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Jarrod’s blog: An expensive day out
Monday 21st July 2008, 4:53PM BST.
Money matters seem to be on everybody’s minds at the moment. With the season fast approaching, many are weighing up whether going to the match offers value for money.
Due to the early bird scheme offered this season, I will be watching home games at a cost of £15.74 per match, yet many will have to fork out up to £40.
In comparison to other football clubs both in the Premier League and outside it compares favourably, combined with the clubs recent success and general feeling that the club is moving forward, it is difficult to argue that visiting the Hawthorns on match day offers anything other than value for money.
We all have other interests outside of football (honest I do) and the argument takes a new dimension when you compare watching live football with other options.
If we assume you have to travel to most things, let’s base the comparison on ticket prices against other sports and social activities (all based on one person).
Cinema, £5
Attending restaurant for a meal, £6-£20
Round of Golf, £8 (municipal) £40 (The Belfry)
Theatre, £15.50 (Blood Brothers at the Hippodrome)
Cricket, Warwickshire County Test, £10 International £45 (England v S.Africa)
Visiting the gym £2-£5
Tennis, £Free
Walking £Free
(Watching the Albion lift the Championship trophy £priceless)
As you can see, when compared to other social activities, football has a lot to live up to.
As we approach a time when Securicor will have to turn up to deposit your money for filling your car up with petrol (or liquid gold as it is now referred to), most people are looking to cut costs or look more closely at where they spend their disposable income.
Attendances on the whole are coming down and with many fans choosing to watch their football courtesy of SKY, is it only a matter of time before we witness further more drastic reductions in ticket prices?
Probably not, fans are loyal and if the team is doing ok many of us could never contemplate not going. Chairman up and down the country know it.
Personally I enjoy playing football, tennis and golf, yet my biggest expense is following the Baggies.
I play football and tennis for free, golf costs me no more than £20 a round. When compared to attending an away game (travel, beer, food and ticket) finances have to be considered.
I am lucky, many others are not, football was and still is a working mans game. I hope it stays that way, but my fears are that it is slipping from many fans financial grasp.
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yawn
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wow interesting already got the old season ticket
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Jarrod, how are you?
What about those poor ‘slaves’ the footballers? Somebody has to ensure that their minimum wage is met.
I still haven’t got onto the old blogging yet. I’ll probably kick it off after the Blackburn friendly in a couple of weeks and then sit back and wait for the abuse. I mean look at your first comment. Why do we bother…. certainly not for muppets like Andy Hughes thats for sure.
Anyway, hope all is well. Carson is a brilliant signing, you haven’t got a spare central defender you could chuck our way have you?
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£6-20 for a restaurant meal? That’s setting your sights a bit low – where do you eat? MaccyDees?
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Jarrod, you’re 100% right.
I’ve been a season ticket holder for the last 10 years, and before that went to as many matches as my paper round money could afford me.
I will be going to ALL of the home matches and prob 90% of the away matches too (Wednesday night to Newcastle and Chelsea away on Boxing Day being personal nightmares), after buying both home and away season tickets, but it makes me realise how much extra cash it’s going to take out of my pocket.
I’ve got what I call Albionitis, the symptoms include scouring the E&D for any news on the Albion, spending money freely on tickets, shirts etc and planning where you’re picking up your mates on Wednesday night to go to Cheltenham for a pre season friendly where only half a team will be playing. If infected, it’s contageous and will affect both your sanity and ability to spend money on anything else…..it’s bloody brilliant though!!
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Having been an Albion fan since I first went with my Dad in 1955, I share your concerns Jarrod. My oldest son and I had season tickets for many years and have travelled up from the Essex coast to follow our beloved Baggies since we moved there in 1981.
Sadly after the Great Escape we decided that we wouldn’t renew them.
The cost of petrol was one of the key factors, but the other issue was the number of games that we didn’t get to see thanks to Sky. Moving games around to suit the TV schedule meant that were always games that we just couldn’t get to and we felt that we just couldn’t justify wasting money in that way.
So we became members and try to get to as many games as possible, usually about 25 home and away, not counting Wembley appearances of course. It’ll be interesting to see how many games we can get tickets for this season now that so many season tickets have been sold – where do these extra fans come from?
Sadly unless something dramatic happens I think that more and more families will find it difficult to sustain the costs involved, especially if they travel a fair distance.
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Hey Jarrod, wheres this golf course you can go to for £8, mine costs me £22.
Visit the gym ??? no chance.
Theatre, id rather watch the wolves lol, prolly the same tho.
Free tennis ? where ?
Id love to know where these places are please Jarrod, I am being serious.
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WBA offer even more fantastic value when you are a “senior” BRE home season ticket holder – 9.95 a game for the 2008/2009 season,and even allowing for the cost of my 100+ mile return car journey following the Baggies is tremendous value for money.
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Wow, Nathan and Jarrod ( The Dream Team ) on the same page. Looking forward to a great season from both of you.
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never heard this argument before.
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£8 at a muni Jarrod? I wish! 18 holes at a Birmingham muni is £16 Saturday and Sunday. Costs me less to watch the Albion, but with my golf I get good value for money out of my round.
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It is a fair old blog and yes throw in a pint or two you can get a decent curry with a naan bread in the West Mids for a around £12 then add another fiver or so for a taxi which can be shared. Still, following football is expensive and is going to get more expensive for the working class folks with fuel costs and players wages rising. Still, all the best to the Baggies for the coming season, you need something to put a smile on your face in the midst of this recession and the Premier League is the best place for this. I will go to some away games this season but I envy the you guys for the glamour grounds you will be visiting this coming season. Make the most of it and enjoy
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Jarrod,good points. I was a season ticket holder at Wolves ( yeah, I know)..for 30 years before I emigrated. To be honest, looking from afar, it was a habit, and, if you find something else more economical, you soon get out of it.Of course, I still look for the results, and yes, I still watch what I can on Fox Sports. Miss it? Yes a bit, but I have no desire to go an dwatch agame when I come back for holiday next year.It is too expensive.To put this in context, for the price of a Wolves season ticket in the Billy Quiet, I could get(in Brisbane), a season ticket for the Brisbane Lions, the Brisbane Broncos , the Queensland Roar and Queensland Bulls.So that’s RL, AFL, Football and Cricket covered…and still have change…I don;t buy any of them ! TV is at saturation point, and is killing games here too. Oh, and all the best for the season, I hope you stay up at the expense of Bolton.
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Maccy Dee`s ??? How about the burger van outside the the Hawthorns..have you seen the prices they charge.
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Interesting blog again Jarrod, but i still think that Football just has something else that makes it special. Don’t ask me what though.
3. – Good point. You shouldn’t get abuse for trying to entertain people off your own back. Keep up the blogs!!!!!!!
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Jarrod,
The thing you ignored is the fact that football is so varied in quality. With the Cinema, Theatre etc yiou kniw pretty much that you will be entertained, I watch the Albion under Styles, Saunders, Wylie et al. It was more torture than entertainment mate. Now the last couple of years, much better. Roll on the first game I can’t wait.
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no1baggiesfan
I play tennis for free at West Park wolverhampton or willenhall memorial park, in fact most council parks that have courts are actually free.
£8 is for nine holes at Himley muncipal.
The idea of the blog was from a friend who has a low paid job and responsibilities, he has to justify where he spends his money and often talks about the fact he can go to the baggies and come out feeling terrible, whereas he can go and play a round of golf and nearly always enjoy it. Not everyone has a choice!!
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how can you possibly compare a trip to the cinema or a round of golf with the sheer elation of seeing our team lift the cup at QPR?
I enjoyed a film at the cinema the other week, but let’s be honest, it’s not going to be on my mind before I’m taking away to the pearly gates.
Besides, If I was to take up golf I have to think about all the equipment I need to buy before i step onto the course(there goes the cost of a season ticket straight away)
football is the greatest sport on the planet, yeah its dear, yeah i want a season ticket, yeah times are hard…..give up smoking, stop eating take aways, dont use your mobile so often, dont leave stuff on stand by, tell your mrs she cant have those expensive shoes….
boing boing
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Just a shame that most council parks tennis courts are badly maintained eg, lightwoods park(if they are still there).
£8 for 9 holes, I thought it was to good to be true :) there is a 9 hole, 3 par course up here that is about £7 but isnt up to much the main municipal course in wallsend is a full course but sets you back £22.
I hope it didnt sound like I was having a dig, far from it, I love these blogs from our Jarrod, I honestly dont think I’ve found anything in them to disagree with, lol.
I’ve been there too with the low paid job I know how hard it is to keep everyone happy, yes choices can be hard but you still have to live and enjoying yourself is part of it, you can never feel bad about watching your favourite team win or lose (even though it hurts) as long as the electric bill is paid.
Keep up these fantastic blogs please Jarrod.
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Good Blog Jarrod
As you are aware I’ve got a little one on the way, only 5 weeks to go (sorry to keep boring you all with that statement) so I had the deliberation with the other half over whether I could renew my season ticket, obviously the woman said No, I said YES, in the end she told me we would see how much the season tickets costed for the coming season, so when the prices were actually released and were overall for mine and her son’s £50 cheaper than last season, obviously I was overjoyed as her arguement had just lost all face, she then changed the arguement over to with work and then going up the match I’d never be around, so I had to settle for a comprimise, I cannot attend away matches and I cannot attend cup games (that will be for debate though if we get a cup home game). I’m happy I got my season ticket, I’ve saved money and the missus is kinda happy (for now).
Roll on the season, just get this feeling little one is going to appear on August 23rd and I would have to miss the 1st home game, but hey ho still another 17 Premiership games I’d get to see at the Hawthorns.
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Good luck Tony and Mrs Tony.
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