There’s been a lot of talk the past few days around pricing in the non-league game, namely the play-off final in the top division and season ticket prices across some levels.
Quite rightly a lot of people are concerned at some of the amounts of cash they’re being asked to part with as the nation suffers from a cost of living crisis where we’re all having to prioritise what is more important for us to spend our cash on.
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Of course it has to be remembered that clubs are really a business now and reliant on book balancing more than ever, or gaining as much income as they can but are they pricing themselves out of the market and attracting less fans than if they charged a lower price?
The play-off final for the National League has been a bone of contention ever since it was announced it would be held at West Ham’s London Stadium. With the lack of southern teams in the play-off’s it was criticised for no second venue sought closer to the north should that be more geographically sensible.
The stadium also suffers from primarily being an athletics stadium and the sightlines are poor for watching football, some have remarked you need a set of binoculars to see from the back.
I appreciate that at the end of the season it’s hard to find a venue as work begins on pitches and the jobs you can’t do when the season is in full flow, granted as well the women’s Euros have taken up a lot of venues too but if as suggested they were looking at grounds to use in February/March and it’s the best they can do then they haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory, not to mention saying they expected to have Wrexham and Notts County in the final, pretty disrespectful to the other 4 teams that competed and indeed neither of those two clubs are in the final having both been knocked out by Grimsby Town.
The price point as well is contentious to say the least. £40 for adults is bad enough I think, but £20 for Under 16 shows contempt for the paying public and then no concessions allowed in the upper tier of the stadium, what on earth are they thinking?
Not so long ago the cry was from the top to the bottom of the game that the game can’t do without fans, they are needed to make the game what it is and by all accounts we seem to have forgotten this as a full season has finally been completed for the first time in three years.
Season tickets don’t escape either, while most offers I’ve seen are decently priced some are really trying their luck. My own club Barnet to me have a horrendous offer for a side that finished 18th last season. £386 is the offering for next year, Kings Lynn one level lower are offering £384 after being relegated from the top tier.
Breaking it down it works out quite well, but is it value for money for what you saw on the pitch last season? I think not. The problem at Barnet comes down to charging £22 for a single match, nothing there to encourage new fans or floaters to come and watch, it’s cheaper elsewhere in the National League and that in itself drives up the season ticket cost.
If things don’t improve moneywise for people then choices are going to be made which don’t necessarily mean they can afford football or possibly just not that level, they filter away and don’t come back, where every penny can count in non-league football it’s a dangerous game to alienate people.
