I am a passionate West Ham United supporter. I love everything about my club, the traditions, the reputation, the ground, the colours we play in, the fans, and currently the squad, manager and owners. However, I am in a job whereby it means I work a lot of weekends, meaning the buying of a season ticket is not worth it, because I will not get the chance to go.
If I had my way, I would follow West Ham home and away, and through pre-season. I am in a job whereby I earn a good wage, but other priorities come first before my hobby. A day out at Upton Park, watching the mighty Hammers is the best way for me to spend a Saturday afternoon. Sun or rain, summer or winter, win or lose, I always enjoy it. But something happened this week which has really dampened my spirits somewhat.
I read that a Category A+ ticket, for non-season ticket holders will range between £51-£77…this is absolutely ludicrous! Are we watching a team that are going to be challenging for the title? No. Are we in Europe playing the best clubs the continent have to offer? No. Have we got a team full of world class players? No. I would be surprised to pay that even at the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal!
So a day out at the football is going to cost a lot more than it used to. £77 for a ticket, £25 for a train ticket, £5 for food, £20 on drinks, and £4 for a programme. So that’s over £130 just for me to go to watch a football match. Now when I have a mortgage, council tax, gas, electric and water bills, plus shopping and petrol for the car, most will know that you don’t have too much left over for a day out like that.
My dad used to be able to take me and my brother to West Ham most weekends. But since he become older and more poorly over the years, my brother and me wanted to take him. But realistically, I can’t take him due to the prices. It’s a sad day for me, knowing that next season, it will be unlikely that I will get to see my team play. God knows how people with kids manage to take the family.
I have been a big fan of what the Chairmen have done for our club, but this has upset me somewhat. Putting prices up by that scale is alienating the working class supporter, and soon, it will be full or corporate people, who are just their for the prawn sandwiches……
By Chelmo Hammer
Follow me on Twitter: @ChelmoHammer
It is disgraceful to put up the prices like that, how on earth do they expect the normal working class bus driver, carpenter or nurse to swallow that every other weekend. There starting to take the piss and blue print from Arsenal fc. So lets go the whole hog and employ a useless French twat.
West Ham sold out 18 of 19 league games last season. It’s simple supply and demand.
And unless you want the club falling further behind their rivals then you must understand the prices they charge. All else is cant…
I totally agree with you! I don’t understand why the prices cant stay the same as last season. The working class supporters are already sitting in the cheap seats such as the Bobby Moore Lower which is one of my favourite stands if not my favourite. Soon enough us working class supporters wont be able to afford it and as you said, it will be full of corporate people and businessmen…
Needs must i am afraid to say as we need to build on the squad of players we have in order to stay in the premier league – hopefully when we get into the os and have more capacity the tickets can be bit cheaper.
It´s more simple than supply and demand, the more tv money available the MORE THE AGENTS WANT,until the genius minds that run the premier league find away to rid the game of agents and fix a maximum wage, prices will continue to be passed on to supporters,(until the day arrives we all decide to do something better with our hard earned cash and just watch on TV ) Remember the ITALIAN league was the original gravy train and that led to empty stadiums and years in the doldrums !!!
Whilst I do have some sympathy for the fan that can’t afford or justify a season ticket, you don’t have to spend £25 on food & drink and you can go to other games where the tickets are around £40 so that plus your fare & a programme (also non-essential) is around £70 which isn’t too bad. I am lucky enough to have a season ticket which cost me £620 to renew. That works out at £32 a game plus £8 petrol as I drive to the ground. £40 per match is pretty good I think.
Your suggesting logic and reasoning are part of the equation of being a footy fan. Obsession drives most fans to pay through the nose, accept mediocre performances and watch big business dictate ticket and merchandise pricing. We moan and gripe but still stream through the turnstiles and buy the latest shirt. Paying over £100 for a few hours “entertainment” is the reality of being an EPL team’s fan. I became addicted at an early age, I am now 50. My wages have increased by 1% in total over the past 3 years but this year my teams season ticket increased by 9% and I still renewed!
It’s so high cos we’re paying such as Carroll between 80 & 100k a wk in the end the fans end up paying for everything 1 way or another
You say the fans end up paying for everything as if that’s wrong? Of course we do, professional football like all sport is entertainment it only exists because fans pay to watch it.
You’d rather we paid say, Grant Holt’s wages?
It’s just money making bollocks! The Sky revenue has gone up a lot. The club didn’t need to put the prices up. David Gold keeps telling up he grew up in a slum & nobody had any money!
Well you know what it’s like to have ittle yet you try & screw us all!
My son & I have given up our season tickets as I have been ill & unable to work.
Over the years I’ve put so much money into the club!
I bought the kits when they started changing them every year! Look at the cost of the new shirts! I have 3 kids that support West Ham. No chance of buying them shirts!
Family club, my fat arse!
Look at the 2 running the club, made money from porn! CLASS!
David Gold isn’t doing much to dispell the thoughts that his lot are money grabbers!
We might have sold out a lot of games but how many were kids for a quid?…the owners only kept going on about sell outs to make it look like we need a bigger stadium…im all for the os but the prices this season are a joke…looks like being a season ticket holder is the only way forward…zebra finance is actually a good deal..180 up front then 3 payments of 155 a month..only cost was the admin fee of £25..the daves have put a lot in to this club and I feel we owe them our support…only time will tell if the ridiculous costs were worth it
My Son is just turned 16 & still at School he wanted to get a season ticket with his Friends
PRICE £400+
how can a kid afford that
BY THE WAY THE KIDS ARE THE FUTURE
I know one thing since I gave up my season ticket I won`t be going to watch them at those prices, 90 minutes for 77 quid. Lets just hope that the tickets reduce when we finally move from upton park. I want us to compete but lets remember that gate receipts only play a small part in the make up of the finances. Just being in the premier league is worth 50 million a year. Its mainly greed!!!!!
OK, OK, this is getting a bit out of hand isn’t it? You are talking about getting the best seat in the house and spending £20 on booze every week!! The Dave’s have upped the ticket prices because of the demand. I try to go to a game a month, whichever one takes my fancy… But i dont sit in the A+ seats… I sit somewhere a little bit cheaper.
If i were you, i wouldn’t moan about the ticket prices, sit somewhere cheaper and cut down on the beer! I for one will be there next season, come rain or shine.
PS. When we get to the Olympic Stadium, the ticket prices will drop to fill the stadium.
COYI
£25 for a train ticket, £5 for food, £20 on drinks, and £4 for a programme.
Drive in and park near the ground for free like I do, bag of chips for £1.50 from Ercans, don’t have a drink and don’t buy that shitty programme. There you go, £50 saved, jobs a good-un. And I agree with Stuart, buy a cheaper seat somewhere else.
I do think the prices are too high as well but till we get into the OS, cut down on the periphery spending on match days and all is good, plus senior citizens’ discount for the olds so you can take your dad with you.
As far I am concerned £30 is plenty enough. Lets face it the days of going Upton Park to watch a star name ( Paulo being the last ) playing for WHU are long gone. Generally the star players are playing for the top 5. Many of the current team are average Prem players. How many games last season were actually entertaining ? Football was an entertainment business. That is no loger the case. It is now just business.
I disagree BrentwoodSteve. Going to West Ham, enjoying the atmosphere and the day out is always entertaining. I have been to alot of grounds, and I must say, West Ham have the best fans.
Sometimes the games aren’t pretty, but our current team (with Diarra and Morrison back in the team) will be a pleasure to watch.
Looking forward to the first game of the season!