Firstly, I would like to say that Sam Allardyce is doing a fantastic job as manager and this is the most organised I have seen a West Ham team in my lifetime! The job he has done has been superb and the club is in a very stable place after years of worry.
Saying that, other than the freak result at White Hart Lane the performances have been very dull and uninspiring. I have become accustom to this, as I know for as long as I am a West Ham fan ‘fortune is always hiding’.
However, the ticket prices are very steep and the amount of entertainment is low to zero. I have recently had to give up my season ticket due to university amongst other commitments and when looking for a single home or away match its normally around 50 pounds.
Obviously this does not include travel and day expenses, a lot of fans are getting priced out of watching their team play. And the 0-0’s will start to frustrate even the loyalist of supporters.
I do think the board need to sit down and discuss the ticket pricing, the value for money is hard to justify, especially when we are not even playing a striker at home. You can get a season ticket at Manchester City for £299, which is less than half the West Ham season ticket (£640). We are only cheaper than Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in the Premier League.
I can admit that the football has been very boring but I do believe we are just doing what’s necessary to stay in the league and ensure that we are in the top flight for when the move to the Olympic stadium comes around.
Times have been much worse than this at Upton Park and there is no doubt in my mind that the stadium will be full week in week out. Trying not to be biased but we do have one of the best sets of supporters in the country!
Are the fans happy to pay top money to watch below average football? Are you happy with the entertainment at the Boleyn? Take a look at this relevant link below about ticket pricing, it’s hard to believe!
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Quite frankly, good or bad football, the full-price adult season ticket is far too expensive. Having said that the under-10s season ticket at £105 is a bargain and I think one of the cheapest in the league.
It’s a curious ticket pricing strategy the management follow. They are having to advertise most games pretty hard and the “discounted” season tickets continue to get displayed. But they’re pulling in 35k at each league home game so it seems to be working.
I expect a serious drop in ticket prices at the OS. The survey questions made me wonder whether we’ll see that. They’ll need to be very careful not to overcharge the season ticketholders and then firesell discounted tickets.
I think it is true to say Sam (and the Davids) has brought the stability we needed. I’m not sure “fantastic” is a good description for a manager (and senior management) who left us without a decent striker in August. The injury-prone Carroll gamble has been costly already and I just hope he doesn’t just reappear briefly.
Surely no one can dispute that adult prices are too high, never mind the quality of football on offer. Kids for a quid is great and the club deserve the highest praise for this initative. As a supporter since 1935, and having experienced the best and worst of times I have to agree that apart from the odd game the feeling persists that our style of play in the past couple of years has not produced that excitement I used to feel even in the years we finished down the table. There always seemed hope that our famed brand of football would reap its just rewards. Just like our dreams… We could out-pass any team and those memories stand. Is it possible those days could return and is it possible that our manager might even rethink that we need to entertain and perhaps even succees whilst so doing? Try it Sam.