Ticket prices at football - a growing problem.

[Eyrie]

Football is no different to anything else.

We can bemoan the rising ticket prices making it harder for the traditional working man to afford to attend games, particularly with his family, but it's no different to him being unable to afford a better car or holiday when someone else can afford to pay for that car or holiday.

Most of the costs for a football club are fixed (eg maintenance, admin) so the one that is most dependent on income is the playing budget. Higher prices may mean some of us can't afford to go as often as we would like but as long as the ticket sales hold up then the club will make more money to spend on a better playing squad for us to watch.

[HibsGW]

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Shocking prices for the Champions League, but it's hardly even worth being described as football now. It's got more in common with a Hollywood red carpet premiere than a football game.

Anyway, back to Scottish football. It's clear to me that people like Ann Budge are bad for the Scottish game. Sanitisation and gentrification of crowds is occurring. Prices of £30+ for tickets are trying to attract a new type of fan, one who brings their spouse and their children, sits in their seat quietly, buys the merchandise from the club shop and never complains about the manager or swears at the opposition. These are not the sort of people who will stick by the clubs when things (inevitably) go south.

I’d be interested to know why you think people like Ann Budge are bad for the Scottish game. She’s came in and essentially saved Hearts whilst taking a strong stance against sectarian abuse amongst their supporters, one of the biggest issues in Scottish football. What has she done wrong or not done so well?

[Sean1875]

Celtic are charging £49 for a ticket for the Sevco game next week, horrendous. I thought £32 for the PBS was bad.


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[hibbysam]

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Celtic are charging £49 for a ticket for the Sevco game next week, horrendous. I thought £32 for the PBS was bad.


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Both those clubs charge the same. However, one perspective to put on it, both clubs probably have around 80-90% of season ticket holders, so id imagine they can charge that price knowing it affects a minority of their own support.

These derbies aside (simple case of supply and demand and knowing it’ll sell out regardless) think majority of Scottish fans need to remember that we receive a very small fraction of the tv money and prize money that England, Spain, Germany etc get.

Nothing frustrates me more than seeing part time Scottish fans saying ‘Scottish football is a joke, can get a ticket for Newcastle Chelsea for a tenner but costs over £20 to watch hibs’. Hibs have the same outlays as anyone else, we want us competing at the top, we need to pay the same police, stewards, lighting etc.

The club is hardly making a huge profit, meaning the money we are bringing in we are spending again. As an entertainment business I don’t find £20-£30 19 times a season that much for nearly 2 hours entertainment.

The top top clubs that, even if they sold tickets for £0 to every game, would still churn out huge profits then that is slightly different, but if fans buy them then it’s hardly surprising that the clubs carry on doing it.

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Celtic are charging £49 for a ticket for the Sevco game next week, horrendous. I thought £32 for the PBS was bad.


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Absolutely scandalous for any Scottish league match, even if it is the Old Firm.

[HibeeHibernian4]

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I’d be interested to know why you think people like Ann Budge are bad for the Scottish game. She’s came in and essentially saved Hearts whilst taking a strong stance against sectarian abuse amongst their supporters, one of the biggest issues in Scottish football. What has she done wrong or not done so well?

She hasn't taken a strong stance.

The lower part of Section N and G should've been closed down and the offending supporters in that section banned.

It hasn't happened, because she has failed to deal with them.

She's done the worst of all worlds, which is to come out and condemn them for things like standing while watching the game. This gives them, much like their alt right heroes, a chance to look like they're being victimised without actually being punished.

If her stance against sectarianism is a strong one, could you care to explain how, in 2014, Hearts had a tiny sectarian issue, and now they are the second most sectarian fanbase in Scotland after Rangers, who regularly sing the Gorgie Boys? Doesn't make sense to me, personally.

[Keith_M]

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Celtic are charging £49 for a ticket for the Sevco game next week, horrendous. I thought £32 for the PBS was bad.

It's supply and demand, I suppose.

I'd imagine they could get a six figure crowd for matches between those two, if they had a stadium large enough.

[Keith_M]

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She hasn't taken a strong stance.

The lower part of Section N and G should've been closed down and the offending supporters in that section banned.

It hasn't happened, because she has failed to deal with them.

She's done the worst of all worlds, which is to come out and condemn them for things like standing while watching the game. This gives them, much like their alt right heroes, a chance to look like they're being victimised without actually being punished.

If her stance against sectarianism is a strong one, could you care to explain how, in 2014, Hearts had a tiny sectarian issue, and now they are the second most sectarian fanbase in Scotland after Rangers, who regularly sing the Gorgie Boys? Doesn't make sense to me, personally.

I think the truth is somewhere in between. She has come out and criticised behaviour, I think also restricting access to a couple of sections, but there's probably a lot more that could be done, both at Hearts and certain other clubs.

I don't think the rise in sectarianism can be attributed to Budge. It may have happened under her watch but she's the only owner of Hearts I've ever heard criticising Fans' behaviour.

If she's trying to gentrify football, as you suggest, she seems to have a long way to go.

[Killiehibbie]

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It's supply and demand, I suppose.

I'd imagine they could get a six figure crowd for matches between those two, if they had a stadium large enough.

Doing the huns a favour by restricting the torment to 800 of them, I read it's something like 5 wins there in 20 years and none by the tribute act.

[SChibs]

Percentage wise ticket money makes up far more of a team like hibs income compared to large teams in the German, Spanish or English leagues.

Bayer Munich said once they could put their ticket prices up but it would only generate an extra 2m a year and what is 2m to them. They would rather the football was affordable for the fans. On the other hand 2m for hibs is massive

[Weegreenman]

People pay.......and there is the problem!

[NAE NOOKIE]

There are two sides of football in the UK though.

You have a league in Scotland where the proportion of a club's annual income which comes from the supporters is extremely high, the fans are the clubs major source of income. In that scenario its understandable that clubs struggle a bit to make substantial cuts to the price of matchday tickets …. I know folk will come up with examples like Hamilton for example who I understand charge little or nothing for kids and youths, but the amount of income that would lose them compared to the likes of Hibs or Aberdeen is minimal.

In England, especially in the EPL, you have exactly the opposite scenario where TV and sponsorship money dwarves income through the turnstiles for most clubs. In that scenario you would sort of hope that the clubs would make tickets affordable for fans who are on a limited income, instead of that they seem determined to squeeze the fans until their financial pips squeak.

But as has been said, the wage demands of players and agents seem to be the main problem. You have players earning over a quarter of a million quid a week in some cases … what would the average EPL player be on … 40K, 50K, 60K, 70K a week? …. its mental. Just how long will it be until a wage cap is introduced? For all their riches the EPL's overall debt is gigantic and that might seem manageable on the face of it, but look at the trouble clubs are getting into trying to join the party … Aston Villa and Birmingham City spring to mind.

Its a house of cards ah tells ye

[Waxy]

It’d be interesting to see a list of entry prices for Easter road since since around the seventies.Remember it was 30p for an under 16 in the early eighties.
Prices have gone through the roof.
Football used to be for the common person. The greedy decided to change that.

[HibeeHibernian4]

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It’d be interesting to see a list of entry prices for Easter road since since around the seventies.Remember it was 30p for an under 16 in the early eighties.
Prices have gone through the roof.
Football used to be for the common person. The greedy decided to change that.

And what right did they have to do that, is my biggest gripe.

They didn't invent football. They didn't make it successful or popular. They really have no right to charge us anything to watch it, let alone hundreds of pounds in some cases.

[hibbysam]

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And what right did they have to do that, is my biggest gripe.

They didn't invent football. They didn't make it successful or popular. They really have no right to charge us anything to watch it, let alone hundreds of pounds in some cases.

So you’d like Hibernian, as a club, to charge £0 to enter, or let’s say £5/£10 and end up watching absolute dross every week in front of 6/7k or go out the box if we continue paying players what we do now to challenge while bringing in next to no gate money?

Carnage.

[Just Jimmy]

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If I was offered the Man Utd tickets for £102 I’d buy three but yes agree it’s getting ridiculous especially teams like that who have so much money already and don’t rely on ticket sales to survive,

you can have my 2 season tickets for old Trafford for the home leg at £102 per ticket....


(only kidding in case you're daft enough)

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[Waxy]

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So you’d like Hibernian, as a club, to charge £0 to enter, or let’s say £5/£10 and end up watching absolute dross every week in front of 6/7k or go out the box if we continue paying players what we do now to challenge while bringing in next to no gate money?

Carnage.

Off course we’ve had no choice but to raise prices like everyone else. We’d be left behind very quickly if we didn’t.
But where is football heading?
If prices keep rising like this then only the well off will be able to afford a day out at the football.
Only 150 year ago our club was formed by Edinburghs poorest community living in Edinburghs worst slums in the Cowgate.
We were supported by the same people who lived there.
We need to keep a balance so football isn’t out of reach for low income families.Greedy cunning business people have stolen our game.

[King Cosell]

1999/00

East Stand season ticket - £240
Hearts away ticket - £18
St Johnstone away ticket - £15

In today's money - £412.48, £30.94 & £25.78

[Hibernia&Alba]

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1999/00

East Stand season ticket - £240
Hearts away ticket - £18
St Johnstone away ticket - £15

In today's money - £412.48, £30.94 & £25.78

Are you sure inflation has been so high in the past twenty years? Seems a huge increase.

[King Cosell]

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Are you sure inflation has been so high in the past twenty years? Seems a huge increase.

Yeah, I googled 'UK inflation calculator'

[Hibernia&Alba]

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Yeah, I googled 'UK inflation calculator'

Wow, I'm surprised that £240 just twenty years ago is now over £400. Just shows you.

[Antifa Hibs]

Prices are becoming a joke but there are 2 issues...

-People pay it so clubs so no reason for clubs to freeze or reduce costs
-Our league is a joke and some clubs would probably go out the box if they couldn't gurantee maximum income from Old Firm fans a few times a season


Biggest problem with Scottish football is being in the UK and its proximity to England meaning a smaller share of TV revenue and inflated wages.

[bobbyhibs1983]

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So you’d like Hibernian, as a club, to charge £0 to enter, or let’s say £5/£10 and end up watching absolute dross every week in front of 6/7k or go out the box if we continue paying players what we do now to challenge while bringing in next to no gate money?

Carnage.

so by your theory instead of *watching absolute dross* in your example above we d be able to afford top quality players because we should (as fans)
paying say £2,000 for a st?
or be happy paying a walk up of say £50/60?


sadly its a choice a lot of people make,sadly for me, i cannot afford a st, i do wonder how many people are in the same boat?
as other posters have said its supply and demand, as a poster above mentoined above about a special game played in 2016,i think these sorta *one off games* i think alot of people would go for that sorta type of thing if the prices were out the box,though i think those sorta games are just that *one off games*
I am not sure what the answer is,sadly i think alot of people in time ,unless things change will be forced to make a choice of buying st's/ walk up tickets to go support hibs or they get to a point of cant afford it wont go