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

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I think the idea of seeing close to capacity crowds at PL grounds might be heading for a re-set. Whether clubs re-visit their ticket pricing models to address this, I am not so sure. I am almost certain, however, that PL player salaries and agent's fees won't be heading for a re-set anytime soon.

I wouldn't be so sure. There has to be a ceiling on how stupid their wages get. And the situation at Chelsea shows how club fortunes can dramatically change more or less overnight. Buyers market in the ascendancy sometime soon maybe? Perhaps the well-run clubs shall inherit the earth. That would be nice

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

The cynic in me says you're right, but we live in extraordinary times.

It's completely wrong that PL clubs are charging £40 to £50 per game when matchday income is only a tiny fraction of the money they make and whatever comes in goes almost immediately out of the door to millionaires.

I do believe that the PL as an organisation aren't happy with seeing so many empty seats at grounds and diluted atmospheres and will look to act if it gets worse, possibly with extending the £30 maximum for away fans to home fans.

Completely agree. We got to away games in the NW. Better atmosphere, better price and this season better results! We’ve been to Burnley, Liverpool and Everton. 2 tickets, adult and under 15 usually about £45. If I was down in Sussex I would think twice about paying £65 or whatever it is, although I’d probably do it for a one off.

 

[BN41Albion]

Completely agree. We got to away games in the NW. Better atmosphere, better price and this season better results! We’ve been to Burnley, Liverpool and Everton. 2 tickets, adult and under 15 usually about £45. If I was down in Sussex I would think twice about paying £65 or whatever it is, although I’d probably do it for a one off.

Away ticket prices are capped across the country,aren't they!?

I'd definitely rather have been going to away games this season than home because of results and how good our away fans are generally.

Home games have become a chore almost to be honest, which I think a lot of people are feeling (certainly judging from on here and those i speak to) and therefore having an effect on the atmosphere etc.

 

[whosthedaddy]

Away ticket prices are capped across the country,aren't they!?

I'd definitely rather have been going to away games this season than home because of results and how good our away fans are generally.

Home games have become a chore almost to be honest, which I think a lot of people are feeling (certainly judging from on here and those i speak to) and therefore having an effect on the atmosphere etc.

THIS...in spades

 

[essbee1]

Away ticket prices are capped across the country,aren't they!?

I'd definitely rather have been going to away games this season than home because of results and how good our away fans are generally.

Home games have become a chore almost to be honest, which I think a lot of people are feeling (certainly judging from on here and those i speak to) and therefore having an effect on the atmosphere etc.

I never thought I'd say it, but I tend to agree BN41. I used to get excited walking up towards the stadium.
These days I sense only that I'm going to see the same pedestrian performance. Call me a bad fan for saying
this, but I can't ignore the way I feel. My folks get excited for me (they sometimes give me a lift over), but my
energy at putting a brave face on for them is waning.

 

[BNthree]

I do believe that the PL as an organisation aren't happy with seeing so many empty seats at grounds and diluted atmospheres and will look to act if it gets worse, possibly with extending the £30 maximum for away fans to home fans.

Be interesting to see if anyone is courageous enough to suggest this at a PL meeting and interesting to see which clubs are for/against it.

 

[Beanstalk]

If you buy a season ticket in Zone A it's less than £30 a game (£28.68) at the Amex. A ticket for the same Zone for Norwich is £30. I personally think, for Premier League football, that's pretty reasonable. Where it is not reasonable is when that same seat is £45 for Spurs.

However, I think what is clear is that there are a startling number of seats that have become available on the ticket exchange. Currently looks like over 1,000 tickets available for a "sold-out" match the day before. That's why seats are empty on match days.

If the club want to fill those seats, they probably need to rethink the scheme.

 

[A mex eyecan]

I never thought I'd say it, but I tend to agree BN41. I used to get excited walking up towards the stadium.
These days I sense only that I'm going to see the same pedestrian performance. Call me a bad fan for saying
this, but I can't ignore the way I feel. My folks get excited for me (they sometimes give me a lift over), but my
energy at putting a brave face on for them is waning.

have to agree, my mate went further though and said he almost felt depressed at the thought of going !! i’m not that far gone thankfully

 

[BNthree]

If the club want to fill those seats, they probably need to rethink the scheme.

Also need to rethink their communications. Posting "match now sold out" on their social media when they mean "exchange tickets now available" can't help.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

have to agree, my mate went further though and said he almost felt depressed at the thought of going !! i’m not that far gone thankfully

I think we've all done major individual resets these past couple of years. First Covid, now Ukraine, hugely increased household costs high and rising. Football just seems pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things now

 

[BN41Albion]

I think we've all done major individual resets these past couple of years. First Covid, now Ukraine, hugely increased household costs high and rising. Football just seems pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things now

Add to that what's going on at Chelsea and Newcastle and for me the PL is pretty grim.

Non-league, on the other hand ...

 

[Beanstalk]

Also need to rethink their communications. Posting "match now sold out" on their social media when they mean "exchange tickets now available" can't help.

I completely agree in a logical sense but think that kind of corpo-speak "sold-out" boast is everywhere that sells tickets. I attempted to buy tickets for a gig last week as it went on sale. Sold out within a minute and I was immediately redirected to "resale" tickets (at a slightly bumped up price). Maybe these schemes are an issue within themselves and should be scrapped altogether. Just legitimising the resale of tickets for an inflated value (which for football is illegal in the UK by any other method).

 

[Simster]

I am not a STH these days but there is absolutely nothing that makes me want to become one again. The bullshit surrounding transfer of tickets penalises STHs and it is totally avoidable. I was playing football last night and talking to a fellow Albion fan who was offered a ticket to see Palace Man City as it was going spare. He declined as it goes, but was shocked that literally all they needed to do was email the PDF of the ticket and that was it. With us, there's all sorts of well documented over-zealous nonsense and some of it looks suspiciously like rinsing fans.

I can't say I'm even particularly looking forward to tomorrow, and that isn't just because we have lost 5 straight matches or the sobering events in Ukraine. I am just beginning to dislike the hoops we are expected to jump through. It's a ball ache I can't be arsed with.

 

[Weststander]

I am not a STH these days but there is absolutely nothing that makes me want to become one again. The bullshit surrounding transfer of tickets penalises STHs and it is totally avoidable. I was playing football last night and talking to a fellow Albion fan who was offered a ticket to see Palace Man City as it was going spare. He declined as it goes, but was shocked that literally all they needed to do was email the PDF of the ticket and that was it. With us, there's all sorts of well documented over-zealous nonsense and some of it looks suspiciously like rinsing fans.

I can't say I'm even particularly looking forward to tomorrow, and that isn't just because we have lost 5 straight matches or the sobering events in Ukraine. I am just beginning to dislike the hoops we are expected to jump through. It's a ball ache I can't be arsed with.

Interesting.

We've been told in similar threads that the Albion absolutely must have the information on who attends for security and safety reasons.

 

[loz]

I am not a STH these days but there is absolutely nothing that makes me want to become one again. The bullshit surrounding transfer of tickets penalises STHs and it is totally avoidable. I was playing football last night and talking to a fellow Albion fan who was offered a ticket to see Palace Man City as it was going spare. He declined as it goes, but was shocked that literally all they needed to do was email the PDF of the ticket and that was it. With us, there's all sorts of well documented over-zealous nonsense and some of it looks suspiciously like rinsing fans.

I can't say I'm even particularly looking forward to tomorrow, and that isn't just because we have lost 5 straight matches or the sobering events in Ukraine. I am just beginning to dislike the hoops we are expected to jump through. It's a ball ache I can't be arsed with.

I don’t know how it works at Brighton but I get my ticket and barcode sent to my phone, if I can’t go and someone wants it I just take a photo of the barcode and send it to whoever wants it, they then just scan the barcode into the reader and hey presto they can go in….can’t you just do that ?

 

[essbee1]

To my shame, I bought a ticket for the Liverpool away match in the home end because I
wanted to go with a mate who supports Liverpool.

No hoops. Paid for the ticket, was sent the pdf, downloaded it - bingo.

 

[Simster]

Interesting.

We've been told in similar threads that the Albion absolutely must have the information on who attends for security and safety reasons.

I assume you mean that professional happy-clapper, chaileyjem? Nice enough bloke I'm sure, but when it comes to issues with the way the club works I don't even read what he says these days.

I don’t know how it works at Brighton but I get my ticket and barcode sent to my phone, if I can’t go and someone wants it I just take a photo of the barcode and send it to whoever wants it, they then just scan the barcode into the reader and hey presto they can go in….can’t you just do that ?

Yes I know you can.


I really don't know why we are expected to pay a £20 fee, and provide war and peace - but in the end it's driving people away. I know this because it has driven me away and I'm not the only one. The bloke I was referring to has 3 STs and is considering binning them off.

 

[CaptainDaveUK]

To my shame, I bought a ticket for the Liverpool away match in the home end because I
wanted to go with a mate who supports Liverpool.

No hoops. Paid for the ticket, was sent the pdf, downloaded it - bingo.

I live in Liverpool and virtually every person I know either borrows a ST or lends a ST to go to the game. A couple of seasons ago I was desperate to go and went in the Kop (when Dunk scored). The actual physical season ticket I used belonged to a friend of a friend. I gave my mate £30.

 

[South west gull]

Add to that what's going on at Chelsea and Newcastle and for me the PL is pretty grim.

Non-league, on the other hand ...

Roll on Lewes this Saturday again love it

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

[SAC]

I am not a STH these days but there is absolutely nothing that makes me want to become one again. The bullshit surrounding transfer of tickets penalises STHs and it is totally avoidable. I was playing football last night and talking to a fellow Albion fan who was offered a ticket to see Palace Man City as it was going spare. He declined as it goes, but was shocked that literally all they needed to do was email the PDF of the ticket and that was it. With us, there's all sorts of well documented over-zealous nonsense and some of it looks suspiciously like rinsing fans.

I can't say I'm even particularly looking forward to tomorrow, and that isn't just because we have lost 5 straight matches or the sobering events in Ukraine. I am just beginning to dislike the hoops we are expected to jump through. It's a ball ache I can't be arsed with.

I'm sure that I read that Manchester United are encouraging fans to share their tickets with friends and family if they can't go. Presumably to fill the stand and sell more overpriced tat.