Poll: Top clubs' fans sharing season tickets to cut costs
Published 11:36 23/09/10
By MirrorFootball
One in eight Manchester United fans are planning on sharing the use and cost of their season ticket this season, according to new research.
Some 12% of United fans are preparing to share their season tickets with other supporters, according to Virgin Money's Football Fans' Index. By contrast, only 2% of fans of newly-promoted Blackpool are expecting to do so.
Earlier this month, United revealed that they fell 2,200 short of their target of 54,000 season ticket sales.
The survey showed 9% of Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool supporters were also sharing their season ticket.
Grant Bather, spokesman for Virgin Money, said: "Clubs may have frozen season ticket prices but some fans are starting to question whether they can afford to support their team week in, week out.
"The discontent amongst Manchester United fans has been well documented over the past few seasons and it's no surprise to see a significant number of fans electing to share the cost of their season tickets with fellow fans in protest."
Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation, added: "We get more and more reports of supporters sharing season tickets. The main reason is cost. Far too many fans simply can't afford the burden of paying for a ticket on their own these days."
SHARED SEASON TICKET TABLE
(club, minimum season ticket price, max. season ticket price, % of fans sharing season ticket)
Man Utd £513 £931 12%
Arsenal £893 £1,370 9%
Liverpool £732 £785 9%
Tottenham £650 £1,175 9%
Blackburn £209 £369 8%
Newcastle £365 £658 8%
Wolves £522 £630 8%
Aston Villa £350 £550 6%
Sunderland £380 £495 6%
West Ham £600 £830 6%
Birmingham £396 £638 5%
Chelsea £695 £1,210 5%
Man City £420 £515 5%
Stoke City £449 £609 5%
West Brom £399 £499 5%
Wigan £250 £295 5%
Bolton £339 £475 4%
Fulham £369 £899 4%
Everton £528 £631 3%
Blackpool £382 £440 2%
Read more: http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Manchester-United-fans-lead-the-Premier-League-in-sharing-season-tickets-with-fellow-supporters-a-new-poll-has-revealed-article586813.html#ixzz10LxpKoL9 (http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Manchester-United-fans-lead-the-Premier-League-in-sharing-season-tickets-with-fellow-supporters-a-new-poll-has-revealed-article586813.html#ixzz10LxpKoL9)
I did this "back in the day." It wasn't to save money as much as it was a necessity since I worked rotating shifts. We just had to find guys on the opposite shift to go in with us. If I was working an 0800-1600 or a 1600-2400 on a Saturday, then I couldn't see a live match. But the "opposite shift" guys could. The only problem to work out were the evening matches -- not to mention the Tuesday morning match against Notts County during the coal miners strike when Heath was p.m.
Yes, I'm old.
I have to work at least two Saturday shifts a month so the absence of Sunday games has forced me to review my season ticket arrangements this year.
I've kept the ownership in my name but my mate has bought the seat of me so I now pay him a pro rata amount for each game I can get to.
Being a single bloke in West London he has no shortage of friends and colleagues who are up for a game if I can't make it.
Hopefully we will get another shot at Europe next year and some more of those coveted Sunday games so I can keep my own seat warm.
I share w/my brother-in-law Angels tickets (Major League Baseball), and only a 20 game package. My share comes to a little less than $700 (3 seats) w/out parking and concessions. For family entertainment it's reasonable, but it's only 25% of the season, not a snowball's chance in hell would I justify 4 times that amount. The NBA is a joke in terms of expense unless you want to sit so high up 7 foot men look tiny. Will be attending my first NFL game in nearly 7 years in Pittsburgh in a few weeks and can't believe that 2 (not great, but decent) seats cost me nearly $500 :007:
Would like to know this exists in England, but most professional leagues over here now offer a "ticket exchange" through the individual clubs. As a season ticket holder you put up for sale your seats to games you don't want or can't attend through the team's website. If they get sold, you get the money. The team charges the purchaser the face value of the ticket plus a service fee (usually 7 to 20 dollars per).
I am sharing a season ticket this season. Mrs Airfix gets to keep it and, if I behave myself properly and do all my chores, she lets me have it for matches....
I seem to be sharing mine with all of my friends who have decided to get married on a match day. Which seems to be everyone!
So far, missed Wolves at home. Going to miss Wigan and Villa too....