In light of Portsmouth Football Club announcing they have frozen season ticket prices for next season it's now time for a rant on how expensive watching football, especially Pompey, really is.
The club have stated that the prices this year are "great value" and the "best possible value we [they] can offer." If you're an adult and you renew your ticket during the "Early Bird" period (from now 'til 30th March) then it will cost you £495 for the cheapest seats in the ground, despite the extra income the club will be receiving due to the new Premiership deal. So if you don't have a spare £250 in your bank account to deposit before the end of the month you will have to pay even more.
Many other clubs have already taken advantage of the new Premiership money by lowering their ticket prices that were already cheaper than ours to watch teams in much better stadiums than Fratton Park. So why haven't we?
Blackburn, Bolton and Everton have already significantly lowered their season ticket prices but perhaps the best deal comes from Charlton where fans of the Addicks who purchase season tickets now could be rewarded for their loyalty as should Alan Pardew's team get relegated and bounce straight back, these fans will receive a Premiership season ticket for that season absolutely free!
Pompey fans are known for being some of the most loyal in the country but how are we rewarded? We get already very high season ticket prices frozen whilst other clubs are reducing theirs, and not just by the odd percent either. I just don't feel like the club are doing enough to keep fans coming to Fratton Park and I don't think we're getting value for money either.
Some of you may think that the prices are fair, but many people (myself included) just can't afford it next season, especially when you consider how much this campaign has drained funds.
Using myself as an example, this season has cost me £943 so far and I've missed the league games at Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Charlton as well as all of the cup games bar Wigan at home. Take into account I'm a student/young person too so for an adult to have been to every game this season you're looking at well over £1,000.
To further back up my argument about the lack of value for money we Pompey fans are getting, below is a list of all Premiership clubs who have announced their season ticket prices for next season. The prices stated are the cheapest adult seats for the ground with Early Bird discounts where applicable. I will update this list as Premiership clubs announce their prices for next season.
Portsmouth: £495
Blackburn: £249
Bolton: £333
Charlton: £265
Everton: £427
Manchester City: £350
(Feel free to give me any info on the other Premiership clubs and their season ticket prices, as well as any other interesting bits of info.)
Also take into account that last season's cheapest prices for Wigan (£340), Newcastle (£350) and Middlesbrough (£259) are significantly lower than ours and I have it on good authority that Southampton's season ticket prices will be £280 whatever league they're in! All of a sudden the price to watch Pompey doesn't seem such good value now does it?
Fans are already starting to vote with their feet by not renewing their season ticket either out of principle or because they simply can't afford it this year. The extra money the club will be getting might go towards the new training facilities or perhaps the new stadium plans (Ha!) but it's the fans that are ultimately paying the price and for the fans who aren't, they don't get to watch the club they love.
Or they could, by watching a live stream from a dodgy channel in a pub. Illegal as it is, more and more fans (not just of Pompey) are choosing this option rather than go to Fratton Park because it's much cheaper. I won't be surprised to see more empty seats next season because fans are fed up of being treated like walking wallets. We've struggled to fill Fratton Park this season as it is and the high prices is one of the main reasons why.
It seems the price certainly isn't right and there are no Brucie Bonuses either.
The club have stated that the prices this year are "great value" and the "best possible value we [they] can offer." If you're an adult and you renew your ticket during the "Early Bird" period (from now 'til 30th March) then it will cost you £495 for the cheapest seats in the ground, despite the extra income the club will be receiving due to the new Premiership deal. So if you don't have a spare £250 in your bank account to deposit before the end of the month you will have to pay even more.
Many other clubs have already taken advantage of the new Premiership money by lowering their ticket prices that were already cheaper than ours to watch teams in much better stadiums than Fratton Park. So why haven't we?
Blackburn, Bolton and Everton have already significantly lowered their season ticket prices but perhaps the best deal comes from Charlton where fans of the Addicks who purchase season tickets now could be rewarded for their loyalty as should Alan Pardew's team get relegated and bounce straight back, these fans will receive a Premiership season ticket for that season absolutely free!
Pompey fans are known for being some of the most loyal in the country but how are we rewarded? We get already very high season ticket prices frozen whilst other clubs are reducing theirs, and not just by the odd percent either. I just don't feel like the club are doing enough to keep fans coming to Fratton Park and I don't think we're getting value for money either.
Some of you may think that the prices are fair, but many people (myself included) just can't afford it next season, especially when you consider how much this campaign has drained funds.
Using myself as an example, this season has cost me £943 so far and I've missed the league games at Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Charlton as well as all of the cup games bar Wigan at home. Take into account I'm a student/young person too so for an adult to have been to every game this season you're looking at well over £1,000.
To further back up my argument about the lack of value for money we Pompey fans are getting, below is a list of all Premiership clubs who have announced their season ticket prices for next season. The prices stated are the cheapest adult seats for the ground with Early Bird discounts where applicable. I will update this list as Premiership clubs announce their prices for next season.
Portsmouth: £495
Blackburn: £249
Bolton: £333
Charlton: £265
Everton: £427
Manchester City: £350
(Feel free to give me any info on the other Premiership clubs and their season ticket prices, as well as any other interesting bits of info.)
Also take into account that last season's cheapest prices for Wigan (£340), Newcastle (£350) and Middlesbrough (£259) are significantly lower than ours and I have it on good authority that Southampton's season ticket prices will be £280 whatever league they're in! All of a sudden the price to watch Pompey doesn't seem such good value now does it?
Fans are already starting to vote with their feet by not renewing their season ticket either out of principle or because they simply can't afford it this year. The extra money the club will be getting might go towards the new training facilities or perhaps the new stadium plans (Ha!) but it's the fans that are ultimately paying the price and for the fans who aren't, they don't get to watch the club they love.
Or they could, by watching a live stream from a dodgy channel in a pub. Illegal as it is, more and more fans (not just of Pompey) are choosing this option rather than go to Fratton Park because it's much cheaper. I won't be surprised to see more empty seats next season because fans are fed up of being treated like walking wallets. We've struggled to fill Fratton Park this season as it is and the high prices is one of the main reasons why.
It seems the price certainly isn't right and there are no Brucie Bonuses either.