Southend's season tickets look poor value. Pay on the gate every game = £39.10. Season ticket = £48. Hmm.
Saw that a few weeks ago - think I posted it as well - scary! Remember first time I went to Anfield in 88 it cost me 3.50. Walked straight up at about 2.40 and got in. Slightly different now
If we use inflation as our only indicator, then yes. But there's far more behind it, mainly players' wages at a guess, but I reckon a lot of other operating costs will have gone up way beyond inflation during that time. I'm assuming that we have far more people working behind the scenes now than we ever did in the 70's and 80's. I'm not disagreeing with you that ticket prices are now barmy, but the fact that most clubs still make a substantial loss despite high ticket prices, suggests that there are fundamental issues elsewhere in the game, which make modern football extremely unsustainable long-term, unless alternative revenue streams are opened up. Even then, something has got to give at some point. But we've been saying that for years.....
When I first went to Oakwell, as a little boy in the late 50s, kids' prices ranged from 6d ( i.e. 2.5 p) behind the goal to 1/- (one shilling i.e. 5p) in the Terrace (now West Stand Lower. Adult prices ranged from two shillings (10p) behind the goal to three shillings (15p) in the terrace. Season tickets were available only for the Stand (now West Upper). I think the Centre Stand season ticket for adults cost ca. £4. By way of comparison, and to illustrate better the relatively high inflation in football prices, a Mars Bar cost 6d, a large loaf cost ca. one shilling and sixpence and a pint of beer about the same. I stood with my brother by the wall in the terrace. This cost the equivalent of two Mars Bars. If my father had stood in the same place it would have cost him the equivalent of two loaves or two pints. Incidentally, I have a programme from my first ever game - a 2-1 win over Leeds. This cost 3d. In other words, you could have got 80 programmes for a quid.
I actually think its pro rata , when I left school & started work in 1968 , my wage was £ 5 a week before deductions , by the time I had paid my Mum for board & lodgings, sorted money out for bus fares to get to work etc , I was left with approx £ 1 & 50 p sending money for the week , entrance to a game was about 40 p , which was about a quarter of my spending money , so at that time , it was expensive for me to go to matches , especially if there were two games in a week & it was years before I could afford a season ticket , happy days !
Interesting comparison. Saturday was £36. That means that if it was pro-rata, the average young worker has about £140 fun money every week after deductions. Would that be about right? Sounds a lot to me, but I probably have a shedload of other expenses that the average 21 year old doesn't.
I'd argue that the ticket prices are a reflection of the huge increase in player wages as a consequence of the 'sky' phenomena and little else. This increase has filtered through the divisions and even into the conference. I would say barnsley fc for example employed far more people back then than it does now. We have seen how modern technologies have impacted on employment.
Are you sure it was that much in 68? it was no more than ten bob when i was paying juvenile prices a decade later.
Just had a look at the historical ticket prices at old trafford from 1960 onwards. The cheapest adult standing admission price for the 68/9 season was just 25p. So i'm guessing a juvenile would have been 15p at most.
In late 80s was 2quid juveniles.. was £1.80 at old Trafford... Agree about sky/premier league.. but id say Biggest" reason" for massive rise in prices was all seating. I'm sure if prices were half of what they are now there could potentially be twice as many going matches..