Prices of friendlies

€20 to watch LOI friendlies is a disgrace. In fact paying €20 or more to watch any game is a disgrace. If you want to watch Serie A, it's less than that.

Galway are not the only club to have such prices, but soon, with unemployment and inflation rising, only the hard core of those clubs will go every week.

Originally Posted by mypost

In fact paying €20 or more to watch any game is a disgrace. If you want to watch Serie A, it's less than that.

I'm not defending €20 for a friendly but the comparison doesn't really work. It's easy for Serie A clubs to charge a little less than eL clubs for a number of reasons. For a start, the crowds are larger so gate receipts are larger, sponsorship income and tv revenue are also much larger. Ireland also has one of the highest costs of living in Europe so naturally tickets will be more expensive. Galway are at least honest in their aims, they admit they intend to spend large and further increase their budget, that's not going to be paid for out of thin air. They'll hope the increased revenue will bring a better product and therefore maintain attendances at the increased price. I don't think they'll be all that better and attendances will probably suffer but you can see where they're coming from.

Also, if inflation is rising then shouldn't ticket prices rise also? Surely inflation means larger costs fopr clubs hence they need to raise more income.

Originally Posted by Poor Student

I'm not defending €20 for a friendly but the comparison doesn't really work.

It does when you only compare quality of football and ticket prices. The eL must be the most over-priced league in Europe under that comparison.

When you factor in cost of living, inflation etc, I agree that the issue becomes less clear cut. But 25 euros is robbery by any standard in my opinion.

And I disagree with the argument (not made by you in the post, but it has been made by others) that if crowds were bigger, prices would go down. If Galway, for example, were getting 10,000 people paying 25 euros, why on earth would they reduce their prices to, say, 20 euros?

Whether clubs would reduce or not in that hypothetical situation the fact is that they cannot afford to price comparatively on quality. In that case what should clubs be charging, €5?

Originally Posted by osarusan

If Galway, for example, were getting 10,000 people paying 25 euros, why on earth would they reduce their prices to, say, 20 euros?

I agree

Originally Posted by Poor Student

the fact is that they cannot afford to price comparatively on quality.

I agree completely.

You are right when you say that the lack of TV money and sponsorship means that the other main way to generate revenue - ticket prices - must be exploited.

I think a lot of people realise that they are paying a lot in terms of the quality of football they're watching, and the surroundings in which they're watching it. But fans don't mind this, up to a point, as they know the club needs to charge those prices, and they are willing to pay.

But there is a point where enough people will baulk at the price, and the drop in attendance will mean the increase in prices is actually counter-productive. I'd say 25 euros would be very close to, if not over, that point.

Originally Posted by osarusan

But there is a point where enough people will baulk at the price, and the drop in attendance will mean the increase in prices is actually counter-productive. I'd say 25 euros would be very close to, if not over, that point.

I reckon they've crossed that line too and I think their attendances will be interesting to see this season. Committed hardcore fans will understand the club seeking added revenue but floating and fair weather fans will be turned off unless they're flying high.

Originally Posted by Poor Student

if inflation is rising then shouldn't ticket prices rise also? Surely inflation means larger costs fopr clubs hence they need to raise more income.

Inflation doesn't justify a sudden 33% increase in 4 months. If it was a Euro or 2, the difference would be negligible, but Galway's admission prices were only €10 until last season, now they've gone up to €20. Though we had the most expensive prices in the lower division 2 years ago, we haven't raised ticket prices since 2004. But I reckon once a few clubs do it, we may follow, driving more people away from our gate, especially for unfashionable games.

Dundalk charging €12 for the stand or €8 for the terrace for friendlies.

Season ticket holders get free entrance to the four friendlies (Drogs, Pats, Bray, Rovers), along with the League Cup games.

Tenner into Wexford v UCD today.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Tenner into Wexford v UCD today.

And none of that sitting down nonsense

[QUOTE

Season ticket holders get free entrance to the four friendlies (Drogs, Pats, Bray, Rovers), along with the League Cup games.[/QUOTE]

You sure about the league cup games? - thought that was done away with?

League Cup games are now shared gates so no season tickets allowed

Originally Posted by DRDoc

You sure about the league cup games? - thought that was done away with?

Well it says so on the season ticket.

Originally Posted by holidaysong

Well it says so on the season ticket.

Sounds like trouble if you get a home draw with the shared gate rule now in force.

Like Holidaysong said, it says on the season ticket that it covers League Cup games.

Season Tickets usually get you into league cup games as well- but I think the home club has to pay the portion of the entry fee that the away side would otherwise pay. I think in a lot of cases though that the visiting club may waive this if the number of season ticket holders isn't that high.

Galway United charged €15 last season.

This season the new stand will be for Gold ,Corporate , Adult, Concession & Terry's Tigers Season Tickets Plus Sponsors,Visiting Officials and guests. Whatever Seats are left in the new stand will be €25.

Its €20/€10/€5 for all other parts of the ground including the old stand.

Originally Posted by Mr A

Season Tickets usually get you into league cup games as well- but I think the home club has to pay the portion of the entry fee that the away side would otherwise pay. I think in a lot of cases though that the visiting club may waive this if the number of season ticket holders isn't that high.

Estimated attendences tend to be fairly low when the gate is split

Drogs season tickets now cover League only. They previously covered LC but with the new shared gate for that competition they cannot cover the LC anymore.