BLUE PEANUT
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31 Jul 2009
- Messages
- 461
Figgylion said:I think some people may be forgetting how much The Club and especially the Premier League are marketing themselves worldwide, like it or not the Prem is being sold as a tourist destination as well as a TV market.
Travel agencies around the world sell matchday experiences for the big clubs,and as we are now included in that bracket, tourists are inevitable.
As long as the locals can still get/afford tickets, is it really that much of a problem?
Whilst i'm not stupid enough to not realise that so called tourists will end up being a regular part of the club (and to be fair one that with current FFPR is something i don't have a problem with) i can't say i'd really noticed it on match days other than the occasional school visit or touring junior football team in the family stand. That was until Blackburn at home at the weekend.
Walking around the front of the city store at the ground just before the mildy inebriated Ricky Hatton took to the mic, i couldn't help but notice a group of 4 or 5 chinese folk, all middle aged, all dripping in newly acquired merchandise, including ironically some of the retro umbro diamond stuff ! Their money is as good as anyone's so bring it on. Hopefully, any future ground expansion plans can accommodate locals at a sensible cost as well as profitable so called "match day experiences" the club keep refering to.
Oh, and i did go when we were shit - dragged up the blue way from the mid 70's by my old fella !