Are You Officially Priced Out Yet, Or Almost?

[CheethamHillBlue]

We are talking about disposable income aren't we? Money left after all your bills have been paid for the month.You don't have this being on the dole.
Times are tough for many however a season ticket for me is not a luxury as I actually budget for it each year by saving from my wages directly into a credit union. I am fortunate enough to be able to do this however many fans have less money in their sky rockets yet tickets are increasing at a frightening pace. It's not even in line with inflation 2-2.5% it is 10%,15% etc....so they have no choice anymore as the option simply isn't there to be able to afford it.

I beg to differ re some on the dole. Go in the local spoons and some manage it quite well with Sky TV and a car too. I'm glad you are in a position to pay it each year. Judging by the attendance figures last season there are plenty more who are as well as i'm sure there will be this year and probably next.
It's still a luxury and not a necessity in my honest opinion - however many times you say it.
Another analogy might be after working all year round, some people see having a holiday as a necessity whilst others may consider it a luxury.
Others might say the holiday to Spain/Canaries etc each year is a necessity but Florida would be a luxury holiday.
At the end of the day, however you want to dress it up, it's all about your finances - and which is more important to the individual.

PS Here's a fact that hasn't been made on here yet as far as i'm aware. Did you know that match day tickets for the opening game of 2012/13 season cost FIFTY SIX POUNDS EACH? The visitors? SOUTHAMPTON.
Who'd a thawt it eh?

 

[Shirley]

With the present climate of fans struggling to buy tickets City have a great opportunity to introduce fair (cheap) ticketing, unfortunately we are now feasting at the top table and FFP prevents the club from considering it.
It's not a game, it's a shame.

 

[St Helens Blue (Exiled)]

We are talking about disposable income aren't we? Money left after all your bills have been paid for the month.You don't have this being on the dole.
Times are tough for many however a season ticket for me is not a luxury as I actually budget for it each year by saving from my wages directly into a credit union. I am fortunate enough to be able to do this however many fans have less money in their sky rockets yet tickets are increasing at a frightening pace. It's not even in line with inflation 2-2.5% it is 10%,15% etc....so they have no choice anymore as the option simply isn't there to be able to afford it.

I beg to differ re some on the dole. Go in the local spoons and some manage it quite well with Sky TV and a car too. I'm glad you are in a position to pay it each year. Judging by the attendance figures last season there are plenty more who are as well as i'm sure there will be this year and probably next.
It's still a luxury and not a necessity in my honest opinion - however many times you say it.
Another analogy might be after working all year round, some people see having a holiday as a necessity whilst others may consider it a luxury.
Others might say the holiday to Spain/Canaries etc each year is a necessity but Florida would be a luxury holiday.
At the end of the day, however you want to dress it up, it's all about your finances - and which is more important to the individual.

PS Here's a fact that hasn't been made on here yet as far as i'm aware. Did you know that match day tickets for the opening game of 2012/13 season cost FIFTY SIX POUNDS EACH? The visitors? SOUTHAMPTON.
Who'd a thawt it eh?

I love benefit cheats I really do!
Don't think we are going to agree on this mate.I accept your opinion despite not agreeing with it.

 

[bluemarauder10]

Having read the comments on the thread, I have to say that I can relate to a lot of the things already said. I have hardly missed a domestic game for the last five seasons now (with a fair few European games thrown in), including a run of 127 domestic continuous league and cup games. However, I got married last year and we have just had our first child. We probably need to move home in the near future too, and for the first time in my life I am now left wondering whether I can afford to keep going to games, especially away games, with my family now becoming my priority. It wasn't something I even considered in the past, I'd just get tickets as soon as they went on sale. I have no doubt that Chelsea or Arsenal will be charging around £70 this season and you have to ask yourself when will prices will stop increasing.

I have friends, in their thirties like me, who are in exactly the same financial position as myself where it may be at best a season ticket and the odd local away game thrown in. I hate missing any games, but that is the stark reality of the situation we are finding ourselves in. The next worry is how am I going to afford to take my child to games, without sacrificing in other areas of my life, which my wife wouldn't allow anyway. I worry for the coming generations of blues and imagine that going to the game in the next 20 years or so will become somewhat of a novelty rather than the norm as it was when I was a kid.

 

[jrb]

The bundesliga comparison.

Taken from another forum.

First column are terrace home ticket prices, 2nd column is cheapest sitting down ticket prices, 3rd column is most expensive non-vip season ticket prices. Last row is average price for each column.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

City's price comes from the LOWEST IN THE TABLE to the lowest of the top teams in the league, and must still is a good value by most fans over 19 games.

Decisions, decisions...City or Stoke? City or Stoke?

Not really how people decide which football team they would like to watch is it?

Or is this another veiled attempt to suggest that each fan should conduct a cost/success analysis and choose the team and ticket that gives them most wins for their buck?

Of course, it isn't, cos you and all the others who bang this "we must pay for success" drum either didn't, or won't admit that they did, do the opposite and fuck City off when they were shit but still more expensive than the other teams in the shit division they were in.

At what point in your City supporting career did you start using the level of success (compared to price or not) to decide whether you should actually support them or fuck of somewhere else instead. I suspect you didn't, as that is not how being a fan works, which invalidates your cost/success argument. And if you did you don't deserve a say on this matter.

You are absolutely correct....people do NOT choose which team they support based on ticket costs. However, when looking at who you support, the whole "supply and demand" comes into play, as does the FACT that hundreds of millions of quid have been put into this club to help create the success we ALL enjoy, and at some point people have to realize they are watching city, not Stoke, yet are not paying any more than a Stoke fan is paying....which is a good deal in anyone's book.

I have not been on the Stoke fan site, but I imagine the EXACT SAME discussion is playing out...with ZERO SUCCESS EVER.

While I would love nothing more than for every City fan to get a ticket for every game, every father (and mother) to be able to take their kids to a game or two every season, and for pints to be £2 and pies to be £1. So far, I have heard no serious rationale why the club should price that way....and fall further behind their peers in ticket and concession revenues....and only heard that some people struggle to save £12 a week for a ticket and that the Cityzen Cards are too expensive for a one-off cost for a game or two.

I also, as I have iterated earlier, feel that £1.50-£2.00 a day is not a lot of money to set aside, but then I'm fortunate enough to have that viewpoint and recognize there may be other viewpoints on that issue. Unfortunately, NOTHING in society is priced so that EVERYONE should have some "right" to purchase, even if you feel you should have some right to access to City games.

I have made some concrete suggestions earlier in this thread regarding the "family trip to the game" issue, but still feel the seasoncard is by far the best, and most economical, way to see a game for everyone. I realize that £12 becomes £20 when a kid is involved, but I don't see other clubs doing anything innovative in this area. If they are, someone should announce it so people can discuss it. I've at least tried to mention something more innovative than the Cityzens card.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Deleted.

 

[jrb]

I appreciate BM doesn't speak for all City fans, but it's a very good cross sample of our support. And I'm 100% sure if you were to ask those City fans who don't post on BM, they would echo our sentiments on this thread.

I sincerely hope this thread has been noted at City, and at least discussed at a mid to high level.

 

[DannyBoy2890]

Renewed my season ticket for what will be my 21st consecutive season.
No away games or European away games for me this year, as me and my partner are expecting our first child.

To be honest with you, last season I struggled quite a lot, and if the 4 month instalment plan wasn't introduced I probably would have had to give it up last year.
I'm not gonna sit here and moan about how expensive it's getting, that comes with success, and it's something we've all dreamt of for years.

What I will say is how expensive away games are becoming.
I know a few regulars that have stopped going to as many in recent years due to the prices.

One of the main reasons I'm not going to the community shield too, can't jusitfy that for a pre season friendly, and an inconvenient trip to wembley.

Wahey, good luck with the little nipper Danny :-)

Cheers Ste :D

 

[Big Jive Eddie]

No Problem! I think the season card is well worth the money........
Stop moaning!!! If you can't afford it tough!!!