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      Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank

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      Begs
      • Forum Paul Walsh
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      Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Apr 28, 2015 12:42:35 am
      Hello lads and ladies,

      Hope everyone is well!? I listen to talksport DriveTime on satellite radio when I am driving and today an interesting subject came up on the price of tickets for EPL matches. There were a bunch of view on it, but no one from the USA. I really want to understand why people are so upset. I understand that there are high costs for going to an EPL Game. I also understand there are 'tiers' of games. When United, City, Chelsea or Everton come to Anfield it costs more.

      This is VERY common practice in the USA. MLB teams, such as the Chicago Cubs, charge more for some teams than they do for others. The NFL is the same way; big time opponents or division games cost more than some team that has a notoriously bad record. The average cost for a ticket in Chicago for an NFL game is over $150 USD. To take a family of 4 to a Chicago Bears game it would cost over $500 in tickets. Not to mention hotdogs, sodas, beers, and parking. All in, I would bet that, it is close to $800-$1000 for ONE GAME!!!!!! I would venture a guess to say that ticket sales make up less that 25% of an NFL teams overall revenue. The other 75% comes from sponsorships, TV, corporate partners.

      Tier pricing is all over the USA, so maybe I am just accustomed to paying more for better teams. In regards to away games, we don't have specific sections we sit in if we go to an away game. If i were to go to Green Bay, HUGE rival of Chicago, I would sit among fans of the home team, it does make things a bit uneasy, especially as the beer gets consumed, but there is no 'visitor section'. I honestly just had not thought about how it works across the pond. I have been to matches in Italy and Spain and have always cheered for the hometown teams, because its fun to bond with the locals. Still awaiting my first trip to Anfield.

      I couldn't quite figure out why so many people were so angry calling into DriveTime: Are fans upset about having to pay so much to go an away game? Because i am guessing Hull falls into one of the Lower liverpool tiers, so it may not cost as much. Or, are people upset because of tier pricing?

      For the record, I do think it is absolute $hit that Liverpool fans have to pay more for an away game, plus travel expenses, than a game at Anfield. Just looking for a discussion, to understand is all.
      AmericanPlant
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #1: Apr 28, 2015 08:54:09 am
      Hello lads and ladies,

      Hope everyone is well!? I listen to talksport DriveTime on satellite radio when I am driving and today an interesting subject came up on the price of tickets for EPL matches. There were a bunch of view on it, but no one from the USA. I really want to understand why people are so upset. I understand that there are high costs for going to an EPL Game. I also understand there are 'tiers' of games. When United, City, Chelsea or Everton come to Anfield it costs more.

      This is VERY common practice in the USA. MLB teams, such as the Chicago Cubs, charge more for some teams than they do for others. The NFL is the same way; big time opponents or division games cost more than some team that has a notoriously bad record. The average cost for a ticket in Chicago for an NFL game is over $150 USD. To take a family of 4 to a Chicago Bears game it would cost over $500 in tickets. Not to mention hotdogs, sodas, beers, and parking. All in, I would bet that, it is close to $800-$1000 for ONE GAME!!!!!! I would venture a guess to say that ticket sales make up less that 25% of an NFL teams overall revenue. The other 75% comes from sponsorships, TV, corporate partners.

      Tier pricing is all over the USA, so maybe I am just accustomed to paying more for better teams. In regards to away games, we don't have specific sections we sit in if we go to an away game. If i were to go to Green Bay, HUGE rival of Chicago, I would sit among fans of the home team, it does make things a bit uneasy, especially as the beer gets consumed, but there is no 'visitor section'. I honestly just had not thought about how it works across the pond. I have been to matches in Italy and Spain and have always cheered for the hometown teams, because its fun to bond with the locals. Still awaiting my first trip to Anfield.

      I couldn't quite figure out why so many people were so angry calling into DriveTime: Are fans upset about having to pay so much to go an away game? Because i am guessing Hull falls into one of the Lower liverpool tiers, so it may not cost as much. Or, are people upset because of tier pricing?

      For the record, I do think it is absolute $hit that Liverpool fans have to pay more for an away game, plus travel expenses, than a game at Anfield. Just looking for a discussion, to understand is all.

      Whilst Hull is the protest, it is actually a tiny part of it. But sadly, rather dishonest sections of the media will try and kid people its all about Hull.

      Well the point is that football was always a working class game. Even when I started, it was so cheap you wouldn't even think about the price. It was about £1.90 in the mid 80s and its up to £48 on the Kop  now! In the 80s we were European champions, and today our team is utter sh*te!
      If you take away the working class or the working class born support, you'll lose all the passion and atmosphere of a match. And you ultimately lose the identity of what we always called "clubs". It was fairly low income people that actually built these clubs up from nothing. So its highly insulting for owners who never watch a match, and cant stand football to say "thanks proles but we dont want you any more".

      Its all the more insulting when you think that until 2007, many of these fans actually had a share in the club (as happens in Spain and Germany and some other places). They were cheated out of their ownership of the shares by the fraud of Hicks and Gilette. Yet there has been no legal recourse. And the shares wound up with similarly motivated profit at all costs individuals in 2010. (Another murky process indeed..)

      Another aspect of it is that (acc to reports) Lpool tickets have gone up 50% under Fenway's ownership. Ofcourse Fenway say its the price of having decent players there. But Fenway have actually sold all the decent players. Its now Harrods prices for K-Mart products ie a sh*t level team.
      Check out the staggering facts in my signature.

      So its a double ripoff from the owners. Ignore the plants and shills on these forums. They're just trolls because they attempt to defend ripoffs pure and simple. Most of em have never even visited Anfield. The others are rugby/rounders fans who are just posting as part of their pr job.

      Liverpool actually now has a very small turnout amongst local and young fans. (They're often priced out). And you cant expect Scandinanvian visitors etc to keep filling the seats if the team is rather piss poor. So clearly something has to change, or the fabric of what used to be a football club will wholly disintegrate.

      Hull is a tiny part of it. Its SOS's (and others) way of saying "look our patience is wearing thin with your pisstaking".

      brezipool
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #2: Apr 28, 2015 09:01:45 am
      Its crap, local people should always be able to afford going to watch thier local teams, but the premiership is pricing these people out.

      And for Hull to put prices up just for LFC fans to come and visit is shocking, the average local LFC fan has no more money the average local Hull fan.

      A lot of stadiums have empty seats all over Britain, not jusy EPL, people are skint, and prices are going up.

      ozi_wozzy
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #3: Apr 28, 2015 10:42:23 am
      Hello lads and ladies,

      Hope everyone is well!? I listen to talksport DriveTime on satellite radio when I am driving and today an interesting subject came up on the price of tickets for EPL matches. There were a bunch of view on it, but no one from the USA. I really want to understand why people are so upset. I understand that there are high costs for going to an EPL Game. I also understand there are 'tiers' of games. When United, City, Chelsea or Everton come to Anfield it costs more.

      This is VERY common practice in the USA. MLB teams, such as the Chicago Cubs, charge more for some teams than they do for others. The NFL is the same way; big time opponents or division games cost more than some team that has a notoriously bad record. The average cost for a ticket in Chicago for an NFL game is over $150 USD. To take a family of 4 to a Chicago Bears game it would cost over $500 in tickets. Not to mention hotdogs, sodas, beers, and parking. All in, I would bet that, it is close to $800-$1000 for ONE GAME!!!!!! I would venture a guess to say that ticket sales make up less that 25% of an NFL teams overall revenue. The other 75% comes from sponsorships, TV, corporate partners.

      Tier pricing is all over the USA, so maybe I am just accustomed to paying more for better teams. In regards to away games, we don't have specific sections we sit in if we go to an away game. If i were to go to Green Bay, HUGE rival of Chicago, I would sit among fans of the home team, it does make things a bit uneasy, especially as the beer gets consumed, but there is no 'visitor section'. I honestly just had not thought about how it works across the pond. I have been to matches in Italy and Spain and have always cheered for the hometown teams, because its fun to bond with the locals. Still awaiting my first trip to Anfield.

      I couldn't quite figure out why so many people were so angry calling into DriveTime: Are fans upset about having to pay so much to go an away game? Because i am guessing Hull falls into one of the Lower liverpool tiers, so it may not cost as much. Or, are people upset because of tier pricing?

      For the record, I do think it is absolute $hit that Liverpool fans have to pay more for an away game, plus travel expenses, than a game at Anfield. Just looking for a discussion, to understand is all.

      Welcome to the forum mate.

      There are a few issues here that FSG haven't grasped yet.

      One, is that LFC tickets are in the top category. Given it's a global club, it's not a surprise, but Liverpool is a traditional, working class city, unlike Manchester or London of course. The fans are mostly working class people who simply cannot afford it anymore. An extra 15/20 pounds for a ticket may not hurt a "fan" from richer south, but it makes a difference to traditional fans in the north.

      The other is that perhaps FSG want to run the system like in America. I've been to your country a number of times, and my view was that there is always someone willing to pay the higher price, hence it's acceptable practise. But the crucial difference between the American culture and British culture is that in America, a day out to the game is often seen as a day out. Of course there is a significant chunk of supproters in the venues that are lifelong fans with connections to the club, but the section of visitors who are day-trippers who may be follow the club and have an interest, is certainly much larger than over here. Consequently, people who can afford it, can often choose an evening watching a club as a bit of an entertainment (but please do correct me if that perception is wrong).

      Over here however, vast majority of fans are certainly lifelong fans, and a significant portion of those I would say are militant/fanatical about their club. This portion for LFC are local residents who are generally working class and have grown up watching their beloved club. These ticket prices are hurting them the most. If they can't follow their team, it would be ripping heart and soul of the club apart.

      I'm pragmatic, I understand LFC is a global club and there are plenty of fans with money who would be willing to pay, and perhaps should be allowed to. But the strategy is wrong for me. FSG should rewarding fans for loyalty. Season ticket holders and regular match goers should not be hit by the price hike at all. Perhaps a small portion of the tickets can be made available for higher prices, but FSG should be looking at commercial activities away from the terraces if they want to increase revenues, not hit the fans who sing the loudest on match days.

      Hope that gives you an idea.
      HUYTON RED
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #4: Apr 28, 2015 11:02:49 am
      £35 for the Hull game at their ground last season, £50 this season on top of all the money given to clubs by the new tv deal is a bit cheeky.

      JD
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #5: Apr 28, 2015 11:06:31 am
      As well as the soaring cost I think the problem is that prices are not standardised.  I think I read somewhere that when Stoke fans went to Hull they paid £15, Everton fans paid £35 and Liverpool fans are now expected to pay £50.

      Seems quite wrong that different sets of fans have to pay different amounts to witness the magic of Hull City's football.

      Atmosphere's at football grounds are dire enough these days.  Imagine it without any away fans to at least try to create an atmosphere.  I think £20 for every PL away ticket is hardly going to break the bank of these clubs rolling in with a combined £3,000,000,000 per year.
      HUYTON RED
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #6: Apr 28, 2015 11:07:30 am
      As well as the soaring cost I think the problem is that prices are not standardised.  I think I read somewhere that when Stoke fans went to Hull they paid £15, Everton fans paid £35 and Liverpool fans are now expected to pay £50.

      Seems quite wrong that different sets of fans have to pay different amounts to witness the magic of Hull City's football.

      Burnley are getting charged £16!!
      stuey
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #7: Apr 28, 2015 11:22:56 am
      Welcome to the forum mate.

      There are a few issues here that FSG haven't grasped yet.

      One, is that LFC tickets are in the top category. Given it's a global club, it's not a surprise, but Liverpool is a traditional, working class city, unlike Manchester or London of course. The fans are mostly working class people who simply cannot afford it anymore. An extra 15/20 pounds for a ticket may not hurt a "fan" from richer south, but it makes a difference to traditional fans in the north.

      The other is that perhaps FSG want to run the system like in America. I've been to your country a number of times, and my view was that there is always someone willing to pay the higher price, hence it's acceptable practise. But the crucial difference between the American culture and British culture is that in America, a day out to the game is often seen as a day out. Of course there is a significant chunk of supproters in the venues that are lifelong fans with connections to the club, but the section of visitors who are day-trippers who may be follow the club and have an interest, is certainly much larger than over here. Consequently, people who can afford it, can often choose an evening watching a club as a bit of an entertainment (but please do correct me if that perception is wrong).

      Over here however, vast majority of fans are certainly lifelong fans, and a significant portion of those I would say are militant/fanatical about their club. This portion for LFC are local residents who are generally working class and have grown up watching their beloved club. These ticket prices are hurting them the most. If they can't follow their team, it would be ripping heart and soul of the club apart.

      I'm pragmatic, I understand LFC is a global club and there are plenty of fans with money who would be willing to pay, and perhaps should be allowed to. But the strategy is wrong for me. FSG should rewarding fans for loyalty. Season ticket holders and regular match goers should not be hit by the price hike at all. Perhaps a small portion of the tickets can be made available for higher prices, but FSG should be looking at commercial activities away from the terraces if they want to increase revenues, not hit the fans who sing the loudest on match days.

      Hope that gives you an idea.

      Some very good points mate in a very informative comment.
      Speaking of the 'day out' involved in taking in a game stateside, I was immediately taken back admittedly F***ing light years ago to my days as an apprentice when with a little prudence me and the mates could get to Anfield for the home games, have a bevvy before the game then get downtown for the alehouse opening again and get pissed on the pub crawl.
      All for a tenner - I kid you not.

      To be equally pragmatic on the subject of FSG rewarding loyalty, that is not a viable proposition in that FSG have no knowledge or experience of that concept.
      AmericanPlant
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #8: Apr 28, 2015 11:26:31 am
      The ironic part is that, as a global "club" (lets face it, we're not a club currently) it should actually be much cheaper for the lifeblood locals etc. But perversely, the owners used our global name to go the opposite way.

      If Real, Bayern, Barce etc can sell tickets dirt cheap and buy Neymar, Ronaldo etc, I'm sure we can do cheap tickets AND buy more expensive than Balotelli/Lambert to replace Suarez.

      Fenway (and numerous other PL owners) are monumental in the level of their hypocrisy and double standards.
      Paisleydalglish
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #9: Apr 28, 2015 11:31:10 am
      As well as the soaring cost I think the problem is that prices are not standardised.  I think I read somewhere that when Stoke fans went to Hull they paid £15, Everton fans paid £35 and Liverpool fans are now expected to pay £50.

      Seems quite wrong that different sets of fans have to pay different amounts to witness the magic of Hull City's football.

      Atmosphere's at football grounds are dire enough these days.  Imagine it without any away fans to at least try to create an atmosphere.  I think £20 for every PL away ticket is hardly going to break the bank of these clubs rolling in with a combined £3,000,000,000 per year.

      This is it in a nutshell

      In the past clubs relied on the fans through the gate for the main part of their running income [anyone read the story Micheal Robinson tells that he was on a bonus structure in the 80's for the amount that came through the door at Brighton]
      But now with the TV deals and everything else it's a drop in the ocean.. What they do need though to keep those deals coming in and other avenues to sell the product is a full stadium and an atmosphere.. Halfing the cost of tickets wouldn't really hurt the income but would have the gratitude of fans.. I have two boys who want to start going to the match.. I'll end up having to buy three adults at some point even when they are kids and cost me £150 quid.. It's a joke

      We don't come from the most affluent area of the country, so what makes them think due to us supporting a top club we should have to pay £34 quid more than people from just down the road from us and £16 quid more than the fans from the same city?

      Ticket prices aren't what keep clubs going nowadays, it's just an added area of greed for the clubs.

      It's right that this protest is starting, hopefully every fan in the country gets behind it, forget rivalry on this.. It's about a shared love of the game and a shared love of going to it.

      £40-50 for a ticket at Anfield for a local 17-25 year old is taking the piss..

      I know the fans who want to come from abroad will pay it for that one off experience and probably more but that shouldn't take away from the whole principle of it. There are foreign fans on here who I have a massive amount of respect for and if they came over I'd do my best to help them get a ticket at £20.. But them coming over here and paying whatever for that one off experience though adds to the problem as owners know they can charge whatever and can sell those tickets to fans who will pay it.. I don't have an issue them coming over but the ticket price should be realistic for whoever wants to go to the match.

      Hull charging us £50 is a discrace.. But we charged them £42 I believe over here..

      Fans need to get together on this an force change.. I have my lads, all locals have family.. Those of that bracket can't afford those prices.. And they are the future of the clubs and as much as it sticks in my throat they are also the future of the brand which will continue to bring in the TV deals

      As JD says.. £20 should be standard.. I go with that for simply a standard flat rate across the whole game.

      HamannsTheMan
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #10: Apr 28, 2015 11:38:16 am
      The prices in football nowadays is a complete and utter joke.

      there is always someone willing to pay the higher price

      But unfortunately this is true....

      Clubs can charge whatever they want too because somebody out there will always pay it. A tourist can come to Liverpool for the day who won't mind paying £60 for a one off ticket but your local average fan who goes to Anfield 19 times a season is all of a sudden being priced out. It disgraces me the amount of greed in football nowadays and how clubs actually target those tourists rather than looking after their loyal supporters.

      A grand or two a week less for a premiership footballer is neither here or there. But an extra £20 or £30 per week for a supporter could be massive.




      srslfc
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #11: Apr 28, 2015 11:44:09 am
      Jay McKenna said on the latest Anfield Wrap that it would cost the Premier League clubs just £20M to cap away tickets for every game at £20.

      £1M per club.

      They can do it easily but part of the problem is they know for every one person not going at least the same again will pay the money.

      There is no reason on earth why Liverpool fans should have to pay 3 times as much as a Stoke fan for the same seat, at the same ground against the same opposition.
      ruthcity
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #12: Apr 28, 2015 11:53:55 am
      There is no reason on earth why Liverpool fans should have to pay 3 times as much as a Stoke fan for the same seat, at the same ground against the same opposition.

      Well, there is one reason though not a very good one. It's called price discrimination in economics. You're described it well, just like an airline brings passengers on the same aircraft from the same place to the same destination at the same time. Some people just pay more.

      Footy is no longer footy. It has become live entertainment. Think pre season. The show goes out to America and Asia. Like a circus. Or formula one. Players are live actors and the audience are fans.
      JD
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #13: Apr 28, 2015 01:35:48 pm
      Footy is no longer footy. It has become live entertainment. Think pre season. The show goes out to America and Asia. Like a circus. Or formula one. Players are live actors and the audience are fans.

      Referee's (or Jose Mourinho) playing the part of the pantomime villain.
      ozi_wozzy
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #14: Apr 28, 2015 01:57:32 pm
      Some very good points mate in a very informative comment.Speaking of the 'day out' involved in taking in a game stateside, I was immediately taken back admittedly f**king light years ago to my days as an apprentice when with a little prudence me and the mates could get to Anfield for the home games, have a bevvy before the game then get downtown for the alehouse opening again and get pissed on the pub crawl.All for a tenner - I kid you not.To be equally pragmatic on the subject of FSG rewarding loyalty, that is not a viable proposition in that FSG have no knowledge or experience of that concept.

      It's such a shame we're losing that romance of loving your club. It used to be a part of your life and a place where bonding with mates/fans happened. I'm sad about the whole industry, it's not directed particularly just at FSG.

      But, my dissatisfaction at their ticketing strategy is solely directed at them. I say they're short sighted because protecting that special Anfield atmosphere should be a part of that strategy. It's one of the reasons why people start supporting us in the first place. They can make money without punishing the core fans. It's not even about recognising loyalty to seeing the club as a footballing dynasty that should be respected, but using that unique Anfield following, atmosphere and loyalty as a feature that distinguishes us from the rest of the soulless, history-less clubs that are everywhere nowdays. Chelsea, City, PSG, Monaco and co can all disagree all they want, but deep down, they'd love to have what we have. FSG's strategy is destroying that and they don't even realise how much more they can do with it.
      Begs
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #15: Apr 28, 2015 02:42:57 pm
      WOW!!! So much info here. I was not raised as a soccer fan, my dad forced me to be an american football fan, I never got to play soccer, or watch it. Thats a different story, hahaha, but I am just now learning about how deep the passion runs for clubs. I think it is awesome, but I also don't think we have anything that compares here in the states. People love the NFL, and their teams, but I just don't think the same passion thats in a Liverpool fans blood is there for an NFL fan.

      American sports have brought people, of all classes, together since their inception. As of late though it is becoming increasingly more difficult for working, lower class, families to attend sporting events. I don't think we have ever had a 'working class game' in the USA.

      To be honest the reason I was so drawn to liverpool is watching the way they played in the late 80's and 90's. They were known, from what i read and watched on you tube, for work ethic, passion with their fans, and that their fans were among the most passionate, yet classy in England.

      I have never dealt with anything, like whats going on for EPL ticket prices, so it is hard for me to say 'oh, i would feel like this' but i do think it is absolute BS that the fans are having to pay more tickets AFTER the EPL signed a 5billion pound TV deal.

      I do think that the 'american thought process' has come over to the club I have come to love. It is very much an american business philosophy of 'raise the price for sports fans, they will pay it, if not someone else will'. This has been the reason for constant season ticket price increases for the NFL and MLB. Even if the teams have LOSING SEASONS!!!! it is such BS!

      I appreciate all the insights. I really like getting info from multiple sources before making up my mind on something.

      I am REALLY hoping to get over to Anfield next year and meet some of you guys and gals that I have interacted with on here for some footie and some pints!!
      FL Red
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #16: Apr 28, 2015 03:30:52 pm
      I have a question...is there a scalping issue in England with football tickets?

      If that's not clear...do people with season tickets or people that buy single game tickets then proceed to turn around and sell them for a profit? Because that's a lot of what's driven the price up here in the states is scalpers. In fact we have a website (stubhub.com) that basically allows for this very practice (even though scalping is technicall illegal).

      What I'm getting at with this is, if ticket prices were kept low, would those people that would be buying those low priced tickets, end up selling them for a huge profit because of the inherent demand for tickets since the EPL has become a such a global pull?

      Because if so, then just lowering ticket prices isn't going to solve the issue of allowing those that can't afford the higher prices getting to go to a game.

      Also, the league wouldn't have that huge amount of extra revenue if it weren't for the global marketability of the sport.

      I just read an article recently on NBC's coverage of the EPL here in the states. NBC paid a huge amount of money for the rights to air games and they've done much better than they dreamed...to the point where they moved their entire production operations to England (from the states) to provide matchday coverage before and after the games. I think sadly the day of reasonably priced tickets for football matches may be long gone....as the profile of the sport only gets enhanced, and more countries (especially America) start taking notice, you will only see the demand for the "matchday" experience continue to skyrocket. And business owners being business owners, they will want to cash in on that demand to make more money for the club (and ultimately themselves).

      I checked the prices for an Orlando City game against the LA Galaxy coming up in May...it would cost me over $200 just for tickets to take my family to the game. And that's MLS!

      I also checked tickets for Barca and Real Madrid. Looks like Real had the lowest ticket prices (albeit not for very good seats) at around $30 and Barca was around $65.

      So it's not just a Liverpool problem and it's not just attributed to FSG...it's across all leagues all over the world it appears.
      heimdall
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #17: Apr 28, 2015 03:36:28 pm
      Until a sensible salary cap is introduced by Fifa and Uefa then ticket prices won't be coming down any time soon, its the players hugely inflated wages which are driving up ticket prices.
      From my pov no footballer should be earning more than a maximum of £25,000 per week, with the majority on about £10,000 per week.
      Ribapuru
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #18: Apr 28, 2015 03:39:25 pm
      As well as the soaring cost I think the problem is that prices are not standardised.  I think I read somewhere that when Stoke fans went to Hull they paid £15, Everton fans paid £35 and Liverpool fans are now expected to pay £50.

      Seems quite wrong that different sets of fans have to pay different amounts to witness the magic of Hull City's football.

      Atmosphere's at football grounds are dire enough these days.  Imagine it without any away fans to at least try to create an atmosphere.  I think £20 for every PL away ticket is hardly going to break the bank of these clubs rolling in with a combined £3,000,000,000 per year.
      If everybody paid £50 at Hull I think people would accept it just fine, but no football fans should charged different prices for supporting a different team.
      FL Red
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #19: Apr 28, 2015 03:39:43 pm
      Until a sensible salary cap is introduced by Fifa and Uefa then ticket prices won't be coming down any time soon, its the players hugely inflated wages which are driving up ticket prices.
      From my pov no footballer should be earning more than a maximum of £25,000 per week, with the majority on about £10,000 per week.

      Actually a salary cap is a wonderful idea but it would never work in a global sport where you have multiple different leagues. You can see how hard it is for them to institute FFP, it would be just as hard or harder to manage a salary cap for all of the different clubs.


      I'm also in favor of a team salary cap, not an individual cap.

      You want to play Messi 400k per week? Fine...but you won't be able to afford to also put Neymar and Suarez on 300-200k per week each as well. You'd  have to pick and choose where to blow your wad.

      Although I'll warn you....the NFL has a salary cap and if I'm not mistaken, also some of the highest single game ticket prices for any sporting event. It also comes down to how much the leagues and teams wish to make. If they can take it or make it, they will.
      srslfc
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #20: Apr 28, 2015 03:43:30 pm
      Until a sensible salary cap is introduced by Fifa and Uefa then ticket prices won't be coming down any time soon, its the players hugely inflated wages which are driving up ticket prices.
      From my pov no footballer should be earning more than a maximum of £25,000 per week, with the majority on about £10,000 per week.

      Is that true though?

      I would have though the billions in TV money is a bigger factor in increased player wages
      AmericanPlant
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      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #21: Apr 28, 2015 03:46:27 pm
      Until a sensible salary cap is introduced by Fifa and Uefa then ticket prices won't be coming down any time soon, its the players hugely inflated wages which are driving up ticket prices.
      From my pov no footballer should be earning more than a maximum of £25,000 per week, with the majority on about £10,000 per week.

      Well Spain and Germany manage to pay huge wages AND have fair ticket prices. As my sig observes.
      England has the worst deal around as I see it. Huge prices and increasingly average teams.

      If ticket prices were fairer, fans would be prepared to spend more on other things associated with their team.

      A big ground with cheap prices could do wonders for the image, increase merchandising sales AND allow lots of locals AND tourists.

      However, some of England and Italy just want to squeeze supply to a minimum, and profiteer.
      Its the business model of the most cynical and those least likely to want to invest.
      TheRedMosquito
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      • Elmore James got nothin' on this baby!
      Re: Fan Protest--Questions from a Yank
      Reply #22: Apr 28, 2015 03:48:26 pm
      Although I'll warn you....the NFL has a salary cap and if I'm not mistaken, also some of the highest single game ticket prices for any sporting event. It also comes down to how much the leagues and teams wish to make. If they can take it or make it, they will.

      Truth. Unfortunately, leagues/teams will always price gouge as long as there are people willing to pay. Professional sports are no longer for the working classes who built them, supported them and love them, but for the business classes looking for a day or night out.

      Back in the 90s when the Chicago Bulls were dominating the NBA, journalists covering the team used to have a nickname for the fans: The Sweater Crowd. Basically, the only people who could afford to see Jordan et al were rich, white, well-dressed people from the suburbs.

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