Ticket prices. Where do you draw the line at? And by that I mean when does it become unaffordable to attend? Non-league pricing appears on the whole to be relative still to the product on the pitch, but this past week we’ve seen some howlers coming from Premier League and Championship clubs.
Cast your mind back to 2020, the Premier League season completes itself inside empty stadiums whilst commentators, clubs and others mourn the fact ‘football is nothing without fans.’ That statement lasted until supporters were allowed back in to watch games live in 2021 just before the season concluded.
Because since then top level football has reverted to type and bowed down to the one thing they just can’t get enough of, money. The one word that promises to engulf the game and become more important than clubs themselves, owners who are merely custodians, you or I and everyone else you know that follows the game.
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As soon as the atmosphere was back inside the grounds, consideration for the very people they couldn’t do without was shoved in the bottom of the drawer and hidden away. Kick off times moved all over the place as per before, no consideration to the distance being travelled at some silly times of the day all for the sake of the home and overseas TV market.
That money coming from both the TV deals and from increased levels of sponsorship means the income from gate receipts is pocket change. It would really make no difference if they charged a maximum of £50 or even less for that matter at the top and then a filter further down, it’s a drop landing in the ocean, you just don’t see it.
Wages for many haven’t risen for years, but ticket prices increase and fans are expected to bear the brunt of pure greed because that’s how it comes across. My Twitter timeline has been full of Spurs fans after a 20% price increase of Category A games (the top ones like your Man City’s, Liverpool, Arsenal etc) are now being priced out of going week in, week out because it’s simply unaffordable.
Now, that’s including both people on their own and with families because let’s face it it’s not just the ticket cost it’s the price of the whole day out with travel and food. It just proves that the real world of you and I are becoming more and more detached from top level football and there is no sign of it dropping if we’re honest.
Sheffield Wednesday on promotion to the Championship have raised ticket prices to almost £60 in one stand for the Category A games, not surprisingly it’s drawn criticism from all quarters. Whilst you expect some sort of increase for moving up a level it’s clearly at a point where some will vote with their feet, football clubs do seem to believe fans are immune to the constant rising costs away from the game.
Arsenal’s top ticket of £103 for a Category A game is just unbelievable, the minimum £80 for an adult ticket for one and a half hour’s entertainment is crazy money in my opinion.
Non-league football is still pretty much priced sensibly despite the increase in costs everywhere. The standard of football in a lot of cases is good, it’s never going to match what you previously watched, of course they’re full time professionals at the top of their game but at these levels the game is still honest.
You get treated as a supporter, your money is welcomed and you’re helping a community asset too, there isn’t numerous changes to kick off times either, cups are taken seriously and there are some very good people to meet the more you go around and watch, but don’t take my word for it, check it out for yourself!
