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The Great Arsenal Ticket Rip Off

With the release of the ticket prices for the 2006/07 season, it is clear once again that in order to keep this club great, it's the average fan who has to suffer.

Gone have the days when the working class fan could attend all the home games with his kids in tow and still have enough money to buy them all a burger.

The massive salaries that the players of today earn have inflated the price of a match ticket to astronomical highs. However it seems to be the Ashburton faithful who will suffer the most.

Arsenal's top ticket price has been revealed at a staggering £94 for one solitary match, an unbeleivable £60 HIGHER than Liverpool FC's most expensive ticket. High cost of living in the south would explain a small increase in prices but a 60 quid difference is just plain obsurd.

So we need to ask the question, why?

When an Arsenal spokes person was posed the question, the simple reply was,

'We are very comfortable with our pricing'

Well I bet they are, all sat on their big fat arses raking it in. If they ticket price were so steep to help with the finiacial burden of our spanking new stadium, why not just say? Simple, because that has nothing to do with it. It appears to me that these hikes are nothing more than fat cat greed that is ruining today's game.

So what can we do to remedy this?

There is no solution. Arsenal's fan base is so huge that as mass boycott would ultimately fail because there are literally hundred's of thousands of Gooners who very rarely get to games due to the high demand of tickets, for every fan with a ticket there are another 20 without. The stadium would easily be filled.

As long as Arsenal continue to be a successful team, there will always be hangers on who use their attendance of matches as some kind of status symbol to brag to their friends and business partners about, and as long as we have these hangers on, the stadium will always be full and the board will always have a reason to keep the prices high.

The question is, which would you prefer?

A successful team, winning trophies and playing football that is recognised as some of the most awesome around the world with out of this world ticket prices?

Or

A mediocre team playing the George Graham style boring football and cheap ticket prices?

It's a funny old game eh!!

Top Tickets Prices in the PL:-

Arsenal - £94
Spurs - £71
Chelsea - £60
West Ham - £57
Newcastle - £50
Fulham - £45
Reading - £41
Middlesboro - £40
Blackburn - £39
Bolton - £39
Man Utd - £39
Man City - £38
Everton - £37
Aston Villa - £35
Charlton - £35
Wigan - £35
Watford - £35
Liverpool - £34
Sheffield U - £34
Portsmouth - £30

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Writer: Rocky7

Date:Saturday August 12 2006

Time: 3:43PM

Your Comments

if i can get a ticket for a game i'll pay that price, but u can neva get a bloomin ticket. u ave to be a member or something. if anyone knows how let me kno...

protocal

Proves my point exactly!!!

Rocky7

wat that its near impossible to get a ticket...

protocal

That and also we fans couldnt campaign to get the ticket prices lowered because for every fan who gave up his ticket there are more than a few replacements. Good for the club and its future, bad for the fans pocket.

Rocky7

It was my impression that the NUMBER of lower priced tickets has stayed constant from Highbury?

obomba

Their expliantion for that is that the best seats at Highbury are not the equivolent to the best seats at Ashburton. Also they said there would be a price freeze but the cheapest ticket is now 32 quid when it was 30 quid last season.

Rocky7

I go to every game home and away and I feel a lot of resentment towards the club over this. They are no better than a heroin dealer, using my addiction to meet their own ends. It's been a long time since I've bought any club merchandise and I've foregone the chance to see Brazil Argentina cos I refuse to gratify the clubs pricing policy for an international friendly. In the end, when football's bubble bursts and the club desperately try to fill the 60,000 stadium they'll come running back to us. All they are doing long term is alienating future generations and in twenty years no one will watch games. The average 16 year old can't afford to go with his mates and so the club are producing a generation of kids who will havr no desire to watch football live. I could only start going when I was 16 cos that's when I could get a part time job to pay for tickets, prior to that I could only go once or twice a year.

Little Dutch

you cant compare club level seats with normall half way line seats at Anfield. different level of luxury and yes of course we need to pay for the stadium. without club level we may not have moved homes at all. also last season at highbuy normal tickets were exchanging hands for A LOT more than £94 from touts. this season touts will have a hard time so at least that is the real top price. I read that touts at chelsea are a real problem now.

gazzap

Tout aren't a problem at Chelski cos they don't sell out every game. When we played them at the Bodge last August they only sold out the day of the game. If you've ever bought the evening standard you'll see how desperate they are to prostitute tickets.

Little Dutch

Thats the whole point GP, fans at our club very rarely get tickets so when the chance arises people are willing to pay the earth to get to a game. The club know this and as such they decide to hike the prices, its a catch 22.

Rocky7

That is truly shockin. How much is the cheapest ticket? Sounds like you might be cheaper going to the away games instead!

Bud

Cheapest ticket as far as I'm aware is £32. Thats fine by me, as the seats are pretty much behind the goals and the view is great. I cant say I'll ever bother getting a seat on upper tiers or down the side of the pitch!

Rocky7

You have to pay for quality. Whoever the idiot who wrote this article was should wake up. 94 quid doesn't buy the best theatre ticket or even a round of golf at a top course. People with the money are willing to pay, its called supply and demand. And the product we produce is worth the money. We could sell 80 or 90k 25 quid tickets most games but not always (just like Man u, Chelscum and the rest). But the cost of building that size stadium would be too high. More important, We were denied planning permission for an 80k stadium anyway. Economics therefore prevails. How do you build a s.o.t.a. stadium with a 60k capacity? Price 1/3 of the seats high, to generate extra revenue. Hard but true. Life is changing, entertainment is more expensive than ever, but believe me, there'll be no shortage of kids playing football. Why?? B/c they can earn 80-100k a week. Why? Because we are paying for it. And happy to do so.

FAB 4

Easy to say if you've got the money Fab4. But I earn a pittance teaching English, every home and away game costs me about £4k a season. I also like the theatre, but it doesn't bear comparison with football pricing because I do not go three times a week. Football represents a businessman's dream, cos they know they can treat us shoddily and we're hardly gonna say, "oh well, I'll take my business to Tottenham instead." Hence my comparison with the heroin dealer. Kids will always play footie yes, but will they go? Teenagers can't afford those prices so will have been bought up with no interest in watching live footie. So there is no generational transition, hence a fall off in business. I note that the opening competitive game at Emirates against Villa went on sale to red members! Suggesting that the clubs extravagant demand is excluding more than they bargained for. If this historic occasion struggles, then what for games next season against Reading and Wigan?

Little Dutch

So Man Utd haven't produced quality football? What about Liverpool, how many trophies have they won recently? yet their tickets are far lower priced than ours, it's inexcusable.....as for telling me to wake up, you need to stop being so naive, I still pay for my over priced ticket, but I do it begrudgingly where as you seem quite happy to pay for a ridiculously priced seat with no thought of who's pocket you are lining....and you call me an idiot.

Rocky7

Haven't you been on the forum bleating about new signings? You can also buy shares in the club or a bond if you want to be part of future profits. Sorry about the idiot thing, it was uncalled for, but there's nothing wrong with running a profitable business. This club has always re-invested in itself, and I'm proud to be a fan. If you don't like it, support the Spuds!!

FAB 4

So I'm not allowed to voice my opinion over the ticket prices......put up or shut up, is that right? Well I'm sorry but thats just not the case. You don't get to be anymore of a fan just because you pay more for your seat. The problem is that sooner or later they are going to price the average working man out of the game, hell its happening all ready. Do you think that our ticket prices and the lack of atmosphere is just a coincidence?? Of course it isnt, the prices of tickets are that high these days that the fans of yesteryear who used to pack the terraces and sing their heart out for the team can no longer afford to go to every game and as such we're stuck with a load of suit wearing prawn sandwich eaters more bothered about drinking their champers rather than watching the game. Yes it does help the club which is why I said it was a vicous circle but that doesnt mean I can't voice my opinions without someone telling me to go and support Spurs.

Rocky7

feck me! Someone dearer than us in SW6 - bl**dy rip off merchants!

merlin

I agree with gazzap these are top price tickets in the best stadium in the premiership if not the world for one of the best teams in the world. They are like first class tickets a kind which couldn't be offered before at Highbury and indeed many other stadia around the country, They are also only a small minority of tickets. It is the proportion of tickets per price band that is important and the cheapest tickets have only gone up 2 quid a game whcih is not a lot considering what you get. What is schocking is when you look at other teams in the list. Reading newly promoted they are 7th and oour shoddy north london neightbours in charge 71 quid for top price for seats in the creaking stands of their decripit 'stadium. The London clubs have some of the highest prices and that is understandable. Also Plenty of Chelski supporters can afford the £60 tickets but they just choose not to go because their team is too boring too watch. Arsenal tickets are expensive and we do have no choice and it is harsh to take but we also have the best team and best stadium playing the best football and we still want to go so the picture painted in this article and in the press is highly sensationalized hype. Pound for pound Arsenal tickets are probably the best value for money in the premiership and only a minority of tickets are £94. Just my opinon and I believe we are all entitled to ours. Painting the club out to be bad guys doesn't help anybody.

icemancometh

It's a rip off plain and simple. What they will, hopefully find out, though, is that it will not be easy to sell out a midweek Champ's League group match at these high prices. If a game against a weak opponent is on TV, stay home and watch. With a capacity of 60,000 the sight of 10,000 empty seats will speak much louder than words. We had the same situation last week against Celtic with adult tix @ £40 and £20 for kids. If they had been half that the ground would have been full. Keep the pressure on!

Westl

Spot on West1. Only trouble/difference with us is that fans are crying out for tickets, so if the opportunity arises for a ticket, no matter how expensive, they'll take it. I guess we'll get a lot of answers when we face Zagrab at home with the tie already wrapped up on a Wednesday night!!!

Rocky7

Why do you think the "working man" is something special. No one has a God given right to anything, that's the type of attitude that threatens our existence in the Middle East right now. Do you really believe someone in a higher income bracket than a "working man" can't become a devoted fan. The "champagne" tickets represent 5% of the tix yet generate 35% of matchday income. If you include the Club Level, still less than 20% generating 60% of revenue. Perhaps you're right. We should've built a 40k capacity stadium out of wood and string and play in the Conference. But at least 40k "working men" could go watch. We are Arsenal, in a Global world of entertainment. The working man has been catered to to the best extent possible in todays economy. I'm a working man too, I work ******* hard, but I can't afford a season ticket. I'm 42, supported us for 35 yrs and have been to hundreds of games. I think our club is the most progressive in the world. Maybe at some point, when the stadium is paid for, we'll reduce tix or give 5k away every game, unlikely but possible, who knows. But I'm fed up with everyone (usually non/anti Arsenal fans) whining at EVERYTHING we do. For it to come from our own fans is ridiculous. "You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time" Perhaps I was wrong about Spuds, maybe the old Dynamo Kiev od Beijing Utd would be more appropriate.

FAB 4

By the way Westl, 50k say 45k adults and 5k kids @ 40 and 20 quid = 1880k revenue 60k (capacity) @ 55k adults and 5k kids @ 20 and 10 quid = 1,150k revenue What would you do??

FAB 4

Well having supported them all this time you would know that the game of football for 95% of it's existence has been a working class sport. A release of some kind from the mundane life if you will, it's from these people that the game has evolved and our league has become the best in the world, these fans who devoted all their time and money to the club, and now, just because they can't afford it the have been left by the roadside. Yes we need the money to keep up with the title contenders (which for the millionth time is why I keep saying its a vicious cirlce) but Arsenal has always been different to other club and we have prided ourselves of doing things the Arsenal way, however no it seems the club has dumped those ethics and jumped right to the front of the queue for fat cats and money men. The fans who mad this club what it is now have to watch the games from their homes, these fans who have bled Arsenal for years and years have been shut out in the cold. You keep going on about the club level seats and how much money they bring in, lets see how quickly they shell out their 2 grand a season if we finish outside the top 4.

Rocky7

But in order to compete, we need souces of revenue the the working man is incapable of producing, so we can watch on tv (another benefit of global football which allows many more working men to be involved with their team) and still support our club who are playing at a level that we are priveged to watch.Leeds, Blackburn, Nottm Forest, Man City and many, many others would love to be us right now. I'm sure all their working men can get tix for their games, but I wouldn't swap with any of them. Is this the same as Chavs buying the title?? No, b/c we are still trying to maintain a balance between expenses and revenue. But football is an expensive business. I didn't make it that, nor did Arsenal. Ashley Cole did, because he's a @unt.

FAB 4

You seem to be missing my point here Fab4, I agree with you that we need to keep funds high to compete and keep producing the fantastic footballing sides, but I reserve the right to ****** about the extorsionate prices of tickets. Liverpool and Man Utd have produced successful teams and their tickets are much much cheaper than ours, and before you go on about stadiums Uniteds has an extra 16,000 seats on ours. Once again, I know we need capital but I should be allowed to have a whinge about these things when I pay my hard earned cash to a club that is fast becoming elitist!!!

Rocky7

Guyz i m not there to go to a game and watch it but if i was there i would have gone to every home and awat match simply coz i love arsenal and remember our money goes to out home and our home is the home of arsenal and u all know where is the home of arsenal

afghenry

if every ticket was lets say 50% cheaper ie top tickets were £60 and the average ticket price was £30 instead of £45 then at the end of the season Arsenal would have 50% less revenue. that means 50% less of wages, 50% less on transfers etc. what kind of football team would be we be watching then in the long run? and how long would it take to pay off the stadium debt? dare say we'd just about keep up with the interest payments. the club need to price at that level and there'll always be 60,000 who will pay it...... the atmosphere problem wont go away either mainly due the mix of people that now attend games, but the club has at least allowed the Redaction singing section...cant say fairer than that.

gazzap

“Little Dutch” raised a very valid point. I share his sentiments. Glamour seats and all the fashionable stuff aside, it would be a wise thing to be accommodative to the fans first and foremost and make it a game. Making the fans feel like they are the kings of Asburthon Groove is a move that makes everybody a winner in the longer term. I had to curse myself for not attending a live Arsenal game during my last visit to London (4 years ago) then told myself that, a live game would be priority # 1 during my next visit. Alas, looks like, I will never have a chance.

SWPACIFIC

SPARE A THOUGHT FOR A FEW OF US OVERSEAS :( ...(SNIFF) so as an uninformed outsider on this one i have to say what worries me is alienation of the younger future fans. as for me the problem of expensive tickets is one i wish i had. so without getting to religous on anyone...count ya blessings

mish

can you imagine going down the game with a couple of kids in tow, alright kids we can see the arsenal this week but no food for the next 5 days. 94 quid for a ticket, i'd pay it if i got to sit on the bench, last year it was so hard to get a ticket i ended up in the away end just to see the gunners.

foley1989

The thing is the fans are being made to pay for Cash Burdon Grove, they are now feeling resentment because the standard on the pitch is not what it was, so now they are being asked to pay more but receive less.....its a bit like the ever shrinking mars bar the price is constantly going up but the size is going down......how are the fans going to feel at the end of the season when Arsenal are mid table and the price goes up again, if the regular game goers decide that they have had enough how long before the next lot have had enough? See ya, would'nt want to be ya!

sidyid

Anyway its good to see you lot argue amonst yourselves....keep it up guys...

sidyid

Top teams in the premiership will always be able to charge and do what they want, look at Man Utd last season when the Yanks took over they said no one was going to go, they still filled the stadium every week!!!

dazza71

The trouble is if arsenal does not have the excess £60 profit then a tout will. So the question should be do you want the arsenal to have the 60 notes or a tout?

gunneral

Skint members

weststandvoice

Read this with interest - being in the lowly 1st division these prices look extortionate! At Millmoor our prices for are £18 for pre-bought tickets and £20 on the day. And sometimes we get to see the stars of the future!

herringthorpe

Do you get chips and gravy included in your £18?

dazza71

Only if you ask very nicely!

herringthorpe

I tried getting myself some tickets on Friday for the Zagreb game only to find out that every seat has to be assigned to a member!!! What's the point in that??? So basically at the moment, everyone has to be a member to get into a game!!!!

codchops

Fab4, if you come back, look at 20K @ £40 and £20, or 40K @ 20 and 10, no change, but add in programs, food, drinks and other merchandise and I think you would always go for the bigger attendance.

Westl

thats alot £94 and you see other teams with £30-£50

kenyanrudeboy2

Check out the full list of prices at bottom of following page:- http://www.arsenal.com/membership/article.asp?article=338115&title=Tickets. As pointed out by others above; please do remeber that £94 is the price of best seats in the best stadium in the premiership.

Barnet Gooner

Time to come over from the Darkside

cusop

Although I agree with Rocky, particularly about the viscous circle, I thought a little insight into the next generation of football fans might demonstrate that Arsenal management is making a prudent business decision. Generation Y (born 1977-1997) is currently the largest consumer group on the planet. This is the first time that the 'yougest' generation has out spent the generations that preceed them. They spend more money then either Generation X (1965-1976) or the Boomers (1946-1964) and likely will continue to do so. They also tend to shun tradition and seek convenience when making purchasing decisions. I love the tradition that Arsenal represents but I'd also hate for it not to continue by ignoring the trends of the future. Our fan base will likely look more like our players - young and rich... I'm not either but I'll conitunue to love 'em.

SBGunner

I'm sure that if I lived in England, I'd feel the same thing about the prices. But seeing as I live in Kenya, it doesn't affect me, and if I was to ever find myself in London for whatever reason, I'd probably pay 500 pounds to see Arsenal, coz, hey, I don't get to do this often, now, do I?
Be that as it may, you've gotta feel maybe there's something about London football fans that makes the decision makers set these prices, coz WTF do Spurs have to warrant them charging 71 pounds for a game? Is it the football they play? They have Henry on the team, and people wanna see him? What exactly? If a game at Spurs can cost 71, then a game at Arsenal should cost 200.
I also think you have to look at it in context. How many seats are "reasonably" priced? Reasonable here being a very relative word. Is it easier, ceterus paribus (I went to school y'know!!), to get a seat at emirates than it was at Highbury? Etc, Etc.

Gaga

Also think about the good old demand and supply thing. If touts sell tickests, as someone here said, for a lot more than 94 quid, then it appears that the problem here is not the board;the problem is the demand. The demand is too high, so prices are high. Rocky, even if the board gave out tickets FOR FREE, as in you don't pay for it, but you need to have it in your hands to get in, then it appears that people would still end up paying coz demand rules that way.
All the board has done is make the exorbitantness(I know I said I went to school, but!) "official". In truth, the exorbitantness exists purely as a consequence of demand, as well demonstrated by the touts.

Gaga

Who are you kidding!!

cusop

I am a young arsenal fan from nottingham and i was just talking to a few of my m8s about getting down to london and what matches i want to watch the season but as a young working lad i cannot afford the prices the travelling cost is pushing it then to have huge ticket prices ... not to mention wheather the tickets are even avaliable ... i am very very disappointed ...

Achilles

westl, did you notice the numbers??? let me tell you again, coz truthfully, I didn't quite believe it myself...... 50k fans at full price = 1,880,000 quid. 60k fans at half price = 1,115,000 quid. Thats 765,000 worth of hamburgers and beer PER GAME !!!

FAB 4

westl, I didn't read your post properly, sorry, but theres a lot of difference between your orig. post (re the Chavs friendly) and the second example. Sure, if the prices result in a 50% reduction in attendance, the you're correct, but that's very unlikely, which is the reason prices are higher. It's demand that fixes prices, as Rocky pointed out. Unfair, but that's life. Most every time, higher prices will result in significantly greater revenue.

FAB 4

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