Football must listen to fans about outrageous ticket prices?

[RaySmith]

With its huge wages and transfer fees, and income from global TV interest and subsequent sponsorship, football has become completely market driven.

A fan of a top four Prem sides is almost as likely to  come from the other side of the world, let alone the other end of Britain. The salaries the Prem can afford attract players from all over the world too - to the great detriment of the national team.

So don't expect prices to fall anytime soon - unless fans vote with their feet and stop going in significant numbers. We've seen a reduction in prices in some unfashionable teams like Bolton and Wigan, while they were still in the Prem, but Fulham in affluent London, and thus  attractive to tourists who can't get tickets for the big London clubs, hasn't had a need to reduce prices - and probably feels it needs the income if it  can get it in order to compete in wages and transfers. It's a vicious circle really.

If Fulham prices start to come down to  acceptable levels it would probably mean the team was plummeting back to where they came from before MAF took over.

[Alternative]

^ Tourists cannot be relied on to sell out the ground against unfashionable sides or when games are scheduled for awkward times.

If Fulham is not considered a good value proposition people will stop going. I may not renew my season ticket next year. Just get a pal to get me tickets for the 'bring a mate for a tenner games' and a few of the more sensibly priced Saturday at 3 o'clock matchs.

[Arthur]

If Fulham prices start to come down to  acceptable levels it would probably mean the team was plummeting back to where they came from before MAF took over.

'It's been calculated that if clubs passed on to fans the rise in income from the new £5.5bn TV deal (making do with the £3.4bn they already receive) every ticket at every game for the next three years could be cut by £51.30. In other words they could give most of them away.'

If this statement from the original article is accurate, it would seem not.

[RaySmith]

But the reality is that clubs will continue to charge high prices while fans continue to pay them. Well, some might say  'why should they be different from any other business?'. Well, i  remember a time when a club was at least partly rooted in the community - but the modern , market driven game isn't like that. Though Fulham are one club who remain a  family type  club, and do do things in the community - though not the immediate community of the ground where wealthy home owners are opposed to the club's existence.

However, I doubt if the club thinks it would be economically viable to much reduce ticket prices - as long as people are prepared to pay them.

[BarryP]

Amazing the vast difference in ticket prices around the globe. I can get a ticket in advance to the Columbus Crew (Mcbride anyone?) for anywhere from $4-20 for decent seats. 29.00 gets me right along the touchline at center circle. As with most us sports the most expensive is $100 for a box seat. I dont know how its like for other teams but it seems to be the similar case league wide.

You actually have to pay to watch the MLS?

I would pay to watch almost any MLS team before Stoke or QPR.  :005:

[valdeingruo]

Amazing the vast difference in ticket prices around the globe. I can get a ticket in advance to the Columbus Crew (Mcbride anyone?) for anywhere from $4-20 for decent seats. 29.00 gets me right along the touchline at center circle. As with most us sports the most expensive is $100 for a box seat. I dont know how its like for other teams but it seems to be the similar case league wide.

You actually have to pay to watch the MLS?

I would pay to watch almost any MLS team before Stoke or QPR.  :005:

The MLS is a tricky one. You have really good matches with a good atmosphere like seatle, portland or columbus, dc and then you have some really really dry almost like watching stoke play matches.

Which is funny because the Crew actually beat stoke...