BILLY BREMNER MEMORIAL JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN
Date: 8th September 2024
Cost, cost, cost
So, we don’t have Ticketmaster to deal with but for those of us of a certain age, having to work out how to scan a QR code, collect coupons from one place to present at another and then try and gain access through an automated turnstile can feel like a faff. In fact, it can feel like it is hardly worth the bother, and I wonder how many people get put off by the whole thing.
It is, however, probably more than an age thing because in the lower leagues we are, of course quite used to pay at the gate, gates…
But then it is about the price. We can all gasp at the cost of a lobster wrap at Highbury or the price of a season ticket to follow one of the big clubs down south, but ticket prices have always been a bone of contention. My own club, Ayr United, they launched a scheme to try and get people to support the next generation by paying forward for season tickets for the younger fans. It has been massively successful and raised revenue for the club. Partick Thistle have also been at the forefront of free entry for young fans.
But imagine if the cost of being an away fan, through an exorbitant ticket price, was prohibitive for you to follow your team. Let’s be honest, travel, food before the game, perhaps even accommodation if it is a fair distance, can add up. And then the price of a ticket. Imagine pulling the likes of Arsenal in the Champions League? Second mortgages, selling your least favourite child or perhaps a kidney might have to be contemplated to support your team all the way down to Lun Don Tawn…
Imagine if the governing body intervened and listened to ordinary fans and decided to act? Can you? You don’t have to…
UEFA have capped what clubs can charge visiting fans in their competitions. It has been widely reported that Champions League games will be capped at 60 euros (£50.55), with 40 euros (£33.70) the maximum for the Europa League and just 20 euros (£16.85) for the Conference League. And as for next season the Champions League figure will drop to 50 euros (£42.12) with 35 euros (£29.48) for the Europa League.
Now I shall be honest, and say that even those prices, within the context of a cost-of-living crisis are likely to be tough for many, but there is a principal here which I think is really important. That a body charged with the regulation of the game can see an issue and act. That they understand that the lifeblood of what they are charged with protecting could end up being beyond the means of their core customer base and decide that despite the fact that many of the clubs this would affect who need to be brought into line are powerful feels refreshing.
Now UEFA have many faults, and it takes less time to think of what they are than praise them for doing something positive, but UEFA have been doing this since 2019. Imagine the SFA working on behalf of fans and setting more reasonable prices, rather than recommending them? Imagine them also intervening and telling some clubs that the match day atmosphere has to be enhanced through actually having a decent allocation for away day fans?
We are in a critical time within Scottish football. The report on youth football is out and we hope that shall start to see movement and development, perhaps even improvement in how we see our future. The national men’s team are transitioning and despite poor results there is a debate around optimism. The women’s game is seriously taking off. Our leagues are competitive, at least from the Championship below, and in Europe, teams are getting a share of the opportunities to experience and learn from being abroad. There have also been meetings and words and thoughts expressed with stakeholders genuinely around a table.
What’s not to like?
Perhaps the possibility that discussions need to lead to action; that the youth report needs to have people reporting on its implementation soon; that the national game needs to be part of that implementation; that we need to show real equality in our development of the women’s game; and improvement in Europe requires changes to our fixture structure, and therefore, we might need to revisit the way our leagues operate and walk away, if not run, form four games a year against the same opposition…
And that is why the action by UEFA is a good thing. And I am an optimist. At least for now…
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Tags: blog sfa, Hampden Park, oor Donald, Scotland, SPFL