A subject in the game that is not explored or discussed as much as it could be is the affordability of football. Many supporters would argue, and justifiably so, that this is a problem area within the game in the present day and something that requires change.
There are many different ways in which being a football fan costs supporters a large amount financially, including: ticket prices, TV subscriptions, merchandise and match days themselves.
I spoke to two West Ham fans – Travis Newton and Kieran Bryan – to get their views on the cost of being a football supporter in the modern era.
“Everyone’s Could Be Cheaper”
In the 19/20 season Premier League season tickets ranged from £320 to £1995, the most expensive being Tottenham’s highest priced season ticket. With some club’s season tickets starting at much higher prices than others, it is fair to ask the question “Do all Premier League season tickets, in this day and age, truly represent good value?”
“I don’t think they’re reasonable. I think they are incredibly expensive, because I think going to football is just expensive, full stop!” West Ham fan Travis said.
“If you look at Premier League season tickets as a whole, I think everyone’s could be cheaper, a lot cheaper,” Kieran agreed.
“Taking The Mick”
We discussed issues ranging from the recent Premier League pay-per-view scheme to whether or not paying for TV subscriptions are a reasonable alternative to going to games. Both fans shared similarly negative views regarding the expense of the pay-per-view fixtures.
“I don’t think I’d pay a penny for a pay-per-view game, I think if you’re gonna charge people for pay-per-view games, five quid [is fair]. 15 quid was taking the mick” commented Travis.
“Paying for the pay-per-view games is what would’ve allowed it to stay. A lot of people spoke out, said no, and they obviously weren’t getting the numbers coming in. That’s why it was scrapped.” Kieran concluded, highlighting the fact that there was always going to be a resistance by supporters to purchase matches at such a high price point, especially when there can be multiple matches on TV each weekend.
“It’s Way Cheaper To Sit At Home”
Travis did however argue that TV subscriptions might actually save fans money on match days when discussing his own situation.
“If I go to a West Ham game with my son, it’s gonna cost me money to get there, he’s gonna want food there, I’m probably gonna get food… and have a couple of drinks there. In the long run actually it’s way cheaper to sit at home and pay 20 quid a month and watch multiple football games every weekend. It represents better value for money, and I think if it cost you 20 pound a weekend to go and watch football that would be quite reasonable.”
Last season a Premier League study found the average price a Premier League ticket is bought for is £32. It also found: 53% of fans pay £30 or less for a ticket and an average ticket to an away match costs £29. The most damning statistics on affordability for football supporters relates to kit prices, with 11 clubs pricing their kid’s kits, sold as packages, at over £80.
Merchandise
Travis was very clear in his stance on kit prices and whether or not football clubs should create a strategy to make merchandise more affordable telling me that, from a marketing perspective, it is in a club’s interest to try and sell shirts. He went on to discuss the fact that there will be people out there who cannot buy them as they are simply unaffordable. Therefore, focusing on affordable merchandise should be the priority of more football clubs as “you’d sell more shirts in the long run” if they were more reasonably priced.
“The price of shirts is way too expensive, but that’s everywhere, I think that needs to be reduced as a whole.” explained Kieran. “You don’t get what you pay for with West Ham merchandise. It’s like they’ve got no idea how to represent the fans through the merchandise.”
He offered the suggestion that if you and your child have season tickets, the club should give you a children’s kit as a thank you for your loyalty to the club. In light of the current pandemic, perhaps it is about time more clubs took note of the challenges faced by ordinary people to give fans a better deal for their hard-earned cash.
