I was going to write about something else. I had actually started
a post a few weeks ago all about that cheeky Barcelona penalty. It was full of
talk of Respect and references to the
song. It was great. It was funny! But I never quite finished it. And before I
knew it, it was 2/3 weeks since the incident had passed; hardly an on trend
topic to talk about. So now you’re stuck with this. This might not be as funny,
saying that I feel the tone of my posts has changed recently, since I made the change. I’ve not really made
reference to that, maybe I will in the future… maybe I won’t.
Anyway. Aside from being cryptic about stuff you probably
couldn’t give a toss about, let’s talk current soccerball! Yeah!
It’s no secret on here that I have a West Ham season ticket,
I’ve had it since 2004. What is that 12 years? Yeah something like that. Over
that 12 years it’s risen and risen and risen in cost and I’ve carried on paying
for it regardless. I got the thing in the first place because it was the most
cost effective way of seeing West Ham play on a regular basis. And I stand by
that.
Recently there’s been a lot of talk about ticket prices.
Ticket prices and kick off times. Comparisons with what they do in Germany,
comparisons with Barcelona season tickets, the rise of FC United and other fan
focused clubs, Twenty is plenty, bla bla
bla…
This week we had the Twenty
is plenty “successfully” managing to get Premier League clubs to agree to
capping away ticket prices at £30 (so Twenty wasn’t in fact plenty then). We’ve
also seen Liverpool do a u-turn on their newly introduced pricing structure
after 10,000 fans walked out halfway through a game and now I’m hearing talk of
all sorts of Premier League clubs freezing their ticket prices.
That’s all great, it is honestly. But that doesn’t even
scratch the surface in my opinion. I appreciate we don’t go to watch our teams
in crumbling stadiums that lack adequate security, and that we can pretty much
bring the whole family along to experience the drama of the Best League in the World (or “Most
competitive” at times when it’s obvious that the standard is average). I
appreciate that I don’t HAVE to go and watch West Ham or anyone for that
matter. That I don’t have to pay Sky or BT or Setanta or anyone else who wants
to reach into my pocket in return for showing me footage of the latest football
matches. That as long as I continue to pay all or any of these bodies to
consume the football they offer, I’m adding to the problem. But they still take
the p*ss!
There’s no denying that. For example, I’m going to Old
Trafford on Sunday to watch West Ham’s FA Cup quarter final against
Manchester United. The tickets for this game went on sale before the FA had
even decided what day the game would be scheduled for. So essentially, I and
every other West Ham fan that wanted to go, had to make a commitment. A commitment
to put whatever they had going on in their lives on hold on whichever day the
FA decided to move the match to after we’d already committed to going. I don’t
live in or near Manchester, most West Ham fans won’t. It’s 215 miles (shortest
route) between the two grounds. Therefore going to Manchester would eat up the
best part of a day, potentially a working one, according to the FA (it could
have originally been scheduled for a Friday or Monday).
This sort of thing happens time and time again. Sky and BT
move games to Saturday Mornings/Evenings and Monday nights at the drop of a hat.
And we (match going fans) move our lives to accommodate them. I can’t tell you
the amount of times I’ve rushed back from work, had no dinner, got in at
midnight when I had work to get up for in the mornings. And then on top of all
of this the clubs need a body to form to say to them, “don’t you think charging
thousands of people more than £20 to come and watch you, when you make millions
(if not billions) every year, and this income is negligible, is a bit much?”
For them to respond, “Hmmm, OK we won’t charge more than £30! But that’s it… …OK we’ll
keep our Season Tickets at their extortionate rates, which have risen well
above inflation over the past 10, 20 years and just not charge you any extra next
season, because it might look bad.”
In what other walk of life would you significantly
inconvenience yourself, your friends and family; and pay money at a rate well
over the odds to do so? It’s crazy. But we do it. And, as I alluded earlier, nobody
forces us to do so. In fact we’re the only ones who can stop it. We’re the only
ones who can cancel our Sky subscriptions, not subscribe to BT or whoever the
new rival that comes along might be. Stop going to these games scheduled at
time which cause fans to travel at ridiculous hours of the day and take time
off work (TAKE TIME OFF WORK, let that sink in, lose income to pay over the
odds for something?). But we won’t.
The reason why we’re even in this situation is because we’re
slaves to football. This game. This sport; past time. Which took off as a thing
to do (watching or participating) in our spare time on the weekend. Which became
a form of entertainment for the average working man. An opportunity to gather
with the rest of the community, to get behind our local team. Has turned into something
similar to those con subscriptions, from which you can never get out. Like
trying to leave a gym. Or like a drug that we’re hooked to, constantly sucking
money from us. It’s like heroin!
I know this is all a bit dark, and not funny at all. I know
I’m moaning yet doing nothing about it. I can’t help it. I’m trapped and they
know it!
In other news, this week I was invited to participate in a weekly football podcast called Shoot The Defence. They've previously had me on the show ranting about West Ham (and raving about odd things like 1950's football). It was a pleasure being able to participate again. Give it a listen (although it's a few days out of date). Listen to Shoot The Defence in general, it'seems decent and they have a monthly segment where former footballer Leon Knight basically tears into Arsenal for having no bottle, it's hilarious! Anyway here's this week's show...
http://shootthedefence.libsyn.com/shoot-the-defence-premier-league-review-6
I'm off now! Where’s that Sky subscription telephone number I need to
update my direct debit details…?!?
