Priced out?

[M18CTID]

Well yeah, large scale boycotts will require a vast amount of season ticket holders to 'lose' the cost of a game by not attending, and obviously that is a decision many will not want to take. But even large protests before or during the games will have much less of an impact then empty seats during a globally televised game that broadcasters are paying billions for.

So, as ever, ticket prices will increase, options for families will reduce, and more corporate/hospitality tickets made available.

I don't disagree that a large-scale boycott would be more effective but that's not happening in this country. However, I disagree that nothing will change because as we've seen in the recent past, fan activism without boycotts HAS led to cheaper ticket prices, the most obvious example being the TwentysPlenty campaign which led to Premier League away tickets being capped at £30 and has remained in place for the past 9 seasons. Looking at individual clubs, Liverpool fans staged a mass walkout at a home game against Sunderland in 2016 in protest at some of the ticket prices in their renovated main stand. The people who organised that protest were prepared for a long battle with the club, but to their surprise FSG backed down just 2 days after that walkout and revised the ticket prices. Closer to home, fan protests in our own ground focusing on the price of CL Quarter Final tickets against PSG in 2016 led to cheaper home tickets for the Semi-Final against Real Madrid in the next round. And of course, more recently we've had a climbdown from the club over the disabled parking prices due to pressure from various City fan groups.

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

Nobody attacked you precious. I read your post and it was full of sanctimonious crap, so I pointed out that attitudes like yours are part of the problem why fans are getting fleeced but you are too blind to see it. I was right.This is just one small part of your post.

"Life is about priorities, one of my priorities is my beloved club, so if I need to make some financial sacrifices to watch them, so be it."

So what happens when you've made all the sacrifices, cut all the corners but the club raise the prices yet again? Do you then cut your food bill down, turn off your heating for a few more hours, don't buy a new pair of much needed shoes? If you do, will you then be able to afford the latest price increase? If so well done, you can continue going to the game. You're now at your absolute limit financially though with no wriggle room whatsoever. Then the club announce yet another price increase. Now you're fucked. Do you see it now? That's the reality a lot of our loyal fanbase are facing right now and the reason many who used to go in the past no longer attend.

Average prices are now £60-80. If I didn't have a season ticket I wouldn't pay it out of principle. Loyalty goes both ways and at the moment it's all one way. Having a successful football team is no good if you can't afford to go and watch them.

Oh and you're still a cock.

It's a shame you let emotion take over your posts, you do make some convincing points but ruin them with the insults.

As I said in another posts, people are not 'entitled' to go to games, football stopped being just a sport where locals could turn up for and watch for next to nothing years ago. Football is now an international business and we can't change that.

There is this sense of, I can't afford it so they must drop their prices. Another view is, if I can't afford it, I either have to earn more money or just not have what I want.

I'm not rich (if that's what you think), my life is full of sacrifices, there are lots of things I need or want but can't afford. If I can't afford the car I want, I can't lobby Porsche to lower their prices (I'd like to), however people think that this should be the case with Premier League teams.

I agree it's not fair, but life isn't fair sadly

 

[M18CTID]

So let me get this right, if I don't agree with your view I'm part of the problem? That's just typical of today's social media led society.

The reason why the stadium was half empty was not primarily driven by ticket pricing but rather an apathy amongst our fan base, partly for the Champions League, partly because some fans are fickle and don't want to pay to see us struggling, partly due to arm chair fans, who'd prefer to spend money elsewhere.

I do accept that some fans genuinely can't afford it and I have sympathy there, but that's life unfortunately, we all want some things we can't have.

I also take your point entirely on kids pricing, and agree that (and higher prices in general) are a football thing and not just a city thing. The way to lobby that is not hating on our own club but rather coming together on mass as football fans to challenge the overarching league and regulators.

Errrr....that's what's happening on Sunday in case you hadn't noticed. And you can't challenge the league regarding prices at individual clubs as home ticket pricing is set by the clubs themselves. For away tickets, it was different - we challenged the Premier League on that first and foremost who then communicated it to the clubs, and we were ultimately successful on that.

 

[City & Blue Brazil]

So let me get this right, if I don't agree with your view I'm part of the problem? That's just typical of today's social media led society.

The reason why the stadium was half empty was not primarily driven by ticket pricing but rather an apathy amongst our fan base, partly for the Champions League, partly because some fans are fickle and don't want to pay to see us struggling, partly due to arm chair fans, who'd prefer to spend money elsewhere.

I do accept that some fans genuinely can't afford it and I have sympathy there, but that's life unfortunately, we all want some things we can't have.

I also take your point entirely on kids pricing, and agree that (and higher prices in general) are a football thing and not just a city thing. The way to lobby that is not hating on our own club but rather coming together on mass as football fans to challenge the overarching league and regulators.

It's not the league and regulators who set the prices at city though is it ? It's not a case of "hating" on the club we all support but more trying to get them to see that their attempts at ripping off fans is not going to end well in the long run. You always need to bear in mind that gate receipts are a very small part of the turnover . I believe TV money is increasing by 17% on the new deal , why not buy some goodwill by using that money to ensure all tickets and especially those for kids are at a fair price?

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

Thanks Ferran. You should post on here more often.

People like you are why football fans will continue to be fleeced. Fortunately more and more are starting to realise they're being taken for granted. Do you think people like Soriano sit there and say to themselves "Times are hard in the real world. Inflation is up. Our fans have to shell out for a lot of games these days, particularly those that follow us home and away. You know what? I'll freeze or even reduce some prices to help them out a bit".

I can tell you there are people at City who look at spreadsheets and work out how they can increase revenue per customer year-on-year. In just over 6 months time we'll be playing in the Club World Cup. That alone will bring in at least as much revenue as the tickets we sold this season (which will be £80m maximum).

Get your head out of your arse because, before long, it'll be you saying you're priced out.

Here's another one "people like you" because I don't agree with what you think. Once again, if you read my previous posts,

Thanks Ferran. You should post on here more often.

People like you are why football fans will continue to be fleeced. Fortunately more and more are starting to realise they're being taken for granted. Do you think people like Soriano sit there and say to themselves "Times are hard in the real world. Inflation is up. Our fans have to shell out for a lot of games these days, particularly those that follow us home and away. You know what? I'll freeze or even reduce some prices to help them out a bit".

I can tell you there are people at City who look at spreadsheets and work out how they can increase revenue per customer year-on-year. In just over 6 months time we'll be playing in the Club World Cup. That alone will bring in at least as much revenue as the tickets we sold this season (which will be £80m maximum).

Get your head out of your arse because, before long, it'll be you saying you're priced out.

Here's another one, "people like you" because I'm not agreeing completely with your views. As per my previous posts, I'm not saying it's completely fair or right, it just is what it is. Maybe one day I will be priced out and I'll be sad, but I'll still accept that football isn't what it was. I want to see the best players in the league and playing for city, that's the pros, there will always be associated cons.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

I'm saying that we live in an expensive world, where everything costs more. To expect £30 price capped tickets (as some are saying) is unrealistic. So, as a consumer of anything, we have to make choices, so for me, yes, if I had to make the choice between wearing Nicks or going to City, I'd be wearing the Nicks.

You come across to me as a selfish I'm alright jack' type condescending tosser trying to lecture us on how to budget our finances in order to buy tickets.

Being unemployed on Universal Credit I'm struggling to live never mind buy tickets. Going to a game nowadays I have to buy cheap tickets off here or sometimes one of my SC mates can't go and let me go on a freebie because that's what I did when I had a SC 2 seasons back. I gave my ticket to friends when I couldn't go. .Some games I've attended on a freebie from the kindness of Bluemooners which I'm very appreciative of, so thanks blues. X

I watch City every game whether attending the game or viewing on TV on my iptv app or the pub and I'm not too bothered about not going because it's not just the price of tickets, it's paying out for transport food and drink. I used to have a few pints and eat food at games but I very rarely do nowadays due to high prices.

There are a lot of blues in my boat who have to carefully consider whether they can afford the match day cost and there are many blues that have already been priced out that have to watch games on a dodgy Iptv app.

And yes I think £30 tickets is a reasonable amount to charge.

Cap ticket prices, cap players salary. Simple!

 

[mexico1970]

You come across to me as a selfish I'm alright jack' type condescending tosser trying to lecture us on how to budget our finances in order to buy tickets.

Being unemployed on Universal Credit I'm struggling to live never mind buy tickets. Going to a game nowadays I have to buy cheap tickets off here or sometimes one of my SC mates can't go and let me go on a freebie because that's what I did when I had a SC 2 season back

, gave my ticket to friends. Some games I've attended on a freebie from the kindness of Bluemooners which I'm very appreciative of, so thanks blues. X

I watch City every game whether attending the game or viewing on TV on my iptv app or the pub and I'm not too bothered about not going because it's not just the price of tickets, it's paying out for transport food and drink. I used to have a few pints and eat dood at games but I very rarely do nowadays due to high prices.

There are a lot of blues in my boat who have to carefully consider whether they can afford the match day cost and there are many blues that have already been priced out that have to watch games on a dodgy Iptv app.

And yes I think £30 tickets is a reasonable amount to charge.

Cap ticket prices, cap players salary. Simple!

People shouldn't be nodding agreeing with prices going up to do what is a huge part of their life and has been from since when they can remember.

Going to football is a huge cultural part of our lives, it brings us together in ways that nothing (And I mean nothing) does, this is the reason why the new *COUGH** regulator has that in his/her/their remit.

£30 is too much IMHO, stop fleecing fans and specially in favour of schoolkids from other cities and tourists here for the one off, the club needs to propagate our loyal fans because we will be here through thick and thin.

 

[TheGhost]

TV money/subscriptions or sponsors should be subsidising ticket prices.

 

[Moss Side's Finest]

You're entitled to your opinion but your trainers analogy is complete and utter horseshit. Regular match-going fans attend 20, 30, 40, or more games a season. People don't go out and buy 20+ pairs of trainers every year FFS.

You're also falling into the trap of blaming the Cartel cunts for City increasing their ticket prices. That's a separate issue altogether. It's a total red herring. Given that ticket revenue only accounts for 10%-15% of the overall revenue of the club AND we've recently been posting record profits that dwarf the extra money ticket price increases have brought in, there's absolutely no need to keep increasing ticket prices. That argument would be the equivalent to United blaming their decision to scrap concessionary ticket prices for their members on the mounting legal fees for all the cases the Premier League have been involved in - in particular the one against us - where the costs will ultimately be shared between the member clubs, when in fact that's utter bullshit and what they're doing is just an exercise in monetising fans further even though there is no need to.

I'll also add that City aren't just exploiting the loyalty of the fans. They've also been exploiting Pep and the success we've had under him, taking that success for granted, and have been hiking up ticket prices even more as a result of that. Well, as we all know Pep won't be here forever and as we're seeing at the moment, as much as I love the bloke, success under Pep isn't always guaranteed and if we go on to have an ultimately iffy season, the club are going to have to seriously look at ticket prices with the new stand coming online next season.

Appreciated the reply, especially for not calling me a cock.

We need figure out something here. Are we saying that Sheikh Mansour is the saviour of our club who has delivered everything he promised and more. Or are we saying that he is a tyrant who is now abusing both the fans and the manager?

The reason he bought the club was not out of charity for us downtrodden blues, it was because he knew that in the long term he could make lots of money out of it. Any sensible city fan knew that.

If he had done what the Glazers have done i.e. delivered zero success, then I could agree entirely with the anger. However he hasn't, he gave us everything we desired and more to boot. All city fans lived that success, but with that success comes a cost, what we are seeing now is the cost.

 

[bennyboy]

Circumstances made me give up the season card a few years back (mistake on my part with hindsight) did well enough getting to a lot of games with matchday membership for a while. Struggled to get tickets from last season onwards (despite paying 35 quid for the privilege) and when I do get the chance at tickets I find it hard to justify the price and dont have as much fear of missing out as I had when I was younger. I do Have a blast at the few games I stoll get to though. Season tickets are still great value but match by match not so much.

I think when it is time for me to give up my season that's it for me.
Couldn't be arsed with the hassle of paying just for a chance of a ticket.
Then getting every league game at an average of £26 now and then paying more than double that for most games if no season.Must be hard.
65 next year so my season will be cheaper so hopefully get a few seasons yet.
Not just City though.My Scottish team Hearts make it hard to get tickets for games as well now.
Gone are the days you just rock up to the ground and pay at the gate sadly.
Concerts are worse than football for pricing.
They are ripping the plsh even more than the football.