70,000 seats - will they be empty?

[honourablegeorge]

Food for thought here - are 22% of Liverpool fans really not going to renew their STs? What implicatiosn does somethign liek this have for a new stadium?

 

 

ONE IN EIGHT SEASON TICKET HOLDERS WON'T RENEW DUE TO COST

 

* Virgin Money's Football Fans Price Index shows 17.8 per cent rise in matchday costs

* Number of fans priced out of the game up 5%

* West Ham fans least likely to renew season ticket

 

 

One in every eight football fans (12%) is considering not renewing their season ticket because they have been priced out of the game - up five per cent on the same time last year, according to new research* from Virgin Money. Fans of Premiership clubs are least likely to return next season, with around 16 per cent believing they cannot afford to attend every home match.

 

Virgin Money estimates that around a quarter of all season tickets won't be renewed across the country this summer, with reasons varying from family commitments to the overall cost and even disillusionment at the poor quality of the football on display.

 

But research shows that almost half of those who are not renewing say following their team is just too expensive. And Virgin Money's Football Fans Price Index shows the cost of going to games has risen by 17.8 per cent since January 2006.

 

And the poll showed West Ham will feel the backlash most keenly, with some 38 per cent of season ticket holders saying they wouldn't be renewing next year. Almost three quarters of those claim Upton Park is just too expensive, suggesting that the club's recent Great Escape at Old Trafford may not be enough to keep the fans happy.

 

Other Premiership clubs pricing their fans away from the game include championship challengers Manchester United, who recently announced a 14 per cent rise in ticket prices for next season, Middlesbrough and Liverpool. Portsmouth and Bolton fans are among the least likely to complain about costs vindicating the clubs' decisions to either freeze or lower season ticket prices for next season.

 

Club with % of ST holders not renewing due to cost

 

1 West Ham United (28)

2 Manchester United (24)

3 Liverpool (22)

4 Middlesbrough (21)

5 Newcastle United (19)

6 Tottenham Hotspur (19)

7 Aston Villa (17)

8 Chelsea (15)

9 Blackburn Rovers (14)

10 Charlton Athletic (13)

11 Arsenal (13)

12 Fulham (12)

13 Manchester City (11)

14 Sheffield United (11)

15 Watford (10)

16 Wigan Athletic (10)

17 Reading (8)

18 Bolton Wanderers (8)

19 Everton (7)

20 Portsmouth (7)

 

Club with % of ST holders not renewing due to poor quality of football

 

1 Manchester City (13)

2 Newcastle United (10)

3 West Ham United (7)

4 Watford (6)

5 Wigan Athletic (4)

6 Middlesbrough (3)

7 Aston Villa (1)

7 Blackburn Rovers (1)

7 Charlton Athletic (1)

7 Fulham (1)

7 Reading (1)

7 Everton (1)

13 Manchester United (0)

13 Liverpool (0)

13 Tottenham Hotspur (0)

13 Chelsea (0)

13 Arsenal (0)

13 Sheffield United (0)

13 Bolton Wanderers (0)

13 Portsmouth (0)

 

The findings of the survey for the Virgin Money Football Fans Price Index highlight the threat rising costs of being a fan pose to the future of the game, illustrating the potential impact of high ticket prices on everyday fans.

 

Virgin Money's Football Fans' Price Index shows that in the past year the cost of attending games has risen by 17.84 per cent. The index is aimed at helping supporters keep track of the rises and falls in the costs of supporting their team. The company identified the match-day essentials fans buy and keeps tabs on increases and decreases.

 

At the launch of the index last year the matchday basket of goods cost ﾣ77.95 and now it's ﾣ91.87 - a rise of ﾣ13.92. An increase in the cost of match tickets and replica shirts are the main reasons behind the increase.

 

Virgin Money spokesman John Franklin said: "Football clubs have to understand that fans can only take so much. High ticket prices, pricey merchandise and matchday programmes are all contributing to an ordinary fan's regular costs. Loyalty should be rewarded, not exploited.

 

"There is evidence that some clubs are listening to their fans - price freezes and even price reductions are being introduced in the Premiership - but sadly at the moment these are exceptions to the rule. If we want to continue to fill our stadia and attract future generations to the beautiful game, football has to be affordable to all."

 

Virgin Money's Football Fans' Prices Index runs every three months and looks at the cost of a typical basket of goods monitoring the ups and downs of prices.

 

The firm's research team examines the cost of items such as a gallon of petrol; match tickets; food; alcohol; train tickets and replica shirts.

 

-Ends-

 

Notes to editors:

 

* Football Fans' Census interviewed a representative sample of 2,013 football fans between 10th - 19th April 2007

* The basket of goods includes a gallon of petrol, a pint of lager, a bacon roll, a train fare, a match ticket, a replica shirt, pay-per-view cost and a match programme.

[Mike]

they never asked me

 

just noticed the representative sample.

 

f***ing hell thats pathetic.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Mike

[johngibo YPC]

must have been Will's company

[Kite]

It doesn't even state that the fans they interviewed were all ST holders

[Guest Snorky]

I know a few lads who are not renewing their season tickets but have passed them on, no-one will know the difference to be honest.

[Will]

must have been Will's company

 

100 per club is not a very large sample true!

[honourablegeorge]

Not a massive sample, admittedly - but if you ask 100-odd Liverpool ST holders and 22 say they're not renewing, it's still significant, however small the relative size of the sample.

[johngibo YPC]

 

100 per club is not a very large sample true!

 

Isn't 385 optimum Will?

 

Also, 'considering' and doing are 2 very different things

i'd like to see how they phrased the question.

for example they could have said

'How likely is it that you won't renew your season ticket next season'

- very likely

- likely

- quite likely

- not very likely

- not at all likely

 

22 out of 100 answering one of the first 3 answers isnt that many really

Edited May 16, 2007 by johngibo YPC

[Spoone]

I'll be waiting for my call from the ticket office then and i'll see you all at Anfield every other week next year.

[Will]

Isn't 385 optimum Will?

All depends on the universe size and how statistically accurate you want the answers to be

Edited May 16, 2007 by Will

[mm2259]

If 22% of Liverpool fans don't renew their season ticket this summer I'll hack my nads off with a rusty spoon......

[fyds]

That's a nonsense survey, that is.

[downunder]

Is that 22% of those not renewing won't because of the cost, or 22% are not renewing because of the cost.

[Odda]

Empty seats???!

Not a chance in he**

If so, i`ll buy any spares.

[Guest Finnan3]

Point with our season ticket holders while they may not pay to renew, they will simply "rent" the season ticket out until they can afford/have the inclination to go again.

[Guest green bin]

Does this mean i might finally get off the waiting list Its only been 4 years like but

[BG]

All depends on the universe size and how statistically accurate you want the answers to be

 

Do you work in this sort of area? If so what's the company called?

[R A Softlad]

All depends on the universe size and how statistically accurate you want the answers to be

 

Well, erm, the universe is huge and what relevance would that have unless they play footy on other planets? Wonder if an alternate Everton are as sh*t on the other side of teh galaxy?

 

It doesn't even state that the fans they interviewed were all ST holders

 

So not really that worrying for anyone other than Newcastle then...

[AE]

I know a few lads who are not renewing their season tickets but have passed them on, no-one will know the difference to be honest.

 

 

Which is why our waiting list is what, 8+ years?

If it was "controlled" properly it would probably only be a couple.

[Will]

Do you work in this sort of area? If so what's the company called?

BrandDriver

[johngibo YPC]

BrandDriver

 

makes you sound very important that William Neville!!

your client list is well better than ours!!

[johngibo YPC]

your website i meant.

Edited May 16, 2007 by johngibo YPC

[surf]

blablablablabla

 

One in every eight football fans (12%) is considering not renewing their season ticket because they have been priced out of the game - up five per cent on the same time last year, according to new research* from Virgin Money.

 

more blablabla

[Mr Makaveli]

That's a nonsense survey, that is.

 

oh ya, it's total s***. i'm suprised people are even talking about it to be honest.