Sign Here........

[redrus]

Not me I've lost you....

redrus

[redrus]

'More scope' for ticket cost cuts.

Premiership clubs have been warned they need to go further than the latest announcement of price freezes and cuts to win back fans.

Wednesday saw Everton, Blackburn and Sheffield United become the latest top-flight sides to reveal they would not increase season-ticket prices next season.

The Toffees revealed prices for 2007-08 that will see a 10% reduction if fans buy early, with price freezes even if they do not.

Blackburn promised to reduce prices, while Sheffield United are offering supporters a price freeze on early season-ticket renewals.

The moves have been welcomed by Football Supporters' Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke, but only as a first step to further price cuts.

"We do welcome it but we think there's scope for more," he said.

Clarke believes the new three-year television deal, which sees clubs share a total of £900million per season from next term, puts price freezes and modest cuts into perspective.

"If I tell you that the new television money is equivalent to £30 for every admission to a Premiership game this season, you've got an idea of the scale of the mega-bucks they're getting from television," he said.

"In other words, they could almost afford to let everybody in free next season and still have as much money as they've got this season.

"So, there's plenty of scope for cuts.

"I now think it would be quite outrageous if any Premiership club put up their prices for next season."

The decisions of Everton, Blackburn and Sheffield United follow those taken by Chelsea and Bolton, who recently announced respective price freezes and reductions.

Clarke believes the clubs have been stung into action by falling attendances, but believes ticket prices are only one symptom of a larger problem.

"They must be getting very worried about the empty seats that are now appearing at Premiership grounds up and down the country," he said.

"It's not just about prices, though, it's also about the lack of competitiveness in the Premier division.

"For many of those middle-ranking Premiership clubs, it's now become an extremely boring league because, for most of the Premiership, the objective at the start of the season is to avoid being relegated."

The last couple of weeks have seen the FSF launch an online petition to protest against 'rip-off' ticket prices.

The organisation, who claim to represent 140,000 members in England and Wales, have called for: a League-wide away fans' ticket price of no more than £15; a League-mandated freeze on all match-day and season-ticket prices; the use of television facilities fees for broadcast games to lower ticket prices to compensate for fixture moves and inconvenient kick-off times.

Clarke is particularly concerned away fans are not being looked after.

"Away fans are the football industry's best and most loyal customers and any intelligent industry would do anything to look after its best and most loyal customers," he said.

Manchester United supporters were last week urged to boycott merchandise during Saturday's Premiership trip to Fulham in protest against being forced to pay more than other clubs for away tickets.

"Rich club doesn't equal rich supporters," Clarke added.

redrus

[redrus]

NO TICKET PRICE FREEZE AT OLD TRAFFORD

redissue

Friday 2nd March 2007

Yet players' wages look set to rise.

From the Times

Manchester United's owners, the Glazer family, are on another collision course with the club's supporters as their multimillionaire players, rather than the fans, are set to enjoy the benefits of the FA Premier League's lucrative new television contract.

Several Barclays Premiership clubs, most recently Blackburn Rovers, have announced ticket-price reductions for next season, citing the increased revenue of a new domestic television contract worth £1.7 billion over the next three years. The reality, though, is that with demand continuing to outstrip supply at Old Trafford, United are more likely to increase ticket prices than to reduce them. Rather than subsidise the supporters, almost half the new television money will go directly into the pockets of the players.

Documents seen by The Times indicate that the Glazers have budgeted for 40 per cent of the increased television revenue to flow "directly to increased player salaries". The most recent business plan, last summer, budgeted for the players' wage bill to increase from £55.9 million this season to £62.4 million next season (an increase of 11.6 per cent), and to £68.8 million by the 2009-10 campaign.

A paragraph of the business plan reads: "A large step up of £6.5 million in player salaries in 2008 assumes that 40 per cent of the club's anticipated revenue gain in 2008 from new domestic media deals flows directly to increased player salaries. Thereafter, growth is assumed at 5 per cent per annum. Player and coaching bonuses are performance-related, although relatively stable in the model reflecting the conservative on-field playing performance."

An 11 per cent rise across the squad would benefit those players due to be offered new contracts in the near future, such as Rio Ferdinand, who already earns £100,000 a week, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Supporters might be slightly more placated if they were able to equate an extra £6.5 million on the wage bill to a single new player, such as Fernando Torres, the Atlético Madrid forward.

United face a crucial match away to Liverpool tomorrow as they bid to move a step closer to the Premiership title. As for the fans, they will be told that the price of a ticket at the newly expanded 76,000capacity Old Trafford will rise again. The Glazers suggested last summer that "in the context of the quality of the Old Trafford experience, tickets have been and are undervalued".

The exact ticket-pricing strategy for next season has still to be finalised, but figures forecast in the business plan suggested that, after a controversial 12.5 per cent rise on general-access seats this season, prices for the next campaign should increase by 2.5 per cent (70p per ticket for a £28 Premiership ticket this season). Prices are planned to rise by 5 per cent per season until summer 2012, when a "one-time increase of 9.5 per cent is assumed for all categories of seats".

Blackburn, by contrast, slashed the price of season tickets by 25 per cent yesterday in a giveaway that will cost £1 million. The result is that some seat prices are now pitched at 2001 levels, with the cheapest adult season ticket costing £249 and the most expensive £399.

redrus