Ticket prices - an Own Goal?

25 May 2004

Albion have announced ticket prices for next season at the Hawthorns, and as expected they show significant increases - about 33% on average. Matchday seats will now cost ?28 for the Birmingham Road and Smethwick Ends and ?33 for the Halfords Lane and East Stands. While the new prices are not the most expensive in the Premiership, they rank alongside those at some of the biggest clubs - seats at Old Trafford, even for non-members, range from ?28 to ?34 while those at Highbury range from ?26 to ?48.

Season tickets still show a significant discount on matchday prices - ?415 for the Birmingham Road and Smethwick Ends (saving 22% over 19 games), ?465 for the Halfords Lane and the lower tier of the East Stand (saving 26%) and ?515 for the upper tier of the East Stand (saving 18%). The new prices are reckoned to be increasing Albion's income by around ?2 million.

While the increases are larger than expected, many fans admit that tickets have been cheap for some time, and in our last Premiership season they were almost ridiculously low by comparison with other clubs. While many had hoped that the increases would be spread over a longer period, Albion's desire to capitalise on their new status is, at least, understandable.

However, the subject causing most grief is the huge increases that the new generation of fans will be charged; the Kids for a Quid season ticket has been abolished and replaced by a ?99 Junior season ticket in all areas except the upper East Stand where it costs ?119. Student rate season tickets have been abolished entirely, with anyone over the age of 16 now expected to pay full adult rate regardless of whether they're in full time education or not. The cost of taking a family to the game has therefore risen drmatically, and many parents are now considering whether or not they can afford to go to games next season.

As a number of fans have pointed out, paying the same prices to watch Albion as people are charged to watch Man United and Arsenal is one thing - but will we see the same quality of football on the pitch? As one supporter put it, "The board have decided to charge us Premier League admission prices. It's now up to them and GM to show us we are a Premier League club."

Previous Stories:

  22 May 2004:  New kits unveiled... perhaps

  10 May 2004:  Quiz night at the Throstle Club

  06 May 2004:  Coming up in the media (revised)

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