Every time someone goes down (always these days) and rolls around a few more seconds are wasted. That all adds up. Never mind the slightly harder tackles where players go down and the search for a Sniper begins. Then there’s the actual time wasting, feigning injury that has always gone in but is more prevalent these days (and refs have to double check the poor lamb hasn’t been slaughtered - usually from the 80th min onwards!)

Any action in the box now (corners for example).................if the ball breaks out again to the attacking team there will inevitably be a defender lying on the floor with a 'head injury' that causes play to be stopped.

 

[Is it PotG?]

If a 'keeper catches the ball cleanly in the latter stages, should he then dive forward clutching said sphere on to the turf and remain prone for 2 mins staring ahead, a yellow card should be produced.

 

[chaileyjem]

Yes so easy to put something in place. We pay £6/700 for our STs and dont think we should have to pay any extra

Maybe but Liverpool fans pay £695 to £969 for normal season tickets (Albion its £545 to £770) and if you want to pay by direct debit - (you have to go via a Finance company) - its 0% interest but you have to pay an admin fee which is 4% or £28- £38. Thats all free at the Albion.
And so is travel which 7 out of 10 season ticket holders use, equivalent of £40 - £50 a season.

Pays your money...

(PS: that doesn't mean the sharing scheme isn't a faff. It is. By the way. Its now £15 to be an Albion + member for the rest of the season not £25/28)

 

[Taybha]

Minimum waged supporters with a family to take care of simply can't afford the cost of EPL football, it's all well and good forking out for season tickets or match by match if you're earning a decent wage, but how could any sensible parent take out £150 of their monthly budget every two weeks just to watch a game of football, I'm afraid the 2.4 nippers would always come first so for £50 a month Sky will offer more football at a fraction of the cost to actually watch a game live.

It costs me about £140 to just get to the ground with a ticket, add on another £20 easy for grub and a pint and I probably wouldn't see much change out of £200 , so I rarely go to home games now just pick the games closest plus the U23 games , I'm a minority I know but I doubt I'm alone in my thinking living such a long way from Brighton.

Cost is a massive part of why many seats remain unbummed, people with a decent income probably wouldn't give the cost of going as their reason for not going but I'd wager there's thousands of football fans up and down the country that simply can't afford to go anymore.

Pretty sad stuff really , still never mind as long as all the corporate boxes are full modern day football really seems to have forgotten the the game is meant for everyone to enjoy, well apart from low income people, but who wants those types of hardworking scoundrels at football matches anymore!

Cynical? Maybe, but it's plain for all to see and it's not going to get any cheaper so Joe blogs will have to put up with it until those in charge wake up and realise not everyone has money to burn on watching live football and attendance figures start to dwindle even at the more affluent supporter based clubs like Brighton and Hove Albion for instance.

 

[Weststander]

Maybe but Liverpool fans pay £695 to £969 for normal season tickets (Albion its £545 to £770) and if you want to pay by direct debit - (you have to go via a Finance company) - its 0% interest but you have to pay an admin fee which is 4% or £28- £38. Thats all free at the Albion.
And so is travel which 7 out of 10 season ticket holders use, equivalent of £40 - £50 a season.

Pays your money...

(PS: that doesn't mean the sharing scheme isn't a faff. It is. By the way. Its now £15 to be an Albion + member for the rest of the season not £25/28)

Anfield:

75% off those prices for 0 to 16 year olds.
50% for 17 to 21 year olds.

Great for families, getting kids hooked on a club.

Arsenal fans for example talk of being ripped off when going as a family.

 

[South west gull]

Anfield:

75% off those prices for 0 to 16 year olds.
50% for 17 to 21 year olds.

Great for families, getting kids hooked on a club.

Arsenal fans for example talk of being ripped off when going as a family.

My season ticket at the amex is 860

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

[Weststander]

Minimum waged supporters with a family to take care of simply can't afford the cost of EPL football, it's all well and good forking out for season tickets or match by match if you're earning a decent wage, but how could any sensible parent take out £150 of their monthly budget every two weeks just to watch a game of football, I'm afraid the 2.4 nippers would always come first so for £50 a month Sky will offer more football at a fraction of the cost to actually watch a game live.

It costs me about £140 to just get to the ground with a ticket, add on another £20 easy for grub and a pint and I probably wouldn't see much change out of £200 , so I rarely go to home games now just pick the games closest plus the U23 games , I'm a minority I know but I doubt I'm alone in my thinking living such a long way from Brighton.

Cost is a massive part of why many seats remain unbummed, people with a decent income probably wouldn't give the cost of going as their reason for not going but I'd wager there's thousands of football fans up and down the country that simply can't afford to go anymore.

Pretty sad stuff really , still never mind as long as all the corporate boxes are full modern day football really seems to have forgotten the the game is meant for everyone to enjoy, well apart from low income people, but who wants those types of hardworking scoundrels at football matches anymore!

Cynical? Maybe, but it's plain for all to see and it's not going to get any cheaper so Joe blogs will have to put up with it until those in charge wake up and realise not everyone has money to burn on watching live football and attendance figures start to dwindle even at the more affluent supporter based clubs like Brighton and Hove Albion for instance.

In the Withdean years and early Amex years I used to privately gift our st’s to an Albion loving family I knew on low money, for games when we were away. Also to a pensioner in Eastbourne who wasn’t Albion but was mad about football.

Hard to do now with ID and if caught, loss of the st altogether.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

In the Withdean years and early Amex years I used to privately gift our st’s to an Albion loving family I knew on low money, for games when we were away. Also to a pensioner in Eastbourne who wasn’t Albion but was mad about football.

Hard to do now with ID and if caught, loss of the st altogether.

This, absolutely. Not really feasible anymore to treat someone to a nice day out at the Albion without incurring silly levels of cost for transfering a ticket that's already been paid for

 

[hans kraay fan club]

It has to be Covid as the main reason - I'm not bothered myself but I know lots of people are.

I've been to all the Amex matches this season but the kick off times have been horrendous for some of them. I won't be going to Boxing Day - who in their right mind thinks 8pm on a day of food and drinking and family is a sensible time for kick off ? A MORON that's who.

Regards the lack of ticket sharing, and this will probably get me a ban from NSC and set Paul Barber's wolves on me, there is a way ( without paying the stupid fees ). And here it is ( and I apologise for not getting back to the people that have PM'ed me about this, other things going on I'm afraid ) :

1. Make sure you've got the phone with the season ticket on it and a second phone - preferably the phone of the person you're gifting the ticket to

2. Bring up the QR code of the ticket

3. Take a photo using the second phone of the QR code ( screenshots don't work on QR codes )

4. If not using the phone of the person you are gifting to then email them the photo.

My son and I have tested this method of entry twice and it works perfectly. Might be worth a photo of the actual ticket as well so the person you're gifting to knows where their seat is.

A couple of points on this, as I think people risk a lot of grief following this advice:

I believe the QR code generated in the phone wallet constantly renews (no idea of the actual frequency), with every earlier incarnation immediately invalid.


On point 3 "screenshots don't work on QR codes" - this (as a general rule) is not true. I take an iphone screenshot of a QR code every single week (for a free coffee perk) and save them in my photos for when I need them).