Norwich City - Officially the WORST value for money in Europe.

[Iwans Big Toe 312]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29527838http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29614980Two very interesting articles on the BBC website today on the value for money fans in England get. Last season Norwich were the most expensive team to support per goal in Europe. This season they are the most expensive team to buy a season ticket for in the Championship and there are only 2 teams that have cheaper casual ticket prices. What also surprised me is the Dortmund claim that they get around 1000 fans to a home game that live in England, as it works out cheaper to support Dortmund than Manchester Utd. Also shocked at the fact you can buy a season ticket at Real Madrid or Barcelona and watch Messi, Ronaldo, Bale and Suarez 19 times a year for less than the price of attending 2 or 3 games at Upton Park!!!!!

[Iwans Big Toe 312]

[quote user="Iwans Big Toe"]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29527838http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29614980Two very interesting articles on the BBC website today on the value for money fans in England get. Last season Norwich were the most expensive team to support per goal in Europe. This season they are the most expensive team to buy a season ticket for in the Championship and there are only 2 teams that have cheaper casual ticket prices. What also surprised me is the Dortmund claim that they get around 1000 fans to a home game that live in England, as it works out cheaper to support Dortmund than Manchester Utd. Also shocked at the fact you can buy a season ticket at Real Madrid or Barcelona and watch Messi, Ronaldo, Bale and Suarez 19 times a year for less than the price of attending 2 or 3 games at Upton Park!!!!!

[/quote]And by cheaper I actually mean more expensive!!! Oh for an edit button!!!!

[Duncan Edwards 2,218]

Shocking isn''t it.

Yet 25000 people still feel that it''s good enough value to turn up each home game.

Therein lies the problem.

[YankeeCanary 0]

[quote user="Pauls Ferry"]Shocking isn''t it. Yet 25000 people still feel that it''s good enough value to turn up each home game. Therein lies the problem.[/quote]

 

Are you suggesting that democracy is the problem, because that''s what''s being exercised?

[Duncan Edwards 2,218]

No, what I''m saying is that for all the moaning about pricing and "VFM" - apparently that''s somehow connected to goals now - that 25000 people still exercise the option to attend at each home game.

That being the case, the club would, could and perhaps should argue that this demonstrates that there is no problem with the current pricing structure.

My own view is that if you don''t like it, don''t pay it and don''t go. If enough people think the same way the club will be forced to take action to drive up numbers. Me? I''m happy enough paying what I pay to attend and I don''t feel particularly hard done by because I couldn''t care less what other clubs charge. I''m a Norwich fan and so if they charge tuppence ha''penny elsewhere it''s irrelevant because I don''t want to watch them.

[YankeeCanary 0]

 

Thank you for responding Paul. I did not pick up on your intention behind your original statement. Good to see you are one of the 25,000+.

[Duncan Edwards 2,218]

No problem Yankee, I should have been clearer in my initial response.

OTBC

[......and Smith must score. 1,332]

Hughton Out !! [:D]

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

If you judge the value of a football club by the number of goals scored then it''s not surprising we came out awfully last year, because we hardly scored any goals... Not exactly rocket science, is it ?

 

Similarly this year, as a club that''s just come down from the Prem, it''s not a surprise our ticket prices are at the top end of the Championship. 

[Iwans Big Toe 312]

[quote user="Pauls Ferry"]No, what I''m saying is that for all the moaning about pricing and "VFM" - apparently that''s somehow connected to goals now - that 25000 people still exercise the option to attend at each home game.

That being the case, the club would, could and perhaps should argue that this demonstrates that there is no problem with the current pricing structure.

My own view is that if you don''t like it, don''t pay it and don''t go. If enough people think the same way the club will be forced to take action to drive up numbers. Me? I''m happy enough paying what I pay to attend and I don''t feel particularly hard done by because I couldn''t care less what other clubs charge. I''m a Norwich fan and so if they charge tuppence ha''penny elsewhere it''s irrelevant because I don''t want to watch them.[/quote]I think that you have kind of missed the point. 25,000 people may think that paying £150 - £200 to take your family to watch a second tier side play football is reasonable. It doesn''t make them right. Of course it doesn''t make them wrong either. It just makes them unfortunate that due to their particular geographic location they have to pay that much to watch a professional football match. When if they happened to live in any other European country they would pay a fraction of that to watch the same standard of football.And, if you feel that you are getting value for money paying double what a Bayern Munich, FC Porto or Barcelona fan pays to watch Champions League football to watch Norwich City vs Rotherham, by all means please continue to pay it.

[mre2 1]

From the club''s point of view its win-win. They have the second highest attendance in the league and are also the most expensive. That coupled with the parachute payment they must have the biggest budget in the league.

Although a big budget does not always equal success it does help if team has a good manager and it''s spent wisely.

[Duncan Edwards 2,218]

No, you''re missing the point.

I don''t care about Bayern Munich, Barcelona or FC Porto because I''m a Norwich fan. If I lived in Munich I''d still be a Norwich fan, it might cost 5p to go and watch Bayern but it has no bearing on me because I couldn''t give a toss if Bayern Munich win, lose or go bust tomorrow.

If you feel that you''re that hard done by, then take your own advice and go and support someone else. I''m afraid I couldn''t do that and the enjoyment I get from going to Carrow Road - the football, the time spent with my son, the social aspect (about 20 of us meet up each game and travel away together) and even the walk to the ground - all make whatever money I spend, tickets, travel, overpriced refreshments etc good value for money.

Even when we don''t score a goal.

The best thing people can do if they disagree with the pricing is to vote with their feet. If enough people do the same, then the club would be duty bound to try and arrest the decline in numbers. I understand your point and wish you good luck but don''t expect me to join you. While the crowds hold up, you''ll see no change. Alternatively you could support someone else or geographically relocate?

[Katie Borkins 1]

Where are we on "Value" per goals scored this season? Or are we using a different stick to beat the club with now we''re scoring goals again?

[TIL 1010 4,718]

I haven''t had value for money on my last 3 visits to Craven Cottage but I have already spent 60 quid on match and rail tickets to go again this weekend...........the reason being my football team are playing.

[gabba 0]

It''s been like watching paint dry for the past 20 years, but I still turn up to almost every home game and quite a few away games. It''s expensive and it can get very cold waiting at the bus station, but at least it''s a trip out and some banter with the fans.

[Iwans Big Toe 312]

[quote user="Bor Bor Bor"]Where are we on "Value" per goals scored this season? Or are we using a different stick to beat the club with now we''re scoring goals again?[/quote]Value per goals is not the issue, it''s the value of English football per se. These articles were not written with just the Norwich City board of directors in mind. They are a broad side at English football clubs as a whole. The point being made is that the majority of clubs at the top of the football pyramid in England have increased their ticket prices by more than the rate of inflation. This just after they have started recieving money from the largest TV rights package ever seen. The amount of money in English football is obscene, with many players earning more in a month than the 300,000 homeless children living on the streets of Mumbai will earn collectively in their lifetimes. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark friend.

[Iwans Big Toe 312]

[quote user="Pauls Ferry"]No, you''re missing the point.

I don''t care about Bayern Munich, Barcelona or FC Porto because I''m a Norwich fan. If I lived in Munich I''d still be a Norwich fan, it might cost 5p to go and watch Bayern but it has no bearing on me because I couldn''t give a toss if Bayern Munich win, lose or go bust tomorrow.

If you feel that you''re that hard done by, then take your own advice and go and support someone else. I''m afraid I couldn''t do that and the enjoyment I get from going to Carrow Road - the football, the time spent with my son, the social aspect (about 20 of us meet up each game and travel away together) and even the walk to the ground - all make whatever money I spend, tickets, travel, overpriced refreshments etc good value for money.

Even when we don''t score a goal.

The best thing people can do if they disagree with the pricing is to vote with their feet. If enough people do the same, then the club would be duty bound to try and arrest the decline in numbers. I understand your point and wish you good luck but don''t expect me to join you. While the crowds hold up, you''ll see no change. Alternatively you could support someone else or geographically relocate?[/quote]No I''m not missing your point. I get it, you feel that however much you spend would be value for money and that is fine, it''s your money, please spend it however you see fit. What I am saying is what these BBC articles are saying (and it''s not often that I agree with the BBC) that the average football fan in England, whether they support Man Utd, Arsenal, Norwich City or who ever are milked for as much as the clubs can get away with. It''s looking at the bigger picture. Not everyone is in a position to pay whatever prices the club set because they have more important things to spend their cash on, like food, bills and rent. And as for the argument about voting with your feet, that seems to be a load of old squit. Look at that lot down the road, their ground is still only half full on a Saturday, even though they are in a play off place. Yet their owner hasn''t reduced ticket prices dramatically.Oh and I do go and watch other clubs, some of the best football matches I have seen have been in the bottom 2 divisions of English football. But Norwich will always be "my club".

[Gainer the Gopher 0]

Certainly in some of those cheaper big name examples like Porto,

the lousy economies and low average income is a major factor in what they can charge for tickets.

[Duncan Edwards 2,218]

Right, so it''s expensive.

The option is not to go but you seem to poo-poo that idea citing that shower down the A140. The fact that you think they are in any way comparable is worrying. There is a club that is being milked if ever there was one and of course they haven''t reduced prices because neither the owner or the club give a monkeys about the fans or the community as is evidenced by the way they stiffed local businesses and charities just a few short years ago. Our club paid it''s debts in full, and, while ticket prices, the seasonal kit change and other things might seem exploitative to some, to others it is a means to continue. If we want to dine at the top table then we are going to have to act accordingly and that means maximising revenue streams.

If crowds were to decline, I think our board would act to arrest that decline.

As for the sums that players earn, yes the figures are extreme. But so are the figures that other top sportsmen, film actors, musicians etc earn. If an actor can earn $30m a film then I don''t see why a footballer shouldn''t earn a similar figure. I''d rather watch Messi, Ronaldo or Wes Hoolahan play football than Tom Cruise act!!

I''m sure that the poor kids in Mumbai have a terrible plight and it does seem ridiculous that some people can live in such opulence and decadence while others struggle to eat. Unfortunately, that''s always been the way, even in countries that have chased the dream of "sharing wealth". That doesn''t make it right but me going to the football won''t change it either. It might seem incredibly harsh but perhaps just as you reckon we are unfortunate to have been born in a country where football is expensive, they were unfortunate to be born into the desperate levels of poverty that they are. Lots of footballers do plenty for charity too though, it''s not like they are ignorant of the fact that they live a life of privilege.

Anyway, it is expensive. So is smoking, so is petrol. I don''t smoke and I don''t drive for (among others) that reason. If it is too expensive or you don''t feel that it represents value to YOU, then don''t go. It really is as simple as that.

Anyway, you must be loaded. Moaning about the exploitation of fans and the cost on one hand and then going on to say that you also attend games that don''t involve the club you support!! Must have money to burn....;-)

[wcorkcanary 4,329]

I was in Lisbon the other W/E , went to watch Benfica...no ticket, bought it 15mins before ko at the ticket office, €17. Half way up, just off the halfway line, in the stadium that hosted the last Champs League final, terrific value, ...if you earn your money in a more bouyant economy. If you are Portuguese thats pretty pricey, cos you can buy a 3 course meal with half litre of wine for €7.50 in lisbon.