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View Full Version : The Relative cost of Football. 1971 - 2011



Newcastlehibby
14-12-2011, 04:31 PM
Can any of the more mature among you remember what it cost for an adult to get into Easter Road in 1971 (before decimalisation). 7 shillings and sixpence is in my memory (thats 37.5p for you younger ones) for the terracing. Can't remember what the enclosure or stand cost then. What I do remember was that, even though I was on a basic starting salary, watching Hibs was affordable. I want to do a comparison between increases in wages and the cost of supporting our team then and now.

c31
14-12-2011, 04:51 PM
Can any of the more mature among you remember what it cost for an adult to get into Easter Road in 1971 (before decimalisation). 7 shillings and sixpence is in my memory (thats 40p for you younger ones) for the terracing. Can't remember what the enclosure or stand cost then. What I do remember was that, even though I was on a basic starting salary, watching Hibs was affordable. I want to do a comparison between increases in wages and the cost of supporting our team then and now.

I remember in about 1967 it was 4 bob (20p) for adults and 2 bob (10p) for kids, if us kids got a lift over we could get 10 sovereign, box matches & a bag of chips with what we saved.

Or maybe my mind is playing tricks……

Golden Bear
14-12-2011, 05:01 PM
A bit of useless information but I think the match programmes cost about 6 pence in old money.

fatbloke
14-12-2011, 05:05 PM
1972 cup final v Celtic cost me 20p as a juvenile. Wasnae worth it:(

Sylar
14-12-2011, 05:09 PM
Can any of the more mature among you remember what it cost for an adult to get into Easter Road in 1971 (before decimalisation). 7 shillings and sixpence is in my memory (thats 40p for you younger ones) for the terracing. Can't remember what the enclosure or stand cost then. What I do remember was that, even though I was on a basic starting salary, watching Hibs was affordable. I want to do a comparison between increases in wages and the cost of supporting our team then and now.

Pretty sure there's a good research project in that, looking at the wholesale rise in pricing across the board in football, compared to investment in the sport, TV influence and relative wage increases, and how it has now reached an unsustainable point!

Andy74
14-12-2011, 05:20 PM
Probably in line with the cinema and the theatre and well behind the rugby I'd bet!

Newcastlehibby
14-12-2011, 05:20 PM
I remember in about 1967 it was 4 bob (20p) for adults and 2 bob (10p) for kids, if us kids got a lift over we could get 10 sovereign, box matches & a bag of chips with what we saved.

Or maybe my mind is playing tricks……

Sounds about right to me. Getting a lift over made the game very affordable! I started to get a bit big shortly after then but there was always one hardy soul who would give it a try.

Hillsidehibby
14-12-2011, 05:32 PM
1969-70 it was 2 shillings for first team games and a shilling for reserve games in the boys gate.

I remember the old turnstyles and I was wee enough to crawl under.

WindyMiller
14-12-2011, 05:33 PM
Sounds about right to me. Getting a lift over made the game very affordable! I started to get a bit big shortly after then but there was always one hardy soul who would give it a try.


http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMyb1y4te6rDXyOJtxs8YN2zlh7tkeq wveD5VNSYHv6CU6UrmHvw


:aok:

Newcastlehibby
14-12-2011, 05:51 PM
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMyb1y4te6rDXyOJtxs8YN2zlh7tkeq wveD5VNSYHv6CU6UrmHvw


:aok:

I had no idea anyone had a picture of me

Keith_M
14-12-2011, 06:01 PM
Can any of the more mature among you remember what it cost for an adult to get into Easter Road in 1971 (before decimalisation). 7 shillings and sixpence is in my memory (thats 37.5p for you younger ones) for the terracing. Can't remember what the enclosure or stand cost then. What I do remember was that, even though I was on a basic starting salary, watching Hibs was affordable. I want to do a comparison between increases in wages and the cost of supporting our team then and now.


Pretty sure there's a good research project in that, looking at the wholesale rise in pricing across the board in football, compared to investment in the sport, TV influence and relative wage increases, and how it has now reached an unsustainable point!


Probably in line with the cinema and the theatre and well behind the rugby I'd bet!

FWIW, if it WAS 37.7p, that's equivalent to £4.18 today. So in real terms, the cost of attending a game (minimum price) is roughly five times what it was then.

Andy, any stats on cinema and theatre price comparisons? Dunno about the theatre but I'd be surprised in if the cinema is six times what it was 40 years ago.



Source (http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633409/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html)

marinello59
14-12-2011, 06:06 PM
FWIW, if it WAS 37.7p, that's equivalent to £4.18 today. So in real terms, the cost of attending a game (minimum price) is roughly six times what it was then.

Andy, any stats on cinema and theatre price comparisons? Dunno about the theatre but I'd be surprised in if the cinema is six times what it was 40 years ago.

The players are probably paid more than six times what they were then in real terms. Yet fans still demand we 'pay whatever it takes' to get certain players. The worlds gone mad, I better stop before I go off on a full blown middle aged rant.

MM19
14-12-2011, 06:17 PM
When I started going in 1966 it was 5 shillings adult and 2/6 kids for the terracing.

sesoim
14-12-2011, 06:28 PM
The players are probably paid more than six times what they were then in real terms. Yet fans still demand we 'pay whatever it takes' to get certain players. The worlds gone mad, I better stop before I go off on a full blown middle aged rant.


I don't think the fans moaning about prices (me included) are the same ones who expect big money signings. Hopefully the UEFA restrictions on how much teams can spend compared to their turnover will start to get a bit of normality back into football. Frankly, if Hibs do get their debt down to zero, that has to be the time for them to seriously look at cutting prices so they can get more fans back. Whatever we lose in ticket prices could be made up for by bigger crowds, more sponsorship, a better atmosphere and, hopefully, a better chance of winning as a result.

Newcastlehibby
14-12-2011, 06:32 PM
FWIW, if it WAS 37.7p, that's equivalent to £4.18 today. So in real terms, the cost of attending a game (minimum price) is roughly five times what it was then.

Andy, any stats on cinema and theatre price comparisons? Dunno about the theatre but I'd be surprised in if the cinema is six times what it was 40 years ago.



Source (http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633409/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html)

That is just based on the RPI. I have looked at what I earned that year in my first full time job as a civil servant. My starting pay was £525 a year as a clerical officer. The same grade now starts on £15225 which is exactly 29 times what I started on. 29 x 37.5 = £10.87.5p. I doubt many would mind paying that (I did get to watch Stein, Cormack etc and the Tornadoes of course). If players were earning 29 x their earnings from then, they would still be earning far more than most of us ever will. Of course, it is all seated now and a seat in the stand cost more so maybe £15 would be a more realistic comparison. It is a pretty simplistic way of working things out but it tends to indicate that the fans (everywhere) are being screwed and the players, in general, paid far too much.

iwasthere1972
14-12-2011, 07:16 PM
Can any of the more mature among you remember what it cost for an adult to get into Easter Road in 1971 (before decimalisation). 7 shillings and sixpence is in my memory (thats 37.5p for you younger ones) for the terracing. Can't remember what the enclosure or stand cost then. What I do remember was that, even though I was on a basic starting salary, watching Hibs was affordable. I want to do a comparison between increases in wages and the cost of supporting our team then and now.

In 1973 I could up pub with £1 which would buy me 8 pints of lager and I would still have enough change to get a bag of chips on the way home. I think I was earning about £12 a week at the time.

iwasthere1972
14-12-2011, 07:21 PM
A bit of useless information but I think the match programmes cost about 6 pence in old money.

:agree: I've got a match prog from March 68 (v Stirling Albion) which cost 6d.

James70
14-12-2011, 07:36 PM
Not Hibs but check out these prices!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ospreywatcher/2284010382/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ospreywatcher/2283219535/

All from around 1967-68 approx.

The_Todd
14-12-2011, 07:55 PM
Not Hibs but check out these prices!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ospreywatcher/2284010382/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ospreywatcher/2283219535/

All from around 1967-68 approx.

I'm too young to understand. 1/6? 1/6 what? Is it a fraction?

Pre metric fowk ken whits goan oan!

iwasthere1972
14-12-2011, 08:04 PM
I'm too young to understand. 1/6? 1/6 what? Is it a fraction?

Pre metric fowk ken whits goan oan!

7 and a half pence. :wink: Bang on in the middle of 5p and 10p. :greengrin

James70
14-12-2011, 08:12 PM
Another sign of how times have changed-the ticket for the Arsenal match was for a live transmission in black and white on to giant screens at Old Trafford. Much better than watching on Sky nowadays!

iwasthere1972
14-12-2011, 09:06 PM
Another sign of how times have changed-the ticket for the Arsenal match was for a live transmission in black and white on to giant screens at Old Trafford. Much better than watching on Sky nowadays!

Aye but I couldn't help noticing that they had strange kick off times. 3pm on a Saturday and 7.30pm on a Wednesday. Weird. :confused:

BoltonHibee
14-12-2011, 09:34 PM
Aye but I couldn't help noticing that they had strange kick off times. 3pm on a Saturday and 7.30pm on a Wednesday. Weird. :confused:

Those ko times never really caught on

Hibercelona
14-12-2011, 10:03 PM
The price has gone up by about 500-600%.

tamig
14-12-2011, 10:07 PM
When I started going on my own in 79 it was 60p for a juvenile. A few years later when I started drinking, a pint cost 58p and I think the price then was about £1.30 for an adult in the old terracing. So if in the early 80s we say a pint was around half the price of the cheapest adult admission price it kind of shows how football prices have spiralled way out of line with every day items.

Sas_The_Hibby
14-12-2011, 10:21 PM
When I started going on my own in 79 it was 60p for a juvenile. A few years later when I started drinking, a pint cost 58p and I think the price then was about £1.30 for an adult in the old terracing. So if in the early 80s we say a pint was around half the price of the cheapest adult admission price it kind of shows how football prices have spiralled way out of line with every day items.

And is the product better? Not in my opinion.

connerg
14-12-2011, 10:27 PM
In 1985/86 season it was £2 for a child in the East. Still got my ticket from the 1985 League Cup semi-final, second leg at ibrox, £4.75.
We went through to the final, 2-1 on aggregate. Cowan and Chisolm for us at ER, Cooper for them at ibrox.

tamig
14-12-2011, 10:34 PM
And is the product better? Not in my opinion.

It was Tennents Special at the time. So yes, I'd say the beer is far better now :wink:

Spudster
14-12-2011, 10:35 PM
The price has gone up by about 500-600%.

I'd imagine the running costs of the club have up more in that time.

Hibercelona
14-12-2011, 10:37 PM
I'd imagine the running costs of the club have up more in that time.

Well when you have regular men on 5k a week + bonuses..... running a club would be rather expensive don't you think? :greengrin

Hibercelona
14-12-2011, 10:39 PM
It was Tennents Special at the time. So yes, I'd say the beer is far better now :wink:

Not if you settle for "Ice Cold". :wink:

superfurryhibby
15-12-2011, 05:49 PM
Prices are ridiculous just now and have been for many years. Add to that the rip off prices for food and costs of travel etc.... you have a recipe for falling crowds, especially when the football on offer is gash!

How come top flight football is so much cheaper to view in leagues around Europe? One cannae help get the feeling that we are being screwed senseless in every respect.

ancient hibee
15-12-2011, 06:41 PM
I think that my centre stand season ticket in 1969 was £9.

Green_one
16-12-2011, 12:32 PM
My opinion is that the cinema (the pictures) has gone up more or less with usual overall increases although it has changed with facilties, multiple screens. etc. However, the cost model for cinemas relies heavily on food & drink purchases which are horrendous.

Football is by far the most expensive increase that I can see. That must have a lot to do with player wages as they are the key element in any clubs budget (unless you are building the Emerates or something).

If you factor in that clubs have a significant new source of income from satellite TV , fan costs have gone up disproportionately. I will be interested in seeing the actual stats though.

Andy74
16-12-2011, 02:55 PM
My opinion is that the cinema (the pictures) has gone up more or less with usual overall increases although it has changed with facilties, multiple screens. etc. However, the cost model for cinemas relies heavily on food & drink purchases which are horrendous.

Football is by far the most expensive increase that I can see. That must have a lot to do with player wages as they are the key element in any clubs budget (unless you are building the Emerates or something).

If you factor in that clubs have a significant new source of income from satellite TV , fan costs have gone up disproportionately. I will be interested in seeing the actual stats though.

I suppose the old boys would have to comment on how much the cinema used to be in comparison to entry to the football. Currently a ticket is probably about 1/3 of a football ticket?

Scotland rugby tickets must be double the football so it's not alone.

iwasthere1972
16-12-2011, 03:21 PM
I suppose the old boys would have to comment on how much the cinema used to be in comparison to entry to the football. Currently a ticket is probably about 1/3 of a football ticket?

Scotland rugby tickets must be double the football so it's not alone.

Found this but remember it was written in 2004.

A glance at Britain's social life in 1970 is equally intriguing. A trip for two to the cinema cost less than 90p, compared with at least £9 today, while a bottle of plonk was about £1. Today it is £4.55.

For those with more spirited and extravagant tastes, a bottle of whisky cost £2.69 back then, compared with £12 now.

Pub prices, too, seem foreign. A pint of lager in your local was 20p, a far cry from today's average of £2.10. And cigarettes, which enjoyed a lot more popularity then, were 20p for 20. Today, the habit costs about £4.65 a pack.

I'm not so sure that these prices are correct as I know for sure that when I first started drinking in 1973 I was paying 12p a pint. Mind you that for Ushers which was rubbish at best.

jgl07
16-12-2011, 08:47 PM
This covers it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2AcJSkUw6M

seanshow
17-12-2011, 12:15 AM
I'm not part of that generation, but what seems to come up quite regularly nowadays is that the admission price for the SPL should be about £10/£15.
With clubs recently experimenting with these prices in one off games, It would be great if they could introduce it across the whole league.
£28 is ridiculous for the SPL imo.

Forza Fred
17-12-2011, 03:17 AM
In 1964 Hibs beat the mighty, and star studded Real Madrid 2-0 at Easter Road.

They doubled the normal league entrance fee of 3 bob and it cost 6 shillings to witness this famous game...no boys gate, nae liftovers etc..

If Petrie was around then he would have got blamed for it...:greengrin

duncandonuts36
17-12-2011, 05:40 AM
Player wages definitely a factor.....this http://goo.gl/1myIB shows average UK wages v player wages in UK from 1984 onwards

Massive impact of PremierLeague on wages (from £25k i 1984 to £1.1m now)

Also big impact on championship but to a lesser extent (£15k to £200k).

The wage inflation only seen at highest levels though - League Two wages (£8k to £38k) track average UK wages (£10k to £34k) fairly closely.

Doesn't have Scottish Wages for comparison (though Hearts current £0 wage bill may distort the stats :wink:)
SPL outside Old Firm maybe closest to League One pattern (£11k to £73k) ?
From the article - Figures published for the first time today show that top division players in England in 1984 earned a basic average of £480 per week (£25,000 a year), which was more than double what the average worker earned, and which was three times as much as players earned in the Fourth Division. It should be stressed: the gap between the top division and the fourth was only three times as much. Today the difference is 30 times as much
Full article : http://goo.gl/Uy1RJ