This article is based around West Ham’s relegation in 2011 and the impact this had on revenue taken in from ticket sales. One of my theories is that season tickets are “price inelastic” meaning that even if the price was to increase for season tickets, the demand would remain at a similar level.
In context to relegation, economic theory suggest that when the quality of a good decreases, the demand for that good should also decrease, as consumers decide to purchase a substitute good with better quality. However in football, this is not the case due to club loyalty and fan base. The theory suggests that after relegation, due to the decrease in quality of football played, fans would opt for a substitute, such as purchasing a season ticket to see the likes of Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur.
This is where you come in, if you are a season ticket holder, let me know where you sit and the price of your ticket and even if you do not own a season ticket, I have written some short questions to see how real Hammers fans feel about the price of season tickets and as to whether they really are “price inelastic”:
- For next season, the ticket prices have increased on average by 16.6% from last season, has this affected you when looking to buy a season ticket?
- Prices for this season start at £600 for adults, is this too high for a club of our statue?
- If the prices were to start at £700, would you still buy a season ticket?
- If the prices were to start at £800, would you still buy a season ticket?
- If you were put off from buying a season ticket this season due to the price, what do you think the price for season tickets should be?
- If you are planning to buy/have bought a season ticket for this season, have you sacrificed buying anything else? E.g. a Hammers shirt or any other unrelated football good.
- If you buy a season ticket, do you usually buy goods in the club shop?
In addition to this, in the 2011/12 season, the ticket prices were reduced by 20%. They started at £420 for adults, but is this still too high for a Championship club and moreover did this put you off from buying a season ticket last season? Did you decide not to buy a season ticket last year due to the reduction in quality of football played?
Thank you to all that can help and if you could pass it on to any other Hammers fans that you know, the greater my results will be. Moreover the better the results and the more fans that respond, the greater the chance that Karren Brady and David Gold will reply to my emails!
Leave a comment at the bottom of the page or contact me via my email cobu01@sevenoaksschool.org for more information or if you want the information to remain confidential.
This sounds like some kind of uni project to me?
Bear in mind that the quality of product doesn’t necessarily equal the quality of football.
When you buy a ticket to a football game you are paying for 90 minutes of football, and when you buy a season ticket, you expect admission minimum number of games. that is the product you are paying for. No assurances can ever be made about the style of football or indeed the result.
If suddenly FIFA said, there will only be 10 teams in the premier league and games are now 70 minutes, that would greatly alter people perceptions on what value for money is.
This is my fifth year as a season ticket holder:
1) Prices may have increased in value but in reality they have moved back up to the level they were before we were relegated. For me, this essentially represents a price-freeze so I am more than happy.
2) Not at all. When comparing to other clubs people may draw comparissons, but when measured against other London clubs, I’d say it was reasonable.
3) Yes. Without a doubt. To put things into perspective, a season ticket gives me something to do every other weekend for eight months of the year. I can guarantee if I wasn’t going to the Boleyn, I’d be spending more on finding other things to do.
4) Yes. See above. Though I could understand why a lot of people wouldn’t. Especially when considering those fans from lower income households/with children.
5) N/A
6)No.
7) I try to avoid the stadium shop as it’s always packed, but I get my replica shirt every season. Fortunately my Birthday is in August though so most of the time someone will buy it for me.
I know a lot of people complain about the cost of football but I think Gold and Sullivan are, on the whole, doing a good job of making it affordable and accessible to people; especially families. Just look at the Groupon offers and kids for a quid.
For all of their faults they have saved our club and I for one think the future is looking bright for our club.